The Purist Faction's headquarters, Liepi Gorge, was the largest gorge in the world, situated between Yuanbei Dao and Anxi Dao.
Backed by the Great Snow Plains atop the roof of the world and facing the wondrous Guanghe Lake, the bottom of the gorge harbored the world's third-largest immortality fissure. In ancient times, many primordial deities chose to settle here.
Only later, as human settlements across the world's nations flourished and ancient mankind increasingly interacted with these deities, did many gods gradually descend from above.
This inevitably sparked conflicts with the native gods born from communion with the other side. Thereafter, such clashes erupted periodically, inflicting catastrophic devastation upon the human realm.
It was not until the emergence of humanity's ancient religions and powerful dynasties that these gods were gradually either purged or incorporated into the human religious systems.
In the ancient era, this place became a vital sealing ground guarded by both the Xuan and Chan religions, designated precisely to prevent otherworldly entities from crossing into the world at will. A vast number of sealing esoteric rituals were established here, a vigil maintained for several millennia.
With the advent of the new era and the worldwide decline of the ancient religions, the blockade and vigil over Liepi Gorge fell primarily to the Purist Faction. In return, the Great Shun government granted numerous commitments and privileges.
At normal airship cruising speeds, reaching the gorge took at least five or six days. However, by requesting a dedicated sky corridor, one bypassed layovers, inspections, and detours while gaining access to maintenance stations and mooring towers in mountainous and military zones, cutting travel time by more than half.
This was one of the special privileges the government accorded to the Five Great Factions—or rather, a privilege the Five Great Factions had secured through sheer power.
A substantial portion of the high-ranking martial artist officials currently in power hailed from the Five Great Factions.
In the Supreme Security Advisory Group, people affiliated with the Five Great Factions held more than half the seats. Naturally, these individuals did not represent their factions' interests alone.
Some came from families of government officials, others from provincial parliamentary dynasties, and some were corporate executives themselves. Their interests were deeply intertwined and impossible to neatly untangle.
Yet anyone who belonged to neither camp would never reach such heights, nor could they gain a firm foothold in the upper and middle tiers of government.
Neither Chen Chuan nor Mr. Zhuan had any desire to waste time on the road, so they requisitioned the special corridor. Within just three days, they arrived over Guanghe Lake.
The lake was renowned worldwide under various names: the Lake of Wonders, Lake Qiang, Broken Star Lake, and Pegasus Lake.
Gazing down from high above, the lake resembled an immense hoofprint etched into the earth with startling clarity. Encircling the main basin were irregular smaller lakes and pools of varying sizes, giving the spectacular impression that a colossal steed had stomped down from the heavens, scattering hoofprints and churning up splashes across the terrain.
As Chen Chuan looked on, his boundary credential displayed an overview of the lake.
Guanghe Lake covered an extraordinarily vast expanse of water. Influenced by the immortality fissure, it nurtured a virtually self-contained and highly idiosyncratic ecosystem.
The entire area now fell under the Purist Faction's jurisdiction, yielding immense quantities of resources from both the waters and the fissure every year. More than two hundred affiliated factories and research facilities had sprung up along the lake's perimeter, and the Great Shun government maintained three national laboratories here.
Each of Great Shun's Five Great Factions bore its own mandates and responsibilities, and virtually all held charge over an immortality fissure. The precursors of the factions had existed since antiquity, some originating from ancient religions and folk cults.
Entering the new era, they consolidated and integrated, gradually forging their own political philosophies and structures. Most importantly, anchored by the immortality fissures, each faction expanded and flourished. It could be said that their prosperity was intrinsically tied to the fissures.
Beyond Guanghe Lake, the terrain began to rise. As the thin mist parted under the radiant golden sunlight, a colossal wound carved deep into the earth came into view.
Liepi Gorge.
Behind it rose swelling plateaus and mountain ranges blanketed in white snow beneath a crystal-clear azure sky.
This natural chasm served as the geographical dividing line between Yuanbei Dao and Anxi Dao.
Even by airship, traveling from one end to the other would take over a day just to take it all in.
Towering white spires thrust up from the highland ridges on either side of the gorge, stretching toward the sky. Their bases flared outward, resembling tapering teardrops drawn out by an invisible force from a distance.
In truth, these were aberration pivot columns erected by the Purist Faction. Constructed entirely of cutting-edge biotechnological materials, they incorporated much of Great Shun's foremost military biotechnology.
Chen Chuan observed them for a moment before letting his gaze drift down toward the sprawling architecture below.
Part of the local population comprised technicians from the factories and laboratories, as well as Purist Faction members. Garrison troops and their families made up a sizable portion as well, but the majority were local residents who had lived here for generations.
According to the boundary credential's description, approximately five million permanent residents lived here—nearly two-thirds of Anxi Dao's total population—distributed across five cities along the gorge.
Descendants of garrison forces from past dynasties, virtually every generation had fought against the entities and aberrant creatures emerging from the fissure. Consequently, most of the populace were staunch supporters of the Purist Faction's doctrine, taking great pride in gaining membership.
As the airship reached the upper rim on one side of the gorge and prepared to request docking clearance below, the alarm of an active conscious entity suddenly blared from an adjacent pivot column:
"Warning: Unknown high-energy field approaching. Warning: Unknown high-energy field approaching—"
The security personnel below instantly tensed. Any entity capable of triggering this alert had to be at least a martial artist or organism at the Longevity View tier.
They reported upward immediately. Within a dozen seconds, confirmation arrived.
"Identity confirmed," a security officer said, glancing at the monitor. "The visitor is our faction's Jibei Dao Branch Director, Senior Councilor, Dongxuan View martial artist Chen Chuan."
