Chapter 256: The Basement
Chapter 256: The Basement
The next morning, Chen Chuan went about his usual training routine. By noon, he contacted Wu Bei and decided to visit Liuyu Street as Mr. Wu had suggested.
Wu Bei had already conducted a preliminary investigation, revealing that the location was in the southeast of Central City, in the Dewy District. It was known for its large foreign population, especially from the offshore island nations.
Mr. Wu's publicly known residence was in a high-end apartment building, and the small hill did not seem to be a secret. Only this place remained elusive, making it likely his safe house and secret base.
Mr. Wu had deleted the message he was about to send, so his final words were probably genuine.
Moreover, Mr. Wu had only recently passed away, and he had no monitoring implants. Even if someone had been in contact with him, they likely wouldn't know about his death yet. Therefore, this was the perfect time to investigate.
After making the necessary preparations, Chen Chuan left the school and took the tram directly to the area.
On the way, he checked his communication avatar on the Boundary Vessel. He had chosen a random avatar, a silhouette shrouded in darkness, devoid of any flashy effects. He decided to keep it as it was, finding the simplicity appealing.
Upon reaching the tram station, he found himself on Liuyu Street, a bustling commercial area. From his position, he could see the soaring flyover bridge that stretched like a rainbow across the sky, connecting the city to an offshore island.
The bridge led directly to a council tower on the island, partially obscured by the sea mist, yet still visible.
After a few glances, he ventured into the lively street, where the buildings were relatively low-rise, and the shops had spacious entrances adorned with decorative curtains. The street was filled with foreigners from the offshore islands, with few locals in sight.
There were, however, some taller structures, and he noticed a towering Ferris wheel, slowly rotating, belonging to the Ferris Wheel Company.
The company's logo was ubiquitous on the street, and Old Feng had mentioned that it was a relatively new establishment with strong connections to various offshore island nations.
After walking for a while, Wu Bei's voice came through, "Chen, there's no tail, and no surveillance. Everything seems normal."
"Okay," Chen Chuan replied.
Wu Bei, in high spirits, a necklace with a pendant, saying, "Chen, I've marked the location on the map. Just follow it."
Chen Chuan spotted the marker on the Boundary Vessel and thanked him. Instead of wandering aimlessly, he headed directly towards the marked spot.
The area had narrow alleys on both sides, with several drunk individuals lying around, along with suspicious water stains and vomit.
Chen Chuan took a quick glance and, judging by their breath, confirmed they were ordinary people. He proceeded, passing by two-story houses spaced far apart. At the very end, he found a house numbered forty-seven.
He slightly quickened his pace, stepped on the wall, and effortlessly leaped over, landing gracefully in the courtyard. After a quick scan, he approached the door, gently pushed it open, and the lock clicked smoothly.
Holding the handle, he peered inside, revealing a sparsely furnished room that seemed untouched for a long time.
He entered and soon finished inspecting both floors, finding nothing of interest except for a locked basement door. He removed the padlock and thick chain, opened the door, and descended the stairs.
The basement contained little more than exercise equipment and an embedded safe.
Noticing a flashlight on a nearby table, he picked it up, turned it on, and found it functional. He approached the safe, shining the light to locate the lock, and slowly dialed the password Wu Bei had provided.
Soon, a series of clicks sounded, and he pulled the handle, slowly opening the safe. He carefully examined the contents with the flashlight, finding stacks of medicinal boxes.
He withdrew one and discovered it contained drugs for the first limit of cultivation, with a substantial quantity. He thought it might not be Mr. Wu's regular medication but rather a stockpile, as there were no signs of frequent access.
He also found a small number of drugs for the second and third limits, which Mr. Wu likely didn't need. These were probably intended for the students he was mentoring.
Additionally, he discovered a stack of documents and notes in the safe. He took them out and flipped through them.
