Celestial Human Diagram

With Old Qi’s matter arranged, Chen Chuan returned to his academy dormitory and drafted a report for the Processing Bureau.

He was certain the Esoteric Materials he used were fine, but it was hard to say for sure about the ones Hao Zhuo had sold to others.

The investigators had tracked the materials to Old Qi, likely because he was not just a regular customer but also an acquaintance, providing a trail to follow.

But there was no guarantee the materials sold to others were safe, especially considering the involvement of the Plague Gang, an organization with ties to a Cult. It was impossible to say what sort of trouble might arise.

After submitting the report, he continued his preparations for departure. He made sure to pack some special medicines; even while on a mission, he couldn’t neglect his Fighter training. Standard medicine would likely be provided, or at least available for purchase, but he brought some of his own just in case.

As for equipment, he prepared several sets of his usual clothes. His guns and blades, both long and short, were cleaned, oiled, and placed in their cases. He also packed a canister of tea.

While he was preparing, a notification pinged. He glanced at it and saw a short voice message from the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop.

Because he had been a Drug Tester, they still sent him advertisements for medicinal products from time to time, along with persistent invitations.

At first, it was Manager Fan trying to recruit him. But after he ignored the messages several times, the sender changed to a lower-level employee.

He didn’t block them; he might need to cooperate with a large corporation like that in the future. For now, though, he wasn’t interested, so he swiped the notification away.

After another day of rest, a notification from Manager Ji finally arrived in the afternoon. "Mr. Chen, if you are ready, please come to the Processing Bureau now."

Chen Chuan replied, "I’m on my way." He packed his belongings, left the dormitory, and drove to the Processing Bureau.

Manager Ji was waiting for him there. He led Chen Chuan into the same conference room as last time. Inside, a man in a uniform with a small mustache and a friendly expression was waiting. Another man, who looked like an assistant, stood behind him.

Manager Ji made the introduction. "This is Counselor Pei from the Jibei Dao Command of the Defense Department."

Counselor Pei enthusiastically came forward and shook Chen Chuan’s hand. "Welcome, Mr. Chen. We are delighted to have a young talent like you join our defense forces."

Chen Chuan greeted him in return, "Hello, Counselor Pei."

After the greeting, Counselor Pei’s expression turned serious. "Mr. Chen, in light of you joining us, your rank is automatically promoted by one level according to our command’s regulations. Therefore, I am formally notifying you that you are now a First Level Executor under our command. Your uniform, sidearm, and sword will be issued to you upon arrival at our subordinate military garrison."

Chen Chuan saw his information pop up on his Realm Token and quickly update. The designation below changed from Second Level to First Level Executor. He said, "Thank you, Conductor Pei."

This rank, in a local jurisdiction, was equivalent to a deputy chief of the Patrol Bureau. In the administrative system, a lateral transfer could place him directly into such a powerful enforcement agency.

But this was only in theory. In reality, few Third Limit Fighters were willing to go to local jurisdictions, where resources were scarce and restrictions were many.

Here at the command headquarters, however, his rank allowed him to lead a squad on his own, with at least two other Third Limit Fighters as the main force. The next step up was the rank of Execution Captain, who could command two to three squads.

Counselor Pei checked his Realm Token and said, "It will take some time to reach the defense zone, Mr. Chen. Let’s talk on the way."

He led the way, and Chen Chuan followed along with the assistant. They went outside and took an elevator. The assistant pressed two numbers, and the elevator began to descend.

’Chen Chuan’s thoughts raced. The conference room was already underground, and now they were going even deeper. Were they headed to the Lower City District?’

’But then again, while the Lower City District was large, it was actually a collection of separate, dispersed spaces connected by tunnels. It wasn’t a single hollowed-out area. Most of the undeveloped subterranean space was probably still in the hands of the Upper City District.’

’And not just the government. The major corporations were likely the same.’

The elevator didn’t display floor numbers as it descended, but it stopped after about half a minute. The doors slid open, and the assistant stepped aside. Counselor Pei and Chen Chuan walked out together.

Ahead of them was a subterranean station. A train with only three carriages was parked there. Under the glow of the tunnel lights, the tracks could be seen stretching into the unseen depths at both ends.

Several guards were on duty. When they saw the group approach, they lowered their guns and snapped to attention with a sharp salute.

Conductor Pei checked the time again and said, "Just in time." He turned back. "Mr. Chen, follow me."

Chen Chuan gave the station a quick glance, nodded, and followed him into the first carriage.

Inside, he found the environment to be excellent. The walls were adorned with finely carved decorative panels, the seats were leather sofas, and a thick carpet covered the floor.

Counselor Pei invited him to sit, then took a seat himself. He had his assistant brew two cups of tea. "The passage to the defense zone is only open during two periods each day: five in the morning and five in the evening. If you miss it, you have to wait until the next day."

Just then, the assistant brought the tea. The train beneath them began to move slowly.