"All clear. Repeat, all clear."
Through the port window, Chen Chuan could see anti-aircraft gun barrels and machine-gun turrets training onto the vessel. While sufficient against standard military assaults, against a martial artist they were practically useless.
Guided by ground controllers, the airship eased to a smooth halt at the designated mooring tower.
Word had already spread within the Purist Faction. Having been informed well in advance of Chen Chuan's arrival, Vice President of Administrative Affairs Zhao Qilan had been waiting here since yesterday.
He was a Longevity View martial artist. In principle, with Chen Chuan being a Dongxuan View martial artist, the representative sent to welcome and liaise with him ought to have been of a comparable level.
However, the Purist Faction had always prioritized efficiency over ceremonial decorum. Furthermore, the faction's primary strength was currently concentrated at the capital and the Ring of the World, where every post was critical; they simply could not spare someone of equivalent rank.
As for defensive security risks, they had little concern. The visitor was, after all, a fellow member of the Purist Faction who had slain numerous external entities and proven trustworthy. Besides, headquarters retained higher-tier forces standing guard.
Chen Chuan wore his peaked cap and security bureau chief uniform, draped in a coat whose brass collar clasps gleamed brightly.
Carrying the Xuejun Saber, he stepped out onto the mooring tower platform and looked down. About a hundred people stood below, mostly armed personnel.
At the very front stood a middle-aged man wearing decorative glasses, with silver strands threading his black hair. Dressed in a dignified administrative uniform, he carried an air of refined composure.
Below, the crowd sized Chen Chuan up in turn. When reports concerning him had first reached headquarters, the Purist Faction took them very seriously, yet they had not accepted them immediately—his battle record simply sounded too unbelievable, too outlandish.
Only after subsequent intelligence verified the claims did many reluctantly accept it. It wasn't that they stubbornly doubted the facts, but rather that the truth shattered their established worldview.
"Greetings, Director Chen."
As Chen Chuan walked down, Zhao Qilan stepped forward and extended a hand. "I am Zhao Qilan, Vice President in charge of daily affairs for the Purist Faction. My apologies—the president intended to greet you in person, but he is currently tied up in meetings at Zhongjing and simply could not get away."
"Greetings, Vice President Zhao."
Chen Chuan shook his hand. Seeing Chen Chuan behave with such politeness, completely devoid of arrogance despite such immense achievements at his young age, Zhao Qilan nodded inwardly.
Truth be told, even if Chen Chuan had been haughty, Zhao Qilan would have accepted it. After all, the young man had proven himself on the field of battle.
To his mind, setting aside a certain individual within the faction, there was likely no one at the Dongxuan View tier who could match Chen Chuan.
Someone of his caliber could play an immense role in combating otherworldly entities; against that, any minor personal shortcomings were negligible.
After exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Qilan introduced the accompanying personnel and invited Chen Chuan aboard a railcar, giving him an overview of headquarters' interior layout during the ride.
Upon reaching the central pivot column, Zhao Qilan had initially planned to host a welcome ball for him.
Along the way, however, Chen Chuan noticed that everyone hurried past absorbed in their tasks, frequently checking their watches with urgent business to attend to.
Judging by their energy fields, some had even interrupted their cultivation halfway through upon receiving word, rushing over just to greet him.
In light of this, Chen Chuan politely declined.
Seeing this, Zhao Qilan did not insist. In fact, Chen Chuan's pragmatic attitude aligned perfectly with the Purist Faction's traditional ethos: forgo whatever was unnecessary.
He then ushered Chen Chuan into a private reception room and brewed him a cup of tea.
"Councilor Chen, please forgive our lack of hospitality."
After offering an apologetic smile, he returned to his seat and chose his words tactfully. "Councilor Chen, headquarters invited you here today for two reasons. First, to express our formal recognition of your outstanding contributions to the reconstruction of the Jibei Dao branch.
"And second..." He looked at Chen Chuan. "We would like to understand the specific details of that day's battle so we can perform an evaluation and keep an official record. Would that be convenient for you, Councilor Chen?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "Certainly."
Hearing his assent, Zhao Qilan relaxed slightly. He tapped his boundary credential to instruct the active conscious entity to begin recording, then posed the questions he had prepared.
From Chen Chuan's perspective, there was little to elaborate on regarding the battle, particularly the opening phase. The core of it lay in eliminating several Dongxuan View martial artists after his breakthrough—a confrontation that had lasted barely a minute or two. The process was straightforward: virtually every opponent collapsed dead upon impact with his fists. As a result, his recount was exceedingly brief.
Zhao Qilan listened intently. Though his expression remained placid on the surface, inward shock mounted with every word.
It had been an utter rout; the Federation's Dongxuan View martial artists seemed practically defenseless before Chen Chuan.
Crucially, this was not Chen Chuan boasting, for it aligned precisely with the photographic evidence and intelligence they had gathered.
Once the inquiry concluded, Zhao Qilan exhaled slowly. With a blend of respect, admiration, and shared factional pride, he said solemnly, "Councilor Chen, thank you for your cooperation."
"It's nothing," Chen Chuan replied.
After regaining his composure, Zhao Qilan added, "We have recorded the essentials. I will submit this report to the faction's Board of Councilors and the president shortly.
"In addition, Councilor Chen, there is a matter to inform you of: in one to two months, the state will likely reassign you to Zhongjing to temporarily serve as an administrative commissioner in the Ministry of National Security.
"This is merely a transitional post; the faction is already advocating for a higher position on your behalf. We would like to know if you have any objections to this arrangement, as we will fully respect your wishes."
Chapter 1349