After getting off the sightseeing car, Chen Chuan had only taken a couple of steps when he heard a SPLASH and saw a figure leap out of a nearby lake.
The person traced an arc through the air before re-entering the water. Imdiately after, a blue-black spine rippled across the surface. It had to be a rather large creature, and it appeared to be chasing the person.
Lin Yingzi walked over and said, "This is an internal test for one of our services. There’s a surface barrier and an underwater protection net, so it’s confined to this area."
Chen Chuan couldn’t help but think, ’When I was browsing the Secret Snake Sect’s platform earlier, there was a service that required fighting a type of Water Snake. Could this be it?’
His gaze swept over the water to the opposite shore, where rows of sightseeing cars were parked. People were getting out of them one after another and entering an oval-shaped building.
Chen Chuan asked, "What service is that?"
Lin Yingzi said, "That is our Secret Snake Sect’s Ancient Technique health service, along with corresponding biological Implant fittings. It’s very popular among the upper class of Central City."
"However, Mr. Chen, you are a Fighter, so a service like this would be of no use to you. If you wish to purchase a Combat Implant, you can speak with Mr. Zou. The Sect will have one custom-made for you."
As she spoke, she sent so introductory materials about the Implant services to Chen Chuan’s Realm Token and explained:
"Implants can compensate for a Fighter’s weaknesses and deficiencies, enhancing their combat effectiveness. Even if damaged, they can be promptly repaired or replaced. We at the Secret Snake Sect place great emphasis on client experience and compatibility. With the client’s cooperation, the compatibility rate can typically exceed fifty percent..."
’I don’t need these things,’ Chen Chuan thought, ’but it won’t hurt to learn about them. I might encounter opponents using Secret Snake Sect Implants in the future.’
The two of them walked about a hundred steps along the boardwalk and arrived in front of the glass greenhouse.
From his previous angle, it had been obscured by trees, so Chen Chuan had thought it was just a single building. Up close, however, he discovered that the structure was actually quite long. What he had seen was only the front; a long section extended back into the botanical garden behind it. The overall shape resembled a long, prone snake.
After the two entered through the main door, they saw the path ahead split in two, resembling the forked tip of a snake’s tongue. Lin Yingzi moved to the right, made an inviting gesture, and said, "Mr. Chen, this way, please."
Chen Chuan glanced at the other path. Lin Yingzi explained, "That way has similar services, but they are for higher-limit Fighters."
’The Third Limit, huh...’
Chen Chuan took one last look before retracting his gaze and walking down the right passage. The sides here were curved glass panels, with beautiful plants outside. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves and branches. The long, narrow space within didn’t feel claustrophobic; on the contrary, it imparted a sense of security.
After walking for half a minute, they arrived in a chamber supported by a rib-vaulted structure. Zou Handan was already waiting there. He smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, welco."
He ca up and shook Chen Chuan’s hand, then led him to a thick glass compartnt. "Mr. Chen, please take a look. This is the Snake Shedding we have selected for you."
Chen Chuan looked through the glass wall. A long snake with a golden-yellow body was coiled around an artificial tree trunk. The creature was not small; a rough glance estimated it to be about eight or nine ters long. ’Although its exterior looks no different from a snake,’ he thought, ’its interior must be sothing else entirely.’
"Based on the data you provided, Mr. Chen, we have selected the finest Snake Shedding from this batch. The service duration can be up to seventy-two hours."
Zou Handan said with a smile, "The longer you stay inside, the better the effects of the service. But we must, of course, consider the client’s safety, so you can choose to exit early at any ti."
Chen Chuan received a data file from him on his Realm Token. It listed the publicly disclosable information about this Snake Shedding, such as its weight, length, and grade.
Below that, a special note stated that the service recipient needed to enter the Snake Shedding to achieve the desired effect. Near the snake’s throat were two palpable pieces of cartilage. Touching them would make it difficult for the creature to breathe, forcing it to open its mouth and allowing the person to exit.
If the client felt they couldn’t manage it, the person-in-charge would activate Domain monitoring. If any significant fluctuations were detected in the Domain, they would go in, cut open the Snake Shedding, and rescue the person.
It also listed various responses for different situations. Overall, it was very detailed and comprehensive.
Zou Handan said, "The Snake Shedding’s body stores a large amount of specially prepared nutrients. While enveloping and squeezing the client, it will continuously transfer these nutrients to them to help them recover and maintain their stamina. If the client introduces dicine that aids in martial training, the effects will be even better."
"However, these dicines are not included in the service package. If you need them, Mr. Chen, our sect can provide them, but they will be billed separately."
