After watching for a while and seeing no further movement across the sea, Chen Chuan ceased paying attention and returned to dealing with the food before him.
After finishing the full pot of stew, abundant, surging heat radiated from his body.
He packed away his utensils. Seeing the sky gradually darken, he had Chaoming wait off to the side, then went over to the other end to begin tonight's cultivation.
Whatever dwelt within the sea, if it was an existence of the same tier as him, it would not come looking for him at night unless it was a yaogui or something from the other side.
For the night was hardly gentle on creatures of the convergence zone either; it caused them to metamorphose into something closer to the spiritual realm.
Ordinary creatures transformed and, once the spiritual realm ebbed, reverted to their original state. But creatures that had attained a certain tier inevitably possessed spiritual power.
To keep their spirits from being corrupted, they also had to resist, or else they would be absorbed into that world after undergoing severe alienation.
Lacking the martial artists' secret traditions and techniques, creatures of this caliber could maintain their stability over the long term only by relying on their vigorous vitality and the vast spiritual power accumulated day after day.
Consequently, their mutated tissues were rich in nutrition and energy, far beyond anything possessed by any creature he had previously encountered. Obtaining them would surely bolster his cultivation. By the same token, such creatures were intensely ravenous, requiring even greater amounts of sustenance to nourish themselves.
And in their eyes, was he not prey as well?
Once the night passed, his movements paused—he had finally mastered this form of the Grand Firmament Forms he had been practicing lately. Loose grains of sand lifted into the air around him, drifting and orbiting in slow suspension.
This did not rely on his field, but was an impetus intrinsic to the fist form—or rather, a kind of force field, just as the burst of radiance from the Grand Radiant Light Forms was distinct from the fire of spirituality.
Such a force field was most potent against those entities and mutated creatures, yet against ordinary adversaries it likewise displayed tremendous might. Once practiced to consummate mastery, striking with it carried the momentum of "heaven descending, the vast firmament radiant and majestic."
Drawing back his fist form, he adjusted his breathing, letting the still-restless mutated tissues relax. He sat down, took out a cup, brought some water to a boil, tossed in a pinch of tea he carried with him, and sipped slowly.
After a while, he reached into his pocket, drew out the prismatic stone given to him by the old ape, and twirled it between his fingers.
Over the past few days, he had spent his spare moments studying it. He had initially discovered its texture was remarkably hard—unbreakable even by his strength. Striking it against other rocks a few times produced showers of sparks, making fire-starting extraordinarily easy.
He figured the old ape had probably offered it in exchange for the waterskin because of this quality, believing trading fire for water was an impeccably fair exchange.
That was hardly wrong, either; in the wasteland, water was the most precious thing.
Yet over these past few days, he had noticed the stone possessed another peculiar property: it could endure the infusion and control of his spiritual power...
With a flick of his wrist, the prismatic stone shot out like an arrow, instantly punching clean through a coastal reef from front to back.
After flying a fair distance out, hovering almost over the sea, it hummed with vibration, spun several times around its central axis, and with a swift whoosh flew back from afar, snapping right into Chen Chuan's hand.
He opened his palm, and the stone drifted upward, floating and circling around him at the beck and call of his will.
Chen Chuan noted that it resembled Qi Huishi's Sky-Travel Beads; as long as one connected with it spiritually, one could guide it to fly and shoot forth. However, there was no mutated tissue inside it, and it relied entirely on pure spiritual power for communication.
There was no need to worry about someone seizing it during battle, either. It had taken him several days of spiritual infusion to command it; no one could suddenly wrest it from his grasp.
With this, he had acquired another means to confront his foes.
Finishing his tea, he rose, donned his hat, adjusted it, and looked out toward the churning, surging sea ahead.
Today's hunt was about to begin.
***
Fengde District, Center City. Beneath an unremarkable building lay a sizable underground level.
A woman dressed in a slim business suit resembling a secretary walked to the end of a long, narrow corridor. She pushed open the door and stepped into a spacious office. Dartboards of varying sizes covered the side walls, while straight ahead hung a large map of Great Shun's eastern coastal region.
Before a wide desk sat a man reclining in a high-backed chair with his back turned to her. She said, "Boss, we received some information regarding the person you told me to watch."
As she spoke, she tapped her boundary credential and transmitted the files she had received.
The man in the seat made no move at first, seemingly examining the material with care. After a moment, he spoke in a confident, resonant voice: "We can do him a favor. Having a martial artist like that alive works in our favor. He shouldn't be snuffed out while he's still growing."
