Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1568 Gathering Spirit and Expanding Body Domain

The sky over Zhongjing was gloomy at the end of April, and it had been like this for many days in a row, which made the entire capital city feel low-pressure.

The various departments of the State Council have been extremely busy lately, and most of the middle and upper-level officials in these departments are filled with anxiety.

They knew the massive collision was imminent, but they didn't know what changes the world would undergo at that time.

This is not like the usual leisurely feeling of sitting in the office with a cup of tea, reading foreign news in the newspaper and newsletter, with a sense of detachment; rather, it is something that is closely related to everyone.

With this heavy burden in their hearts, they became serious and somber in handling matters, and these emotions unconsciously affected those below them, making the whole atmosphere very oppressive.

Tong Xin entered through the main gate of Tianyuan Hall and saw only busy, unsmiling officials. Acquaintances would simply nod at each other before quickly passing by, and few stopped to talk.

He glanced around casually and walked into the VIP passage amidst the guards' salutes. However, halfway through, he turned onto the other side, where a sharp-looking guard opened the door for him and saluted again.

He slowly walked to the back, where it seemed to be a deliberately secluded small garden. Through the latticed windows, he could see part of Qinghu Lake, whose surface was covered with lotus leaves, and next to it were rows of weeping willows.

It's a place that's supposed to be lush and green, but at this moment, it feels lifeless.

He walked down a set of steps toward the lake. The instant he touched the water, his figure appeared as a dizzying double image, and then his whole body gradually blurred until he disappeared.

Beneath the lake lies a space that was transformed into a luxurious palace during the final dynasty. The last emperor would occasionally leave the palace with his confidants and eunuchs to visit this place, and various absurd folk tales and unofficial histories originated from here.

After the last dynasty was overthrown, the magnificent palaces built here at the cost of countless people's resources and wealth, as well as the rare treasures piled up inside, were all burned to the ground by the warriors who invaded the area.

At that time, many martial artists and reformers had suffered too much bullying from the last dynasty and had deep-seated hatred for the last dynasty's rulers. With the help of some people, they vented their resentment here.

Today, only the outline of the former palace remains, the Ascension Platform. Half of the dome has collapsed, but you can still vaguely see a spiral opening on it, which, when viewed from the inside out, seems to connect to the outside world.

Mr. Jia sat alone on the dilapidated high platform, surrounded by a group of secret priests who guarded the place.

Although he is said to be a collaborator who came here from outer space, the advisory group actually keeps a close eye on him, though he himself doesn't seem to care.

He was looking up at the sky, seemingly talking to someone, but there was nothing in front of him.

The situation seemed somewhat strange, but the esoteric practitioners around were already used to it.

They all knew that this person came from the other world and would occasionally communicate with someone from beyond the heavens, which was permitted by the advisory group.

When Tong Xin arrived, he saw that Mr. Jia's spirit was extending outward with the help of the Sky Platform, so he stopped and waited patiently outside.

After a while, Mr. Jia gradually regained his composure and walked over to the man, asking, "Mr. Jia, have you received any new information?"

Mr. Jia stood up and bowed slightly: "There is a lot of information, but most of it is messy and useless."

Tong Xin grunted and politely said, "Mr. Jia, you've had a long journey." He then gestured with his hand, "Please sit down."

Mr. Jia smiled and said, "Fortunately, I don't have to scheme against those demons here. It's a rare comfort and peace. Besides, when the Great Collision comes, I don't have to go out and fight with people. What could be better than this?"

“It seems Mr. Jia is quite comfortable here.” Tong Xin walked over to the sofa in front of him and sat down. “I told you it was appropriate to have Mr. Jia come.”

After Mr. Jia sat down, he contacted Kaiyang, and two cups of tea appeared on the tea table between the two of them.

"Mr. Jia, please."

Mr. Jia thanked him, removed the lower half of his mask to reveal his somewhat dry lips, and took a sip of tea.

Although it was just a borrowed body, he could still feel the sensations of the body. The novelty hadn't worn off yet, and he had new experiences almost every day.

Tong Xin said, "This is the body of an ancient martial artist, originating from the original imperial family. If you like it, Mr. Jia, I can give it to you as a gift."

Mr. Jia smiled and said, "Consultant Tong, is there anything I can do for you?"

Tong Xin said, "It's just a small matter, Mr. Jia. I've come to ask you for advice today. Could you call more of your colleagues here?"

Then he added, "After all, you know that it's difficult for us to defend this place on our own. We need more allies, and I'm sure you can understand that?"

