Mr. Zhuan stood before the gate of Instructor Wen's residence, a confident "this is simple" look showing on his face.
Yet the moment he heard footsteps approaching from within, he immediately set down his briefcase, took out a black mask, and nimbly snapped it over his face with practiced ease.
The instant he put it on, his demeanor shifted abruptly. Raising his wrist, he checked the time and sighed helplessly, saying to Chen Chuan and Instructor Wen as they walked out, "My apologies. I have kept the two of you waiting once again."
Chen Chuan said, "You are too polite, Mr. Zhuan. We didn't set a specific time in advance. If anything, we've troubled you by having you make a special trip so late at night."
Mr. Zhuan looked at him and said with utmost sincerity, "Mr. Chen, it is no trouble at all."
After exchanging greetings at the door, the three of them went inside together into the living room.
Once seated, Chen Chuan fetched the parcel he had brought along and produced the items retrieved from Kenwa, along with several photographs and documents, presenting them as proof that the assessment had been completed.
One item was particularly conspicuous: the club-hammer Kenwa had once wielded.
Mr. Zhuan looked it over and recognized that it was indeed Kenwa's weapon. Furthermore, after receiving word from Instructor Wen, he had already confirmed the matter through certain channels.
Even so, he examined every single item with great care, scrutinizing the abnormal phenomena surrounding Kenwa's death with particular thoroughness.
Finally, he produced a camera to take photographs. Once everything was processed, he set his things down, looked up, and turned to Chen Chuan.
"Supervisor Chen, we have confirmed that you eliminated the target.
"Therefore, on behalf of our school, I inform you that you have passed our entrance assessment. Now, let me ask once more."
His tone turned solemn and grave.
"Supervisor Chen, are you willing to join our Purist Faction?"
Chen Chuan replied with equal gravity, "I am."
Mr. Zhuan gazed at him for a moment, nodded, and said, "Then, as your recommender and assessor, I welcome you among us." With that, he stood and extended a hand.
Chen Chuan also rose and shook his hand. "Thank you."
Instructor Wen smiled as he watched the scene unfold.
Now that Chen Chuan's joining of the Purist Faction was settled, the atmosphere in the living room grew noticeably warmer.
Once the three of them sat back down, Mr. Zhuan drew several documents from his briefcase. "Next, I will submit Supervisor Chen's information and assessment results to the higher-ups. There are also several forms here that you need to fill out. These will eventually be archived in the faction's records."
Chen Chuan looked them over. They were essentially application forms for joining the Purist Faction. Portions concerning his personal information were already filled in, but only with public knowledge without going into specifics; right now, they merely required his signature of confirmation. There was also one rather unique form: an application for cultivation resources.
After reviewing them all, he picked up a pen and signed them one by one.
When he was finished, Mr. Zhuan took them back to inspect, removed his mask, and signed his own name on each sheet before handing them to Instructor Wen, who signed as a witness.
Mr. Zhuan put his mask back on, arranged everything neatly, and packed it back into the briefcase.
He said, "Though the paperwork has yet to be submitted, Supervisor Chen, you are already a member of our Purist Faction. Once the higher-ups confirm it, you will be granted the cultivation resources you require for your current stage.
"The faction places no requirements on this initial application. However, should you wish to apply for more in the future, it will depend on your personal deeds and contributions. It doesn't necessarily have to be contributions to the faction—contributions to the region, the country, or even the world are all recognized by us."
Chen Chuan thought to himself that the issue of pure substance was essentially resolved.
He asked, "May I ask, Mr. Zhuan—since everyone requires different amounts of resources for cultivation, how much does the faction intend to provide this time?"
Mr. Zhuan answered, "For now, we will provide you with two units."
He explained that this was measured against a standardized baseline; according to the Purist Faction's internal calculations, one unit was generally enough to satisfy the needs of an ordinary fighter.
However, certain exceptional individuals could not be measured by the ordinary standard. For instance, Chen Chuan's past performance clearly demonstrated extraordinary talent, so he was allocated two units.
Chen Chuan nodded. He had already absorbed a fair amount of pure substance before and was still actively assimilating more; with two additional units, it ought to be more than enough by any measure.
Mr. Zhuan said, "As your recommender, it is my responsibility to guide you and impart the faction's secret arts and techniques.
"Once you obtain the pure substance and fulfill your needs, you will meet the requirements to advance to higher limits. At that point, I will explain the key points you must heed for the next stage of cultivation. In the future, should you recommend someone else into the school, you will bear that same responsibility."
Chen Chuan indicated his understanding. After a brief pause for thought, he asked, "Mr. Zhuan, may I ask you a question regarding combat cultivation now?"
