Chapter 664 - 15: Exchange

As the group drew near, Chen Chuan saw that this Tarlu was only slightly shorter than him. Her steps had a perfectly unified rhythm and cadence. Combined with the skills she had occasionally displayed earlier, it was clear she was quite formidable.

Tarlu said, "Sir, were you introduced by Mr. Zhuan?" Her voice was high and full of energy, revealing her to be a straightforward and cheerful person.

Chen Chuan said, "Yes. I’m Chen Chuan. Hello, Ms. Tarlu."

Tarlu laughed. "Just call me Tarlu." She said, "Mr. Chen, you came here on Mr. Zhuan’s recommendation to cultivate in the Rift, correct?"

Chen Chuan nodded. "That’s right."

Tarlu said very seriously, "Mr. Chen, I must tell you something first. Entering the Rift is extremely dangerous, so I have to confirm you have the strength to go in."

The old man at her side explained, "Mr. Chen, it’s not that we don’t trust you. Before, we never stopped anyone who came to cultivate in the Rift. But an incident occurred during the time of the previous Tarlu."

A peer from our School came here on his own, claiming to have a recommendation. At the time, out of trust for a fellow member of our School, we believed him. But his lack of strength led to an accident. We later heard he even left the School, and his supposed sponsors also went into seclusion.

"The consequences of that incident were significant. The old Tarlu blamed herself for it, and so this rule was established."

Chen Chuan said, "I understand." He looked at Tarlu. "So, shall we begin now?"

Tarlu had a straightforward personality and wasn’t one to dither. She immediately said, "Alright," then picked up a can of coconut milk, tilted her head back to take a few gulps, wiped her mouth, and walked over to an empty patch of ground.

Once she was in position, she tightened her clothes, then assumed a stance. She stretched her hands back and forth experimentally, her fingers and palms leaving a series of afterimages as several sharp cracks echoed through the air.

Facing someone recommended by a Fighting Master, she didn’t dare to be careless. She was going to take this very seriously.

Chen Chuan, for his part, set the Snow Monarch Blade aside and walked out from under the thatched-roof corridor. Once he reached the clearing, he also stretched a bit.

’This Tarlu isn’t weak, but I could tell right away that while she’s undertaken Spiritual Cultivation, she hasn’t reached the level of Heart Force. If that’s the case, there’s no real suspense in this fight.’

’Still, that’s actually quite remarkable.’

’Back in Central City, even with ample resources, many strong Fighters her age haven’t even begun the path of Spiritual Cultivation. For someone living on a remote island where communication and resources are scarce, to have come this far... it seems she’s relied mostly on her own talent.’

Seeing that the two were about to spar, the children and young people who had scattered before didn’t go far. Instead, they gathered excitedly around the perimeter, eagerly anticipating the fight.

However, there was a strange subtlety to the mood. Although everyone present was emotionally biased toward Tarlu, wanting nothing more than for her to win, they all had an inexplicable feeling that Chen Chuan would be the one to emerge victorious. This awkward feeling made them extremely uncomfortable.

Tarlu, on the other hand, was completely unaffected. After Chen Chuan came forward, she performed a Single Stream Hall salute toward him, then settled into her stance. The moment she did, she entered a state of extreme focus.

Chen Chuan clasped his fist in his palm, then assumed an Orthodox Scattering Hand stance.

After a moment’s standoff, Tarlu let out a sharp cry. Her figure flashed, crossing over twenty meters in an instant to appear before Chen Chuan, and she threw a kick.

The kick was swift, decisive, and packed with power.

Chen Chuan raised his arm and blocked it precisely. He immediately felt a wave of Power wash over him, but it was instantly followed by a second.

’Dual-layered Power?’

’Dual-layered Power is normally reserved for critical moments, because employing too much technique inevitably slows one’s attack rhythm. It’s typically used only when an opening presents itself; using it right from the start is highly unusual.’

’But I immediately discovered this Power wasn’t that simple. As it entered my body, I felt a slight sluggishness in my Mutated Organization.’

’I understood at once. This Power wasn’t designed for destructive force, but to target the Mutated Organization. If the Mutated Organization can’t function smoothly, then any movement or power-generation technique becomes clumsy and halting.’

’The first wave of Power must have been to establish a link between our Mutated Organizations, not to strike me. The second wave then caused them to resonate in a way that would put an opponent on the defensive.’

’It’s a very clever use of Power. But it’s not purely technique-based; I can feel the raw force behind Tarlu’s palm strikes. If this kind of Power were combined with Heart Force, anyone unaware of the specifics would likely be suppressed from the outset. If they couldn’t figure out a counter, the fight would be over before it began.’

’This gives me some inspiration for my own exploration of Heart Force.’

Tarlu now launched a second kick. The signature combat style of the Single Stream Hall was that once an attack began, it was relentless. Yet this kick was also blocked, and Chen Chuan showed no sign of being slowed or affected.

