Celestial Human Diagram

The day before Chen Chuan was set to depart for Central City—the twenty-fifth—the Gao Tian Sect, under pressure from the Ferris Wheel Company, obediently handed over what was said to be their last High Heaven Jade, the one containing the Jade Core. The item was delivered directly into Jian Chengsheng’s hands.

"High Heaven Jade."

Jian Chengsheng stared at the object.

It was a piece of pure white jade, the size of a pigeon’s egg, set upright. A blue halo emanated from its edges. To gaze upon it was like staring into a distant, endless, clear sky.

When he had requested an object that could not be cut, he was merely following an instinct. He had no idea what the Ferris Wheel Company would bring him.

Yet, the moment he saw it, he knew. This was exactly what he needed.

This all stemmed from the core principle of the Saber Technique taught to him by the Feng He Guardian: ’Where the heart directs, the spirit knows what I do not.’ A single slash—without deliberate searching, without conscious observation—could find what he desired and strike the enemy’s weakness.

This was not about leaving things to chance. It was a state achieved through long, arduous training and day-and-night meditation. It required the constant use of special medicines to nurture his Mutated Organization, and repeated life-and-death battles to forge a spiritual resonance between his conscious self and the organization within his body.

But this resonance could only be found on the razor’s edge between life and death; it was not a tool he could wield at will. To do that, he would have to reach the next stage of mastery: As I know God. At that time, provided all external conditions were met, he could begin attempting to shatter his limits.

He looked at the High Heaven Jade and reached out to stroke it, feeling its hard, cold surface against his palm and fingers.

Legend had it that when Zen Blade, the first master of Langtao Hall, arrived from the east, he claimed he could cut anything in the world. The Gao Tian Sect, hoping to make him retreat in the face of an impossible task, presented him with just such a resilient jade. Yet, in the middle of a martial lecture, Zen Blade casually drew his blade and sliced it in two. For this feat, the Gongshi granted him land, and he established Langtao Hall on Erwen Island.

And now, he too had to face this resilient jade.

’Isn’t this some kind of metaphor?’

After staring at the object for a moment, he suddenly drew his blade, slashing forward. But the blade stopped abruptly, barely a finger’s width from the jade.

It was just like facing that phantom. Even though the blade hadn’t made contact, he knew he couldn’t cut it. His heart had already told him the outcome.

If his heart could not break through, neither could his blade.

He wasn’t discouraged. Taking a few steps back, he sat on the floor of the training hall and sank into deep meditation.

While he meditated, messages from the outside world were relayed back and forth, rapidly converging upon the ship.

"According to the analysis of the intelligence we received, the two targets we are to eliminate will most likely return to Central City together."

The people present who were involved in formulating the plan all frowned upon hearing this news.

The two targets departing together might seem more convenient for their operation, but in reality, it was a development they had hoped to avoid.

Both targets were formidable opponents. Their being together exponentially increased the complexity of the situation. The potential for government forces to get involved added even more variables to the equation.

The director asked, "When do they depart?"

The intelligence officer replied, "Most likely in the next day or two. The day after tomorrow at the absolute latest."

The director turned to a manager. "How are Jian Chengsheng’s preparations?"

The manager answered immediately. "He just received the High Heaven Jade. He’s alone in the training hall now, likely preparing for something."

An analyst on the other side of the table looked at the director. "Group Leader," he cautioned, "we only have one or two days left. If he doesn’t emerge by then, our original plan will have to change. Shouldn’t we...?"

But the director simply said, "We wait."

He looked at the others. "We need a sharp, reliable blade, not a dull one sent out in a rush. That would be useless and would waste all our preparations."

A day passed quickly with no sign of activity from the training hall.

Then, new intelligence arrived in the conference room.

"Group Leader, report. According to radio intelligence, the two targets departed from the Edge City half an hour ago. They are currently en route back to Central City."

The analyst took the report, glanced at it, and handed it to the group leader. "It will take them about six to seven hours to reach Central City. Even if we depart now, go ashore, and move to intercept—skipping all the pre-planned arrangements—it will take us at least four hours."

"That leaves us a window of about two hours. If we miss it, they’ll be inside Central City." He looked up. "Group Leader, there hasn’t been a sound from Mr. Jian Cheng for a full day. Shouldn’t we go check on him?"

Everyone in the conference room turned to the director, awaiting his decision.

The director simply raised a hand, looked at them all, and said firmly, "We wait."

Back in the training hall, Jian Chengsheng would rise after each period of meditation and attempt to strike the High Heaven Jade. But every time, his blade would halt just before contact.

