The convoy traveled through the territory, passing rows of dilapidated factories and chimneys emitting thick smoke, and finally stopped in front of the only clean mansion surrounded by a wall.
The mansion was not small, clean and grand, undoubtedly luxurious compared to the low-rise buildings in the industrial era style throughout the territory. In addition to the luxury, there were also a group of armed guards patrolling the mansion, and as soon as the convoy stopped at the gate, Chen Chong saw servants dressed as housekeepers already waiting respectfully, bowing their heads to greet them:
"Welcome back, General!"
At this moment, the lackeys who were dozing off in the car had already awakened, all looking at this grand mansion with envy and longing. By the window, Chen Chong's mind stirred:
"Is this General Blood's residence? With such a lineup, there is not much difference between here and the Emperor of the Wasteland."
The stark contrast between General Blood's luxurious mansion and the dilapidated condition of the survivors he saw on the way to the territory was apparent. The survivors he encountered along the way were emaciated, barely clothed, while in General Blood's mansion, even the servants were well-dressed and confident. The difference in living conditions between the two was like night and day.
While Chen Chong was contemplating, General Blood had already jumped out of the car and turned to Tie Shan, saying, "Set everything up and then come see me."
"Yes!"
Tie Shan immediately agreed, then leaned out of the window and shouted to the convoy behind him, "To the underground garage!"
The vehicles continued to move, General Blood's figure disappearing from sight. Chen Chong turned his head and pondered:
"Judging from the appearance of General Blood's territory, the level of development is probably only at the level of early industrial civilization. But Derry's base has high-tech equipment and standardized firearms. Does this mean that some regions still retain a relatively complete civilization and technological advancements?"
"And how did these white people, like Derry, appear here? Before the cataclysm, this area was in the southwestern part of China. How did they come here? Did the cataclysm cause continental drift and merge continents, or is there another reason?"
"Derry goes out once a month to receive supplies, but where does he go?"
Various thoughts swirled in Chen Chong's mind. Then, a sudden jolt was felt as the convoy stopped in front of a warehouse guarded by many lackeys. The lackeys on the car jumped down excitedly.
Chen Chong also got out of the car and saw Tie Shan walking over after giving orders. With a playful look, Tie Shan looked at Chen Chong and said, "Let's go, kid! I'll take you where you need to go!"
Chen Chong could faintly sense the malicious intent in Tie Shan's eyes. He sneered inwardly but remained calm on the surface as he asked, "Where are we going?"
Tie Shan laughed heartily, "Of course, I'll arrange a place for you to stay! The general specifically instructed to take care of you. I can't let you sleep on the streets, right?"
After speaking, Tie Shan led Chen Chong along the road. Unpleasant smells permeated the air. He pointed to several factories with smoking chimneys in the distance and said, "Kid, General Blood's territory doesn't entertain parasites. Everyone has to work for the general and create their own value. Do you have any professional skills? Anything related to machinery, engineering, chemistry, sewing, planting, and so on."
Chen Chong shook his head. In his previous life, he was in the IT industry, and such skills as coding would be a joke in this wasteland world.
Tie Shan nodded knowingly, with a hint of disdain, "During the Great Cataclysm, you were probably just a child, so you probably don't have any notable skills. I heard the general say that you are an awakened?"
Chen Chong nodded, not caring about the contempt in Tie Shan's tone. He glanced at Tie Shan's towering figure and asked, "You should be an awakened as well, right? I wonder who is stronger between you and Qiao Jun?"
By now, Chen Chong could vaguely feel the difference between awakened individuals and ordinary people, although it was still quite vague. He only had a rough sense when the two were in close proximity. The oppressive and dangerous feeling brought by Tie Shan by his side clearly indicated that he was a much stronger life field than Chen Chong.
Tie Shan burst into laughter, "What's Qiao Jun? I'm the most capable general under General Blood. With the help of the general's bloodline gu, I became an advanced-level awakened long ago. Qiao Jun's only notable ability is being as slippery as an eel. Otherwise, he would have died in my hands during our last encounter!"
"Oh? No wonder you're a major under the general."
