Atlas of Heaven and Man

On the day before Chen Chuan set off to return to Central City, the 25th, under the pressure from the Skyscraper Company, the High Heaven Sect obediently handed over what was said to be the only remaining piece of High Heaven Jade containing the jade core, and sent it to Jian Cheng Sheng's hands.

“High Heaven Jade.”

Jian Cheng Sheng stared intently at the object.

It was a piece of jade with a pure white base color, about the size of a pigeon egg, currently standing upright. Its outer edges had a blue halo. Gazing at it felt like staring into a distant, endless, clear sky.

When he said he needed something that couldn't be cut, he was simply following an instinct in his heart. He didn't know what the Skyscraper Company would bring back.

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

And all of this was the essence of swordsmanship that Feng He Shou had taught him: "Where the heart points, the spirit knows what I do not," a strike that doesn't require deliberate searching or observation, but finds what I desire and the enemy's weakness.

This wasn't about randomly trying your luck, but required long and arduous training, day and night meditation, constant consumption of special medicines to nurture and alter the body's tissues, and repeated life-and-death battles, to achieve a spiritual harmony between oneself and the altered tissues within the body.

However, this resonance needed to be found in the face of life and death, and couldn't be used by him at all times, unless he reached the next stage, "As My Spirit Knows," which would then be possible. And when that time came, if all external conditions were met, he could then begin to try to break through the limits.

He looked at the High Heaven Jade and reached out to touch it, a hard, cold sensation transmitted between his fingers.

It was said that when the first master of the Wave Pavilion, Zen Blade, came across the sea, he claimed that everything in the world could be cut. Therefore, the High Heaven Sect sent such a piece of hard jade, intending to make him give up in the face of difficulty. However, Zen Blade was lecturing on martial arts and casually drew his blade, cutting it open. Thus, the Gong family granted him land and he established the Wave Pavilion on Erwen Island.

And now he too had to face this hard jade.

Wasn't this some kind of metaphor?

After staring at it for a moment, he suddenly drew his blade and slashed forward, but stopped abruptly when the blade was still an inch away from the jade.

Just like facing that phantom, even if the blade didn't actually strike, he knew he couldn't cut it, because his heart had already told him the result.

While he was meditating, news from the outside was being transmitted back and forth, quickly converging on this ship.

“According to the intelligence we've received, the two targets we need to eliminate are very likely to return to Central City together.”

Those participating in the planning frowned upon hearing this news.

Two targets setting off together seemed to make their actions easier, but in reality, they didn't want this.

This was because both targets were difficult to deal with, and being together complicated matters, especially with certain government forces getting involved, which added many variables.

The person in charge asked, "When do they set off?"

The person relaying the information said, "Most likely tomorrow or the day after, at the latest the day after tomorrow."

The person in charge asked the manager on the side, "How is Jian Cheng Sheng's preparation going?"

The manager immediately replied, "He just received the High Heaven Jade and is now alone in the training hall, possibly preparing something."

The analyst on the other side looked at the person in charge and reminded, "Team leader, there's only one or two days left. If he doesn't come out by then, the original plan will have to be changed. Should we…"

The person in charge said, "Wait."

He looked at everyone, "We need a sharp, usable blade, not a dull blade rushed out, which is both useless and wastes our previous arrangements."

A day passed quickly, with no reaction from the training room.

And new intelligence was transmitted to the meeting room.

“Report, team leader, according to the intelligence returned by radio, the two targets departed from the edge city half an hour ago and are currently returning to Central City.”

The analyst took the report, looked at it, and handed it to the team leader, saying, "It will take them about six to seven hours to get to Central City. Even if we set off now, land, and go to intercept them, even if we omit those pre-arranged preparations, it will take at least four hours.

So we only have about two hours left. If we miss that, they will enter Central City." He looked up and said, "Team leader, Mr. Jian Cheng hasn't moved for a day. Should we go ask?"

Everyone in the meeting room looked at the person in charge, waiting for him to make a decision.

The person in charge raised his hand, looked at everyone, and said firmly, "Wait."

Inside the training room, Jian Cheng Sheng would stand up after each meditation and try to cut the High Heaven Jade with his blade, but each time, the blade would stop before the jade.

