Celestial Human Diagram

Chapter 368 - 99: Sparring

Chen Chuan contacted Lu Fang immediately. Once the call connected, he first asked about Lu Fang’s current situation.

Lu Fang reported that everything was normal on his end. After Zhao Er regained consciousness and learned of Zhao Qian’s death, he didn’t give up but tried to attack again. However, Lu Fang had knocked him down once more and now had him completely under control.

As for No. 13, she was the same as always, staying in the residence with no intention of leaving. It seemed that unless someone gave her an order, she wouldn’t take any initiative.

After getting the update, Chen Chuan said, "Brother Wu found some new information. Things might not be what we previously thought." While speaking, he sent what he had found directly to Lu Fang. "Senior Brother, you can contact me after you’ve looked it over."

Once Lu Fang confirmed he had received it, Chen Chuan went to his desk. His schedule indicated that today was the day to take his medicine, so he took out a Cyan Pill and swallowed it. Then, he moved to the side to begin his simple daily training.

Less than half an Hour later, Lu Fang called. Once connected, his voice came through, low and subdued. "Junior Brother, if we can’t find any other clues, then I think... she’s very likely our senior brother’s sister."

He voiced his speculation. "She might have been targeted by an executive at Lianwei Zhongyu Company, or perhaps she possesses some special value of her own. That would explain why her position has seemed higher than Zhao Qian’s ever since she joined the company three years ago. It’s also possible that Zhao Qian only got into Lianwei Zhongyu because of her."

Chen Chuan said, "Anything is possible. For now, we’re just speculating."

Lu Fang sighed. "Yes, just speculating."

"Do you still want to investigate, Senior Brother?" Chen Chuan asked.

Lu Fang said, "When I first came to Central City, my only goal was to find our senior brother’s sister and confirm her whereabouts. If she was alive but not doing well, I planned to rescue her from Zhao Qian. But I can’t make that decision for her, so I wanted to see how she was doing before deciding on anything."

"If she needs help, I’ll do my best to provide it. If she doesn’t, then I feel I shouldn’t disturb her. I still feel that way now."

Chen Chuan said calmly, "We may have a lead now, but this makes things even more complicated. If her position at Lianwei Zhongyu Company is higher than Zhao Qian’s, we have almost no chance of contacting her. She might not even be in Jibei Dao Central City. With our current resources, it’s impossible to get to the bottom of this."

"You’re right..."

Lu Fang felt helpless too. The longer he spent in Central City, the more he sensed an invisible boundary. This boundary stratified every person, layer by layer. You could only operate within your designated limits; cross that line, and you would face a merciless blow.

Back in Yangzhi City, it was like a dam built by the allied powerful families. But in Central City, it was a high wall with no end in sight, erected by countless, even more powerful forces.

He didn’t even have citizenship status now, let alone the ability to contact the company—he couldn’t even get close. If Chen Chuan hadn’t been willing to help, he wouldn’t have been able to uncover even this much.

Chen Chuan said, "Senior Brother Lu, if you want to confirm this, if you want to continue the investigation, then there might be only one way..." He paused. "The way of us Fighters."

A jolt went through Lu Fang.

He knew what Chen Chuan meant. He was telling him to continue down the path he was on—the one visible path that offered a chance to break through these boundaries.

With his talent, he actually had a chance to climb higher. After all, he had been the vice president of the Fenxin Society. While his abilities might not have been first or second in the academy, he was still outstanding, part of a very select group.

Compared to people like Wei Jun and Zhao Qian, the only thing he lacked was resources. But that was precisely what he was missing. He knew how difficult the path was from the example of two other seniors who had been in Central City for several years.

But he believed Chen Chuan was right. Without power, what good would it do even if he found his senior’s sister? Without sufficient strength, he was utterly powerless to change anything.

He couldn’t even help himself.

He said solemnly, "Junior Brother, thank you for the reminder. I am a Fighter. I will find a way to solve this problem the way a Fighter would."

Chen Chuan said, "I’ll have someone come handle things on your end later, Senior Brother."

Lu Fang chuckled. "No need. I can handle a small thing like this. Junior Brother, let’s keep in touch. If there’s anything you need me for, please don’t hesitate to ask."

Chen Chuan paused for a moment. "Alright."

After ending the call with Lu Fang, he returned to the center of the training area and resumed his workout.

’I’ll keep an eye on this, but not right now.’ Right now, he needed to focus all his efforts on breaking through the Third Limit. Once he reached that level, he would cross a new threshold and be able to see things that were previously hidden from him.

He continued until noon, at which point he ate a few sticks of Nutrition Paste and washed up. Then he headed out, going straight to the Sea Realm Arena. He didn’t emerge until ten o’clock that night. After leaving the interference zone, he sent his daily feedback on the medicine to the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop.

