Lan Shengu had originally intended to bring his cousin straight back to the surface, but he was unable to do so. The toxic spores of the Plague Gang were too virulent and transmissible, requiring everyone here to undergo a strict inspection and be confirmed clear of any contamination before being allowed to leave.
Not only him, but all personnel who had entered the core area of the Plague Gang during this operation had to be examined to ensure there were no physical complications before returning.
Yet it did not take too long. In just half a day, the screening was complete. Those found to have issues were sent to isolation pods for treatment, while those cleared prepared to depart.
Because of the opening overhead that Chen Chuan had breached, they did not need to retrace their original path either. Ascending directly from here using the descending ropes was actually faster.
Gathered below, the strike team operatives looked up at the sky above. The massive breached hole formed an impeccably neat circle, its edges extraordinarily smooth as though sliced through by something. Gazing upward, they could see a shaft of daylight passing straight through, falling right upon the ground where they now stood.
At the thought that this had actually been caused by a human being, aside from their yearning and admiration, a profound sense of heartfelt awe and veneration welled up deep within them.
Many among them were Disposal Bureau members who had returned from the Confluence with Chen Chuan back then and had witnessed firsthand the scene of an airship being shot down by him. Now, seeing once again at close range such mighty power transcending the limits of the human body, their hearts could not help but surge with excitement.
Wei Chang'an stood below, looking up at the immense opening overhead. He could not help recalling the first time he had taken Chen Chuan out on a commission. After a long sigh of emotion, he thought: *Hasn't it only been a few years? Has the gap already grown this wide?*
Just then, the hoisting ropes descended from above. He gave one a tug, and a pulling force carried him upward. Looking around, he saw the team members beside him all staring skyward, their expressions full of renewed resolve. Looking up at the daylight broadening before him, he thought to himself, *Once I get back, I have to redouble my efforts.*
After they left, Chen Chuan waited for another half-day. Only after all personnel involved in the operation had fully evacuated did he come beneath the opening. With a leap and a loud boom echoing through the air, he shot straight up into the heights above.
An airship was waiting there. Gliding slowly forward, he landed upon the exterior terrace, where the security guards immediately saluted him.
After returning the salute, Chen Chuan tapped his boundary credential, notifying personnel to temporarily seal off the opening below. This passage might still be of use in the future.
Walking into the cabin, he sent a pre-drafted report to the Government Affairs Hall.
In it were some of his recommendations regarding the handling of the Lower City. If matters in the Lower City were not addressed properly, even if today's trouble was resolved, problems could easily arise again tomorrow.
However, he did not advise taking too large a leap at once. At the outset, it would be best for the Government Affairs Hall not to intervene directly in person, but rather authorize certain pro-government organizations within the Lower City to handle the matter.
Of course, this was merely a suggestion. As for the precise implementation, the Government Affairs Hall was far more experienced than he was. He trusted that so long as they conducted a thorough investigation, they would be able to devise a sound plan.
He looked toward the intense sunlight overhead. This being the case, the hidden dangers within Center City could be considered temporarily cleared away. The only place that might still pose a problem was the Confluence.
***
The Confluence, Marsh Training Camp.
Zhao Zhenye hovered cross-legged three feet above the ground. The light from above the building never once strayed from his body as the silvery-white radiance upon him spread outward without restraint.
Every so often, drops of water fell from the water drippers in the four corners, giving off clear, ringing chimes that sounded lonely and distant.
Just then, he suddenly heard movement behind him, as if someone were walking toward him.
He opened his eyes and asked without turning around, "Why are you here?"
A woman's voice came from behind. "To see you."
Zhao Zhenye fell silent for a moment before asking again, "What happened?"
The voice behind paused briefly as well before speaking: "Just now, I could no longer sense any traces of the 'Ritualist'."
Zhao Zhenye knitted his brows. "Discovered?"
The woman's voice replied, "I don't know yet. But if I can't sense the Ritualist, then the power he projected into that place must have been purged. With your understanding of Center City, who is capable of doing such a thing?"
Zhao Zhenye pondered for a moment before answering, "If he truly exposed himself, under the suppression of the Ring of the World, he wouldn't be able to handle Wuyi's active conscious entity, Hongfu. As for who else..."
A figure suddenly surfaced in his mind. "There is one other person who might be able to suppress him."
"Zhuan Liang?" The woman's voice sounded thoughtful. "Mm, indeed, Zhuan Liang has the capability. But how could the Ritualist be exposed all of a sudden?"
Zhao Zhenye said, "No matter how concealed his hiding place was, it was still within Center City. The people of Center City probably knew of his existence early on. So long as they resolved to search, they would always be able to ferret him out. The Jibei Dao Government Affairs Hall has great bold resolve; they were able to take down the Municipal Council, so accomplishing this comes as no surprise to me at all."
