For the next three days, Chen Chuan immersed himself entirely in cultivation.
Ever since it was named, the purple-qi anomalous tissue had grown continuously, able to draw the energy it required from the world across alongside his external visage.
By this point, he understood without instruction that while the energy everyone required was identical at the start, the further along one progressed, the more disparate it became. This demanded that a practitioner possess the ability to discern and pursue it.
Merely knowing this was useless; one still had to seek it out personally.
At this moment, recalling the materials he had browsed through from the Tianji Sect and Great Shun, things grew even clearer in his mind.
Many methods of the Xuan Sect were actually meant to guide one in seeking out their own uniqueness.
Yet this step was never stated in clear, explicit terms. Those capable of doing so needed no telling, while those incapable would remain unable even if told, which would only disturb their minds.
The Visage of the Divine and the Aberrant Visage, however, had been paved and compiled by predecessors, so they were systematized from the start. Following those paths allowed one to advance step by step, yet the ceiling one could typically reach was merely whatever predecessors or classical records had attained.
Only a tiny fraction of individuals could break through the constraints and become founders and patriarchs. Figures like the various Xuan Patriarchs possessed the ability to cast aside their original paths upon reaching the upper tiers, forging roads of their own.
The threshold for entering the Visage of Man was actually the lowest, requiring little in the way of lineage. Thus, in the past, common folk were largely Xuanji martial artists of the Visage of Man. Though lineages and compilations existed, the system was quite fragmented until the emergence of the Purist Faction, which drew them together into a unified whole, distilling and summarizing numerous esoteric teachings and inheritances.
Yet the higher one climbed in the Visage of Man, the more it emphasized the individual, leaving one to figure it out for oneself. At the same time, because the Visage of Man was the path best suited to oneself, once found, every step upward was a profound leap.
Just like now: with his mind clear and unobstructed, he immediately achieved a significant breakthrough. In mere days, the purple qi had grown by a third. Of course, this pace was gradually slowing down, yet it continued to rise.
The primary reason for the slowdown, however, was not that the purple qi had reached its limit, but that the site of his cultivation still lay in the outer layer of the Ring of Worlds. Under its influence, all manner of external forces were restricted, so the energy of that type he could absorb was naturally limited as well.
To change this, the only way was to venture deeper into the world across.
Thus, as long as he intended to keep climbing higher, he would inevitably have to go to the other side. Little wonder that predecessors, upon cultivating to a certain stage, had all made that very choice without prior consultation.
In that case, once he returned and made some preparations, he could ready himself to delve deeper. There was no need to wait until the two-month leave ended; that would be a pointless waste of time.
He had not forgotten that the Great Impact was arriving soon.
With a thought, he recalled his external visage and was about to return through the rift, but suddenly felt an intuition and glanced back.
For an instant just then, he seemed to sense something watching him, though it flashed past in a blink. In the past, he had experienced similar sensations.
Pondering it, he realized this was likely not directed at him, but rather drawn by the torn rift, and the entity was probably still barred outside the Ring of Worlds.
Taking one last deep look outward, he turned and stepped through the rift back into the room. With a flash of blade-light, he sealed the rift.
He sheathed the Xuejun Saber, set it aside, and walked out along the corridor.
At that moment, Kaiyang sent two notifications, one of which informed him that the relic he had previously requested in an exchange had finally received a response.
His requirement for the relic was simple: it did not need overly complex functions, only the ability to withstand various anomalous forces and esoteric arts on his behalf for a short period. Although his external visage now shielded him, that was plainly not enough.
His hypothetical opponents now were multiple or even more extraterrestrial entities at once. If he wished to take on so many foes simultaneously by his own strength alone, such a relic was indispensable.
Checking the timeframe, he saw that he would be able to collect it in two days, at the end of the month.
Looking at the other notification, it was from a member of the advisory group belonging to the Implant Faction named Han Yang, who wished to meet with him to discuss some matters.
The Implant Faction had always enjoyed good relations with the Purist Faction, and on promoting the Skyline project, their stances were aligned even further. This person was likely reaching out to cultivate goodwill as well, so after considering it, Chen Chuan sent a reply stating that he was free today.
Yet the other party seemed to have something urgent; not long after Chen Chuan replied, Han Yang indicated that he would come over immediately.
Upon learning this, Chen Chuan had the manager of the residence greet him out front.
His own team had not arrived yet, so for now he made do with the staff assigned to him by the advisory group, to be replaced as needed once his people arrived.
When he walked outside, he saw ripples of atmospheric disturbance spreading overhead. An airship emerged from within and docked at the mooring tower in front of the residence.
Soon, a man descended from the airship and followed the welcoming attendant toward him.
