Chapter 462: The Jade Break
Chapter 462: The Jade Break
The day before Chen Chuan embarked on his return to Central City, on the 25th, the Heavenly Sect, under pressure from the Ferris Wheel Corporation, reluctantly handed over the rumored last remaining piece of Heavenly Jade with a Jade Core. The item was delivered into the hands of Chengsheng Jian.
"Heavenly Jade."
Chengsheng Jian stared intently at the object.
It was a piece of white jade the size of a pigeon egg, standing upright on the table, with a blue aura along its outer edge. Gazing at it, one felt as if staring into an endless, clear sky.
When he spoke of needing something that couldn't be cut, he was merely following his heart's instinct. He had no idea what the Ferris Wheel Corporation would bring back.
But the moment he saw the item, he knew it was exactly what he needed.
And this was precisely the essence of the sword technique taught by Crane Feng, Master of Wave Pavilion: "The heart points, and the divine knows not; a single stroke to sever, without seeking, without observing, to find what I desire, and to defeat the enemy's illusions."
This wasn't about taking chances or relying on luck; it required a long and arduous journey of cultivation. Day and night, he meditated, consuming special medications to nurture and transform aberrant tissues, and through life-and-death battles, he sought to achieve a spiritual resonance between his self and the aberrant tissues within his body.
However, this resonance could only be found on the brink of life and death, not at every moment. Only upon reaching the next stage, "As My Divine Knowing," could he achieve this. And when that time came, if all external conditions were met, he could begin to challenge the boundaries.
He gazed at the Heavenly Jade, reaching out to caress it, feeling its hard and cool surface between his fingers.
It was said that when the first master of Wave Pavilion, Zen Blade, arrived from the East, he claimed that all things in the world could be cut. So, the Heavenly Sect presented him with a piece of solid jade, hoping to deter him. But Zen Blade, being a master of martial arts, casually drew his sword and effortlessly severed the jade, earning him the land grant from the Gong family and establishing Wave Pavilion on Erwen Island.
And now, Chengsheng Jian faced a similar challenge.
Wasn't this some kind of metaphor?
After observing the jade for a moment, he suddenly drew his sword, slashing towards the object. But just a finger's width away, he abruptly stopped.
It was as if he was facing an illusion; even without actually cutting it, he knew he couldn't sever it because his heart had already revealed the outcome to him.
And if his heart couldn't overcome it, neither could his sword.
Undeterred, he took a few steps back, sat down on the training hall floor, and began to meditate deeply.
Meanwhile, outside, news was being relayed back and forth, quickly gathering on the ship.
"According to our intelligence analysis, the two targets we need to eliminate are highly likely to return to Central City together."
Upon hearing this, everyone involved in the planning frowned.
The two targets departing together seemed more convenient, but they didn't want that.
The reason was that both targets were formidable, and their unity increased the complexity of the situation, especially when certain government forces got involved, adding numerous variables.
The leader asked, "When will they set off?"
The intelligence officer replied, "Most likely tomorrow or the day after, but definitely no later than the day after tomorrow."
The leader turned to the manager and asked, "How's the preparation on Chengsheng Jian's end?"
The manager immediately answered, "He just received the Heavenly Jade. He's currently alone in the training hall, possibly preparing something."
The analyst on the other side looked at the leader and reminded him, "Leader, there's only one or two days left now. If he doesn't show up by then, we'll have to change the original plan. Should we..."
But the leader said, "Wait."
Every time Chengsheng Jian finished meditating, he would stand up and attempt to cut the Heavenly Jade with his sword. Yet, each time, the blade would stop just before reaching the jade.
He was not impatient, and after another unsuccessful attempt, he sat back down to meditate, preparing for the next one.
This was not a futile effort, but a way to sharpen his mind and align himself with the Aberration. So, with each swing of his sword, not even a single one, desires him.
But as he continued to try, he realized that he was always just a little short. Not only did he fail to boost his morale, but there were even signs of regression.
