Chapter 755 106: Preparations

Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. That was truly unexpected. But thinking back on the two Fighting Masters he had met so far, they did seem to have certain… special habits. This seemed to corroborate such a claim.

Mr. Zhuan said, "According to the teachings of the Old National Church, this trial is called 'Sealing Dragon Heaven Gate.' It requires a Fighter to make a sacrifice to the Sealing Dragon and break through the Celestial Gate. That sacrifice can be one of your own emotions, attachments, or even hobbies. It all depends on you. This has been proven to be the most feasible path.

"In some records from the old era, the Old National Church also conducted Esoteric Buddhist rituals using large numbers of human sacrifices to help the Upper Layer break through. However, in the eyes of those in the Upper Layer, these lives weren't worth much, so the effect was minimal. Fortunately, this method never became widespread.

"But these members of the Upper Layer were completely unwilling to cast aside their power and status, so historically, few members of the Imperial Family who held real power ever achieved this. Even if they succeeded, they could no longer remain in their positions of power."

At this point, his tone grew exceptionally serious. "You must be cautious when you consider this. It's true that the more you give up, the more you gain. But we must remember that some things can never be abandoned; they must be upheld. If you stop caring about those things, then you can no longer be called human, and I would no longer be the person I once was."

Chen Chuan nodded slightly. 'That's a given. One must maintain their principles. Otherwise, the breakthrough is meaningless.'

'For example, if a Fighter who originally valued kinship and friendship were to abandon those things, they would probably become a completely different person.'

'Of course, someone who truly valued those things would probably never make such a sacrifice. But it's conceivable that some with extreme ideologies could gain more power this way, potentially with unforeseeable consequences.'

'Even without going to extremes, he could imagine some bizarre vows and practices. But ultimately, it all depended on what a person truly believed in their heart. You couldn't just do whatever you wanted. You might be able to fool others, but you could never fool yourself.'

'But overall, this step was a technique to compensate for a spirit that wasn't resilient enough. If one's spirit was sufficiently resilient, then according to Mr. Zhuan, there was no need to go through this step at all.'

Mr. Zhuan continued, "The reason I'm telling you this first is because just as a Fighter's talent is mostly determined by innate factors, when your Spiritual Power breaks through its limit, it's like being reborn. The spiritual foundation you possess at that moment determines your future achievements. Of course, the richer it is, the better.

"What to sacrifice and what to keep—you need to figure that out for yourself."

Chen Chuan nodded again.

Mr. Zhuan said, "Next are the specific techniques and methods for entering the Fourth Limit." As he spoke, a certain light gleamed in his eyes.

Chen Chuan immediately felt a wave of Spiritual Power wash over him. He'd had experience with this from his interactions with Teacher Xue, so he opened his mind to it. In an instant, a flood of information poured into his consciousness.

Mr. Zhuan said, "Since you've cultivated to your current level, these methods shouldn't be a problem for you. The key lies in reaching the breakthrough threshold itself, so I won't elaborate further. Go back and review this on your own first. If there's anything you truly don't understand, or if you have any questions, you can come and ask me then.

"I also brought some items you'll need for the breakthrough. I originally planned to give them to you later, but I can see you're not far from that threshold. You can take them with you when you leave."

He brought over his briefcase, unlatched it, and took out a box about twenty centimeters square, pushing it across the table to him.

Chen Chuan said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhuan."

Mr. Zhuan said, "Don't thank me. I only hope that when you guide the next generation, you will put your heart into it."

Chen Chuan nodded solemnly. "I will."

He then said, "There's something I need to inform the sect about. In a few days, perhaps within this week, I need to make a trip into the Merging Land."

Mr. Zhuan said, "The Merging Land? Are you on a mission? You must be careful, then."

Chen Chuan knew what he meant. Although Fighting Masters rarely appeared within Central City, the Merging Land had no such restrictions on them. Furthermore, the traitor suspected of being a Fighting Master was in the Merging Land.

However, to counter the forces of the Old Imperial Family and guard against certain other entities in the Merging Land, Jibei Dao also had its own Fighting Masters stationed there as guardians. According to the information he'd received, this guardian was very likely the true headmaster of Wuyi Academy, who had never made a public appearance.

He said, "I will be."

Mr. Zhuan said with a smile, "I know you have official business, so I won't keep you any longer. Remember to review what I gave you. If you need me before you leave, you can come straight here."

Chen Chuan agreed, then took the box from the table, stood up, and gave a slight bow. "Mr. Zhuan, I'll take my leave then."

After bidding him farewell, he went out and greeted Chang Dong and Gao Yanjun before driving back toward the city district.

This time, he didn't return to the Bureau. Instead, he drove directly to his residence in the Wuding District, where he needed to receive some items he had ordered for his trip into the Merging Land.

