Roadmap to the Boundless Sky-Chapter 168: Swimming

He could already move to the next stage of the training?

Chen Chuan perked up. He had caught on that every part of the training was linked to one another, so he could only move to the next part after clearing the requirements of the previous stage.

This also meant that the next part of the training was always harder.

Yet this sort of training was the only way for him to truly improve.

“Some of the well shafts here aren’t sealed off and are connected to each other. Since you can remain underwater for prolonged periods of time, next, I’m going to ask you to swim between well shafts at a fast pace.

“I’ll throw signs to the bottom of multiple well shafts, but I won’t tell you where they are. You’ll need to collect a certain amount of them within a set time.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan’s expression became much more serious. The difficulty had jumped up by a whole level. Staying still and moving were two completely different things. Not only would this use up a lot more energy, but he would also be swimming in unfamiliar waters. He’d have to face a lot of problems and dangers he wouldn’t be able to predict beforehand.

The time limit meant that he couldn’t afford to be slow and explore. Chen Chuan couldn’t be sure how far he would be able to go.

Chang Ba gulped. Chen Chuan was already going to start swimming in the deep waters? He had done this after giving himself a long pep talk, but he soon gave up.

After all, if he were careless while swimming in a well shaft of unknown length and where it led, he may not be able to find the exit on time. If he ran out of stamina in a long, cramped tunnel or was unable to maintain internal breathing, then all his hope of resurfacing would go up in smoke and put pressure on the mind.

Chang Ba had tried it before, and when he came back, he felt like he had escaped from hell. The world was suddenly an incredibly beautiful place.

Right then, he no longer cared about martial arts, family fortune, or getting a girl. All he wanted was to lie still, breathe smoothly, and let the warm sun shine on him. Before that training, he had never thought that everything he came across in his daily life could be so delightful.

And he had only swum around for ten minutes. Based on Chen Chuan’s performance, he would be able to last much longer. Chang Ba didn’t even want to imagine it.

“I’ll give you half an hour to rest,” He Xiaoxing said.

Chen Chuan nodded gravely. He checked his watch, went to the side, and sat down cross-legged to compose himself. This time, he used both internal and external breathing to regain his strength as quickly as possible.

Wow. It’s obvious now. Uncle He called Chen Chuan out before he collapsed so that he’d have some strength left for the next part of the training! He Xiaoxing thought.

It was all part of his plan.

He was really stepping up the difficulty of the training for Chen Chuan.

But that wasn’t the hardest part of the training. Chang Ba didn’t actually think that there was anyone in the First or Second Limit who could get through the hardest part.

Half an hour later, Chen Chuan checked his watch and stood up. “I’m ready, Mr. He.”

He Xiaoxing pointed at a pit ahead and said, “Start there. I’ll give you an hour. Find as many signs as you can. Pay attention to the time and your surroundings. When the time is up, I’ll call you.”

Chen Chuan nodded. He went to the pit and jumped in without hesitation.

This time, after he swam to the bottom, he used his senses to locate a path. Once he did, he swam toward it.

The shafts were not straight or smooth. They contained lots of twists and turns, and their height differed as well. It was practically impossible for him to swim through them quickly, even if he wanted it. He was going to knock into something the moment he tried.

Since he couldn’t use brute force, he had to focus on sensing the flow and movement of the water. At the same time, he had to make sure he kept up with his internal breathing and expelled the stone algae. This process was difficult right from the start.

He Xiaoxing remained on the surface but kept moving. If anyone could see Chen Chuan, they would find that He Xiaoxing was moving in a manner that made sure he was always not far from him.

Just then, he extended his arm, and Chang Ba quickly handed over a metal sign attached to a rope. He threw it into a pit. When the sign sank into the pit with the rope, he threw another one into a nearby pit.

Chen Chuan felt as if he had swum through an entire shaft, but since he was underground, he couldn’t tell whether, if he swam up, he would find himself in a pit that would lead him to the surface or just one that led upward without an exit.

He swam for a bit before he suddenly touched a rope attached to a metal object. His heart calmed down, and he understood what was going on. The signs were there to help him navigate the passages. It told him there was a pit above him. If he couldn’t last any longer, he could use it to return to the surface. This reduced some of the danger.

Chen Chuan didn’t need to bring the sign up. All he needed to do was yank at the rope to tell He Xiaoxing and Chang Ba that he had found it. Then, he swam away.

The most dangerous thing about swimming in this area was that he didn’t know how long any of the shafts were. If he suddenly ran out of stamina halfway through or his breathing went out of rhythm, he would instantly be in danger. He needed to be on high alert at all times and do his best to remember the paths he took before.

