Celestial Human Diagram

Chapter 302 - 34: Sea Realm Arena

Since he put it that way, Chen Chuan said, "Senior Brother Cao."

Cao Guiqi grunted in acknowledgement and said, "I’ve already seen your file. You only have a thirty-five percent chance of reaching the Third Limit, but that’s based on your personal efforts alone. If external resources are invested, that’s another story.

"Because you signed a support agreement with the Processing Bureau, you can apply for a Radiant Light irradiation session once a month to strengthen your bones, muscles, and physique. At the same time, you can also take Celestial Hundred Herbs’ Treasure Ointment once a month to enhance your internal organs.

"Radiant Light irradiation slots are limited and controlled by major corporations and government departments, including Wuyi Academy, of course. An individual can’t get a session even if they have the money.

"As for the opportunity at Wuyi, even though you just enrolled, you can try to earn a slot. If you do, you could potentially get another session each month.

"Also, I can recommend you for one."

At this point, he looked at Chen Chuan, his expression calm as he said, "Don’t be surprised. This was originally my opportunity, but I don’t need it anymore. Otherwise, the Processing Bureau wouldn’t have recommended me to teach you.

"There are no secrets or tricks to reaching the Third Limit. It’s all about investment. No amount of teaching, no thousand words of advice, can compare to the value of these resources.

"However..."

He looked at Chen Chuan, his gaze fixed on him, and said, "There is one prerequisite for everything I’m giving you: your own Mutated Organization must actually be able to grow.

"But I don’t think we need to worry about that. I’ve read your file. To have reached your current level at your age would be impossible without talent."

’Chen Chuan knew he wasn’t truly a talented person. However, after the Fusion with his Second Self, the growth rate of his Mutated Organization should have also increased, so he didn’t have to worry about his growth limits for the time being.’

Just then, a pleasant bell chimed outside. The butler who had previously greeted Chen Chuan walked over and whispered a few words in Cao Guiqi’s ear.

Cao Guiqi looked at him and said, "I’ve already made an appointment at the Sea Realm Arena. There’s an opening today. If you want, you can go right now. If you don’t have time today, there are two more opportunities in the middle and at the end of the month. I’ll have Uncle Ding notify you in advance before booking."

Chen Chuan said decisively, "I can go now."

Cao Guiqi said, "Good. Uncle Ding, prepare the car."

Ten minutes later, Chen Chuan followed Cao Guiqi into a silver, extended, armored luxury car. They drove out of Motie Mountain, got onto the elevated highway, and headed north.

A little over an hour later, the car arrived in the northeast region of Ji Yang District.

Chen Chuan glanced outside. The buildings on either side of the elevated highway gradually grew sparse. Beyond the wide road were only tower-like sentry posts. Patrol cars could be seen passing by from time to time, and a continuous, fine mesh-like net stretched across the sky, suggesting the entire area was under heavy security.

After getting off the highway, they drove along the road for another ten minutes or so and finally reached their destination.

Before them was a gray, windowless building shaped like an elongated, inverted trapezoid. It stood alone beneath the sky, the only man-made structure for several kilometers around.

Upon arriving, his Realm Token suddenly went dim, and he could no longer sense anything from it.

Cao Guiqi said, "There’s constant Domain interference here, so you can’t use your Realm Token. But it’s only for the time you’re going in and out. You probably won’t have the mind for anything else while undergoing the Radiant Light irradiation anyway."

Chen Chuan nodded.

On the way over, Cao Guiqi had warned him that his first Radiant Light irradiation would likely be very uncomfortable. He would experience a sensation similar to when he first started his training, but much more intense.

The car stopped in an open area outside. Uncle Ding went up to speak with someone first, and only then did they get out. Led by two heavily armed security guards, they entered the building where they were greeted by an internal manager with a very stern expression.

The man led them to a reception desk, first checking their Name Cards, and had Chen Chuan and Cao Guiqi sign a confirmation document. Once that was done, a member of the medical team waiting nearby asked, "Will you need a drug injection?"

Cao Guiqi looked at Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan had already been told about this. Because of the pain from the Radiant Light irradiation, people often couldn’t endure it, so they had the option to receive an injection of a pain-blocking drug beforehand.

Although doing so could weaken the irradiation’s effects, the longer the session, the better the results. If someone couldn’t bear the pain and came out early, it would be a waste of the resource.

Facing everyone’s gazes, he gave a firm reply, "I don’t need it."

’He noticed, however, that when he gave his answer, several people nearby glanced at him and then exchanged looks. Their expressions seemed to be a mix of pity and schadenfreude.’