Just as he arrived back at his residence, he saw a familiar car waiting there. The occupant must have seen his car too, as Counselor Pei pushed the door open, stepped out, and waved at him.

Chen Chuan slowed down and lowered his window. "Counselor Pei? What can I do for you? Why don't you come inside to talk?"

Counselor Pei smiled. "I won't come in. I'm here on behalf of Specialist Liang to brief you on the situation, Manager Chen. I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

Chen Chuan nodded and reached over to push open the passenger-side door. Counselor Pei walked around the front of the car and got into the passenger seat, then tapped his Realm Token.

Chen Chuan immediately received a map of the Merging Land.

It was an enormous map covering a vast area. It included the entrances to the various Merging Lands, fortress garrisons, Airship mooring points, the front lines where their forces and the Old Imperial Family's armies faced off, and even some unexplored, unknown regions.

Counselor Pei tapped a location within that unknown region. "Word is the Lost Object appeared here. This is also Captain Xu's team's destination. Judging by the distance and the team's speed, they should be getting close."

Chen Chuan glanced at it. Though it was just a tiny dot on the map, the actual area was vast. More importantly, the large surrounding region had never been properly developed. It had no garrisons and was an extremely dangerous and primitive zone, marked on the map in scarlet red.

Counselor Pei said, "After several months of clashing with the Old Imperial Family's army, both sides are currently in a regrouping phase. Although major hostilities have ceased, small-scale conflicts still occur from time to time. We anticipate another major battle before the end of the year, so this window of opportunity will only last for a little over a month."

He turned to face him. "We have reliable intelligence that the Old Imperial Family is also sending people to search for it. The enemies we're facing aren't just the ones we've seen so far. Manager Chen, you must be careful."

Chen Chuan nodded. He had already considered that and was mentally prepared.

Counselor Pei said, "The map may change once you're in the Merging Land, but it can be updated. Manager Chen, once you've set a departure time, I will be responsible for your transport."

Chen Chuan agreed.

"Then I won't keep you from your work any longer, Manager Chen," Counselor Pei said. "I'll be leaving now."

Chen Chuan said, "Alright. Goodbye."

Counselor Pei bade him farewell, returned to his own car, and quickly drove away.

Chen Chuan then drove into his residence. After he got out, the Fusion Boundary representative stationed there informed him that many of the items he had requested had arrived. Per his instructions, everything had been moved into the training room.

Chen Chuan acknowledged this, then went to wash up before heading to the training room on the third floor. As soon as he walked in, he saw the floor was covered with all sorts of items.

These were the weapons and items he had prepared, all based on the experience Chen Bitong had left behind for him. Every single one had a specific purpose.

He scanned the room before walking to a crate. After opening it, he found a coiled, white "rope" inside. This was actually a Dragon-Hunting Spear.

The spear was a total of fifteen meters long and was a weapon from a Mutated Organization. It could normally be coiled up like a rope, but the moment Power was infused into it, it would instantly become rigid and straight. It was essential for dealing with large creatures; an ordinary person with insufficient Power couldn't use it at all.

He figured, however, that with enough strength and the right techniques, it could certainly be used against humans as well.

He inspected it, and seeing no defects, closed the lid. He then moved to another crate and took out a strangely shaped firearm that connected to the user's shoulder and chest, with its frame extending down the arm.

This was a weapon from the Processing Bureau, a "Thunder Cannon" manufactured by the Longyin Company. Its power was immense, making it extremely suitable for Fighters. It could be used to hunt the various creatures of the Merging Land, and of course, it could also be used on people.

Even a Third Limit Fighter, if they lacked Horizontal Training Strength, would be killed or at least rendered combat-ineffective if hit by a blast from it at close range.

In addition to these, he had also ordered Throwing Ropes, a Large Net, various medicines, small tools, and more. He had even specially ordered some small combat organisms.

This too was based on Chen Bitong's experience. When traveling and resting in the Merging Land, medicine alone wasn't enough. These small combat organisms could effectively hunt and devour the various small insects in the vicinity, ensuring that he would not be overly disturbed.

Additionally, he had also used his own channels through the Esoteric Buddhism Inspection Bureau to purchase a large quantity of Esoteric Materials.

Spending the night in the wilds of the Merging Land was extremely dangerous. He didn't intend to rely completely on the tools and items provided by the Defense Department; making extra preparations was essential.

He then picked up his rarely used short blade. He'd had the Processing Bureau add a long cord to its hilt. As he drew it from its sheath, the mirror-like surface of the blade clearly reflected his cold, sharp eyes.

On this trip to the Merging Land, aside from eliminating the armed personnel from the Federation and the Lynx Federation, he also remembered that the location indicated by Qi Qianyang's Spiritual Mark was there as well. He would have to see if he got the chance to resolve that matter at the same time.