After driving back to the academy, Chen Chuan logged onto the platform immediately to search, but he was unable to find any specific information regarding this instructor.
It was not much different from what had been displayed on the notice.
Judging by this state of affairs, the person did not appear to be an instructor from Jibei Dao's Center City. Considering that the Supreme Main Academy dispatched a batch of lecturers at the start of almost every semester, could this teacher be... from the Supreme Main Academy?
That was extremely likely.
Previously, no matter what was being taught, fees had to be paid to purchase the course. Yet nothing had been mentioned regarding payment for this matter. Either fees were waived like with other Main Academy instructors, or there were special rules involved.
Aside from not knowing how to break through to the Fourth Limit, he actually needed remedial lessons in a few other areas as well.
For instance, when fighting others now, he still primarily relied on his extraordinary physical conditioning. While that could be considered the orthodox path, he still seemed somewhat lacking in many specific cultivation and application techniques of the third limit, having only furnace breathing at his disposal.
Yet the critical intricacies obviously went far beyond that. Take Mashiba Masaru, whom he had encountered two days prior—that method of directly attacking the spirit and that sudden surge in physical frame were clearly techniques utilizing vital essence and the changeless mind.
Mashiba Masaru's raw strength was actually no match for his, yet by relying on those two aspects, he had been able to trade blows with him. Things like that were of vital importance.
He hoped to make up for this deficiency this time around.
In any case, he would know in a few days.
Taking the elevator up to his dormitory, he washed up, changed into loose, comfortable clothes, and entered the training room. Taking his special medicine, he entered deep tranquility.
The night passed quickly.
Come dawn, he opened his eyes amid the first rays of morning light outside the window. Seeing that he was awake, Zhaoming let out an excited, high-pitched cry.
He rose and walked over to replace Zhaoming's water and feed.
At the same time, he reflected that cultivating here at the academy seemed to lack something compared to the Confluence.
Although the Confluence was far more dangerous, its effects on improvement appeared stronger, likely because the medicine itself was designed to draw one's spirit closer to that world.
Leaving aside the hazards and incursions, the Confluence was undoubtedly much closer to that other side, so such a difference was hardly surprising. For others—or rather, the vast majority of people—basing their cultivation in the Confluence was decidedly unsafe, which made returning to Center City a necessity.
Thinking about it this way, he wondered how the fighters in the cities behind the Confluence cultivated, especially since those at the third limit were generally not permitted to enter Center City. In any case, without exceptional talent and an iron will, advancing further was truly an uphill climb.
Just then, a message arrived on his boundary credential. It was from Su Wei, the team member recruited at the end of the year, sending New Year greetings while asking if there were any tasks assigned to him.
Chen Chuan replied that there were no tasks for the moment and instructed him to remain on standby for now.
His main upcoming objective was to get closer to Chen Bitong, so he likely would not be heading to the Confluence for some time. At present, Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque had gone home for the New Year and had not yet returned. Once they were back in Center City, he could gather everyone for a get-together.
After replying, he changed his clothes and prepared to head out. With the New Year holidays drawing to a close, he decided to pay visits to familiar instructors and friends, bringing along some Yangzhi specialty goods.
Stepping out, he called upon Instructor Jiang, Teacher Bai, Instructor Zheng, and others one by one. He also dropped by Wu Bei's place, bringing him some snacks from Yangzhi. After leaving Wu Bei's home, he contacted Mount Motie, planning to visit Senior Cao.
After confirming Cao was in, he drove up to Mount Motie. He parked his car in the open space outside, and as he reached the manor entrance, he found Uncle Ding waiting to receive him.
"Captain Chen, the young master is waiting for you in the courtyard. Please follow me."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Thank you for the trouble." Seeing the man, he could not help but think of Iron Demon. The two indeed bore many resemblances. If Uncle Ding were thirty years younger, he might look just like him; they very likely shared some blood relation.
Entering the courtyard, he saw Senior Cao clad in a moon-white robe, seated beneath a plum blossom tree waiting for him. Chen Chuan walked forward and greeted him, saying, "I brought some tea and pastries from Yangzhi this time. The pastries were made by my family, though I'm not sure if they suit your taste, Senior."
Cao Guixi smiled and said, "In that case, I certainly must try them. Have a seat."
Chen Chuan sat down and said, "Last time I passed by here, I wanted to visit you, Senior Cao, but seeing the outside filled with parked cars, I didn't come in."
Cao Guixi shook his head. "Just people I didn't care to see, yet couldn't cut ties with. Let's not talk about them." He looked at Chen Chuan. "Junior, you've been to the Confluence?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "I went there once before the holidays, returned just before the year's end, rushed back home to celebrate the New Year, and only came back to Center City in the past couple of days."
He went on to share some of what he had seen and heard in the Confluence, omitting the specific mission details since they involved classified matters.
Nor did he mention the resemblance between Uncle Ding and Iron Demon.
From various subtle details, he had pieced together a general picture of Senior Cao's former background. It was possible that Uncle Ding and Iron Demon were clan relatives, but in the modern Republic of Great Shun, such matters were somewhat taboo; bringing it up would only make things uncomfortable for everyone.
