Chapter 146: Decision
Chapter 146: Decision
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed, and it was already mid-May.
In the training hall, Chen Chuan, dressed in a set of green Wu Yi training attire, sat on a soft cushion, guiding his mutated organs with a breathing technique while also regulating his mental state.
During this time, he had been consolidating his progress here, only returning to school once.
The company had already been informed in advance, citing the need for self-cultivation as the instructor's requirement. As a Wu Yi student, this was, of course, his top priority, and Ren Shuo understood this, even sending him several sets of training attire and a few cans of high-quality tea leaves as a thoughtful gesture.
After sitting for about three hours, he slowly calmed his breathing.
He was gradually experiencing the impact of the secretions from the mutated organs on his body, which was actually one of the sources of a fighter's strength. If used properly, it could also provide greater power under certain conditions, so the approach was not to suppress but to self-regulate and subdue.
His previous Mind-Shocking Fist technique was somewhat related to this, but at that time, he had not yet developed sufficiently robust mutated organs. Even ordinary people could use this technique, but with stronger mutated organs, the effects were different.
The simplest example was similar to the mutation used by Duma that day, which was one of the methods of self-regulation. However, it was an all-or-nothing approach, not worth learning.
Instead, some records from the old era provided exceptionally rich experiences in this regard, especially religious texts, which described it in great detail. Recently, he had been reading related materials, and setting aside the mystical mumbo jumbo, the methods for calming the mind and connecting the inner and outer worlds were indeed effective.
However, the simplest and most straightforward method was to use medicine, but stopping would cause various problems, leading to greater reliance on logistics. Therefore, it was better to master it himself.
After finishing his meditation, he stood up and began to meticulously practice the moves of Orthodox Freehand.
Although it looked like the same old routine, internally, the movement of the mutated muscles, membranes, and bones, in coordination with the mutated organs, allowed for more precise adjustments and variations in every move, resulting in a rich and versatile display of power. However, this was just for regular practice, intended to stimulate the organs and promote the growth of the mutated organs.
In actual combat, unless necessary, he would only concentrate his strength and increase his speed to swiftly defeat his opponent, whether in a one-on-one or multiple opponent scenario.
Now, with the same move, the power it contained might be several times greater than before, mainly due to significant improvements in strength and speed, coupled with the merging of the second self. This was far superior to someone who had just entered the second limit.
If he were to face Duma again, even against a fully mutated Duma, he was confident he could end the fight within three moves.
After practicing Orthodox Freehand, he picked up the Snow Lady Sword and began to execute the sword techniques, also aiming to familiarize his mutated organs with the sword moves.
After the day's training, he took a shower and returned to the second floor, sitting at the desk and reaching for the briefcase given to him by the evaluation team. He took out the map inside and spread it out on the table.
His gaze first fell on Yangzhi City, but as he moved his eyes upward, beyond Zhanshan Mountain, he saw an endless expanse of wilderness, which was also the northernmost part of Da Shun's territory.
Although Yangzhi City was formed during the Great Expansion period, it couldn't be considered Da Shun's frontier. At the top of the wilderness, in the easternmost position, there was a port city called Cold Valley City.
This was not a typical city but a military base with an unknown number of troops. Usually, it only communicated with the mainland through the railway crossing the wilderness and the northern ocean route, with almost no interaction with Yangzhi City.
However, he knew there was a military academy there, and his cousin, Nian Qian, had joined the military and was studying there. Communication was challenging, and news could only be conveyed through letters.
But this wilderness was not empty; it was filled with numerous fugitives who had escaped from the mainland, illegal immigrants from overseas, bandits, members of resistance organizations, and wanted criminals.
Some had even escaped from mega corporations, possessing certain skills and connections. There were also spies, bounty hunters, and political refugees from various countries. Additionally, there were secret sects with unknown affiliations.
Some of these organizations had formed alliances and established large and small factions in the wilderness, creating a global underground network. Compared to them, the bandit gangs in Yangzhi City's wilderness were insignificant.
If it weren't for the distance of over 2,000 kilometers between this place and Yangzhi City, with an uninhabited area devoid of plants and animals in between, and the deterrence of the military, their influence would have likely reached Yangzhi City by now.
His evaluation target for this evaluation was on the edge of this wilderness, a place with an incredibly complex situation, and it would take a considerable amount of time to travel there and back.
In such a place, pre-evaluation reconnaissance was almost impossible, and there was no one there to help him. Although he seemed to have ample time, a portion of it was allocated for students' pre-evaluation and withdrawal preparations, so he couldn't afford to waste any more time.
It was already mid-May, and he decided to use the next half a month to prepare, and then he needed to go for the evaluation as soon as possible.
