Celestial Human Diagram

Chapter 307 - 39: Report

After finishing the barbecue and resting for a while, Chen Chuan returned to the training grounds at one in the afternoon.

Zheng Tongtong walked over, a different blade in her hand. This was a special training blade, still in the style of a Thick-Backed Blade. The dark blade gave no clue as to what material it was forged from, but it was clearly quite heavy.

Standing before Chen Chuan, she said, "Junior Chen, this blade is very heavy. You need to be careful."

Chen Chuan nodded.

After her solemn warning, Zheng Tongtong immediately spun around, using the momentum of her turn to send the blade slashing horizontally with a dull, whistling sound.

Chen Chuan immediately raised his blade to parry, using the techniques he had previously mastered. But the moment their blades met, he felt an immense force transmit from hers. The techniques from before were completely insufficient to block it.

Because he wasn’t allowed to move, in that instant, he instinctively mobilized layers of his Mutated Organization—those outside the scope of his Power Techniques—to resist.

But before he could, the overwhelming force compelled him backward. For a moment, he felt as if he was about to float away, and his Snow Monarch Blade trembled violently from the impact.

Zheng Tongtong planted her blade on the ground and asked, "How was that, Junior Chen? Can you handle it?"

Chen Chuan exhaled, returned to his original spot, and said, "No problem. Again."

Without any pleasantries, Zheng Tongtong spun and slashed again. Chen Chuan was knocked back once more, but this time, he felt he was starting to get the hang of it.

On the third strike, he only retreated two steps. On the fourth, just half a step. And by the fifth and sixth strikes, he could stand his ground without moving at all, just like before.

He realized that the Power Teacher Zheng had taught him was just a basic framework. The Mutated Organization it called upon was only a general mobilization; any further variations were simply built upon this foundation. As he involved and mobilized more of the surrounding mutated tissue, he found he could gradually withstand even a force like this.

This was thanks to the full-body Mutated Organization he had developed through his Circulation’s Strength. The tissues were already there, ready to be engaged whenever needed, so it wasn’t difficult for him to do this.

However, those who lacked sufficient Mutated Organization would need special stimulation and adjustments, often getting stuck at this stage for some time. They wouldn’t have as smooth a time as he did.

Teacher Zheng hadn’t expected him to adjust so quickly and involuntarily nodded to himself in approval. ’This student’s foundation is truly excellent. The coverage of his Mutated Organization is very comprehensive.’ He had taught many people before, but only two or three had ever adapted this fast, and every single one of them was a person of innate talent.

’It seems this student is the same. But then again, that’s to be expected. According to his file, he practices the Circulation Technique. Without innate talent, it’s impossible to achieve anything with that Force Technique.’

Back on the training floor, Zheng Tongtong started to pick up her speed. Before, she had been striking one blow at a time to let Chen Chuan adapt, but now she was getting serious. For a moment, the training room was filled with the whoosh of the heavy blade cutting through the air and the clang of parries against slashes.

At five in the evening, Teacher Zheng called a halt again, and only then did the sparring session end.

Chen Chuan could feel a slight soreness in the corresponding Mutated Organization, clearly fatigued from the repetitive exercise. However, he was still full of energy, which he guessed was thanks to the lamb he had eaten for lunch.

Teacher Zheng said, "That’s all for today’s training, Chen. You can come back tomorrow."

Chen Chuan agreed, then gave a formal salute to Teacher Zheng with his blade held in his arms. He then cupped his hands toward Zheng Tongtong. "Thank you, Senior Sister Zheng."

Zheng Tongtong returned the gesture, then gave him a thumbs-up. "You’re welcome, Junior Chen. You’re very good."

Chen Chuan said his goodbyes to the two, tidied up a bit, and left Teacher Zheng’s residence carrying his Snow Monarch Blade.

Out on the streets of Central City, with the sky already dark, a torrent of lights and shadows flooded his senses. He was carrying the Realm Token issued to him by the Processing Bureau today. With a slight adjustment, it instantly filtered out most of them.

When he got on the tram, a notification came through the Realm Token’s communication link from the Processing Bureau’s platform. It stated that the previous emergency case had been closed and provided him with a full report on the situation.

He read it and learned that the attackers had all belonged to the same mercenary squad. They had been returning to rest after completing a mission abroad.

But halfway back, they were informed that although they had captured the designated location, the main target had escaped. Therefore, in accordance with the pre-signed contract, most of their payment was deducted.

The problem was, they had paid for their equipment and Implant maintenance themselves, all with borrowed money. With most of their payment deducted, not only did they fail to make a profit, but each of them was now saddled with heavy debt.

As mercenaries, there was no way they would tolerate this, so they immediately decided to pull off a major heist.

Through an informant, they learned that a certain Exchange Shop had recently acquired several expensive items that were both easy to carry and had no shortage of buyers. So they decided to hit the place.

They split into two groups, one of which gathered at the second-hand goods market. However, this was where the problem started.

One of the squad members saw a second-hand Implant there. It belonged to a comrade who had once saved his life on the battlefield, and it even had the man’s name engraved on it. He himself had personally escorted this comrade to the rear after he was injured, but at the time, the wound was definitely not severe enough to be fatal.

