Chapter 763: Ancient Rituals
Chapter 763: Ancient Rituals
Deep in the forest, Chen Chuan carefully drew the secret sect ritual on his cloak, following Xue Shou's instructions.
Unlike the rituals he had learned from Director Lei, this one had a more antiquated design.
The difference between the two was that the previous secret sect rituals had various templates to follow, allowing one to achieve desired effects by simply copying the patterns. As such, after learning the basics, one could easily apply and manipulate them.
However, with this ritual, each stroke had no fixed restrictions, but there was a prerequisite: one must understand the meaning behind each symbol. No matter how many secret sect materials were used or how precise and beautiful the drawing was, it wouldn't produce the desired effect if one didn't comprehend its significance.
So, as Chen Chuan drew, Xue Shou repeatedly emphasized the key points to grasp.
And with this new knowledge, Chen Chuan felt he had gained a deeper understanding of secret sect rituals, at least regarding this particular aspect.
He realized that in the past, such secret knowledge might have been among the more hidden teachings of the state religion. Only true heirs of the state religion's orthodox teachings would have access to it.
Xue Shou spoke up, "Don't take what I'm saying too seriously. In this world, there are numerous ways to achieve a goal. There's no need to be constrained by certain established methods. What's widely used today is likely suitable for most people and fits the current era."
"The techniques and secrets of the past had high thresholds and were not conducive to dissemination. They were destined to be held by only a few, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Techniques and secrets that might not have changed for decades or even centuries in the past may now be surpassed within a few years in this new era. What seems lacking now will eventually be reached and surpassed; it's just a matter of time."
"Yes, that stroke is good. This one should be done like this, with more fluidity and grace. When the brush is poised, there should be a sense of guarding vital areas, like in combat, protecting the head with crossed arms, but not rigidly so, allowing for movement..."
Under Xue Shou's guidance, Chen Chuan kept this in mind as he swiftly drew, creating a circle with graceful and smooth lines, leaving the end open yet closed, a subtle blend of closure and openness.
"That's a good stroke," Xue Shou praised. "And here, you can add another one..."
Chen Chuan didn't hesitate and drew another stroke.
Xue Shou nodded. In setting up rituals, one must be decisive and unwavering in their intentions. Doubt, especially in oneself, could hinder the effectiveness of the ritual. As he spoke, Xue Shou seemed to think of something and asked, "By the way, you should know that when breaking through limits, you must give up one of your strengths, or embrace something you detest. Have you decided which it will be?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I've already made up my mind."
However, his decision was to merge with his second self and use absolute power to break through the boundary, eliminating the need to give up or embrace anything.
"That's good," said Xue Teacher. "Here, you can't hesitate or change your mind at the critical moment. Otherwise, there might be problems. As for the rest, as long as your methods are correct, it should be fine. Given your progress so far, these steps shouldn't be difficult for you.
In short, if you can pass, you will; if you can't, you won't."
Chen Chuan nodded, recalling that these words were almost identical to what Specialist Mister had said. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Since every fighter has something they must give up and endure, what about General Wei?"
Xue Shou replied, "Well, based on our previous intelligence, Wei Guo Chan might have a daily limit on the number of words he can speak.
We have informants in the former imperial court, and they've noticed how concise his speech is. There was even a statistic showing that in all these years, when interacting with outsiders, he has never spoken more than a hundred words at a time.
His past is easily traceable. He used to be a great debater, able to convince anyone with his eloquence. But after becoming a fighter, he became reticent. So, we believe this is what he had to give up.
However, the greater his sacrifice, the greater the reward."
Xue Shou paused, then added, "But this is just speculation. Sometimes, people might conceal or hide their weaknesses or preferences to mislead others. After all, he's not only a fighter but also a general, so some things won't be easily revealed. But whether or not this is true, it doesn't affect his combat abilities.
Moreover, I don't think this should be considered a weakness. For instance, some people, after becoming fighters, can't stop talking and will constantly seek out others to converse with. That would be more of a headache."
Xue Shou seemed to recall something or someone and rubbed his forehead.
Chen Chuan immediately understood and asked, "What about Principal Yao?"
"Principal Yao..." Xue Shou smiled and said, "You'll find out soon enough."
Chen Chuan didn't press further, as he had already reached the final stroke of the ritual. With a flick of his wrist, he completed the ritual with a smooth, rounded touch.
