Chapter 756: Ready to Depart

By noon, Chen Chuan had finished organizing everything he needed to bring, packing it all by category into a sturdy case that stood half his height.

He wouldn’t need to bring anyone else with him on this trip to the Merging Land. He alone would be enough.

For an ordinary mission, his team members would have been a great help. But this time, he was facing elite Fighters from the Federation and the Lynx Federation. Each one was incredibly powerful. Any Fighter who hadn’t reached that level couldn’t possibly participate in such a battle; they would only become a liability.

But alone, he would have no one to hold him back and could unleash his full power.

However, he wasn’t going completely without support. This time, he decided to bring Chaoming.

An aerial view was always useful, helping him spot enemies and dangerous situations in advance.

The Merging Land lacked a Large Domain for communication, but he could carry a small Domain Creature, which would be sufficient to maintain contact over one or two kilometers. Even without that, he could use his own Domain and mind to communicate with Chaoming.

Back in Central City, aside from letting its Mutated Organization develop on its own and performing a few special training exercises, Chaoming had little opportunity for genuine tempering.

The growth of a Mutated Organization depended on two things: its environment and its opponents. Sufficient external stimuli were needed to force out its inherent potential.

The Merging Land was undoubtedly a suitable place. The creatures there were extremely vicious, but with him present, they could face the dangers together. It was the perfect opportunity to train Chaoming.

There was just one problem: the Merging Land possessed a certain taint. It caused a Fighter’s tissues to undergo a spontaneous Activation. From what was known, this taint also affected foreign creatures, though not as severely as it did humans.

The garrison typically managed this with medication. While long-term use led to resistance, most of the creatures they brought in were treated as expendable. They rarely lasted long enough for resistance to develop, so it wasn’t a major concern.

But for Chaoming, such a simple solution wouldn’t do.

Chen Chuan considered this. ‘Typically, if a Fighter forgoes medication, they need to use a specific Breathing Technique to resist the taint.’

‘The problem is, creatures usually lack the awareness and willpower for autonomous resistance. It’s possible with intensive training, but generally not worth the effort—unless the creature is uniquely valuable.’

‘But Chaoming is different from ordinary creatures. Its intelligence is quite high, a fact that became clear early in its training. It picks things up almost instantly, so it might be able to master this technique.’

With that decided, he logged into the Defense Department’s platform. He retrieved several Breathing Techniques from the database, compared them to find their core principles, and then used that foundation to create a new Breathing Technique tailored to Chaoming’s specific traits.

Since time was short, he resorted to transmitting a Spiritual Mark, directly engraving the Breathing Technique into Chaoming’s consciousness. Simultaneously, he infused it with his Power to help it acclimate to the new technique.

Guided by his Power, Chaoming formed a preliminary physical memory in less than thirty minutes. By the time he withdrew his hand, it could already execute the Breathing Technique on its own. All that remained was practice.

Chen Chuan nodded. ‘Now we’ll see if Chaoming can adapt in the Merging Land. If not, I’ll give it the medication and have someone take it back.’

With that matter settled, he ate a few sticks of Nutrition Paste, then walked to the side and sat down cross-legged, preparing to examine the information Mr. Zhuan had sent him via a Spiritual Mark.

After a brief review, he saw that it was just as Mr. Zhuan had said: the method for entering the Fourth Limit wasn’t difficult in itself. The real challenges lay in the preliminary preparations and the foundation one had already built.

It also required the aid of certain medications.

The box Mr. Zhuan had given him contained the very medications needed for this advancement.

These medications were, in fact, incredibly difficult to acquire. While not completely monopolized by the authorities like Pure Essence was, they were nearly impossible to buy on the open market. Anyone needing them had to submit an application, and those unaffiliated with a major faction would face intense scrutiny from the Upper Layer, including repeated interrogations. After all, the channels for advancement were strictly controlled.

Fortunately, since he had joined the Pure Sect, this was no longer an obstacle. All the necessary medications came through the sect’s internal channels, allocated to him directly from headquarters. He didn’t have to figure out how to get them on his own.

Thus, a hurdle that could have easily stalled his progress was resolved before he even had to worry about it. This was the benefit of joining a School. Of course, this was a perk specific to the Pure Sect; every faction had its own rules.

The Green Orange Teacher Xue had given him, on the other hand, was a bit of a mystery. He couldn’t discern its specific purpose, but Teacher Xue had told him to eat it when he felt the time was right. He figured it must have its own unique use.

After all, the Spiritual Cultivation method he practiced had been taught to him by Teacher Xue. Perhaps there was some unique synergy involved.

