Chen Chuan first conferred with Meng Shu, conducted an inspection of both the interior and exterior of the estate, and only returned to his living quarters after confirming that everything was in order.
He first took off his boundary credential, brought over a metal case, and retrieved a tube of medicine from within. Glancing at the fluid inside, which shimmered with glittering specks of light, he removed the stopper, raised it to his lips, tilted his arm, and swallowed it all in one breath.
The fluid was flavorless. The moment it entered his mouth, it seemed to turn into a cloud of mist, which then spread swiftly toward his mind and throughout every part of his body.
At first, he felt nothing at all, but after a short while, a subtle warmth spread across his entire body. His mutated tissue seemed to spring to life as if developing a will of its own, and just as when he had cast off his restraints in the past, all manner of inexplicable emotions began welling up within his chest.
Fortunately, he was experienced in dealing with such situations and was not affected in the slightest. His consciousness calmly observed it all from the vantage of a detached onlooker.
Right then, sensing something, he turned his gaze toward the window. Once more, he saw that colossal vortex hanging above the firmament, while countless chaotic streaks of dancing light and irritating, splintered whispers assailed his eyes and ears anew, continually battering his senses.
Nor was that all. The space around him appeared to shift as well; the floor and walls crept and writhed slowly. A thought seemed to rise from deep within him, telling him that this was the true world, whereas what he normally saw was merely an illusion, a fragmentary glimpse.
At the same time, he found that his normally steadfast body had shed its rightful restraints, turning airy and ethereal, while the mutated tissue seemed eager to burst forth and tear its way out of his flesh.
Throughout this process, he felt his own power swelling in tandem. Though he knew something was deeply amiss, the sensation was dangerously intoxicating.
That consciousness seemed to urge him to loosen his hold just a bit more—just a tiny fraction further would bring him immense rewards, with no danger whatsoever.
Yet he did not relent; his eyes remained as cold and clear as icy water.
He kept Cao Guixi's earlier warning in mind, staunchly guarding his spirit and foundational core so that these incursions would not breach the rampart of his mind.
Under the relentless onslaught, however, he realized that his long-established perception of reality was beginning to waver and drift.
For human perception stems from the self and the external environment. When both undergo a profound transformation, the original self naturally ceases to remain intact.
Thus, a single lapse in vigilance—even the slightest slip in consciousness—would lead one to naturally view everything before them as entirely normal.
Realizing this, he shifted his consciousness, directly letting—
In that instant, the strange phenomena, sights, and sounds vanished completely. His mind cleared, and even the violent lurching, the spinning vertigo, and the unspeakable chaos roiling through his body were gone without a trace.
Everything seemed to return to normal.
In reality, however, only his conscious awareness had returned to its ordinary state; his physical body and spirit were still undergoing transformations under the influence of the medicine.
In his judgment, this was likely a similar kind of field influence. Although much of it could not be summarized so simply, looking at it this way was a viable starting point.
Based on Cao Guixi's explanation, when the medicine took effect, one's physical shell weakened and the spirit drew closer to that other world, thereby breaking through certain inherent boundaries. Yet at the same time, the self indiscriminatingly absorbed whatever came through, whether beneficial or harmful.
To maintain one's existence and prevent a descent into madness, both the changeless mind and the vital essence gathered within the heart were slowly depleted during the struggle.
Small wonder Cao Guixi had emphasized the importance of laying a solid foundation. Without sufficient preparation, if a fighter took these special medicines rashly, they might preserve their life and sanity once or twice, but the lingering corruption would inevitably lurk within their body, bound to cause trouble sooner or later.
Generally speaking, a fighter who could hold themselves together through this process and wait for the medicine to run its course was already doing well. There was practically nothing else they could do except let the mutated tissue evolve and grow on its own, following the foundation laid down before.
Yet with—
As time went on, he felt the medicinal potency gradually waning. The mutated tissue inside him also transitioned from its initial frenzied surge of growth back to a state of calm, until he had completely emerged from that condition.
He checked the time and saw that more than three hours had passed, though it had felt fleeting.
He glanced to the side and saw—
No wonder the government and corporations maintained such strict control over this substance. If it were freely available, who knew how many compromised fighters would be created? And since such fighters possessed formidable martial strength, the devastation they could cause would be catastrophic.
After taking the medicine this time, he felt his spirit had grown noticeably tougher, and his body was sturdier.