Mr. Zhuan said, "Go ahead."
Chen Chuan said, "I am still lacking in spiritual cultivation at present. If I wish to strengthen my progress in that area, are there any methods available?"
As far as his physical body was concerned, as long as he proceeded step by step, he was confident he could reach the limit. But his spiritual cultivation had only just begun. Even with the secret technique taught by Teacher Xue and the gains he had acquired recently, it might still take several years, perhaps even longer.
While that wasn't a long time given his age, by the most pressing estimates, the Great Impact might arrive in just a few years. He hoped to break through to higher limits before that happened.
Mr. Zhuan said, "Let me see your spirit."
Chen Chuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he immediately released his spiritual force. Instructor Wen, sitting nearby, could not help but look up, surprise showing on his face.
Mr. Zhuan sensed it for a moment, then evaluated, "Decent enough. While lacking in breadth, the elevation is quite impressive.
"You must have learned a profound spiritual technique and experienced an opportunity that bolstered your spirit. Some time ago, the field organism of Jibei Circuit Center City entered its reproductive division phase—it was likely then, wasn't it?"
Chen Chuan answered frankly, "Yes."
Mr. Zhuan hummed in acknowledgment and said, "Spiritual cultivation has always been rather complex, carrying far greater danger than physical cultivation. But one thing holds true: as long as you elevate the height of your spirit sufficiently, your cultivation speed will become remarkably fast.
"Your spiritual foundation has been laid exceptionally well; the teacher who guided you before must have been very attentive and possessed great skill.
"As for your inquiry about further strengthening your spiritual cultivation... hmm..."
He pondered for a moment before continuing, "You probably know that in certain respects, spiritual cultivation in the old era was actually easier than it is today.
"Because the Ring of the World did not exist back then, it was very easy to absorb quintessence, and pure substance was also much easier to come by.
"Although one would suffer external corruption during cultivation, anyone walking the path of combat must naturally face such things.
"While the Ring of the World now shields against incursions from the outside, it has also reduced conflict. Without that tempering, cultivation progress has naturally slowed down as a result.
"Conversely, if you wish to quicken your pace forward, you need a place that can provide you with something to confront and struggle against."
Chen Chuan recalled Mr. Zhuan's earlier words about how fighters advanced through relentless struggle; it seemed the faction championed that exact philosophy.
Mr. Zhuan continued, "There is a place right now that suits you very well: a fissure. If you can enter a fissure to cultivate, your spiritual progress will be far faster than solitary self-refinement."
"A fissure..."
Chen Chuan nodded. Back in Center City, when Fumu lost its shielding ability, numerous fissures had appeared as a result—the so-called Opening of the Heavenly Gate. Thus, he understood the concept well.
"Although the Ring of the World forms a blockade, it does not seal off everywhere completely. Fissures appear from time to time. Like tiny punctures in the Ring Curtain, they are impossible to eliminate entirely. It is just that whenever one is discovered, it is sealed and quarantined, or gathered up and plugged by Center City."
Chen Chuan had heard about this before: as the world on the other side drew closer, fissures would gradually multiply, and Center Cities functioned to gather and contain them. That was also why the number of Center Cities had been steadily increasing.
"In today's world, undiscovered fissures are extremely rare, even in underdeveloped regions. The moment local powers or corporations find one, they immediately seize control of it.
"Take the Sanmawojia Continent, for example. Although tribal warlords are locked in chaotic fighting there, corporate power remains immense. They take fissures very seriously, monitoring every corner through gangs, informants, tribespeople, and modified organisms.
"They do this not merely out of concern for the world's safety. The pressure from that world compels governments and corporations to continuously expand and advance their technologies. Gathering and isolating fissures allows them to monopolize the profits while mitigating certain risks.
"Yet as tight as the containment is, there are still places that remain difficult to control even now: beneath the ocean.
"Although fissures there are exceedingly few, and even when present, small in scale, they nonetheless exist. Some may have existed for ages.
"You may have heard that back in the day, numerous combat dojos flourished across the Outer Ocean Islands. Beyond the combat techniques they passed down, their rise was largely due to controlling an enduring fissure.
"Though many schools have faded away by now, virtually every one that has survived inevitably possesses one.
"The sole remaining inheritor of one such school joined our Purist Faction and contributed that fissure to the faction. To this day, he still guards that place. You may go there to cultivate for a time."
At that moment, an invisible wave of spiritual force emanated from Mr. Zhuan's body, and Chen Chuan felt information being transmitted directly into his mind.
Chapter 619