Chen Chuan walked over toward that figure. "Teacher Xue?"
Xue Shou smiled. "Trainee Chen." He looked Chen Chuan up and down, his tone carrying a touch of emotion: "The realm of the Longevity View... that was fast."
Chen Chuan looked at the man before him. In the past, his impression of this teacher's strength had always been vague and difficult to gauge accurately.
Looking closely now, his heightened spiritual level allowed him to perceive that although Teacher Xue seemed no different from before, his presence was not completely full. It was an uncanny sensation—like a glass that had not been filled to the brim.
If his deduction was correct, what had appeared before him in the past had, from beginning to end, been merely a fraction of Xue Shou's full power. He was not sure how much of his strength this represented, but it seemed far from the majority; his true body must have reached an extraordinary level.
Yet thinking about it, that made sense. A martial artist who could single-handedly "escort" the entire Linakes Federation delegation with just a portion of his strength could not possibly be weak by any measure.
Xue Shou clearly sensed that Chen Chuan had seen through something, but he made no effort to hide it. Smiling, he said, "The escort mission I was tasked with ended the moment the Linakes delegation arrived here in your Jibei Dao.
"Later on, they will return with you, and security from that point will be entrusted to Jibei Dao and Haidong Dao."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Teacher Xue, leave it to me."
Xue Shou smiled. "Then I can finally take things easy." He glanced toward the roadside benches on one side of the plaza. "Let's go sit over there."
Chen Chuan agreed, and the two walked over to the edge of the plaza together. The weather was pleasant today, still midmorning, and the sunlight felt warm and comfortable against them.
Clusters of vibrant flowers blossomed around the plaza, drifting gentle fragrances through the air. The terrain here was elevated, offering an expansive view looking straight out over the boundless ocean, where seabirds wheeled overhead, letting out sharp cries.
Chen Chuan walked over to a roadside vendor's cart, bought two cups of hot drinks, handed one to Teacher Xue upon his return, and took a seat beside him.
Teacher Xue leaned lazily back against the bench, looking up at the bright sunlight overhead. After taking a sip of his hot drink, he said:
"The situation in the Linakes Federation is complicated. Right now, the struggle between the West Coast Party and the East Coast Party is fierce, and internally they can rarely reach an agreement or coordinate properly. Otherwise, they wouldn't have lingered here with us for so long.
"I hear the higher-ups went to great lengths this time, coordinating between all sides, and finally managed to reach a number of preliminary agreements with the delegation. However, many of those terms cater to the interests of the East Coast Party, leaving the West Coast Party thoroughly dissatisfied.
"A lot of effort went into securing these conditions. Even if we cannot implement all of them, we must realize at least a portion. Quite a few key figures among the federation's negotiators this time are essential in pushing these matters forward, so we must ensure they make it back alive.
"You've seen the return route. It will pass through Haidong Dao and the territory of the West Coast faction. That's the scheduled itinerary for the visit, so the subsequent security assignment is bound to be heavy. I expect someone will handle the handover with you shortly."
Chen Chuan said, "Understood."
Teacher Xue said, "As long as you know what to expect. That headache belongs to you now, so I won't dwell on it. Let's talk about you." He turned his head. "Trainee Chen, if I'm not mistaken, you're preparing to cultivate the realm of the Dongxuan View?"
Chen Chuan said, "Yes."
Teacher Xue gazed at the rolling sea and the golden sparkles shimmering across the water, remarking with a sigh, "That step is quite difficult. After the revolutions of the new era, the Path of the Three Aspects branched off entirely once reaching this point.
"However, under the Old State Religion, many forms of cultivation were not so rigidly demarcated. I have something here that might help your practice—" Saying so, he produced an item and offered it over. "Here."
Chen Chuan took it and found it to be a jade tortoiseshell, carved with numerous ritual symbols on its back and sandwiching a jade slab within. Once in his hand, it seemed to produce a faint resonance with his spirit.
"This is—"
"This is the *Outline of Preserved Constancy*—or rather, the unfinished portion of it."
Teacher Xue sat up slightly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he gazed into the distance. "During the era of the Grand Alliance, martial artists from various nations attempted to collaborate on a grand martial compendium, which was this *Outline*. However, the project had only just begun before it ground to a halt.
"Even though the text was never completed, the clash of ideas among so many martial artists produced valuable insights. While that material was never compiled into an official volume, some of the participating martial artists recorded and preserved it."
He pointed toward the object in Chen Chuan's hand. "A portion of it is in there. I've already read through it, so keeping it does me no good. Take it and have a look."
Chen Chuan said earnestly, "Thank you, Teacher Xue."
Teacher Xue waved his hand casually. "It's nothing. Past the Longevity View, cultivation methods become secondary; the most critical factor is cultivation resources." He chuckled. "I imagine that's what you're puzzling over right now."
Chen Chuan said, "That is indeed the case."
