Chapter 616 - 355: The Top

Beneath a building in the Deep Unexplored District, Chen Chuan took advantage of a break to eat a few tubes of Nutrition Paste. He was currently contemplating the direction of his own Power.

’My foundation is the Circulation Technique,’ he thought. ’It’s what sets me apart from others, and I can’t abandon this crucial characteristic.’

’Second, I need a decisive, finishing power for combat—like the various types of Power I’ve witnessed. When fully unleashed, those techniques are nearly unstoppable.’

’For me, that could be Capturing Force, Wrestling Takedown Force, or even Scattering Force. Whatever Power I use, it must be harmonized and unified.’

’When I use a certain technique, I need the corresponding offensive Power, and I must be able to switch between them quickly and fluidly. This might seem incredible to others, but with the high coverage of Mutated Organization in my body and the Circulation’s Strength as my foundation, it’s achievable.’

’Most importantly, once I have a sufficient foundation and support, combined with such a firm conviction deep in my heart, my spirit will manifest it into substance, making it a reality.’

’First, there’s the Scattering Force.’

Previously, when he fought Chen Bitong and the others, he would use the Furnace Breathing Method to activate the Destructive Force that Chen Bitong had taught him. The other technique was the Cloud-Breaking Hand, taught by Instructor Wen.

Comparing the two types of Power, one specialized in wide-area destruction, while the other focused on concentrated damage. Both had their own advantages and disadvantages.

The former required the Second Self as a backup to transfer damage and needed a certain wind-up to execute. Without a sufficient charge, its full power couldn’t be unleashed.

After extensive practice, his Cloud-Breaking Hand had become faster and more concealed, and its power was considerable. It also coordinated better with the Furnace Breathing Method.

However, because this offensive method had already been fully polished by someone else, it was something he received with no need for improvement. This made it difficult to infuse his own characteristics and will into it.

Therefore, while using these two Force Techniques as his main offensive methods was sufficient, he always felt something was missing. This spiritual sense of unease meant they weren’t a perfect fit for him. He needed to find his own path.

As this thought crossed his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a reason the next tier was named "Fighting Master." It seemed only those who had forged their own true path could earn such a title.

Though he couldn’t yet figure out a Heart Force suited to him, he knew that many things couldn’t be accomplished overnight. After all, he had only just mastered these skills today and still lacked sufficient experience.

He believed that other Fighters, after setting foot on this path, would also need a certain amount of time to hone and perfect their own Power.

Perhaps he could try sparring with more Fighters next.

His advantage was the ability to constantly experiment through trial and error, making bold attempts, because the Second Self could transfer his injuries—a feat no other Fighter could match.

Furthermore, Wuyi Academy had Hong Fu as a training partner, which was another luxury that Fighters outside the academy did not have access to. He had to make full use of this advantage to perfect his own Power.

Of course, he couldn’t neglect his Spiritual Power cultivation either. Right now, his spiritual foundation was propped up by the Second Self. His main body’s spirit still needed to be raised as much as possible. Otherwise, if the Second Self was dissipated in a fight, his own strength would plummet. From now on, he had to do his best to remedy this weakness.

In fact, this battle had not only yielded gains in Spiritual Power; his Second Self had also taken a great leap forward.

And if he could raise the Second Self to his current level or even higher, then after it was fully perfected, a second Fusion with it should allow him to reach or even surpass that boundary that existed only in theory.

Just as he was lost in thought, his Realm Token buzzed a few times. A signal was trying to contact him. He glanced at it and accepted the connection.

"Chen, is that you?" Pan Xiaode’s voice came from the Realm Token.

Chen Chuan said, "Pan? It’s me. What’s up?"

’Pan Xiaode doesn’t seem to have any official duties out here,’ he thought. ’If there were an operation, it would have been arranged by Wuyi Academy. Why is he calling me now? Did something happen?’

Pan Xiaode’s excited voice replied, "I’m above you!"

"Above me?"

Chen Chuan looked up at the towering skyscrapers on either side, but he quickly realized what Pan meant and looked higher, toward an Airship. He immediately saw someone step out onto a platform by a porthole and wave at him. It was Pan Xiaode.

Surprised to see him there, he said, "Pan, I see you."

Pan Xiaode waved his hand vigorously again and said, "Are you on a mission down there?"

Chen Chuan replied, "I just finished a mission. I’m taking a break."

"Hey, what a coincidence! Chen, if you’re free, why don’t you come up for a bit? I’ve got everything here, communications are good, and if you need to go somewhere later, I can give you a lift. It’s better than being on the ground."

