Chapter 263: The Foreign Object
Chapter 263: The Foreign Object
Chen Chuan drew his sword again, but his movement suddenly halted as he remembered something. The academy had a rule prohibiting students from bringing field disturbance objects or anomalous disturbance items into public areas.
Field disturbance objects were mostly special biological entities and groups, and regardless of whether they were monster tales, secret sect rituals, or field disturbances, they were all categorized as anomalous disturbances.
He didn't know what this thing was. Although the academy considered the dormitories as private spaces for students, if a major disturbance occurred, they would definitely come to investigate, and he didn't want to risk losing evaluation points.
So, after some thought, he decided against drawing his sword again. Instead, he chose to follow Teacher Zheng's techniques and wait until the end of the session to find a place to examine this mysterious object.
An hour later, a voice sounded in his ear, "The teaching demonstration has ended. If you need to extend the time, please increase your personal evaluation points."
The figure in front of him flickered and disappeared, and the training room returned to its original state.
Chen Chuan felt Teacher Zheng's saber technique was intriguing. It was a style that could stimulate altered tissue and breathing methods through swordplay alone.
This technique likely incorporated different power stances, and its effectiveness was achieved solely through the swordplay itself. In terms of martial arts cultivation, it was far superior to the heavy-cleaving saber technique, although the latter was more practical in combat. This technique seemed more focused on self-training.
However, with such a practice method, there must be a corresponding combat application.
He left the private training room and glanced at his Second Self. After the battle with Xiong Jianyi, he felt that not only had the overlapping time of his Second Self increased, but its strength had also grown closer to his own.
Combat indeed strengthened the resonance between him and his Second Self. Since he had received support and cultivation from the Handling Bureau, such opportunities would likely continue.
After leaving the building, he quickly tidied up and held the Xue Jun Sword, heading out from the dormitory. He walked out of the Mystic Palace Building and decided to take the tram directly to the remote area where Mr. Wu had stayed that day. This place was almost deserted, with no tall buildings around, ensuring no one could see him.
He approached a collapsed building, and without hesitation, he drew out the Xue Jun Sword. At that moment, his body exhibited strong signs of virtualization.
He held the sword in front of him and examined it. It seemed normal...
But then, he extended his other hand and placed it on the spine of the sword. He slowly pulled and tugged outward, and where there had been nothing, a strand of crystal silk appeared. As it emerged, it began to spread, covering the entire area where he stood and continuing to expand outward.
This substance resembled delicate silk threads and floating white mist, creating a sense of cloud-like beauty as it drifted. However, the invasion became more intense.
He could feel the overlapping time of his Second Self rapidly decreasing at an alarming rate, comparable to encountering those troublesome monster tales.
What was this thing?
It didn't seem like a monster tale, but it had a clear invasive effect. He was certain that without a special binding method, if this substance leaked out, no one in the vicinity would survive for long.
In just a short while, the white silk mist rose and continued to spread outward. The invasion intensified, and under such interference, the Boundary Vessel was rendered completely ineffective.
He felt he couldn't let it continue unchecked. Just as he was thinking about how to contain it, the Xue Jun Sword seemed to sense his intention and trembled slightly. All the white mist retreated back into the sword, disappearing in a short time, and the virtualization symptoms around him also faded away.
Chen Chuan looked at the Xue Jun Sword. The red line on the spine of the sword seemed to be flowing. He deduced that this substance had likely penetrated Xiong Jianyi's body and merged with the sword.
He didn't know what it was, but he could sense that it seemed to be a positive development for the Xue Jun Sword.
He had been trying to strengthen the connection between the two, and now this feeling was even more intense, indicating that the altered tissue within the sword had grown due to some stimulation.
He pondered for a moment. This substance was clearly related to Xiong Jianyi, and the Palace Clan's eagerness to eliminate Xiong Jianyi might also be connected to it.
More likely, all the Palace Clan's actions were focused on this object. It must be extremely important, and if so, this matter might not be over yet.
However, regardless of its nature, since it had come to him, there was no reason to return it.
He sheathed the Xue Jun Sword and left the area.
This time, he didn't return to the Mystic Palace Building. Since he was already out, he decided to visit the teacher recommended by Ni Xixi.
He had already checked the address. The teacher's teaching location was on Mopai Mountain, a central city area where most government officials, company executives, and cultural celebrities resided. The teacher's ability to live there indicated an extraordinary identity.
He contacted the teacher using the provided communication method and spoke with someone who seemed to be a butler. They informed him that he could come over directly via tram.
At that moment, in a Handling Bureau residence in the central city, a young man with long hair and colored contact lenses exited a building and walked into the square. After checking that no one was around, he activated the Boundary Vessel communication.
After a while, a cold voice came from the other end, "An Cheng, what's the matter?"
An Cheng said, "Have you heard?"
