Chapter 378: Internal Influence, External Invasion
Chapter 378: Internal Influence, External Invasion
After communicating with Meng Shu and inspecting the estate inside and out, Chen Chuanxian returned to his living quarters, ensuring everything was in order.
He first removed the boundary token and retrieved a metal box, from which he took out a vial of medicine. Peering inside, he saw a liquid shimmering with faint light, and after removing the stopper, he lifted it to his lips and drank it in one go.
The liquid had no distinct taste, and upon entering his mouth, it seemed to transform into a mist, swiftly spreading throughout his brain and body.
Initially, he felt nothing, but after a while, his entire body grew slightly warm, and the altered organs seemed to come alive, as if gaining a consciousness of their own. Emotions he couldn't explain began to stir within him, much like when he had previously released his restraints.
Fortunately, he was experienced in dealing with such situations and remained unaffected. His consciousness observed these changes from a detached, calm perspective.
At this moment, he became aware of the giant vortex in the sky once more, and the chaotic, colorful lights and irritating, fragmented sounds assaulted his senses again, just as they had before.
Not only that, but he noticed that the place he was in seemed to be changing as well. The floor and walls were slowly undulating, and a thought formed in his mind that this was the true world, while what he usually perceived was merely an illusion or a partial reality.
At the same time, he felt his usually stable body losing its constraints, becoming lighter and more ethereal. The altered organs seemed eager to burst out of his body.
During this process, he felt his power increasing, even though he knew something was amiss. Still, the sensation was irresistible.
The consciousness seemed to be telling him to let go of his restraints a little more, promising that just a bit more freedom would bring greater benefits without any danger.
But he didn't relax; his gaze remained as cold as ice.
He remembered Cao Guiqi's warning, and he firmly guarded his mind and spirit, preventing the invasion from breaching his mental barrier.
However, under the constant assault, he found his original perceptions gradually wavering and shifting.
Human perception is shaped by both the self and the external environment, and when these factors change, one's self naturally undergoes a transformation as well.
Therefore, even a slight shift in awareness could lead to a natural acceptance of these altered perceptions as normal.
Realizing this, he shifted his consciousness, allowing his second self to accept the invasion.
In that instant, the surrounding anomalies and sensory disturbances vanished, and his mind cleared. Even the unsettling, dizzying sensations emanating from his body disappeared.
Everything seemed to have returned to normal.
However, this was merely a restoration of his consciousness to its usual state. His body and spirit were still under the influence of the medicine's power.
He concluded that this was likely a similar field effect, although many aspects couldn't be easily summarized. Still, this was a reasonable starting point for understanding.
According to Cao Guiqi, when the medicine took effect, the body's shell weakened, and the spirit drew closer to that world, breaking certain inherent boundaries. However, the self also accepted both beneficial and detrimental influences without discrimination.
To maintain one's existence and sanity, during the previous confrontation, both the resident deity and the essence blood stored in the heart slowly consumed themselves.
It was no wonder Cao Guiqi emphasized the importance of a solid foundation. Without sufficient preparation, a fighter who hastily consumes these special medicines might survive and retain their sanity once or twice, but the erosion would remain latent within their body, potentially causing problems in the future.
Typically, during this process, fighters can only manage to maintain their sanity while the medicine takes effect, unable to do much else. They must allow the altered organs to evolve and grow based on the previously established foundation.
However, with his second self bearing the brunt of the erosion, he discovered he could consciously guide and control the altered organs, maximizing the efficiency of the medicine's power.
As time passed, he felt the medicine's power gradually weakening, and the altered organs returned to a calm state after their initial excitement. Eventually, he emerged from this state entirely.
He realized that more than three hours had passed, but it felt much shorter.
He turned to look at his second self, noticing that the virtualization symptoms persisted, though not as intense. Still, it gave rise to a sense of distortion, likely the residual poison Cao Guiqi had mentioned.
It was no wonder the government and the company were so strict about controlling it. If this substance were readily available, who knows how many problematic fighters would emerge, each with immense strength and potential for destruction.
After consuming the medicine, he felt his spirit had become more resilient and his body stronger.
Not only that, but the altered organ was active again, and the feeling was as if it had entered a rapid growth phase.
