Ten-odd days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now mid-May.

In the training hall, Chen Chuan sat on a soft mat, dressed in a set of cyan Wuyi training robes. He was using a Breathing Technique to guide his Mutated Organization while also regulating his state of mind.

He had been here consolidating his gains the entire time, only returning to the academy once.

He had already notified the company, using the excuse that his personal training was a requirement from his instructor. As a Wuyi Student, this was naturally his top priority. Ren Shu and the others were understanding and even sent him several sets of training robes and a few tins of fine tea. It was a very considerate gesture.

After about forty-five minutes, he slowly eased his breathing.

He was gradually beginning to understand the effect the secretions produced by his Mutated organs had on his body. This was, in fact, one of the sources of a Fighter’s strength. If utilized properly, it could grant even greater power under certain conditions. Therefore, the key was not suppression, but self-regulation and mastery.

His Shocking God Fist had actually touched upon this principle, but at the time, he hadn’t yet developed a sufficiently tough Mutated Organization. Even an ordinary person could use that technique. With a strong Mutated Organization, however, the effects were entirely different.

The simplest example was the mutation Duma had used that day. It was one application of this self-regulation, but it was an all-or-nothing gamble and not worth emulating.

Records from the old era, however, contained a wealth of experience on the subject. Religious Classics, in particular, described it in great detail. He had been reading up on these materials recently. Setting aside all the mystical mumbo jumbo, their methods for harmonizing the mind and communicating between the inner and outer self were quite profound.

However, the simplest and crudest method was to use drugs. But stopping could cause all sorts of problems, and it created a heavy reliance on supply lines. It was far better to achieve mastery on his own.

After his meditation, he stood up and began methodically practicing the moves of the Orthodox Scattering Hand.

While it looked like the same set of techniques, that was only the external appearance. Internally, the movements of his Mutated Organization were completely different from before.

With his Mutated organs now coordinating with his Mutated Tendons and Ligaments, he could make much finer adjustments and variations to the Power of each move, resulting in richer and more diverse attacks. This, however, was just for regular practice, done for the purpose of stimulating his internal organs and promoting the growth of the Mutated Organization.

In a real fight, unless absolutely necessary, he would only use his Mutated Organization to concentrate his strength and increase his speed, seeking to quickly dispatch his opponent. This was true whether he was fighting one-on-one or one-against-many.

The same move now contained several times its previous might, primarily because his strength and speed had been greatly enhanced. Combined with his Second Self, he was far stronger than someone who had just entered the Second Limit.

If he were to face Duma now, even the fully mutated version, he was confident he could end the fight in just a few moves.

After practicing the Orthodox Scattering Hand, he picked up the Snow Monarch Blade and began practicing his Saber Techniques, again to help his Mutated Organization adapt to their use.

After finishing his training for the day, he showered and returned to the second floor. Sitting at his desk, he took the briefcase given to him by the Review Bureau, pulled out the map inside, and spread it out.

His gaze first landed on Yangzhi City before traveling upward. After crossing Zhang Mountain, the map showed an endless wasteland—the northernmost part of the Dashun Territory.

Although Yangzhi City was founded during the Great Expansion, it wasn’t considered Dashun’s frontier. At the far end of the wasteland, on its easternmost point, lay a port city called Cold Valley City.

It wasn’t a normal city. It was a garrison for an unknown number of troops, connected to the hinterlands only by a railway running through the wasteland and by shipping lanes on the northern ocean. It had almost no contact with Yangzhi City.

But he knew there was a military academy there. His cousin, Nian Qian, had enlisted and was studying there, which made travel extremely difficult. News could only be exchanged via telegraph.

But the wasteland was far from empty. It was teeming with fugitives from the hinterlands, maritime smugglers, bandits, members of resistance organizations, and nationally wanted criminals.

Some had even escaped from mega-corporations, bringing with them certain technologies and connections. There were also spies sent by foreign powers, Bounty Hunters, and even a fair number of political exiles. On top of that, a number of unknown Esoteric Organizations were also entrenched there.

Some of these groups banded together, establishing factions of various sizes across the wasteland and building a worldwide underground intelligence network. The bandit gangs in the wilds around Yangzhi City paled in comparison.

If not for the two thousand kilometers separating them—most of which was a no-man’s-land devoid of water and vegetation—and the deterrence of the army, their tentacles would have likely reached Yangzhi City long ago.

And his target for this assessment was located on the edge of this very wasteland. The situation there was extremely complex, and the round trip alone would take a considerable amount of time.

Advance reconnaissance in a place like that was nearly impossible, and there would be no one there to help him. While it seemed like he had plenty of time, a portion of that was allotted for infiltration and extraction. He couldn’t afford to delay much longer.

’It’s already mid-May. I’ll take another half-month to consolidate my training. After that, I can’t wait any longer. I need to take the assessment as soon as possible.’

His mind made up, he folded the map, locked the documents in his safe, and went downstairs. He then got on his bicycle and headed for the academy.

