From his seat, Cao Guixi raised his head and gazed at the drifting, falling flower branches. He murmured with emotion, "A fleeting moment is eternity; to meet is to part."
Brushing away a wisp of willow-catkin-like silver thread clinging to his lapel, he caught his sleeve with one hand and reached out with the other to brush aside the withered flower branches scattered across the low table. From among them, he picked up a silvery-white flower root. "Uncle Ding, keep this safe."
Uncle Ding stepped forward and cupped it carefully in both hands. With this root, the flower could be grown once more.
Cao Guixi turned to Chen Chuan. "Junior Brother Chen, judging by the manifestation of the Silver Cage, you are gradually approaching the third limit. The spirit and vitality within you are on the verge of bursting forth. If you maintain an uninterrupted supply of daily training resources, your breakthrough should arrive within the next month or two.
"Therefore, at this juncture, you ought to prepare to break through this limit. Only by accumulating sufficient strength can you push open that door."
Chen Chuan earnestly asked for guidance. "Senior Brother Cao, what should I do?"
Cao Guixi said, "First is the method. Breaking through the third limit not only has a threshold to cross, but the method chosen will also determine your future path. We can discuss the specific details of that later; for now, let us focus on the prevailing methods since the dawn of the New Era.
"One of them is to find a third-limit fighter and use a resonance nest to establish a field resonance with the person on the verge of breakthrough, gradually stepping into the limit under their guidance."
"A resonance nest?" Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised.
Cao Guixi nodded. "Indeed, a resonance nest. Originally, these devices were developed to guide succeeding generations of fighters. With technological advances, they gradually became exclusive equipment for resonators, yet they are still employed when a fighter seeks to break through the third limit—albeit models tailored specifically for fighters.
"Nowadays, many fighters backed by established lineages opt for this method because the success rate is high. As long as the guide is genuinely conscientious, there is virtually no risk.
"However, with such a breakthrough, your biological field will unconsciously skew toward the fighter guiding you, and the future growth of your mutated tissue will gradually align with theirs.
"If the guide's jin technique and breathing technique are inherently similar to yours, the extent of mutated tissue coverage is likely to be the same, which can sometimes even provide a degree of assistance.
"Yet if your choices of jin diverge and your mutated tissues differ significantly, it can produce the opposite effect. Even if you succeed in breaking through, it could constrain the realization of your future potential, requiring considerable effort afterward to correct and reverse, leaving your prospects of advancing further far lower than others'.
"What is worse still: if the compatibility between you is insufficient, there is a chance the person being guided will fail to break the limit altogether.
"Furthermore, such an attempt is best accomplished in a single push. The odds of succeeding when starting over from scratch fall far short of the first attempt. If you fail repeatedly, the mutated tissue will spontaneously enter an indolent phase, and at that point, hope is essentially gone."
Chen Chuan pondered this for a moment. This method would not work for him. He practiced the Zhouyuan Jin technique, and in this day and age, finding a senior who practiced that same technique was virtually impossible.
Cao Guixi continued, "The second approach is taking medication—relying purely on pharmacological power to help you break through the restriction. You are a medicine tester for Qingnang Jade Workshop, so you can obtain specialized medicine from them. These drugs can drastically stimulate the growth of mutated tissue in your brain to achieve that goal.
"However, for this method to yield a high success rate, the drugs must be tailored to your individual condition. The company would obtain detailed data on your body as a result; you may weigh that for yourself.
"Then there is a third method: purchasing services from Wuyi Academy. Hongfu, the academy's active conscious entity, can provide remarkably effective guidance, making it more dependable and likely to succeed than the other two methods.
"The drawback is that your body's specific responses will likewise be recorded by the academy. Not merely your present physical state, but the entire process of attaining the third limit, as well as your possible future path, will be laid bare for the academy to see."
He fixed his gaze on Chen Chuan. "The academy is a collective entity. When one person sees it, it means more people will see it. Before making a decision, you need to consider this thoroughly."
Chen Chuan thought deeply for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Senior Brother Cao, aside from these, are there any other ways to break the limit?"
Cao Guixi said slowly, "Since the beginning of the New Era, these have been the general methods. Besides them, there are various folk ways to break the limit, varied in nature, but none are suitable for you right now. But if you find all of these unappealing, then..."
At this point, he lifted his teacup, shielded it with his sleeve, took a sip, and said slowly, "...then your only option is to search within the Old Era."
Chen Chuan mused, "The Old Era..."
"The Old Era's practices are not entirely without merit. Once stripped of their mystique, many aspects are far better suited to the individual."
Cao Guixi gazed intently at Chen Chuan. "Personally, I would recommend this method to you. New technology has vastly improved a fighter's chances of reaching the third limit, but for individuals of exceptional talent, it can actually prove to be a constraint."