Chen Chuan appraised him. The man appeared to be in his thirties, wearing glasses that were likely modified, and dressed in a white shirt. He looked refined and cultured, resembling a researcher from some laboratory.
Members of the Implant Faction were all technologists, excelling at combining their own combat systems with implant technology. When utilized skillfully, they were remarkably powerful—something he had already witnessed with Mu Xiaoren.
If nothing else, possessing a powerful active conscious entity like Hongfu to assist them was of immense aid in combat. Materials exceedingly difficult for ordinary people to acquire were hardly impossible for an advisor to obtain; at most, it simply took a little more time.
He stepped forward, shook hands with him, and invited him inside.
After Han Yang sat down, he seemed slightly ill at ease, appearing unaccustomed to dealing with people.
Chen Chuan had made an effort to learn about the other advisors. This man reportedly rarely interacted with other advisors; aside from voting, his routine communications were limited to occasional messages on the boundary credential, giving him virtually no presence.
Yet it was said that he was wholly immersed in his own cultivation and technical research, rarely concerning himself with other matters. Such people were generally very pure-minded—and as an advisor, he had every right to behave that way.
Chen Chuan took the initiative to ask, "Advisor Han, did you have something in mind in coming to see me?"
Hearing him speak, Han Yang sat up straighter. "Advisor Chen, it's like this: I found out that when you wiped out the former imperial household, you recovered several bloodline secret charts. Might I ask if those charts are still in your possession?"
When Chen Chuan had obtained those secret charts, he reported them to higher authorities, but after understanding their value, he did not hand them over.
This was mainly because, before resolving internal threats, bringing them out might well have aided the enemy.
Yet even though he did this, no one ever pressed him on the matter.
Because after becoming an advisor, theoretically all spoils he acquired belonged to him; in practice, even if they did not, as long as he was unwilling to hand them over, nobody could compel him to do so.
He nodded. "Yes, those charts are still with me."
Han Yang's eyes lit up, and he said with some eagerness, "In that case, Advisor Chen, could you perhaps lend me those charts to study?"
At this point, he seemed to realize something, looking a bit embarrassed, and added, "Even the cracked ones will do! Yes, cracked ones are all I need!"
Chen Chuan observed him and said, "Advisor Han wishes to study the technology from them?"
"Yes."
Han Yang did not deny it. In fact, the moment the topic turned to this, his whole demeanor grew radiant with energy.
Chen Chuan nodded. "I have a question I would like to ask Advisor Han."
Han Yang replied earnestly, "Ask whatever you like, Advisor Chen. If I can answer, I certainly will, but if it is something I don't know, then I can only apologize."
Chen Chuan said, "Advisor Han appears to be constantly researching technology. How do you balance that with your cultivation?"
Han Yang looked a bit puzzled, then said, "Researching technology *is* my cultivation."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. The man's situation seemed to match his earlier assessment: certain high-level cultivation methods of the Implant Faction were very likely integrated with their own technology.
At a glance, Han Yang was of the Visage of the Divine; in the end, he likely pursued a breakthrough in his own spirit.
And this breakthrough was very likely tied to technology. Whenever technological progress occurred, it spurred his personal advancement; likewise, the broader progress of society offered immense benefits to him, the two complementing each other.
No wonder advisors of the Implant Faction were relatively few, and despite being one of the five major factions, neither they nor the Nature faction had a single member who had made it into the Group of Five. The Nature faction had its own unique circumstances, but for the Implant Faction, it was simply because this path was extraordinarily difficult to tread.
Yet it was foreseeable that with the development of the Skyline, technology would receive an enormous boost. Once a technological explosion arrived, it would surely usher in a new era of expansion for the Implant Faction as well.
Thus, as things stood, they could be said to be the staunchest supporters of the Skyline.
Chen Chuan said, "Advisor Han, I can lend you the secret charts for research, but I need your assurance that they will only be used for your own studies. You cannot lend them out, nor allow others to view them without my prior permission."
Han Yang nodded repeatedly. "Understood. I won't let anyone else see them. You have my word, Advisor Chen."
He paused, thought for a moment, and added, "Is Advisor Chen currently crafting his own active conscious entity?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Indeed, but the work has only just begun. I hear it will take another two months."
Han Yang said hurriedly, "Advisor Chen, if you are willing, you can entrust this to me! I am willing to oversee the project personally, and I will definitely apply the best technology and materials to it!"
Chen Chuan looked at him and smiled. "If so, that would be more than I could ask for. Who doesn't know that Advisor Han is our Great Shun's finest technologist of the Implant Faction? I leave the matter in your capable hands, then."
Hearing his praise, Han Yang looked overjoyed. In high spirits, he said, "Leave it to me! I guarantee the conscious entity will be ready within a month—I certainly won't let you down, Advisor Chen!"
Chapter 1491