Chapter 638: The Gift
Chapter 638: The Gift
At 3 pm, Taru returned from Ro Wang Island.
Olive Elder was relieved to see her safe and sound, with no one following her, and she didn't seem to have been harshly reprimanded.
Chen Chuan, on the other hand, found this to be entirely normal.
Solitary Stream Pavilion was usually tucked away in a corner, causing no apparent harm. Neither Canglong nor the Ocean Expansion Group would take any harsh measures against the Pavilion right from the start, nor was there a need for it.
If a third-limitation fighter could be won over, they would become an asset. However, choosing to confront them would only increase their own costs, and if this news spread, it would put all martial halls on edge, making the situation even harder to handle.
When Taru returned to the shelter, after drinking the water handed to her by a disciple, Olive Elder asked her about the situation.
Taru wiped her mouth and replied, "They just asked me to re-register the martial hall and strictly control the number of members. If another third-limitation fighter appears, we must report it immediately. They also require us to train a batch of students for them annually, and in addition to the necessary tuition fees, they will provide us with subsidies and support."
Olive Elder thought for a moment; training students for them wasn't a bad idea; it could even earn them some money.
Solitary Stream Pavilion's secret transmissions weren't something they guarded closely, but he was concerned that over time, these companies would have more influence over the martial hall, and eventually, they wouldn't be able to make their own decisions.
Taru added, "They said it's not just us; they will do the same with other martial halls, including the three major halls."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Olive Elder felt it was good news.
If they were all subjected to the same restrictions, the three major halls would undoubtedly face more regulations. Especially for Dawnlight Pavilion, it would be difficult for them to take any further action against Solitary Stream Pavilion.
Chen Chuan's thoughts shifted, and he realized that if this rule was implemented, the three major halls would undoubtedly be greatly affected.
This was inevitable, as the three major halls and Skywheel Company were more or less connected.
Especially for Wind Forest Hall, which had been the closest to Skywheel Company in recent years and had received the most resources, resulting in the largest number of disciples among the three major halls.
With Skywheel Company now absent, the three major halls would undoubtedly face continuous targeting and suppression from the two companies.
"They also mentioned setting up a power station on the island," Taru continued. "They will provide us with technical staff and experts, help us build roads, establish schools, and construct windproof facilities, as well as provide agricultural technology and other support.
There's a lot of stuff, but not all of it is free. They said they can offer low-interest and interest-free loans, but I don't understand it. I've brought back all the materials."
She gestured, and a disciple immediately took out a large stack of documents from her shoulder bag.
Olive Elder took the documents solemnly, skimmed through them, and sighed, "We don't need these, but the villagers below will find them very useful."
After thinking for a moment, he put the documents away, planning to read them carefully later. He asked with concern, "Taru, did they try to inquire about the rift?"
He was worried that these were all excuses, and their primary purpose was to investigate the rift. With the unusual situation in the nearby waters, the Ocean Expansion Group would easily discover the specifics of the area after some investigation.
This was a rift, and it was unlikely that these large companies would allow it to exist.
Taru shook her head. "No."
Olive Elder breathed a slight sigh of relief. "But Taru has already obtained the secret transmissions from the rift. After Mr. Chen uses it this time, if there are no special circumstances, we should try to minimize our involvement in the future. They won't be able to find it."
Chen Chuan didn't say anything about this. Strictly speaking, the rift now belonged to the Pure Essence Sect, and the sect would surely have plans for its disposal.
Seeing that Taru was fine this time, Chen Chuan bid farewell to the two of them and headed towards the Lotus Seat to meditate.
The following period was peaceful, with no disturbances, and in the blink of an eye, it was August 20th.
Chen Chuan emerged from his cultivation, glanced at his watch, and then stood up. The branches in front of him slowly retracted, and the glow closed.
Today was the last day of his planned cultivation, and he intended to return home.
He assessed his spiritual power, and found that after such a long period of cultivation, his spiritual power had significantly improved compared to before, a great advancement.
However, he had not yet reached the perfect pinnacle because his physical foundation was strong, which meant his spiritual power had a higher limit.
This was a good thing, but it also meant that he would need to invest more cultivation resources and time.
So, after returning, he would need to find other ways to enhance his cultivation.
As for the rift...
He pondered for a moment, and some ideas had already formed in his mind.
But that was for later; it was almost time to leave.
He picked up the Snow Lady Sword, grabbed his waterproof bag, and exited the rift, heading towards the glittering seawater.