She realized her attacks weren’t working, but far from being discouraged, she let out a great shout. With a WHUUSH, she spun around, bringing her arm down in a palm strike that carried several times more force than before. She had decisively activated a Secret Technique and entered a state of explosive power.

Chen Chuan nodded to himself. ’That was the right decision. Many people, after their preferred method of attack is thwarted, will stubbornly stick to the same approach. It’s partly due to habit, and partly because their self-confidence won’t let them give up so easily.’

’But they don’t realize that against an experienced Fighter, if your attack rhythm and technique are nearly identical to the last one, it’s almost impossible to achieve a better result. You absolutely need to change something, and increasing speed and power is undoubtedly the best way.’

’Tarlu did this very well. The average person isn’t nearly so decisive.’

The blade-like edge of her palm chopped toward the left side of Chen Chuan’s forehead. Despite the increased speed and power, in his eyes, it was still slow. He blocked it with a light, simple lift of his arm.

Due to the surge in strength, her control over her Power couldn’t remain perfectly coordinated. With a POP, the sleeve on Tarlu’s arm burst open, revealing a muscular, wheat-colored forearm.

But when this attack failed, she didn’t press on. Instead, she stopped, a look of deep admiration on her face. She took a few steps back and bowed to Chen Chuan.

"Mr. Chen, your Fighting Skills are far superior to mine. You can undoubtedly enter the Rift to cultivate."

Chen Chuan returned the bow with a clasped fist. ’She actually could have continued just now. On the surface, at least, no winner had been decided. As the heir to a hall, and in front of so many of her disciples, I, as a guest, would have made some allowances to help her save face.’

’But she’s clearly a straightforward and unpretentious person. One is one, and two is two. She has no ulterior motives. To her, retreating when she feels outmatched is the most natural thing in the world.’

The old man walked up then and said, "Mr. Chen, you’ve come a long way. Before you go to the Rift, do you need to rest for a bit?"

Chen Chuan replied, "That won’t be necessary. I rested on Luo Wang Island for two days. Right now, I just hope to begin my cultivation as soon as possible."

Tarlu said briskly, "Alright. Mr. Chen, please follow me."

The old man gave a slight bow. "Tarlu, I will take care of things here while you are away."

Chen Chuan first retrieved his Snow Monarch Blade, gave the old man a nod, and then followed Tarlu.

After leaving the clearing, the trees began to thin out. The two of them followed a long, narrow path until they arrived at the edge of a sea cliff. Below, turbulent waves churned and crashed against the rock face.

Tarlu stood at the very edge, letting the sea breeze whip through her hair. She said, "If you leap down from here, you’ll reach the Rift. It’s just that lately, the Rift has become somewhat unstable, and it’s even showing signs of expanding. We haven’t seen this kind of situation in a very long time. I’ve never encountered it before, and my teacher never mentioned it. So be careful when you go in."

’Unstable...’

Chen Chuan seemed to have thought of something. He asked, "May I ask, roughly when did this start?"

Tarlu said, "There’s no reason I can’t say. The situation appeared at the end of the year before last."

Chen Chuan nodded slightly. ’That timing is very close to when the breach in the World Ring appeared. In that case, this change in the Rift might very well have been influenced by it.’

’For my cultivation, however, this might not be a bad thing. It could mean I can directly connect my spirit to the world on the other side, just like when the Celestial Gate opened.’

Tarlu said, "The Rift’s instability is also affecting the surrounding sea. For the past two years, many Fighters and other trained individuals have appeared around our island and Luo Wang Island. They’re active all over this sea, perhaps because they’ve noticed the anomaly and were sent by the powers behind them to find the Rift. After all, the Single Stream Hall has been here since the old era, and it’s common knowledge that we once possessed a Rift."

Chen Chuan recalled the tremors in the seawater he had felt on his way over, and the people searching for a ring on the ocean’s surface. ’Perhaps they weren’t looking for a ring at all, but were using it as a pretext to investigate the real cause.’

Tarlu continued, "To be honest, I’m not worried about those people. The Rift’s location is extremely well hidden; they’ll never find it no matter how hard they look. And even if they make it to the island, I can handle them. I’m more worried about Anyao Hall."

"Anyao Hall?"

A flicker of light in his eyes, Chen Chuan asked, "The Anyao Hall that is one of the three great lineages in the Outer Ocean today?"

Tarlu said, "Yes. The Single Stream Hall and Anyao Hall were originally passed down by the same master. Anyao Hall was founded by Master Hongfa’s second disciple, He Miyue, while our Single Stream Hall was founded by his first disciple, Zhuan Tuo."

"The two of them each inherited a portion of Master Hongfa’s Secret Transmissions, but the secret arts of the two halls complement each other. Each coveted the other’s legacy. Then, in a battle over a hundred years ago, the last Fist Sect master of our Single Stream Hall was killed by the Sword Sect master of Anyao Hall. We have been in decline ever since."

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