Chapter 381: The Fog
Chapter 381: The Fog
Chen Chuan not only utilized the power of the Haunt Story, but he also had a grasp of some basic Secret Sect rituals, as he had access to reference materials. Given enough time and resources, he could even perform more complex rituals.
However, Secret Sect rituals also had many drawbacks. Most of the time, they required intricate drawings on the ground and buildings beforehand, which was nearly impossible to use for restricting fighters.
Powerful fighters, even without understanding the manipulation of biofields, had an acute sense of danger. Once they sensed something amiss, they would immediately evade.
Those patterns could be easily destroyed by them, so drawing them directly on buildings wasn't a good idea; it would be a waste of effort.
His current plan was to draw the ritual patterns on the inside of his protective gear and prepare a Sacrificial Auxiliary Ritual. As for the sacrificial offering, it would be the enemies about to appear.
He spent an entire afternoon carefully drawing on several pieces of clothing, even finding ways to incorporate designs onto his gloves and protective mask. With this, he had a complete set.
After finishing these preparations and waiting for the ritual materials to adhere, he accessed the Academy Platform.
Last month, he had applied for Third Limit cultivation. Five days later, the Academy responded that his application was in the approval process, and he should wait.
By early October, he received confirmation from the Handling Bureau that they had verified his signed confidentiality agreement, which expedited the process. However, they sent him an additional agreement, mainly ensuring that Third Limit cultivation knowledge would not be privately disseminated.
After signing this document, the Third Limit cultivation knowledge became accessible to him on the platform.
He browsed through it and found that it contained both New Era and Old Era materials. Most of the Old Era information was free, while the New Era cultivation methods were mostly purchasable, and the prices were not low, but still within his budget.
Even so, some knowledge remained inaccessible, such as special medication usage methods and related services, which were unsearchable.
This was because the Academy required government records of special medication distribution before granting access. They did not recognize company distribution records.
However, this wasn't a problem for him, as his Second Self didn't particularly need these.
He focused on studying essential cultivation techniques and knowledge, such as refining Essence Blood and accumulating Divine Essence.
These two aspects were crucial. Through his experience, he knew that Divine Essence could stabilize himself, preventing mental shift, while Essence Blood could serve as a stable anchor, allowing fighters to maintain their physical existence and prevent unknown changes to their bodies.
The New Era cultivation methods were optimized and summarized based on the foundations laid by their predecessors, making them the most efficient. He felt it was worth the purchase, and he had been using these methods for the past few days.
However, the Old Era methods also had their merits. Due to the higher impurity of medications back then and their diverse sources, there were many discrimination and targeted techniques, emphasizing application in various extreme environments.
For instance, one method allowed for continued cultivation and maintained combat effectiveness even when severely injured. Another method facilitated cultivation during sleep.
Additionally, there were techniques for maintaining cultivation and unleashing combat power using a small portion of altered tissue after losing most of one's limbs, which broadened his horizons.
Apart from these, he focused on studying the Third Limit's Fa Jin techniques.
The Fa Jin and its refinement at this stage were more complex and intricate. At more advanced levels, it required the integration of Essence Blood and Divine Essence, far beyond what the First and Second Limits could achieve. His previous experience with Furnace Breathing Technique was an example of this.
This was because any fighter who reached the Third Limit would have a high degree of altered tissue. According to the platform's data, the alteration rate was at least forty-five percent.
Sometimes, the alteration rate could even serve as a standard to gauge a Third Limit fighter's strength. Of course, numerous factors came into play during actual combat, making it more complex than a simple number, but it still highlighted its importance.
To increase the alteration rate, some Third Limit fighters would exert tremendous effort to overcome their shortcomings, while others might resort to implants and illegal altered tissue transplants.
Since he cultivated Zhouyuan Force, which inherently sought full coverage, he didn't need to backtrack. All he needed to do was move forward.
In theory, he could learn most of the Fa Jin techniques from the curriculum, but currently, he lacked the time and energy. So, he selected a few practical ones to focus on, primarily to diversify his offensive capabilities.
