A sharp blade of light slashed down. A drifting mist of radiance bloomed from the saber's surface, seeming to slip into another plane in that very instant.
Though the strike clearly passed right through the rotting phosphor, it appeared to cause none of the physical destruction seen earlier; yet in sensation, it felt as though something had indeed been severed.
Moments later, the writhing mutated tissues tangled together suddenly stiffened in unison. As though all vitality had been drained from them in a heartbeat, they shattered apart. Every fragment shriveled and dried up as if stripped of moisture, eventually curling into thumb-sized, scorched black husks from which wisps of acrid smoke rose.
The mutated tissues could be seen vanishing bit by bit. When the entire brain-like mass had nearly dissipated into nothingness, Chen Chuan watched as an object surfaced from within the wisps of smoke—radiantly lustrous, perfectly smooth and rounded, like a pearl.
With its appearance, an overwhelmingly tantalizing scent drifted into the surroundings. It was not a fragrant aroma, yet it seemed capable of stirring the deepest cravings of the heart, instantly driving all nearby living creatures into a frenzy.
The commotion was many times more intense than when he had harvested the mutated tissue of the blue-winged flying serpent.
Creatures from the bay, the upstream river, beneath the sandy shore, and the ocean depths surfaced one after another, surging toward this spot. Because night had fallen, the taint of the spiritual world had twisted them into grotesque, ferocious abominations, and now they were all drawn toward the source of that scent.
With a heavy rumble, the esoteric ritual he had laid down shook violently, and the stones buried beneath the earth shuddered alongside it.
Chen Chuan glanced upward. In the dark of the night, something seemed to be slamming against the thin membrane generated by the esoteric ritual, casting the faint, distorted outlines of colossal silhouettes against it.
Faced with what might well be an entity from the spiritual world, as well as the dense hordes of frenzied creatures flooding in like a tidal wave threatening to drown him, his expression remained perfectly calm.
He looked at the pearlescent, luminous sphere. It even clearly reflected his own silhouette. Sure enough, this prize possessed an overwhelming allure for surrounding creatures and whatever lurked on the other side. Fortunately, he had prepared this esoteric ritual in advance.
At the tug of his intent, the pearl-like object floated before him. As it drew near, his mutated tissues instantly flared to life; both his mind and body were screaming at him that he desperately needed this thing.
As if sensing what he was about to do, the strange noises abruptly surged. The ground trembled violently, the stones buried along the perimeter threatening to burst from the soil, while countless shrieks erupted from all around, converging into a deafening wall of screeches.
He hesitated no longer. Inhaling sharply, he drew the object into his mouth and swallowed it whole.
The instant he swallowed it, all the racket in the surrounding area seemed to be snuffed out, abruptly vanishing. Even the shuddering of the ritual stones ground to a halt.
Chen Chuan had no time to pay attention to that now. As the substance settled into his stomach, a searing heat surged through his entire body, like downing a bottle of strong spirits, flushing his skin crimson in an instant.
In the past, whenever he absorbed nourishment from ordinary ingredients, it always felt insufficient. Now, however, an unending stream of energy welled from deep within him, to the point that he even felt bloated with power.
After all, this pearl could be said to concentrate the most complete essence of the rotting phosphor following its metamorphosis. It had been able to unleash spiritual shockwaves time and time again precisely because of these profound reserves. The nutrients within were so vast that not even he could absorb and digest them all in one breath.
However, he knew the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived. Without delay, he assumed the stance of the Grand Radiant Light Forms.
Sustained by nourishment so abundant it bordered on excess, his body no longer resisted the strain, allowing him to practice the forms with utter smoothness. Even as the night passed, he did not stop.
Continuing like this for another full day, by dawn of the next day, the form he had been flowing through suddenly paused, freezing motionless in that posture.
Moments later, waves of radiance rippled outward from his body, glowing steadily and warping the ambient light around him.
At this moment, the mutated tissues across his entire body trembled, as if undergoing a metamorphosis of their own. His spiritual power seemed to have climbed significantly, allowing him to clearly perceive the pockets of mutation beyond.
In his eyes, the entire Confluence before him was now strewn with lingering traces of mutated filth, resembling an oil painting of broken patches of garish color blended indistinguishably with countless streaks of dark grime—an intensely jarring sight.
Around him, as the radiance emanated from his body, those filthy traces slowly receded, quietly purified into nothingness.