Mr. Jia looked at him for a while with his eyes behind the mask before saying, "We are allies, and the reasons are quite valid. If you need it, I can find the manpower you require."

I will discuss this matter with my superiors. Oh, and if I may be so bold as to ask, is this a request from the advisory group? Tong Xin said, “It is just a request from me and a few colleagues. Mr. Jia, you must have heard that some colleagues in the advisory group have a deep prejudice against you and are unwilling and refuse to cooperate with you. They are very stubborn and conservative.”

I have no intention of changing their minds, nor can I. It's just that their style of doing things and their way of thinking are the opposite; they are very extreme. In order to prevent the cooperation from being disrupted, we need to have sufficient strength to maintain the overall situation when necessary, which is beneficial to both of us.

"Is that right?"

Mr. Jia seemed to be thinking for a while before saying, "Since this is your request, I will contact Tianwai in this regard. However, I must say that I am not personally involved in this matter; I am merely a liaison."

Tong Xin smiled and said, "It's alright. As long as Mr. Jia can keep your promise, that's enough. We will fully consider your personal wishes."

Mr. Jia looked up at the sky and said, "Let's wait a few more days. In a few more days, a better opportunity for communication will arise."

Four or five days passed in the blink of an eye, and Chen Chuan returned to the field space from the other world once again.

As his own cultivation improved, the power clones he created also gained strength, making them more efficient at collecting immortal seeds than before. However, no matter what, there was still a limit to the number of immortal seeds he could obtain on his own.

Fortunately, the fairy seeds that Huan Suo Island promised to send, as well as the fairy seeds from the Pure Faction, were delivered one after another.

After learning through various channels that the acquisition of Flash Domain was for the consultant's personal use, many countries around the world also abandoned their original plan to hoard it. After all, keeping it was really useless, and with the Great Bombardment approaching, it would be better to use it to exchange for some urgently needed supplies and technology.

Besides this, there were some unexpected gains.

After learning that it was for his personal use, Gao Xinjian, the president of Yuanren Company, specially arranged for the company's Throne Fighter to send over a batch of Flash Domains.

Besides what Gao had collected before, there were also items he had purchased from the consortium through the company's channels after learning the news, including a high-quality Flash Domain.

When Chen Chuan learned of this, he felt indebted to him.

In addition, the Tianji Sect also sent a telegram.

The sender's name was Long Xian Zhenren. He was informed that, with the permission of the Celestial Master, a batch of immortal seeds would be sent to him. The procedures had been completed in the past two days, and the seeds would arrive in the territory of Da Shun no later than the day after tomorrow.

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Even if the Heavenly Secrets Sect's actions weren't exactly a lifeline, they weren't far off either. After thinking for a moment, he immediately instructed the telegraph operator to send a formally worded telegram of thanks to them.

He mentally estimated that, based on his previous cultivation progress, the number of immortal seeds he had collected and those that were clearly tradable, plus the ones that would be delivered later, should be enough for him to successfully condense his own unique space.

In this way, the necessary conditions for reaching the higher levels are met. All that remains is to elevate one's own cultivation to the top, and perhaps also to merge with a second self.

There haven't been many major international developments in the past two days. External attacks continue, but the situation is generally stable. However, this stability may not necessarily be a good thing.

Just like the dark clouds that have been gathering over Zhongjing Peak for many days, a fierce storm could arrive at any time.

After a moment's thought, he asked Mingchengzi to keep an eye on things outside for him, and then he went to the other world again after obtaining the Immortal Seed.

After settling outside the World Ring, he sat down in the void, opened up a field, and threw the immortal seeds he had received into it.

After a period of refinement, one can feel the field becoming more and more stable, and one can vaguely sense that it can also generate certain changes according to one's own thoughts, but there seems to be a force hindering it.

He figured this was probably because he hadn't broken through to the higher levels, and therefore was limited; there was no need to force it.

After merging all the immortal seeds he had brought with him, he decided to try to sense the changes in the two worlds again, since receiving information from the higher levels would also help him improve his cultivation.

Once he calmed his mind, he immediately became one with his physical form, while simultaneously merging with his second self.

As his mind and body gradually calmed down, he began to receive information from above. This time, perhaps due to the more stable field, he saw more things.

He sensed that somewhere where the two worlds were about to merge, something was brewing amidst their intermingling and collision.

The moment he saw these things, an unusually urgent desire surged within the alien organization. Although he had felt similar things before, it had never been as intense as it was now.

He didn't know what it was, but he felt that it was useful to him, or rather, useful to everyone and all the demons who were paying attention to it at that moment.

……

……

(End of this chapter)