Adjustments

The entirety of September passed without the slightest ripple, and the Meng family estate on Mount Motie did not encounter a single attack. Yet everyone knew that Meng Huang would never give up. This state of affairs only meant that the other side was making preparations and adjustments, waiting for the right opportunity. The later the attack came, the harder it would be to deal with. Chen Chuan opened his eyes from his seated meditation. Lately, he had been doing everything he could to adjust his condition, substituting meditation for sleep. It had been quite some time since any memory fragments had surfaced in his mind. He knew, however, that those memories remained inside his body; they had not vanished for good. Whenever his mind relaxed and was entirely free of burden, these things would naturally emerge. But when he felt the need to maintain peak condition and avoid any distraction, no memories would offer any feedback. At this moment, a series of chimes came from his boundary credential, transmitting several video clips and photos. They had been taken by Tan Zhi. Aside from footage of Tan Zhi dancing and various scenes from the dance floor, there were also photos of Chaoming eating. Because Chen Chuan had to stay on Mount Motie, he had asked Tan Zhi to look after Chaoming for the time being. In any case, it only required preparing food and water; Chaoming was remarkably clever, so it didn't take much extra effort. Tan Zhi was more than happy to do it. No joke—Chen Chuan was not only his classmate, but now also... Chen Chuan sent a reply, then browsed the outside news. Aside from the arena tournament finally concluding after three months and the daily incidents of violence in Center City, there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary. After reading through the updates, he went to wash up, consumed several tubes of nutritional paste, and then left the villa with a practice saber to drill his strikes and blade forms in an open space outside. With the arrival of October, the maple groves on the mountain gradually turned red, painting the view in a rich wash of crimson and yellow. Practicing martial arts amid such scenery had a unique artistic ambiance, allowing him to fully immerse his spirit. Two hours later, he brought his exercises to an end and took a walk around the estate's interior and exterior perimeter. After a month of preparation, the estate's defensive facilities had already been rearranged. In many places, even if... wanted to trap... Returning to the villa, he took out some medicine and ingested it. Nowadays, these medicines were provided by the estate, so he did not need to carry extra supplies himself. Over the course of this month, the momentum of mutated tissue growth triggered after crossing the threshold had gradually slowed and plateaued. Under normal circumstances, even if he continued training, while his strength would still improve, the progress would become exceedingly slow—no longer as easy to advance as in the previous stage. He estimated that in just a few more days, he would be about ready to take the special medicine. After another hour of breathing technique practice, he picked up a stack of documents from the desk and began leafing through them. These were materials from the old era that Meng Shu had procured through certain channels... Although some of these things were severely outdated due to the passage of time, with quite a few consisting of obsolete techniques, they still held immense reference value. In particular, whenever matters involving fighters were touched upon, insights into cultivation were inevitable, and many parts proved deeply inspiring to him. Judging from these fragmented records, when people of the old era reached... And during a Period of Cold Silence, it became troublesome. Fighters had to expend immense energy and time searching for "remnants" left behind by a Period of Flux. During such eras, the number of fighters among the common populace would decline drastically, but various empires and imperial courts, having preserved certain things, remained capable of nurturing talent even during a Period of Cold Silence. Looking across history at the eras when fighters emerged in droves, it was invariably during a Period of Flux. These periods were likewise times of surging storms and violent upheavals across the world, often accompanied by the rise and fall of dynasties. A Period of Cold Silence, on the other hand, was a nadir for fighters, while dynastic power grew correspondingly secure. Historically, this pattern held true worldwide. However, the methods of obtaining such things in the old era were likely quite crude and fraught with extreme danger. Most people were simply taking a gamble; failing to succeed, they would instead throw their lives away. Nearly all records described harrowing experiences. For instance, a damaged letter to a disciple that he was currently browsing belonged to a fighter who had discovered a rift and decided to set out with his companions to seek an opportunity for advancement. Unsure if he would ever return, he gave his disciple various instructions and solemnly urged him to pass down their lineage. Things were different now. Throughout a Period of Flux spanning more than two centuries, the global landscape had undergone