Chapter 289: The Offering
Chapter 289: The Offering
The man performed a series of prostrations, and with each bow, the flesh and tissue on the stone slab gradually turned into dark, decayed matter, while wisps of white smoke emerged from the seven orifices of the stone cat sculpture.
The man lifted his head, knowing that the ritual had taken effect.
As a renowned cleanser, he didn't rely solely on brute force like other fighters. Instead, he wielded an ancient religious Guaitan that bound him.
This Guaitan was more effective than face-to-face combat or firearms.
Activating the Guaitan was simple; all it required was for him, as the ritual host, to be attacked by someone else.
In the old days, the ritual host had to personally engage in combat, but with technological advancements, that was no longer necessary.
Since the human biome field was considered part of the body, he only needed to use field technology to project his field to the site, creating an abnormal atmosphere. Then, as soon as the target showed signs of driving him away or attacking, the conditions would be met.
The process seemed straightforward, but in reality, it wasn't that easy. For instance, if the Interface Nexus was turned off, all effects would be rendered useless.
So, he took three steps. First, he tested and observed if there was a resonator behind the target, and indeed there was. He had to interfere with and block this resonator in advance.
Second, he arranged for a person with functional disorder syndrome to make contact with the target. This was to set up a strong field signal on the Interface Nexus at close range, ensuring that the next time they met, the Nexus couldn't be shut down through remote operation for a short time.
With these first two steps completed, he could proceed to the third step.
According to the information, the target visited the Horizon Field every month. As it was remote, with only one electric train running daily and very few passengers, he decided to take action on the train.
To strengthen the Guaitan's power and quickly kill the target, he even offered a portion of his own internal organs and fragments of altered tissue as a sacrifice, performing a ritualistic prostration.
Suddenly, a contact person entered the Interface Nexus, and a stiff voice asked, "You Xing, please inform the client when the target will be dealt with."
You Xing replied in a hoarse voice, "Tell the client soon."
Meanwhile, on the other side, the train had arrived at the station. As Chen Chuan stepped out of the station, he suddenly realized that the second self's ongoing virtualization had abruptly intensified, and the trend was becoming more severe.
Within just a few steps, the second self became almost unrecognizable, and even the Interface Nexus couldn't be used.
He had encountered numerous Guaitans, but he had never seen one with such a rapid and intense invasion in a short time.
However, since the second self's transformation and subsequent growth, including the battle with Wei Wusheng and the training that brought noticeable progress, the combined time had already reached two days and four hours. So, despite the constant erosion, he could still maintain his hold.
He looked up at the Mystic Palace Tower ahead, knowing that with his abnormal condition, he wouldn't be allowed into the academy.
He believed the academy would have a solution to this issue, but they might also investigate his condition in the process. After some thought, he decided not to proceed and instead turned around and left.
He arrived at the Jin Wei Beverage Shop where Mr. Wu had invited him for a drink. He found a seat, and the atmosphere inside was quite retro. It was drizzling outside, and he listened to the piano music playing on the record player while watching the rain, creating a pleasant ambiance.
He called a waiter, ordered a hot drink, and picked up a newspaper exclusive to the shop. Leaning back in his chair, he slowly began to read.
Now, it was a matter of who could outlast whom.
In the dimly lit house, You Xing repeatedly stood up and prostrated himself heavily. Slowly, he felt something was amiss because he hadn't received any results yet.
This meant the target hadn't died.
He couldn't help but feel suspicious. Although fighters had strong vitality and could endure for a long time, more than an hour had passed, and the target was only a Wu Yi Academy student who hadn't reached the third limit. No matter what, the Guaitan should have devoured him by now. Was it because... he had taken medication?
He suddenly remembered that according to the collected information, the target had once defeated a third-limit fighter by taking medication. If he had discovered the situation, it was possible that he maintained himself through medication.
So...
With a fierce look in his eyes, he cut open his healed wound with a knife, took some fragments of altered tissue, and sprinkled them on the tray in front of the statue. Then, he prostrated himself heavily.
With a rustle, Chen Chuan flipped to a different page of the newspaper. The newspaper provided by the shop had rich content, including gossip, stories of prominent figures, and reviews of various outfits and drinks, ensuring it wouldn't be boring.
Even without the Interface Nexus, he didn't feel bored. It was a rare moment of relaxation.
As the shop operated around the clock, the busiest time was actually late at night and early morning. So, he decided to stay there for the entire night.
By morning, he found that the invasion was still ongoing, but it had weakened significantly. Even the Interface Nexus was gradually recovering, but he still couldn't reach anyone.
Based on his past experience, he felt this Guaitan hadn't disappeared; instead, it was like an interval, and there might be more to come.