During this period, he purchased various cultivation knowledge from the school while continuously taking medication, and his strength improved slightly each day.
This was normal, as other fighters didn't have the same access to special medications. They would typically receive them from the company or government after making significant achievements and contributions.
Due to concerns about potential issues with the fighters, they sometimes intentionally extended the intervals between drug administrations, unlike him, who could use them continuously without interruption.
During his training, he didn't neglect the surrounding security. He tried to schedule his practice sessions during the afternoon, as the estate was unlikely to be attacked during the day, making it easier to observe and deploy personnel. Therefore, if an attack were to occur, it would most likely happen at night or close to dawn.
During this time, he would be fully geared up, with his weapons and knives within reach. He used meditation to replace sleep, ready to react at the slightest sound or sensation.
Several days passed, and it was late October. The maple forest outside had turned mostly red.
After finishing his training that day, Chen Chuan glanced at the boundary token. The weather forecast indicated that heavy fog was expected in Central City over the next few days.
He gazed at the swaying branches outside, the sound of rustling leaves like waves, and the red leaves fluttering in the air. In his heart, he thought, "It's coming."
On October 23rd, at 4 a.m., outside Ink Mountain.
A tall man stood alone under a streetlight, looking at the empty road ahead. Even he couldn't see too far due to the hazy fog.
At that moment, he heard the sound of an engine, and a bright headlight pierced through the mist. A lead armored vehicle broke through the fog, its wet surface displaying the logo of a security company. Following it were several similar armored vehicles, one after another, emerging from the fog.
As they approached, they slowed down. The front door of one of the modified, extended armored vehicles opened, and a hunched figure in a gray hoodie stepped out.
He was thin, with bulging eyes and hands that nearly touched the ground. Despite his frail appearance, he stood over two meters tall. In a hoarse voice, he spoke to the tall man, "Xiao Sheng, the boss wants you."
Xiao Sheng hurried forward. When he reached the vehicle, the rear window slowly rolled down, revealing a man in his forties with a shaved head sitting inside.
He held a cane, wore a high-collared foreign suit, and had thin lips devoid of color. A snake-shaped pendant hung from his left ear, and his gaze seemed to pierce right through you.
Xiao Sheng, despite having faced this many times before, still felt a shudder. He quickly lowered his head and respectfully said, "Boss."
The middle-aged man asked, "Is everything ready?"
Xiao Sheng replied, "There's a slight issue. I've been sending a contact signal daily these past few days, but there's been no response. My assessment is that the employer's people were most likely eliminated.
Even if our Resonator can break through the outer field lockdown, we can't rely on them to breach the inner defense in a short time. So, we can't expect to handle this from the inside."
The middle-aged man didn't seem bothered by these concerns. He said, "Then we'll use a field-blocking creature."
Xiao Sheng explained, "But Ink Mountain's biofield is quite strong. If we use this method, we'll only have about half an hour to three-quarters of an hour for the raid, including our retreat time. The actual time we have might only be fifteen to twenty minutes. But if you give me a few more days..."
The middle-aged man interrupted, "The employer is pushing for this, and we can't afford to wait. This weather is perfect for our operation. Let's proceed with your plan. You've never let me down in previous missions."
Xiao Sheng replied solemnly, "Yes, boss."
"Get in the car."
Xiao Sheng quickly ran to the back of another vehicle. Once inside, he turned to look back and saw that everyone had removed their boundary tokens as instructed, easing his mind.
The convoy started moving again, heading towards the interior of Ink Mountain Estate. As they entered the defense zone, they encountered no resistance because, through a series of operations, they had obtained temporary residency in one of the Ink Mountain residences, allowing them to enter the residential area without raising suspicion.
Initially, there were no issues, but as they drove towards the Meng Clan Estate, two patrol cars approached and communicated:
"Front convoy, according to night driving safety regulations, please stop and present your residency information and your destination."
The convoy came to a halt, and the patrol cars moved in. One pulled up close, while the other remained at a distance, with its hand on the gun holster and the boundary token alarm button. Any sign of trouble would trigger an immediate alert, activating Ink Mountain's security system.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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