Chapter 301: Covenant
Chapter 301: Covenant
This time, the three ritual patterns were not separated but intertwined, making the process more complex. Despite Chen Chuan's swiftness, it wasn't until noon the next day that he finished drawing them.
It required a full day of intense concentration, maintaining prolonged focus and stability without making a single mistake, a feat beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.
The person who had set up the Esoteric Ritual might not have been alone but instead a team of two or more taking turns.
Fortunately, Chen Chuan was a fighter, and with preparation, he could endure such prolonged combat. The current situation was nothing compared to what he had faced before.
After finishing the setup, he stood up and examined his surroundings. Within a radius of about six meters, intricate and bizarre patterns filled with enigmatic lines in deep reds and dark inks intertwined, connecting the three patterns.
To an untrained eye, the patterns might induce dizziness and confusion. But upon prolonged observation, one might perceive a series of eyes opening and closing within the intricate design.
Chen Chuan inspected his work once more, ensuring there were no mistakes. Then, he stepped out through the designated path, emerging from the center of the patterns.
Upon reaching the outside, he checked his watch; it was exactly 1 p.m. He had finished earlier than expected, as he had initially thought it would take until the afternoon.
The exact time of the first Esoteric Ritual was unknown, but such rituals were usually activated a few hours before or after midnight. Chen Chuan planned to wait until then.
With some time to spare, he took out his medication and began practicing his knife techniques.
On the surface, his knife moves appeared the same as before, but internally, they had undergone significant changes. What seemed like similar moves could now produce entirely opposite forces, and through relentless high-intensity combat training, his knife techniques had become much more versatile.
In his previous battle with Youshang, he had truly experienced the tenacity of a technique-type expert.
Youshang's force was versatile, sometimes rigid, sometimes soft, and sometimes fierce. Chen Chuan had little opportunity to calmly execute his strategies and tactical counterattacks, forcing him to adapt on the fly.
Fortunately, his previous offense and defense training had laid a solid foundation, and his altered body could repeatedly switch to defend. Additionally, Youshang's altered body was damaged, allowing Chen Chuan to find an opportunity to counterattack and kill him. Otherwise, the fight would have continued.
This real combat experience significantly enhanced Chen Chuan's skills. Many aspects that he had not fully grasped before became clearer, and he gained a deeper understanding. Teacher Zheng had also noted his remarkable progress in the past few days.
However, this was not his limit. Since he was starting from scratch in technique training, there was still much room for improvement. When his progress slowed down, he could take the technique assessment.
As the afternoon passed, the sky darkened. Chen Chuan stuck his Xuejun Blade into the ground, sat on the cushion he carried, and took out the lynx stone carving. Holding it in his hand, he began practicing his breathing technique, inspired by the monster tale.
Several hours passed as he sat, and by 10 p.m., the moonlight shone through the clouds, casting a pale glow over the surrounding ruins and broken walls. The only sound was the howling wind.
Chen Chuan stood up from the ground and walked to the center of the ritual patterns along the designated path. He bent down and placed the stone plaque beneath him.
Then, he picked up his pen and added a stroke to the innermost ritual pattern. This step temporarily freed him from the monster's restraint, stood up straight as if without a care in the world, and walked towards the outer circle's second ritual pattern. At this moment, the second self suddenly appeared with a layer of shallow dematerialization, but no howling sound was heard. Instead, it was eerily silent.
He could sense that the monster was currently lurking behind him. After taking a loss in their previous encounter, the monster seemed to realize Chen Chuan was not to be trifled with].
Chen Chuan paid no heed and continued walking towards the outermost Covenant ritual. He picked up his pen and drew the final stroke.
Then, he threw the pen aside and looked towards the center of the ritual.
In the moonlight shining through the clouds where he had previously stood, a pale lynx shadow appeared, its body filling the center circle of the ritual. Its glowing cat-like eyes stared directly at him.
Chen Chuan calmly returned the gaze calmly.
Now, it was up to the monster to accept or reject the covenant. If it refused, Chen Chuan would find a way to add more consumed ritual patterns to the outer circle, prolonging the stalemate. This might take a long time, but he believed the monster would eventually yield.
Fortunately, this did not happen. The monster seemed to sense Chen Chuan's determination and realized it had no advantage over him. It succumbed to the ritual's power and returned to the stone plaque.
Chen Chuan glanced down at the stone plaque, and within a short moment, the covenant ritual pattern completely dissipated, leaving behind only a faint trace. This indicated that the ritual had been successfully concluded.
