Secret Power, Deeply Concealed

Seeing their reactions, Chen Chuan understood that they clearly knew of this power. He nodded. "Yes." Mask Gentleman stammered, "Incredible... Simply incredible... Let me tell you, this is... um... Old Zhuan, why don't you explain?" Mr. Zhuan looked up, speaking slowly with utmost solemnity. "This is Xuankong Fire." Chen Chuan felt a slight stir within. He recalled that the Purist Faction possessed a secret technique developed specifically for Visage of Man martial artists known as Xuankong True Life, and the Heaven and Earth Furnace breathing technique was one of the methods derived from it. Could there be some connection between them, given that this power was named after Xuankong? Mr. Zhuan said in a deep voice, "Xuankong Fire is a power that may potentially be drawn upon after fully connecting the Grand Firmament Forms and the Grand Radiant Light Forms. These two great forms can be considered the foundation for invoking it. However, I must warn you..." His expression grew graver than Chen Chuan had ever seen. "Committee Member Chen, under no circumstances must you tell anyone about this. Even with close colleagues in the Purist Faction, it is best not to mention it. Until your strength reaches a certain level, unless you face extreme peril, it is best not to use it if you can avoid it." Mask Gentleman chimed in, "Indeed, indeed. That's all we can tell you about this matter. Everything we know is bound by signed agreements, so we cannot share more details with you. But you can't go wrong listening to us." Seeing how solemn they were, Chen Chuan surmised that something significant was indeed involved. He responded seriously, "Gentlemen, I understand." Mr. Zhuan let out a sigh. "No wonder you were able to defeat Zhao Zhenye. With Xuankong Fire, even someone at the Longevity View wouldn't be able to block it if caught off guard." "Indeed." Mask Gentleman also felt this made more sense. Wait—it seemed reasonable, but why did something still feel a little off? Ah, losing more than half his mental power felt like missing half his brain—he just couldn't recall. Seeing that both had fallen silent, Chen Chuan dropped the topic and broached another matter. "Gentlemen, while fighting Zhao Zhenye this time, I saw an entity on him that appeared to have attached itself from the other side. Before I finally killed him, this entity stepped in to intervene. In the end, his mangled body was swept into a fissure toward the other side, which was likely that entity's doing as well." He continued, "You two probably still remember the report I submitted after investigating. According to Tian Rui's confession, back then an entity from the other side bonded with Zhao Zhenye to sire an offspring, and at the time that entity had the appearance of a woman. So I suspect: could the one I encountered be this very entity?" Naturally, entities from the world across might not have any concept of gender at all, but depending on the body they possessed, the outward appearance and inner nature they exhibited would vary, seemingly exerting mutual influence upon each other. Mr. Zhuan's expression turned grim. "Committee Member Chen, your speculation makes sense. If that's the case, that woman might have been with Zhao Zhenye all along. We never knew where Zhao Zhenye got his cultivation resources, but now it seems he likely acquired them through an entity from the other side. In particular, the former imperial family has always had ties with the other side." Mask Gentleman added, "We just don't know what he was after. Now that he's dead, the trail is probably cold, and what happened back then might never come to light. But there was no helping it. It wasn't easy for you to resolve him, Committee Member Chen; we can't ask for more. At the very least, that past mistake has been corrected. Old Zhuan, your knot can finally be undone, right?" Mr. Zhuan remained silent. Chen Chuan said, "Although Zhao Zhenye was indeed dead at the time, once an entity from the other side is involved, complications could arise." Mr. Zhuan said in a low voice, "Committee Member Chen, your concern is well-founded. We cannot let down our guard just yet." Chen Chuan said, "Now that the Skyline has been established, Center City is relatively stable. I plan to continue digesting what I've gained after the New Year, so I came here first to inform you both." Mr. Zhuan understood this. Defeating a powerful adversary provided immense stimulation to a martial artist and could very well spur their strength forward. Such opportunities were exceedingly rare and had to be seized. He said, "You can focus on your cultivation with peace of mind. We will remain stationed here in Center City for a while longer. There was something I originally wanted to tell you as well: headquarters is very pleased with the establishment of the Skyline and will likely issue a formal commendation letter to the Jibei Dao Branch. This represents headquarters' recognition of our branch, which will bring immense benefits and greater support moving forward." Mask Gentleman said, "Currently, the Skyline is unique to Jibei Dao and Haidong Dao. Personnel from other branches might come over to learn from our experience. This is a great chance to expand your influence. Whether you can take on key positions at headquarters or secure certain vital qualifications in the future, standing within the faction will serve as an essential benchmark." Chen Chuan nodded. However, he didn't need to dwell on faction appointments for now; reaching the Longevity realm as soon as possible was his top priority. Even so, he was ultimately the branch head of the Purist Faction, so he could not remain uninformed about headquarters and other branches. Having reached this point in the