He was back at the academy in less than half an hour. After parking his bike, he walked toward the dormitory, but as he stepped onto the stairs, he saw someone waiting for him. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she walked over. "Junior Chen, it’s been a while."

Chen Chuan recognized her as Min Lan, the senior who had once treated him to a meal in an attempt to recruit him into her agency. After he joined Ren Shu’s company, she hadn’t contacted him again.

"Min Lan," he said. "It has been a long time."

Min Lan smiled. "Chen, I came here specifically to find you. I’ll only take a few minutes. Is now a good time?"

Chen Chuan wasn’t in a particular hurry. Seeing that she was waiting for him specifically—and given he hadn’t been back in a while, she had likely been trying to find him for more than a day or two—he said, "In that case, Senior, let’s talk by the lake." The men’s dormitory was no place to host a guest, especially an alumna who had graduated long ago, so they had to find somewhere else.

Min Lan readily agreed.

The two of them descended the steps, crossed the open area in front of the dormitory, and arrived at the shore of Spring and Autumn Lake, walking along its path.

Min Lan gazed at the willow trees by the shore and the sparkling surface of the water. "It’s been so long since I left the academy. Sometimes I really miss this life. As long as you’re capable enough, you can just focus on your training without so many other worries."

After a moment of reflection, she turned to Chen Chuan. "I apologize for being so forward, but the company I work for is facing a difficult problem, and we’re looking everywhere for a solution.

"I know you’re busy, so I’ll be brief. The problem stems from a major contract that several companies are involved in. It concerns a hidden sect. We need to retrieve something from this sect, but everyone we’ve sent in has mysteriously disappeared or gone dark."

"Last time, my company spent a fortune to turn one of their members, but she lost contact that same night. Their reaction was just too fast. The other companies involved haven’t made any progress either, so we think this isn’t just a simple operational failure. The other side must have some special methods."

"Since they’re a Cult, we suspect they might have abilities that are beyond the ordinary. We’ve consulted experts on the matter, but so far, no one has been able to offer an explanation."

"I remembered that you often handle cases involving ’strange tales,’ Junior Chen, so I thought you might know something about this. I came to ask for your expert opinion. If you can help us solve this, that would be wonderful. We’re prepared to offer a reward that you’ll find more than satisfactory."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Strange tales are one thing, Cults are another. You can’t lump them together."

Min Lan’s eyes brightened. "So you’re saying you do know about Cults, Chen?"

Chen Chuan said, "The Flying Head Monster I dealt with was backed by the Flying Head Sect, which has a very long history. So yes, I know a little, but my knowledge is limited to them. Every Cult is different. Unless I can confirm a connection to a ’strange tale,’ I can’t give you a useful answer."

"I see."

Min Lan nodded. She thought for a moment. "Then we’ll first need to determine the nature of this Cult." She extended her hand to shake Chen Chuan’s. "Sorry to have bothered you, Junior Chen. In any case, thank you for your time today."

After saying goodbye to her, a thought crossed his mind. ’When it comes to Cults, Director Lei of the Esoteric Review Bureau would definitely know about this, but I can’t go bothering him over it. Besides, if word got out, other companies would come sniffing around. Most importantly, I need to prepare for my assessment. I don’t have time to get involved in this now.’

’I can only wish her good luck.’

He glanced around and noticed he was near the administration building. Instead of heading back to his dorm, he decided to go there instead.

He entered the building and went to Cheng Zitong’s office. The door was open, and he saw two people talking with his teacher. He waited outside for a moment until the two visitors, who were clearly not from the academy, had left before entering.

"Have you been waiting long?" Cheng Zitong asked.

"Not long," Chen Chuan replied. "I just got here."

Cheng Zitong shook his head. "Every year, people with connections try to pull strings to get someone into the academy. Anyway, let’s not talk about them. Xiaochuan, did you need something?"

Chen Chuan closed the door and walked back toward the desk. "Teacher," he said solemnly, "I plan to set off at the end of the month."

"So soon?" Cheng Zitong’s expression grew serious. He looked at Chen Chuan. "It seems you’ve made up your mind. Do you need anything? I can prepare it for you."

"The assessment has specific rules," Chen Chuan said. "There are restrictions on weapons, equipment, and even how you deal with the target. I can only bring essential supplies and items for the journey into the wasteland."

’In a place like that, you can procure all sorts of things. Without restrictions, the students would undoubtedly come up with all kinds of unimaginable schemes.’

’There might even be assessors watching in secret.’

Cheng Zitong thought for a moment. "I’ll prepare them for you," he said. He opened a drawer, took out a form, and handed it to him. "This is the departure form. Go ahead and sign it."

"I’m not sure how long you’ll be gone. What I can do to help is use the excuse that I’m taking you out for special training. That way, I won’t be at the academy during that time either. If you need to make a call, use this number..."

Cheng Zitong gave him another phone number, adding a final instruction, "Before you leave, you can show your face at the academy one more time. But until then, try not to get mixed up in any other business. Ignore anyone who comes looking for you."

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