Request Leave

Earth!

In the worldview of Swallowed Star, Earth is not merely an ordinary rocky planet. According to the original lore, Earth is a special treasure personally refined by the Mountain Sitting Guest, a powerhouse ranked at the pinnacle of the universe.

Its effect is that humans born on Earth possess a unique, innate talent regarding their "state of mind," making it easier to improve their "willpower" attribute.

Since Earth is a treasure refined by the Mountain Sitting Guest, it should be usable as a meditation object. Chen Yuan's eyes brightened; the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.

Thus, he tried again: "System, optimize the Hibernation Method. Optimization direction: a cultivation method compatible with the state of Entering Stillness, using Earth as the meditation object, with the effect of enhancing mental state and consciousness intensity."

"Optimization task failed. Reason: Insufficient data on the meditation object."

"The reason for this failure is the data on the meditation object." Chen Yuan stared at the information on the panel and asked it: "What data is required to use Earth as a meditation object?"

The system answered every question, quickly displaying a massive amount of information. After reading it carefully, Chen Yuan was lost in thought, having roughly understood the requirements.

Although the system mentioned quite a lot, it could be summarized in one sentence: he needed to observe this planet with his own eyes.

This observation required more than just a macro perspective; he needed to overlook the entire Earth from space, and also delve into every corner of the planet, recording in detail various terrains and landscapes such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and rainforests.

"So, if I want to use Earth as a meditation object, I need to go on a trip at a moment's notice?" Chen Yuan rubbed his forehead, feeling it was quite tricky.

First was the issue of time. To record most of the terrains and landscapes on Earth meant he would need to set foot in many different regions, which would consume a vast amount of time.

Whether the Training Camp would approve his leave was another problem.

Furthermore, he had to find a way to get into space to observe the full view of Earth.

He had to witness all these itineraries personally; neither looking at photos nor computer-simulated scenery would suffice.

"There's no other way. I can't leave the technique unoptimized, or I'll be stuck at Entering Stillness forever." Chen Yuan shook his head. "I'll ask Teacher Jiang Fang for leave first, and while I'm at it, ask if there's any way for me to get into space."

With Earth's current technology, getting into space wasn't difficult; the hard part for an individual was how to organize a rocket launch.

Fortunately, Chen Yuan had the backing of the Limit Dojo, so he should be able to find an opportunity to go up.

Thus, Chen Yuan left the basement, took a shower, changed his clothes, and dialed Jiang Fang's number.

"Chen Yuan? Is something the matter..." Jiang Fang's tone was slightly surprised. This student was not only highly talented but also extremely self-disciplined; there shouldn't be any cultivation problems requiring her guidance.

"It's like this, Teacher Jiang, I would like to request a leave of absence, duration indefinite." Chen Yuan went straight to the point.

"Leave?" Jiang Fang hadn't expected this question and was stunned for a moment before saying, "...You're at the Jiangnan Pavilion, right? Wait for me, I'll be there immediately."

After hanging up, Chen Yuan waited on the spot for a while before seeing Jiang Fang hurry over.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan, Jiang Fang walked straight up to him and asked, "It wasn't clear on the phone. Did you encounter some trouble? Do you need your teacher's help?"

Chen Yuan did not hide his purpose: "It concerns my cultivation. I need to travel across the Earth and observe various natural landscapes."

"Also, I want to find an opportunity to go into space once to view the full image of Earth."

"Observing nature... Could it be that your Conception is about to break through?" Jiang Fang asked, puzzled.

"I just have a premonition that doing this will be helpful for my cultivation." Chen Yuan was not good at lying, so he answered ambiguously.

"I see... I can approve the leave, but how long do you need?" Jiang Fang smiled and asked again.

"The duration of the leave depends on when I finish observing the Earth and gain some insight; the specific time is uncertain." Chen Yuan shook his head helplessly. "So I need you to accommodate me."

Jiang Fang pondered for a moment, staring at Chen Yuan as she said, "So, your problem is that you aren't sure when you'll break through, and at the latest, you might need to travel across the entire Earth?"

Chen Yuan nodded and added, "Also, I need to go into space once, the kind where I can see the full view of Earth."

"For that kind of thing, it's useless to ask me. Only the top brass of the Dojo have access to spaceships and warships that can fly into space." Jiang Fang shook her head. Seeing Chen Yuan's disappointed expression, she smiled again: "However, you can ask Uncle Wei."

"Uncle Wei?" Chen Yuan was startled.

"Didn't you know? Uncle Wei's personal vehicle is a Smart Fighter Jet, and a Primordial-class one at that." Jiang Fang's tone carried a hint of envy. "Ordinary King-class Smart Fighter Jets already possess the capability for near-Earth orbit flight, let alone a Primordial-class one. Uncle Wei can even fly to the moon and back."

"Moreover, ordinary Smart Fighter Jets have speeds exceeding 10,000 kilometers per hour, and Uncle Wei's jet is even faster. No matter where on Earth you want to go, you can reach your destination in less than an hour." Jiang Fang looked at Chen Yuan: "So, for this matter, asking your 'Uncle Wei' is the most convenient way. If you can borrow his Smart Fighter Jet, you won't even need a few days to travel around the world."

"How about this, call him and borrow it now," Jiang Fang said. "If Uncle Wei doesn't agree, give the phone to me, and I'll talk to him."

Chen Yuan nodded, then, under Jiang Fang's gaze, dialed Uncle Wei's number.

"Beep... beep..."

"Hello, Chen Yuan? What's up?" Uncle Wei's voice came through the phone.

"Uncle Wei, there is something I would like your help with..." Chen Yuan concisely explained his needs.

"I understand. You mean that because you lack a breakthrough opportunity, you need to travel around the world to see the natural scenery, and also go into space to see the Earth, right?"

On the phone, Uncle Wei summarized Chen Yuan's needs and then agreed in a very straightforward tone: "No problem! Feel free to use the fighter jet. When you're done, just tell the jet's AI, and it will fly home by itself."

"Are you using it now? If so, I'll have the jet head over now; it should arrive at the Training Camp in about half an hour."

Chen Yuan glanced at Jiang Fang, and seeing her nod, he said gratefully: "I need it now. Sorry for the trouble, Uncle Wei."

"Hey, you've already called me Uncle Wei, what's a little thing like this?" Uncle Wei's tone on the phone was completely different from reality, sounding exceptionally hearty.

After hanging up, Chen Yuan said to Jiang Fang: "Teacher Jiang, I'll request ten days of leave for now; that should be enough."

"Fine." Jiang Fang agreed readily, looking at Chen Yuan with a smile: "If the time isn't enough, just give me a call, and your leave can be extended at any time."

"Thank you for the trouble, Teacher Jiang." Chen Yuan bowed his head slightly.

"Small matter." Jiang Fang shook her head slightly. "I only hope that when you return from your leave, you will be stronger than you are now."

"Certainly," Chen Yuan said, his tone firm.

Chen Yuan then bid farewell to Jiang Fang, returned to his villa to gather a few personal belongings, and headed to the Training Camp gate alone to await the arrival of the fighter jet.

About half an hour later, a deep blue, saucer-shaped fighter jet flew in from the horizon; it was the very Primordial-class Smart Fighter Jet belonging to Wei Wen that Chen Yuan had traveled in many times before.

The fighter jet hovered above Chen Yuan before slowly descending, eventually touching down completely.

The cabin door opened, and an electronic voice emanated from within: "Chen Yuan, please board the fighter jet."

Chen Yuan offered a faint smile, shouldered his backpack, and stepped into the cabin.