The Delegation

"This is the Snow Goose. What do you think? Not bad, right?" Pan Xiaode enthusiastically introduced it to Chen Chuan as he led him toward the airship. "It's mid-September now, and the weather's been fantastic lately. Great visibility—perfect for sightseeing. When you finish your cultivation out there, you can enjoy the ocean scenery on the way back, especially the autumn sunset over the sea. Truly a sight you can't miss." The airship's gondola was about twelve meters long, staffed by a three-person crew. Pan Xiaode led Chen Chuan aboard, introduced him to the three crew members currently making pre-flight preparations, and took him on a quick tour inside. "So, how about it, classmate Chen? Satisfied? Keep in mind this is a sightseeing airship, though. Even with reinforcement, it can't handle too much rough treatment." "It's fine," Chen Chuan replied. "I'm only doing quiet meditative cultivation." "That's good, then." Pan Xiaode paused, then added, "Oh, right... classmate Chen—no, Teacher Chen, I saw you started offering courses on the platform?" Chen Chuan smiled faintly. "Classmate Pan, do you need some pointers?" Pan Xiaode's eyes instantly lit up. "Of course I do!" Last time at Tan Zhi's apartment, he had gained an enormous amount from their brief sparring match. Back then, he had felt too embarrassed to keep pestering Chen Chuan. But now that Chen Chuan was officially an instructor, asking for guidance was completely fair game, wasn't it? If his family hadn't roped him into helping establish a new aerial transport company at the government's request, he would have purchased Chen Chuan's courses long ago. He resolved in his mind to buy them as soon as he got back. Smiling, Chen Chuan disembarked from the airship with him and began coaching him right there on the open ground. Up on the vessel, the captain and the two crew members watched with keen interest. Having accumulated considerable experience mentoring students by now, Chen Chuan handled it with effortless poise. He corrected several deviations in Pan Xiaode's form, then tailored a specific breathing method and force-stance routine for his corrective training. After trying it out briefly, Pan Xiaode could immediately feel its effectiveness and couldn't help shouting in admiration. Then he said with a twinge of regret, "What a pity Huixin isn't here. I originally went to ask her to spar with me today, but she said she had to receive distinguished guests and attend some evening banquet, so she couldn't make it. Otherwise, I would've asked you to give her pointers, too." Chen Chuan smiled. "It doesn't matter. If she needs them, she can simply purchase my courses." "Right!" Pan Xiaode said excitedly. "I'll tell her as soon as I get back!" Half an hour later, seeing that Pan Xiaode had no further issues requiring correction, Chen Chuan returned to the airship. While it had taken up a bit of time, guiding Pan Xiaode repaid a favor and provided resonance feedback—a win-win situation. Because pre-flight preparations had already been completed, ten minutes later, the Snow Goose slowly lifted into the air under the crew's operation and cruised out toward the open sea. Chen Chuan stood on the observation deck, looking out over the majestic vista below. It was just before nine in the morning; a gentle sea breeze stirred, the sky was crystal clear, and visibility was superb. The bright, gentle autumn sunlight cast a vast swath of golden light across the ocean's surface. Chaoming flew over and soared alongside the airship, appearing thoroughly delighted. It darted through the open portholes, circled the hull, and occasionally swooped off to chase the seabirds skimming the waves. Chen Chuan let the ocean breeze brush past him, quietly savoring the tranquil morning. Just then, he sensed something stir. Looking into the far distance, he saw a massive bank of dark clouds sweeping across the horizon. His brows lifted. Walking forward to the open deck, he came to a stop at the bow and gazed outward. He realized that it was no cloud bank at all, but rows of gargantuan airships—at least a hundred of them at a glance. Dense black dots filled the sky, bearing down toward Center City with the sun at their backs. The hum of their propellers drifted over with the sea breeze. The Snow Goose did not alter its route, continuing along its set course. From the outside, it looked as though it were sailing entirely alone to meet this immense aerial armada. As the two sides drew closer, Chen Chuan could clearly make out a large inverted-triangle emblem on the bows and flanks of the largest airships. It was an open wing composed of intersecting geometric shapes. On closer inspection, each shape represented the contour of a continent, while the background of the design was speckled with star-like fragments resembling shattered meteorites. Chen Chuan gazed at it intently, recognizing the emblem's origin. The Corporate United Syndicate. This was the Syndicate's delegation! As they approached, he could distinctly feel the sheer scale of the leading airships. At nearly three hundred meters in length, they were ten times the size of the Snow Goose. Drawing near, they loomed like pressing mountains, casting an incomparable sense of oppression. Rows of armed security personnel in uniform stood behind the observation windows. As they passed the Snow Goose in the vast airspace, nobody paid any heed to this tiny, visibly unarmed sightseeing vessel. Chen Chuan stood on the deck with the Xuejun Saber in hand, his gaze calm and steady as his hair and clothes fluttered in the rushing airflow. According to intelligence from the Disposal Bureau, with the breach in the Ring of the World persisting for so long, relics