Shuixian

Inside the primary office of the Lianwei Heavy Control Company's local branch. The female assistant stood before Yang Ling. She offered a slight bow before presenting a decrypted telegram that had just arrived from headquarters. "Miss, the personnel dispatched by the Jibei Dao government to search for the relic may have already set out. Lianwei Heavy Control must take part in this as well, so headquarters hopes we will activate the contingency plan before our second wave of personnel arrives. We are to take the initiative, and headquarters wishes for you to oversee this matter personally, Miss." Yang Ling accepted the telegram. Glancing over it, she said, "Activating the plan requires a substantial amount of high-energy nutrient solution. Are our current reserves sufficient?" The assistant replied, "Everything was prepared in advance. Although the Disposal Bureau tightened its blockade and used that as a pretext to confiscate a portion, those supplies were intentionally left for them to seize during inspections. Prior to this, the company had already secured a sufficient reserve for our operation." Having said this, she looked at Yang Ling, seemingly awaiting a definitive answer. "I will proceed according to plan," Yang Ling said softly. Without another word, the assistant curtsied once more, stepped forward to take back the telegram from Yang Ling's hands, and walked out with the same impassive expression she had worn upon entering. Once the assistant was gone, Yang Ling walked over to her desk, pulled open a drawer, and retrieved a box of medicine. She then stepped into the elevator reserved exclusively for her use. The elevator descended floor by floor until it arrived at the subterranean hall. She stepped out, her footsteps echoing with crisp clarity through the cavernous, dimly lit underground space. She walked until she came to a stop before a large porcelain vat housing the embryo of an active conscious entity. Tapping her boundary credential, she waited a few moments before a vast volume of shimmering, fluorescent high-energy nutrient solution began flowing through the conduits attached to the vat, pouring directly inside. Although this active conscious entity was merely an embryo, conditioning allowed it to be force-matured through massive infusions of high-energy nutrient solution. While it could never achieve a complete form through this method, alternate measures could compensate for the shortfall, bringing its combat capability up to the standard expected of an active conscious entity. Doing so would permanently deplete its vitality and potential, but the parent company's overarching objective was the relic. Compared to a third-tier relic, the sacrifice of an active conscious entity was well worth the cost. Yang Ling opened the medicine box and removed a thumb-sized crimson pill. She swallowed it without hesitation. Only a few seconds passed before a wave of dizziness washed over her. Her breathing grew ragged and rapid, and bizarre whispers and noises began rustling in her ears. A surreal vision unfurled before her eyes. For an instant, the massive porcelain vat seemed to vanish, replaced by a smooth-skinned, scaleless juvenile fish with four limbs, raising its conical head and gazing intently at her. Yet a moment later, the hallucination evaporated, and everything returned to normal. This intense mental resonance induced a violent bout of nausea. Covering her mouth, she staggered forward a few steps and rested her hand against the porcelain vat. As more high-energy nutrient solution pumped inside, a faint luminescence began radiating from within the vat. After an indeterminate stretch of time, movement stirred inside, and a bizarre creature slowly crawled out of the opening at the top. At first glance, it resembled a fish, measuring roughly three meters from head to tail, with slender yet powerful limbs tucked under its belly. Its head was slightly small in proportion to its body, featuring recessed ear slits on either side. Its form was completely streamlined, its surface smooth and texture hard, possessing a deep blue-black hue that rippled with a fluid sheen. Whenever it drew a deep, long breath, a soft, neon-like phosphorescence shimmered across its outer hide. Having emerged, it gave a slight shudder to snap off the conduits feeding it the nutrient solution. Then, weightless and utterly silent, it crawled down along the outer surface of the vat. Yang Ling's eyes remained closed; the lingering potency of the drug still clouded her awareness. The creature circled around her once before pressing gently against her side. Its rib cage slowly parted, revealing a hollow internal cavity lined with white soft tissue. Long, slender tendrils extended outward, draping across her torso and limbs, with some piercing directly into her skin. Regaining a trace of clarity, Yang Ling lifted her hand to look at the tendrils fastened to her flesh, then glanced at the reflection cast upon the glossy surface of the porcelain vat. Without turning her head, she drew a deep breath, opened her arms, and leaned backward into the creature's interior, sinking into the soft tissue. She watched as the parted ribs slowly closed, encasing her entirely. In that instant, she felt a unified bond forge between their bodies and consciousnesses, as though they had melded into a single entity in the span of a heartbeat. It was as if she had suddenly gained an immensely powerful vessel surging with boundless vitality. Once Lianwei Heavy Control's active conscious entity, "Shuixian," fused with someone