Celestial Human Diagram

Chapter 310 - 42: Prelude

Senior Brother Sun didn’t unveil the mystery of the box on the right. Instead, he led Chen Chuan and the three others deeper into the exhibition hall.

Inside, the display shelves were filled with strange creatures from the ocean. Every last one of them was bizarrely shaped, and some were so grotesque they made one’s skin crawl.

Senior Brother Sun smiled and explained, "Some of these things look unsettling, but they aren’t actually dangerous. In fact, they have very strict environmental requirements that we have to maintain around the clock.

They’re mainly for our more discerning guests on board. These clients have seen it all, so only something visually bizarre and intensely stimulating can satisfy their palates."

Chen Chuan agreed. Of all the things he had seen, only the Red Sea Worm had caused his Second Self to show signs of turning ethereal; none of the other creatures had elicited such a response.

He took the opportunity to look up information about the Red Sea Worm on his Realm Token. The creature could secrete a potent toxin; an ordinary person would be poisoned merely by touching it.

For a Third Limit Fighter, however, this toxin posed little threat. It would either be blocked externally or quickly metabolized.

The creature still possessed some combat ability on land, but it was no match for a fierce terrestrial predator.

’So when Senior Brother Sun said they were releasing this thing tomorrow just to spice up the fight, he probably meant it was just for show.’

By the time they finished touring the entire inner exhibition hall, more than an hour had passed. The four of them hadn’t even realized they had been engrossed for so long.

As they came out, Senior Brother Sun told them, "Our Canglong Company’s business operations are expanding rapidly, which has also attracted hostility from many competitors. Every year, we face deliberate attacks and sabotage. Our security team is in dire need of new blood, and we welcome any talented students to join us."

With that, he handed a blue Jade Card to Chen Chuan, Pan Xiaode, and Qi Huixin respectively, saying with a smile,

"This has our Canglong Company’s insignia on it. With this card, you can board any of our ships moored offshore or in a harbor at any time. It’s a lovely night. I hope you all have a pleasant evening. I must be going now."

After Chen Chuan’s group of four thanked him and parted ways, Pan Xiaode watched his departing figure and remarked, "That Senior Brother Sun seems like a good guy."

Tan Zhi said, "Senior Brother Sun has always had a great reputation at the academy. He’s middle management at Canglong Company now, so he doesn’t have to get his own hands dirty with fighting and killing anymore."

Pan Xiaode just grunted in acknowledgment, showing no real interest. He preferred fighting and killing to managing people. "It’s still early," he asked. "Where to now?"

Tan Zhi thought for a moment. He first suggested checking out the casino downstairs, but when no one responded, he proposed watching the band the cruise had hired. This time, Chen Chuan and the other two didn’t object. The performance turned out to be surprisingly good, and the four of them watched until nearly ten o’clock before returning to their rooms.

The next day, the cruise ship arranged a morning of water skiing, towed by speedboats. In the afternoon, there was a scuba diving event to chase and catch fish.

This type of activity was extremely popular among Fighters. Participants wore special diving suits and split into competing teams. The goal was to snatch a complete set of multi-colored fish from other teams within a time limit, all while ensuring the fish remained unharmed.

The four of them naturally formed a team, chasing and competing against several other teams of Fighters. Pan Xiaode had an absolute blast.

Chen Chuan had previously undergone underwater infiltration training with He Xiaoxing, so for him, this activity was purely for entertainment. Still, it was a rare chance to relax.

The recreational activities continued until evening. They had been informed that afternoon that the duel between the two Third Limit Fighters would take place at seven o’clock. So at five-thirty, the four of them returned to the ship, rinsed off, had dinner at the restaurant, and then made their way to the fighting deck.

Upon arriving at the fighting arena, they found that it was already filled with quite a few people. They weren’t the only Wuyi Students present, either; some upperclassmen had also shown up, but neither group showed any intention of greeting the other.

This was normal. Even at the same academy, everyone had their own clique. It was common for people not to know each other, or even to dislike one another. So, they made no effort to socialize.

After the four of them found seats, Chen Chuan glanced around. The circular arena was packed with a dense crowd of people, though most were just realistic projections. Still, their presence added to the atmosphere.

He then turned his gaze to the center of the field. A massive aquarium extended high up, almost reaching the ceiling and encompassing the entire central space. On either side were a water gate and a channel, but for now, the tank was empty. That must be the arena for the two Fighters.

Not far away, sitting diagonally across from them, was Gong Zhanyi. Despite the high-level match about to begin, he seemed somewhat distracted.

The Steward walked over and shook his head.

