Chapter 120: International Exchange
Chapter 120: International Exchange
The next morning, Chen Chuan awoke from his deep slumber right on time. After getting up, he drew the curtains and opened the window, inhaling deeply as he faced the morning glow on the horizon. He then freshened up and headed out for breakfast.
After leaving the cafeteria, he made his way directly to the Martial Arts Training Gym. As he walked, he suddenly remembered that the Maraka student wanted to spar with him.
However, as the other party was highly skilled, he wouldn't take the initiative to seek them out unless they approached him again.
By now, there were already numerous students running around Chunqiu Lake. The morning breeze skimmed across the lake's surface, caressing his face and lifting a few strands of his hair. The February wind was still rather chilly, but it felt refreshing to him.
Upon arriving at the gym, he went to his usual spot and picked up a training sword from the weapon rack beside him.
Although it was just a wooden sword, it had been custom-made with a special blade core. Its weight and length were almost identical to his Snow Lady Sword, but today, it felt significantly lighter.
Undoubtedly, this was the result of the stronger altered tissue within his body.
Not only that, but the day before, he had specifically checked the time on his watch. After defeating the Flying Head, his overlapping time had increased by about half an hour, a significant improvement.
It was conceivable that as he encountered increasingly powerful opponents, the overlapping time gained in each subsequent battle might also be considerable, which was undoubtedly a good thing.
Swinging the sword a few times, he retracted his thoughts and first practiced in the center of the arena to warm up. At the same time, he was waiting for today's opponent.
Although he was placed in the Unarmed Combat Department due to Cheng Zitong's reasons, he knew few people in the department as he rarely attended open or invited classes. In contrast, he had met many in the Armed Combat Department.
However, first-year students were just beginning to grasp basic breathing techniques, so most of his previous opponents were second or third-year students.
At this moment, a familiar figure walked in from outside.
"Senior Wu?"
He greeted him.
Wu Han was startled, then smiled when he looked over, "Junior Chen, you're here today." Seeing that Chen Chuan was holding a long sword, he became interested, "Come, come, let's spar today."
He walked to the nearby weapon rack and subconsciously picked up a long spear. After thinking for a moment, he was about to put it down when Chen Chuan's voice came from behind, "Senior Wu, let's use this one."
"Junior Chen, are you sure?"
Wu Han was a bit surprised. In a long-range weapon versus a short-range weapon, one typically had a significant advantage. Especially when a skilled fighter wielded a long spear, it was nearly impossible to get close to them. To break the spear with a single sword, unless one had a superior advantage in terrain or other aspects, it was almost certain to be pierced by the spear first unless one's skills were several levels higher than the opponent's.
Chen Chuan nodded.
Wu Han let out a 'hey' and raised his eyebrows, saying, "Junior Chen, I know your skills are impressive, but... don't say I'm taking advantage of you."
Chen Chuan pointed his sword forward and smiled, "Let's give it a try."
Wu Han grabbed the spear's handle, using his body to draw it out in one swift motion. This spear was three meters long, nearly double the length of the Snow Lady Sword, and with his control over chi power, he had no concerns about balance or exerting force.
As he held the spear with one hand at the rear end, he could keep it steady, and his fingers could even lightly twirl on the spear shaft, giving him a relaxed feeling as if he were holding a chopstick. It was evident that once he started moving, his actions would be swift and fierce.
He held the spear and moved to the center of the arena, pointing the spearhead towards Chen Chuan. Due to the length of the spear and his grip position, the spear shaft also bent slightly.
At this moment, several senior students noticed the weapons they were holding and showed interest, gathering around the arena in small groups.
Wu Han and his peers were known in the Armed Combat Department, especially since they had obtained weapon permits, which made many third-year students envious. Chen Chuan was also a familiar sight here due to his frequent sparring, and his demonstrated skills were impressive. This spar was highly anticipated.
Wu Han reminded him, "Junior Chen, be careful!"
He gripped the spear shaft with both hands, front and back, keeping his waist close to the spear. After a couple of tentative probes, seeing that Chen Chuan wasn't moving, he flicked the spearhead, and it darted forward.
As the spearhead approached, Chen Chuan didn't block or dodge as one might expect. Instead, his free hand struck like lightning, and with a 'smack,' he had severed the spearhead with one hand.
Despite this, Wu Han didn't stop. He pivoted his waist, took a step forward, and twisted his rear hand, causing the spear to thrust forward again. This time, the broken end directly poked Chen Chuan's arm, which he had quickly blocked, but he felt a force pushing against him, preventing the spear from penetrating further.
As their chi powers converged, a series of crackling sounds reverberated through the arena, and the spear shaft shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions.
The surrounding students raised their hands to bat away the flying fragments, but even after landing on the floor, they bounced high, testifying to the immense power they had contained.
Wu Han tossed aside the broken spear shaft in his hand.
At this moment, applause erupted from the onlookers. The previous exchange, though brief, showcased both parties' adept responses and solid skills, worthy of praise.
