Chapter 297: Old Acquaintance
Chapter 297: Old Acquaintance
As the shrill cry echoed, Chen Chuan witnessed the dematerialization signs on his second self intensify, and in that instant, he could barely make out the faint shadow of his other self.
The overlapping time was rapidly diminishing.
Everything around him, the cement bricks, and shattered glass, trembled incessantly. Simultaneously, he noticed the esoteric ritual patterns surrounding him gradually fading, indicating a struggle between the ritual and the monster.
Fortunately, he had anticipated the monster's strength and included a substantial amount of ritual materials. Moreover, his presence at the site bore a significant portion of the damage, ensuring the monster couldn't escape.
Ignoring the lynx's cries and tearing sounds, he bent down and picked up the stone that had been behind the neck of the cat statuette. With a tremor, the stone shattered into a small cube in his hand.
Enduring the monster's tearing roar, he threw the other broken pieces away one by one and placed the stone in the center of the ritual.
After arranging it, he stepped back and, with a pen, completed the final stroke of the binding ritual on the outer circle. As the pen touched the paper, he heard a faint "ooh" sound, and the stone vibrated slightly before flipping over.
In that fleeting moment, Chen Chuan witnessed the invasive effects on his body vanish, indicating the ritual's success. He stepped forward again and picked up the stone.
Upon contact, a subtle dematerialization sign appeared on his body.
Chen Chuan had planned to take the object back, polish, and carve it so he could carry it with him at all times. Due to the monster's unique nature, it might have uses beyond cultivation in the future.
Returning to the Gader car, he drove back to the Mystic Palace Tower. The past day and night had been long, and he hadn't rested since the shadow walker's attack. He looked forward to some well-deserved rest upon his return.
As he contemplated rest, in a Processing Bureau compound, An Cheng, slightly fatigued, emerged. He stood in an open area for a moment before using a boundary token to contact another trainee.
After a brief pause, a voice responded from the other end, "What's the matter?"
An Cheng said, "You should know by now. The newcomer underwent a second test, and although we don't know the exact numbers, it's clear his assessment has surpassed ours." He emphasized, "One of us will inevitably be eliminated."
The other person replied sarcastically, "Do you really think that by sharing information, we can take away an opportunity that rightfully belongs to him? We've been working hard these days, but it seems fruitless."
An Cheng defended himself, "I did say that, but who could've predicted such a sudden and significant improvement? No one could've foreseen this. It's not my fault for misjudging; besides, the bureau must have noticed our efforts these past days."
The voice on the other end countered, "But in the end, the bureau will choose the one most likely to reach the Third Limit. Now that he's proven himself, what's the point of our efforts?"
As they spoke, both of their boundary tokens emitted an alarm signal, indicating that the Processing Bureau had a task for them. Just as they suspected, the more capable they appeared, the more tasks the bureau would assign to them.
For many days, the bureau hadn't assigned Chen Chuan any tasks because, as soon as a mission was assigned to a trainee, these two would be the first to know and claim it.
However, the problem was that none of this compared to the potential of entering the Third Limit. As long as Chen Chuan's assessment remained higher, no matter how hard they worked, the bureau wouldn't give up on him.
An Cheng sighed, "Let's just get to work."
The other person said, "Remember what you said before? If that newcomer reaches the Third Limit first, we might as well give up early."
"Impossible!" An Cheng clenched his teeth. "I will never give up! Let's see who reaches the Third Limit first."
Several more days passed, and it was now April.
Chen Chuan left Teacher Zheng's home and drove his Gader car to a craft shop in the Dewy District, where he placed a half-carved stone plaque on the counter.
The shop owner immediately secured the stone with a foot pedal and rope, then took out a chisel from his toolbox. Chen Chuan requested that he not touch the object directly and not keep it in his shop for carving. Although the request was odd, he ran a small business and was grateful for the customer's patronage. He could only try to accommodate the request as best as possible.
Fortunately, the customer's carving requirements weren't too demanding; he only needed to chisel a simple lynx relief.
During the previous holiday, Chen Chuan had already carved most of it, and today he just needed to finish the remaining details.
As the shop owner began chiseling with a rhythmic clinking sound, Chen Chuan waited patiently on the side.
Chen Chuan had an idea about the monster. During the previous holiday, he had taken photos of the book obtained from the shadow walker and sent them to Director Lei. It was likely that information about the monster was within those pages. Once he understood it, he might be able to make good use of the monster.
After about half an hour, a contact arrived through the boundary token. He answered it, and Ni Qianqian's voice came through, "We just received news that another fighter has been killed by Wei Wusheng."
