Chen Chuan sat in the temple's resting chamber, slowly sipping his tea as he patiently waited for the divination results. Fearing he might find the wait tedious, the temple had even presented him with an exquisite bark-bound tome from their collection for him to peruse.
The volume was quite unique. Standing half as tall as a man and exceptionally heavy, an ordinary person would have had to read it while standing, with attendants on hand just to turn the pages.
Only after looking through it did he understand why it was made so massive. It was a book of rituals detailing many exclusive ceremonies of the Quezatec people. Many of the intricate details simply could not have been accurately depicted without being enlarged on such an immense scale.
These rituals shared certain similarities with those of the Ishtar people he had seen at the Throat of the Star Spirit, yet they also contained many stark differences. Though he did not specialize in ritual lore, gaining some familiarity with it was still very useful; there was no telling when such knowledge might come in handy.
Moreover, the bark book was illustrated with astonishing precision and elegance, steeped in the unique aesthetic style of the First People. It was magnificent enough to serve as an artwork in its own right. Along the margins, blank spaces had deliberately been left behind, filled with semi-mythical folktales that made for a delightfully engaging read.
He read with keen interest, and an entire day slipped by. As night began to fall, the side doors of the temple were pushed open, and the weary-looking High Priestess and the other priests filed out one after another.
The High Priestess took a fruit platter offered by an attendant and swallowed two of the fruits. Her spirits recovered slightly.
She spoke a few words of instruction to the other priests, who bowed to her, offered a distant salute to Chen Chuan, and then departed in turn.
With a nod from Chen Chuan, the attendants at his sides cleared away the ceremonial tome lying before him.
The High Priestess walked over and said, "Mr. Chen, if you like this book, consider it a gift to you."
Chen Chuan did not refuse. He genuinely found the book intriguing, so he said, "Very well, then I shall gladly accept it."
After sitting down, the High Priestess took a sheet of bark paper from the attendant behind her. "The person's whereabouts are recorded on this."
Chen Chuan glanced at it. The bark paper was covered in inscribed symbols. The First People believed that all things possessed a spiritual essence; their rituals extracted information directly from the spirits of all things and carved it onto the sheet.
However, after inscribing the symbols, one still had to interpret them—an ability by no means possessed by just anyone. At present, only the High Priestess and members of her bloodline held such mastery.
This was the result of several families strictly intermarrying for at least four millennia, never wedding outsiders, which allowed every generation to cultivate increasingly formidable spiritual strength.
After studying the inscriptions for a while, the High Priestess extracted the information and spoke in a slow, steady cadence:
"The person Mr. Chen seeks has gone very far, heading toward the northwest. There should be a demigod by his side, which made it extremely difficult for us to track him accurately just now. Several times, we almost lost his trail completely. Fortunately, with Ikus's aid, we finally managed to glimpse the place where he is located."
Chen Chuan's eyes shifted slightly. *A demigod, is there?*
The High Priestess produced a map provided by Great Shun, drew a circle on it with a pen, and said, "This is his ultimate destination. Even if he has not arrived there yet, he is on his way."
Suddenly, the whites of her eyes rolled back, and her spiritual power fluctuated violently. As though guided by an invisible force, her hand traced several strokes across a blank area of the map, outlining the contours of an island.
When she returned to her senses, the energy she had just mustered seemed instantly depleted once more. The attendant behind her immediately stepped forward to support her. Weakly, she said, "Mr. Chen, my apologies. It appears I must rest."
Chen Chuan nodded to her in gratitude. "I have troubled you, High Priestess. Later, I will have some restorative tonics from Great Shun sent to you and the rest of the priesthood."
The High Priestess did not decline, forcing herself upright to bow slightly. "Then you have my thanks."
Chen Chuan rose to his feet. "Please rest, High Priestess. I will not disturb you any longer." With that, he took his leave and departed.
The High Priestess had given generously this time without asking for anything in return, well aware that such goodwill was far more precious. Should an emergency arise, Chen Chuan was the only one who could help them in the future. It was merely that her abilities were limited; otherwise, she could have provided even more precise details.
Upon returning to the manor, Chen Chuan spread out the map and opened his boundary credential, magnifying and comparing the region.
Though it looked like just a tiny patch on the map, it was actually a vast expanse of open ocean dotted with over a hundred islands of varying sizes.
He pulled up some files provided by the covert departments and looked through them. To his surprise, the vast majority of these islands belonged to the Progenitor Company and its subsidiaries.
The good news was that he had indeed found the right place. The bad news was that there were simply too many islands, making it difficult to discern which one Gao Xinwen was heading to.
Although the High Priestess had drawn a silhouette, the islands in this sea zone possessed only basic names and ownership designations without precise navigational surveys. Clearly, the Progenitor Company placed great emphasis on its security and defense measures here.