unprecedented transformations. While obtaining medicine now still appeared relatively difficult, stable channels existed after all, and it no longer meant routinely gambling one's life. Not only that, with the Great Collision drawing near, the world might usher in another unprecedented wave of changes. It might be a great crisis, but wasn't it also a form of fortune? Setting aside the documents, he accessed the academy platform to look into matters concerning the intake of special medicine, hoping to see if there were any crucial points or precautions. Yet the platform made no mention of it whatsoever. After thinking it over, he contacted Instructor Jiang, Teacher Bai, and others to seek their advice. Yet he immediately found that whether it was Teacher Bai or Instructor Jiang, after hearing him bring this up, their tone became extremely guarded. Although they subsequently gave him numerous replies, they only spoke in indirect terms and offered cautionary warnings, seemingly constrained by some scruple. Realizing there might be some underlying issue, he did not press further. Fortunately, beyond academy channels, he could also consult Cao Guixi and the Disposal Bureau, so he next attempted to get in touch with Cao Guixi. However, Cao Guixi seemingly never used boundary credentials to communicate directly with others, so Chen Chuan first contacted Uncle Ding and informed him that he needed to consult Senior Cao on some specific matters. Uncle Ding politely asked him to wait. After a short while, Uncle Ding returned and said, "Trainee Chen, here is a secret field communication channel. Please enter that platform for your conversation." Shortly after, Chen Chuan saw a platform access code sent to his boundary credential. It was clearly a temporary private setup, and he logged in immediately. After a brief wait, Cao Guixi's voice came through. "You're at Mount Motie?" Chen Chuan did not conceal it. "Yes." Cao Guixi did not ask for his exact location, saying directly, "This is a temporary dedicated channel maintained by a strong field. Because the field organism used to construct it is rather unusual, it will be rejected by Center City, so it can only support about ten minutes of conversation. Since you're at Mount Motie, it might last slightly longer. Junior Chen, if you have anything to ask, you can ask during this time." Chen Chuan said all right, explaining that he had already obtained the special medicine and wanted to ask about precautions and taboos when taking it. He added that he had consulted academy instructors, but they seemed unable to explain things clearly, as if it were some taboo. Cao Guixi did not ask where he had gotten the special medicine from. Instead, he said, "Junior Chen, there's a reason they didn't speak directly. Academy instructors sign agreements; unless permitted by the academy, they are strictly forbidden from discussing or disclosing matters in this regard, even if you are already in the know. "Furthermore, the reason special medicine is so tightly controlled, aside from its rarity, lies in its unique nature. Not only does it affect a person mentally, but sometimes even verbal conveyance can cause unspeakable consequences." Chen Chuan felt a slight chill in his heart. "Verbal conveyance?" "Yes," Cao Guixi replied. "If you hear someone describe their own experience and form a preconceived concept and mental impression, something that might not have posed an issue could instead develop anomalies simply because of what you learned. "I also have no way of telling you what will happen after you take the medicine, because its specific effects vary from person to person. Differences in degree of mutation, coverage of mutated tissue, physical constitution, mental fortitude, and even personal emotions will all produce different outcomes. "Your body is sustained by matter, like a sturdy shell firmly encasing your mind within. Yet once you have achieved... "Still, that alone is not enough to propel you upward. This special medicine psychologically bridges the distance between you and that world, spontaneously weakening this shell. "During this process, the medicinal efficacy can fully come into play, and your upper limit will rise accordingly. "Yet at the same time, you will inevitably be exposed to infection and erosion from certain things on the other side. You must hold fast to yourself and not let yourself be swayed by them. "However, that is not the end of it. With each dose, those contaminations will accumulate in your body, so after every intake, you must find a way to expel the residual toxicity. "This depends on vital essence and the changeless mind. The more resilient and abundant both are, the better you can withstand this. That is why your foundation must be rock-solid. After each dose of medicine, it is best to leave an interval—not only to purge the residual toxicity, but also to wait until your condition is built back to perfection before trying again..." Chen Chuan noted down all his reminders and key points. After thanking him solemnly, he ended the call and proceeded to throw himself fully into adjusting his condition. Another five days passed. When he felt the growth of his mutated tissue come nearly to a complete halt, he knew the time had arrived, and he prepared to make his first attempt at taking the medicine.