books44 Chapter 389 - 227: Welcomed with Smiles, Purifying the Nether Fog (Part 2)
Chapter 389 - 227: Welcomed with Smiles, Purifying the Nether Fog (Part 2)
"So that’s how it is..." Su Chen was thoughtful. ’There must be a major problem for the Bronze Ancient King to be unable to leave.’
"I hope the Ancient King can find a solution." Wan Chen sighed softly. Although no one in the Sect spoke of it openly, everyone understood that the Flame Fire was indeed in trouble.
Of course, given the Bronze Sect’s size and power, even if the Flame Fire collapsed, as long as the Ancient King and the Morning Star Tier experts didn’t die, the Sect would remain the Sect. It would just suffer a heavy blow, and the Life Stars under its rule would fall into a state like that of Red Thunder Star.
"From the sound of it, the Royal Court’s location is truly blessed by nature. Surrounded by the Five Great Sects, it’s naturally isolated from the Nether Fog," Su Chen couldn’t help but say.
"Not exactly..."
Wan Chen shook his head. "The Nether Fog doesn’t just encroach gradually. In some places that can’t be covered by the Flame Fire, Nether Fog will slowly begin to manifest over time."
"That’s why it causes communication blackouts in the Dust Star Sea, route adjustments, and the like."
"I heard my father say before that the locations of the Sects and the Royal Court were actually all carefully calculated to prevent large-scale pockets of Nether Fog from appearing within the Dust Star Sea’s expanse."
"I see..." Su Chen finally understood. This was all information he’d never been privy to.
He thought for a moment, then asked, "In that case, the Sect’s Flame Fire must be extremely important. It doesn’t just affect us. The Royal Court and the other Sects should be providing aid, right?"
Wan Chen looked hesitant. "You’re not wrong, but as for whether anyone else helped when the Flame Fire was reignited before... I’m not too clear on that."
The topic had reached the limits of Wan Chen’s knowledge. Su Chen asked a few more questions, and they soon arrived at their destination.
It was a five-story metal building. Its exterior walls were pieced together from matte alloy plates, and a faint blue light flowed through the gaps between them.
There were quite a few people coming and going. The auras they exuded were distinctly different from Wan Chen and his group; they all looked quite fierce and grim.
Wan Chen said in a low voice, "These are all members who carry out field missions. Some of the more dangerous places inevitably have Nether Fog, so the Sect is responsible for their purification."
Stepping through the main entrance, they found the interior space was far more expansive than it appeared. Rows of metal pods were arranged in the main hall, with lines of people waiting for them. The waiting crowd seemed quite excited, whispering among themselves.
A few sharp-eyed individuals noticed Su Chen’s arrival and immediately clammed up, repeatedly exchanging glances with their companions.
"Lord Su Chen..." A staff member came forward to greet them.
These staff members weren’t true members of the Sect, merely addressing him as "Lord." They seemed to have been notified in advance, and said respectfully, "Please, follow me."
’Another private room on the second floor...’ Su Chen was already used to this and followed the staff member upstairs.
"Goddamn it. I felt sick that whole time. Finally, I can relax." A young man twisted his neck, seemingly having just sat up in one of the metal pods. He stared directly at Su Chen, who was walking upstairs.
From his angle, he could only see a profile. He hesitated for a moment, then said in astonishment, "Is... is... isn’t that Su Chen? He’s here?"
SMACK! A crisp sound rang out as a heavy palm slapped the back of his head. A deep voice followed, "What do you mean ’that Su Chen’? That’s our Star Seed. From now on, you address him as ’Lord’ or ’Grandmaster-Uncle’."
"Senior Brother... you?" The young man looked utterly confused as he was hauled to his feet. The large man then lay down in the pod.
After listening to the low-key hubbub around him for a moment, his eyes widened. He was dumbfounded.
’What do they mean he received the Ancient King Stele’s acknowledgment the moment he arrived?’
’Is he... fucking human?’
...
It wasn’t the second floor, but the third. In a private room, the metal pod here looked much more exquisite. It had a silver-white exterior, its surface etched with complex patterns.
"Lord Su Chen..." Another staff member was here, a woman in professional attire with a slender figure and a gentle smile. "I am this session’s Purification Master, Qin Huaisong. Please, lie down."
