When he got home, Chen Chuan saw that Nian Fuli hadn’t come back from the bureau. It looked like he planned to spend the night there again, a common occurrence in the past. Yu Wan was still waiting up for him. When she saw him, she offered a few words of caution before going to sleep.

He washed up, returned to his room, took his medicine, and used his Breathing Technique in place of sleep.

This stage was mainly about stabilizing his foundation and calming his mind; he didn’t need to actively improve anything. ’My Divine Thought is condensing more and more smoothly now,’ he thought. ’Coming back to Yangzhi City was the right decision.’

Although Yangzhi City also had its share of troubles, it was a far cry from Central City. Most importantly, without a Realm Token connection, it was isolated from all the chaos, making it an ideal place for Refining the Heart.

After that night, when day came, Chen Chuan went to the private investigation company where he used to work. The company was still there, and the security guards hadn’t changed.

Ren Shu happened to be at the company today. Seeing Chen Chuan visit, he was overjoyed and immediately notified everyone.

In less than an hour, most of his former partners had arrived. Even those who were busy dropped what they were doing and came to the company.

Among the group, many of the younger members genuinely worshipped him, to a degree not much less than his underclassmen at school. They were thrilled about his return and showed him the commissions the company had handled in the past six months.

Chen Chuan then learned that they hadn’t given up on the strange tale commissions after he left. Instead, they had used the notes and materials he left behind to hire some contractors to deal with these matters specifically.

However, they acted within their means and wouldn’t take on commissions that were clearly beyond their capabilities. Under this guiding principle, they had actually been doing quite well.

Ren Shu also showed him the company’s commission records. Fortunately, no particularly large-scale strange tales had occurred in the past six months. For those they clearly couldn’t handle, they followed Chen Chuan’s instructions and tried to get the people nearby to relocate. After a while, the strange tales would naturally disappear.

Of course, most of the time, people were unwilling to leave. The company wasn’t rigid, either; they would use a mix of incentives and coercion. Although this seemed like losing money just to gain a reputation, their commission credit rating had actually risen quickly. This allowed them to take on other types of commissions, which was enough to cover the losses from this area.

Chen Chuan had a meal with them and also helped solve some difficult problems related to strange tales. He didn’t leave until the afternoon.

After leaving, he found a phone booth and made a call, asking Instructor Wen when the lesson could begin. The latter immediately gave him a location:

"Three in the afternoon, at the campsite on the outskirts of the East Castle District."

Hearing the location, Chen Chuan’s heart stirred. He glanced at his watch; it was just past two in the afternoon. He had just enough time to get there. So, he got in a car and drove straight to the destination.

Around two-fifty, he arrived at the location Instructor Wen had mentioned.

He had been here once before with Wei Chang’an. It was originally the base of Fatty Guo from the Blood Mark Gang. Later, the Blood Mark Gang was completely wiped out, and Fatty Guo ultimately couldn’t escape either. The Blood Mark Gang’s watchtowers and fences had been torn down, and the place now looked like an abandoned lot that no one had visited for a long time.

As he drove in, he saw that Instructor Wen had already arrived. He was standing on a relatively flat patch of dirt. Chen Chuan parked the car outside, got out, walked over, and cupped his fist in a salute. "Instructor Wen."

Instructor Wen smiled in return. "Hello, Chen. Before I officially begin your instruction, do you have any other questions?"

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Instructor Wen, you and Teacher He both mentioned the Pure Sect. What exactly is the Pure Sect?"

Instructor Wen said, "Old He didn’t explain it to you? Right, you hadn’t reached the Third Limit back then. Knowing would have only caused you more trouble.

"Let me explain it briefly. It originally stemmed from some differences in fighting philosophy.

"Simply put, some Fighters believe that on the path of combat, the only correct choice for achieving life’s sublimation is to adhere to a pure and complete ’self.’ They believe no external things are needed for support or assistance, as those things would only be burdens and hindrances.

"In the past, almost all Fighters could be actively or passively categorized into this faction, so it was a widely held belief in the old era.

"But in the new era, things are different. The spread of knowledge and technological advancements have allowed those who adhere to these ideals to gradually perfect their theories, forming a more distinct school. This is the ’Pure Sect’ you’ve heard of today.

"This school has no absolute rules or restrictions. The Fighters only share mutually recognized combat philosophies. Through long-term cooperation, discussion, and confrontation with other schools, they have achieved many results in combat cultivation. The Furnace Breathing Method that Old He taught you is one of them."

Chen Chuan mulled it over, then looked up. "Instructor, you mentioned confrontation. Does that mean there are many other factions besides the Pure Sect?"

Instructor Wen said, "In terms of philosophy, the one you’ve had the most contact with is the Implant Faction. These people believe that Implants can compensate for human shortcomings and make up for congenital defects. They see this as the path to the ultimate goal.

"However, just getting a few Implants doesn’t make someone part of the Implant Faction. Only those who truly follow and identify with this philosophy, have joined their organizations, and have reaped its benefits can be categorized as such.

