Once the airship reached the airspace over the sea, Chen Chuan stood alone on the observation deck. Feeling the vessel surge forward beneath his feet, his gaze was fixed on the magnificent night sky, vast enough to swallow a person whole.
Through the eyes of a martial artist, the vortex high above was even more distinct, though it still drifted elusively as if held at bay by an invisible barrier. Yet the power from the other side pressed inward relentlessly, attempting to breach that thin obstruction and showing signs of drawing ever closer.
The Great Collision was inexorably approaching; sooner or later, the day would come when the two worlds collided in full.
One of his previous goals had been to reach the Fourth Limit before the Great Collision arrived. Only now, having achieved that, could he be considered to possess a shred of power to protect himself when it came to pass.
After a while, he glanced in another direction—toward Bainiao District. Though the vast distance meant nothing was visible, the martial artist from the Linakes Federation was likely right there.
Perhaps there would be an opportunity to exchange pointers this time.
A moment later, he drew back his gaze and walked inside. After exchanging a brief greeting with the old captain, he returned to his cabin.
Entering the cabin, he slid the door shut, came to a halt in the center, and drew the Xuejun Saber. With a single downward slash, a person-height fissure opened before him, brilliant light radiating from within.
The cultivation of this stage centered on the True Form and Spiritual Visage. However, as for how specifically to cultivate them, he was not yet clear. He had inquired with Hongfu, but the Jibei Dao Wuyi Academy possessed virtually no knowledge regarding this. Still, he was in no hurry, as channels were available to acquire it through both the government and the Purist Faction.
Moreover, his body was still undergoing continuous transformation, so there was no immediate need to attend to those matters just yet. All he needed was to commune with the other world through his mental power, drawing in incoming energy as replenishment.
Setting the Xuejun Saber aside, he sat down before the fissure.
With his biological field enshrouding the surrounding dozens of meters, this was practically an independent space. Until someone penetrated his field, they could forget about catching even a glimpse of what took place inside.
The greatest advantage was that if anything crossed over from the other side, he could deal with it in time without alerting the outside.
He was currently circulating the method Teacher Xue had taught him based on the Taibai Contemplation. However, sensing that certain aspects were overly conservative, he had made adjustments of his own.
There was a reason martial artists were endowed with this title. Owing to the elevation of their spirits, they could profoundly grasp the function and essence of various methods and techniques, tailoring them to suit themselves better. Almost every martial artist would carve out a path uniquely their own.
Originally, his spirit had maintained an ongoing connection with the other side, absorbing energy almost constantly. Yet there had always been an obstruction. Now, before the fissure and under the guidance of his refined method, that barrier seemed to dissolve in an instant. A vast torrent of energy poured over him alongside the piercing light.
This energy was absorbed without a drop wasted, stored away within his body.
At this stage, his body's transformation depended on two things: the continued supply of energy on one hand, and the upper limit of transformation his physique could endure on the other.
Because he had broken through from an unprecedented foundation, his ceiling was markedly higher and demanded far more energy. Given that he might also have to clash with peers of equivalent strength, accumulating more was always a wise precaution.
After becoming a martial artist, one's body was entirely different from that of ordinary people. Mutated tissue could store vast amounts of energy within the body and mobilize it for use when needed.
This appeared somewhat similar to the furnace breathing method. He suspected furnace breathing had very likely been devised with reference to the mutated tissue and physical structures of martial artists.
After immersing himself in cultivation for about half an hour, he suddenly caught a strong, rich fragrance. Looking up, he saw a blurred, dark silhouette on the floor near the fissure. Its exact shape was indistinct, but wispy, slender tendrils were draped over the edge of the opening.
Without that relic to mask his presence, it was inevitable that such things would come seeking him out.
In truth, this fragrance emanated from the depths of his mutated tissue and spirit—it was his body telling him that whatever had arrived was useful to it.
Heeding this desire, he did not wait for the creature to cross over. Rising to his feet, he reached out and snatched at what had seemingly been empty air. Instantly, sharp shriek after sharp shriek drilled into his mind.
Though there was visibly nothing in his hand, within his spirit and field he felt an intense, thrashing struggle.
Unmoved, he dragged the thing out by force. As it tumbled into this side, its originally formless body transformed into something semi-corporeal—resembling a translucent, fluttering membrane-wing bordered by densely dancing tendrils.
Once he brought it before him, the aroma grew even more pungent, and his mutated tissue seemed to urge him on eagerly.