Counselor Pei picked up his tea and said politely, "During your participation in the defense mission, Mr. Chen, you will be formally assigned to our command. You will be briefed on the specifics of your operations upon arrival."

Chen Chuan nodded. Since he hadn’t yet participated in the defense, much of the information was not disclosed to him. He would only find out once he got there.

After the train had been moving for about seven or eight minutes, Counselor Pei checked his watch and said, "We’re almost there."

Just as he said this, the view ahead suddenly brightened, as if they had exited the tunnel and arrived in an open area.

Chen Chuan glanced outside. ’This is... outside of Central City?’

’No!’

He looked back. Behind them was a boundless plain. The dark silhouettes of mountains could be seen in the distance. There was no sign of Central City, and even the topography was completely different.

The train was now traveling on a long stretch of track. The nearby scenery was fine, but looking out the side window, he saw the sky was thick with dark clouds, occasionally pierced by flashes of lightning.

Counselor Pei smiled. "We have entered the Merging Land."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Manager Ji should have told you, Mr. Chen, right?

"Every Central City is a meeting point on the very frontier of two worlds. And through these meeting points, one can enter the Merging Land—the intermediate zone between the two worlds.

"It is a vast region, and we have yet to find its borders. There are many theories about this place..."

He raised his teacup and gestured outside. "The most common one is that it was naturally created by the collision of two worlds. But some believe that this is land and space that was seized from us by the Opposite World during the last Period of Change."

At this, he took a sip of tea and chuckled. "There’s an even bolder theory. It suggests that the collision isn’t just between our two worlds, but many worlds, all converging on a single point. Eventually, they will form a brand-new world, and our world will be swallowed up in the process."

His expression grew a little more serious. "Regardless of which theory is correct, that’s for the theorists and technicians to verify. Our job is to eliminate any unstable factors before that happens and ensure the stability of the World Ring barrier."

Chen Chuan nodded slightly.

Counselor Pei put down his teacup. "The Merging Land can only be reached during two brief periods each day. At all other times, the passage is sealed. This is to ensure our world isn’t infiltrated as much as possible, because every time we pass through, we come over here, but it can also cause certain things to go over to our side."

Chen Chuan glanced outside. He didn’t know when, but a fog had risen behind them. The end of the track they had come from was now shrouded in thick mist, as if obscuring the path back.

He asked, "Is it those... entities?"

Counselor Pei shook his head. "Not entirely. We still can’t be completely sure what slips through, but something definitely does."

He said solemnly, "That’s why we must minimize frequent travel. For this reason, some of the command’s troops and personnel are stationed here long-term. For such stationed personnel, we offer better compensation.

He smiled again. "But since you’ve just arrived, Mr. Chen, you can first familiarize yourself with the situation here before deciding what to do."

Chen Chuan then looked at his Realm Token. It seemed to still have its communication function, but he could no longer contact people in Central City. He asked, "Does the Realm Token still work here?"

Counselor Pei said, "We’ve set up connection points using Domain Creatures nearby. Although it’s not a Large Domain like the Fumu provides, it’s enough to maintain basic communication functions within the range of the connection points."

As he spoke, he tapped his device. Chen Chuan immediately received a contact request and added the counselor to his contact list.

Just then, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. A mountain on the horizon seemed to have moved. But when he looked again, it was perfectly normal, as if he had just been seeing things.

’But he knew that wasn’t possible.’

’Perhaps because this place was so close to the Opposite World, this kind of anomaly was occurring again?’

He stared out the window for a long time. This place was desolate and strange, seeming to hide many unfathomable things.

After the train had traveled for over an hour, snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Heavy, dark clouds piled up above, making the vast sky even gloomier.

Counselor Pei then said, "We’ve arrived."

Chen Chuan could see a fortress-like fortification built along a mountainside. From what was visible on the outside, he could see the beams of searchlights cutting through the wind and snow from heavy watchtowers.

After the two got off the train, a great gust of wind blew snow at them. Counselor Pei was clearly well-prepared, wearing thick clothes.

Chen Chuan only felt a slight chill. It was like opening a window for a breath of fresh air after being in a stuffy room for too long; it actually invigorated him.

Counselor Pei tightened his clothes and said jokingly, "No matter how many times I see it, I’m always a little envious. Let’s go inside."

After going through a strict entry procedure, a large metal gate in front of them rose, and the three men entered the fortress.

Chen Chuan asked, "Counselor Pei, what are you defending against here?"

Counselor Pei said, "Do you remember those theories I mentioned earlier, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Chuan nodded.

"We aren’t the only ones in this region. There are other creatures. According to one theory, they could be from other ancient worlds, or perhaps they’re beings from our own world’s past. Hmm, there’s no definite conclusion yet."

Counselor Pei glanced outside. The heavy fortress gate was slowly descending from above. He said slowly, "And they are not friendly to us."

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