Jibei Dao, Hongsheng District, Purist Faction Branch Headquarters.
Once the car came to a steady stop before the central pillar, Mr. Zhuan and Mr. Mask stepped out.
Standing on the plaza before the entrance of the central pillar, they looked around and saw that the surrounding buildings had all been constructed in the standard Purist style.
Looking at the scene before him, Mr. Zhuan felt a sudden wave of wistfulness.
He still remembered that over a decade ago, the Purist Faction's branch also held a station within Center City. Back then, they had merely rented a martial arts arena. Though it had been fairly spacious, it was a borrowed place in the end.
That had been because the Purist Faction was locked in competition with the other two factions at the time, and the Municipal Council favored the other two with greater support, forcing them to compromise and make do with expedients on many matters.
And after that incident occurred later on, the Purists of Jibei Dao were nearly wiped out, and the survivors had retreated to the fringe cities.
He had not expected that over a decade later, the Purist Faction would regain a firm foothold here, even surpassing the other two factions to establish a complete branch.
Chang Dong ushered the two men into the hall at the top of the central pillar, while Gao Yanjun poured tea for them. Chang Dong said, "Gentlemen, Section Chief Chen had a bit of business to attend to this morning and asked me to take good care of you. He'll be here shortly."
Mr. Zhuan offered his thanks, then stood up and walked over to the window to gaze outside.
Mr. Mask remarked, "I never had the chance to visit before. Looking at it now, our comrades in the Jibei Dao branch truly did something incredible, building this branch up from scratch. It couldn't have been easy."
Mr. Zhuan murmured, "Everything is brand new."
"Isn't it, though? It's as if everything was torn down and built over from scratch."
Mr. Zhuan said slowly, "Yes. Torn down and started over."
Mr. Mask suddenly caught an undertone in his words.
Just then, he saw an airship approaching from the opposite side. Brightening, he said, "He's here!"
Once the airship docked at the mooring tower, Chen Chuan stepped out and crossed the suspension bridge between the mooring tower and the central pillar, making his way into the hall where Mr. Zhuan and Mr. Mask were waiting.
Looking at Mr. Zhuan, he greeted him, "Mr. Zhuan." Then he turned to Mr. Mask. "Mr. Tang. We haven't seen each other in a year. Have you two seniors been doing well?"
"Good, good! Both of us are doing just fine!"
Mr. Mask said excitedly, "I must say, Commissioner Chen, you gave us one hell of a surprise! When Old Zhuan and I saw the news about you, we thought someone was pulling our leg. Who would've thought it was all true? Even now, looking back, I find it unbelievable. I almost wanted Old Zhuan to slap me across the face a few times to check if I was dreaming. For Old Zhuan to have been your guide back then—no, for both of us to have served as your guides—we really hit the jackpot!"
Chen Chuan shook his head and said, "You flatter me, seniors. Without the two of you, I might not be who I am today."
This was by no means an exaggeration. Whether it was the Heaven and Earth Furnace secret technique, the two grand forms, or the various resources acquired later on, the two of them had fought to secure all of it from the faction on his behalf.
It was fair to say that these secret transmissions and resources had made him who he was today. Without them, things would have turned out entirely differently.
Mr. Zhuan said, "We were merely a bridge. With your ability, even if someone else had been in our shoes, what was meant for you would still have been given to you."
Mr. Mask chimed in, "Come on, enough with the pleasantries, you two. Old Zhuan, shouldn't we get down to proper business first?"
Mr. Zhuan nodded.
The three of them walked over and took their seats together. Mr. Zhuan began, "It's like this, Commissioner Chen. Headquarters learned of what you did, and the faction's upper echelon hopes you can make a trip to headquarters."
Chen Chuan had anticipated this for some time. Regarding his actions in the Federation, the Purist headquarters naturally needed to confirm and learn certain details directly from him.
Speaking of which, despite serving as branch director for so long, he had yet to formally meet the faction's senior leadership. It was indeed time for a visit.
He said, "No problem. When?"
Mr. Zhuan replied in a grave voice, "As soon as possible would be best."
Mr. Mask added, "Right, you should listen to Old Zhuan on this, Commissioner Chen. We have a general idea of what happened with the Tianji Sect. The International Investigation Delegation has already sent over a detailed report. You acted to preserve the stability of the Ring of the World. On that merit alone, the entire faction will back you to the hilt, especially when it comes to political resources—they'll lean everything in your favor without reservation. However, there are still many details that require your personal account. Only when the faction is united in opinion can we exert real influence at the upper levels."
Chen Chuan considered this briefly. "I have a few matters left to take care of. The day after tomorrow, I'll return to headquarters with the two of you."
"The day after tomorrow it is, then."
Mr. Zhuan nodded, then added, "We also have some things for you. The faction instructed us to pass them along." He reached for a suitcase and retrieved an old booklet from inside.
Chen Chuan accepted it and flipped through a few pages, raising an eyebrow. It was a secret transmission specifically designed to counter the Visage of the Divine and entities from the opposite side.
If the Pure Spiritual Light was meant specifically to dismantle and destroy mutated tissue, then this secret technique was intended to disrupt and shatter spiritual energy. It focused primarily on mental application, with its core strength lying in an instantaneous burst of power.
In fact, the Tianji Sect possessed similar methods, but those leaned predominantly toward the Visage of the Divine and belonged to a different system from what he had practiced. Even if they had been secret arts of the Visage of Man, mastering them would have demanded considerable time.