He stepped inside and picked up the stone plaque, which was the most formidable and spiritual Cat Monster Tale he had encountered so far. With this, he could launch an invisible counterattack against Zhao Qian.
However, there were certain considerations to be made. It would be best to act when Zhao Qian was away.
Every major company had established Bio-Domain Technology, even if it wasn't as active as Bosi or Hongfu. They still repelled all external anomalous activities.
Take Wu Yi as an example; individuals with intense anomalous reactions were unable to enter. Similarly, once an anomalous reaction was detected within the Mystic Palace Building, they would be subjected to a certain degree of suppression.
The life of a Third Limit Combatant was extremely resilient. If they were attacked by a Cat Monster and repelled by the Bio-Domain, but had access to emergency medication or timely treatment, there was a chance of recovery. Therefore, the timing of the counterattack was crucial.
Chen Chuan put away the stone plaque and returned to his vehicle, driving towards Gao Ming. He had previously arranged to meet with Gao Ming, and upon the success of the ritual, they would discuss the next course of action.
An hour later, Chen Chuan arrived at Gao Ming's room and placed the stone plaque on the table in front of him.
Gao Ming couldn't help but glance at it a few times, as he had known about Chen Chuan's expertise in handling Cat Monsters and had seen the remnants left by the Cat Monster Tale he had encountered.
Gao Ming asked, "Cousin, are you confident?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I'm not certain if Zhao Qian has any necessary protection, but this is currently the most reliable means. Even if it fails once, we can try again later."
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The covenant with the Lynx required offering a sacrifice and, at the same time, the Lynx personally attacked him. Then, he could attack the target the Lynx had attacked, but regardless of whether it was the same target, there was only one chance per month.
This restriction wasn't added by Chen Chuan but was originally present in the ancient sect's ritual. After absorbing enough offerings, the Cat Monster would attempt to break free. Therefore, the ancient sect directly used the ritual to stop it, and Chen Chuan agreed with this approach without adding any difficulty or modifications.
Gao Ming said, "If that's the case, cousin, perhaps we can proceed with the other two plans simultaneously. We can have the Processing Bureau put pressure on Union Vast Control. If they can resolve the issue with Zhao Qian, there's no need to proceed with the following steps. If they can't, then we'll take action when he's away."
I've checked Zhao Qian's travel itinerary. This month or next month, he might personally participate in the escort, and that would be a good opportunity to strike."
At this point, he reminded Chen Chuan, "During this period, cousin, you need to be prepared. The previous attack on you was unsuccessful, probably not because of Zhao Qian, but perhaps because of his failed investigation. Once he figures it out, there might be another attack before you make your move."
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement.
Wu Bei had been keeping an eye on whether anyone was watching him, but so far, he hadn't discovered anyone. Currently, he spent most of his time at the Mystic Palace Building and Teacher Zheng's home, and neither place was suitable for taking action.
The only possible time to act was when they went to the Sea Boundary Field, just like the previous time. However, as long as they were careful, it was still possible to avoid detection.
Gao Ming said, "Since you're prepared, cousin, I'll send a letter of prosecution in your name as a private prosecutor to the Processing Bureau, requesting the arrest and review of Zhao Qian on the grounds of encroachment on the Processing Bureau's alternative law enforcement."
Chen Chuan asked, "What's the evidence?"
Gao Ming replied, "The indication from You Shang that he sent to you is the evidence. When you submit this to the Processing Bureau, they will definitely use it as an excuse to pressure Union Vast Control."
"But how does it relate to Zhao Qian?"
Gao Ming smiled and said, "There's no need for proof. If you must provide an explanation, it can be that You Shang mentioned it before his death. As long as we let the Processing Bureau and Union Vast Control know that this incident was triggered by Zhao Qian, it will be enough."
Chen Chuan's thoughts turned, and he nodded slightly. This operation was indeed feasible. In the eyes of Union Vast Control Company, whether you truly carried out this task wasn't important. What mattered was whether you could resolve the issue without affecting the company's business. If you couldn't, there would definitely be consequences.
At this moment, Gao Ming slightly raised his head, and a faint reflection appeared on his glasses. Smiling, he said, "Even if Zhao Qian can reach an agreement with the Processing Bureau to mitigate the impact of this incident, once this matter is brought to light, he won't take action against you for the time being, and you can use that method."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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