Chapter 665 16: Turbulence

The sea breeze blew in gusts across the cliff, and seabirds occasionally flapped past. Below, the ocean waves churned, creating a ceaseless, surging roar.

Tarlu's voice carried clearly on the cliff. As she recounted her Fighting Hall's history, particularly the part about its decline, her expression remained high-spirited, as if she didn't take it to heart.

"Actually, long before that duel, our Single Stream Hall's Rift had already been missing for decades. Some of our unique Secret Transmissions can only be mastered inside the Rift. So, that ancestor's goal in the battle was to defeat the Sword Sect of Anyao Hall, take over Anyao Hall, and merge the two halls into one.

"His motives were not pure.

"After Anyao Hall learned that our Single Stream Hall's Rift had vanished, they took no further action. Perhaps they decided it was no longer worth the trouble.

"But things have changed in recent years. With anomalies appearing in the Rift, disciples from Anyao Hall have been spotted nearby. Elder Gan believes Anyao Hall might be planning to make a move."

Tarlu was very frank. She said, "I'm devoted to practicing my Fighting Skills, so I don't really understand these things. But I trust Elder Gan. He studied abroad when he was young and worked as an assistant to a state affairs advisor. His judgment is always sound.

"He told me that Anyao Hall likely had designs on the Rift as soon as they discovered the situation. They didn't act before, possibly because the Ferris Wheel Company was still around. Even if they had made a move, the company could have used Wind Forest Hall and Langtao Hall to pressure them into giving up any gains.

"Those two Schools would never want to see Anyao Hall grow stronger and upset the balance of power, so Anyao Hall might have ended up with nothing.

"But now there's a window of opportunity. The Ferris Wheel Company just collapsed, and Dashun's Overseas Development Group and Canglong Company are busy driving out the Lynx Federation's forces, taking over Ferris Wheel's assets, and strengthening their control over the various Island Countries. They'll be closely monitoring the Sword Sects of the three major halls, preventing them from making any rash moves.

"But for Anyao Hall, this is an opportunity, because the powers that could restrain them are all tied up. And their top disciple of this generation, Nakagami Hiroshi, is exceptionally skilled. Elder Gan says he will likely take this chance to come here and probe for our true strength. If he finds what he's looking for, he will strike without hesitation."

She looked at Chen Chuan and said seriously, "I'm telling you this, Mr. Chen, because you might run into trouble while training in the Rift. I had to be clear with you about that."

Chen Chuan nodded. "Tarlu, thank you for telling me all this."

'Actually, when Mr. Zhuan sent me here, he mentioned the situation with this Rift was complicated and that it might not be around for much longer.'

'That made sense. No matter who ultimately controlled this area, they would never allow the Single Stream Hall to keep control of the Rift.'

'As for the Pure Sect sending a Fighting Master to guard it, that wasn't exactly by the book. The various nations and corporations tacitly accepted the existence of Rifts with unbroken lineages passed down from the old era, but they wouldn't let outsiders interfere and occupy them. Otherwise, everyone would be doing it.'

He glanced at the waves below and said to Tarlu, "Since I'm here to train, fending off outside interference is just another part of that training. Besides, we're both members of the Pure Sect. If anything happens, I'll be here to face it with you."

Tarlu broke into a wide, cheerful smile and said, "Thank you, comrade!"

She pointed. "The Rift is deep underwater, over four hundred meters down. Even a Third Limit Fighter wouldn't be able to find it without knowing the exact location.

"It's just that your training might cause quite a stir, Mr. Chen. So you should familiarize yourself with the environment first. When you do train, it's best to start at nightfall and come out before dawn."

Chen Chuan nodded.

'He'd figured it out after arriving. Although the Single Stream Hall had dedicated this Rift to the Pure Sect, they were still the ones managing it. This was probably because the hall's Secret Techniques required the Rift for training. In other words, the Single Stream Sect was still the de facto master of this place, so their opinions had to be respected.'

Having explained all this, Tarlu said, "Mr. Chen, follow me."

With that, she took a few steps forward and leaped off the cliff. She fell like a white streak, and after dropping at least sixty or seventy meters, she entered the water below with a soft SPLASH.

Chen Chuan glanced down, then also leaped forward. In mid-air, he stretched out his body, then adjusted his position to dive headfirst into the sea.

He entered the water with a DUNK and used the momentum from his fall to continue his descent. He soon spotted Tarlu's figure ahead and swam after her.

