Enhancement

Chen Chuan's vision went dark. Immediately, a cold, slick sensation enveloped him as a forceful surge wrapped around his body, shoving and constricting him deeper into the darkness. With a single slide, he felt himself slip into a slightly roomier chamber. Yet only a moment later, the powerful flesh around him instinctively began to contract and crush inward. He instantly felt his entire body bound by an unyielding, tightening force. Because he had no room to stretch or brace his limbs, he was forced to tap into the intrinsic power of his mutated tissue to resist the pressure bearing down from all sides. At least there was still a steady supply of oxygen inside, which had likely been accounted for when this biological tool was bred. Even so, every breath took immense effort under the crushing weight. This ordeal also forced his mutated tissue to instinctively sense danger and begin spontaneously cooperating. Before long, he felt vast amounts of fluid secrete within the serpent's body. These secretions contained the snake molt's own nutrients as well as the medicines it had swallowed beforehand. They began seeping into his bloodstream for him to absorb, preventing him from fainting or dying from extreme exhaustion. He could clearly feel the mutated tissue in his bones, muscles, and internal organs frantically absorbing the drugs under the omnipresent compression, striving to become stronger to withstand the external threat. Yet he felt this passive osmosis was far too slow—nowhere near enough to satisfy his mutated tissue. Thus, he simultaneously activated his internal breathing technique, engaging his skin in both breathing and absorption. Outside the glass wall, Zou Handan watched attentively. Ever since it hatched, this kind of snake molt remained in a deep slumber. Only when a foreign object entered its belly would the stimulation trigger rapid, explosive growth. From beginning to end, the snake molt had a theoretical lifespan of three days—seventy-two hours. Once that time was up, its vitality would be completely spent. During its growth, the molt subjected the client to comprehensive stimulation. Under the dual action of the medicines and osmotic compression, the fighter's internal organs, muscles, and bones were forced into passive resistance, gradually strengthening through the process. Judging by past clients, most had to come out after just one or two days. Inside the snake molt, every passing second drained both physical stamina and mental resolve. In particular, the pitch-black, suffocatingly confined space inflicted tremendous psychological stress. Were it not for the fact that these clients were fighters possessing at least a baseline level of willpower, an ordinary person would likely go insane within half a minute, even if their body could endure the physical strain. Leaving early was not entirely a bad thing, however. Theoretically, the longer one stayed at a stretch, the greater the benefits. But the human body had its limits, and the rate of nutrient absorption rarely kept pace with the rate of consumption. In the past, clients who stubbornly pushed themselves had passed out or nearly died, which was why the cult explicitly warned clients in the guidelines to know their limits. Looking ahead, Zou Handan noted that Chen Chuan hadn't requested biological field monitoring this time. While he couldn't know the exact internal conditions, he guessed two days would probably be the young man's limit. Inside the snake molt, Chen Chuan noticed the crushing constriction gradually intensifying. It felt as though the slightest hesitation would result in his bones snapping. This was because the molt was undergoing rapid growth, scaling up its raw strength and resilience. Furthermore, this biological tool adapted to whatever was swallowed inside; a client with greater resistance would only stimulate it to unleash more of its vitality. Yet he found this external pressure ideal. It forced the mutated tissue within his body into continuous self-strengthening and nonstop nutrient absorption—an effect his usual training after taking medicine could never match. Soon, a day slipped by. Thanks to his extended sparring with Instructor Zheng and his recent battles against Zhao Qian, Toad Blade, and others, his overlap time with the Second Self had reached three days and five hours—more than enough to outlast this entire service. Watching from outside, Zou Handan's expression grew somewhat solemn. In truth, the snake molt's pressure was not entirely unyielding; if it sensed the resistance of the "foreign body" weakening, it would ease its compression accordingly. That pause was meant to allow the client time to recover. Medicinal fluids would seep in from outside to repair the tissues damaged by previous resistance, granting the client sufficient rest. Once their stamina returned, the renewed struggle would provoke the snake molt to resume the crushing cycle. This time, however, there had been no interruption whatsoever. In past cases, that was rarely a good sign—it usually meant the client was desperately holding on by sheer willpower. Most injuries and faints occurred under precisely those circumstances. Although the agreement clearly stipulated that clients bore full responsibility should anything happen, Chen Chuan had been introduced by Cao Guixi and appeared to be on excellent terms with Qingnang Jade Workshop. Zou Handan did not want any complications. He instructed the technicians on duty to breach the chamber and abort the process the moment any