Upon reaching the cliff platform, he made a gesture, and the Chao Ming in the sky let out a piercing cry as it landed beside him.
After tidying up, Chen Chuan found Taru and Olive Elder and said, "It's time for me to leave.
"A few days ago, he mentioned this matter, so the two of them were prepared."
Olive Elder smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, to show our gratitude for your help to the Solitary Stream Pavilion, Taru and I discussed and decided to give you some gifts. There aren't many good things on the island, but we have some local specialties."
He picked up a can and patted it, saying, "When Grandmaster Hongfa crossed the sea, he only had a scroll of scripture and a bamboo staff with him.
The staff was later planted on the island, and a bamboo forest grew there. Every year, it bears some bamboo fruits called 'Enlightenment Fruits'.
These fruits may enhance a person's potential, and people of all ages can consume them. However, some find them useful, while others don't. If you don't feel anything the first time you consume it, repeated use won't have any effect. This year's harvest is all we have, so we'd like to offer this can to Mr. Chen."
Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan knew it was indeed a valuable item, and he nodded, "Alright, I'll take it."
Olive Elder smiled and took a set of clothes from a nearby disciple.
"This set is made from the silk of oceanic silk worms collected from the sea. It's woven using traditional methods to create a training robe. The headmasters and ancestors of our pavilion have all worn such garments, which provide excellent protection and are very breathable. Although they may not compare to modern bio-material clothing, they are much more comfortable. Please accept it as a memento, Mr. Chen."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Thank you."
"And there's this..."
Olive Elder brought over a long, rectangular cloth package and opened it in front of Chen Chuan. Inside was a long bone with a ridged, spiky edge, resembling the spine of some creature.
"One of our ancestors once killed a massive sea monster in the rift. When they opened its abdomen, they found this object.
We've been trying to figure out its purpose, and later discovered that anyone who has cultivated spiritual power can use this item to fight the sea monster in their dreams and gain insights from the experience.
Apparently, the company calls it a 'Relic'..."
"A Relic..."
Chen Chuan's heart stirred slightly, as he was familiar with this term. The company and the government were actively collecting such items, and it was said that many of the company's technological developments were related to these relics. He was surprised that the Solitary Stream Pavilion was willing to gift him such an item.
If sold to the government or the company, this relic would be of significant value.
"Elder, Taru, this gift is too precious," Chen Chuan said.
Olive Elder sincerely replied, "Mr. Chuan, we understand the value of this item, but we've never intended to sell it. It's a memento and a tool to assist in cultivation.
Since Mr. Chuan has helped us obtain those secret transmissions, this item is no longer of much use to us."
Taru added, "Yes, my teacher and I have used this item a few times, but with little success. It's of no use to us, Mr. Chuan. We truly have no other way to express our gratitude, so please accept it."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and nodded, "Thank you, both of you. If there's ever a situation or difficulty on the island, please let me know."
Taru smiled, "Of course, fellow sectarian!"
Chen Chuan nodded slightly.
After bidding farewell to the two, he descended the mountain, and as he walked down, his students kept offering him various items from their homes.
He had arrived with just a simple suitcase, but he left carrying a package filled with gifts.
At the dock, he took a group photo with everyone and then boarded the ferry with their farewells.
He had come by sailing ship but was now on a small ferry, a gift from the Ocean Expansion Group to facilitate travel between the islands.
The ferry was free, but they had to purchase their own algae oil to fuel it. Fortunately, the Solitary Stream Pavilion had its own land and plantation, so they could afford the oil.
Once the ship departed, Chen Chuan stood in the open-air cabin, watching Taru, Olive, and the disciples on the dock waving goodbye. Some of the shorter ones jumped up and down, afraid he might not see them.
He couldn't help but smile and waved back at them.
Chao Ming circled overhead a few times, especially around the teenagers and children, before joining the ship.
As Fei Guang Island gradually shrank in the distance, Chen Chuan sat down.
The ship sped swiftly back, taking less than two hours to reach Ro Wang Island, whereas the journey there had taken an entire morning.
As they passed the area where a 50,000 reward was offered for retrieving a ring, Chen Chuan noticed the absence of other ships.
He inquired with the ship's crew, who explained that the Ocean Expansion Group had dispersed those people a few days ago. The couple who had retrieved the ring were frauds, and the ring was worthless. The reward was also fake, so no one bothered to return.
Chen Chuan thought to himself that the ring might be fake, but the purpose of finding something was genuine. As he pondered, the Ro Wang Island dock came into view.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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