He had once received underwater training from He Xiaoxing, so upon entering the water, he naturally switched to breathing through his skin.

At first, Tarlu kept looking back at him, but as they descended, she saw he showed no signs of discomfort and seemed perfectly adapted. This put her at ease.

No one who made it into the Pure Sect was a slouch. The few fellow members she had hosted before were all formidable, so she felt Chen Chuan's performance was only to be expected.

Just as Chen Chuan and Tarlu leaped into the sea, a fishing boat pulled up to a small reef near Feiguang Island. Several people who looked like the First People came ashore.

Although they wore clothes similar to the local natives, their builds were too muscular and rugged, and they carried an indelible stench of blood.

This was the "Turbulence Squad" from the Lynx Federation.

When the Ferris Wheel Company was still around, the Outer Ocean Islands hosted many mercenary corps and special squads from the Lynx Federation. They were responsible for sabotaging the ports and infrastructure of Canglong Company and the Overseas Development Group, as well as assassinating their executives and key personnel.

Under the cover of the Ferris Wheel Company, they could often inflict significant damage. But with Ferris Wheel's collapse, they suddenly found their situation had grown precarious.

Canglong Company and the Overseas Development Group were now starting to hunt them down, and the very informants and gangs that once provided them with aid had turned against them.

It was as if the tables had turned overnight.

This forced them to retreat from the main cities and hide out on remote islands.

One of them took out a chart, glanced at Feiguang Island in the distance, and asked, "Is this the place?"

Another man looked. "Yeah, this is it. This is the island I came to scout last time with the survey team."

The Lynx Federation had sent survey teams and technicians to the various islands of the Outer Ocean, establishing biological experiment sites of all sizes.

Last year, they discovered that in the waters near Luo Wang Island, particularly around Feiguang Island, the local species were very different from those elsewhere. The area was also rife with ancient legends of various sea monsters, and the seabed experienced occasional tremors.

Most importantly, it had once been the ancestral home of a Fighting Hall. Adding all these factors together, they concluded that a Rift might exist below.

A Rift is immensely valuable, let alone a stable one passed down from the old era. But for various reasons, the search plan had remained on paper. After losing the support of the Ferris Wheel Company, it became completely impossible.

But when the Turbulence Squad learned this news, it was as if they had struck gold.

The benefits of a Rift to a Fighter were self-evident. Moreover, this was likely a Rift that had been developed over many generations, meaning the entities on the other side were probably accustomed to coexisting with humans. If they could capture it, at the very least, it would significantly boost the strength of every one of them.

The captain, Uteco, turned to face his squad. "Right now, Canglong Company and the Overseas Development Group are hunting us down, yet our superiors want us to stay here and carry out harassment and sabotage missions from behind the lines..."

He sneered. "As of that order, we've been abandoned. From now on, we look out for ourselves."

All his teammates voiced their agreement.

As First People, they were never truly trusted. Promotions came slow, if at all, and they were always used as cannon fodder. They had to find their own way out.

This potential Rift was their opportunity. If they could find and secure it, then rally the other First People squads, they would have enough to build an independent force.

Uteco continued, "I've already done my reconnaissance. There's a Fighting Hall on the island called Single Stream Hall, but it's long since fallen into decline. The master is a Third Limit Fighter, and she probably knows where the real Rift is. Our job is to capture her alive and force the location out of her!"

His expression turned ferocious as he laid out a grand promise for them.

"If we control this place, and I become a Fighting Master, we can negotiate with any faction and force them to acknowledge our existence!"

The whole squad grew excited. The idea wasn't impossible. Uteco was incredibly strong. Though he was in his forties, he had the most potential of their generation to become a Fighting Master; the only thing he lacked was resources.

Someone asked, "Captain, when do we make our move?"

"Yeah, when do we move?"

Uteco said, "Not yet. Every year in mid-to-late July, strong gales blow through here for about ten days. During that time, all communication and travel in the area will be cut off. Moving then will do a great job of covering our tracks.

"Before then, we'll focus on reconnaissance and make our preparations."

One of the men was puzzled. "Captain, she's just one Third Limit Fighter. With you leading and all of us as backup, is this much caution really necessary?"

Uteco spoke with caution. "The Fighting Hall has been around for many years; it's bound to have deep connections. There are too many people on this island for us to control. If even one person slips away and word gets out, it will bring us a world of trouble. We only have one chance.

"We need to hire a few people to pose as tourists and get the lay of the land first. Only then will we decide on a specific plan of action."

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