Seizure

The moment that nourishing sensation sank into his body, it diffused into every part of him. Chen Chuan instantly felt lucid throughout body and mind; an airy lightness arose across his entire being, and a spell of pristine clarity washed through his head. It was as though he had always been bearing something unimaginably sluggish and heavy, yet after partaking of this substance, that burden had lessened slightly. This sensation was exceedingly wondrous, as if his physical body and spirit had both been thoroughly cleansed, leaving him deeply refreshed. Not only that, but it also showed in his observation of that other world. If peering ahead before had felt like looking through a hazy veil of fog that obscured clear sight, then now it was as if the view had been wiped a bit, becoming noticeably clearer. Yet this sensation subsided before long. While he had undergone some change because of it, for now it appeared to be merely a slight transformation. Chen Bitong had told him that if a fighter possessed formidable strength, the amount of pure substance they required would increase accordingly. Thus, this tiny bit of pure substance was far from enough; he needed more. And so, he continued to fix his undivided attention on the space across the gap. With the experience he had just gained, he knew that once the pure substance appeared, it vanished almost in a flash, requiring one to rely entirely upon spirit to capture it. If one's spirit was strong enough, the chances of success would be greater. Still, just now he had only seen a single wisp drift past, which was relatively easy to catch. If several wisps crossed over at the same time, he could only pick one. However, as long as that breach remained, more pure substance would surely continue trickling through in succession. There was no need to burden himself with worry; doing so would only weigh down his spirit. After waiting in focused concentration for a good while, two wisps of essence suddenly seemed to emerge. This time, one appeared strong and the other weak. He instantly realized that pure substance was not uniform like the first wisp he had consumed; rather, they varied from one another. Because the faint wisp was so minuscule compared to what he had seen before—possessing virtually no presence—he ignored it entirely. Wrapping his spirit around the abundantly rich wisp, he threw back his head and swallowed it down whole. Perhaps due to a cumulative effect, or perhaps because this wisp was richer than the previous one, the result he felt was slightly stronger than before. If one compared his body to a deep, clear pool, obtaining this pure substance was like a shaft of light shining in, tinting parts of the pool with luminous currents. Yet with only a little having entered so far, it was not enough to illuminate the entirety. He needed to draw in and absorb more before this radiant brilliance could illuminate him completely inside and out. At that very moment, atop Mount Qingding, Chu An was also doing everything he could to search for pure substance, but despite expending great effort for a long time, he had achieved nothing. Just as a sliver of doubt crept into his heart, he suddenly sensed something drifting past, and immediately employed the technique taught by the old man to capture it. Yet this stream of light was ethereal and fleeting like light smoke, formless and substance-less, and it nearly slipped right past his spirit, which had not yet solidified. Fortunately, the mental technique he had learned had its own countermeasure. Circulating it, he narrowly bound it, and then urgently inhaled with all his might. For a moment, he felt as though he had drawn a breath of cool, refreshing air into his body, sending an involuntary shiver through him. He opened his eyes and said with slight excitement, "Teacher, I think I caught some pure substance." "You captured it?" The old man nodded. "In the old era, pure substance was called the 'Jade-Clear Nectar,' or also known as the 'Elixir of Flowing Souls.' It can harmonize the internal and external, purifying both your spirit and physical body. "The spiritual benefits go without saying, and if nurtured over time, it can further augment your physical potential, laying the groundwork for you to enter the next limit. The wonder within cannot be fully described in words; you will have to experience it for yourself." Chu An's expression flickered. Though his teacher had said so much, he still felt something was slightly lacking. There were benefits, but it didn't seem nearly as miraculous as claimed. Thinking that perhaps he hadn't grasped the knack at first and that the pure substance he had captured was scant, he reasoned that he might need a larger quantity before the full effect would show. Thus, he composed his mind, straightened his posture, cleared his thoughts, and continued his search. However, in the time that followed, he seemed to lack the luck of his first attempt, yielding no results for a long time. Seeing no reaction from him, the old man couldn't help feeling a bit surprised. "What, still haven't sensed anything?" Chu An nodded. "That shouldn't be." Chu An hesitated. "It's also possible that it slipped past and I failed to catch it in time." The old man nodded slowly. That was highly possible. Most likely, this disciple of his had shallow spiritual cultivation, causing much of the pure substance to slip by. That his disciple could even sense this now was all thanks to Fumu's reproductive splitting, which had opened the Heavenly Gate. But when it came to his true foundation and underlying strength, he was still lacking. If one's spiritual cultivation had reached perfection, especially if one had attained the level of spirit perception, no technique would be needed at all; paying slight attention would be enough to easily seize pure substance right now. In fact, using pure substance at that stage yielded even better results and greater personal advancement, because if one's spirit was insufficient, one might not be able to fully absorb