After finishing, he stepped back and examined the cloak, noticing the flowing patterns on it. Unlike the usual orderly designs, these patterns held a unique essence, and he could immediately discern their purpose and duration just by looking at them, as if they were embedded within his perception.
He turned to Xue Teacher, "Xue Teacher, please take a look. Is there anything else we've missed?"
Xue Teacher glanced at it a few times and assessed, "It's good enough. For your first time conducting such a ritual, you've done well. The limitation of materials prevents pushing the ritual to its highest level, but since this ritual can only be used once, having it depicted is sufficient."
He looked beyond the forest, "If you continue ahead, you should encounter the main force of the Former Imperial Court's army and the pre-arranged gun and cannon positions. However, it's the same in any direction. Just be cautious and avoid the cannon fire. If there's a special situation, I'll alert you. How you handle it is your choice. If it's urgent, immediately initiate the ritual, and I'll shield you."
Chen Chuan nodded. In truth, his Second Self was almost in sync with his Self. Currently, there didn't seem to be any suitable opponents in the outer areas, but it wasn't a significant issue. If a fighter arrived, this strong external stimulus would be enough to resonate with his Second Self and achieve unity with his Self.
If the fighter dispatched by the Defense Department and that Principal Yao could stop the Conquering General, and no other variables emerged during the process, then that would be considered a success.
He had already planned that when the time came, he could slash open a rift and enter the opposite world. With the external stimuli and threats there, he could complete the final resonance and take the opportunity to break through his limits.
In any case, he had a plan for either scenario.
At this moment, he put on the cloak and added an extra layer of protective raincoat over it to prevent the pervasive corrosion of the Convergence Zone.
Then, he called out to Chao Ming, instructing him to follow from a distance without getting too close. After that, he mounted his horse, tugged the reins, and galloped off in a specific direction.
In the 1619th chapter of the Illustrated Novel, there was not a single mistake!
According to the map provided by Chen Bitong, the Defense Department's command center was located at the bottom of the map, while the unknown territory where Chen Chuan was currently in was at the top. In between, there might be troops gathered by the Former Imperial Court.
The Daxun Camp, located on the edge of the unknown territory, was on the left side of the map, right on the route Chen Chuan was currently taking. He had been heading there earlier and wasn't far from it now, at most a half-day's journey.
However, at this moment, he suddenly turned and rushed towards the distant command center, almost brushing past the camp.
If he maintained his current speed in a straight line and encountered no obstructions, he could reach the defense command center in about three days. But the Former Imperial Court's forces wouldn't let him get there so easily.
The Former Imperial Court's troops, which had been waiting in ambush around the Daxun Camp, noticed this change of plans through the aurora in the sky. After a series of telegram exchanges, they began to move.
First, the airship hovering nearby changed course and followed Chen Chuan's direction. Then, a large cavalry force escorted the mule-drawn artillery corps in pursuit.
The Daxun forward camp also noticed Chen Chuan's change in route, as the aurora's movement was quite evident. They saw the airship changing course, and a large number of scout birds began flying eastward. In the distance, a hidden valley was filled with dust and smoke, indicating the presence of hidden troops.
One of the officers turned and said, "Captain Xin, it seems like the comrades who took the relic aren't planning to come to our camp. In that case, there's no point in us staying here."
The officer continued, "Captain, please don't say things like we can hold off the enemy here. Those Former Imperial Court troops aren't paying attention to us at all; they're only chasing after our comrades."
Another officer added, "Yes, Major, there's no need for us to stay here. Why don't we go and help cover them instead?"
Major Xin looked outside and said, "We can't move yet."
As the officers were about to speak further, Major Xin raised his hand to stop them. He calmly said, "It's already afternoon. We have about three hours until nightfall. How far can we go now? What can we do?"
The officers immediately calmed down, realizing the truth in his words. The Former Imperial Court had an absolute advantage in the Convergence Zone because they could move freely at night, while the Daxun troops couldn't engage them without a fortified position. Leaving too far or being cut off from their retreat meant certain death.
Major Xin glanced at the aurora and continued, "Let's wait until tomorrow. Their airship will be gone by then. We'll have air support tomorrow, and once we gather, we'll attack from their rear to restrain their forces. Also, let's take out those special weapons we've been hiding; there's no need to keep them stored. We'll use them tomorrow."
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(End of Chapter)
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