Chen Chuan said, "Can I only use your sect’s dicine?"
"Of course not. It’s just that our Secret dicine is a better match. Using comrcially available dicine would require a larger dosage to achieve the sa effect."
Chen Chuan nodded. "So, I just need to increase the dosage?"
Zou Handan said, "That is correct."
Chen Chuan imdiately used his Realm Token to contact Fanqingshan of the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop. The call connected shortly after. The latter said, "Chen, you’re contacting . Do you have any feedback or requests?"
Chen Chuan said, "I need Manager Fan to fulfill his previous promise."
Fanqingshan said without hesitation, "Of course. What dicine do you need for your training? I can have soone send it to Wuyi Academy."
Chen Chuan said, "I’m at Rift Wave Valley right now."
Fanqingshan reacted imdiately. "The Secret Snake Sect?"
Chen Chuan said, "Yes. I purchased one of their services."
As the director of a counterasures departnt, Fanqingshan was very familiar with the various companies and organizations in Central City. Connecting this with what Chen Chuan had said, he imdiately understood what this service was. He said, "I’ll arrange for soone to deliver the dicine right away."
To the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop, the dicine itself was trivial; the drug trial data was what truly mattered. He found it a pity, though. Since the service involved the Secret Snake Sect, none of that data could be disclosed.
After ending the call, Chen Chuan said to Zou Handan, "Soone will be delivering the dicine shortly."
In less than forty-five minutes, an armored transport vehicle bearing the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop’s company logo drove into Rift Wave Valley.
Zou Handan was truly astonished. In all of Dashun Country, the only pharmaceutical company comparable in size to Celestial Hundred Herbs was Cyan Bag Jade Workshop. In an era where no one could live without dicine, they understood perfectly well how much power such corporations wielded.
And yet, Chen Chuan had made Cyan Bag Jade Workshop deliver the dicine with just a single call.
He gave Chen Chuan a deep look, his attitude becoming even more polite. He gave an order for the batch of dicine to be injected into the Snake Shedding’s body via a soft tube.
The Snake Shedding could perfectly hold these dicines and, during the service, would cause them to perate the client’s body through a process of fusion and compression. Although so loss of dicinal potency was unavoidable, the fusion with the snake’s own nutrients would make it gentler and easier for the client to absorb.
The amount delivered by Cyan Bag Jade Workshop was enough for three people, allowing it to be added liberally.
After about half an hour, Zou Handan walked over to Chen Chuan, who was sitting in the lounge, and said, "Mr. Chen, our preparations are complete. The service can begin at any ti. When would be convenient for you?"
Chen Chuan stood up. "We can start now."
Zou Handan gave a signal, and Lin Yingzi imdiately ca to lead the way, bringing him outside a chamber.
Lin Yingzi stood at the door and said to him, "Mr. Chen, there is a washroom and a changing room inside. You can also place your personal belongings here. No one else will enter. A staff mber will be waiting at the door. If you need anything, sir, please feel free to ask at any ti."
Chen Chuan slid the door open and walked in. He glanced around. It was a windowless, enclosed space. There was another door ahead, and beyond that lay the path to the Snake Shedding.
Since he would need to remove his Realm Token during the service, he first communicated with Gao Ming, telling him that he might be unable to contact the outside world for a few days. He also explained the situation to Wubei and Lu Fang, advising them that if they had any operations planned, it would be best to wait until his service was over.
Afterward, he turned off his Realm Token, placed it in an isolation box, and went to the changing room to put on a suit prepared for him that resembled a wetsuit.
It was a highly breathable biombrane suit. It wasn’t completely skin-tight but felt like a protective layer of thick skin. It was designed to provide the client with a buffer during the Snake Shedding’s compression and also to help absorb the transferred dicine.
After everything was ready, he walked toward the opposite door. The mont he pushed it open, his Second Self instantly rged with him.
’My current physical attributes are far superior to Fighters at this level; I can even contend with Third Limit Fighters. Because of this, a Snake Shedding intended for a Second Limit Fighter will have a limited effect on . Therefore, I’ll choose a ’low-state expression’ to achieve a similar result.’
As the door opened, a thirty-ter-long, tube-shaped corridor lay ahead, reminiscent of a snake’s tunnel. He walked all the way through it and finally arrived in the chamber he had seen from the outside.
Looking up, he saw the giant snake coiled on the thick, artificial tree trunk. Its apricot-yellow pupils were staring at him.
Following the instructions from his Realm Token, Chen Chuan slowly spread his arms. As if stimulated, the giant snake suddenly lunged down, tore open its maw, and swallowed him in a single gulp.
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