Celestial Human Diagram

After lunch, Weidong went back to the training hall, while Chen Chuan returned to his dorm. He informed Yan Yi about Weidong’s situation, and she assured him it would be taken care of within two days.

With that matter settled, he shifted his focus back to his training.

Two days later, feeling he had a solid preliminary grasp of the Heart Stabilizing Method, he sent a message to Teacher Xue through the academy’s platform to report his progress.

Teacher Xue replied, "Excellent. Tomorrow, same place—the training ground on the seventieth floor. I’ll be there at nine in the morning."

"I’ll be there on time, Teacher," Chen Chuan said.

After setting the appointment, he steeped a cup of clear tea and sat down on the sofa.

In addition to his mental training, he also had to maintain his physical regimen, taking special medication every two or three days to enhance his abilities.

His days were packed. He had even begun using the Breathing Technique to replace sleep at night.

Yet he didn’t feel tired. On the contrary, he relished it. The feeling of making progress every day was deeply satisfying, and he found himself completely immersed in the process.

But his training didn’t consume him entirely. He made sure to stay aware of outside events, setting aside time each day to check the news and review updates from the Processing Bureau and the company.

This was especially true for company matters. Yan Yi compiled a daily news brief and posted it to the reference platform. It covered a wide range of topics, making it the most convenient way to stay informed without having to search for information himself.

Some information, however, was missing—like news about Chen Bitong’s training program. He seemed to recall it was scheduled to begin in mid-to-late February, which was fast approaching. He would definitely have to make a trip there when the time came.

Chen Bitong was considered the man closest to becoming a Fighting Master. ’Since he’s running this program, it can’t just be for show. He must be planning to reveal something substantial. I wonder what it could be.’

After browsing the news for a while, he took a sip of his tea and started clearing out the past month’s junk messages. There were solicitations from the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop that arrived every few days, as well as advertisements from numerous other companies seizing every possible opportunity to reach him.

As he was cleaning up, Tan Zhi’s icon began to flash on his Realm Token. He accepted the call, and Tan Zhi’s voice came through.

"Chen, I managed to get a few more theater tickets. This time it’s for the first act of the major New Year’s production—even some councilors and dignitaries from the Administrative Affairs Hall will be there. I’ve already invited Pan Xiaode and Qi Huixin. Are you coming?"

"When is it?" Chen Chuan asked.

"On the holiday at the end of the month."

Chen Chuan considered it. He would have the time. He usually didn’t train on the holiday, preferring to go out for a bit. "Alright, I’m free," he said.

"Great! See you on the holiday, then."

After making the plans, Chen Chuan logged onto the fringe channel and noticed an unread message.

He opened it. It was a reply to a question he had posted on the platform after returning to Central City, asking about a location that had appeared in his Dream Realm memories.

He had even included a rough sketch of the scenery from memory, but his post had gone unanswered until now.

"That place should be Tai Gong Rock. I’ve been there once. My great-aunt’s house is just ten li from there. Her inn is up on the mountain—it makes a killing."

"Now that you mention it, that *is* Tai Gong Rock. The OP’s drawing was so abstract, or I would’ve recognized it sooner."

Chen Chuan ignored the second comment and immediately ran a search. Tai Gong Rock was located in the heartland of the Dashun Territory, a famous scenic spot along the middle reaches of the Mojiang River. It was best known for the Ten-Mile Pier and the Suspended Corridor. Not far away was the treacherous Jilang Gorge, a popular destination for tourists every year.

’A pier, a suspended corridor... that matches the scenery from my last dream. It must be the place...’

He looked at a few more landscape photos to confirm his suspicion. ’This is it. I should make a trip there when I have time. Sometimes being at the actual location can trigger more memories. It might lead to more clues about the original owner’s death and his parents.’

’But there’s no rush. Even if I did find something, it would be pointless if I can’t act on it. It would just add to my worries. Better to take things slow.’

He was about to browse for a little while longer before logging off when a news alert suddenly popped up at the top of his screen, catching his attention.

He clicked on it. It was about the Ferris Wheel Company. A convoy and a warehouse near the company’s port had been attacked. The alert included a few scattered photos and video clips.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of speculative comments and discussions quickly appeared below the post.

He ignored the discussion and went straight to the Processing Bureau’s internal information platform, where he quickly located the source report on the incident.

The attack had occurred forty-five minutes earlier. The attacking force was substantial—an armed group of over a hundred people. They were not only driving armored vehicles, but the vehicles were also mounted with heavy weaponry.

The fighting lasted for half an hour. The Ferris Wheel Company’s security forces suffered heavy casualties, with initial estimates of over forty dead and wounded. One of the company’s mid-level managers was killed, and two storage and transport warehouses were destroyed and burned down. Video footage from the Bureau showed the scene shrouded in thick smoke, with ambulances and fire trucks everywhere.

He watched for a moment. The leader of the attacking group was a man whose body was half-covered in Implants. He looked incredibly strong and burly—undoubtedly a Third Limit Fighter. The men with him were clearly formidable as well.