Chen Chong complimented with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, then asked, "However, apart from the intensity of life fields, what other differences are there between different levels of awakened individuals? Are there specific awakened abilities?"
"Kid, you've just awakened. You know nothing and come here to pry information from me?"
Tie Shan looked at Chen Chong mockingly, then glanced at him with a sarcastic look:
"But I'll tell you anyway, it's not like these are secrets. The general has some expectations for you. I'll tell you some common knowledge so that you don't provoke the wrong people and end up dead on the spot."
"The so-called awakened abilities are not possessed by every awakened individual. These abilities come in all sorts, with a distinction between explicit and implicit abilities. Implicit abilities are those that are not easily discernible, such as enhanced sense of smell, night vision, underwater breathing, and so on. The ones I just mentioned are considered more valuable among the implicit abilities. In reality, most implicit abilities are either meaningless, making no difference whether you have them or not, or they are abilities that the awakened individuals themselves can't detect and remain dormant."
"As for explicit abilities, they are abilities more suitable for combat than implicit abilities. They are extremely rare, and not necessarily one out of ten awakened individuals will possess them. The general's abilities fall under explicit abilities."
"However, the real reason why awakened individuals are powerful lies in their continuously strengthening life fields. The strength of the life field is a concentrated manifestation of vitality, potential, physical fitness, and so on. It is the root of an awakened individual's power. The so-called awakened abilities are just superficial, at most, adding a finishing touch."
"For most awakened individuals, strong power, speed, and reflexes are the most lethal weapons. Otherwise, an ordinary person with excellent marksmanship can blow your head off from a distance. What use is there for even the rarest ability?"
So that's how it is.
Digesting Tieshan's words, Chen Chong's understanding of the essence of awakened power in this world became clearer. He realized in his heart that as an awakened individual who broke through the limits of awakening using the Super God Water, he hadn't discovered any special abilities within himself and felt a bit regretful. However, according to Tieshan, most awakened individuals possess latent abilities, but there are not many that are truly valuable and useful among these latent abilities. The strength of life force is the true source of power for awakened individuals, and Chen Chong found solace in this.
Unlike the awakened individuals in this world, he had the ability to practice fantasy magic, which was enough to ensure his unparalleled superiority!
"Kid, work hard to train yourself," Tieshan chuckled, saying, "The General's power is unimaginable for ordinary people, even for us awakened individuals. Once you reach the level of Qiao Jun, you will have the opportunity to gain the favor of the Blood General and be granted the Bloodline Gu."
Chen Chong's mouth twitched slightly, forming a smile. He couldn't help but feel amused by the fact that Tieshan, who was clearly controlled by the Bloodline Gu of the Blood General, spoke with a sense of honor and as if it were an extraordinary opportunity, as if suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Many people in this world might have developed psychological abnormalities due to the long-term repression and killings in the wasteland, and the number one underling of the Blood General was obviously such a person. He seemed to surrender completely under the shadow and intimidation of the Blood General, even regarding the Blood General as a god in his mind, displaying a masochistic appearance.
Chen Chong couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
At this moment, as he and Tieshan passed through a shantytown, Chen Chong noticed that each small compartment within the shantytown was covered with dirty curtains. Occasionally, survivors with disheveled hair and dirty faces, barely recognizable as women, would peek through the curtains and reveal their numb eyes.
Curiosity arose in Chen Chong's heart, and he changed the subject, asking, "What is this place?"
Tieshan followed Chen Chong's gaze and a deeply ambiguous and ugly smile appeared on his face. He said, "Heh, kid, this is the brothel. The General is kind-hearted and specially opened it for those survivors who are unwilling to do hard labor and have no particular skills. As long as you can afford food or water, you can have a good time inside. Whether you like men or women, you can be satisfied... You should understand what I mean, right?"
Chen Chong glanced at the brothel and fell silent for a moment. Can even a simple meal be used here? In this wasteland world, dignity really seems to have no value...
Seeing Chen Chong's silence, Tieshan thought he was already interested and smirked, "But kid, let me remind you, most people inside, whether they are men or women, have diseases, especially those good ones who have been played with almost to the point of being worn out. Even if the constitution of an awakened individual is stronger than that of an ordinary person, one shot might cause problems down there. If you want to live longer, it's best to come here less."