Ignoring the shrill shrieks, Chen Chuan gripped the center of the entity with both hands and wrenched outward with force. With a sharp tearing sound, he ripped it in two, spilling great showers of what looked like gold dust.
Under the influence of his biological field, however, these specks did not fall to the floor. Instead, they drifted suspended in midair, suffusing the surrounding light with a golden mist.
Amidst this, something immediately caught his eye: a translucent, fat-like globule roughly the size of a fingertip. Most of that rich aroma was emanating from it.
Reaching out, he took it between two fingers and swallowed it. A moment later, the mutated tissues throughout his body responded with joyous satisfaction, hungering for even more. Evidently, this was indeed something his body needed, though such a tiny morsel was a mere drop in the bucket.
Chen Chuan suddenly remembered what Principal Yao had told him: whether it was themselves or the entities of that other world, each fed upon the other. It seemed this was what he had meant.
He looked toward the fissure. From the looks of it, slashing open the fissure not only served his spiritual cultivation, but could also yield occasional extra harvests. Still, it depended on whether the creatures coming through were formidable. The one just now was well within his power to handle, but if an entity that was too overpowering arrived, he might well be the food instead.
Fortunately, such a scenario was unlikely. In the end, the Ring Curtain stood between the two worlds; entities that were overly powerful could not easily cross over in short order. Even if one did approach, it would cause an enormous disturbance, leaving him ample time to seal the fissure.
Having dealt with the creature, he sat back down to continue cultivating.
The night passed in this manner, stretching all the way until dawn.
However, while he focused solely on his own cultivation, the airship lingered in the sky without descending for so long that outsiders could not help feeling he was facing off against the other martial artist from the Linakes Federation. Otherwise, they could fathom no reason why Chen Chuan would deliberately take an airship out to sea at night. Aside from a fellow martial artist, who else warranted such deliberate focus and regard?
To the outside world, his action came across as exceptionally unyielding: If you take a step forward, I will match it with a step forward, completely indifferent to any coercion or threat.
This left the Corporate United Syndicate's side the most anxious of all. Consequently, they once again pressured the Municipal Council to resolve the matter as soon as possible, warning that otherwise they would have to seriously reconsider whether to continue their cooperation moving forward.
Meanwhile, Mr. Long had already arrived at the checkpoint outside Center City, entering the coverage area of the field. Immediately thereafter, they received the news concerning Chen Chuan forwarded from the Municipal Council, along with an urge for the escort personnel to hurry up.
Upon hearing this news, Mr. Long gave a brief chuckle before remarking, "It seems this one has plenty of drive."
The other passengers in the vehicle grew rather panicked. Having plenty of drive, phrased another way, meant he was fiercely aggressive. Who knew what he might do next?
The person in charge who had come to receive Mr. Long said solemnly, "Mr. Long, we're counting on you this time."
Mr. Long chuckled again, but his expression immediately tightened, turning cold. "Believing that pitting one martial artist against another will make both sides wary of each other is actually not a great idea. Every martial artist thinks differently. Without knowing the other person's circumstances beforehand, you have no idea whether they might go to extremes. Sometimes it's perceived as a threat instead, provoking an even fiercer response.
"Wasn't that idea the martial artist from Linakes proposed earlier quite good? Wouldn't it have been settled if you just offered terms? Hiring me comes at a cost as well, so you'd be better off offering sufficient benefits to the other side to placate him."
"Mr. Long, it isn't that we are reluctant to part with the resources, but that we cannot put our minds at ease. Given the disparity in power, it is difficult for us to trust any promises given by the other side. After all, he stands on the government's side, and the government has always harbored hostility toward us. We fear that even if we hand over the items, the issue still won't be settled. That is why we need you to step forward, Mr. Long."
"Hahaha... Well, your concerns do make some sense."
Mr. Long pondered for a moment, then said, "If I recall correctly, those two from the Purist Faction didn't enter the city last time either, did they? How about this: I won't enter the city this time either. If you want to negotiate, it's best to arrange for him to come outside the city. Wait a moment..."
Everyone in the car turned to look at him in bewilderment.
As if struck by a sudden thought, Mr. Long opened his mouth, let out a short chuckle, and then said, "I'll seek him out directly—no need to go through you people. Mmh, find me a reliable intermediary to contact the other side. You won't need to get involved for now."
The others exchanged glances, roughly understanding his intention: Mr. Long likely intended to speak with him purely as a martial artist, rather than as a representative of any faction.
The person in charge immediately responded, "Understood, Mr. Long. We will arrange it for you."
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Chapter 784