He pulled up the man’s file. He was the leader of the Blood Hammer Mercenary Corps, a group that hadn’t previously been active in Jibei Dao Central City.

A strange look crossed his face. ’Violent conflicts are common in Central City, but an attack on this scale is rare. After all, there’s no way the Processing Bureau and the city patrols would fail to notice a force of this size being assembled. And yet, this time, they apparently did.’

Normally, when a violent incident of this nature occurred, an emergency alert would be sent to all members of the Processing Bureau. The city patrols would show up on site, even if it was just for show.

But this time, not only was there no alert, it appeared even the city patrols failed to arrive in time. It was as if they were intentionally letting events unfold.

’Furthermore,’ he thought, ’for the Blood Hammer Mercenary Corps to deploy so many light and heavy weapons, and use their firepower so recklessly, they must have the backing of another corporation.’

His mind raced, and one name immediately came to him: Lianwei Zhongyu.

Lianwei Zhongyu’s main business was in mercenary and transport services; mobilizing personnel and weapons was not an issue for them. The problem was getting past the inspection and law enforcement agencies. Moving a small number of people and weapons might be possible, but an operation of this magnitude was virtually impossible under normal circumstances.

The conclusion, therefore, was obvious.

’The Processing Bureau must have tacitly approved this attack.’

Indeed, after two consecutive attacks on its own personnel, the Processing Bureau was never going to let it slide. As a violent law enforcement agency, even without direct evidence to use legal channels, they had plenty of other ways to deal with you.

’There will be more attacks like this in the future, not fewer.’

He watched for a little while longer before logging out. Taking another sip of tea, he glanced outside. The weather looked nice. He set his cup down, went over to ruffle Chaoming’s hair, and then entered the training room to begin his workout.

The next day, Chen Chuan arrived at the training hall before nine o’clock. It was completely empty, but that was to be expected. He didn’t wait idly; he sat down and began practicing his Breathing Technique.

It wasn’t until nearly noon that he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

"Oh dear, oh dear, Chen, my sincerest apologies. I ran into a matter that needed my attention on the way here. I promise it won’t happen again."

Teacher Xue said as he walked over.

Chen Chuan stood up. "You’re too kind, Teacher. It’s only natural for a student to wait for their instructor."

"It won’t happen again, I guarantee it," Teacher Xue said. "If I’m ever delayed again, I’ll find a way to make it up to you. After all, a student’s time is valuable, too."

"Well, sit, sit."

Chen Chuan waited until the teacher was seated before sitting down himself.

"Let’s see your progress," Teacher Xue said.

Chen Chuan immediately stabilized his mind. After this period of practice, while not perfectly masterful, he could now employ the Heart Stabilizing Method with ease. With a single thought, he suppressed all stray notions.

Teacher Xue merely had to observe his Domain to gauge his progress.

’Chen Chuan isn’t the fastest when it comes to training,’ he thought. ’I know of one at the Central Hospital who managed to stabilize his mind on the spot, right after being taught the method. That stunned a lot of people at the time, even drawing attention from the Upper Layer.’

’But Chen’s mind is stable and balanced. How to put it... he’s solid. Not spectacular, but by no means lagging behind.’

’Though I’m pretty laid-back myself, I actually prefer students like Chen. He learns what he’s taught, makes steady progress, and doesn’t bother with any nonsense.’

’Those exceptionally brilliant students are also the ones most prone to variables and accidents. They’re always pulling some stunt, which just creates more work for me. And in the end, when they succeed, neither the student nor anyone else credits the teacher. They just chalk it up to the student’s natural talent. How frustrating is that?’

He spoke up. "Good. Chen, you’ve more or less mastered the heart stabilizing part. Now, let’s move on to the next stage..."

Despite his late arrival, once he was in teaching mode, he was crisp and efficient.

"Once the mind is gathered, the next step is to temper it."

"From the old era until today, many techniques have been developed: methods of prayer, the Observation Method, seated meditation, physical posturing, vocalization, and so on. But in my opinion, the most direct and effective of these is the Refining Method, which can be supplemented with other Dharma Gates."

"The method is simple: you use a powerful will to assault and hammer your own Heart Jade. This process polishes away impurities, making it firm and condensed."

"It has its drawbacks, of course. If you undergo this tempering for too long, it’s easy to become tainted by the mental imprints of others, gradually being influenced by them until you lose your own unique identity."

"Therefore, the person performing the assault must understand the risks, know how to restrain themselves, and must not harbor any hostility toward you. Otherwise, you could be sabotaged without even realizing it. You must remember this."

Chen Chuan nodded. "I’ll remember, Teacher."

Satisfied, Teacher Xue’s expression turned serious. "Alright. Now, stabilize your mind. The Refining Method is effective, but it places immense demands on the recipient’s will. A single moment of carelessness can have severe consequences. Tell me when you’re ready."

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