Chapter 649: Addressing the Issue
Chapter 649: Addressing the Issue
After more than an hour, an off-road vehicle came to a stop at the foot of Green Peak Mountain.
Chen Chuan and Chang Dong emerged from within.
Chen Chuan said, "This place might be suitable."
Chang Dong looked up, then surveyed the surroundings, and commented, "It's quite remote and at a high altitude. It looks good from here. Let's go up and take a look."
The two climbed the stone steps to the top of Green Peak Mountain. Chen Chuan said, "This is the Ghost God Temple I mentioned."
Chang Dong took a look and said, "Judging by the style, the worship here must have lasted for several hundred years, right? But the main structure seems to have been rebuilt in the last few decades." He stomped his foot, "The materials used are really solid, it's even suitable for a martial arts arena."
Chen Chuan nodded. The Ghost God Temple had a history of martial arts inheritance. He and his fellow Third Limitation Fighters had once sparred here, and the ground around them still bore the marks of that intense battle, indicating that special materials had been used in its construction.
Chang Dong didn't rush inside. Instead, he stood there, gazing into the distance, and realized that he could see most of the Central City from this vantage point, making it one of the highest locations in the city.
"Indeed, it's quite suitable just by looking at it. It would make an excellent base, but..."
He glanced at the main hall and walked inside. Once there, he looked up at the Ghost God statue and suddenly said, "It's empty inside."
Chen Chuan followed his gaze, and it was clear that Chang Dong was not referring to the statue itself.
"Mr. Chang, are you saying there used to be something inside?" Chen Chuan asked, understanding that 'empty' was relative to 'solid'.
Chang Dong nodded and said, "Nowadays, there are still many worshipping beliefs in various places. During the Cold Stagnation Period, worship was merely a spiritual and mental comfort. But in the Change Period, there is a real possibility of the appearance of certain entities.
Some of them are from the other world, passing through the rift, and some are born in our world as a result of the two worlds getting closer. There should have been such an existence inside this statue..."
Chen Chuan wasn't surprised, as he had often dealt with strange phenomena and was considered an expert in this field. These entities were often related to religion and rituals.
Chang Dong took a few steps forward and examined the incense on the altar. He twirled his fingers, "Focus Incense. Someone has been trying to gather spiritual power here in the last few months. Perhaps because of this, the existence inside was taken away. Long-standing revered entities sometimes leave when they sense that their abode is no longer reliable."
"In the last few months..."
Chen Chuan looked at the incense and couldn't help but think of the time when the Celestial Gate opened three months ago. He turned and asked, "Mr. Chang, will there be any consequences?"
Chang Dong said, "It's hard to say. Perhaps only those who worshipped it back then know the answer."
After observing for a while, he turned around, "This place is suitable, but since we're from the Pure Essence Sect, using an old religious site as a base is a little inappropriate. And..." He patted his belly, "I think it'll cost a lot to acquire and renovate this place. Let's check out other locations, shall we?"
Chen Chuan smiled and agreed.
After leaving the mountain, the off-road vehicle drove through the city and stopped in front of a small hill in the Wu Sheng District.
This time, Chen Chuan brought Chang Dong to the place where Wu Yi's teacher had lived.
"This used to be a residential open area, but it was later abandoned. One of my teachers from Wu Yi lived on this hill, and he's still there."
Chang Dong looked around and saw only a burnt-out ruin. "Let's not disturb him."
The two climbed the hill, and after years of exposure to the elements, not much remained.
Chang Dong looked out and confidently stated, "This place must have been infected by something."
Chen Chuan said, "I've looked into this area's history. Ink Lotus Corporation planned to develop a commercial zone here, but the company itself encountered issues, and people who came here mysteriously fell ill. So, this place was abandoned again."
Chang Dong looked at the ground and bent down to scoop up a handful of soil, seemingly sensing something. After a while, he stood up and dusted off his hands.
"Something must have been planted beneath."
"Something?"
"Yes." Chang Dong made a circular motion with his hand, "It's a plant, and it's huge. Its root system covers this entire area. If I'm not mistaken..." He stomped his foot, "There should still be root cavities beneath us, with remnants that continue to affect this region."
Chen Chuan asked, "What could it be?"
Chang Dong shook his head, "It's hard to say without seeing it, but it's either from the Convergence Zone or a bio lab. Logically, your Processing Bureau should have records about this."
Chen Chuan said, "I've checked, but it's too far back. Many archives are sealed, and I couldn't access them due to my low rank at the time. I'll look again when I get back."
