Chen Chuan knew that the medicinal effects of Susu were beginning to take hold, and at the same time, he sensed that his mutated tissue was beginning to show slight signs of growth.
At that very moment, wisps of light gradually materialized within the ethereal, semi-illusory body of his spiritual visage, appearing almost completely in sync with the mutated tissue undergoing growth.
This was because the spiritual visage was essentially a manifestation mirroring his own being; thus, any pronounced shifts within his physical body naturally reflected upon it.
This was entirely normal, however. With every measure of transformation his physical body underwent, his spiritual visage followed suit, requiring no deliberate suppression on his part.
His spiritual visage would grow steadily stronger through every battle and cultivation session, until finally reaching "Crossing the Celestial Bridge," which marked entry into the realm of the Longevity View.
And stimulating the growth of mutated tissue by consuming specific medicines could undoubtedly accelerate this process.
Right now, Susu was serving precisely this purpose. It truly lived up to its reputation as an alchemical ingredient; even someone of his caliber could clearly feel its fierce potency.
Over the next five or six days, his mutated tissue hardly ceased growing for a moment. Only as mid-October approached did the pace gradually slow, though even then, the medicinal power remained incompletely digested, continuing to exert its effects at a steady, sluggish pace.
At the same time, he noticed that his mutated tissue showed no signs of overgrowth throughout the process. An internal examination revealed that this was not actually due to the stone lotus seed, but rather because his own mutated tissue was robust enough to contain and withstand such force.
After some reflection, he reasoned that it was likely because he had broken through this limit with an unprecedented foundation. Consequently, medicinal properties that others would find domineering and volatile were merely a bit fierce to him—far from causing him any harm. On his frame, it actually proved to be a genuinely beneficial medicine.
In that case, the stone lotus seed had seemingly gone unused, which was somewhat wasteful. It mattered little, however; the potent mutated tissues he had brought back this time numbered more than one. Since his body was fully capable of bearing the strain, he might as well take another along the way.
This time, he selected a piece of mutated tissue called the "Dan Drum."
In the upper skies of the Melded Lands drifted a near-gaseous creature that lived in swarms, known as the "celestial carp." Inside its body formed a type of alchemical pearl.
Ordinary alchemical pearls had some value, though nothing extraordinary. However, if struck by lightning, there was a chance that an individual celestial carp's life stage would undergo a qualitative metamorphosis. Harvesting the pearl from such a carp on the very day of the lightning strike yielded a "Dan Drum."
In many rituals and alchemical formulas of the Xuan Sect, this item featured prominently as an essential ingredient, practically indispensable. Finding a Dan Drum was entirely a matter of chance and fortune, requiring vast amounts of manpower and effort to seek out. Consuming it on its own also yielded excellent effects: it purged foul toxins, permanently augmented one's spiritual power, and likewise stimulated the growth of mutated tissue.
It was not without side effects, however. When taken alone, there was a certain probability that the mutated tissue might undergo aberrant mutations, and it was also prone to inducing hallucinations. At a certain level of cultivation, illusions were not necessarily purely insubstantial. Thus, in the old era, the former risk had to be mitigated by compounding it with other medicinal herbs, while the latter had to be resolved through specific Xuan Sect rituals.
In his case, the former issue could be settled by the lingering efficacy of the stone lotus seed. As for the latter problem, having thoroughly mastered the Grand Radiant Light Forms, such illusions could no longer affect him in the slightest.
He retrieved the pouch containing the Dan Drums. Inside rested seven pearls, each roughly the size of a pigeon's egg. When taken out, they revealed a pale cyan luster; resting in his palm, his spirit could faintly perceive a dull, rumbling cadence akin to distant thunder, accompanied by a subtle numbing prickle. It truly lived up to its name.
Picking them up, he swallowed them down one after another. After consuming six of them, a booming drumming sound involuntarily roared past his ears.
His mutated tissue, which had previously slowed its expansion, was driven into motion once more. This time, the power of the lotus seed settled within his body began to steadily release, soothing and quelling the frantic, violent potency within.
This time, the medicinal effects continued dispersing for four to five days. A faint brilliance emerged across the spiritual visage as a result; within it, intertwined fibers composed of shimmering fluorescent wisps flickered into view. Certain parts were no longer mere reflections, but rather expanded and contracted in rhythm with his breath, joining in the process of drawing energy from the outside.
His spiritual visage had originally stood around ten meters tall, but after these two successive consumptions, it shot upward by another three to four meters.
This was not merely a cosmetic transformation. A larger frame signified greater strength while also allowing him to absorb more energy, providing a massive boost to both cultivation and combat.
Sensing this, Chen Chuan could not help but reflect that with sufficient resources and optimal conditions, a person's cultivation progress could indeed be drastically compressed. Emperor Ying was around fifty when he met his demise; logically speaking, with an ocean of resources piled upon him, his achievements at that age should have far exceeded what he had demonstrated.
It was very likely that the emperor had simply relied on these aids to elevate himself without expending much effort on genuine training. Yet, if one could advance merely by consuming resources, most people would likely forgo arduous, diligent practice as well.
