After departing Tianji Peak aboard Chaoming, Chen Chuan traveled south all the way, intending to leave the Federation's territory, cross the sea toward the west, and return to the East Continent.
Gazing out at the boundless expanse before him, he reflected on how fruitful his stay at the Tianji Sect had been.
The most vital gain was learning the general direction of his upward path from here on.
Because higher-tier powers were so few and far between, and because the paths they walked differed, he was certain that once a martial artist reached the level of the Dongxuan View, there was virtually no one around to offer necessary guidance.
Therefore, the knowledge gained on this visit was of tremendous importance. At the very least, it provided him with a proper direction, sparing him from having to grope around through trial and error and saving him a great deal of time and energy.
Aside from that, he had also established a connection with Heavenly Master Lu. A higher-tier power was an existence that even the world's foremost superpowers could never ignore.
One needed only look at the fact that as long as the Heavenly Master remained stationed on the Weishu Continent, the Federation would not entertain any thought of attacking it, to understand just how formidable that influence was.
And such a realm was precisely the next target he would pursue.
At that moment, he checked his senses. Perhaps because he had entered the Dongxuan View, he could clearly perceive the positions of Blood Cane and the other seed. With only a slight focus of attention, their whereabouts presented themselves before his mind's eye in an even more direct manner.
Blood Cane was still active in the convergence zone with his mercenary band, and Chen Chuan could even use the spirit connection to observe their surroundings. However, after getting a brief sense of it, he withdrew his awareness.
After all, he had allowed Blood Cane to become an independent entity, so unless strictly necessary, he would not interfere.
As for the other seed, by some strange twist of fate, it had been invited by the dying demon god Koimoi to merge into one, only for the seed to take complete possession of it. Whatever that demon god's original intentions had been, it no longer mattered.
Shifting his spirit over to observe, he was surprised to discover that around the seed's location, a sizable settlement had gathered—roughly a thousand First People. Judging by the dwellings on the perimeter, many of them had only recently arrived with their entire families in tow.
In front of the demon god statue lay various offerings.
An elderly priest kept dedicated watch there, keeping spirit-communing leaves burning almost continuously day and night.
From time to time, tribespeople heading out to hunt came by to pay worship, departing in high spirits only after receiving blessings and having their faces painted.
Koimoi was an evil god of legend, one whom the First People had previously worshiped only out of dread. Now, however, in order to evade the Federation's slaving bands and bounty squads, they preferred to huddle before this newly awakened "evil god." The ferocious visage instead offered them immense peace of mind.
After taking a look, Chen Chuan considered it. Originally, after passing the Dongxuan View, this seed was no longer needed and could have been recalled.
Yet seeing that this seed seemed to have developed its own pattern of behavior rather than following the original evil god's conduct, he decided to let it act as it wished. It could serve as one more piece on the board here in the Federation.
Throughout the journey, he did not press Chaoming to hurry, instead easing their pace slightly to appreciate the surrounding scenery along the way.
They encountered no obstacles on the way and crossed out of the Federation's territory without incident. Turning westward, a day later, they passed through the skies above Geiserfitu Island.
Another day later, a muted, static buzz sounded in the boundary credential by his ear. It was the field of the Skyline, though as he was still on the fringes of its informational reach, it was not yet very clear.
Yet with his current spiritual power, even without the boundary credential, he could discern the information carried within the field.
And being able to sense this meant he could now be considered within Great Shun's domain.
As he flew farther, escort fleets and patrol airships gradually came into view along the main shipping routes.
In the span of a single year, considerable changes had taken place. Several locations that had looked like isolated islands on his outward journey now sported field-amplification equipment and airship mooring posts, clearly manned by elite garrisons.
From this, one could see that Great Shun's control over the Outer Ocean was growing stronger than ever before. This was all thanks to the Skyline; the seamless flow of information vastly boosted efficiency in administration, military operations, cargo trade, resource allocation, and many other areas.
He did not fly straight back to the East Continent in one breath, but made a detour toward Red Crown Island.
The He siblings were currently living on Red Crown Island. Back then, it was through them that he had obtained some of the initial clues regarding his original body's parents. Now that the matter had finally reached a conclusion, he needed to let them know.
When he arrived in the air above the rear mountain of the island, he saw that the simple ball court he had seen last time had been expanded, and the hall appeared to have been renovated. On either side stood two simple shed structures that looked to be used for growing vegetables, and behind them was what seemed to be a mess hall.
Further out, square sandpits had been dug out, flanked by thick mats and various training equipment, where quite a few people were grappling and sparring.
It seemed there were not only the young students from before, but also adult men and women, all dressed in uniform attire.
The mountain road in front of the training hall had evidently been widened and paved as well; there was even a vehicle stop, and many shops had sprung up along both sides of the road.