More than that, his mutated tissue had become active again, feeling as though it had entered a phase of rapid growth.
He knew, however, that this was merely the continuing effect of the medicine and could not possibly last as long as before. Once the residual toxins were completely purged, the growth would cease, and by then he could proceed with the next dose.
He stood up, tidied his belongings, put the medicine away, and sorted through the reference documents. But right then, he unexpectedly discovered that several new notes had appeared in the margins between certain lines of text.
The problem was that he had skimmed all of the contents before and had never seen these notes. He was certain they hadn't been there previously. Where had they come from?
Had his memory failed him, or had that recent contact granted him some new perceptive capability that allowed him to notice them?
On second thought, it seemed more complicated than that. He ran a finger across the text. It was written in a special ink; the deep crimson, unbroken script resembled crawling earthworms, like traces of blood.
Recalling what Cao Guixi had said about communicating across boundaries, it was quite likely that those who had not taken the medicine could not be told through direct means, which was why this method had been used. If so, that made sense.
This passage was divided into two parts: one was a secret method for anchoring oneself amid the apparitions, and the other was a warning to future generations not to become intoxicated by them—for if one lost their identity as a human, they would no longer be themselves.
Having carefully read through these hidden notes, he could appreciate the painstaking efforts of his predecessors. Yet with his—
He picked up his boundary credential and put it back on. Seeing a voice message from Yan Yi that had arrived ten minutes prior, he opened it, and her voice promptly played.
"Mr. Chen, there is a situation you need to know about. When you have a moment, could you please come over to the young lady's quarters?"
Chen Chuan sent a reply, stepped out of his villa, and headed over to the main residence. When he reached the door, a middle-aged maid led him into the living room. Meng Shu and Yan Yi were both present. Meng Shu was seated on the sofa, while Yan Yi had her fist propped against her chin, pacing back and forth.
Once the maid had departed, Chen Chuan looked at the two women. "Has something happened?"
Yan Yi said, "Mr. Chen, word came from the corporation demanding that the young lady attend a family council at the corporate headquarters."
Chen Chuan asked, "A family council? Must you attend?"
"That's the problem. The council was convened in Lord Meng's name, and our technicians currently lack the clearance to access the Meng family's internal platform to verify the particulars. We have no way of confirming whether this summons is genuine."
This was the disadvantage of being away from corporate headquarters: they could not determine what was happening there. Although several people in middle management had expressed a willingness to back Meng Shu, they were merely extending early overtures; there was no true loyalty to speak of.
As for the informants they had planted, none had yet climbed to high enough positions to learn about executive decisions, rendering them completely useless in this regard.
Chen Chuan glanced at Meng Shu. "Could there be any trouble with Old Master Meng?"
Yan Yi replied, "Unlikely. Lord Meng has the finest security detail at his side and enjoys top-tier medical and protection services. Besides, targeting the young lady is far simpler than moving against Lord Meng. We can rule that out."
Chen Chuan asked, "What happens if she doesn't go?"
"Because this family council was convened in Lord Meng's name, if the young lady fails to attend, she will lose significant standing within the family."
Chen Chuan gave an understanding nod. "What are your thoughts?"
Yan Yi said, "If this came from Meng Huang, his only goal is to draw the young lady away from Mount Motie and strike us en route. Mr. Chen, under such circumstances, assuming our full security detail is intact, can we handle it?"
Chen Chuan said, "Without knowing how many people the other side will mobilize, that's difficult to guarantee. If those coming are—"
Yan Yi said, "Then it's settled. We have only one choice. Even if it triggers a crisis of standing, we must stand our ground and remain here on Mount Motie."
She turned to Meng Shu. "However, the young lady refusing to go must also be within Meng Huang's calculations. In my view, his next move will be to use her absence as an excuse to revoke the security detail allocated to us by the family.
"That would strip away a third of our protection, and finding another suitable, trustworthy team on short notice will be exceedingly difficult.
"Furthermore, while we previously ordered a batch of biological weapons, the purchase of high-energy nutrient solution is strictly capped. We cannot reinforce our numbers any further, which will drastically increase the difficulty of our defense. Mr. Chen, I'm afraid this will place even more pressure on your shoulders."
At this point, Meng Shu spoke up. "Sister Yan, please step outside for a moment."
Yan Yi knew she had something to say to Chen Chuan in private. She nodded and said, "Yes, Miss." With that, she turned, walked out, and pulled the door shut behind her.
Chapter 377