Chen Chong withdrew his gaze and coldly smiled, "Thanks for the reminder, but I'm not interested in these things!"
"Not interested, of course, that's for the best," Tieshan drawled, laughing loudly.
They continued on without further conversation. Tieshan swaggered along, leading Chen Chong through dilapidated residential areas, eventually arriving at the entrance of a two-story building. Several lackeys were laughing and came forward when they saw Tieshan approaching.
"Lao Da, do you need anything?" one lackey asked in a hurry.
Tieshan waved his hand impatiently and said, "Is Yin Hu here? If not, find him immediately and tell him that the General has something to instruct him!"
"Captain Hu just went to the chemical plant. I'll go find him and bring him back!" the lackey replied promptly.
Yin Hu was one of the territory's supervisory captains responsible for overseeing the work of some technicians and laborers. Upon hearing the name of the Blood General, these lackeys became extremely attentive and hurried out.
In less than ten minutes, a middle-aged man with a sinister appearance, dressed in a leather windbreaker and exuding a gloomy aura, hurried back. When he saw Tieshan and Chen Chong beside him, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he spoke with an ambiguous tone, "Tieshan, what does the General want from me?"
Yin Hu, known as the "Yin Tiger," was also an awakened individual, and his life force might not be weaker than that of Qiao Jun!
As soon as Yin Hu approached, Chen Chong faintly sensed a vague presence. Obviously, the other party was also an awakened individual with a life force far beyond ordinary people.
Tieshan didn't say anything in front of Chen Chong. Instead, he raised his hand to signal Yin Hu to enter the building. In just a few minutes, the two of them came out again.
Yin Hu looked at Chen Chong with an indescribable sinister expression, while Tieshan patted Chen Chong on the shoulder heavily, smirking before turning and leaving.
Hmm?
Chen Chong furrowed his brow. Before he could speak, the supervisory captain known as Yin Hu raised an eyebrow and spoke in a sinister tone, "Tieshan, why did the General ask you to find me?"
This Yin Hu was one of the territory's supervisory captains, personally appointed by the General. From today onwards, he would be responsible for Chen Chong's work and accommodation in the territory. With the General's favor, Chen Chong could consider his options for work, and Yin Hu would make arrangements accordingly.
Yin Hu then whispered something to the two lackeys beside him and gestured, "Take him upstairs and settle him in."
Upon hearing Yin Hu's instructions, the two lackeys wore strange and astonished expressions. They then walked toward the two-story building in front of them and beckoned to Chen Chong, saying, "Hey, come with us."
A show of force?
Chen Chong's eyes flashed, and his inner self silently grinned. He followed the two lackeys into the building.
The second floor seemed to be used as a dormitory. It was rough, with a long corridor filled with an unpleasant smell, and rooms lined up on both sides.
Walking with the lackeys to the deepest room, one lackey kicked open the dilapidated wooden door, revealing a room of about ten square meters. Besides two beds and a wooden bucket, there was almost nothing - if those wooden boards could be called beds at all.
The other lackey pointed inside and smirked at Chen Chong, saying, "Here is the room arranged for you by Captain Yin. Normally, there would be four people living in each room, but you're lucky. This room is not only the largest, but currently only one person lives here, so it won't be as crowded as the others. During the day, the people who live here are working in various factories and only return late at night. You can tidy up on your own."
Chen Chong nodded. After all, he had just escaped from a dark and dismal prison. Although the environment here was extremely harsh, it was enough for him to have a relatively safe place to practice.
The only issue to consider was how to hide his cultivation from the person sharing the room with him.
"Alright, newcomer, don't wander around. I hope you have a pleasant evening," the two lackeys blinked mischievously, wearing mysterious smiles before leaving.
Chen Chong furrowed his brow. He vaguely detected a sense of schadenfreude and anticipation in the tone of these two lackeys. However, he didn't have time to think about it. Once the footsteps of the two lackeys completely faded away, Chen Chong let out a sigh of relief. He immediately closed the door and sat cross-legged on the bed, instructing the system in his mind, "Translate: Ultimate Infinite Qi Gong!"