Off the coast of Jiyang District's port in Jibei Circuit Center City, an ocean-going vessel lay anchored at sea.
Inside one of the ship's cabins, a meeting was currently underway. To avoid detection by the biological fields of Center City, the biological fields deployed here were entirely isolated.
"According to our intelligence, both targets will arrive in Center City between late January and early February, and our primary focus is on this person."
Half-length photographs of Chen Chuan and Bureau Director Lei appeared one after the other on the light screen. With a tap from the meeting's host, the photograph of Chen Chuan expanded on its own.
It was clearly a recent photograph. Chen Chuan wore the uniform of a Disposal Bureau enforcement captain, radiating a sharp, imposing presence even in a still image.
"The National Boulevard is the best location to handle the target."
The host collected himself, drew his gaze away from the photograph, and continued, "The Disposal Bureau places great value on this target. If word gets out ahead of time, they might dispatch reinforcements to meet him, which means we must figure out a way to intercept them. Furthermore, the target himself possesses extraordinary practical combat capabilities, so we will only have one chance."
Mashiba Masaru stood off to the side, his blade cradled in his arms. He stared intently at Chen Chuan's photograph and the various annotations displayed beside it, which included detailed records gathered by Sister Huan and her team.
This material gave him a comprehensive profile of his opponent, allowing him to establish a clear advantage in advance.
He knew this was an ambush, not a formal duel, so there was no need to consider fairness. In reality, fights between fighters were rarely fair to begin with.
Combat knew only victory and defeat. Only the victor possessed the right to speak of the future; the defeated lost everything. To that end, any advantage could and should be exploited to achieve the goal.
"Mr. Mashiba," the host addressed him, "for this operation, we have hired two third limit fighters to coordinate with you. They will not interfere in your battle against the target. Their role is solely to handle the aftermath, provide cover, and ensure no one disrupts your fight."
This arrangement was not born out of respect for a one-on-one duel, but rather out of practical necessity.
Judging from previous battles, ordinary third limit fighters posed virtually no threat to Chen Chuan. Rushing blindly into the fray risked handing him openings to exploit, which could disrupt Mashiba Masaru's performance. Thus, the two were assigned strictly as support.
To prevent the Disposal Bureau from uncovering their plans, both fighters had been hired from distant Center Cities.
Mashiba Masaru showed no reaction, sitting motionlessly with his gaze locked onto the dossier. Only after a long silence did he speak. "I need a quiet room."
The host immediately instructed a staff member, "Take Mr. Mashiba over."
Mashiba Masaru rose, bowed slightly toward the host, and followed the staff member out, arriving at a training room prepared specifically for fighters of his caliber.
Once the staff member left, he slipped off his footwear, crossed to the center of the room, sat down, and quietly reflected on the files he had just reviewed.
One detail had caught his attention: in every verifiable battle, Chen Chuan had never suffered a genuinely severe injury. Whether through external conditioning or defensive technique, that resilience would pose a serious challenge to his strikes.
He closed his eyes. Within his mind, an image gradually took shape. When he reopened his eyes, a figure seemed to materialize before him.
The figure was ethereal and insubstantial, resembling a transparent wisp of mist as it stood a short distance away. In his eyes, it was the exact likeness of Chen Chuan.
Mashiba shifted slightly, his hand closing around his hilt. After staring for a moment, he drew his blade in a flash, lunging forward with a horizontal slash!
Yet just as the edge reached the side of the phantom figure, the blade ground to an abrupt halt, as though an invisible barrier stood there, preventing him from completing the strike.
Exhaling softly, he stepped back and slowly sheathed his weapon. A moment later, he unleashed another slash, but once again, the blade stopped dead before the phantom.
Stepping back a second time, he sheathed his sword, gazed fixedly at the illusion, and declared with absolute certainty, "My blade is not sharp enough."
After a brief pause, he stepped out of the room and spoke to the staff member waiting outside. "I need an object. Something that cannot be cut through."
The staff member asked politely, "Mr. Mashiba, may I ask what kind of object that is?"
Mashiba answered candidly, "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
The staff member stared in bewilderment. He hesitated, then asked carefully, "Then, Mr. Mashiba, may I ask what it will be used for?"
Mashiba replied with grave seriousness, "It pertains to eliminating the target."
The staff member thought it over. "Very well. We will do our best."
"I leave it to you."
Mashiba bowed slightly.
The staff member returned the bow at once and promptly reported Mashiba's request to the operation's leader.
"Something that cannot be cut through? What on earth is that?" The leader frowned. "He doesn't even know himself? How are we supposed to find it?"