"The new recruit passed his first cooperative mission."
"He passed? So what?"
"Nothing much, but it seems the Bureau is paying close attention to him. I'm just letting you know that there's one more competitor."
"Do you know his background?"
An Cheng's lips curved slightly as he sent over some public information he had gathered about Chen Chuan.
The other party, after reading it, exclaimed in surprise, "A civilian student?"
An Cheng reminded him, "Don't underestimate him. It's not easy to obtain a spot in Central City with that identity. It's really not easy."
The voice on the other end said, "I don't need your reminder. Of course, I won't underestimate him. The Handling Bureau doesn't make mistakes in their assessments. What would we be if they did? Moreover, in Central City, how much influence can our original status and identity hold? How different is it from being a civilian?"
An Cheng replied, "That's good. You know, the resources provided by the Handling Bureau may seem equal, but some opportunities are given to one person, leaving others without. And those who get more opportunities..."
"You're telling me this because you have something in mind, right? Speak up. How do you plan to handle this?"
"Here's what I'm thinking. We can share information. I believe you've been in the Handling Bureau for a while and should know a few people. If the opportunity arises, take the initiative. We can seize the opportunities first, and then the two of us can decide how to distribute them, preventing our competition from benefiting others."
"Let's push him out first. What do you think?"
The other party didn't respond immediately, as if considering the proposal. After a while, they said, "Alright."
There were only so many opportunities, and if they took them, Chen Chuan would have fewer. Regardless of ability, as long as they consistently took the lead and performed well, the higher-ups would get used to relying on them. This would achieve the goal of indirectly suppressing and marginalizing him.
An Cheng smiled. This was fair competition, and if the student had a way, he could also compete with them.
Although they had arrived half a semester earlier and seemed to have the advantage, there was no fairness in this world. There were only invisible boundaries that, if uncrossed, would trap one within their original circle.
He had come from a local city to Central City, breaking out of his original circle, and now he aimed for a higher one. To achieve this, he had to find a way to climb higher by leveraging all available resources.
He had to find a way to push out those who stood in his way.
The voice on the other end said, "But have you forgotten something?"
An Cheng asked, "What did I forget?"
"No matter how hard we try, only upon reaching the Third Limit will we earn the Handling Bureau's true attention and doubled investment in resources, granting us more opportunities. But if he reaches the Third Limit first, then all our efforts will be in vain."
An Cheng laughed, "Don't worry about that. I inquired through internal channels, and his potential isn't high. Although I don't know the exact value, the fact that they told us this already speaks volumes.
Moreover... We arrived half a semester earlier, yet he's still ahead of us. There's no point in overthinking it. It's better to concede early."
The other party caught the subtle mockery in his words and ended the communication with a dismissive, "I hope you always stay this confident."
After a long ride on the tram, Chen Chuan finally arrived at the Mopai Mountain area. From the station, he could see luxurious villas and skyscrapers on the distant mountains, where modern and ancient styles blended harmoniously. The area boasted a higher level of greenery and exquisite lighting effects compared to other regions.
The roads were lined with various colorful flowers, and the air was exceptionally fresh. Everything in sight, from the clean streets to the distribution of facilities on both sides, was aesthetically pleasing and visually comfortable.
Knowing of Chen Chuan's arrival, the teacher had sent a dedicated vehicle to pick him up, bypassing the heavy security checks, and took him directly to his lakeside estate. He led Chen Chuan into an ancient-style living room to wait.
Soon, a young man under thirty years old entered the room, dressed in a traditional scholarly robe with a bun on his head, tied with a treasure-blue headband. His demeanor was cool and composed, resembling a noble scholar from ancient times.
Chen Chuan could tell from his body language that the young man was a highly skilled fighter, but something seemed slightly off in certain aspects.
The young man looked directly at him and asked, "Surprised?"
Chen Chuan felt that the young man's expression was neither cold nor warm, but he was actually very sensitive. So he spoke frankly, "To be honest, I thought the teacher would be much older. I didn't expect you to be so young."
The young man's expression softened a bit, and he said, "Although I'm not much older than you, don't worry, I can teach you unless you don't put in the effort or lack the talent."
At this moment, Chen Chuan noticed a message from the Boundary Vessel, which turned out to be a brief personal record of the young man in front of him.
The young man, named Cao Guiqi, was indeed only twenty-six years old, not much older than Chen Chuan. But since the Handling Bureau recommended him as a guide to the Third Limit, he must be at least of that caliber.
"Have a seat," Cao Guiqi invited, and after Chen Chuan sat down, he took a seat opposite him. With a calm demeanor, he said, "I'm also a graduate of the Headquarters. You can call me Senior. I owe the Handling Bureau a favor, so when they recommended you to me, I agreed.
I will assist you in reaching the Third Limit, and beyond that, we have no further relationship. So, you don't need to treat me as your teacher."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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