Especially Chen Chuan; although Wu Han's spear no longer had a spearhead, with the force behind it, it could have pierced through even a wall. Yet, Chen Chuan managed to block it with his arm, a feat that also demonstrated his chi power but was no simple task.
The upperclassmen had never seen anyone at their level capable of such a feat, nor anyone daring enough to attempt it. They assumed that Chen Chuan must have employed some technique, rather than merely brute force.
This was a plausible assumption, as while the students' Chi power was transparent, each had their unique techniques, some of which were not widely known, taught by their individual instructors.
However, this time, their guess was wrong.
Chen Chuan had indeed used a force similar to the wrapping garment technique to withstand the gun's thrust. He intentionally used Wu Han's power to test the progress and resilience of his altered tissue.
It seemed that his altered tissue had significantly improved since the last time.
Although his second self had briefly overlapped, there was no sign of dissipation, indicating that he could withstand such a situation without any issue.
Chen Chuan felt that even without overlapping with his second self, he might be able to handle it, as he wasn't afraid of getting injured.
Wu Han, with renewed enthusiasm, picked up another gun and asked, "Little brother, another round?"
Chen Chuan smiled and agreed, "Sure."
Their sparring continued throughout the morning, confirming Chen Chuan's speculation. Even without his second self, he could now match Wu Han, although his reactions and speed would be slightly slower. In such a scenario, he would have to rely on his experience and skills.
But this was just a friendly sparring session, so the outcome wasn't crucial. The essential part was the experience gained. If he could maintain composure without his second self, then with it, he would only become stronger.
At noon, Chen Chuan and Wu Han went to the cafeteria together for lunch, chatting about school and other matters.
Recently, Wu Han had taken on many assignments, some of which were typically only given to third-year students. It was undeniable that having a weapon permit was advantageous.
On this topic, Wu Han sighed, "If only Liu Ge were still here."
"As long as we have the capability," Chen Chuan said, "we can not only accomplish what Liu Ge did but also protect ourselves and do even more."
Wu Han nodded vigorously, "You're right, little brother. I need to work harder too!"
After lunch, Chen Chuan bid farewell to Wu Han and returned to his dormitory, just as the phone installation technician arrived. Since the phone line was already in place, it didn't take long to set up.
However, according to regulations, this phone was for his exclusive use, with daily time limits. Any violation would result in the loss of this privilege.
After Chen Chuan left, he approached the phone and picked up the receiver. He had intended to call home but realized that no one would be there at this hour. He decided to wait until evening.
Instead, he called Ren Su and informed him that for future commissions, he could be reached directly at this number. Ren Su was delighted, as it would make communication more efficient and timely.
Ren Su mentioned, "Mr. Chen, I've already transferred the payment for this commission into your account. The Government Hall gave our company high praise, but unfortunately, Mr. Chen isn't a registered commissioner, so we couldn't include his personal evaluation."
Chen Chuan laughed; he didn't care about that. He wasn't interested in becoming a professional commissioner; he only took on commissions to gain resources for combat training, aiding his ascent.
Ren Su added, "By the way, I have some past commissions involving urban legends. I'm not sure if Mr. Chen is interested?"
Chen Chuan glanced at his second self. Although the growth of his altered tissue had halted, the dissipation hadn't entirely disappeared. He wasn't in a hurry.
"I just finished the Flying Head mission," Chen Chuan replied. "I'll take on more commissions after some rest."
"Oh, right, I got carried away. I forgot about that," Ren Su said, slapping his forehead. "Mr. Chen, take a good rest. I won't bother you further."
Chen Chuan hung up the phone but was about to leave when it rang again. Surprised, he answered, and it was the dormitory teacher's voice on the other end.
"Good, I'm informing you that tomorrow morning at 8:00, you and the assigned students will gather at the dormitory entrance. You'll be going to the Foreign Affairs Bureau with the Makara exchange students. A car will pick you up. Remember not to schedule anything else."
"Yes, teacher. Thank you for the reminder," Chen Chuan replied.
The dormitory teacher said, "If you all had scholarships, I'd save some effort, right? I wouldn't have to notify each of you individually when something comes up."
Chen Chuan thought, 'Doesn't that make you feel more important?'
The dormitory teacher laughed, "You're not saying anything. Are you thinking bad things about me? It's fine. As long as the students study well, they're allowed to curse the teacher a little. Consider it a privilege. Goodbye."
Chen Chuan looked at the receiver and thought, 'Teacher, if I don't curse a little, am I losing out?' He hung up, changed into his training suit, and entered his private training room to adjust his breathing and continue his daily practice.
The next day, at 7:30 am, Chen Chuan had finished preparing. As it was a formal exchange event, he wore the student uniform issued by the academy.
However, for foreign affairs exchanges, carrying weapons was prohibited. Naturally, he couldn't bring his Snow Lady Sword or firearms. Still, with security teams present at such events, there was little to worry about. Moreover, if others had weapons, it meant he could have them too.
After a final check in the mirror, he put on his student hat, straightened it, and stepped out.
(End of Chapter)
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