It was easy to lose all sense of direction in places without any light, but the signs had raised numbers. After touching them, Chen Chuan could tell whether he had touched them before.

Chen Chuan also had his instincts, which he believed were affected by his mutated tissue. He seemed to be able to tell whether he had been to a place before based entirely on muscle memory and not on any conscious judgment.

Chen Chuan found a few more signs. At this point, he had lost all sense of time and knew only to keep swimming to the next location.

When he touched another sign, he sensed the rope trembling; He Xiaoxing was telling him to come up. So, he climbed up the rope, and when he saw light above him again, he kicked off, broke out of the surface of the water, planted his hands on the edge of the pit, and hoisted himself out so that he could sit by the side.

After wiping his face, he took a moment to collect himself before dragging his heavy body upright. His lungs worked hard to take in fresh air.

He had never known the world to be so vast and comfortable.

Once he recovered somewhat, He Xiaoxing said, “One hour and seven minutes. You’ve exceeded the time limit by seven minutes, but found four signs. That’s only a borderline pass. Rest for a while. You’re going again in half an hour.”

Chen Chuan sucked in a deep breath and nodded. This time, he hadn’t used his second self either, just his mutated tissue, because he wanted to train his body as much as possible. Even so, he had still managed to reach He Xiaoxing’s minimum requirements. From this, he could tell that even his own body had become really strong.

Half an hour later, Chen Chuan jumped into the pit again. His progress this time was better than before. He found two more signs and returned to the surface within an hour.

Since they still had ample time, after resting for another half an hour, he tried a third time. But this time, his results weren’t as good as the second time. He only found four signs, like on the first try. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

This meant that his body was getting tired, and the training effects were dwindling.

He Xiaoxing stopped him and said, “You must find twelve signs in an hour within three days. We will only move on to the last stage of your training if you can do that. Let’s stop here today. Go back and use medicine to heal. Don’t train anymore. Rest well. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Chang Ba finally sighed in relief. While he had been on the surface all this while, he felt more nervous than when he was swimming underground himself. His attitude toward Chen Chuan also changed. “Chen Chuan, rest for a bit. I’ll drive over.”

He then ran away and came back with the SUV. Chen Chuan had already changed out of the diving suit and into his clothes. After he got into the SUV, he leaned against the soft backrest.

The day had been really tiring. He felt exhaustion he had not felt for a long time, but also fulfillment.

He felt as if he had returned to the time when he knew nothing and had just started learning martial arts from Yu Gang. It all felt novel yet urgent.

Back then, he needed to pass the follow-up exam. Now, he needed to face the upcoming pressure from the Mutual Aid Group. Even though his goals were different, both then and now he was concerned about his future and destiny. He needed to carve his own path to keep on moving.

After returning to the hotel, Chen Chuan took a shower and cast a glance at his second self. He was blurred out a lot, though most of the damage was inside him.

This meant his internal organs had been hurt quite badly, but he didn’t ask his second self to absorb all the damage. This was a crucial part of supercompensation, and all he needed to do was rest. If he couldn’t recover from the injuries, then he would have his second self absorb the damage.

Once he stepped out of the bathroom, he took medicine to help his body recover. Since He Xiaoxing had explicitly told him not to train anymore, he listened. He just moved about a little and practiced his saber techniques and Principal Sanshou to make sure his body remembered the movements.

It was dark outside, so Chen Chuan sat down and turned on the radio on the table.

He wanted to relax, but soon realized that most of the channels talked about the Ancient City of Elegance. Some people even submitted stories of past events in the city, which could be fake or real.

Thinking that he struck gold, Chen Chuan listened until around 9 p.m., then turned off the radio and went to bed.

The night went by, and another day arrived.

When Chen Chuan opened his eyes, he checked the time by looking at the faint light through the gap in the curtains. It was 4 a.m.

But he felt as if he had only just shut his eyes. Even in the past, he seldom slept so deeply. His exhaustion the day before had been real.

Still, he felt as if he had recovered and was full of energy. After taking a look at his second self, he found that almost all the blurred out parts had disappeared.

This meant that after a night’s rest, he had recovered from his injuries.

Chen Chuan got out of bed, washed up, took a tube of nutritional paste, and left with his things. When he reached the entrance, he saw Chang Ba already waiting for him. He waved at Chen Chuan. “Morning, Chen Chuan. Get in.”

Chen Chuan greeted him as well and got into the car. Since it was just 4 a.m., it was still quiet in the town. The headlights from the SUV lit up the road ahead as they went up the mountain. Once they picked up He Xiaoxing, they came down to the pits.

Strangely enough, Chang Ba didn’t stop there. Instead, he continued forward until he reached a place surrounded by stakes and barbed wire.