The woman's voice sighed. "You'd better only say such things to me, and never mention them in front of the others. Now that the Ritualist is gone and the Ring of the World has plugged the gap once more, higher-ups can no longer inject power inside. That part of the responsibility might fall to us now, and our prior plans will have to change accordingly."
Zhao Zhenye thought for a moment and said, "It has an impact, but not a large one. Losing him actually removes a lot of constraints. Over there, we can only rely on you."
"On *us*," the woman emphasized, then added, "Regardless of whether it was Zhuan Liang who dealt with the Ritualist, that man poses far too great a threat to us over there. We'd best eliminate him before our operation."
Zhao Zhenye said in a deep voice, "Understood."
At that moment, he looked up toward the mirror-like wall before him. Aside from his own reflection, the surroundings were completely empty, as if no one had ever been there just now.
***
At the Golden Maple Court villa district, the returning airship was slowly drawing close to the mooring tower.
Standing on the airship's terrace, Chen Chuan heard a chirp. Chaoming flew down from the villa's roof, circling around him joyfully.
This time, in order not to expose himself and because the raid took place in the Lower City, he hadn't brought Chaoming along.
After accompanying him on the cultivation hunt, Chaoming's body had grown slightly larger over the past few days, which meant its mutated tissues had become even stronger. Furthermore, Chaoming was clever; it could even employ simple breathing techniques that many birds were incapable of using, leading to remarkable progress.
However, the breathing technique provided by Wingblade Light Nest had almost reached its limit, and continuing to use it offered little further benefit. Fortunately, as a martial artist, Chen Chuan could integrate some of its principles and derive a suitable breathing method tailored specifically to Chaoming's condition.
Even if breathing cultivation proved difficult, he could use his spiritual power to assist it in deep memory retention, achieving the same purpose of mastering the method.
After stepping down from the mooring tower, he walked into the villa, greeted his aunt who was knitting a sweater, and went to freshen up first. Changing into a clean set of clothes, he chatted with his aunt for a while, then went over to check on the two little ones. Seeing them studying diligently, he did not disturb them and returned to his study. Brewing a hot drink, he turned on the field screen and watched fringe channels for a while.
He then noticed a newly released film in the notification feed. Done in a half-documentary, half-expedition style, it followed an exploration of an uninhabited, remote region. Opening it and watching for a while, he found that it mainly depicted the adventure of two protagonists entering a treasure cavern.
This place, however, seemed to genuinely exist—likely a "secret depository."
Senior Cao had told him that throughout the world, there were secret depositories left behind by the imperial houses of bygone dynasties. They held an abundance of treasures, enticing countless later generations to search for them.
Back when he had sought his limit break, had the Purist Faction not been an option, he might well have sought out a secret depository to try his luck.
As he was watching, a chime sounded from his boundary credential. He checked it and saw that a response had arrived regarding the hunting ground application report he had previously submitted to the Martial Arts Council.
The Council and Jibei Dao Center City officially confirmed that the location where he had previously hunted and cultivated was designated as his exclusive hunting ground; any other martial artist entering it would be deemed in violation of personal rights.
This was recognized and protected by both the Martial Artists Council and the Government Affairs Hall.
However, these two departments merely acknowledged it in legal terms and would not expend effort on his behalf. Thus, if another martial artist truly trespassed into his hunting ground, he would have to find a way to deal with it himself.
If he could not even defend his own hunting ground, it proved he lacked the ability to watch over one so vast, and he could only resign himself if it were seized. Conversely, if a martial artist who intruded without cause was killed by him, Chen Chuan would bear no blame whatsoever, as it constituted lawful self-defense.
Naturally, things rarely went to such extremes. After all, most martial artists were bound by agreements and would not knowingly violate them, while those without agreements were inherently problematic individuals.
Chen Chuan thought to himself that cultivating in the Confluence was indeed highly efficient. However, the international investigation team was arriving next month, and what situation would unfold remained unclear. Thus, it was inadvisable for him to leave Center City for the time being. He could only choose to cultivate here first; fortunately, he did not lack cultivation resources at present.
After subduing his breath, the next step was "Connecting the Heavenly Bridge," which required condensing his external manifestation.
His clash with that entity this time had left a deep impression on him. The Ring of the World had played a tremendous role, preventing the power possessed by that entity from immediately materializing and thereby granting him the opportunity to swiftly destroy it. Had its power stabilized, even if Center City could still wipe it out, the price paid would have been far from small.
And had he possessed an external manifestation back then, dealing with it might have been considerably easier. Next, he needed to redouble his cultivation and condense it as quickly as possible.
Chapter 933