It seemed that once the island was hooked up to communications and transport became more convenient, it had changed significantly from before.
Over the past two years, the He siblings had gradually built up a reputation. After all, He Ruihai was a third limit fighter, a rarity in the Outer Ocean, so young people from many surrounding islands had traveled here seeking instruction.
There were also Outer Ocean martial artists who, admiring the siblings' dedication, were willing to stay and join the academy as instructors.
As a result, teaching no longer rested entirely on the brother and sister's shoulders. Not only did things become much easier for them, but they could also take in far more students.
At that moment, He Ruihai was demonstrating techniques to several young pupils when he suddenly sensed something. Looking up, he saw a creature resembling a massive bird with vibrant plumage circling in the sky above.
Soon, more and more people around the grounds noticed the unknown creature in the air. Halting what they were doing, they pointed toward the sky and called out to their companions to look.
The creature circled a few times before slowly gliding downward from the heavens.
As it neared the ground, everyone realized just how colossal it was. Gasps rippled through the crowd as people hastily scattered outward.
Still, with safety in numbers and many fighters among them, they felt little fear; instead, they were intrigued and excited.
Both He siblings were martial artists with exceptional eyesight, and even from a distance, they spotted the figure seated atop the bird's back.
He Zhilan peered closely, patted He Ruihai, and said in delight, "Brother, that looks like Xiao Chuan."
With that, she eagerly walked forward, shaded the sun from her eyes with her hand, and called out, "Xiao Chuan, is that you?"
Chaoming touched down on the ground and folded its wings, whipping up a violent gust that tossed He Zhilan's hair. She noticed a faint sheen of light shimmering across its plumage, though as it settled, the radiance seemed to fade from view.
Then, a tall, upright figure stepped down from above and said to her, "Aunt He, it's me."
He Ruihai walked over from behind, and Chen Chuan greeted him as well, "Uncle He."
A hint of a smile appeared on He Ruihai's stern, square-jawed face. "You're back?"
Chen Chuan smiled. "Yes, I'm back."
Both He siblings could feel that Chen Chuan was somewhat different from when they had seen him the previous year, though they could not quite put their finger on it.
Previously, even though they held the status of elders, standing before Chen Chuan had always left them feeling somewhat constrained. That had actually been their mutated tissue's instinctive wariness when facing a martial artist, urging them to keep their distance. Now, however, that resistance was gone, replaced by a sense of closeness.
This was because Chen Chuan had reached a higher realm. As a martial artist of the Dongxuan View, he could perfectly restrain all of his biological presence whenever he wished. Unless someone was on the same level, they usually could not tell that anything about him was out of the ordinary.
After exchanging a few words outside, the siblings handed over their tasks to assistant instructors and invited him inside.
Once seated, they served him some fresh melons and fruit grown on the island and asked about the diplomatic mission. Only then did they learn that he had just concluded his duties with the delegation and, due to certain matters, had chosen to return home on his own rather than travel with them.
"Uncle He, Aunt He, when I arrived in the Linax Federation this time, I paid a special visit to the Progenitor Company in order to look into what happened back then."
At those words, the siblings' hearts tightened.
He Ruihai took on a solemn expression.
When Chen Chuan had come to say goodbye last time and mentioned going to the Federation, they had already guessed that to uncover the truth about Yu Zhen, he would likely approach the Progenitor Company.
It was a global megacorporation, a colossus far beyond reach. Ever since Chen Chuan had departed, they had been fraught with worry. Even seeing him safe and sound before them now, they could not help their lingering anxiety.
He Zhilan said cautiously, "Xiao Chuan, did you find out? Even if you haven't sorted it all out yet, it doesn't matter. You're still young. Take your time, and you'll get to the bottom of it eventually."
Chen Chuan said, "Aunt He, I have already settled the matter. The person who targeted my parents back then—I have eliminated him."
The He siblings were stunned and could not help trading a glance. He Ruihai asked in a deep voice, "Who was it?"
Chen Chuan said, "The man directly behind it: Gao Xinwen, Vice President of the Progenitor Company and head of overseas operations."
The brother and sister were struck with shock.
He Zhilan looked at Chen Chuan, worry creeping into her eyes, while He Ruihai's expression turned even graver.
They were unfamiliar with the name Gao Xinwen, but they knew very well what the title of Vice President of the Progenitor Company signified.
For Chen Chuan to say he had dealt with such an influential figure—they could not imagine how he had pulled it off, but they knew the Progenitor Company was hardly likely to let things rest.
Seeing their expressions, Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Uncle He, Aunt He, there's no need to worry. Things are different now..."
He paused, his voice turning firm and resolute. "If the two of you wish to return in the future, you won't need to worry about any fallout. As for that business with Chiluojiaduo, once I'm back, I will arrange things and see to it that it's resolved for you."
Chapter 1337