Chapter 256: The Basement
Chapter 256: The Basement
The next morning, Chen Chuan followed his usual routine and began his daily training. Around noon, he contacted Wu Bei, and they decided to visit the Liu Yu Street that Teacher Wu had mentioned.
Chen Chuan had already asked Wu Bei to look into the location, which was situated in the southeast of Central City's Dewy District. The area was known for its large foreign population, particularly from the various island nations across the sea.
Teacher Wu's publicly known residence was in a high-end apartment building, and the small hill seemed to be no secret, as this was the only place that couldn't be traced. It was likely his safe house and secret hideout.
Teacher Wu had deleted the message he was about to send, so his final words were probably truthful.
Moreover, Teacher Wu had passed away recently, and he didn't have any monitoring implants. Even if someone was in contact with him, they probably wouldn't know about his death yet. Therefore, this was the most opportune time to investigate.
After preparing, Chen Chuan left school and took the tram towards his destination.
On the way, he checked the communication platform. He had randomly chosen a black silhouette as his avatar, with no special effects. He considered changing it but decided against it was fine as it was.
When the tram arrived at the station, he stepped out and found himself on Liu Yu Street, a bustling commercial area. From his position, he could see the enormous flying bridge that stretched like a rainbow across the city's outskirts, appearing to hang in the sky from his perspective.
The bridge connected the city to an offshore island, where a grand Senate Tower stood, partially obscured by sea mist. Even from a distance, the outline of the tower was visible.
After a few glances, Chen Chuan walked into the busy street. The buildings here were relatively small, but the shops were spacious, with rows of decorative curtains hanging in front of most entrances. The street was filled with foreigners from various island nations, while locals from Dahuang were less common.
There were taller buildings as well, and Chen Chuan noticed a prominent landmark—a massive Ferris wheel slowly rotating in the distance.
It belonged to the Ferris Wheel Company.
As he walked down the street, he noticed the company's logo everywhere. He recalled Lao Feng mentioning that the company wasn't established long ago and had backing from various island nations.
After walking for a while, Wu Bei's voice came through, "Chen Xiao, there's no tail or surveillance. Everything's normal."
"Okay," Chen Chuan replied.
Wu Bei, excited, said, "Chen Xiao, I've marked the location on the map. Just follow it."
Chen Chuan saw the location marker on the boundary token and thanked him. He didn't wander aimlessly and headed straight towards the indicated spot.
The area had narrow alleys on both sides of a street section, with several drunkards lying around, surrounded by suspicious water stains and vomit.
Chen Chuan took a look and, judging by their breathing, confirmed they were ordinary people. He walked further and saw two-story houses on both sides, spaced apart, until he reached the last house, marked as number 47.
He slightly quickened his pace, stepped on the wall, and effortlessly leaped over the fence, landing gracefully in the yard. After a quick glance to ensure nothing was amiss, he approached the door and gently pushed it open. The room inside was sparsely furnished and appeared long abandoned.
He entered and soon finished a quick tour of 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.
At the bottom, he surveyed the area, finding only exercise equipment and an embedded safe standing upright.
Noticing a flashlight on a nearby table, he picked it up and turned it on, finding it functional. He walked over and shone the light around, locating the safe's lock. He slowly dialed the password Wu Bei had provided.
After a while, he heard a series of clicks. He turned the handle and slowly opened the safe, then used the flashlight to inspect it from top to bottom. Inside, he found a stack of medication.
He took out one of the boxes and examined it, discovering it was medication for Tier Three cultivators, and there was a substantial amount. He had a sudden realization that these might not be Teacher Wu's regular supplies but rather a stockpile, as there were no signs of frequent access.
Soon, he also found a small portion of Tier One and Tier Two medications, which Teacher Wu himself wouldn't need. These were likely for the students he was nurturing.
Additionally, he discovered a stack of documents and notes in the safe, which he took out and flipped through.
The papers contained Teacher Wu's past cultivation records and teaching notes. They didn't mention the Void Training Method but focused on genuine cultivation experiences and insights, primarily on how to improve, encourage, and build confidence in students.
He checked the timestamp; it was approximately ten years ago.
It was evident that at this stage, Teacher Wu was genuinely dedicated to teaching his students, but later, due to certain circumstances, he might have become the person Chen Chuan encountered.
These materials held great value for reference, as they were left by a Tier Three combatant, containing not only guidance for students but also personal cultivation records.
Chen Chuan skimmed through each book, deciding to take them for reference later. As he flipped through, he discovered a well-used notebook with many blank pages, messy handwriting, and numerous corrections. However, the content caught his attention.
"Perhaps Tier Three is my limit, and I may never reach Tier Four. As my teacher once said, the laziness period has arrived, and my talent may have reached its peak. Ordinary drugs can no longer support my cultivation, unless..."
"Compared to those students, I am already very fortunate. I still have a path, while they have reached a dead end."
"Perhaps this is the way... This method could help more students improve... If successful, maybe I can bypass the restrictions? I'm not sure, but it's worth a try... I lack funds and equipment. I thought of someone who might be able to help."
"He agreed, and I am delighted. If this Void Training Method is promoted, even if it doesn't help me, it should benefit ordinary students..."
At this point, many pages had been torn out.
"I can't make up my mind, but he said that for the greater good, these sacrifices are necessary. But by doing this, am I creating this Void Training Method to save lives or take them?"
"He said that day is drawing closer, and the changes are intensifying. We must act quickly, and we can't afford to be too cautious... I think he might have a point."
"The experiment is progressing smoothly, but it's stuck at one step. What am I missing?"
"Another failure... I may need to explore new ideas. I can't sacrifice more students. Maybe I should try it myself? As a Tier Three combatant, it should be safe."
In the 69th book, he found a different version:
"There seems to be some 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 been increasingly chaotic, but the medicine he gave me is helpful. I can focus again..."
The records ended here, followed by scattered, incoherent scribbles. It was challenging to discern their meaning, and from the broken strokes, it was evident that the notebook's owner was in a mentally unstable state.
Chen Chuan contemplated, piecing together the entire situation. Teacher Wu likely encountered a cultivation obstacle but couldn't find a solution, so he tried to bypass the restrictions and explore alternative paths.
He could empathize with the cultivation barrier, as Cheng Zotong had explained to him that a combatant's altered organism had a growth limit. Talented individuals could sustain their altered organism's growth for an extended period, using drugs and reasonable cultivation methods to delay this limit.
However, those without talent might stagnate at a certain stage.
The laziness period mentioned in the notebook was a theoretical concept.
In essence, if a combatant's altered organism was constantly vying for normal bodily functions, it indicated a rapid growth phase. Cultivating during this period could yield twice the results with half the effort. This often occurred when combatants first began their training.
If the altered organism later retreated from this state, it entered the dormancy period, potentially awakening again to stimulate another rapid growth phase. However, if it never re-entered this state, it signified the onset of the laziness period.
If this continued, and no method of stimulation was found, the altered organism would become increasingly lethargic until it completely subsided, leading to the decline period.
Chen Chuan couldn't help but think of himself. He wasn't born with an altered organism but had reached his current level through a multitude of drugs and many haunt stimuli.
However, aside from the initial period, his altered organism hadn't experienced a second awakening.
But he had only been cultivating for about two years, a relatively short time.
Nevertheless, he had to consider his situation. Based on the information Teacher Wu revealed, it seemed there was a way.
Regardless, he decided to reach Tier Three first.
He surveyed the room, intending to take everything but not store it at the school. He needed to find a temporary safe place.
(End of Chapter)
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