These were Mr. Wu's past cultivation records and teaching notes, focusing on genuine teaching experiences and insights. They primarily discussed methods to enhance student growth, encouragement techniques, and ways to foster self-confidence.
He flipped through the pages, and it seemed to be about a decade ago.
It was evident that during this period, Mr. Wu was genuinely dedicated to teaching his students. However, due to certain reasons, he might have later transformed into the person he had encountered.
These materials were valuable for reference, after all, they were left by a Third Limit fighter. Besides guiding students, there were also records of his own cultivation.
He skimmed through each one and decided to take them away for reference later. As he flipped through, he discovered a notebook that appeared well-used. Many pages were blank, the handwriting was messy, and there were numerous corrections. However, the descriptions within caught his attention.
"Perhaps the Third Limit is my limit. I may never reach the Fourth Limit. As the teacher once said, the Laziness Period has arrived. My talent might have reached its peak. Ordinary medications can no longer aid my cultivation unless..."
"Compared to those students, I am already very fortunate. I still have a path; they have long since reached a dead end."
"Perhaps this is possible... This path might help more students improve... If successful, maybe I can bypass the restrictions? I'm not sure, but it's worth a try... Lacking funds and equipment, I thought of someone who might be able to help?"
"He agreed, and I'm delighted. If this Void Practice Method is promoted, even if it doesn't help me, it should assist those ordinary students..."
At this point, many pages were torn off.
"I can't make up my mind, but he said that for the greater good of more people, these sacrifices are necessary. But by doing this, am I creating this Void Practice Method to save or kill people?"
"He said that day is drawing closer, and the changes are intensifying. We must seize the time to do something. At this moment, we can't afford to be too cautious... I think he might be right."
"The experiment is progressing smoothly, but it's stuck at this step. Where is the problem?"
"Another failure... I may need to find a new approach. I can't sacrifice more students. Perhaps I should try it myself? As a Third Limit fighter, it should be fine."
"There seems to be progress..."
"I don't understand why I can't get past this hurdle?! I won't give up; I must succeed!"
"Lately, my thoughts have become increasingly chaotic. He gave me some medication, which helped. I can focus again..."
At this point, the records ended, and the rest were scattered, incoherent notes. The handwriting was so messy and fragmented that it was unreadable. From the broken strokes, it was evident that the owner's mental state had become abnormal.
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and could piece together the entire situation. Mr. Wu had likely encountered a martial arts cultivation obstacle but couldn't find a solution, so he tried to bypass the restrictions and explore alternative paths.
He could understand the cultivation obstacles, as Cheng Zitong had told him that a fighter's altered tissue had its growth limit. Talented individuals could grow their altered tissue for an extended period, using medication and reasonable cultivation methods to delay the arrival of this time.
For those without talent, they might stagnate at a certain stage.
The Laziness Period mentioned in the notes was a theoretical concept.
In general, when a fighter's altered tissue is in a state where it could seize normal functions at any time, it indicates a rapid growth period. Cultivating during this time can achieve twice the result with half the effort. This often occurs when a fighter begins their martial arts training.
If the altered tissue gradually withdraws from this state, it enters the Dormant Period. It may awaken again, promoting the altered tissue's rapid growth. However, if this state is never encountered again, it signifies the Laziness Period.
If this continues, and no method to stimulate it is found, the altered tissue will become increasingly lazy, eventually falling into complete dormancy. The subsequent stage is the Decline Period.
He couldn't help but think of himself. He wasn't born with altered tissue; his progress today relied on multiple times the medication and many bizarre stimuli.
However, except for the initial period, the altered tissue hadn't experienced a second awakening to date.
But he had only cultivated for about two years, a relatively short time.
Nevertheless, he had to consider the situation. According to the information revealed by Mr. Wu, it seemed there was a solution.
Regardless, he decided to reach the Third Limit first.
He looked at the items here, planning to take them away but not keep them at school. He needed to find a temporary safe place for them.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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