However, he knew that the medicinal power was still in effect and that it was impossible to maintain it for as long as before. Once the residual poison was eliminated, it should stop, and then he could proceed with the next round of medication.
He got up and tidied up the things around him, putting the medicine away and organizing his documents. But at this moment, he unexpectedly discovered that some records had appeared in the gaps between the lines of text.
The issue was that he had skimmed through all the content and hadn't seen these records before. He could confirm that they weren't there previously, so where did they come from now? Was it a problem with his memory, or did the previous contact give him some kind of sensing ability, allowing him to perceive these records?
Thinking about it further, it seemed more complicated. He ran his finger over the text, and it was written with a special ink. The continuous vermillion characters resembled wriggling earthworms, like some kind of bloodstain.
Recalling what Cao Guiqi had said about language transmission, it was likely that the original method of conveying this information was not suitable, so they resorted to this method. If that was the case, it made sense.
This section of text was divided into two parts. One part described how to maintain one's secret in the face of anomalies, and the other was a warning to future generations not to lose oneself in the process, as losing one's self-awareness would mean losing one's identity.
He carefully read through the content hidden in the gaps, appreciating the forethought of his predecessors. However, with his second self, he could understand the secret, but this step could be omitted.
He retrieved the boundary token and put it on again. After seeing a message from Yan Yi that had arrived ten minutes ago, he opened it, and a voice came through.
"Mr. Chen, there's a situation you need to be aware of. When you have time later, could you please come to Miss Meng's place?"
Chen Chuan replied to the message and left the villa, heading to the residence. At the door, a middle-aged maid led him to the living room, where Meng Shu and Yan Yi were waiting. Meng Shu sat on the sofa, while Yan Yi paced with her fist under her chin.
After the maid left, Chen Chuan turned to them, "Did something happen?"
Yan Yi spoke up, "Mr. Chen, we received a message from the company requesting Miss Meng to attend a family assembly."
Chen Chuan asked, "A family assembly? Do you have to go?"
Yan Yi explained, "The problem is that this assembly was initiated under the name of Elder Meng, and currently, our technical staff doesn't have access to the Meng Clan's internal platform to verify the authenticity of the message."
This was the drawback of not being at the company. They couldn't confirm the message's validity, and those who had expressed their support for Meng Shu earlier were only trying to curry favor, not offering genuine loyalty.
As for the people they had placed within the company, none of them had reached high enough positions to influence the company's decisions, rendering them ineffective.
Chen Chuan glanced at Meng Shu and said, "Will there be any issues from Elder Meng's side?"
Yan Yi replied, "Unlikely. Elder Meng has the best security team and top-notch medical and security services. It's much easier to deal with Miss Meng than with Elder Meng, so we can rule this out."
Chen Chuan asked, "What if Miss Meng doesn't go?"
"Since the assembly is called under Elder Meng's name, if Miss Meng doesn't attend, it will be a significant loss of face."
Chen Chuan nodded, "I see. How do you plan to handle this?"
Yan Yi explained, "The assembly is likely a ploy by Meng Huan to lure Miss Meng out of Ink Mountain and launch an attack on us. Mr. Chen, in this situation, can we guarantee our safety if we don't know how many Third Limit Combatants they will deploy?"
Chen Chuan said, "Without knowing their numbers, it's challenging to ensure safety. If only one Third Limit Combatant arrives, I can guarantee to hold them off, but if there are two or more, it will be difficult to protect your safety."
Yan Yi concluded, "Then we have only one choice, even if it means facing potential danger. We must stay and defend Ink Mountain."
She turned to Meng Shu, "Miss Meng, I believe Elder Meng expects you not to attend, so his next move might be to use this as an excuse to recall the security team assigned to us. This would reduce our protection by a third, and finding a suitable and trustworthy replacement within a short time is challenging."
"We previously ordered a batch of bio-weapons, but there's a limit to purchasing high-energy nutrients. We can't enhance our defenses further, and our defense difficulty will significantly increase. Mr. Chen, this will add more pressure on you."
At this point, Meng Shu spoke up, "Yan, please leave us for a moment."
Yan Yi understood that Meng Shu wanted to speak with Chen Chuan privately, so she nodded and said, "Of course, Miss Meng." She exited and closed the door behind her.
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(End of Chapter)
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