Chapter 721: Encounter on the Path
Chapter 721: Encounter on the Path
At the edge of the rift, a thick, green viscous liquid seeped through, accompanied by a peculiar gurgling sound from within.
Chen Chuan's gaze intensified, and he released a surge of spiritual power.
This action proved effective as the viscous liquid instantly dissipated like melting snow upon contact with his spiritual force, but it also drained his own spiritual energy.
Despite the method's success, continuing to practice in this manner would disrupt his peaceful cultivation. It would be better to erase the rift directly.
With this thought, Chen Chuan swiftly drew his Snow Lady Sword and slashed at the liquid, causing it to vanish instantly.
A slight tremor rippled through his spirit.
Apparently, this method was effective.
Another thought crossed his mind, and he raised his right hand, holding the sword with its blade resting on his shoulder. After a moment of concentration, he thrust the sword forward, slicing through the rift and striking the entity on the other side.
A harsh, piercing shriek echoed, followed by a burst of intense light. Countless eyes fluttered briefly before vanishing.
He waited for a moment, and seeing no further anomalies, he took a cloth and wiped the blade of the Snow Lady Sword before placing it back on his knee and resuming his cultivation.
Over the next few hours, similar occurrences happened, but with his newfound experience, he skillfully used the sword to dispel them.
The night passed, and as dawn approached, he noticed his secondary self's ethereal form deepening and heard a strange sound, faint yet distant. A sense of grave danger arose within his spirit, signaling it was time to stop.
Surprisingly, the rift showed no signs of dissipating, persisting for nearly twelve hours.
The rift was suppressed by the influence of the Worm Queen Domain in the central city, but here, it remained unaffected. Although it weakened over time, it would persist unless he took action.
Chen Chuan swiftly drew his sword, and the light before him vanished, along with the sense of threat. He realized this night's cultivation had been fruitful.
The effectiveness of this cultivation method depended on the duration of practice and the amount of spiritual essence absorbed. This session's gains could rival three or four regular sessions, despite the increased danger, the rewards were substantial.
Chen Chuan's original goal was to reach the perfect realm by the end of December, and with daily cultivation like this, he might achieve it sooner.
Sheathing his sword, he stood and went outside, where Chao Ming was still curled up asleep, exhausted from the previous day's activities. Hearing the movement, Chao Ming stirred, chirping softly at him.
Chen Chuan fetched some water and food for Chao Ming, then opened the tent and stepped out. The morning light had arrived, and the three bonfires had extinguished, leaving only faint smoke lingering.
The morning air in the convergence zone was damp, and mist rose from the opposite forest, drifting towards him.
While it appeared normal, Chen Chuan discerned that the mist was composed of countless tiny, indistinguishable insects.
His eyes gleamed with spiritual power, and as his gaze swept across, the mist instantly dispersed, revealing countless tiny insects. A rustling sound filled the air, and the nearby trees trembled.
The bark peeled off, revealing the insects beneath, which were swiftly absorbed into the trees, returning them to their original state.
After a moment, Chen Chuan turned his thoughts inward, then glanced at Chao Ming. Chao Ming immediately darted out of the tent and joined him, allowing him to inspect its wings. He soon discovered that the undersides were covered in minuscule, fuzz-like parasites.
These parasites had burrowed into Chao Ming's flesh and continued to penetrate deeper. Even with Chao Ming's altered physiology, it couldn't stop this infiltration.
Such occurrences were inevitable in the convergence zone, and only by adapting to this environment over time could one develop the ability to cope.
Chen Chuan took a pill from his pocket and fed it to Chao Ming. After a while, Chao Ming spread its wings, shook its body, and a layer of dark gray fell—the parasites, now dead.
Chen Chuan exited the tent and fed the horses various pills with different effects. Then, he led them to the river for a drink.
As they approached the riverbank, he spotted a black, tar-like creature writhing beneath the riverbed, its elongated eye-like structures gazing upwards. Chen Chuan remained calm and stared back.
After a moment of mutual gaze, the creature closed its eyes and slowly sank into the riverbed like tar, disappearing from sight.
Once the horses had finished drinking, Chen Chuan packed up the tent and other items, mounted his horse, and spurred it forward.