conversation, he chatted a bit more with Zhuan and Tang before taking his leave after three in the afternoon. After he left, Mask Gentleman, having held his excitement in for so long, exclaimed eagerly, "Old Zhuan, no one can match Committee Member Chen's talent! Did you hear that? That's Xuankong Fire! Among those past and present in the faction who received pooled resources, who can compare?" Mr. Zhuan was far calmer. He asked, "Old Tang, as you restore your power this time, can you guarantee this memory won't be detected by anyone else?" The mask froze, then became serious. "Old Zhuan, you're right. My depletion has been heavy, and some of my spirit unconsciously radiates outward and could be observed by certain people. This news must not leak out in the slightest. Otherwise, not only will outside schools take notice, but some within our faction might try to pry something from Committee Member Chen as well." He mulled it over for a moment, then made a decision that seemed terribly painful and agonizing. "In that case... I'll have my true body come out once." Mr. Zhuan asked, "Can you manage it?" Mask Gentleman gritted his teeth. "I can! Just coming out once won't be a problem!" After a moment, he added somewhat dejectedly, "If all else fails, Old Zhuan, the moment there's an issue, just find a way to snuff me out." Mr. Zhuan replied decisively, "I will." Mask Gentleman said, "If it really comes to that and I'm not here watching over you, you'd better look where you're going when you go out. Don't lose track of where you are." Mr. Zhuan gave a faint, dismissive sneer. After leaving the southern industrial district, Chen Chuan visited the branch and met with Chang Dong and the others. Gao Ming was also present this time. Recently, thanks to Chen Chuan's funding, the branch had invested in several new businesses involving numerous newly revised legal procedures. A trustworthy advocate was needed here, so he had simply introduced Gao Ming. Actually, upon reaching the level of a martial artist, one did not completely dispense with advocates, but an entirely different set of rules applied. Gao Ming's previous legal experience was virtually useless here, so he had recently acquired materials from the Martial Artists Council and was studying hard; he would ultimately need to pass the Council's assessment to become an advocate who served martial artists. Such an opportunity was exceedingly difficult to obtain. Without a martial artist's endorsement, advocates were typically selected and groomed from partner law firms under the Martial Artists Council, making it nearly impossible for ordinary people to break into this circle. Yet once inside, everything changed. Status and wealth were incomparable to before. In the Linax Federation, such advocates constituted an entirely different class—by no means mere servants to martial artists, but equal partners, with some even leveraging regulations to hold martial artists in check. After concluding his discussions with Gao Ming and Chang Dong, Chen Chuan toured the branch, which was already more than half-built, and had dinner with them before returning home. Over the next few days, Center City remained peaceful. He didn't go to many places; aside from preparing some holiday goods for the New Year, he spent the rest of his time cultivating at home. Time slipped by, and in the blink of an eye, New Year's Eve of the ninety-sixth year of Jianzhi arrived. Outside the villa district, firecrackers crackled incessantly, and field screens everywhere broadcast dazzling fireworks displays from across the city. This was Chen Chuan's first time celebrating the New Year in Center City, and this year the whole family was celebrating here together. At this moment, his younger cousins and other children from the courtyard villas were out rowing boats on the lake behind the villa. With Chaoming watching over them, there was no cause for concern. Watching the colorful programs on the field screen, Yu Wan found them entertaining yet felt a touch of wistfulness. "Center City has so many wonderful things and lacks for nothing," she said. "It's just that I really miss our old neighbors and folks back in Yangzhi." Nian Fuli was reading an internal gazette and nodded in agreement upon hearing her words. Though he had new colleagues, he missed those familiar faces just as much; after all, he had lived half his life there. Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Aunt, Uncle, now that the Skyline is connected, it will soon expand to surrounding areas—starting with several key towns around Center City, of which Yangzhi City is one. Likely soon after the New Year, field communications will be linked with Yangzhi City. Once that happens, calls between both places will be immediate, and the city will establish an airship transit transport squadron, so traveling between Yangzhi City and Center City will take less than half a day at most." Hearing this, Nian Fuli set down his gazette. Aunt Yu Wan couldn't help showing pleasant surprise. "Chan'er, is that true?" Chen Chuan said with a smile, "It's true. Aunt, Uncle, rest assured. At the latest, we'll have this finished by next year, and if things move quickly, you might be hearing familiar voices as early as the first half of the year." Nian Fuli and Yu Wan exchanged joyful glances. If so, the distance between Yangzhi and Center City would be drastically shortened. Seeing that there was still some time before dinner, Chen Chuan left the living room and headed upstairs to his study. There were many gifts and greeting cards sent to him by various people, including some from other regions and overseas. He hadn't had the chance to unwrap them before, so taking advantage of this quiet moment, he decided to open them and take a look.