Celestial Human Diagram

Seeing Chen Chuan receive an invitation from Chen Bitong, some of the people around looked on with envy.

Rumors about Chen Bitong’s training class had been circulating for a while. Although they themselves had Implants and couldn’t follow that path, some of their relatives and friends needed it.

However, Chen Bitong was very strict about admission. To receive his guidance, one had to possess a certain level of talent and pay a hefty training fee. Those who were personally invited, like Chen Chuan, were an exception, but such people were few and far between.

After speaking with Chen Bitong, Chen Chuan didn’t press forward any further. He gave a polite nod and started walking toward his teammates. But he had only taken a few steps when he heard Zhan Yi call out to him from behind.

He stopped and turned. Once Zhan Yi had walked up, he asked, "Captain Zhan, is there something I can help you with?"

Zhan Yi came closer and said, "Captain Chen, the teacher seems to hold you in high regard, and I think highly of you as well. That’s why I’d like to invite you to join our ’Blood Hero Corps.’"

Chen Chuan asked doubtfully, "The Blood Hero Corps?" He had never heard the name before.

Zhan Yi explained, "It’s an organization formed by a group of like-minded young heroes dedicated to serving the nation. I’ll send you some information later. If you’re interested, you can contact me afterward. I can be your sponsor." With that, he gave a small smile, nodded at Chen Chuan, and turned to leave.

Chen Chuan’s mind turned. ’Every place has its factions and cliques, its own little circles.’ He had encountered the Mutual Aid Association before; the Blood Hero Corps was probably a similar kind of group.

After that, he had no further interaction with Chen Bitong’s group. However, a few young military officers would occasionally walk up to talk to him, and they exchanged contact signals.

When the tea party ended, Chen Chuan politely bade farewell to Chen Bitong and the others, then left the briefing hall with Qin Qingque and a still-unsatisfied Yuan Qiuyuan.

After giving a few instructions to his two team members, he walked back alone to the same reception room where he had met Counselor Pei.

Counselor Pei was waiting for him there. Seeing him enter, he took the initiative to pour him a cup of tea. After Chen Chuan sat down, he asked, "Captain Chen, what are your impressions after interacting with Chen Bitong today?"

Chen Chuan replied, "It’s too early to tell much, but he did invite me to his training and guidance class today. I plan to check it out when I go back to Central City."

Counselor Pei said, "That’s excellent. First, build a good relationship with him. Attending his class is an opportunity for close observation. But remember to avoid arousing his suspicion as much as possible. That way, when his mandatory leave ends, even if he gets a chance to return, we can still arrange for you to be by his side."

Chen Chuan asked, "Can he still come back?"

Counselor Pei mulled it over for a moment before saying, "It’s hard to say. The man has too much Energy, and his influence among the mid-to-lower ranks is immense. Captain Chen, you probably saw it for yourself today. Forcing him to take leave was already the most appropriate measure the higher-ups could take after weighing the pros and cons. The duration, however, is difficult to predict. It depends on his willingness.

"But... this man has real skills. Captain Chen, you can take this opportunity to learn from him. It will benefit you. However, you need to maintain a proper distance. Remember to take notes after every conversation and report back promptly."

Chen Chuan nodded and added, "There’s one more thing. That man today, Zhan Yi, invited me to join the Blood Hero Corps. May I ask, Counselor Pei, what kind of organization is it?"

Counselor Pei’s expression grew serious. "Executioner Chen, do not join them. It’s a group of young, radical military officers. It first emerged overseas, and later that trend blew into our country. They advocate for the forceful elimination of all corporations, bringing them under national control.

"Sounds good, doesn’t it? But let’s not even talk about whether it’s possible. Even if it were, would that really be any different from when the corporations were in charge? Besides, a slogan is just a slogan. What they’re truly after is what they can gain in the process.

"Furthermore, these people are just a small faction; they don’t represent the entire Military’s opinion. So, avoid getting close to them, or there will be trouble in the future."

Chen Chuan said, "I understand. Thank you for the warning, Counselor Pei. But if the higher-ups know about this, aren’t they trying to control it?"

At this, Counselor Pei sighed. "Ever since the old era passed and the Grand Alliance collapsed, the struggle for technology and power has never ceased. It’s not just us in Dashun; it’s the same for every country in the world. But right now, we have a common enemy. The Great Collision is imminent, so any internal conflicts can only be defused or delayed as much as possible."

Hearing this, Chen Chuan couldn’t help but recall what Senior Brother Cao had told him: to reach a higher limit before The Great Collision.

But as he thought of Senior Brother Cao, he suddenly remembered something. When he’d removed the Iron Demon’s mask, he had found the face somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Just now, he suddenly realized who it resembled.

Uncle Ding.

The Uncle Ding who was always with Senior Brother Cao. His appearance shared many similarities with the Iron Demon’s. Was it just a coincidental resemblance, or were they related by blood?

’Perhaps I can ask Senior Brother Cao about it later. But it’s not a particularly important matter. I’ll bring it up when I get the chance.’