possessing compatible spirit power, it could unleash terrifying combat strength, each drawing power from the other. Taking a moment to adapt, Yang Ling instinctively brought the body into a low, four-legged crouch. The limbs felt as natural as if they had grown from her own body from birth, responding to her command without the slightest friction or delay. Under her control, the creature took a few light steps forward, its paws falling with near-total silence. She could even feel that it was capable of traversing walls and ceilings at will. Just then, the colorful, filamentous barbels beneath its jaw twitched, registering an external disturbance. These were its field sensory organs, capable of clearly receiving and probing information from the outside world. Soon, the sound of footsteps echoed from above. Detecting the arrival, the ribbon-like fin along its back shifted slightly, and the colors across its body faded and dissolved until it seemed to blend seamlessly into the air. Shuixian possessed an exceptional cloaking ability, which dramatically enhanced its odds of survival within the Confluence. After all, the primary objective upon entering the Confluence was not to defeat formidable adversaries, but to stay alive in the first place. The footsteps drew nearer. The female assistant walked down to the lower level. Glancing at the severed conduits hanging outside the porcelain vat, she stepped onto the steel scaffolding and peered inside, finding it entirely empty. Suddenly, sensing something amiss, she raised her head. In a space that had just appeared empty, a streamlined, hybrid head resembling both raptor and fish gradually materialized before her, followed by the rest of its massive body. A pair of narrow green eyes was fixed steadily upon her. Far from showing fear, a fanatic gleam surfaced in the assistant's eyes. "Miss, the fusion was successful?" Moments later, a psychic transmission was relayed directly to her boundary credential. "Yes." Casting aside her usual aloof detachment, the assistant beamed with unrestrained excitement. Bowing low, she said, "Director Yang will surely be immensely gratified to see that Miss's degree of compatibility is so high." "I need to feed." "Feed?" The assistant straightened, a strange light dancing in her eyes. "Everything has long been prepared." *** Two days later, October 3. At seven in the morning, a small sightseeing airship flew out from the harbor of Jiyang District as usual, coming to a halt high above the open sea. Chen Chuan stood in the passenger cabin. Raising the Xuejun Saber high, he swept it forward in a single slash. In an instant, a fissure was sliced open, immediately spilling out blinding radiance from within. Over the past few days, he had let the Xuejun Saber absorb the remainder of that batch of high-energy nutrient solution. Now, the fissure could easily remain open for more than four hours at a time. This meant he could devote an entire morning to cultivation. With the saber's steady growth, he could have kept it open even longer had he wished. The reason he refrained was that keeping the gap open for prolonged periods might draw creatures from the other side. If handled carelessly, the fissure might even be exposed, which would defeat his purpose. As things stood, the current duration felt just right. He sat down where he was, set the Xuejun Saber beside him, and began his daily spirit cultivation. Four hours slipped by. Just as his cultivation was drawing to a close, a sudden chill washed over him. Shadows seemed to flicker faintly on the other side of the fissure, and his second self experienced violent, phantom ripples. He had witnessed similar phenomena quite a few times recently, but whatever had arrived today was clearly out of the ordinary. Gripping the Xuejun Saber, he stood up and focused his gaze ahead. Suddenly, an invisible presence slammed forcefully against the fissure, causing the opening—which had been slowly contracting—to halt its closure. Chen Chuan narrowed his eyes. He could sense something trying to squeeze its way through, yet nothing was visible to the naked eye. Only a twisted shadow was cast upon the floor. *Clang...* He drew the Xuejun Saber from its scabbard. Before the sheath even hit the ground, he swung the blade forward, striking squarely against the fissure! Yet as the strike cleaved through the air, an inexplicable feeling surged within his heart. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes as his spirit power poured forth, sweeping along the existing tear. The blade entered at the top of the fissure and ended precisely at its base. As the gleam of the blade swept past, the fissure vanished along with it, erased from the air as cleanly as pencil marks under an eraser. The invisible presence on the floor vanished as well, leaving behind only faint, charred, corrosive scorch marks where its shadow had fallen—the sole proof of its fleeting arrival. Chen Chuan maintained his stance for a moment before turning his eyes once more to the Xuejun Saber in his hand. It seemed this blade was capable not only of cutting open fissures, but also of actively repairing them rather than waiting for them to close on their own. He had simply lacked the strength to accomplish this before. In hindsight, it made sense: even Fumu's split sub-bodies could perform such feats with ease, let alone the far more unfathomable entity dwelling within this blade. A surge of quiet excitement rose in his chest. If that was the case, the scope of what he could achieve and manipulate had expanded dramatically.