Chang Dong waved his hand, "It doesn't matter if we can't find them. Whatever it was, it's long gone. This place was probably just its breeding ground, and these infections have almost no impact on us Fighters. Spending a night in the Convergence Zone would expose us to more infections than staying here for a year."
He grunted, seemingly deep in thought. After a while, he patted his belly and said, "I think this place will do. It's secluded and spacious, and these infections are intimidating enough to act as a deterrent to ordinary people."
"Furthermore, this area has been left untouched for at least two or three decades, so I think we should be able to get it at a lower cost. After all, the funds allocated from above are limited, and I need to be frugal with their use."
Chen Chuan spoke up, "If there's anything I can help with, Mr. Chang, please let me know. I'm also a member of the Pure Essence Sect."
"I can handle these miscellaneous tasks, Manager Chen. You don't need to worry," Mr. Chang said with a smile. "Our fellow sectarian should be arriving in a few days, and with her help, I'll have all the assistance I need."
Chen Chuan didn't insist, as he indeed had many other matters to attend to. Moreover, the existence of this headquarters was never about funding or location; it was always about martial power.
So as long as he diligently cultivated and improved his strength, it would be the greatest help to the sect.
"Let's settle on this headquarters," Mr. Chang said, turning to Chen Chuan with a serious tone. "There's another matter I must clarify with you, Manager Chen."
"Please go ahead," Chen Chuan replied.
Mr. Chang sighed, "As I mentioned before, the reason our Pure Essence Sect set up this branch here was because of a target who was almost completely wiped out, right?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Mr. Chang sighed again, "That target was actually one of our own, a talent we highly valued and nurtured. At the time, he did some wrongdoings, but certain high-ranking members of the sect tolerated his behavior due to his natural gifts and talents, believing that with proper cultivation, he could become a pillar of the sect in the future. So, he was only given symbolic punishments."
"But later, this person became more and more outrageous, going beyond what we could tolerate. Many of his actions crossed the line, so the sect organized a team to capture him."
He shook his head and said, "As you know, the sect had already valued him highly, but we still underestimated him. In the end, almost all the members sent from the branch and the sect were annihilated."
"Later, when the sect reviewed the incident, they realized that he had intentionally revealed his whereabouts. He could have been stopped, but he was deliberately exposing himself."
Chen Chuan's eyes flashed with understanding. If this was the case, then it wasn't a counterattack after being hunted down; it was a premeditated plan.
He asked, "I wonder what level this person has reached?"
Mr. Chang spoke in a low voice, "Fifteen years ago, when he was not yet twenty, his mind and body had already reached the state of perfection. With his talents, he might have crossed that threshold by now."
"If he could cross that boundary, there must be someone supporting him from the shadows," Chen Chuan said.
He thought of Chen Bitong, and with his talents, even without sufficient resources, he couldn't break through that boundary.
Mr. Chang said, "Let's not talk about him for now. Due to the danger this target poses, the sect has assigned people to search and hunt him down. What I want to say is that since almost the entire branch was annihilated, the true situation is no longer clear."
"Most of our fellow sectarians' bodies were found at the scene, except for one person who was never found. It was believed that he had sacrificed himself elsewhere. But recently, there have been sightings of him, and through various channels, we've learned that he might still be in Central City. So, we need to find him and get some answers."
As he spoke, he took out a photograph and said, "This person."
Chen Chuan took the photo and looked at it. It was a young man in his twenties with a long face, squinting and smiling, showing a mouthful of white teeth. He wore a loose, spotted yellow shirt, and seemed like a confident and playful person.
However, if the photo was taken over a decade ago, this person would be around forty years old now.
On the back of the photo was a name: "Tian Rui."
"I'll take care of it," he said.
"Hmm," Mr. Chang said, "The Processing Bureau should be able to find him. We've waited for fifteen years; a little longer won't make much of a difference, except..."
He sighed, "We still need to give an explanation to those fellow sectarians who sacrificed themselves."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Mr. Chang looked around and said, "Let's head back."
Chen Chuan got into his car and drove back to the residence in Wuding District. After getting off at the entrance, he bid farewell to Mr. Chang and returned to the house.
Upon entering the living room, he picked up the box of Pure Essence placed in the corner.
He thought to himself that this Pure Essence should be enough, but he still needed to consider his mental cultivation.
If he could find a rift, that would be ideal. He recalled Cao Xuelang mentioning the existence of secrets in the wilderness, and those places might also have rifts. If necessary, he might consider searching for them there.
Apart from that, there was another possibility.
He put down the box and looked at a corner of the room.
There, the Snow Lady Sword lay dormant.
(End of Chapter)
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