The manager glanced at his watch and said, "It’s 4:30 PM now. It will take us ten minutes to get there. You’ll have about fifteen to twenty minutes to prepare. The irradiation begins at 5:00 PM sharp and ends at 6:00 PM.

"You are not permitted to bring any items not provided by us, aside from the clothes on your back and a small amount of water and food. Any violation will result in immediate termination of the session.

"Also, if you can’t endure it, for your own safety, you must come out. Don’t try to tough it out."

After speaking, he looked at Cao Guiqi, who then said to Chen Chuan, "I’ll wait for you outside."

Chen Chuan nodded. He took the water and Nutrition Paste that Cao Guiqi had prepared for him and followed the manager inside. Past the main hall, they walked down a long, gentle slope that ended at an elevator. The doors were guarded by fully armed security personnel holding firearms. As they walked, their footsteps echoed in the empty space.

The manager said nothing. He showed his internal ID card to the security guards, then led Chen Chuan into the elevator. The indicator light went from B1 all the way down to B20 before stopping.

As the elevator doors opened, the manager stepped out first. Chen Chuan followed and saw that both sides were lined with towering glass walls. Through them, he could see what appeared to be deep blue seawater, with the faint, blurry outlines of something swimming within.

In the center of the room was a cylindrical glass column connecting the ceiling to the floor. Its middle section was narrower, reminding him of a column in a limestone cave, formed where a stalactite and stalagmite meet.

The manager walked to the front, slid open a panel on the glass column, turned sideways, and said, "There’s a strike plate on the door. If you need to leave, you can hit it. A medical team is waiting outside, ready to provide aid at any time. Please be careful."

Chen Chuan nodded to him and stepped inside. He heard the door close behind him. He surveyed the space: it was about forty square meters, with a soft mat in the center and nothing else.

He sat down on the mat, placed his things to the side, and recalled the information Cao Guiqi had told him about this place on the way here.

Radiant Light was bioluminescence produced by a gigantic deep-sea creature. This creature was highly adaptable to its environment. Through generations of breeding, they had managed to make it capable of surviving temporarily in a shallow-sea environment.

The light emitted by this creature would cause various malignant symptoms in ordinary people, but it had a beneficial effect on Fighters.

It was said that the light stimulated the Mutated Organization to secrete a substance called "Tide Essence," which greatly strengthened the bones, fascia, and surrounding tissues.

However, this creature could only come to the shallows for one to two hours a day, after which it needed several days to recuperate. This made it a very scarce resource, supported by funding from major corporations and the government.

’Chen Chuan figured that with such a massive investment, providing enhancement services for Fighters was likely just a side benefit. These creatures must have a more important purpose.’

As time passed, he heard the vibration of the strike plate from outside and knew the irradiation was about to begin.

After a moment, light suddenly blazed from the surrounding glass walls. It was so intensely bright that it seemed to instantly submerge him.

He felt a stinging pain on his skin, and after just a moment, his whole body began to tingle and itch. It was just as Cao Guiqi had said, very similar to the sensation he’d felt when he first started training.

And that was only the beginning. Before long, the sensation grew clearer. All the Mutated Organizations in his body, especially those on his bones and fascia, seemed to become active, and various emotions began to well up within his mind and body.

Upon feeling this, he immediately transferred all the pain and harm to his Second Self, then sat there, perfectly still.

Meanwhile, a medical team was waiting outside, all of them looking at their watches. In their experience, Fighters undergoing the irradiation for the first time always started full of confidence but would soon find it unbearable. They usually asked to come out after about fifteen minutes, rested for a while, and then went back in.

Then they would typically come out again around the thirty-five or forty-minute mark. By that point, they would have accepted reality and, to avoid wasting any more time, would have no choice but to accept the pain-relief injection to complete the full session.

The next time these Fighters came, they would know better and request the injection right away to avoid the torture. Although the effect would be slightly weaker, they could accept it with a clear conscience once they learned that most people did the same.

Of course, it wasn’t that no one could endure it through sheer willpower and physical fortitude, but such cases were exceedingly rare. They hadn’t seen a single one in recent years.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly. The medical staff began to instinctively get ready, but after waiting a few more minutes, there was still no sound from inside. They were a little surprised and looked at each other. It seemed this Fighter was quite tough, with a will firmer than most.

But even if he could endure the beginning, the sensations would only grow more intense. Those who came out at least got a break, a chance to catch their breath and lessen the agony. Without an interval... In short, they were not optimistic about this one.

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