Chapter 701 52: The Delegation

"This is the Snow Goose. What do you think? Not bad, right?"

Pan Xiaode enthusiastically introduced it to Chen Chuan as he led him toward the airship.

"It's mid-September, and the weather's been great lately with excellent visibility. It's the perfect time for sightseeing. After your cultivation, you can enjoy the ocean scenery on the way back. The autumn sunset over the sea, in particular, is a view you just can't miss."

The airship's cabin was about twelve meters long and had a three-person crew. Pan Xiaode led Chen Chuan aboard, introduced him to the three crew members who were busy with preparations, and then gave him a quick tour inside.

"So, Chen, are you satisfied? This is just a sightseeing airship, though. It's been reinforced, but it can't handle too much roughhousing."

Chen Chuan said, "It's fine. I'll just be sitting in meditation."

Pan Xiaode said, "That's good." Then he added, "Oh, right... Chen—no, Teacher Chen. I saw you've started a class on the platform?"

Chen Chuan smiled. "Pan, would you like some pointers?"

Pan Xiaode's eyes instantly lit up. "Of course I would!" He had benefited greatly from his sparring match with Chen Chuan at Tan Zhi's apartment.

He had been too embarrassed to keep pestering him back then, but now that Chen Chuan was a teacher, surely it was okay to ask for guidance? If his family hadn't been roped into helping establish a new aerial transport company at the government's request, he would have bought Chen Chuan's course long ago. 'I'll order his class as soon as I get back,' he thought to himself.

Chen Chuan chuckled and disembarked the airship with him. He began giving him pointers right there on the open ground, while the captain and two crew members watched with interest from above.

Chen Chuan already had plenty of experience instructing students, so he was a natural at it. He corrected a few of Pan Xiaode's mistakes and even designed a personalized set of Breathing Techniques and Strength Postures for correction and training.

Pan Xiaode could tell it was effective after just a brief try and couldn't help but cheer. He said with annoyance, "It's a shame Huixin isn't here. I was supposed to spar with her today, but she said she had to welcome an important guest and couldn't make it because of some banquet tonight. Otherwise, I'd have asked you to give her some pointers, too."

Chen Chuan smiled. "It's alright. If she needs help, she can just purchase my course."

"That's right!" Pan Xiaode said excitedly. "I'll tell her as soon as I get back!"

「Half an hour later.」 Finding nothing more to correct in Pan Xiaode's form, Chen Chuan returned to the airship. Although it had caused a slight delay, instructing Pan Xiaode had allowed him to repay a small part of a favor and gain resonance feedback. It was a win-win.

Since all the preparations were already complete, the Snow Goose slowly ascended ten minutes later under the crew's control and flew out over the sea.

Chen Chuan stood on the observation deck, gazing at the magnificent scenery below. It was nearly nine in the morning. A gentle sea breeze blew, the sky was clear, and visibility was excellent. The bright, soft autumn sun cast a vast expanse of Golden Light across the surface of the water.

Chaoming flew over, keeping pace alongside the airship. It seemed incredibly cheerful, sometimes darting through an open porthole, sometimes circling the airship, and other times chasing after the seabirds that skimmed across the waves.

He let the sea breeze wash over him, quietly enjoying the tranquil morning. Suddenly, he sensed something. He looked into the distance and saw a vast bank of dark clouds suddenly drifting over the horizon.

He raised an eyebrow and walked toward the open-air deck at the front of the ship. Standing at the very edge, he looked out and realized they weren't dark clouds at all, but enormous airships. There were at least a hundred of them at a glance, a dense swarm of black dots filling the sky. They were currently flying toward Central City with the sun at their backs, the sound of their propellers carrying on the sea breeze.

The Snow Goose didn't alter its course, continuing along its planned route. From an outside perspective, it appeared to be flying alone to meet the massive airship fleet head-on.

As they drew closer, Chen Chuan could make out a huge, inverted triangle-like emblem on the front and sides of the largest airships.

It was a single outstretched wing formed by intersecting geometric shapes. On closer inspection, each shape represented a continent, and the background of the design was speckled with what looked like shattered meteorites.

Chen Chuan stared intently. He recognized the emblem's origin.

The Corporate Federation.

This was the Federation's delegation!

As they drew near, he could feel the immense size of the foremost airships. At nearly three hundred meters long, they were ten times the length of the Snow Goose. When they closed in, they bore down on him like small mountains, their presence incomparably oppressive.

Rows of armed security personnel in uniform could be seen standing at the portholes. In the vast Void Domain, no one paid any mind to the tiny, obviously unarmed sightseeing airship.

Chen Chuan stood on the deck holding the Snow Monarch Blade, his gaze deep and calm. The tips of his hair and his clothes fluttered in the rushing air.