As he was planning his next steps in cultivation, the Realm Token by his ear beeped with a notification. He checked it—a message from the Defense Department. His departure had been confirmed: five o’clock tomorrow morning.

He nodded. The time suited him perfectly. ‘I don’t know what condition Captain Xu and his team are in. The sooner I can get to the Merging Land, the better.’

He checked the time. It was just past one in the afternoon. He had already made arrangements for his work at the bureau, and all his squad members had their assignments. For now, there were no issues at the Fusion Boundary.

As for the Lianwei Zhongyu case, he had already given instructions: proceed according to normal protocols and ignore any outside interference. He would handle the specifics personally upon his return.

He had no idea how long this trip to the Merging Land would take. Once he went deep inside, communication with the outside world would be impossible. He needed to let those close to him know he was leaving.

So, he stood up and contacted Gao Ming to let him know he was leaving on a mission. That way, if his aunt’s family called, Gao Ming could explain the situation.

After explaining everything, he left the training room, washed up, changed his clothes, and walked out of the house. He then got in his car and drove toward Weiguang District.

Arriving at the military family housing on Bishu Street, he returned the salute of the gate guard and drove in, stopping at the same lawn he had visited before.

Chen Xiaojin was training diligently. Since their last session, his progress was visible to the naked eye. It was clear he had been practicing painstakingly, without a moment of slacking off.

His physical conditioning, in particular, had improved dramatically—a leap forward that couldn’t be attributed to normal training alone. The Enlightenment Seed must have taken effect.

After Chen Chuan had distributed the Enlightenment Seeds, only Lu Fang, Weidong, and Luo Kaiyuan had shown definite results. The others seemed to have gained no benefit. Now, it appeared Chen Xiaojin could be added to that list.

Just then, Chen Xiaojin spotted Chen Chuan getting out of his car. His face lit up, and he ran over, bowing respectfully. “Teacher Chen.”

Chen Chuan noticed he was much more energetic than before. ‘He must have seen his own progress, and his confidence has grown as a result.’

In truth, he could tell that while Xiaojin had always been determined, he had carried a deep-seated insecurity. He felt inferior to his older brother and sister, believing his father, Chen Bitong, was disappointed in him. That was why he trained so hard—to prove himself.

However, talent was talent; an innate gift couldn’t simply be overcome by hard work alone.

But now, things were different. The Enlightenment Seed had boosted his potential. While a gap still remained between him and his siblings, it was no longer insurmountable. With the ruthless drive he applied to his own training, he could go very far.

Chen Chuan said, “I was watching. You’ve been following my instructions. From now on, you can increase your repetitions to eighty times a day. If you feel no discomfort, increase it to one hundred times a day after ten days. We’ll reassess after I return.”

For some reason, Chen Xiaojin couldn’t help but blurt out, “Teacher Chen, are you going to the Merging Land?”

Chen Chuan glanced at him and nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. While I’m gone, don’t go wandering off. Stay here and keep practicing.”

Chen Xiaojin nodded emphatically. “Teacher Chen, I’ll be waiting for your return,” he said earnestly.

Chen Chuan acknowledged him with a simple sound.

After staying for a little while longer, he drove off. He left the military housing area, turned onto the road to the Deep Unexplored District, and parked in front of Lu Fang’s Fighting Hall.

He was here because Lu Fang had messaged him earlier. Lu Fang said the growth of his mutation had become very pronounced recently, and his Fighting Skills were improving at an unprecedented rate. He wondered if this was the effect of the Enlightenment Seed.

Chen Chuan couldn’t be sure without seeing him in person. After entering the hall, meeting with Lu Fang, and observing him with his Spiritual Domain, he said, “Senior Brother Lu, if I’m not mistaken, your body is on the verge of the Third Limit.”

Lu Fang was stunned. Although reaching the Third Limit had always been his goal, he hadn’t been closely tracking his progress. He never expected this answer. For a moment, he was overcome with a complex mix of excitement and wistfulness.

Chen Chuan wasn’t surprised. In terms of both talent and aptitude, Lu Fang had been the best of their year; otherwise, he never would have become the vice president of the Fenxin Society.

If he’d had the opportunity to enter the Central Hospital back then and had been given enough resources, he probably would have already reached the Third Limit by now.

However, breaking into the Third Limit required a specific method, ideally through the circulation of one’s own Breath Force. His own Dharma Gate for this had been taught to him by Cao Guiqi.

Now, from his current vantage point, he had developed many of his own insights. Possessing Spiritual Power, in particular, allowed him to do things that were previously impossible.

He thought for a moment before saying, “Senior Brother Lu, relax. Don’t overthink it. I have to leave town for a while. When the time is right, I’ll return and tell you how to break through this barrier.”