The silver-white pod had a seamless magnetic levitation lid, which was now silently floating open.
"Um, do I need to take off my clothes?" Su Chen asked.
"No." Qin Huaisong shook her head and explained carefully, "After you lie down, we will first scan the level of Nether Fog in your body, then begin the purification process. There may be some stimulation and pain during the procedure, so please try not to be nervous."
"Alright." Su Chen nodded and lay down inside. The lid slid silently shut and gradually became transparent, allowing him to see his surroundings clearly.
"It’s a one-way lens. We can turn it off if you’re not comfortable," Qin Huaisong’s voice sounded by his ear.
"It’s fine." Su Chen didn’t mind. He couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.
’I thought I’d run into some trouble after coming to the Sect.’
’But so far, aside from that Qin Tianlin, all I’ve seen are smiling faces.’
VMM—
A fluorescent blue scanning beam swept over him. Su Chen felt a faint stinging sensation in his body. Qin Huaisong’s voice held a note of surprise. "A concentration of 90%... That’s... rare."
"Can it be cleared out?" This was all Su Chen cared about.
"Of course. It will just take a bit longer," Qin Huaisong said. "If you’re ready, I’ll begin."
Su Chen nodded. He saw Qin Huaisong extend her delicate hands, and pure white runes materialized in her palms. Two columns of light shot down from the runes, precisely entering the receiving nodes on top of the metal pod.
The etched patterns on the pod’s surface suddenly lit up, all the circuits glowing simultaneously. The silver-white shell took on a cool luster, like moonlight.
A high-frequency, resonant hum came from within the pod. Su Chen felt himself enveloped in a milky white light, a squeezing sensation coming from his body, as if something was being wrung out of him.
Soon, he saw wisps of grayish-black mist emerge within the light surrounding him. It mingled with the milky white brilliance and gradually turned into a flocculent, dark-gray solid substance before being siphoned away by the pod.
’Interesting...’ Su Chen watched closely. The pressure around him grew stronger and stronger, squeezing the Nether Fog out from his very flesh and blood, from his cells.
At first, it was just a stinging pain, but later, the muscles in Su Chen’s neck tensed, veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat rolled down.
The pain of the purification was far beyond what he had imagined.
"Would you like to stop for a while? You can rest and come back for more purification later," Qin Huaisong asked considerately.
"No... need." Su Chen squeezed the two words from his throat.
Su Chen couldn’t even guess how long it had lasted. He only knew that when he got out of the pod, the Flame Fire was shining brightly once again.
"Hooo..." He let out a long breath. The pain in his body gradually faded, followed by an unprecedented feeling of lightness.
In comparison, it felt like he had been moving under a heavy burden at all times before. He even faintly felt that his strength had increased considerably.
"You were quite deeply corroded by the Nether Fog. After its removal, your various physical attributes will naturally see some improvement." After persisting for so long, Qin Huaisong’s forehead was also covered in fine beads of sweat, her face a little pale.
"The Nether Fog suppresses one’s power too?" Su Chen was surprised.
Qin Huaisong explained, "The Nether Fog cuts short one’s lifespan, so it naturally has some effect on cell activity. You were just corroded so deeply that the effect is very obvious."
Su Chen came to a realization. He took a moment to adjust and carefully sensed the change. The increase in his physical attributes wasn’t actually that large, probably around ten percent.
What was more crucial was the feeling of refreshment and lightness that came from within.
"Thanks." Su Chen stood up and looked at Ming Lin. "You want a go?"
"Umm, I’ll come by myself when I have time. This doesn’t cost anything, right?" Ming Lin inquired.
"It doesn’t." Wan Chen shook his head and explained, "Just have Su Chen grant you the relevant permissions."
It was a basic benefit of the Sect, requiring only the proper authorization.
Leaving the facility, the three of them went to the outer docking port. This time, there was no need for Wan Chen to help arrange things. Su Chen just had to stand there, and several staff members hurried over.
The one in the lead even seemed to be the person in charge of this port.
"Lord Su Chen..." His attitude was quite respectful. After asking for their request, he quickly dispatched a Flying Device for their use. The three of them boarded the Flying Device and headed toward the Floating Island.