The secretary replied, "Boss, doing so might offend the Convergence faction, the Refined Practice School, and certain higher-ups in Yuanren Company."
The man in the chair said, "We need not fear offending anyone. Those who belong with us are destined to join us; those who do not are destined to be our enemies. Let them understand us, not the other way around."
The secretary asked, "Sir, how should we notify him, then? He's currently deep inside the convergence zone. There's no way we can deliver the message into his hands."
The man in the chair replied, "There is no need to notify him directly. Convert the intelligence into a paper document and send it to the archives. That way, Great Shun's General Affairs Bureau won't have any trouble learning of it. Hmm, perhaps they've already received word by now?"
The secretary understood. "Boss, I will see to it that the arrangements are handled even more discreetly."
The man in the chair said nothing more, merely waving a hand.
***
Almost at the very moment of their conversation, inside a concealed underground warehouse on the outskirts of the garrison in Jiyang District, Center City, rows of telegraph equipment and high-field sensory biological tanks stood arranged. Over a hundred intelligence personnel and telegraph operators were monitoring and receiving incoming messages from all quarters.
The hall bustled with staff moving back and forth, handing off and relaying intelligence.
Just then, one of the operators received a transmission. He immediately pulled off his headset, quickly transcribed the message, signed it, and handed the slip to the liaison staff on site. After cross-checking to confirm there were no errors, the liaison swiftly headed to the back and addressed Commissioner Cao, who was reviewing intelligence files before a large table: "Commissioner, news from the Wansong Commission Company."
Commissioner Cao reached out, took it, and scanned it briefly. He made no sound, merely setting the telegram to one side.
Seeing no reaction, the liaison could not help but ask, "Commissioner?"
Commissioner Cao simply said, "Continue monitoring."
The liaison said no more. Uttering an affirmative, he immediately returned to his previous post.
Commissioner Cao continued flipping through his earlier files. On his desk lay another report; had the courier been there to see it, he would have found its contents nearly identical to the telegram that had just arrived.
***
Weiguang District, Center City Administration Building. The monthly security decision-making conference was currently in session.
On the field screen, the projections of Committee Chief Administrator Qi Weizhao, Liang Guanghai of the Defense Department, and Garrison Supervisor Qiao Weiting were displayed.
Unusually enough, Principal Yao Zhiyi of Wuyi was also attending today's conference. What they were discussing at this moment happened to be matters regarding recent covert anomalies.
Qi Weizhao said, "Before Section Chief Chen departed, he submitted a report deducing that the Municipal Council, the Syndicate, and certain corporations might make some moves, urging us to keep a close watch. Judging by the intelligence received recently, his concerns were well-founded."
Commissioner Liang said in a heavy voice, "I thought they would hold back for a long time. I didn't expect them to lose patience so soon."
Yao Zhiyi raised a thick eyebrow and spoke up: "Losing patience is good. When they can't hold back, they reveal flaws. If we can use this to drag out some bigger entities, we can seize this opportunity to give Center City another good cleanse."
Qi Weizhao said solemnly, "Principal Yao, before Section Chief Chen left, he mentioned that if matters progressed along these lines, we could seek your counsel. What coordination do you need from us?"
Liang Guanghai and Qiao Weiting looked at Yao Zhiyi, their expressions equally solemn. This matter very likely involved two outside martial artists.
They were willing to place the necessary trust in Chen Chuan, but at the same time, they were responsible for the security of all Center City, and judging from known intelligence, the situation was hardly optimistic.
Yao Zhiyi, however, appeared composed. "There is no need to worry about Center City. With me here, as well as that person permanently stationed outside the city, no security vulnerabilities will emerge."
"In that case, Principal Yao, we can act in accordance with Section Chief Chen's recommendations, but I would like you to assess whether any issues might arise on his end?" Qi Weizhao asked.
Yao Zhiyi answered with absolute certainty: "If Section Chief Chen is still there right now, then there is definitely no problem!"
Before Chen Chuan departed, Yao Zhiyi had told him of a certain entity existing in that place. Back then, it was precisely because of that reason that Wei Guochan and the others could not remain there for long and had not attempted to enter again for many years. If Chen Chuan could resolve that matter, one could place full trust in his strength.
Liang Guanghai said in a deep voice, "I am willing to trust Section Chief Chen's abilities, but we must consider the possibility that the enemies might collude. Could some anomaly arise from the Old Imperial Court?"
Yao Zhiyi looked at the three of them, his eyes beneath thick brows sharp and spirited. He said, "I will keep close watch after I return. If anyone wants to come over, they will have to see whether I permit it first."
Chapter 896