He showed no impatience. After each failure, he would simply sit back down, meditate, and prepare for the next attempt.

These were not futile attempts. He was using the jade to hone his spirit and deepen his connection with his Mutated Organization. With each swing, his state of being was elevated a little more.

However, after a series of initial successes, he hit a plateau. He was always just short of the mark. He could no longer elevate himself, and in fact, felt his state faintly beginning to recede.

’It’s like rowing against the current; if I don’t advance, I’ll be swept back.’

’If I don’t succeed this time, it will cast a permanent shadow over my heart. I’ll never be able to take the step I’m aiming for.’

With this thought, he turned the blade sideways. Resting it in the web of his hand, he slowly raised it before his eyes. After a moment of intense focus, he spat a mouthful of concentrated Essence Blood onto the steel.

The Long Blade slowly absorbed the Essence Blood. After a dozen breaths, its surface was once again pristine, but now a faint tremor emanated from within the steel.

Jian Chengsheng exhaled a long breath. He didn’t wipe the crimson stain from the corner of his mouth. Instead, he shot to his feet, gripped the hilt, and unleashed a level slash.

This time, the Saber Stance flowed unimpeded, carving a half-arc through the air. He held the follow-through pose. After a moment, the top section of the jade slid sideways and fell onto the stand with a CLICK.

Hearing this sound, he Involuntarily relaxed, a wave of mental exhaustion washing over him.

But his eyes were piercingly bright. He had grasped the essence of that cut.

’On a physical level, it’s impossible to cut something known to be the hardest of all substances. But the High Heaven Jade possesses a "spirit." I didn’t need to cut the form of the jade, but rather, sever its spirit.’

’When the spirit is broken, the form cannot endure.’

This was what Zen Blade, the first hall master, meant by "severing the will, not the form."

’However, I’m nowhere near the level of the first hall master. I could only manage that one strike after building up my power for so long. I would probably have to reach the state of "As I know God" to be able to strike like that with every cut.’

At this moment, he noticed a flicker of light where the jade had been broken.

It wasn’t light, but rather something revealed from within the sundered jade.

He straightened up and walked to the stand. As he drew closer, his depleted spirit felt a nourishing sensation and began to slowly recover.

He knew this was the High Heaven Jade’s Jade Core—the very seat of its "spirit." Once it was broken, the entire High Heaven Jade was broken.

The core itself had the power to enhance one’s spirit. Using it to replenish his own, especially after such exertion, would allow him to stabilize his mental state.

After quietly absorbing the feeling for a moment, he swept a few small fragments of the Jade Core into his palm. He inverted his blade, removed a pin from the hilt, and placed the tiny shards inside before securing the pin once more.

He gave the blade a slight turn, quickly adapting to the subtle shift in its balance. Then he turned to face the back of the room, where the phantom resembling Chen Chuan appeared once more.

He stared at it for a moment, then with a sharp cry, he lunged forward. His blade flashed as he rushed past the phantom’s side, taking several steps before his figure came to a halt.

After a moment, the phantom behind him flickered and then dissipated completely.

He gave his blade a sharp flick, then brought it back in a smooth arc and slowly returned it to its sheath.

At that moment, he felt he had reached his absolute peak. The Jade Core fragments stored inside his blade would allow him to maintain it.

Blade in hand, he strode to the edge of the training hall and pushed open the large doors.

Outside, a fine drizzle was falling. Beneath a gloomy sky, the distant ocean waves swelled and churned, heralding an impending storm.

Several people were waiting at the door, among them the manager. Seeing him emerge, the manager hurried over and bowed. "Mr. Jian Cheng, you’re out." He looked up again. "Mr. Jian Cheng, our time is short."

Jian Chengsheng asked, "How much time is left?"

"Five hours, at most," the manager said in a grim voice. "We only have five hours left."

Jian Chengsheng gave a slight bow. "My apologies for the wait. I am ready."

The manager’s face lit up with joy. He immediately used a Realm Token to contact the director, then turned back with a solemn expression. "Mr. Jian Cheng, time is of the essence. If you’re able, we should depart immediately."

Meanwhile, at almost the exact same moment, Chen Chuan’s car was just pulling out of Yangzhi City. In the sky behind him, Chaoming soared overhead, following his vehicle.

His car stopped as it passed the final checkpoint, and he raised his wrist to check his watch.

He waited for less than ten minutes before a sharp cry echoed from the sky. A moment later, he saw a convoy of vehicles approaching from behind in his rearview mirror.

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