He wasn't impatient. If he didn't succeed, he would sit back down to meditate, and then prepare for the next attempt.

This wasn't a useless attempt, but a way to hone his own spirit with this object, as well as the harmony with his altered tissues. So after each swing of the blade, his state would improve slightly.

But after the previous attempts, he found that he was always a little short. Not only was he unable to improve further, but there were even faint signs of decline.

He knew that this was like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat.

If he didn't succeed this time, it was likely that a shadow would fall in his heart, and he would never be able to do what he wanted.

Thinking of this, he held the blade horizontally, slowly raised it to his face, and after staring at it for a moment, spat a mouthful of accumulated essence blood onto the blade.

The long blade slowly absorbed the essence blood. After ten or so breaths, it became as clean as new, but a faint tremor was transmitted from it.

Jian Cheng Sheng let out a long breath. He didn't wipe the bright red bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, but suddenly stood up, grasped the hilt, and slashed forward with a horizontal cut.

This time, the blade strike was successfully executed, drawing a half-arc in the air. He maintained the posture of the strike. After a while, the upper section of the jade stone slanted to the side and fell onto the table with a click.

Hearing this sound, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, and felt a burst of fatigue in his spirit.

But his eyes were very bright, because he had already grasped the essence of this strike.

On a material level, it was impossible to cut this so-called hardest thing, but the High Heaven Jade was something with a "spirit." He didn't need to cut the form of the jade, but to cut that wisp of spirit.

When the spirit was broken, the form would naturally be difficult to preserve.

This was what the first master of the Wave Pavilion, Zen Blade, said: "Cut the intent, not the form."

However, he didn't think he had reached the realm of the first master, because he could only unleash such a strike after a long period of accumulation. Perhaps only when he reached the point of "As My Spirit Knows" could he do so with every strike.

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

It wasn't light, but what was revealed inside after the jade body was broken.

He straightened up and walked towards the table, and as he approached, his originally depleted spirit was slowly recovering as if it was being nourished.

He knew that this was the jade core of the High Heaven Jade, the place where the "spirit" resided. If this thing was broken, the entire High Heaven Jade would be broken.

This thing itself had the effect of enhancing the spirit, especially after it had been worn down. Using this to make up for it could stabilize his state of mind.

After quietly feeling it for a moment, he plucked a few small jade core fragments into his palm, inverted the blade, removed the pin located at the hilt, put these small fragments in, and then re-secured it.

After slightly rotating the blade, he adapted to the subtle changes in the weight of the blade. Then he turned around, faced the rear, and the phantom that resembled Chen Chuan appeared there once again.

He stared at it for a moment, shouted "Hey!", stepped forward, swung his blade forward, and rushed past the side of the phantom for a few steps, then stopped.

And after a while, the phantom behind him shook and then dissipated completely.

He shook the blade, then reversed it and slowly sheathed it.

At this moment, he felt that his state had reached its best at the moment, and those jade core fragments stored in the sword could allow him to maintain his state continuously.

He strode forward, came to the edge of the training hall, and pushed open the door.

It could be seen that it was drizzling outside at this moment. Under the gloomy sky, the distant waves were rising and falling, seemingly foreshadowing an impending rainstorm.

Several people were waiting there at the door, including the manager. Seeing him come out, the manager quickly came closer and bowed to him, "Mr. Jian Cheng, you've come out." He then looked up, "Mr. Jian Cheng, we don't have much time left."

Jian Cheng Sheng asked, "How much time is left?"

“Five hours at most.” The manager said in a deep voice, “We only have five hours left.”

Jian Cheng Sheng gave him a slight bow, “Sorry to keep you waiting, I’m ready.”

The manager's expression lit up. He immediately used the Realm Device to contact the person in charge, and then said solemnly, "Mr. Jian Cheng, time is tight. If it's convenient for you, then let's set off now."

On the other side, at about the same time, Chen Chuan's car had just driven out of Yangzhi City, and in the sky behind him, Chao Ming was flying overhead, following his car.

His car stopped at the last checkpoint, and he raised his hand to look at his watch.

After waiting for less than ten minutes, there was a chirp in the sky. After a while, he saw in the rearview mirror that a convoy was driving towards this side.

…