"Still nothing?"

Gong Zhanyi was surprised and couldn’t hide his irritation. "Did we misjudge? No, he has to be here. I’m sure of it. He must be in this very arena. We have to get him, no matter the cost—"

The Steward interjected at the right moment, "Young Master, this is a Canglong Company vessel."

As if doused with a bucket of cold water, Gong Zhanyi instantly calmed down.

The various overseas islands feared Canglong Company above all else. Dashun wouldn’t interfere in the affairs of the Island Countries, but Canglong Company dealt with them constantly due to business matters. The power this corporation wielded made them deeply wary; now was certainly not the time to antagonize them.

He suppressed his frustration. "We’ll wait. Let’s watch the match first."

At the same time, many people outside the arena were also watching this fight with keen interest.

Everyone was eager to see the outcome: would the Implant Fighter prove superior, or was the Wilderness Sect as formidable as they claimed to be?

Most people saw it as a showdown between the Implant Faction and the Wilderness Sect.

In truth, every individual is different. Even if one side were to lose today’s match, one couldn’t simply conclude that their entire faction was weaker.

However, if the Implant Faction won, various corporations would undoubtedly publicize the match extensively, deeply embedding their philosophy into the public consciousness. Once that kind of ideological implant took root and formed a stereotype, it would be incredibly difficult to change.

At 6:55, the arena doors slowly swung shut, and all the lights inside blazed to life.

"Here they come!"

A wave of anticipation swept through the crowd, and all eyes turned in unison toward the fighting stage.

Chen Chuan looked down as well, just in time to see a lean man walk in from the right. He had thick, bushy eyebrows, and his hair and beard looked unkempt. His fingernails and toenails were thick and yellowed, curving into sharp hooks. His face was smeared with greasepaint, and he radiated a savage, untamed aura.

His muscles were lean and defined, taut yet flexible. He carried no weapons, wearing only a homemade, form-fitting wetsuit.

At that moment, the Implant Fighter emerged from the opposite tunnel. Compared to his opponent, he was utterly unremarkable, with a plain face and no memorable features. The surprising thing was the complete absence of any discernible traces of Implants on his body.

Chen Chuan couldn’t help but take a second look. The man’s appearance was no different from an ordinary person’s, and his movements were steady and fluid. Without the prior introduction, it would be impossible to imagine that this was a Fighter whose body had been almost entirely replaced with Implants.

’So this is what a compatibility rating of over ninety percent looks like.’

As the two men took their places, water began to pour into the aquarium, gradually rising until it submerged them completely.

This duel was merely a martial exchange for which the two Fighters were borrowing the venue. The Rhino Horn was simply providing the space. Out of respect for the two combatants, there was no official commentator, nor were their names revealed.

The discussions on the Realm Token, of course, were another matter entirely.

Outside the arena, the other passengers on the cruise ship were staring at their Realm Tokens with a mixture of novelty and tension. The discussion forums had been buzzing from the very start.

Someone posted a question: Won’t those two drown fighting in there?

An answer appeared almost immediately: some advanced Fighters can breathe underwater. Besides, if the fight isn’t too long, holding their breath wouldn’t be difficult for them at all.

Below that, someone else began to explain in detail just how Fighters could accomplish this. The explanation was so thorough and used such professional terminology that it immediately drew a wave of awe and praise.

In contrast to the boisterous spectators outside, the Fighters inside the arena were relatively calm. Some wore serious expressions, only occasionally using their Realm Tokens to communicate.

While Third Limit Fighters from the Wilderness Sect and the Implant Faction had sparred before, they had never competed so openly in the public eye. Today’s duel could influence the future of combat, and it might also have a personal impact on each of them. They had no choice but to pay close attention.

By now, the aquarium was completely full. Suddenly, an opening appeared at the bottom of the tank, the water pressure creating a visible vortex. The hole would close after a moment, only to reopen in another spot. Sometimes two would open, sometimes three.

A message from the organizers immediately appeared in the comment section, explaining to the audience that this was done to add an element of unpredictability and difficulty to the fight, as agreed upon by both Fighters.

Chen Chuan couldn’t help but watch more closely. Though it seemed like a minor change, when two opponents of equal skill were fighting, the slightest external variable could be the weight that tipped the scales of victory.

He then shifted his gaze back to the two men, mentally assessing their combat strength.

He had crossed blows with Third Limit Fighters a few times before, but he himself had never truly reached that realm. ’How exactly do two Third Limit Fighters battle each other? I need to watch this carefully.’

Just then, the sound of a drum reverberated through the entire arena. He instantly realized that the duel... had begun.

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