He turned his head toward the deep, lush courtyard and closed his eyes briefly. After a moment, he opened them and spoke in a slow voice: "In the Old Era, the way to enter the third limit was not simply about forcing a breakthrough. Instead, one usually had to wait for an opportune moment—a process known as 'enlightenment' or 'awakening wisdom.'
"That moment might take a long time, or it might arrive swiftly. In the past, people lacking true understanding devised many extreme methods in pursuit of this opportunity: leaping from cliffs, severing earthly ties, or even voluntarily exposing themselves to lightning strikes.
"Nowadays, however, there is no need for such extremes. Blending the traditions of the Old Era with theories synthesized in the New Era yields a clear path to follow.
"This method requires the coordination of breath, body, and spirit, supplemented throughout by specific medicines. Not a single link can be missing.
"The coordination between breath and body primarily lies in the application and adjustment of the breathing technique. An exceptional breathing technique can bring your body into the optimal state of readiness.
"I happen to possess a breathing technique synthesized by the state religion of the Old Era. It allows one to discover self-awareness in stillness, facilitating entry into the proper state. I can teach it to you later.
"During this adjustment, unique medicines are also required. Such drugs are difficult to come by these days. I still have sixty doses on hand, exactly enough for two months. I have no use for them anymore, and leaving them to sit serves no purpose, so I will give them to you as well."
Uncle Ding raised his head at this, looking as if he wanted to speak, but held back.
Cao Guixi acted as though he had not noticed, continuing, "Now, regarding the spirit. In the course of adjusting yourself, you must find something that truly ignites your interest, or something you pursue with your entire heart and soul.
"What we fighters pursue is, naturally, breakthroughs in strength and constantly overcoming our opponents. Therefore, one can usually seek out a powerful rival to serve as the catalyst for your breakthrough.
"However, because some people do not genuinely love fighting and merely treat it as a stepping stone for advancement, that approach might not necessarily align with the true desires deep within their hearts.
"Thus, those who appreciate art can immerse themselves in transcendent masterpieces; those who yearn for travel can seek out the breathtaking vistas of their minds; those who crave grand achievements can pursue power and influence. The methods vary.
"These are merely vehicles. The goal is to elevate your spirit and achieve a perfect harmony between body and mind.
"Yet remember: breaking the limit is not accomplished in a single stroke; it is a gradual process. Generally, your strength will rise steadily until you cross that boundary. Sometimes, upon reaching the threshold, you might even require a touch of additional stimulation.
"Even so, simply follow this path. As long as all conditions are met, the probability of success is by no means low. Especially for you, Junior Brother, with an eighty-one percent chance, you should have no problem so long as there are no outside disruptions."
After listening, Chen Chuan understood. The Old Era's method lacked quantifiable metrics, relying entirely upon individual realization and cultivation.
He was actually more in favor of this method. Complex and difficult though it appeared, every step was decided by his own choices rather than following a direction mapped out by someone else.
He thought for a while, then looked up and said, "Senior Brother, I want to use this method."
Cao Guixi seemed to have anticipated his choice all along, nodding. "Then I will teach you the essential points and everything you need to watch out for. Remember them carefully."
Over the next two hours and more, he explained in detail all the methods for breaking through, the key junctures, and the potential issues that might arise. Finally, he handed over the medicines and tools needed for the breakthrough, and instructed Uncle Ding to see him out.
When Uncle Ding returned, he said, "Young Master, never mind the breathing technique—ever since the Old Era, copies of it have scattered far and wide, and hardly anyone cares for it anymore. But that medicine was left to you by the old madam back then..."
Cao Guixi blew across his tea and said, "What use is there in keeping it now?"
Uncle Ding sighed. "It is still a keepsake, after all."
Cao Guixi shook his head. "It only invites pointless sorrow. Things are meant to be used. If Junior Brother Chen can put them to good use, then at least they still serve some purpose."
After leaving Mount Motie, Chen Chuan drove back toward the Xuan Palace Building, turning the conversation over in his mind. To be frank, the preliminary steps could simply be followed by the book; the true difficulty lay in the part that confronted one's own heart.
He considered what truly interested him. Esoteric, mysterious phenomena were undoubtedly among them, but fighting was likewise something he pursued. Being unconstrained and unbound was his greatest aspiration, and only fighting could grant him that. Only the strength forged through combat was power that truly belonged to him.
Once that was established, the next step was to find a sufficiently formidable opponent.
Furthermore, this was not a short-term process, which meant he needed someone who could spar with him continuously and consistently pose a threat. And as far as he knew, there was one person who fit the bill perfectly.
Hongfu.
Among the purchasable services offered by Wuyi, having Hongfu spar as a training partner was indeed an option. The price, however, was quite steep, and it required a certain amount of simulation resources; without a high enough evaluation, one could not access such a service.
Fortunately, with his evaluation score having risen, he should now be right on the threshold of qualifying for it.
In that case, he could set things in motion once he returned.
Chapter 326