Following the current route, Chen Chuan estimated that he would reach the native camp by noon today if no unexpected situations occurred along the way.
After galloping for more than three hours, Chao Ming suddenly let out a warning cry in the sky.
At that moment, he heard the sound of approaching horse hooves from a distance, rapidly closing in on his position.
Chen Chuan was unsure of their origins, so he reined in his horse by a stream and waited. Soon, several Dragon Nose Horses appeared on the opposite bank of the stream.
The riders were clad in black armor, wearing iron masks, and wielding spear-like guns, each one robust and formidable. At a glance, they were cavalry from the Former Imperial Court.
The riders seemed surprised to see Chen Chuan here, as he was dressed in casual attire. However, they could tell from his mount that he was from the Da Shun military, so they immediately halted.
Both sides stared at each other from a distance of half a mile.
Although the riders only observed Chen Chuan from afar, they felt an indescribable sense of oppression. After a moment, the leader shouted, and they turned their horses around and began to retreat.
Chen Chuan didn't flee either; two cavalrymen with long spears guarded his rear. But at that moment, an invisible shockwave swept through the area.
The cavalrymen on their horses swayed, and several of them fell to the ground.
The leading samurai was also shaken, but he quickly recovered and crouched on his horse. He seemed to have some form of mental protection, so he wasn't severely affected. However, before he could ride too far, a loud blast echoed from behind him, and a large hole appeared in his back, causing the horse's head to explode as well.
The headless horse's corpse rolled forward, and the leading cavalry samurai knew he couldn't escape. Fearing the leak of intelligence, he immediately drew a short sword and plunged it into his mouth, piercing his brain. He trembled once and then became still.
Chen Chuan slowly approached from the stream, and as he passed, numerous white, foam-like substances rose to the surface of the water.
After the horses' hooves left the stream, many worm corpses emerged from the mud, and a large area of seemingly ordinary grass also lay flattened. All of these were creatures killed by Chen Chuan's spiritual power.
As he approached the corpses of the cavalry, he glanced at them—an elite samurai and three cavalry troopers. This was the Former Imperial Court's most commonly used four-person squad. Judging by the coverage of their armor, they were likely reconnaissance soldiers.
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. The Former Imperial Court seemed to be in opposition to the Coalition's garrison, but that didn't necessarily mean they could work together sincerely. It appeared they had their own agenda.
However, he didn't need to think too much about it. Regardless of their origins, as long as they were enemies, he would eliminate them upon sight.
Chen Chuan tugged on the horse's reins and continued forward.
As for the corpses, he didn't have time to deal with them, and in this place, everything would disappear without a trace within an afternoon.
After another half-hour, he finally reached the native gathering place marked on the map. But to his surprise, it was a scorched ruin.
From the remnants of the fire, it seemed the camp had been destroyed about five or six days ago and was now occupied by a group of giant worms with hard chitinous shells.
He took a few glances and noticed some areas with shell craters and shrapnel, indicating they had been bombarded.
Within this area, only the Coalition and Linax should possess such capabilities.
Motivations could range from eliminating potential threats on the outskirts to simply preventing the natives from being utilized by the Defense Department's garrison.
However, even though the camp was destroyed, Chen Chuan confirmed its location, proving he hadn't gone off course. Furthermore, he could vaguely discern the attackers' retreat route, so he could follow their trail to find the camp.
He checked his watch; it was 1:00 pm. He could still travel for another three or four hours, set up camp, and then depart early the next morning. He would continue along the path marked by Chen Bi Tong, and if there were no dangers or obstacles along the way, he should reach the camp by noon the next day.
As he was thinking, Chao Ming once again let out a warning cry in the sky. A large gray-feathered bird suddenly charged towards it but was much larger than Chao Ming.
However, Chao Ming was unafraid and engaged in a mid-air skirmish, deftly dodging and evading its attacks.
Chen Chuan immediately recognized that the bird was someone's trained mount. He called out to Chao Ming, who returned to his side, and the large bird didn't pursue them.
After a while, numerous human figures emerged from the nearby forest, their faces painted and bodies wrapped in tight-fitting windbreakers. The leader, a man, immediately caught Chen Chuan's attention, as he wore an old Pioneer Squad uniform.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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