https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1172-The-Difficulty-of-Taking-the-Stage/13467211/
Chapter 1171: Setting Off for the Eastern Domain
Chapter 1171: Setting Off for the Eastern Domain
In the two days leading up to the delegation's departure, news of Chen Chuan's battle with Crossal rapidly spread and continued to expand.
This news didn't cause much of a stir among the lower and middle classes of the Federation, mainly because the Western Party was exerting significant control over public opinion. Similarly, the Eastern Party was handling the matter discreetly, avoiding any grandiose announcements.
They were concerned that this incident might stir up nationalistic sentiments or backlash, potentially complicating their negotiations with Da Shun.
However, outside the Federation and its sphere of influence, they couldn't effectively manage the situation.
In today's world, information flow between countries, let alone between Central Cities, is like isolated islands. The general public's understanding of international affairs largely depends on a few global publications and information disseminated through multinational corporations and government agencies.
Thus, for the lower and middle classes, the Federation only needed to control public opinion within its jurisdiction.
However, the situation was different at the upper echelons. The news spread rapidly, and within two days, Chen Chuan's image and information appeared on the desks of leaders and administrators of countries and major companies around the world, causing significant concern.
They couldn't help but be highly alert. If Chen Chuan could directly slay part of a Dongxuan Templefighter's strength, it meant that even if he didn't possess the full combat power of a Dongxuan Templefighter, he still had comparable destructive capabilities.
The key issue was that most Dongxuan Templefighters, due to their formidable martial prowess, held high-ranking positions and had signed specific upper-level agreements. These agreements not only constrained their actions to prevent arbitrary damage to international security but also included profit-sharing treaties. Otherwise, no country or company's upper echelons would be able to sleep soundly.
These fighters, due to their daily training and combat capabilities, often stayed in the World Ring, far from ordinary society. However, Chen Chuan was an exception. His rank was only that of Changsheng Temple, yet he possessed near-Dongxuan Templefighter combat power and had not yet reached the threshold for any of the agreements' constraints. This meant he was not bound by any rules but still posed a threat to national security. This uncontrollable danger was even more terrifying, enough to make the major powers of the world feel a constant sense of unease.
For a time, various countries and upper echelons discussed whether to modify the existing agreements and standards.
On January 25th, the Da Shun Delegation concluded their visit to Vijiazia Central City, left their temporary residence, and, accompanied by Da Shun company executives and representatives from the residential area, arrived at the train station.
Just as they were about to board the train, a car drove up from a distance.
Chen Chuan immediately sensed something and looked over. He saw Rossard get out of the car, but the people around him seemed to ignore him.
He greeted the people around him and walked over alone. As he moved through the crowd, the enthusiastic onlookers also didn't notice him.
When he reached the front of the car, Rossard stepped forward, saluted, and said, "Mr. Chen, I came to see you off, and also to thank you."
Chen Chuan replied, "Mr. Rossard, if you're referring to the battle the day before yesterday, you don't need to thank me. At that time, I was indeed prepared to fulfill your wish. If you want to thank someone, you might as well thank Mr. Crossal."
Rossard's expression suddenly became nuanced.
If he had to thank someone, it would indeed be Crossal. He had lost to Chen Chuan, and his lifelong reputation was lost. The Federation would not accept a hero with a history of failure.
However, he had been prepared to sacrifice his life, so he didn't care about these matters. But who would have thought that even Crossal would be defeated by Chen Chuan? So, his loss seemed quite normal?
At least in the circles he knew, few people mentioned him; instead, they talked about Crossal, and this trend didn't seem to be fading anytime soon.
After these thoughts crossed his mind, he composed himself and said sincerely, "I want to thank you, Mr. Chen, for your willingness to fulfill my wish at the time. I feel ashamed for putting you in the subsequent turmoil.
If I had died then, I wouldn't have to think about these things anymore. But since I'm still alive, I must express my gratitude and apologies to you."
He gestured backward, and an assistant brought over a box. "This is a token of my gratitude, some training items, and a few small things. I hope you will accept them.
Oh, and this thing..."
He took the ceremonial sword he had worn during the duel from the assistant, held it in both hands, and handed it to Chen Chuan.