This secret transmission, however, did not feel difficult to learn; with just a bit of contemplation, he would be able to grasp it. That was precisely because it originated from the very same school of martial arts.
The Pure Spiritual Light and the two grand forms had already laid a sufficient foundation, so there was no need to exert immense effort starting from scratch.
"There's also this."
Mr. Zhuan produced a jade jar. Opening it, he revealed a cluster of light inside.
"Commissioner Chen, a senior asked us to give this to you after hearing about what you did."
Chen Chuan glanced at it and realized it was a fire of spirituality, albeit one infused with a substantial amount of spirit.
He took it out and made mental contact with it. In an instant, a flood of memories unfurled before his mind's eye.
It was a Mystic Profundity View martial artist's personal insights into cultivating and seeking higher-tier power, along with their understanding and experience regarding how to traverse the path of the Visage of Man.
The Purist Faction possessed the deepest understanding of the Visage of Man, something even the Tianji Sect could not match.
Even without delving deeply into them, a cursory glance was enough to tell that these memories were of immense reference value.
Naturally, such things could not be viewed by just anyone. Had he not also reached the Mystic Profundity View, or had his spiritual strength been insufficient, viewing them would have very likely led him astray or resulted in spiritual erosion. A Mystic Profundity View martial artist constantly radiated the sheer intensity of their existence; any slight deficiency in strength could lead to one's own identity being subsumed by that overwhelming presence.
For that senior to dare give him such a thing indicated confidence in Chen Chuan, though the gesture was still somewhat reckless—or rather, impulsive.
He said, "Gentlemen, this will be very useful to me. If it's convenient, please convey my thanks to that senior."
Mr. Mask chuckled. "Well, Commissioner Chen, you might just be able to tell that senior in person this time."
Chen Chuan replied gladly, "Then I look forward to speaking with that senior."
Mr. Zhuan said, "There is one more matter to share with you." His expression turned slightly more solemn. "Elder Yu wishes to see you."
"Elder Yu?"
Mr. Mask added, "Elder Yu is one of the wielders of higher-tier power in our Purist Faction. He holds substantial authority within the faction."
"Higher-tier power?"
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. He realized that as his own realm advanced, he was gradually coming into contact with figures who wielded higher-tier power.
Mr. Mask said, "Elder Yu pays close attention to the development of the younger generation, but unless someone is exceptionally outstanding, he usually wouldn't summon them for a meeting."
Mr. Zhuan said earnestly, "I heard from that senior that if you have any words or thoughts you wish to share, you can speak them directly to Elder Yu."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan nodded and said, "I understand."
Mr. Zhuan suddenly fell silent. After a moment, he spoke again: "Since you're heading to headquarters, Commissioner Chen, there are some matters that can't be avoided. As your guide, there are things I haven't told you before, but now I must."
Chen Chuan looked at him. "Please go ahead, Mr. Zhuan. I'm listening."
Mr. Zhuan opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated several times without producing a sound. Seeing this, Mr. Mask took over. "Let me explain instead. This is rather hard on Old Zhuan.
"Well, Commissioner Chen, as you know, our Purist philosophy emphasizes purity of the self, which is then extended outward to the purity of the world.
"To ensure that the continuation of our faction's strength remains faithful to our philosophy without any deviation, members in the past were typically groomed from childhood. Only in that way could purity of mind and purity of body be guaranteed.
"However, this practice imposed exceedingly harsh requirements on the new generation and severely constrained the faction's growth.
"I won't dwell on the details; you'll come to learn them in time.
"I'll just mention Old Zhuan's elder brother, Mr. Zhuan Sheng. He believed that this training system could no longer keep pace with the expansion of our faction. Although we are one of the Five Great Factions and those we foster are formidable elites to a man, our casualties have been just as steep.
"Commissioner Chen, you know that Purists exist across the globe, yet in most other countries, the Purist Faction has essentially declined into obscurity.
"They have either transformed into something unrecognizable, or at best cling to the Purist name while abandoning the original ideals and system from within."
Chen Chuan nodded. He was well aware of this. Looking at the Federation's Purists, if not for their lingering philosophy, one could easily take them for members of the Refined Practice School. As for Purists in other countries, they were in an even worse state. Today, the world's largest surviving Purist presence existed solely here in Great Shun.
Mr. Mask continued, "Mr. Zhuan Sheng believed that unless we reformed, we would either be left without successors or deteriorate completely into a state no one wished to see."
Chen Chuan gave an affirmative nod. Adopting an elite path was not wrong in itself, but considering the heavy sacrifices the Purist Faction incurred, it created a dilemma. If fresh blood was not replenished, their numbers would inevitably dwindle. He could fully understand this.
If no changes were made under such circumstances, the faction was doomed to a slow decline.
Mr. Zhuan finally spoke up, a trace of reminiscence in his voice. "Back then, my brother gathered a group of like-minded individuals, secured the backing of a certain senior, and launched a reform within the faction.
"At the time, we were tremendously successful. In less than ten years, the faction's decline was swept away, the entire school was revitalized with new vigor, and a surge of talented individuals emerged.
"And that senior I mentioned personally guided and mentored an exceptionally gifted young man. During that period, virtually no one could rival his talent. All his peers were utterly eclipsed in his presence."
He paused for a moment.
"That man was Zhao Zhenye."
Chapter 1346