After chatting for a while, Chen Chuan said, "Senior, I have something here that I can't quite identify. I wonder if you might recognize it."
Cao Guixi asked, "Did you bring it with you?"
Chen Chuan retrieved the fragmented jade stones from his pocket and laid them on the low table.
With just a single glance, Cao Guixi recognized them and said with utter certainty, "These are the jade cores of shattered Gaotian jade."
"Gaotian jade?"
Cao Guixi nodded. "A sacred relic of the overseas Gaotian Cult." Gazing into the distance as if recalling something, he said, "It's said that back when the former imperial house reigned, the Gong royal clan presented tributes of this jade every year."
At this point, his brow furrowed slightly. "The Last Emperor had a Consort Yuan, who was originally a foreigner. For her, the Last Emperor constructed the Glazed Jade Palace, hung all about with lamps carved of Gaotian jade, and built thermal pools below. Every night, the water and jade reflected one another in a dazzling brilliance, shimmering like the Silver River and making one feel as though in a celestial realm. Thus, the Last Emperor often drifted in a boat, making merry with Consort Yuan inside the palace.
"Between the tributes accumulated over the years and Consort Yuan's personal collections, there were likely no fewer than a thousand pieces of Gaotian jade in the Glazed Jade Palace. Yet during the Renzi Palace Turmoil, Consort Yuan reportedly burned it all down in a blaze.
"However, when the ruins were cleared, no skeletal remains were found, nor was any of the fine jade recovered. Even the hundred palace beauties vanished alongside her. Later, people deduced that Consort Yuan had most likely passed through one of the imperial family's fissures into the Confluence."
Chen Chuan pondered this. The Renzi Palace Turmoil was a famous historical event featured in textbooks. It was said that when the Last Emperor fell critically ill without a legitimate heir born of the empress, the empress summoned vassal kings to lead troops into the capital to execute the demonic consort and her faction.
This triggered a conflict among imperial clansmen that lasted seventeen years. That internal strife severely depleted the vitality of the former imperial house, setting the stage for its eventual overthrow.
Cao Guixi said, "Gaotian jade seemed to have been mined to exhaustion long ago due to the relentless demands of the imperial court in earlier years. The Gaotian Cult might still possess a small amount today, but Gaotian jade bearing a jade core is one in a hundred—exceedingly rare."
Chen Chuan said, "I felt that these jade fragments seem to possess an effect of invigorating the spirit and nurturing the changeless mind."
Cao Guixi said, "They do indeed have such an effect. If Gaotian jade is used to fashion lamps, the radiation of the jade core provides day-and-night nourishment, allowing the spirit to ascend to an external realm, as if delving deep into a fairyland."
He added solemnly, "The state religion of the old era blended it with medicinal herbs to roll into a pure incense. Burning it at a critical juncture was sufficient to focus the mind and stir vital momentum, which aids in breaking through human limits."
Chen Chuan turned the thought over and said, "I obtained this from a disciple of the Waves Hall. It was embedded in the pommel of his blade, presumably meant to invigorate his spirit. But if this material is so precious, it seems a waste to use it so crudely. Do foreigners not know the proper way to use it?"
Cao Guixi shook his head. "It is because the complementary medicinal herb is difficult to obtain. Without it, the incense medicine cannot be compounded, so it cannot achieve that effect.
"Moreover, in modern times, technological advancements have yielded substitutes. Although their efficacy doesn't match the original incense medicine, they are far easier to acquire, so there is no longer a need to chase after this.
"However..."
He glanced at Chen Chuan. "Since this has fallen into your hands, Junior, you might as well make good use of it. I happen to know where the complementary medicine can be found. Once I obtain it another day, I will let you know."
Chen Chuan promptly thanked him. "Thank you, Senior."
With that matter settled, neither brought it up again, turning instead to other topics. Chen Chuan sat there until close to noon before taking his leave.
Throughout their earlier conversation, Uncle Ding had quietly brewed tea and poured water by their side without uttering a word. Only after Chen Chuan had departed did he step forward and say, "Young Master, that complementary medicine is exceedingly hard to come by nowadays. It might only be found with that gentleman."
Cao Guixi said, "Bring a pot of the wind-chalice flowers he favors from the garden to him and trade it for the medicine."
Uncle Ding reminded him, "But Young Master, there is only one wind-chalice flower left in the garden."
"An inanimate object, nothing more," Cao Guixi replied casually. "If it's gone, I can grow another. His medicine sits there useless without Gaotian jade all the same."
Uncle Ding said, "Yet that gentleman has spent recent years traveling across the world peddling his restoration agenda. If you send someone to meet him at a time like this, Young Master, it will inevitably give rise to talk unfavorable to you..."
Cao Guixi glanced at him and said slowly, "With so many people visiting that day, wouldn't they talk regardless?" He lifted his teacup. "Once inside the game, breaking free is no simple matter. One might as well do something meaningful instead."
Thoughtfully, Uncle Ding bowed. "Young Master, I understand."
Cao Guixi shook his head. That had not been his meaning, but Uncle Ding could think what he liked; he made no effort to correct him.
Chapter 471