"Mr. Chen, I believe this belongs to you. You didn’t manage to take it with you that day, so I’ve brought it to you today."
Chen Chuan glanced at it, then naturally extended his hand to receive it, saying, "Thank you."
If not for Crossal’s interference that day, this item would have rightfully been his spoils of war.
Rossard said, "This is the ceremonial sword I wore at the Federation Founding Ritual. Though it’s not a mutated weapon, it still holds some commemorative value."
Chen Chuan took a look. If that was the case, it was indeed worth collecting. He said, "I’ll take good care of it."
After handing over the sword, Rossard seemed to relax a bit. He extended his hand and said, "Mr. Chen, I hope we have the chance to fight alongside each other again in the future."
Chen Chuan shook his hand and replied, "I hope so too. Mr. Rossard, farewell."
"Farewell, have a safe trip."
Chen Chuan nodded at him, then greeted him and turned to leave with the box.
Rossard watched him walk to the train, then said to the people around him, "Let’s go back."
He returned to his car, his usually serious and solemn expression replaced with a sense of relief.
During his battle with Chen Chuan, he had glimpsed a door, a fleeting opportunity for a breakthrough. However, that opportunity vanished in an instant, and once missed, it was gone forever.
Realizing this, he finally let go of everything. When he no longer carried that burden and let it all slip from his mind, he felt an unprecedented sense of ease and liberation.
The train left the station, heading south along the tracks, circling around the Central Spine Mountains before reaching the Federation’s northeastern capital.
Inside the carriage, Chen Chuan first placed Rossard’s ceremonial sword in a weapon case for safekeeping. Then, he took out the box and opened it. Inside were cultivation resources from the Changsheng Templefighter, with equal parts for physical and mental training.
The quantity was substantial. Even for him, it would last about a month, and the quality was the best he had seen recently.
He thought for a moment. If he was correct, these were likely Rossard’s personal cultivation resources, as the founder would have access to a national quota.
Using these as an apology... well, he could feel the sincerity in Rossard’s gesture.
He closed the box and set it aside. With these resources, he could slightly offset his recent cultivation expenses.
There was also a batch of resources that Colonel Jiang had arranged for him from the domestic side. He had sent a telegram, asking for them to be delivered directly to the Federation’s capital. This time, he would go there to receive them.
He picked up a magazine from the table and began to read. These were publications from the eastern shore, mostly about the fighting world, but they didn’t involve superhuman powers. Most were entertainment and product magazines, so he flipped through them quickly.
However, some exploration magazines caught his interest, and he lingered on those pages.
The carriage door opened, and Gaoming walked in. Seeing the content of the magazine in Chen Chuan’s hand, he smiled. In his memory, Chen Chuan had always been fond of adventure stories and exploration tales as a child.
He sat down opposite Chen Chuan and handed him a publication. "Cousin, this was given to me by someone from the Fighter Council today."
"What is it?"
"A combat level analysis of you by the Fighter Council."
Gaoming adjusted his glasses. "This report will be sent to various countries and major companies, and it will be combined with other aspects for a comprehensive evaluation, which is the current international standard for assessing a fighter’s influence."
Chen Chuan took it. He knew that due to the lack of information, no organization could provide a detailed and objective evaluation of a fighter. Therefore, the most direct way for countries and major companies to assess a fighter was through their influence.
This evaluation method had become the international standard, but even without detailed data, it was still possible to make a preliminary assessment of a fighter’s combat power. For a fighter, individual combat power was always the most critical focus.
While influence included many factors, the most important of the five main aspects was individual combat power. Although influence was not equivalent to combat power, combat power was undoubtedly the greatest influence.
The other four aspects were international recognition, affiliated faction, participation in major events and social activities, and personal position and national standing.
Each of these had different weightings and scales. The upper limit for individual combat power could reach over 300 points.
The upper limit for participation in major events and social activities was around 200 points, while the others ranged from 100 to 150 points. However, these values were not fixed and could be adjusted based on specific situations or needs.
Chen Chuan unfolded the publication. To him, the other aspects were secondary; individual combat power was what truly mattered. He focused on that section and quickly found the Fighter Council’s assessment of him.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
