Chapter 627: Night Raid
Chapter 627: Night Raid
That night, Chen Chuan immersed himself in continuous spiritual cultivation.
Although the essence flowing from the opposite side was not as intense as when the Heavenly Gate in Central City opened, there were no enemies nearby, and he didn't have to worry about other matters.
Even if there were covetous beings on the other side, they were blocked by the lifeform occupying the rift, allowing him to focus solely on his cultivation.
It wasn't until dawn approached that he exited his meditative state, reached for the Snow Lady Saber beside him, and stood up from where he was.
Perhaps due to his deep immersion, he felt as if only a fleeting moment had passed.
During this cultivation session, he could sense his spiritual energy improving bit by bit, making it incredibly captivating and hard to stop. However, since he had promised Talu to not cultivate during the day, and the others had confidently allowed him to come here alone, he wouldn't break that trust.
He decided to wait until the next day.
As he retreated, the tendrils in front of him once again intertwined, tightly closing the rift.
Chen Chuan left the waterproof bag there, took the Snow Lady Saber, and turned to exit the rift. He climbed back up the sea cliff and returned to the surface.
The sun had just risen above the sea, bathing the entire island in golden light. Thick morning mist drifted from the forest, intertwining with the colorful clouds, creating a dreamlike scene from a distance.
Upon reaching the top of the cliff, Oliven Ber approached him and said, "Mr. Chen, I thought you'd stay inside forever. Previous visitors refused to leave once they entered."
Chen Chuan, however, preferred this arrangement. He felt that the island had a soothing effect on his spirit, making his evening cultivations even more efficient.
Oliven Ber's expression turned solemn as he cautioned, "Still, be cautious. Talu encountered something on her previous visits, and it happened every time. It takes a lot of effort to dispel it. Even the previous visitors had similar experiences to varying degrees."
He continued, "There's a Lotus Throne in the Single Stream Pavilion, said to be where Master Hongfa once meditated. Sitting there can calm the spirit and purge impurities. Would you like to try it, Mr. Chen?"
Chen Chuan understood the old man's concern—he worried that his spirit might have been polluted below. Perhaps his eagerness to leave made them anxious.
"You can rest assured, sir," Chen Chuan said.
As he spoke, he took out the Jade Pig Dragon given to him by Specialist. Only a faint black mark appeared on it, barely noticeable unless one looked closely. This was because the second I had endured most of the infection.
Oliven Ber examined it and seemed to relax a bit. "It seems my worries were unfounded. Mr. Chen, please keep this item with you during your future cultivations."
Chen Chuan nodded and asked, "Sir, where is that Lotus Throne you mentioned earlier?" Since it was left by Master Hongfa and seemed to have purifying properties, he was curious to see it.
The old man agreed, "I'll take you there, Mr. Chen."
He led Chen Chuan past the training ground. Even before the sun rose, the young disciples were already practicing with Talu. Upon seeing the two of them, Talu waved from a distance.
After bypassing the training ground, Chen Chuan followed Oliven Ber to the dilapidated structures. One of them had clearly been repaired, and beneath an arched stone wall was a jade lotus throne, showing signs of age with many chipped and damaged areas.
The seat, however, was polished smooth.
Chen Chuan approached and suddenly felt a faint spiritual force, peaceful and soothing.
He was surprised. Master Hongfa had lived seven or eight centuries ago, yet there was still a spiritual remnant on the throne? Or was it someone else's spirit?
However, this feeling of comfort was similar to what he experienced on the island, suggesting a connection between the two.
He sat on the lotus throne, and in a short while, the black mark on the Jade Pig Dragon faded slightly.
It seemed to be effective.
Oliven Ber, seeing Chen Chuan sitting there and quickly entering a meditative state, felt reassured. He stroked his white beard and left.
From then on, Chen Chuan spent his evenings in the rift and his days at the lotus throne, and ten days passed in a flash. His spiritual power increased significantly, and each improvement far exceeded the progress of ordinary people due to his already high spiritual level.
Oliven Ber admired Chen Chuan's dedication, seeing him meditate here every day and cultivate at night without interruption.
He told Talu, "It's said that Master Hongfa sat for ten years and attained true enlightenment. Mr. Chen, with his age and remarkable abilities, is worthy of Specialist's recommendation."