This was the first Guaitan he had encountered that was so stubborn. It seemed some preparation was still necessary.
After thinking it over, he stood up, paid the bill, and returned to the Mystic Palace Tower while the abnormality wasn't as noticeable. In his dormitory, he found the last remaining ritual materials from the previous time.
This was intentionally left behind, and a simple restraint ritual could be set up, but a suitable location was needed.
He thought for a moment. The area where Teacher Wu's old residence was located would be perfect; it was secluded and undisturbed. After making his decision, he took off the Boundary Vessel he was wearing and replaced it with an old one. Then, carrying his luggage, he left for the electric train station.
In the dimly lit room, the Haunting Walker had been kneeling for so long that a dent had formed in the floor in front of him. He had been kneeling here all night, but still, there was no result.
He began to feel uneasy, as there was a flaw in this ritual—a flaw that wasn't really a flaw. The ritual required a sacrifice.
If the target couldn't be used on the target, it would eventually fall upon him, making him the sacrifice instead.
What was going on?
His heart was filled with agitation. However, he couldn't stop until he got a result, because stopping would mean giving up.
So, while he continued to kneel, he also tried to check the result. But it seemed the target had entered the Mystic Palace Tower, and its Biome Field was impenetrable to him. He had no choice but to continue.
An hour later, Chen Chuan arrived at the wasteland. He chose a collapsed house that provided shelter from the wind, drew a simple pattern on it, and then stood in the middle.
After a while, nothing seemed amiss. But at that moment, he noticed something strange in the reflection of a broken glass.
In the broken glass's reflection, he saw a cat-like figure crouching behind him.
His eyes flashed with excitement. He reached out, grabbed the figure, and slowly pulled it off his back. As he tugged, its four legs remained firmly attached to his body. But with his strength, he seemed to reach a limit, and it suddenly dispersed into a cloud of smoke and vanished without a trace.
At that very moment, the Haunting Walker, who was still kneeling, let out a piercing, mournful cry. His abdomen and back were covered in claw marks, his flesh torn, revealing his bones and internal organs.
He scrambled to the side and swallowed the medications he had prepared beforehand. After a while, his wounds gradually healed, but his eyes shone with a mix of shock and fear.
Chen Chuan waited until he could no longer sense the Haunting Tale's presence, then left the wasteland and contacted Wu Bei. He explained the situation, and Wu Bei said that he had been unable to reach him since yesterday. Initially, someone had likely interfered with the field domain signals, and later, it seemed his Boundary Vessel had malfunctioned.
Chen Chuan said, "It's probably due to the anomaly's influence. I switched to a different Boundary Vessel. The previous one couldn't shut down on its own, as if someone had remotely tampered with it. Little Brother Wu, is this technically possible?"
Wu Bei replied, "It's generally not possible unless there was close-range contact... Oh, yes! That schizophrenic patient! Yes, it must be him! If there was close-range field domain contact, and the strong signals were transmitted to your Boundary Vessel, then, it's possible. But the technology required is very advanced, and it also needs expensive auxiliary equipment."
Chen Chuan asked, "So, with those conditions, it's achievable?"
Wu Bei answered, "With those conditions, I can barely manage it. Someone with higher technical skills should find it easier."
Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Little Brother Wu, you said the other party might have transmitted strong signals to my Boundary Vessel. If the signal traces haven't been erased, can you technically trace it back to them?"
Wu Bei said, "If the strong signal traces haven't been wiped, it's technically feasible."
Field domain signals are connected through gateway nodes, and within a certain time frame, traces are left. The work required to erase all traces along the path is immense, so the usual method is to eliminate traces only at the endpoint, effectively closing the door and making it untraceable.
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "It should still be there."
At that time, his Boundary Vessel had stopped working, so the other party couldn't have used it to do anything to him. Later, he returned to the Mystic Palace Tower, but even with advanced technology, they couldn't have tampered with its Biome Field protection.
Wu Bei said, "If it's still there, I have a way to try and find it."
Chen Chuan nodded. Immediately, he followed Wu Bei's instructions and placed the Boundary Vessel back into the box it had come in, which contained a special tree that could block field domain attacks.
After retrieving the item, he didn't go to Wu Bei's residence. Instead, they agreed to meet at a temporary garage. Chen Chuan arrived first, and soon after, Wu Bei joined him.
After a brief exchange, Wu Bei opened the box, quickly took out the Boundary Vessel, and examined it with excitement. "The signal is still there!"
He placed his hand on the Boundary Vessel and said enthusiastically, "I'll trace it and find out where he is!"
(End of Chapter)
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