Inside the airship's main cabin, Chen Chuan parted his feet slightly front to back, spread his arms, and slowly assumed the stance of the Grand Firmament Forms. Guiding his power with the Heaven and Earth Furnace breathing method, dense clouds of steam rose from his body within just a few breaths.
Soon, he felt a sluggish, arduous resistance. As he held the stance and guided his mutated tissues, it felt as though an immense force was pulling and weighing down on him, locked in constant struggle. The moment he relaxed even slightly, the stance would collapse.
This forced him to push back with even greater strength, but doing so only caused the pressure to mount in kind.
Yet this tempering effect was precisely what he needed.
After enduring for a while, feeling his strength wane, he finally drew back his stance and exhaled a breath of scalding air.
Following a brief adjustment, he tried again, repeating the process many times.
Throughout the process, he could feel the energy in his body rapidly depleting—not much different from practicing the Grand Radiant Light Forms.
However, while the Grand Firmament Forms tempered the physical body, the Grand Radiant Light Forms trained the spirit. The two forms complemented each other; practicing either alone could only bring out half their potential. When Mr. Zhuan gave him both sets of forms back then, it was undoubtedly with the hope that he would combine the two to unlock far greater power.
Still, both forms were exceptionally difficult to cultivate. In truth, the difficulty of the practice itself was secondary; the critical issue was the immense energy consumption. By his own estimate, if he practiced both simultaneously, the drain would more than double.
Right now, an intense battle against an opponent consumed roughly the energy of a single meal, whereas the energy required for this cultivation far exceeded that. If not for his ability to slash open fissures and accelerate his recovery by drawing energy from the other side, he wouldn't be able to sustain such training at all.
In fact, had he not spent most of his time out on assignments lately, with all travel supplies covered by the state and the corporations, relying solely on the food and high-energy nutrients he carried himself would never have been enough—calling them mere snacks was not an exaggeration in the slightest.
He couldn't help thinking: should he take on more state missions in the future? That way, he could offset the shortages and consumption.
Even so, as he mastered more techniques from both the Grand Firmament Forms and Grand Radiant Light Forms, his energy consumption would only soar. He would inevitably have to head to the Confluence and the front lines of the Ring of the World—only places like those could provide sufficient sustenance.
There was another avenue: demanding larger supplies from the Municipal Council. He hadn't done so previously because asking for too much at once, beyond normal requisitions, would make the Municipal Council think he was deliberately making things difficult.
Now that he had signed the pact, however, as long as it didn't specifically bind him, anything he requested was a reasonable demand. His necessary quota was a genuine requirement, and no matter how much it was, the Municipal Council was obligated to supply it. If they refused to comply, he was equally free to ignore the agreement, and using any means—even force—would be completely aboveboard and justified.
After a short, one-day journey, the airship arrived above its destination: Red Crown Island.
It was merely an ordinary island in the open ocean, with no remarkable scenery, and a total population of only a hundred thousand or so. Fortunately, the climate was pleasant, and since it sat along a major shipping lane with convenient transit, Ocean Exploration Group had long established a port and an airship mooring mast here.
Once the airship came to a steady halt beside the mooring tower above, Chen Chuan stepped out of the cabin and looked toward the solitary mountain rising on one side of the island.
According to the briefing from the General Affairs Bureau, the He siblings lived in a village nestled in that mountain. They had settled down only a year ago, but having opened a martial arts school here, they had already earned quite a reputation across Red Crown Island and several neighboring islets, drawing many locals eager to study under them.
He patted Chaoming, who was perched beside him. With a chirp, the bird leaped outward and beat its wings, soaring into the high sky, its vivid plumage striking and brilliant against the open blue.
After descending from the tower, Chen Chuan declined an escort and chose not to take a vehicle. Instead, he set off on foot alone, walking at an unhurried pace along the road toward the distant mountain.
As he made his way forward, he noticed road construction and telephone poles being erected all over the island.
Before coming here, he had looked into the island's circumstances. Red Crown Island had few industries; previously, it scraped by on sugarcane and fruit plantations, fishing, and shipping. Most of the profits, however, were siphoned off by the Ferris Wheel Company, leaving the islanders with barely enough for subsistence. The Ferris Wheel Company showed no interest in improving the local environment or living conditions.
Matters began to shift after Ocean Exploration Group arrived. They started constructing port docks and basic infrastructure, hiring large numbers of locals in the process. For certain specialized roles requiring implants, the company provided low-interest loans in advance, and they even established over a dozen primary schools.
All school-age children were required to attend. Instruction centered on Great Shunese, the sole permitted official language, while Outer Ocean vernacular and the Linax Federal language—promoted back during Ferris Wheel Company's rule—were strictly forbidden.