It was already past eleven when he returned to the Profound Palace Building. Without wasting any time, he lit the Incense Burner, using a little less Aromatic Medicine this time. He then drank the main medicine along with its supplement and silently began guiding his Breathing Technique.

In what felt like a brief trance, he awoke to find it was already seven in the morning.

His body felt as if it were soaking in a hot spring, so languid he didn’t want to get up, yet his mind was exceptionally clear. He could feel the Mutated Organization throughout his body brimming with vitality; all his body’s nutrients and blood were concentrating there.

But tranquil meditation alone wasn’t enough; it was only one step. He still needed a powerful opponent to help him achieve the fusion of body and mind.

After sitting for a while, he finally rose, walked to the blade rack, and picked up the Snow Monarch Blade. He entered the training room, logged into the Wuyi platform, and found Hong Fu’s sparring service.

The service cost nine thousand for a single three-hour session, an amount equivalent to the daily simulation resources he possessed.

Although it was expensive, it would be worth it if it helped him achieve his goal. Besides, an active Consciousness Body like Hong Fu was exclusive to Wuyi Academy; a sparring service like this was impossible to find anywhere else.

He actually had one final entrance evaluation left, but he dismissed the idea. For one, the data from an evaluation could easily be leaked. For another, there was a fundamental difference between an evaluation and a proper sparring session.

While purchasing the service, he noticed a privacy option. Checking it would prevent anyone from viewing the details of the session, but it cost an extra thousand.

He selected it without hesitation. ’Knowing there are people at the academy who might be watching me, this is money well spent.’ This would prevent them from tracking his exact progress and current condition.

After he paid, Hong Fu’s voice echoed in his ears. "Confirming student has purchased the sparring service. This session will last for three hours. The simulated environment has been selected and integrated. Please confirm the start time."

Chen Chuan looked straight ahead. "Right now."

In the next instant, with a flutter of red robes, Hong Fu seemed to step out of the void. Her lively eyes, visible above her veil, fixed upon him. In her hand, she held the Yanling Blade.

Simultaneously, the scenery shifted. The two of them now stood on the shore of a great lake. The water glittered under a blue sky, white clouds, and a red sun, reflecting the Cyan Lake itself. Soft sand was underfoot, and the lake water lapped at the shore, seemingly wetting the tops of their feet. To one side stood a lake-worn boulder taller than a man, upon which a few idle birds perched.

Chen Chuan took a breath, held the Snow Monarch Blade, and offered a cupped-fist salute. "Please guide me."

Hong Fu raised her blade and returned the salute.

Chen Chuan took a deep breath and released the restraints on his Mutated Organization. He had used this method against Hong Fu before, so her current combat level should be calibrated to match what he had shown then.

So he went all out from the start. With a flash, his blade left its sheath as he stepped forward, thrusting straight ahead.

Across from him, red sleeves billowed. The Yanling Blade moved, its red tassel fluttering at the end of the hilt. With a simple, light parry, it met the Snow Monarch Blade, and an unusual Power surged toward him.

This wasn’t an evaluation, but a true sparring match. Hong Fu wouldn’t allow him to showcase his abilities; instead, she would actively try to suppress him.

After exchanging just a few blows, Chen Chuan felt a pressure unlike any he’d ever experienced from an opponent. Hong Fu’s footwork, techniques, and Power were all flawless. Every strike was executed at the peak of what he could comprehend, leaving him no openings or opportunities to exploit.

He knew Hong Fu didn’t suffer from stamina drain. Unless he could unleash an instantaneous burst of greater power or capitalize on some external factor, it was nearly impossible to win a pure contest of skill against her.

Furthermore, a single lapse in concentration or error in judgment would likely lead to his defeat in a matter of moves. This forced him to maintain intense focus from start to finish.

But this was exactly the kind of pressure he needed.

He needed to use Hong Fu to squeeze out his own potential, to let himself truly enjoy this battle. He knew that every fight was an act of carving and refining himself, a step toward the gradual perfection of body and mind.

「Three hours later」

The sparring session ended. Just as she had appeared, Hong Fu retreated into the void, and the surrounding scenery reverted to the training room.

Chen Chuan stood in the center of the room, silently observing the changes in his mind and body after the battle. He could feel the vitality of his Mutated Organization being drawn out, and his consciousness’s command over his body was steadily growing deeper.

The path to the Third Limit required the integration of breath, body, and mind. The Breathing Technique, meditation, and even the medicine were all just preliminary preparations and accumulation. The next step was to unleash all of it in battle, to make all that preparation truly count.

In essence, it was about using tangible guidance to show his body which direction to go, generating more feedback for himself, and using that to elevate his own state.

But one or two sessions would obviously not be enough. He had to keep pushing until he finally touched that barrier.

...

...