From the way he spoke, it sounded like Pan Xiaode was in charge. Chen Chuan thought it was a good idea. Right now, the Airships hovering in the sky served as communication relays. Being on one would be better for both mobility and signal transmission than staying on the ground. Without hesitation, he agreed.

Pan Xiaode seemed to turn and say something to someone. A moment later, he said, "Uh, Chen, see that building next to you? The Airship can’t land easily, so get to the roof, and we’ll pick you up there."

Chen Chuan glanced over. It was a fifty or sixty-story office building, likely empty now. Although the building was sealed, he didn’t need to go through it.

He took a few steps toward it, and once he picked up speed, he began running up the side of the building’s wall, quickly reaching the rooftop.

The distant Airship slowly descended toward him. It seemed to have been sprayed with some kind of coating, as the swarms of insects circling nearby scattered as it approached. Once it was directly overhead, a rope ladder was lowered from above.

He reached out and grabbed it, and the ladder began to lift him upward. When he was near the opening on the underside of the hull, he gave a light tug and vaulted up, landing gracefully inside the cabin.

Pan Xiaode was waiting there. He clapped his hands happily and said, "Chen, I saw you from up here earlier and just wanted to say hello."

Chen Chuan asked, "Pan, what are you doing here?"

Pan Xiaode said, "Heh, my family owns the biggest Airship company in Central City, the Sky Shark Airship Company. A large number of airships were requisitioned this time, so the academy sent me to help coordinate and deploy them."

After asking, Chen Chuan learned that most of the airships in Central City, including transport and combat models, were custom-built by the Sky Shark Company. They also accepted orders from the Military.

However, unlike other modern corporations, this company didn’t delve into other business sectors and had no armed forces of its own. It was more like a traditional company from the old era.

Pan Xiaode had never mentioned any of this before. He was surprisingly low-key.

As the two were talking, two expressionless security personnel appeared from behind. Pan Xiaode introduced them, saying they had been dispatched by the Administrative Affairs Hall to handle security on the Airship.

The two men came over, shook Chen Chuan’s hand, and then communicated through their Realm Tokens, reminding him, "Captain Chen, during your rest period here, please do not disclose any information that has not been publicly released."

Chen Chuan understood. They were called security personnel, but their real job was to monitor him and prevent leaks of classified information. He replied, "I understand."

Pan Xiaode said enthusiastically, "Chen, have you eaten yet?"

Chen Chuan said, "I’ve been busy with missions since dawn. Haven’t had a chance to eat."

Pan Xiaode glanced at his watch. It was 11:45 AM. He said, "I haven’t eaten either. I was coordinating and inspecting the airships. Come on, we can eat together."

Chen Chuan readily nodded.

Pan Xiaode led him to a dining hall in the upper-middle section of the Airship. Since it was originally a sightseeing vessel, it had large, transparent windows that offered a view of the situation below during meals.

Chen Chuan walked to a window and glanced outside. There were dense swarms of insects. They weren’t clearly visible from the ground, but from up high, he could see them forming several gray clusters, gathered together and particularly conspicuous in a few areas.

Pan Xiaode walked over and said, "These insects all came from the Merging Land, right? To be honest, this is the first I’ve heard of that place, and the whole idea of two worlds colliding... it really shocked me."

He looked at Chen Chuan and asked curiously, "Chen, have you been there?" Then he quickly added, "Oh, but if it’s covered by confidentiality rules, just ignore me."

Chen Chuan said, "There’s nothing I can’t say. I have indeed been there. Once you reach the Third Limit, Pan, you’ll come into contact with it too."

Pan Xiaode clenched his fists, full of motivation. "I actually want to be like you, Chen, to go down there and fight those mercenaries, to drive those creatures from the Merging Land back where they came from and end this invasion crisis sooner. My strength isn’t enough right now, but next time, I’ll definitely catch up."

Chen Chuan looked at him. Pan Xiaode obviously had his family’s deep trust, so he had been informed about some aspects of the two worlds. However, it seemed they still hadn’t told him about the Fumu’s division.

At that moment, two service staff members wheeled in a food trolley and began placing exquisite dishes on the table.

Pan Xiaode gestured and said, "Let’s eat first."

Chen Chuan nodded, but just then, his steps faltered slightly.

Pan Xiaode asked, "Chen, what’s wrong?"

Chen Chuan said, "It’s nothing."

He had been constantly operating the Spiritual Reflection Method, absorbing essence from the other world. Just now, he had suddenly sensed a faint ripple coming from the other side.

Perhaps an ordinary person would assume it was due to the Rift’s instability, and it did feel a bit like that. But he didn’t think that was the case.

It was very likely because a gap had been torn open earlier, and the Pure Essence was now leaking out. At this rate, it probably wouldn’t be long before that Pure Essence seeped into this world.

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