"But you must remember that every faction has its extremists. So don’t ever think that someone from the Pure Sect will inevitably stand with you, or that someone from the Implant Faction is definitely your enemy. Such thinking will only make you more narrow-minded and won’t bring you many benefits.

"Regardless of the philosophy, it’s just a difference in the path of combat. Their roads to life’s sublimation may be different, but their ultimate goal is the same."

After saying this, he smiled again. "I won’t go into more detail here. You’ll come to understand it all slowly in the future. Any other questions?"

Chen Chuan said, "None for now."

Instructor Wen said, "Then I’ll begin officially teaching you the application method. Before I do, I need to confirm your progress with the Furnace Breathing Method."

Chen Chuan nodded and immediately took a deep breath. In an instant, his skin became scorching hot and red, and wisps of white steam began to rise from his body.

Instructor Wen’s gaze focused on him.

’He’s not just looking,’ Chen Chuan could feel, ’he’s also sensing my Biological Domain. I don’t know where this awareness comes from, but I just know.’

At that moment, he couldn’t help but think, ’This must be how He Xiaoxing observed me back then, and how he sensed my movements in the underground waterway. He probably did it by perceiving my Biological Domain.’

Instructor Wen seemed to notice his confusion and explained with a smile, "Domain Perception is a skill. You can learn the specific methods to control it at Wuyi General Hospital. However, it requires a certain amount of talent. If the Mutated Organization in your brain is sufficiently developed, it becomes relatively simple."

After a moment, Chen Chuan felt the sensation disappear.

Instructor Wen nodded and said with appreciation, "Chen, your Biological Domain is exceptionally balanced. Generally, such a balance would mean you have no special characteristics, making you seem mediocre. But since your external performance is anything but, it must mean you are balanced and powerful in all aspects. In that case, I think you should have no difficulty learning the upcoming techniques."

At this point, he seemed to slow his speech slightly, as if to ensure Chen Chuan understood more clearly.

"The Furnace Breathing Method accumulates the Energy in your body and releases it when needed. However, there’s a technique to how it’s released. A one-time burst can greatly enhance your physical attributes, but that’s a relatively crude method.

"By using certain techniques, the use of Energy can become more efficient. This requires not only the application of the Breathing Technique, but also..."

He pointed to his own forehead. "...the coordination of your Divine Thought and even your Essence Blood... Do you know about Divine Thought and Essence Blood?"

Chen Chuan nodded. "A teacher explained it to me once."

"Good. Since you’ve already been introduced to these concepts, I don’t need to explain further. The potential of a Mutated Organization is greater than you imagine. After using the Furnace Breathing Method, with the right guidance and regulation, you can bring out even greater effects.

"For example, you can achieve another short burst of speed while maintaining the furnace state, deliver more powerful attacks, or increase your body’s tolerance limits, and so on.

"Once you master the technique, you’ll also be able to quickly form a stronger, tougher protective layer in areas where the Mutated Organization is concentrated, achieving an effect nearly identical to Horizontal Training Strength.

"Besides that, there are some unique applications. For example, I can discharge the intense heat from my entire body and inject it into a person’s body in an instant. If it lands in the brain tissue, it can instantly steam the brain, and the intense heat will force the skull to crack, creating a ’skull-splitting’ effect."

Instructor Wen smiled slightly after saying this. "Splitting the skull isn’t the goal. It’s about effectively regulating your own body while attacking the enemy, relieving the burden on some of your tissues, and enhancing your combat capabilities. Moreover, this method can be very effective at intimidating enemies at times.

"For you right now, you don’t need to pursue these advanced applications. You just need to master the basic techniques. At your current stage, that will be more than enough for you to use.

"Now, relax your body, concentrate your mind, maintain your focus, and feel carefully..." As he spoke, his breath became scorching, and his skin began to turn slightly red.

Chen Chuan immediately did as he was told. In just a moment, he felt a strange vibration move through him, and the Mutated Organizations in his body began to move on their own, following Instructor Wen’s breathing.

’This is just like the Breathing Technique guidance Cheng Zitong gave me a long time ago,’ he thought. ’But this time, there’s no direct contact. It’s more like a form of Domain resonance perception.’

He couldn’t help but think of the method for Breaking the Limit with a Resonance Nest. ’Perhaps it uses this same kind of transmission?’

The thought came and went in a flash. He didn’t dwell on it, instead remaining focused on feeling and accepting the sensations. He soon discovered that his various Mutated Organizations were moving and transmitting in a regular pattern.

He didn’t consciously try to memorize it, but his body remembered the patterns of circulation and guidance on its own.

’He’s using this method to directly transmit the application of his mastered techniques into my mind and body,’ he realized, ’completely bypassing the need for me to practice for a long time.’

But after what felt like a short time, he felt a slight pressure building in his head. Just then, Instructor Wen’s voice sounded in his ear: "That’s enough for today."

Chen Chuan withdrew from that state and suddenly noticed the sun was setting in the west. He glanced at his watch and was shocked to find that he had been standing there for three hours without realizing it. To him, it had felt like only a short time had passed.

...

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