Talu nodded in agreement, but if it were anyone else who saw Chen Chuan like this, they would have felt immense pressure and returned to practice on their own. But she didn't.
She practiced martial arts solely because she enjoyed it, and she only strived for herself, unrelated to others. Thus, she wouldn't change herself because of others.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, carrying the sound of pebbles clattering, and Olive looked up at the sky, squinting. "A big wind is coming," he said.
Talu hummed in acknowledgment. Every year in mid-July, this place would experience strong sea winds. Fortunately, they had ample experience dealing with it, and the island's houses were already reinforced. The guests would also be persuaded to leave in advance.
On the other side, after pretending to be tourists on the island for a few days, the Turbulence Squad members had already grasped the island's situation. After being persuaded to leave the island, they returned to report to their leader, Utko.
"The martial artist is on a large platform halfway up the mountain and rarely comes down. We didn't approach her to avoid alarming her, but we confirmed with the villagers that the Fighter Pavilion's members, aside from her, are all of average strength."
"There are at least a few thousand residents on the island, and we don't know their communication methods yet. It won't be easy to control them all..."
Someone spoke up, "Kenva refuses to cooperate with us. He has many followers, and if they come here, we won't have to worry about this matter."
Another member scoffed, "That lunatic isn't worth our attention. He thinks that by receiving power from above, he can disregard the leader. He's just a clown, and his strength is nothing special. It's not his own cultivation; how far can he go relying on others' gifts?"
Utko spoke sternly, "You're right. Only power earned through one's own cultivation truly belongs to them. It doesn't matter how many islanders there are. We just need to control the main harbor and docks. Once the storm arrives, no one can cross the sea at will."
Suddenly, a team member spoke up, "Leader, there have been many people wandering around recently, as if searching for something. It seems others have their eyes on this place, and it's definitely not just one group. We have quite a few opponents."
Utko's expression turned cold, "Don't worry about them for now. We'll stick to our plan. If they interfere with us, we'll deal with them together."
Two days later, on the 15th of July, strong winds stirred up the sea. At the closest sea reef to Fei Guang Island, the Turbulence Squad, fully geared in diving suits, waited for nightfall. Then, one by one, they dove into the surging waves, heading towards Fei Guang Island.
This elite team consisted of six members, all Third Limit martial artists skilled in cooperative assaults. Utko, in particular, had cultivated spiritual energy, making him far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary Third Limit martial artist. Thus, they were highly confident in this operation.
Over forty minutes later, the Turbulence Squad arrived on Fei Guang Island.
The team members who had previously been to the island had hidden some of their equipment nearby. They retrieved it, donned their gear, and armed themselves.
Most of them carried bows and arrows, as well as throwing weapons. Guns, while effective, were too loud, and at close range, their throwing weapons were more useful.
With their strength, they could wipe out the entire village in ten minutes, but they didn't plan to do so. After all, they intended to stay on the island long-term. If the Rift was here, they couldn't leave either, and they needed the villagers to provide services and essential supplies.
By eliminating the village leader and the Fighter Pavilion members, or controlling them, they could replace the Fighter Pavilion's ecological niche.
Once everyone was ready, they quickly moved towards the mountain.
At the platform halfway up the mountain, before the lotus stone throne, Talu knelt in meditation. Ever since she embarked on the path of spiritual cultivation, she often used breathing adjustment instead of sleep at night, and the influence of the lotus throne aided her practice.
At this moment, she suddenly sensed something, as if a pebble had been dropped into a calm lake, causing a noticeable disturbance.
She opened her eyes, stood up, and grabbed a long stick. As she flipped backwards, several hastily fired crossbow bolts landed at her feet.
Simultaneously, her stick shadow rolled as she dodged, deflecting the remaining arrows and thrown objects. Several auras appeared around her, forming a large encirclement, pressuring her.
Talu glanced at them but had no intention of engaging them. She waved her stick and ran away because she instantly realized that these opponents were beyond her capabilities.
Old Talu had told her, "If you can beat them, fight. If not, run."
"Hmm?"
Utko had considered various possibilities and anticipated this situation. But as the heir of the Fighter Pavilion, with so many people relying on you as their protector, you just run away without a second thought?
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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