Acquisition

Teacher Yang's craft followed the path of stealth and tracking, and even his jin leaned heavily toward concealment and high-burst power. In the old era, this was an assassin's art, designed specifically for hunting down targets and eliminating high-ranking dignitaries. His stealth techniques were extraordinary; when lying in wait, he could let an opponent pass right beside him without provoking the slightest awareness. His jin techniques included an art of body-shrinking. Those who mastered it to an advanced stage could contract their forms and hide inside a small jar. Most astonishing of all, when someone picked up the jar to move it, the practitioner could use a form of jin-driven body-lightening to prevent the mover from sensing their true weight for a short duration. Here in the woods, he could blend into the foliage or slip beneath the ground without making a sound. The terrain was entirely his natural home ground. Chen Chuan surveyed the dense woods around him. The assessment requirement this time was for him to locate Teacher Yang and defeat him within half an hour. If it were merely the latter condition, it would be simple enough. But tracking down a concealed target severely tested one's techniques. This trial seemed designed not to let him overpower his opponent with sheer brute strength, but rather to force him to achieve his objective within a limited timeframe by analyzing traces and employing tactical maneuvers. Detecting and analyzing traces, along with tracking and fighting across diverse environments, was indeed an assessment subject at Wuyi Academy. Within the Disposal Bureau, students were sometimes required to master these skills after gaining a firm grasp of the fundamentals. However, Chen Chuan's evaluation scores had already capped out before he even reached that stage of study. As a result, the bureau placed no such requirements on him. A third limit fighter possessed more than enough survivability to drill and pick up such techniques through real combat, which was far more efficient than studying them in an academy. Bringing it up now was clearly aimed at his weaker areas. Yet one could not say it was unfair. From the academy's perspective, if you wished to become an instructor, even if you had not mastered these techniques yourself, you needed the ability to counter them. If you could not pass, you were expected to make up for your deficiencies and wait for the next assessment period. This assessment had not drawn only the few people present; it had attracted quite a few other instructors as well. Teacher Bai, Instructor Jiang, and others were watching the test through light screens. Seeing the requirements now, their interest was piqued. If it were a straightforward combat duel, then given the prowess Chen Chuan was rumored to possess, the outcome would hardly be in doubt. But an assessment like this made things far more intriguing, and they were all eager to see how he intended to handle it. Standing in the dense forest, Chen Chuan understood full well that trying to rely on tracking and differentiation techniques at this moment was both too late and pointless. No matter how sharp he was, he could not surpass Teacher Yang, who specialized in this domain. Therefore, what he needed to do was precisely play to his own strengths. With a single shift of intent, his field expanded outward in an instant. It rippled open across the terrain, coming to a halt only when it reached a radius of four hundred meters. This was not his limit, of course. It was merely an assessment; many pairs of eyes were watching, and records would be kept, so there was no need to lay bare his entire foundation. Even so, it was more than enough. Any disturbance within this perimeter would be caught by his senses. At this moment, he could not detect Teacher Yang's presence. Either the instructor was exceptionally well concealed, or he had retreated beyond this range. Yet Chen Chuan was certain the man remained within this boundary, relying on superior stealth. Even if Teacher Yang wanted to hide, he would never simply crouch in one spot and stay motionless. That was the most passive form of engagement. As a fighter, he had to keep track of his opponent's movements. Moreover, without prior knowledge of Chen Chuan's full capabilities, Teacher Yang could not afford to stake everything on a single gamble. If he were hiding outside the field's perimeter and wished to observe Chen Chuan's movements, his only option would be field reconnaissance, which would cause an immediate collision between their fields the moment Chen Chuan deployed his. Since there was no reaction at all, his target had to be close by. On another floor, Instructor Jiang stood gazing at the two figures on the light screen. Specializing in field techniques himself, he recognized Chen Chuan's method and intention at a glance. The assistant behind him asked in confusion, "Instructor Jiang, why aren't either of them moving?" Instructor Jiang replied, "Well, because there's no need to move. But before long, one of them won't be able to resist making the first move. "Teacher Yang's concealment is remarkable, but he can't stay hidden forever—especially under the continuous suppression of Supervisor Chen's field. Holding out for a few minutes without slipping up is already a tall order." "Why is that?" the assistant asked. Instructor Jiang said, "Because a person's field can never vanish entirely. Appearing to disappear on the surface is merely a matter of blending into the surrounding environment. But now, Supervisor Chen has blanketed the entire area with his own field. A field naturally exerts interference on its surroundings, which forces Teacher Yang to constantly adjust his field to match. That kind of adaptation drains tremendous mental effort; maintaining it for long is nearly