According to the information provided by the Processing Bureau, with the breach in the World Ring having been open for so long, a Lost Object was bound to appear.

Therefore, the Processing Bureau's assessment was that while the Federation was ostensibly here to discuss the commercial fallout from the destruction of the Ferris Wheel Company with Jibei Dao Central City, their true objective was likely the Lost Object within the Merging Land.

「A few minutes later.」 The Snow Goose and the entire airship fleet passed each other.

The whole sky seemed to brighten in an instant.

He took one last look before turning back. As he passed the cockpit, the captain said to him, "Mr. Chen, that must be the Federation?"

Chen Chuan said, "It is. I thought you would choose to give way."

The captain scoffed. "This is Dashun Territory. We fly where we want to fly. Who the hell does the Federation think they are?"

Chen Chuan nodded. "You're right." He glanced at the airship fleet, now distant, and said, "We can stop here."

The captain made a gesture of acknowledgment.

Chen Chuan returned to the rear cabin, pulled the partition door shut to seal off the space, then drew the Snow Monarch Blade from its Sword Scabbard. Next, he took the long bone out of his carry-on luggage and placed his hand on it.

About ten minutes later, his eyes snapped open. He glanced down at a thick, severed tentacle lying at his feet. His clothes were now covered in new tears.

'The rewards were significant this time, but so were the dangers. The next time I enter, the difficulty will probably be even higher.'

He took a deep breath, raised the Snow Monarch Blade high, and swung it down. In an instant, a shimmering rift was slashed open in the empty air!

At that moment, the Federation's airship fleet was drifting toward the White Bird District. Below, a number of corporate representatives and dignitaries from the City Council stood waiting in anticipation.

After the destruction of the Ferris Wheel Company, the Administrative Affairs Hall had successfully managed the crisis, expelling the otherworldly presence and eliminating the Ferris Wheel Company, thereby establishing a certain degree of authority. They had also used the momentum to introduce a series of new regulations.

These many regulations were undoubtedly disadvantageous to the City Council. If they were enforced long-term and became standard practice, they would continually constrict and weaken the City Council's sphere of influence—something the Council could not tolerate.

Thus, they expressed an incredibly strong welcome for the arrival of the Federation's delegation this time, granting them considerable accommodations. They hoped to have a true member of the Federation stationed in Jibei Dao Central City to resist the pressure from the Administrative Affairs Hall.

The airships landed at the mooring point outside the White Bird District. First, elite armed security personnel and Fighters disembarked and swept the area. Only after confirming it was secure did the dozen or so representatives from the Federation descend and shake hands with the welcoming party.

Camera flashes flickered incessantly. The entire meeting was recorded by Domain Creatures, and the scene would be on the front page of every channel tomorrow.

The City Council also hosted a grand banquet to welcome the delegation, attended not only by Central City's council members but also by dignitaries who favored the council, corporate executives, and famous celebrities.

After dealing with a council member, Sadiyas Merriweather from the Spiral Deep Sea Company scanned the room and approached Sven Lindenberg, the business director for the Porlon Company. He extended a hand and smiled. "Sven, it's been a long time."

Sven extended his own hand in a polite response. "Sadiyas, hello. The last time we met was two years ago, wasn't it?"

Sadiyas said, "That's right, at the Yalan Megafauna Exposition on South Island. We had a pleasant discussion, but it's a shame our busy schedules prevented us from talking more in-depth." He gestured to the side, extending an invitation. "Do you have a moment?"

Sven nodded.

The two found a quiet corner. After a few pleasantries, Sadiyas said, "I hear the Porlon Company's expansion in Jibei Dao hasn't been going smoothly?"

Sven replied, "The Dashun Government is very assertive. We've indeed encountered some obstacles, but we will resolve them. We have many friends here."

"We've seen." Sadiyas stepped a little closer. "So, as friends, we are willing to offer our help. You already have a channel to enter the Merging Land, but you lack sufficient military support. If we at Spiral Deep Sea were to establish a new channel, it could take us several months to over a year to negotiate with the Dashun Government. That would certainly put us behind other companies in this matter, which is not in our mutual interest."

"We are both companies from Nordland. I believe only by joining forces can we compete with the others." He turned, took a glass of wine from a passing waiter, and raised it. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Sven agreed with this. In fact, the upper management of both their companies had already reached a cooperation agreement, and they were to be the ones to execute it. He raised his glass higher and said, "Indeed."

CLINK. The two glasses touched.

Sven took a sip and then asked, "If you don't mind me asking, who are the exploration personnel your company has sent this time?"

Sadiyas smiled. "The team is being led by our Spiral Deep Sea Company's own 'Thunder's Son' siblings." Noticing Sven's surprised expression, he took another drink of wine and said, full of confidence, "Believe me, no one here can match them."

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