Chapter 378: Internal and External Invasion
Chapter 378: Internal and External Invasion
Chen Chuanxian communicated with Meng Shu, inspected the estate inside and out, and only returned to his residential area after confirming there were no issues.
He first removed the Boundary Vessel and took out a metal box, from which he retrieved a tube of medication. Looking inside, he saw a fluid shimmering with faint lights. He removed the stopper, brought it to his lips, and in one swift motion, drank it all.
The fluid had no taste, and upon entering his mouth, it seemed to transform into a mist, quickly spreading to his brain and throughout his body.
Initially, he felt nothing, but after a while, his entire body began to feel slightly warm. The altered organisms seemed to come alive, as if gaining a sense of autonomy, and emotions he couldn't explain began to stir within him, just as they had when he had released their restraints.
Fortunately, he was experienced in dealing with such situations and remained unaffected. His consciousness seemed to observe everything from the perspective of a detached observer, calmly watching it all unfold.
At this moment, he felt a sudden awareness and looked out the window. Once again, he saw the massive vortex in the sky, and countless chaotic, dazzling lights and annoying, fragmented sounds appeared before his eyes and ears, constantly assaulting his senses.
Not only that, but he also felt like the place he was in had changed. The floor and walls seemed to be slowly writhing, and a thought emerged from the depths of his mind, telling him that this was the true world, and what he usually saw was merely an illusion and a partial view.
At the same time, he felt that his usually stable body had lost its constraints and become lighter and more ethereal. The altered organisms seemed eager to burst out of his body.
During this process, he felt his power also seemed to be following the same path, growing stronger. Despite knowing something was wrong, the feeling was still irresistible.
The consciousness seemed to be telling him to loosen his restraints a little more, just a tiny bit, and he would gain even more benefits without any danger.
But he did not relax; his gaze was as cold as ice.
He remembered Cao Guiqi's previous reminder and firmly guarded his spirit and foundation, preventing the invasion from breaching the dam of his mental defenses.
However, under the constant onslaught, he found his original cognition gradually wavering and shifting.
Human perception originates from the self and the external environment. When everything around him was changing, it was natural that his original self would no longer exist.
Therefore, within this, even a slight slip or shift in consciousness could naturally lead to the belief that what was in front of him was incredibly normal.
Realizing this, he shifted his consciousness and allowed his second self to accept all the invasions.
In that instant, the surrounding anomalies and lights and sounds disappeared, and his mind became clear. Even the unsettling feeling of turbulence and chaos within his body vanished.
Everything seemed to return to normal.
In reality, it was only his consciousness that had returned to a normal state, while his body and spirit were still undergoing changes under the influence of the drug.
He judged that this should also be a similar field effect, although many things couldn't be so simply summarized, but it could be understood in this way for now.
According to Cao Guiqi's explanation, when the drug took effect, his physical shell became fragile, and his spirit began to approach that world, breaking some inherent boundaries. However, his self also indiscriminately accepted both beneficial and harmful influences.
To maintain his existence and sanity, during the initial confrontation, both the Resident Deity and the Essence Blood accumulated in his heart slowly consumed to sustain his sanity.
It was no wonder that Cao Guiqi emphasized the importance of a solid foundation. If a fighter took these special medications without sufficient preparation, they might survive and retain their sanity once or twice, but the corrosion would lurk within their bodies, causing problems at an unknown future time.
Generally, during this process, fighters could only maintain their sanity and wait for the drug to take effect. They couldn't do much else but let the altered organisms evolve and grow based on the established foundation.
But with his second self bearing the corrosion, he found that he could consciously guide and constrain the altered organisms, maximizing the drug's efficiency.
As time passed, he felt the drug's power gradually weakening, and the altered organisms within him returned to a calm state after the initial excitement. Finally, he completely withdrew from this state.
At this moment, he realized that more than three hours had passed, but it felt like a short time.
He turned his gaze and saw that the virtual symptoms on his second self were still ongoing, although they didn't appear very intense. However, it made his second self feel a sense of distortion, which should be the residual effects Cao Guiqi had mentioned.
It was no wonder that the government and the company had such strict control over this. If this substance were readily available, there would be countless problematic fighters with immense power, capable of causing significant destruction.