As Chen Chuan walked, he found that although the island's mountain looked high, it wasn't steep; the terrain was a continuous gentle slope.
Passing through some village settlements, he saw several children around five or six years old who had been romping around suddenly freeze upon seeing him. They watched him from afar, some unconsciously sucking on their grimy fingers.
Chen Chuan paused, thought for a moment, then walked into the village. He asked an old man sitting before a doorway for a cup of water, inquired about the road ahead, and then handed out some of the snacks and sweets he had specially prepared before leaving. The children squealed with delight. After resting for a brief while, he took his leave.
Walking for another two hours, he ascended a somewhat steeper slope, and an expansive highland of verdant green came into view. Before him lay a village of white walls and red-tiled roofs, home to roughly a thousand people. The houses were scattered loosely across the terrain, with a few dotting the yellow-green ridges here and there.
At that moment, he could see a group of people practicing martial arts on an open clearing in front of the village.
Instructing them were a man and a woman. One was a burly man who appeared in his early thirties, with a broad, square-jawed face, rugged masculinity, and slightly tanned skin, giving the impression of someone thoroughly dependable. He seemed to have reached the third limit, which was rather uncommon on an Outer Ocean island.
The other was a woman who appeared to be around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, bearing a resemblance to the man. She wore her hair in an ear-length bob and stood with a straight back and posture that radiated authority. However, she was only at the second limit, and judging by her biological field, she had little hope of breaking through in the future.
Among the students, only a handful were young adults; most were teenagers in their mid-teens, along with several ten-year-old kids. Many were wearing athletic apparel donated by Canglong Company, stamped with the corporate logo.
The two instructors had a clear division of duties: the woman taught the younger pupils, while the man instructed the older group. It was obvious that the man possessed superior martial prowess, but his demeanor was blunt and straightforward; his voice would occasionally boom out, frightening some students into terrified silence, at which point the woman would step in with a few calming words to ease the tension.
Chen Chuan watched from the distance, in no rush to disturb them. He moved beneath a tree, leaning against its trunk to wait, while Chaoming circled lazily overhead.
After quite some time, the class seemed to finish. The youths and children dispersed to the side to rest, hydrate, and munch on dried fruit they had brought along.
Seeing this, Chen Chuan stepped forward. The man and woman had already noticed his arrival earlier; seeing him approach now, they waited where they stood.
Though he had restrained his field and spirit, his towering stature—surpassing ordinary people—and the fluid rhythm of his gait plainly marked him as a martial artist.
The He siblings had been here for a year and rarely saw other fighters. Even when they did, they were security personnel accompanying corporate vessels, who generally stayed around the wharves and harbors. This visitor was clearly heading straight for them, prompting a flicker of wariness in their eyes.
Seeing their expressions, Chen Chuan couldn't help thinking that there truly were reasons why the two had not returned to Great Shun all these years.
As he drew closer, He Zhilan's round eyes widened slightly. She took a few steps forward almost involuntarily and greeted him, "Hello there, young man. Who are you looking for?"
Chen Chuan came to a stop about ten paces away. "Mr. He, Ms. He, I came specifically to find the two of you."
He Ruihai looked at him with a solemn expression. Very few people knew they were here, and they used aliases on the island. Yet this young man had called out their real surnames right away, indicating he had conducted a thorough investigation.
He Zhilan took a few more steps forward. She didn't speak again, but continued studying him intently, a faint trace of excitement rising in her emotions. She couldn't resist glancing back, saying, "Brother, he..."
He Ruihai cut her off, saying, "Young man, the sun is fierce out here. Why don't we head inside to talk?"
Chen Chuan readily agreed with a nod.
He Ruihai led the way back, though all the way there He Zhilan kept staring directly at Chen Chuan's face, seemingly wanting to speak several times only to hold herself back.
Under the watchful eyes of the students, the three entered a two-story building. Once inside, they invited him to sit and poured him a cup of tea. "We don't have any fine tea for guests here, young man. Please make do with this."
Chen Chuan took the cup and expressed his thanks.
He Ruihai sat down opposite him and asked, "You came here specifically looking for us?" Seeing Chen Chuan nod, he exchanged a glance with He Zhilan before asking with a trace of caution, "May I ask how you tracked us down, and what business brings you to us?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I haven't been back from abroad for long. Not long ago, I paid a visit to Senior Fang of the Wujian Sect, and learned a bit about your situation from her."
"You saw Teacher Fang?"
He Zhilan asked with delighted surprise, "How is Teacher Fang doing right now?"
"Wait." He Ruihai stopped her from inquiring further. Looking at Chen Chuan, he said in a deep voice, "Young man, you haven't answered my question. We never told Teacher Fang that we were here."
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Chapter 838