Upon discovering this, the squad member immediately lost it and threw a bomb. The shop owner fled down the emergency exit from the third floor, but was caught on the second floor and had his head blown off with a single shot.

This alerted the nearby security patrol, causing their heist plan to fall apart. Most of the members were captured by the city patrol and Processing Bureau members who arrived later, but the leader is still at large and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Because Law Enforcers have been targeted for revenge by criminals in the past, the bureau’s final reminder was for him to be careful and wear protective gear when going out.

After reading it, Chen Chuan took note of the information on the fugitive and closed the notification. By then, the tram had arrived at his stop. He got off and walked back to the Profound Palace Building, bathed in a kaleidoscope of shifting lights.

The next day, Chen Chuan left the academy at around the same time as yesterday and went to Teacher Zheng’s house to begin a new day of training.

Today, Zheng Tongtong wasn’t using yesterday’s Heavy Blade. Instead, she wielded a Light Blade as thin as a cicada’s wing.

This weapon wasn’t made of metal, but was polished from some kind of biological cartilage. A row of holes had been drilled into it, and when empowered by a unique Power, it could be swung at extreme speeds.

Teacher Zheng first taught him a set of techniques for increasing the speed of his Power. Once he was familiar with them, he had Zheng Tongtong spar with him, demanding that he find a way to keep up with her blade’s speed.

He performed exceptionally well again, managing to keep up with Zheng Tongtong’s speed after just one day of training. For the next few days, he repeatedly alternated his training between these two types of blades.

On the ninth day, after training ended, Teacher Zheng said to him, "Tomorrow is a rest day. Go home, get some rest, and let things settle. For us Fighters, this kind of skill training doesn’t require you to be so tense all the time. Go relax. We’ll start the next phase the day after tomorrow."

Chen Chuan agreed. He could feel that even though it was still just basic training, he had already made significant progress compared to before.

After bidding farewell to Teacher Zheng and his daughter, he returned to the academy.

He had plans with Tan Zhi for a one-day cruise tour today, and they were departing tonight. So, he returned to his dorm, washed up, and packed his things in advance.

This time, he changed into an academy uniform, wearing Protective Clothing underneath. He also prepared to bring both his Snow Monarch Blade and the Thunder Shock Spear that Cao Guiqi had given him.

He had asked beforehand and confirmed that weapons were allowed. It wasn’t just him; all students from Wuyi Academy would be bringing theirs. After all, as Fighters who possessed martial strength, they deeply understood its destructive potential. They would never entrust their safety to others.

He had just finished packing when a message from Tan Zhi arrived: "Chen, how’s it going? We’re about to head out. Are you ready?"

Chen Chuan replied, "I’m ready whenever."

"Great! Come on down. We’re leaving now!"

Chen Chuan grabbed his things, took the elevator downstairs, and when he reached the plaza, he saw Tan Zhi sitting in a convertible, waving enthusiastically at him.

"Chen, get in."

Chen Chuan walked over, opened the door, and sat in the passenger seat. As soon as he buckled his seatbelt, Tan Zhi stomped on the gas, and the car shot forward.

In an instant, the wind whipped through their hair and clothes. The February spring breeze was actually quite chilly, but as Fighters, they both found it comfortable.

Tan Zhi rested one hand casually on the steering wheel and asked, "So, Chen, has the academy set your assessment subject yet? Have you found a suitable teacher recently?"

Chen Chuan said, "I have."

"It’s so convenient being backed by the Processing Bureau. The company investing in me is medium-sized, but their terms aren’t as harsh as the big corporations. I’ll have more freedom in the future.

By the way, I bet you didn’t know, the investor backing Senior Brother Sun, the guy who organized this trip, is the Canglong Company. They have a lot of maritime businesses, so once we’re out on the sea, it’s his home turf. But we won’t be going far from the coastline. That’s mainly to ensure that if we run into trouble, we can swim back even if we have to jump ship."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "That certainly sounds ’safe’."

Tan Zhi chuckled. "You have to be careful. You’ve heard of the resistance, right?"

Chen Chuan said, "A little."

Tan Zhi said, "Those guys cause trouble everywhere. The Lower City District is heavily infiltrated now. Oh, I’m talking about the real ’Lower City District’ underneath. That place is like a festering sore on Central City. Who knows if they’ll show up where we’re gathered? We’ve got to be careful, right?"

Chen Chuan had a feeling that Tan Zhi wasn’t telling him the whole story and was just using that as an excuse. If there was danger, it might be from the resistance, but perhaps not *only* from the resistance.

He didn’t press for details. Instead, he looked up the Canglong Company. It was originally one of the National Enterprises, involved in the marine biology industry before some of its operations were spun off.

Judging from the company’s scope of business, it was possible they were involved in the existence of the deep-sea creatures in the Sea Realm Arena.

Tan Zhi drove fast, and in just half an Hour, they arrived at the port in Ji Yang District. They could already feel the sea breeze blowing in gusts. He gestured toward a cruise ship anchored just offshore. "Look, that’s where we’re going today—the ’Rhino Horn’ cruise ship."

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