One of the participants in the cabin suddenly had a thought and spoke up. "I believe I might know what he wants."
Meeting the questioning gazes of the room, he explained, "Gaotian jade. It is produced by the Gaotian Sect and said to be indestructible. Within this jade, there exists an exceedingly rare core known as the 'jade core.' It is rumored to be the hardest material under heaven, and supposedly, it can help a fighter sublimate their spirit."
"Is that what he needs?"
"It most likely is. From what I hear, that jade core is a sacred relic of the Gaotian Sect, kept hidden away from outsiders. For Mashiba Masaru to request it now, he may simply be taking the opportunity to satisfy his personal desire."
The leader waved this aside. "Since he is our blade, shouldn't we provide him with the whetstone to sharpen him before the battle? Whether it is for his own benefit or because the jade core truly works, we should do everything possible to fulfill his request."
Someone hesitated. "But that is a sacred relic of the Gaotian Sect..."
"Before the interests of the company, everything must give way."
In the old era, the Gaotian Sect had wielded vast influence and commanded countless devotees across the oceans. However, because they had provided substantial aid to the imperial family during the civil war that overthrew the throne in Great Shun, the Great Shun government had continuously suppressed them, doing everything possible to eradicate their reach.
An army was even currently garrisoned at the historic site of the Gaotian Sect's former holy land, dealing the sect a devastating blow. Today, its most prominent figures clustered around the Gong family merely to huddle for warmth, their power reduced to a mere shadow of what it had once been.
In contrast, the Ferris Wheel Company had consolidated the technology and capital of island nations across the outer seas, commanding its own armed forces, and its influence over the island territories grew with each passing day.
The leader commanded, "Send people to the Gaotian Sect and make them hand it over. I want that item placed in his hands in the shortest possible time!"
***
January twenty-sixth was the day Chen Chuan had set for his return to Center City. Yu Wan's family escorted him to the mouth of the alley. After waving goodbye to his family, he stepped into the Jiade car under their watchful eyes and drove out of the constabulary residential quarters.
Rather than heading straight out of the city via the main boulevard, he took a detour to the plaza in front of Wuyi Academy. Wu Han and Wei Dong were already waiting there, shouldering bulky bags and carrying their respective weapons.
Chen Chuan sounded two short taps on the horn and pulled up in front of them. Stepping out to greet them, he popped the trunk and helped stow their luggage.
Once they were all settled inside the car, he retrieved two cases from the storage compartment and handed them over.
"You mentioned last time that you were coming to Center City. These are boundary credentials I prepared for you in advance."
Wu Han and Wei Dong accepted the boxes with great curiosity. Opening them, they saw what looked like delicate, osseous connective mesh designed to attach snugly along the head, neck, and shoulders. Except for a few prominent nodes, most of the lattice was so fine that an ordinary observer would hardly notice it from a short distance away.
The model Chen Chuan provided was a well-balanced mid-tier version equipped with all the essential functions, far superior to the one Old Qi had given him back then.
He hadn't opted for top-tier models, not out of any desire to pinch pennies, but because knowing how these two operated, there was truly no telling how long the credentials would survive in one piece.
Wei Dong poked the device with a finger, causing it to quiver slightly. "This thing feels alive."
Wu Han chimed in, "Didn't Junior Brother mention it? The thing is alive. Of course it moves."
He then looked up at Chen Chuan. "Brother Chen, we've got something for you too." Rummaging through his carry-on bag, he pulled an exquisite black-and-white wooden box from the top and offered it forward.
Chen Chuan took it and lifted the lid, revealing a box filled with throwing stones, each one polished smooth and fine. He picked one up to examine it. "Were these cut and polished from the hard stone of Mount Zhang?"
"Spot on!"
Wu Han chuckled. "Wei Dong, Junior Brother Luo, and I consulted some experts, then went over to Mount Zhang to search. We finally hauled back a few suitable chunks and went to work on them.
"That rock is tough as nails. Wei Dong broke them down into uniform pieces, and Junior Brother Luo and I picked out the best ones to polish. That handsome box on the outside was crafted by Junior Brother Feng himself.
"Oh, and we shaped them to match the throwing stones you used before. We just hoped you'd like them."
Chen Chuan smiled warmly. "You went to a lot of trouble. I like them very much. Thank you."
While the intrinsic monetary value of the stones was modest, the thought behind them was priceless and held immense sentimental worth. He resolved not to expend them in battle, deciding instead to place them in his weapon collection room once he returned.
Turning back to face forward, he started the engine, rested his hands on the steering wheel, and looked out at the wide, open road ahead.
"Hold on tight, gentlemen. We're setting off."
Chapter 460