However, the further along that path one went, the more resources were required. It was probably for this very reason that the man had sought a shortcut to "ascend to immortality," only to end up exploited by scheming minds instead.
He shook his head and resumed his practice.
Time slipped by while he immersed himself whole-heartedly in cultivation. In early November, he went to the Government Affairs Hall to attend a decision-making conference.
At the end of last month, Jibei Dao and Haidong Dao had formally entered into the Skyline Cooperation Project. They had already begun establishing signal relay plateaus on pre-designated islands and reefs across the Outer Ocean, planting various types of field flora upon them. It would take roughly one to two months before these could be put into operation.
This, however, merely ensured the most basic field transmission. Once information transit along the maritime route stabilized, unique ecological clouds would be released into the sky. These consisted of aggregate microorganisms capable of vastly amplifying field signal transmission.
Once both avenues operated without issue, the subsequent step would be cultivating further clusters of field organisms on the seabed, which served similarly to reinforce and bridge the fields.
When that stage was complete, from sky to land, and from land to ocean floor, successive communities of organisms would thrive by attaching themselves to the field spanning the two Center Cities. In doing so, they would themselves become the media for transmitting information, and under artificial guidance, they would communicate with one another to progressively form an intact and unique circular ecological chain.
This technology had actually existed since the era of the Grand Alliance, and within Great Shun there had been extensive demonstration and experimentation to ensure its feasibility; it was precisely upon this groundwork that the Skyline Project had been conceived. With an abundance of resources poured into it, another quarter of a year for calibration would be enough to establish comprehensive information connectivity.
There was, however, an immediate political mandate: they had to ensure and establish real-time transmission of select news and information between Jibei Dao and Haidong Dao before the end of the year.
Many eyes were currently watching, anticipating their failure, and some might even deliberately sabotage the effort. Therefore, a certain degree of armed force had to be deployed to safeguard it.
Chen Chuan, along with Qi Weizhao and other members of the working group, held an all-day meeting on the matter, formulating a security plan with the informational support and recommendations provided by the Mother.
Should the need arise, he would personally step in to ensure the plan's smooth execution.
Once the meeting concluded, he resumed his daily cultivation regimen. The days turned to November 10th. On this day, he left the city alone and arrived before a certain checkpoint along the National Boulevard leading from Yangzhi City to Center City.
After waiting there for less than half an hour, an off-road vehicle drove over from the distance. The vehicle slowed to a stop as it drew near. The door swung open, and Cheng Zitong edged his way out. A broad grin spread across his round face behind his sunglasses as he said, "Aiya, you boy! I told you to just wait in Center City. Why did you travel all this way out here?"
Chen Chuan smiled and walked up. "Teacher, it isn't far. Have you forgotten? When you sent me off to Center City back then, this was right where I got out."
"Isn't that the truth." Cheng Zitong glanced around. "Aiya, three years have flown by just like that, haven't they? Feels like yesterday. Except, Little Chuan, you've grown a bit taller, and your vigor and bearing are completely different now. As your teacher, I couldn't be happier."
Chen Chuan looked at his build, which was virtually identical to how it looked the year before, and smiled. "You haven't changed much either, Teacher."
Taking off his sunglasses, Cheng Zitong remarked, "Ai, I've lost weight! I don't know why, but my appetite hasn't been good this past year. Ah, never mind that. Little Chuan, you didn't drive here?"
Chen Chuan smiled and shook his head.
Cheng Zitong waved a hand. "Come on, get in your teacher's car."
Chen Chuan said, "Teacher, you sit in the back. I'll drive."
Cheng Zitong agreed. He opened the rear door, settled himself into the back seat, and said wistfully, "Ah, Little Chuan, three years ago your teacher couldn't accompany you into Center City, but this time my wish is fulfilled."
Chen Chuan slid into the driver's seat, pulled over the briefcase he had brought along, retrieved a stack of paper folders from inside, and turned to hand them to Cheng Zitong.
"Teacher, here are some anomalous incidents I compiled and organized in Center City this year, as well as an urban legend I encountered a while back. The detailed records are all in there."
"Oh?"
Cheng Zitong's eyes lit up as he reached out to take them. Recently, he had been planning to write a book specifically on this subject and had already compiled a substantial amount of material. He flipped through them briefly and looked up to ask, "And this isn't just from Jibei Dao?"
Chen Chuan said, "Right, it includes cases from Shannan Dao and Longyou Dao as well."
Cheng Zitong said, "Here in Yangzhi City, I often hear news too. Are you guys setting up some sort of Skyline?"
Chen Chuan said, "Yes, that way we can link up with another Center City."
"A good thing, a truly great thing." Cheng Zitong nodded repeatedly. Having lived in Center City since childhood before later moving to Yangzhi City, he understood all too well the conveniences of interconnected communications.
After starting the car, Chen Chuan drove straight through the checkpoint, the guards on either side saluting him. At that moment, he asked, "Teacher, why don't you stay over at my place?"
Cheng Zitong replied, "No, your teacher doesn't want to cause you any trouble. I still have my old residence in Center City. Let's head there first."
Chapter 971