impossible." Out in the forest, Teacher Yang indeed felt something was amiss. Under ordinary conditions, his stealth techniques could easily sustain him for ten days to half a month; in the old era, some masters could hold out for half a year on a single held breath. Yet Chen Chuan's field remained draped over the surroundings, making him deeply uncomfortable. Just as Instructor Jiang had observed, he had to constantly adjust to an environment being altered around him. Sustaining this was doomed to be short-lived—surviving even ten minutes would be pushing his limits. Recognizing the dilemma, he weighed a different tactic. He remained hidden and motionless at first. When roughly half the allotted time had elapsed, he suddenly leaped out from behind a massive tree, using the terrain and his high-burst speed to withdraw rapidly into the distance. His plan was to put enough distance between them, slip back into hiding, and simply run out the remaining half-hour to secure a pass. Yet the moment he moved, his cover was blown. Before he had gotten very far, trees behind him began bursting apart one after another. A figure charged toward him with blinding speed and terrifying momentum, leaving him utterly appalled. Without waiting for the figure to close in, he dropped into an immediate roll, flattening himself against the earth in a bid to conceal himself beneath the tangled vines and dense foliage. Yet he was only halfway through the motion when a hand reached in from behind, seizing him firmly by the back of the neck. Jin surged inward simultaneously, sending a sharp shock through him that instantly drained all strength from his body. The hand lifted him upward by the neck before promptly setting him back down. A moment later, a voice sounded: "Teacher Yang, pardon my offense." Snapping back to his senses, Teacher Yang looked at Chen Chuan with a complex gaze. He had never expected to be caught after barely putting up any resistance. Still, he knew that even if he tried again, the outcome would hardly be any different. He admitted defeat in his heart and said, "Supervisor Chen, I conce... cough, I mean, you passed." Chen Chuan said politely, "Thank you, Teacher Yang." At that moment, the surrounding scenery began to disperse, reverting to the original testing venue. Hongfu's voice promptly rang out: "Assessment concluded. Candidate Chen Chuan meets all assessment procedures and requirements. Assessment passed." Assistant Ling stepped forward with a smile, extending a hand toward Chen Chuan. "Supervisor Chen, welcome to Wuyi." Chen Chuan glanced at him, took his hand, and shook it. "I have always been here." Assistant Ling smiled. "Supervisor Chen's teaching credential will be registered on the Wuyi platform starting tomorrow. The physical card and related items will be delivered by courier shortly. I look forward to working with you in the future. "Well, I have other matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave first." With a nod to Chen Chuan, he turned and departed. Teacher Yang and several assistant instructors walked over to shake Chen Chuan's hand, offered their congratulations, and left the room one after another. After everyone had gone, Chen Chuan stood in place, pondering for a moment. He had a lingering feeling that today's test carried some underlying motive, and that it likely had something to do with Assistant Ling. Regardless of what the man had in mind, Chen Chuan decided to focus on handling his own affairs first. He smoothed down his barely rumpled clothes and exited the venue. Rather than returning to his dormitory, he took the elevator down to the ground floor and walked straight out of the building. This time, he did not call for his dedicated car. Instead, he drove his Jiade toward Mount Motie. He intended to head back to Yangzhi in a few days, and before leaving, he planned to bid farewell to Senior Cao. Senior Cao had previously told him that the estate's lockdown would last until May. Now that June had arrived, it had reopened, keeping precisely to schedule. After about an hour of driving, he approached the Cao family estate. Along the mountain road, vibrant Chinese roses bloomed in profusion, drifting a subtle fragrance through the air as petals fluttered down. Just then, he saw a car descending the mountain road. From its direction, it appeared to have just exited the Cao estate. As the vehicles passed each other, he cast a glance toward the other car. Despite the tinted windows, he sensed a pair of sharp eyes looking out from within. As the cars drew apart, that gaze quickly faded away. With a passing thought, he continued driving upward and soon arrived at the parking lot before the estate. Uncle Ding was waiting there. As Chen Chuan stepped out, Uncle Ding bowed respectfully and said, "Good day, Supervisor Chen. The young master is expecting you. Please follow me." With that, he led the way inside. Chen Chuan followed him into the residence. Instead of heading toward the main hall, they took a winding path toward a waterside pavilion overlooking a lotus pond. He saw Cao Guixi gently tossing fish feed into the water. Beneath the verdant lotus leaves, golden carp jostled to breach the surface, competing eagerly for the scattered food. Uncle Ding came to a halt upon reaching the pavilion. Chen Chuan walked forward. Once he reached Senior Cao's side, the latter handed him a portion of feed and said, "I heard about your promotion to Investigation Supervisor. Given the merits you have established, junior brother, it is well deserved. It is just that the standards of measurement going forward will no longer depend on such things." He scattered another handful of feed, sending the carp below churning into a flurry of spray. Keeping his gaze fixed on the water, he said, "That will be an entirely different set of rules."