After making up his mind, he put the map away, locked the documents in the safe, and rode his bicycle to school.
Within half an hour, Chen Chuan returned to the academy, parking his car and making his way towards the dormitory. As he stepped onto the stairs, he noticed someone waiting there. Recognizing him, they approached with a smile and greeted him, "Chen, it's been a while."
Chen Chuan identified the person as Senior Sister Min Lan, who had previously treated him to a meal and attempted to recruit him for a commissioned company. However, he had later joined Ren Shu's company, and she hadn't contacted him since.
"Senior Sister, it has indeed been a while," Chen Chuan replied.
Min Lan smiled and said, "Chen, I've come specifically to see you. I won't take up too much of your time, just a few minutes. Is that alright?"
Chen Chuan wasn't in a rush, and seeing that she had been waiting specifically for him, he realized she must have been waiting for some time. He hadn't been back for a while, so it was unlikely she had been waiting just a day or two. He suggested, "In that case, Senior Sister, let's talk by the lake." The male dormitory wasn't suitable for entertaining guests, especially since Min Lan had already graduated.
Min Lan readily agreed.
The two descended the stairs and crossed the open space in front of the dormitory building, arriving at the banks of Chunqiu Lake. They strolled along the lake's path.
Min Lan gazed at the lush willow trees and the shimmering lake, and said, "I've been out of the academy for some time now, and sometimes I do miss it here. When you have the ability, you can focus solely on training without worrying about other troubles."
After a moment of reflection, Min Lan turned to Chen Chuan and said, "I apologize for being so forward, but the company I work for is currently facing a dilemma, and we're searching for a solution.
I'll be brief since you're pressed for time, Chen. The issue is related to a significant commission involving several companies. It involves a secret sect, and we need to obtain something from them. We've sent in several people, but each time, they've mysteriously gone missing or lost contact."
"Last time, our company spent a lot to turn one of their members, but she lost contact the very same night. It's as if they have some kind of ability, and the other companies haven't made any progress either. We think it's not just our problem; they might have some kind of special means."
"Considering they're a cult, they might have something beyond our understanding. So, we sought experts in this field, but no one has been able to provide any explanations. I thought of you, Chen, since you often deal with odd tales, and I wondered if you might know something about this."
Chen Chuan shook his head and said, "Odd tales are one thing, and cults are another. We can't mix the two."
Min Lan's eyes lit up, and she asked, "So, Chen, you do know about cults, right?"
Chen Chuan explained, "I've dealt with flying head demons, and behind them is a historically ancient flying head cult. If you're asking if I know about them, I do have some knowledge, but it's limited. However, there's a difference between a cult and a sect. If it's not confirmed to be related to odd tales, I can't provide any effective response."
"I see."
Min Lan nodded, then after a moment of thought, she said, "In that case, we need to first determine the nature of this cult." She extended her hand and shook Chen Chuan's, "Thank you for your time, Chen. Regardless, I appreciate your help today."
After bidding her farewell, Chen Chuan had a change of heart. He couldn't trouble others for this, and if word got out, other companies might catch wind and come looking for him. Most importantly, he needed to prepare for the upcoming evaluation. He had no time to spare.
All he could do was wish Senior Sister Min Lan good luck.
At that moment, he glanced around and, noticing he was near the administrative building, decided not to return to the dormitory but instead headed towards the office building.
Entering the building and arriving at Cheng Zitong's office, he saw the door was open, and two people were speaking with him. He waited outside for a while, and when the two outsiders left, he stepped in.
Cheng Zitong said, "You've been waiting for a while, haven't you?"
"Not long, I just arrived," Chen Chuan replied.
Cheng Zitong shook his head, "Every year, we have these relatives trying to sneak things into the school. Forget them. Chen, what brings you here?"
Chen Chuan closed the door and said, "Cheng, I have something important to discuss."
"I see you've made up your mind," Cheng Zitong's expression turned serious. "What do you need? I can prepare it for you."
Chen Chuan explained, "The evaluation has restrictions on weapons, items, and how to deal with opponents. I can only bring essential supplies and objects for the journey to the wilderness."
He understood these restrictions, as in that wilderness, one could obtain many things. Without them, students might come up with all sorts of unexpected solutions.
He even suspected that evaluators might be keeping an eye on them.
Cheng Zitong thought for a moment and said, "I'll prepare it for you." He handed Chen Chuan a piece of paper, "This is a travel authorization. Sign it while you're here."
"I'm not sure how long you'll be gone, but we can use the excuse of taking you out for training. That way, I won't be at the school during that time. If you need to call, use this number..."
Cheng Zitong gave him a phone number and added, "Before you set out, you can come to the school one more time. But during this period, try not to get involved with other matters, no matter who asks."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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