Teacher Xue smiled. "Let me give you a piece of advice. Aren't you visiting the Linakes Federation this time? Go look for them there."
Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. "In the federation?"
Teacher Xue lifted his chin slightly. "Have you heard of the sacred valleys and sacred grounds of the First Folk?"
"I have," Chen Chuan nodded.
He had previously read the book left by that Fist Master of the Wilderness faction, which mentioned the sacred valleys and sacred grounds of the First Folk more than once, so he happened to know something about them.
Teacher Xue said, "The sacred grounds of the First Folk preserved a vast amount of heritage items, effectively serving as their hidden storehouses.
"According to their traditions, only those recognized by their religion as fiercely devout were permitted to step into those domains to claim the gifts bestowed by the gods. Yet such individuals were exceedingly rare, meaning that vast amounts of resources ended up buried there.
"Furthermore, that custom carried a major flaw: while the upper echelon of the First Folk were all elites, their numbers were extremely small, making gaps in succession all too easy to occur.
"Add to that the fact that their internal factions were often mortal enemies, constantly fighting among themselves, and people from the Western Continent took advantage of the vulnerability. Rather than calling it a conquest, it would be truer to say they tore themselves apart, leaving the outsiders to reap the spoils.
"The Linakes Federation has always been searching for those places. Several state powers even built their foundations by seizing those sacred grounds. Even today, there are still sacred valleys and grounds that have never been uncovered. You might want to try your luck in that direction."
Chen Chuan nodded. In truth, after reading that Fist Master's account, he had already harbored this thought. The writings the man left behind contained inadvertent clues, which Chen Chuan suspected might have been left intentionally for posterity.
"Right, there is another place you might want to look into as well."
Xue Shou said, "You should have heard of the Tianji Sect?"
Chen Chuan said, "I have."
The Tianji Sect was an offshoot of the Xuan Sect. Beginning in the old era, both the Xuan and Chan Sects had attempted to proselytize abroad, and this branch developed after reaching the Ying Continent. With the decline of the native Xuan Sect on the mainland, in terms of sheer scale, this branch had likely grown into the largest Xuan Sect organization in the world.
Moreover, the sect had penetrated virtually every aspect of a certain federation state. Its influence and power were so immense that it could rival top global mega-corporations. If one considered only Eastern Continent sects within the federation, only the Chan Sect's Xiaojue Temple could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with it.
Xue Shou said, "The Tianji Sect controls an enormous amount of resources. Every year, they hold religious assemblies to sponsor those they deem worthy of assistance, regardless of the petitioner's background or origin. If you feel up to it, you might as well go test your affinity there."
Chen Chuan said, "I will keep that in mind."
Teacher Xue leaned back once more, draping an arm across the back of the bench. "Mm, if you truly cannot find the necessary resources, there is another way: a bound oath."
He tapped his fingers against the bench back. "If a fighter possesses sufficient spirit and did not rely on a bound oath when breaking through the Fourth Limit, they have another opportunity to apply one to their cultivation.
"If you cannot locate the corresponding cultivation resources, you can cast aside and sever certain needs in that regard through a solemn vow."
He tilted his head back, looking toward the sky as he continued, "Among those who rose in rebellion during the final dynasty, many were talented, but the vast majority of high-end resources remained tightly controlled by the ruling elite, making advancement exceedingly difficult. While a martial artist's lifespan theoretically has no end, in practice they undergo continuous alienation. Thus, some individuals chose to pay with their future lifespans in exchange for compensating for the lack of resources, thereby obtaining greater combat prowess.
"During the final dynasty, the martial artists who made this choice were by no means few. After all, even if they hadn't done so, they might have died on the battlefield or in some sudden skirmish on any given day. That strategy later proved very effective, but without question, those people burned away their own lives."
His voice grew somewhat solemn. "Regardless of what you choose in the end, you must first be clear on what you truly want. Once you have made up your mind and resolved yourself, see it through without hesitation."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Xue Shou stretched his arms. "Alright, that's enough talk. My part here is done, and it's time for me to go enjoy the finer things in life." With that, he stood up.
Chen Chuan stood up with him and asked, "Are you preparing to head back, Teacher Xue?"
Xue Shou let out a helpless sigh. "I'll be staying around for a while longer. The capital already knows about the matter concerning Zhao Zhenye and is making arrangements. Barring any surprises, I'll likely be responsible for keeping an eye on things here in Jibei Dao."
Chen Chuan thought to himself that it was no wonder Mr. Zhan had made no mention of the Purist Faction dispatching anyone else when he departed two days ago. The authorities above had likely already coordinated the matter. It made sense; the Purist Faction already had quite a few martial artists stationed here, and adding more would be out of the question.
"I'm off."
Teacher Xue gave him a smile, waved casually, and walked off with easy grace.
Chen Chuan watched his figure disappear at the far end of the plaza before adjusting the brim of his hat and turning to leave.
Chapter 1053