He understood that this was like rowing upstream; without progress, he would be swept away.
If this attempt failed, it was likely to cast a shadow over his heart, and he would never be able to take that crucial step forward.
With this in mind, he held the sword horizontally, placing it on his tiger's mouth, and slowly lifted it to his face. After a moment of concentration, he sprayed a mouthful of Essence Blood onto the blade.
The long sword slowly absorbed the blood, and after a dozen breaths, it became as clean as new, but a subtle tremor emanated from within.
Chengsheng Jian let out a long sigh, not bothering to wipe the vermilion blood from the corner of his mouth. Instead, he abruptly stood up, gripped the hilt, and slashed forward with a horizontal cut.
This time, the sword move was executed smoothly, carving a half-arc in mid-air. He maintained the sword-drawing stance for a while, and then the upper part of the jade stone tilted to one side and fell onto the table with a clatter.
Hearing the sound, he couldn't help but feel a sense of fatigue wash over him.
But his eyes shone brightly, for he had grasped the essence of this sword technique.
Physically, it was impossible to cut through this so-called indestructible jade, but Heavenly Jade contained a divine presence. He didn't need to cut through the physical form of the jade; instead, he aimed to sever the divine essence within.
Once the divine is broken, the form cannot persist.
This was the very principle that the first master of the Wave Pavilion, the Zen Blade, had taught.
However, he didn't believe he had reached the first master's realm, as he could only unleash a powerful strike after a long buildup. Perhaps only by attaining the state of "Divine Knowing" could one achieve such consistent strikes.
At that moment, he noticed a flash of light where the jade had been broken.
It wasn't light, but rather what was revealed within the broken jade.
He stood up and walked towards the table, and as he approached, the exhaustion that had drained him seemed to be replenished, slowly revitalizing his spirit.
He understood that this was the Jade Core of the Heavenly Jade, the very abode of the divine. Once shattered, the entire Heavenly Jade would be broken.
This Jade Core inherently possessed the ability to enhance one's spirit, especially after enduring trials. By using it to replenish himself, he could stabilize his mental state.
After quietly sensing its power for a moment, he picked up several tiny fragments of the Jade Core and placed them in his palm. He turned the sword around, removed the pin at the hilt, inserted the fragments, and then resealed it.
With a slight rotation of the sword, he adjusted to the subtle changes in weight distribution. Then, he turned around, facing the rear, where the silhouette resembling Chen Chuan reappeared.
He observed it for a moment, and with a battle cry, he stepped forward, brandishing his sword and charging towards the silhouette, then dashing past it.
After a while, the silhouette behind him wavered and completely dissipated.
He sheathed his sword, and in that moment, he felt his state had reached its peak. The fragments of the Jade Core within the sword would help him maintain this state.
He strode forward with his sword, and as he approached the training hall, he pushed open the grand doors.
Outside, the sky was overcast, and in the distance, waves were crashing, seemingly foretelling the arrival of an impending storm.
At the entrance, several people awaited, including the administrator, who hurried forward upon seeing him. With a bow, the administrator said, "Mr. Chengsheng, you're here." Then, looking up, "Mr. Chengsheng, our time is limited."
"How much time do we have left?" Chengsheng asked.
"At most, five hours," the administrator replied gravely. "We have only five hours remaining."
Chengsheng bowed slightly, "I'm ready."
The administrator's face lit up with joy. He immediately contacted the interdimensional specialist, and then, with a solemn expression, said, "Mr. Chengsheng, time is of the essence. If it's convenient for you, we should depart now."
Meanwhile, at almost the same moment, Chen Chuan's car was just exiting Yangzhi City. In the sky behind him, Chao Ming followed his car's movement.
Chen Chuan's car stopped at the last checkpoint, and he glanced at his watch.
In less than ten minutes, a sound echoed from the sky, and after a while, he saw through the rearview mirror that a convoy was approaching from the same direction.
(End of Chapter)
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