the essence of the pure substance. Yet pure substance was exceptionally rare. Aside from allocations from above or certain channels in the blended grounds, there was virtually no way to obtain it. So now, it was not a matter of considering whether it was optimal, but first and foremost a matter of having it at all. Once an opportunity presented itself, one had to find every possible way to seize it. He thought for a moment: if some slipped past, so be it. Fortunately, there shouldn't be anyone competing with them right now. Whatever they found was theirs. Besides, it was also possible that because the rift had only just been torn open, not much pure substance had emerged yet. He lifted his wrist to check his watch. It was currently 6:17. Looking at the situation before them, the Heavenly Gate's opening would most likely last until tomorrow. They still had plenty of time. At the very same time, along the East Bank of Center City, several airships flew through the towering skyscrapers of Center City, heading toward Ferris Wheel Company in Yinglu District. In the sky, vast clouds of insects were scattered, dancing in dense swarms, their buzzing drowned out by the drone of rotor blades. Simultaneously, over a hundred ground reaction units, led by frontline armored vehicles, advanced along the streets toward this location. Viewed from above, they formed an encirclement around the entire protruding peninsula. This was the majority of the mobile forces that the Disposal Bureau, the Defense Department, and the Government Affairs Hall could muster at present, including several fighters approaching the peak of the third limit. Xu Chan led the command group to the top floor of a tall, requisitioned building. He walked a few paces to the edge of the floor and looked across. The colossal Ferris wheel first caught his eye, followed by the Ferris Wheel Company headquarters standing tall. At the top of the tower were flying eaves in the style of the old era's Outer Ocean, the entire building white, its surface adorned with gilded mythical beasts. Because this building stood directly in front of the Ferris wheel, it looked as though it were propping up the entire structure. Even though night had fallen by this hour, the opening of the Heavenly Gate made the view ahead appear as bright as day. A vivid crimson twilight blanketed the sea, interweaving with clouds and mist. Gusts of sea breeze blew in from ahead, whipping the clothes and hair of those present backward. Xu Chan observed carefully for a while. Many sturdy defensive fortifications were visible around the perimeter of Ferris Wheel Company. If a portion of their security forces hadn't been wiped out, leaving them short on manpower to garrison the defenses, this would have truly been a tough nut to crack. Inside Ferris Wheel Company, they had also noticed the commotion on their perimeter. Watching massive troops encircling the area, Guan Shangjing knew immediately what had happened. He instantly activated the internal emergency signal, deploying all remaining corporate security personnel into the defensive facilities. At the same time, he reported the situation and his assessment to the board of directors, requesting instructions on the next step. Meanwhile, in Ferris Wheel Company's internal conference hall, several directors who had remained at headquarters were holding a meeting. Everyone's expression was grave to the extreme, for the long-awaited news from the sea had finally arrived. Yet what awaited them was news they could scarcely believe: the company's fleet had been defeated, nearly wiped out to the last ship. One director clenched his fists, staring intently at his assistant, whose face was covered in cold sweat and despair, his voice squeezed through gritted teeth. "Is the report confirmed?" The assistant quickly straightened up and responded loudly, "Reporting! The news is verified. It was brought back by airships that managed to escape, and someone witnessed one of our damaged Yuanshan-class warships being pursued by Canglong Company's airships. It should be accurate." Dead silence fell over the conference hall. Ten years of painstaking effort, gone in a single day. At this moment, another director said loudly, "We haven't lost yet! We've already dispatched our security forces. As long as we seize the split sub-body, we can still win the Syndicate's recognition!" Yet another director gritted his teeth. "This news cannot be leaked! Before we seize the split sub-body, it must not get out under any circumstances!" The fleet's defeat meant they could no longer secure a maritime corridor. Perhaps even the Linax Federation would abandon them. "Gentlemen, there is no need to be so pessimistic." The director seated at the head of the table appeared relatively calm at this moment. "Without us, the Linax Federation will have no interests left to speak of in the Outer Ocean. Even if we've lost, they won't abandon us..." He glanced at the seated directors. "Because aside from us, they have no other choice—unless they are willing to see their flank completely and nakedly exposed before the Great Shun government. Therefore, as long as we ensure we obtain the—" Just as he spoke to this point, shrill sirens wailed throughout the company. Hearing them, everyone's face abruptly changed. Director Yingwei immediately contacted Guan Shangjing, asking with a stern expression, "Supervisor Guan Shang, what happened?" After a moment, under the watchful gaze of all the directors present, he raised his head and tapped his boundary credential. Soon, a light screen descended above the conference table, displaying the scene outside. The directors' eyes widened, filled with both dazed helplessness as well as fury and terror. Seeing the airships soaring in overhead and the innumerable armed personnel closing in from all around, how could they not understand what had transpired? Director Yingwei said in a heavy voice, "The security forces we sent out have likely been completely wiped out. "Gentlemen, it is time to make a decision."