Putting the thought aside, he said, "There’s something else. My communication channel was previously leaked to Zhan Yi by someone at the outpost. I had Executioner Qin look into it, and it turns out someone in the communications office violated regulations."

He took out a pen and a slip of paper, wrote down two names, and pushed it in front of Counselor Pei. "These two people."

Counselor Pei took it, glanced at it, folded it, and put it in his breast pocket. "I understand," he said. "I’ll handle this matter."

Chen Bitong and his entourage stayed at Outpost No. 4 for a total of three days before setting off back to Central City. With his departure, most of the other visitors left as well, and the fortress became quiet and desolate once more.

And on this day, Ding Mou, the tactical staff officer who had given Chen Chuan’s team their last mission, found him again.

"Orders from command. This time, your squad is to proceed to Outpost 285 to ascertain the situation. No reliable information has been received from there for two days."

Chen Chuan picked up the file and read it. For two consecutive days, Outpost 285 had only been transmitting meaningless telegraph signals. The nearest outpost had previously dispatched a team to investigate, but the result was the same. Therefore, they concluded something must be wrong there, very likely due to some anomalous influence.

He had heard from Tian Yu before that the outposts didn’t just serve a military function; they also bore a certain responsibility for exploration. But the situation in the Merging Land was complex, and you never knew what you might encounter.

Ding Mou said, "I recall you mentioning in your report that you have some knowledge of Esoteric Rituals, Captain Chen?"

"That’s right. I know a little."

"Excellent. We believe you might encounter anomalous problems this time, which makes you the most suitable person to lead the team."

Chen Chuan said, "But I’ll need Esoteric Materials. The ones I used last time were my own, and they’re almost completely gone after the last mission."

Ding Mou said, "You don’t need to worry about that. We will have them prepared for you. Captain Chen, the situation there is unknown. I hope your squad can set out as soon as possible and get to the bottom of this."

Chen Chuan said, "Alright. I’ll get ready and leave immediately."

He gathered the documents, returned to his dorm, and used the Realm Token to notify Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque. "We have a mission. Come over so we can discuss the arrangements."

Yuan Qiuyuan responded loudly, "Yes, Captain! I’m on my way!"

"Captain, I’m on my way to report."

After the two arrived at his dorm, Chen Chuan showed them the file, discussed some details, and then sent them back to prepare.

Since this wasn’t an operation against a specific enemy, no tactical advisor would be accompanying them this time. However, the same auxiliary and logistics squad was assigned to them.

The situation there was still uncertain. There might be survivors or people in need of medical treatment. The three of them had enough combat power, but they weren’t adept at handling such matters.

Two Hours later, a total of seven off-road vehicles drove out of the outpost, heading toward the location of the other post.

There were no railway tracks leading there. The drive alone would take about five days. A round trip, plus time to handle the situation, would likely last until the end of the month, meaning they wouldn’t make it back for the New Year. Therefore, Chen Chuan’s plan was to resolve the matter as quickly and properly as possible, circumstances permitting.

Four days later, they reached a rest stop. Outpost 285 was now another day’s journey away.

Outpost 285 was quite remote, more than a two-day journey from its nearest neighbor. The only things in between were simple rest stops like this one.

When Chen Chuan and his team arrived, wind and snow began to fall from the sky. They were used to it. Since coming to the Merging Land, it had been snowing for at least a third of the time. The only stretch of good weather had ironically been during the hunt for the Iron Demon.

The rest stop was manned by soldiers—a standard three-man team. When they saw Chen Chuan’s convoy arrive, they checked their written orders and documents before letting them in.

Although the place wasn’t large, it had been built with all the necessities in mind, so the vacant barracks were more than enough to accommodate their small team.

After parking the vehicles, they immediately assigned guard duties. The vehicle carrying the Domain Creatures required special attention, as it was linked to their internal communications.

Once the arrangements were made, the personnel scheduled for later shifts were sent to rest, ready to set out at dawn the next day.

As the captain, Chen Chuan had his own room. This time, he didn’t cultivate, but simply practiced his Breathing Technique while remaining constantly vigilant.

The first half of the night passed peacefully. But in the second half, a crackling sound came from the Realm Token, followed by the voice of a patrolling team member: "Captain, we have a situation."

Chen Chuan immediately pushed open his door and walked out. The two sentries on duty outside saluted him. He gestured for them to follow and hurried to the location of the report.

It was a vacant warehouse. The team member who made the report was standing guard at the entrance. Seeing Chen Chuan approach, he saluted and immediately explained the situation.

"Captain, we smelled something when we passed by here just now, so we came in to check. And we found them..."

As soon as Chen Chuan walked in, he saw them. There were three corpses. Judging by their faces and uniforms, they were the three soldiers who had greeted them earlier. For some reason, they were now dead here.

’But judging by the situation...’

He ordered, "Get the medical team over here to examine them."

Two members of the medical team hurried over. After examining the bodies, they said with a strange expression, "Captain... we can’t determine a specific cause of death for these three. It’s just..."

"Just what?"

The medical team member hesitated. "Based on the evidence, the estimated time of death was approximately forty-eight hours ago."

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