anomaly occurred, then stepped away to attend to another client under his care. Hearing his instructions and realizing this client was someone of significant importance, the remaining staff watched with bated breath, poised to stage a rescue at a moment's notice. Another day passed. After a brief half-hour rest and a dose of stimulants, Zou Handan reappeared before the glass wall to check on the situation. Chen Chuan had already been inside the snake molt for forty-eight hours. Most fighters would have collapsed by now, yet Chen Chuan appeared to be holding on. Since no anomalies had been flagged, all Zou Handan could do was keep waiting. By this point, against Chen Chuan's fierce resistance, the molt had grown far more robust and formidable than in previous sessions. Over these three days, it would unleash every drop of its vitality, only to die once the service concluded. As the final day drew to a close, its massive form seemed drained of all moisture. Its once-powerful body withered, gradually shriveling into a desiccated husk. Inside, Chen Chuan felt the external pressure abruptly ease. The tough muscle that had clamped so tightly around him seemed to vanish into thin air, signaling that the service had reached its end. He shifted slightly, reached out with both hands, and effortlessly tore through the flesh that had once nearly crushed him to dust. Bracing his strength, he ripped the entire binding wide open. He stepped out into the open chamber, finding nothing left around him but a withered, brittle snakeskin. The skeletal frame that had supported the molt had turned as frail as rotten twigs, crumbling into powder beneath his feet. He drew a deep breath and carefully evaluated his condition. Over the past three days, through continuous cycles of compression, resistance, and repair, his muscles, bones, and internal organs had all been thoroughly tempered and strengthened. The results were remarkable. Because the external stimulation had not fully faded, his mutated tissue continued to utilize the residual medicinal efficacy to strengthen itself, a process that looked set to continue for some time. After stretching his limbs, he walked down the corridor back to his room. He rinsed off in the washroom, changed back into his own clothes, put on his boundary credential, picked up the Xuejun Saber, and walked outside. Zou Handan was waiting there and greeted him with utmost courtesy. "Mr. Chen, are you satisfied with the service provided by our cult?" Chen Chuan gave an affirmative nod. "Can your cult continue to offer this service to me?" "Of course," Zou Handan replied. "However, I must apologize—due to the limited yield of snake molts, our current quota is only once a month. If you book now, the earliest available slot will be next month." "Then book it for me," Chen Chuan said. "Understood," Zou Handan said. "For returning clients, we move your priority forward. You should be able to get a slot in the first ten days of next month, Mr. Chen." Chen Chuan glanced toward the outside and asked, "When I arrived, I didn't seem to see any other guests?" Zou Handan smiled. "That is because we place the highest priority on our clients' privacy. We arrange different time slots to keep everyone separated. Furthermore, our Secret Snake Cult's grounds around Chaocai Lake are more than spacious enough to accommodate a large number of guests." He added, "We also offer many recreational activities around Chaocai Lake and Split Wave Canyon. If you aren't in a hurry, Mr. Chen, you are welcome to stay and unwind." "No, thank you. I have business to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave," Chen Chuan replied. "Very well. We look forward to your next visit, Mr. Chen." Zou Handan turned to Lin Yingzi beside him. "Please see Mr. Chen out." Chen Chuan gave a nod, followed Lin Yingzi through the glass corridor, rode the sightseeing car back to the parking lot, and drove away in his Jiade. Partway through the drive, he first sent a message to Gao Ming letting him know he was out, then contacted Lu Fang. "Senior Lu, I've finished my business here. How are things on your end?" "Over the past couple of days, I kept watch near Zhao Qian's residence," Lu Fang said. "It looks like someone is still living in there." "Living there?" Chen Chuan thought it over. "Are they caretakers Zhao Qian arranged to watch the place?" "Hard to say," Lu Fang replied. "But I noticed that the occupant orders nutritional paste from Longde Foods every single day, delivered directly by a courier. I doubt ordinary caretakers would do that. What's stranger is that rather than buying in bulk, they insist on daily deliveries." Chen Chuan considered this. Longde Foods was a sponsor company of Wuyi, specializing in providing nutritional paste for fighters. While ordinary people could eat it, they could rarely stomach its bland taste, not to mention that it was quite expensive on the open market—let alone having it delivered to the doorstep daily. That hardly fit the profile of common caretakers. "Young Wu told me that the biological field signal inside the house changes once every day," Lu Fang added. "There must be a field organism in there. Whatever identity the occupant holds, they certainly possess resonance technology." He emphasized in a heavier tone, "Junior Chen, both Young Wu and I believe something is hidden in there. We might truly be able to find clues inside." Chen Chuan thought for a brief moment and said, "Senior Lu, don't make a move just yet. Wait until tonight—I'll come meet up with you."