"Chen Chuan could sense the hesitation in his voice as he asked, "Another one?" After the incident at the martial arts arena, Wei Wusheng hadn't stopped; instead, he continued to seek opportunities, and this was already the third one in recent days.
The Processing Bureau wasn't unwilling to keep a close eye on the situation, but with countless cases to handle daily, it was impossible to focus all their energy on these fighters scattered across various locations. And even when these individuals were aware of potential threats, they resisted the Bureau's attention and arrangements, showing strong aversion and defiance.
Ni Qianqian spoke with a stern tone, "Wei Wusheng has a highly skilled Resonator backing him, perhaps even a team. The Bureau's technicians have failed to trace him multiple times. I'm here to remind you once again to be cautious."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Thank you for the reminder, Sister Ni."
Although Wei Wusheng had a team, possibly even company support, it was evident that he personally took action each time, never relying on others.
A few days ago, he had sought advice from Teacher Zheng on dealing with these cross-training fighters. The teacher had told him that unless one's skills reached an exceptionally high level, there was little one could do against these cross-trained experts who had attained profound mastery.
The logic was simple: techniques were all about creating opportunities to defeat the enemy, but if each opportunity failed to deliver a fatal blow, it was as good as having none.
Moreover, these cross-training experts were often adept at escaping. Many times, even if they were severely injured, they would flee at the slightest hint of danger, as long as they still had their wits about them.
Chen Chuan found this reasoning very convincing. Wei Wusheng was exactly that kind of person; if he sensed something amiss, he would turn and run. So, to deal with such an individual, one had to act with absolute superiority and swiftly defeat and kill them within an extremely short time frame.
He knew that achieving this level of dominance might still be challenging for him. To have complete assurance, he would need to reach the Third Limit.
"Customer, all done."
Chen Chuan lifted his head as the shop owner placed a half-palm-sized stone plaque in front of him. It depicted a lifelike lynx, its edges adorned with cloud and thunder patterns, and as requested, a hole had been chiseled at the top for threading.
The craftsmanship was impressive, and Chen Chuan was quite satisfied. From now on, he could carry this plaque with him.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
He paid for the plaque, carefully holding it as he left the shop, the owner's voice bidding him farewell, "Take care, customer, and welcome back anytime."
After leaving the Dewy District, Chen Chuan drove back to the Mystic Palace Tower. As he neared the plaza, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking along the roadside. He took a quick glance, slowed down, and rolled down the car window, calling out, "Lu Xuelong?"
Lu Fang turned, surprised, "Chen Xuedi?" But then he smiled. "I was just saying that this place isn't far from the Wu Yi Academy, and I wondered if I might run into you here. I didn't expect to bump into you so soon."
"What brings you to the Central City, Senior Lu?" Chen Chuan asked.
Lu Fang smiled and explained, "I felt Yang Zhi was too small, so I came to the Central City to broaden my horizons. That's why I'm here."
Chen Chuan glanced at the second-hand Boundary Token Lu Fang was wearing and said, "Are you here because of Shen Xuelong's matter, Senior?"
Lu Fang fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"There's a great beverage shop called Jin Wei not far from here. Senior, it's been a while since we last met, let's go there and chat for a bit."
Lu Fang turned to look and saw the beverage shop on the same side of the street. Its understated and unassuming storefront stood in contrast to the flashy establishments outside, and he agreed.
Chen Chuan parked his car in the plaza and then walked back to join Lu Fang, entering the shop together. They found a table and sat down.
As they entered, Lu Fang couldn't help but relax. The record player, old-fashioned furniture, and normal lighting made him feel like he was back in Yang Zhi City, a stark contrast to the gaudy light screens outside that always gave him an unreal feeling, as if he were walking on a cotton-filled ground that never felt solid.
Chen Chuan ordered two drinks and asked, "How long have you been in the Central City, Senior?"
"I arrived in late March, so it's been about half a month. I just found a place to stay a few days ago, and today I had some free time, so I thought I'd come and see what the Wu Yi Academy is like. I didn't expect to run into you, Junior."
"Are you here to inquire about Zhao Qian, Senior?"
Lu Fang took a breath, picked up his hot drink, took a sip, and then put it down. He looked up and said, "Yes, since you've guessed it, I won't hide it from you. After the Mutual Aid Society was annihilated, Zhao Qian is the only remaining member involved in your matter from back then."
"Do you know that Zhao Qian is now a Third Limit fighter, Senior?"
Lu Fang nodded and said, "I know, but I'm not here to cause him trouble. I'm also aware that I don't have the ability to do so. It's just..." He spoke earnestly, "Shen Xuelong's sister was taken away by Zhao Qian, and I want to find her, or at least confirm her well-being."
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(End of Chapter)
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