were bound to emerge. Thus, the Disposal Bureau assessed that while the Syndicate's arrival was ostensibly to negotiate the commercial fallout of the Ferris Wheel Company's destruction with Jibei Circuit Center City, its true objective was almost certainly the relics within the Confluence. A few minutes later, the Snow Goose crossed paths with the massive airship fleet. The sky seemed to brighten once more. After casting one last glance back, Chen Chuan turned away. As he walked past the forward cockpit, the captain asked him, "Mr. Chen, was that the Syndicate?" "Yes, it was," Chen Chuan replied. "I thought you would choose to steer clear." The captain gave a scoffing chuckle. "This is Great Shun territory. We fly wherever we damn well please. Who does the Syndicate think they are?" Chen Chuan nodded. "Well said." He glanced at the airship fleet fading into the distance and added, "Stop right here." The captain signaled an affirmative gesture. Chen Chuan returned to the rear cabin, pulled down the sealed hatch to cut off the space from the rest of the ship, drew the Xuejun Saber from its scabbard, retrieved the long bone from his luggage, and laid his hand upon it. Roughly ten minutes later, his eyes snapped open. He looked down at his feet, where a severed, thick tentacle lay, and noticed several tears across his clothing. This excursion had yielded significant gains, but the danger had been considerable as well. Venturing in next time would likely prove even more difficult. Taking a deep breath, he raised the Xuejun Saber high and slashed downward. In an instant, a brilliant rift was sliced open in empty space! *** Meanwhile, the Syndicate's airship armada drifted toward Bainiao District. Down below, corporate representatives and prominent officials from the Municipal Council stood waiting in eager anticipation. Following the destruction of the Ferris Wheel Company, the Government Affairs Hall had successfully handled the crisis, repelling otherworldly entities and eliminating the corporation. In doing so, it had established considerable authority and capitalized on the momentum to roll out a series of new regulations. Many of these rules were unquestionably detrimental to the Municipal Council. If enforced long-term and allowed to become standard practice, they would continually squeeze and erode the council's sphere of influence—something the Municipal Council could never tolerate. Consequently, they extended an overwhelmingly warm welcome to the Syndicate delegation and provided them with immense conveniences. More than anything, they hoped a genuine Syndicate member would establish a presence in Jibei Circuit Center City to counter the pressure exerted by the Government Affairs Hall. The airships docked at the mooring station outside Bainiao District. Elite armed security personnel and fighters disembarked first, sweeping the area. Only after securing the perimeter did the dozen or so Syndicate representatives descend to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with the welcoming committee. Camera flashes lit up the venue continuously, the entire meeting recorded by field organisms. Tomorrow, these scenes would headline every broadcast and paper. The Municipal Council had also arranged a lavish reception banquet for the delegation. Beyond Center City's councilors, pro-council dignitaries, corporate executives, celebrities, and prominent figures were all in attendance. After finishing a conversation with a councilor, Thaddeus Meriwether of the Spiral Deep Sea Company cast his eyes over the crowd before strolling over to Sven Lindenberg, a business supervisor from the Bolun Company. Offering his hand with a smile, he said, "Sven, long time no see." Sven clasped his hand, replying politely, "Hello, Thaddeus. The last time we met was two years ago, wasn't it?" "Indeed," Thaddeus said. "The Yalan Colossus Expo in the South Island. We had a delightful conversation then, though unfortunately our tight schedules kept us from talking in depth." He gestured to the side, extending an invitation. "Do you have a moment?" Sven nodded. The two stepped into a secluded corner. After exchanging pleasantries, Thaddeus remarked, "I hear Bolun Company's expansion in Jibei Circuit hasn't been particularly smooth this time?" Sven replied, "The Great Shun government is very forceful. We've certainly run into some obstacles, but we'll resolve them. We have many friends here as well." "We've seen as much." Thaddeus stepped closer. "So, as friends, we're willing to offer our assistance. You already possess a channel leading into the Confluence, but you lack sufficient martial backing. Meanwhile, if Spiral Deep Sea were to build a new channel from scratch, negotiating with the Great Shun government could take months or even over a year, leaving us far behind the other corporations in this matter. That serves neither of our interests. "We are both corporations hailing from Norland. Only by joining forces can we compete against the others." He turned, took a glass of wine from a passing waiter, and raised it in a toast. "What do you think?" Sven agreed. In truth, top leadership from both companies had already reached a cooperation agreement, and the two of them were simply the designated executors. Raising his glass, he said, "Quite true." With a light clink, their glasses met. Sven took a sip, then asked, "If you don't mind my asking, who are the personnel your company sent for this exploration?" Thaddeus smiled. "Leading our expedition this time are Spiral Deep Sea's 'Children of Thunder' siblings." Noticing the astonishment on Sven's face, he took another sip of wine and declared with utter confidence, "I believe that in this place, they have no equal."