After this round of medication, Chen Chuanxian felt his mental fortitude strengthen and his body become more robust. Not only that, but the altered organism within him became active once more, as if entering a rapid growth phase.
However, Chen Chuanxian knew that the effects of the medication were still ongoing and couldn't be sustained for long like before. Once the residual toxins were eliminated, the effects would likely cease, allowing for the next round of medication.
He got up, tidied up the items around him, put the medication away, and organized his documents. But to his surprise, he discovered additional records in the gaps between the lines, which hadn't been there before.
The question was, he had skimmed through all the content and hadn't seen these records. They were definitely not there previously, so where did they come from now? Was it a memory issue, or had the previous contact granted him some form of perception, allowing him to notice them?
Upon further reflection, it seemed more complex. He ran his finger over the records, written in a special ink. The continuous, vermillion-colored writing resembled wriggling earthworms, almost like bloodstains.
Recalling Cao Guiqi's words about the transmission of messages, it was likely that those who hadn't experienced the medication couldn't convey the information directly, hence the use of this method. If so, it made sense.
The content was divided into two parts: one detailed how to maintain one's secrets during an anomaly, and the other warned against becoming too engrossed, lest one loses their sense of self.
After carefully reading the hidden content in the gaps, Chen Chuanxian could appreciate the painstaking efforts of his predecessor. However, with his Second Self, he could learn the secrets but skip the latter step.
He retrieved the Boundary Vessel and put it on again, only to notice a voice message from ten minutes ago. It was from Yan Yi, so he opened it, and her voice came through.
"Mr. Chen, there's a situation you should be aware of. Could you please come to Miss Meng Shu when you have time later?"
Chen Chuanxian replied and then 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 Chuanxian turned to them, "What's the situation?"
Yan Yi spoke, "Mr. Chen, we received a message from the company, requesting Miss Meng Shu to attend a family meeting."
"A family meeting? Must you go?" Chen Chuanxian asked.
"That's the problem," Yan Yi replied. "Since the meeting is initiated under Lord Meng's name, our technical staff lacks the authority to access the Meng Family's internal platform to verify the message's authenticity."
This was the drawback of not being at the company—they couldn't confirm the situation there. While some in the mid-level management had expressed willingness to side with Meng Shu, it was merely a show of goodwill without genuine loyalty.
As for their own people in the company, none had reached high enough positions to access the upper management's decisions, rendering them ineffective.
Chen Chuanxian glanced at Meng Shu and said, "Will there be any issues with Lord Meng?"
"Unlikely," Yan Yi replied. "Lord Meng has the best security team and top-tier medical and security services. Dealing with Miss Meng Shu is much simpler than dealing with Lord Meng, so we can rule that out."
"What if we don't go?" Chen Chuanxian asked.
"Since the meeting is called under Lord Meng's name, if Miss Meng Shu doesn't attend, it will be a significant loss of face within the family."
Chen Chuanxian nodded, "What's your plan?"
"If it's initiated by Meng Huang, it's likely a ploy to lure Miss Meng Shu out of Mo Tie Mountain and attack us along the way," Yan Yi explained. "Mr. Chen, in a situation like this, with complete security, can we handle it?"
Chen Chuanxian replied, "Without knowing how many people they'll deploy, it's hard to guarantee. If only one Third Limit Fighter arrives, I can assure you I can hold them off. But if there are two or more, it will be challenging to ensure your safety."
"Then it's settled," Yan Yi said. "We only have one choice, even if it means risking our identities. We must stay and defend Mo Tie Mountain."
She turned to Meng Shu, "Miss Meng Shu, I believe Lord Meng Huang expects you not to attend. So, I think his next move will be to use this as a pretext to withdraw the security team assigned to us by the Meng Family."
"This will reduce our protection by a third, and it's challenging to find a suitable and trustworthy team on short notice. Although we ordered a batch of bio-weapons, the high-energy nutrient is limited, and we can't enhance our defenses further. Mr. Chen, this will increase the pressure on you."
At this point, Meng Shu spoke up, "Yan Jie, please leave us for a moment."
Understanding that Meng Shu wanted to speak privately with Chen Chuanxian, Yan Yi nodded and said, "Of course, Miss Meng Shu." She turned and left, closing the door behind her.
(End of Chapter)
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