Yet while this might have presented a daunting challenge to others, it was not particularly difficult for him. As a martial artist, he could scour the entire cluster of islands in a very short time.
Once beyond the Federation's borders, the restrictions and maritime rules no longer applied. As long as he spotted the island matching the silhouette drawn by the High Priestess, he could pinpoint the location.
As for that demigod, he suspected it was likely the very same person he had clashed with before.
Back when he had first arrived in the Federation, his strength had been far below what it was now, and the opponent had only projected a small portion of his limbs. Even so, it had given Chen Chuan a true glimpse into the formidable power of a Mystic Profundity View martial artist.
He wondered whether the man would appear in full this time. If so, Chen Chuan was quite eager to test the extent of his abilities.
He stood up and looked out the window. He wanted to depart as soon as possible to bring this matter to a swift close.
Yet he could not leave just yet. Considering that Kawatua had outright rejected the proposal to integrate into the Federation, the only recourse left to both the East and West Coasts was military force.
As long as the Federation knew for certain that he was here, they would likely hesitate to act rashly. But if he were to suddenly vanish or sever communications, it would inevitably arouse their suspicion.
After Xin Hongtu came to power, the appeasement faction in Kawatua had been almost entirely purged, but the vetting process was still incomplete. The Federation undoubtedly still had informants here. In particular, there were First People pastoralist tribes on the Life Plateau providing meat and hides who also traded with authorized merchant caravans coming up from the mountains below. These people could not realistically be isolated, and news could easily leak through such channels.
Therefore, he needed to wait for someone. Once that person arrived, he could leave with peace of mind. Fortunately, the man was due to arrive in two days at the latest. Over these two days, Chen Chuan could also make advance arrangements for various matters.
Additionally, he dispatched an encrypted telegram to the diplomatic delegation, stating that he needed to travel outside the Federation on private business and was informing them in advance.
Delegation Leader Xie replied within half an hour, letting him know that the notice had been recorded and urging him to stay safe.
Two days later, a robust, sharp-eyed middle-aged man stepped into Kawatua.
Akhtawa.
This man had already become a living legend among the First People.
He had once been a Federation citizen, but today he stood unswervingly on the side of the First People.
He wore traditional First People garb and looked in every respect like the most authentic First People commoner, bearing not the slightest trace of Federation racial features on his face.
This was the profound transformation wrought by drinking the bloodline of the First People—a fundamental change at the very source of a person's being, and one that carried a considerable risk of death.
Akhtawa had not only survived the ordeal, but had also become a martial artist. The worship and respect he received today were honors he rightfully deserved.
To welcome his arrival, Kawatua held a grand ceremony—both to honor him personally and to signal to the Federation that they now had a new pillar of strength guarding them, and that they remained open to embracing talents from all corners.
Xin Hongtu stepped forward to converse warmly with Akhtawa, according him the highest courtesies.
Chen Chuan did not attend the welcoming ceremony, sending Wang Tongshan and Deputy Delegation Leader Lu in his stead. Akhtawa, however, did not overlook him. After paying his respects to the High Priestess and having his name entered into Kawatua's official registry, he came to visit Chen Chuan the very next day.
Chen Chuan was still residing in the manor provided by Xin Hongtu. The estate was secluded and situated on high ground, offering a commanding view of a portion of the Life Plateau.
When Akhtawa arrived, the morning sun had just climbed high into the sky, bathing the grounds in a brilliant golden sheen.
With just a single glance, Chen Chuan could tell that this man had already reached the late stage of the Longevity View, and was likely not far from the Mystic Profundity View.
Akhtawa had operated alone for a very long time, and there was still no clear explanation as to where he obtained his cultivation resources. Yet even when the authorities in Kawatua had disliked him in the past, they had never questioned him on the matter, clearly knowing something of the truth.
Akhtawa walked up to Chen Chuan, looked at him with an expression of both astonishment and deep admiration, and then bowed profoundly, speaking with utmost gravity:
"Mr. Chen, thank you for all you have done for the First People. I have heard everything. Without you, Kawatua would surely have been swallowed whole by the Federation's greed. They are ravenous, merciless beasts whose appetites can never be sated.
"Only by showing them that we, too, can tear away their flesh and make them bleed will they look upon us with caution and grant us the respect we deserve. It was you who taught them that lesson."
Chen Chuan replied, "You overpraise me. Kawatua's present situation is the fruit of Great Shun's efforts over many years, not the achievement of my efforts alone."
"No."
Akhtawa shook his head.
"That may be Great Shun's strategy, but when it comes to the actual execution, it still relies on individuals to see it through. In the past, our situation was constantly dire. Yet only after your arrival, from the Throat of the Star Spirit to Kawatua, did the light begin to shine anew."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said with solemn sincerity, "You achieved what we could not, despite striving for so long. As a token of our gratitude, we have a gift for you."
Chapter 1246