Seeing this, his mind stirred. With a shift of his will, the radiance expanded outward until it met the boundaries where his fields overlapped, where it finally halted, leaving him standing tall at its center.
He felt that as long as he wished, this radiance could be sustained indefinitely without consuming anything at all, as though it were something inherent to his very being. And within reach of this light, all filth shrank away.
At this moment, he gained a deeper understanding of the word "pure" in the Purist Faction.
Now, even without practicing martial forms through the night to resist it, he could rely on this radiance radiating from the inside out to keep all contamination at bay.
The nights of the Confluence would no longer pose an obstacle to him.
And an even greater harvest lay in...
He raised a hand and clenched his fist. Even before the battle with the rotting phosphor, his second self had been teetering on the verge of a breakthrough, pushed to its absolute limit through that fierce encounter. And now, having fully mastered all twelve forms of the Grand Radiant Light Forms, he had finally driven it across the threshold, successfully stepping into the Fourth Limit!
Now, he could overlap with this portion of power. This would elevate his combat prowess to an even greater height, while also granting him far greater durability when facing formidable foes.
At this point, most of his goals for visiting the Confluence had already been achieved. If anything remained, it was only the final form—the Grand Firmament Forms!
After some thought, he decided to master this form before heading back.
For if he returned to Center City, the supply of ingredients and nourishment could not compare to the Confluence at all. At best, it could only cover his daily consumption, leaving only a meager surplus of energy for training. Even then, he would have to spend it cautiously, as he needed to conserve strength for unexpected emergencies and potential enemies within the city.
Completing this form there might take who knew how long—perhaps ten or even a hundred times longer than here. In that case, he might as well finish it in this place; either way, it would only take a few extra days.
Now he truly understood why so many martial artists lingered in the Confluence, unwilling to return. The difference between the two environments was vast indeed. Those willing to remain in Center City long-term were either like Bai Gu, who had lost their drive, or those bound there by duty.
One might even boldly surmise that martial artists who stayed long-term in Center City or the homeland—barring external obligations—could not be particularly formidable.
With a thought, the surrounding radiance slowly drew back in, and the world of mottled patches and mingling grime snapped back to normal.
Perhaps owing to his mastery of the Grand Radiant Light Forms, when he looked out at the Confluence now, it was no longer somber and murky, but had become far brighter and clearer.
According to the regulations of the Martial Artists Council, if this hunting ground was pioneered or claimed by him, then as long as he held an office in Jibei Circuit Center City and remained a military consultant to the local garrison, the territory was recognized as his by default, and no other martial artists would contest it.
Still, it would be best to go through the proper procedures once he returned outside, formalizing it in writing.
Having considered this, he checked his condition once more. Most of the energy from consuming the rotting phosphor's essence had been expended on mastering the Grand Radiant Light Forms. What little remained likely fell short of carrying him through the mastery of the Grand Firmament Forms. He would need to find a way to build up the deficit.
Fortunately, with this remaining energy as a foundation, it would not take long.
***
Meanwhile, after days of arduous trekking, Nuoche, Yuexi, and Tuner had arrived before the wasteland Chen Chuan had traversed.
This stretch of the Confluence teemed with game and had never been pioneered; along their journey, they had spotted numerous beasts worth taking.
However, they had come with a mission and could not afford to squander time hunting. They only made a move when encountering something of exceptional value, prioritizing what could easily be transported out. As for the nourishment and energy needed for their journey, the Yuanren Company provided all of it, leaving them in no shortage.
All they needed to do was locate their target as swiftly as possible, kill him, and rapidly withdraw from the area.
Gazing at the endless wasteland before them, they found it difficult to pinpoint Chen Chuan's trail. After a brief discussion, they produced a teal, butterfly-shaped object.
This was in fact a relic capable of helping them track down whatever item or person they sought. If utilized properly, it could achieve far greater ends, as it could theoretically locate things of vastly greater significance; yet this time, the Yuanren Company had directly bestowed it upon them.
Regrettably, the relic had a limited number of uses, forcing them to save it only for when they were truly at a loss.
Still wearing his sunglasses with an impassive expression, Tuner rested the relic in his palm and said, "This is the final use. If we still can't find the target, we'll be on our own."
With that, he lifted his hand. The relic fluttered its wings and took flight like a living butterfly. After circling once in the air, it pointed in a specific direction. Having flown a short distance, it shattered with a sharp clatter, raining down like shards of broken glass.
Tuner looked in that direction and said, "Let's go."
Chapter 901