Because the Visage of Man had an accessible threshold, martial artists walking this path already possessed a degree of combat prowess before practitioners of the Visage of the Divine and Visage of the Aberrant had cultivated deeply enough—all without fear of running into fatal mishaps.
Thus, whether someone was eager for quick success or lacked talent compared to peers of the same tier, they could embark upon this road. No wonder Principal Yao had called the Visage of Man the mainstream.
Yet mastering it to greater depths was extraordinarily difficult. The Visage of Man lacked convoluted shortcuts. Throughout the process of self-elevation, it did not excessively aberrate or deify, relying purely on one's own foundation to climb upward.
And a person's foundation determined their ceiling. Even though external medicines and certain special nutrients could supplement and compensate for shortcomings, progress inevitably grew more arduous the further one advanced.
In terms of cultivation, compared to the other two paths, the Visage of Man could be said to place equal weight on the spirit and the physical body. While it eschewed the extreme, deeply penetrating methods of the other two, it required one to purge as much as possible anything that might encroach upon or corrupt the self, thereby preserving an absolute, intact selfhood. This demanded twice the energy.
In contrast, the Visage of the Divine and the Visage of the Aberrant required dedication to only a single path. Once through the initial arduous period, the power wielded with further progress grew vastly greater, and advancement was comparatively rapid.
Yet the Visage of Man was not without advantages. Because so many walked it, the various techniques for the early stages were exceptionally mature. What nutrients and food ingredients were required, what medicines were needed in coordination, what methods to train with—all had extraordinarily clear steps. With abundant experience left by predecessors, one never had to fear going astray.
Chen Chuan reflected that the Visage of Man was very well-suited to the Purist Faction's doctrine of purifying the self.
Yet not all martial artists in the Purist Faction necessarily followed the Visage of Man. The masked gentleman who had aided Mr. Zhuan certainly did not.
The core philosophy of today's Purist Faction was to wage an uncompromising struggle against the outside entities coveting this world. Therefore, as long as one identified as human and could preserve the true form, the paths of body or spirit could presumably be embraced as well.
Turning his thoughts aside, he continued reading.
Following the introductory overview, the records focused entirely on the key points of cultivating the Visage of Man, as well as crucial precautions.
The key apertures and emphases of the three Visages differed, yet the primary core still lay in the aberrant tissue. The path of the Visage of Man required stimulating the aberrant tissue through mental and physical training, thereby inducing it to undergo metamorphosis.
This was of the same lineage as the earlier growth of aberrant tissue. Previously, one merely spurred the aberrant tissue to grow and strengthen, enabling it to bear and supply the power for breakthroughs; now, one had to use diverse fighting techniques and spiritual tempering to guide it toward a higher realm.
Similarly, just as excessive evolution and metamorphosis had brought perils in the past, so it was in this stage—a hazard demanding constant caution and vigilance.
Naturally, at this stage, because a martial artist's life essence had elevated, excessive alteration of aberrant tissue might not necessarily pose a mortal threat. However, it was hard to say whether one might stray from the path, or even let the aberrant tissue usurp the host's primacy and turn into something else entirely.
Chen Chuan saw several illustrations accompanying the transmitted information. Among them were cases where excessive growth and alteration of aberrant tissue transformed people into humanoid monsters. Some could hardly even be recognized as human, and their bodily forms and sizes varied wildly.
Therefore, the true essence of the realm of Preserving True Form required both bold advancement and measured restraint.
Regardless of the chosen path, cultivation required ingesting large quantities of corresponding medicines, as well as vast amounts of food ingredients to supply the energy necessary for practice, and it was best not to undergo excessively prolonged interruptions.
Chen Chuan thought it over. When it came to logistical support, backing onto Center City was undeniably the most convenient choice. It possessed a comprehensive supply system; even if something was lacking in one place, one could purchase it from another Center City.
However, certain specialized nutrients and medicines were beyond what Center City could provide. Nutrients could be obtained by martial artists from the convergence zone, while medicines required reliance on the government and corporations.
No wonder most martial artists held positions in governments and corporations rather than all flocking to the convergence zone.
If he wanted these, besides the government, he could probably acquire some from the Purist Faction as well.
If he still could not assemble everything, he would have to find ways on his own.
Having gone over all these vital matters and precautions, he began reading the specific cultivation methods. For now, however, it was merely to gain a rough understanding, as his body's self-reconstruction was still ongoing.
This was actually a good thing. The longer the reconstruction took, the stouter the foundation would be, and naturally the higher the ceiling he could hope for in the future. He had ample patience to wait.
Once he had finished reading all the contents, he had a general grasp of things. Though it was not yet time to cultivate, replenishing energy was something that had to be done continuously, without the slightest neglect.
With these points clarified, he harbored no further doubts and simply waited for the right moment to begin his practice.
A few days slipped by in a flash, arriving at the thirtieth.
Chen Chuan had not visited the Disposal Bureau during these days. Since Director Wu's return, there was no need for him to oversee any affairs, and Xu Chan had officially been promoted to Investigation Supervisor.
The supervisor transferred from another Center City was already en route. Once that person arrived, the nominal roster of three Investigation Supervisors would be complete.
However, Chen Chuan would certainly receive a different appointment, so Director Wu still had to figure out a solution. There was no news yet, but in all likelihood, once the breach in the Ring of the World was plugged, someone would be transferred from the Defense Department to take over.
At noon, after consuming the high-energy nutritional ingredients prepared by Gao Yanjun, he was preparing to board an airship to cultivate at sea. Before he could step out the door, he received a telegram.
It was sent from Meng Shu. Primarily, it congratulated him on becoming a martial artist, but at the bottom of the telegram was a note from Sancheng Huang.
It mentioned that Boundary Blending had progressed relatively smoothly at first when taking over the assets of the Ferris Wheel Company, but things had taken a turn two days ago, running into an obstacle.
The obstacle came from his master, the master of the Wave Pavilion, Fenghe.
Relying on his prestige and martial prowess, this Blade Master had brought the negotiations to a standstill.
Sancheng Huang had returned to the Wave Pavilion to meet his master. The message he brought out was that Fenghe had heard Boundary Blending's security supervisor, Chen Chuan, had become a martial artist, and wished to spar with him. Win or lose, he would place no further obstacles in their way.
Sancheng Huang felt unable to decide the matter, so he appended the message to the telegram sent to Chen Chuan, adding that the Canglong Company and Ocean Exploration Group had also reported this to the government.
Chen Chuan turned the matter over in his mind. He felt things might not be so simple. While it was plausible for Fenghe to seek a spar, the man had been a Blade Master for many years; by conventional logic, there was no reason to immediately seek out someone who had only just become a martial artist.
Could it be simply because he was a supervisor of Boundary Blending?
There had to be another reason.
However, since a duel had been proposed, he had no reason to refuse.
Since he could replenish his energy from the fissure, he had no fear of any extra expenditure. To have a formidable opponent face him in combat was something he could hardly ask for more.
Going was one thing, but he had to thoroughly understand the specifics.
After some thought, he immediately used his boundary credential to request detailed information regarding the matter from Andun. Once his request was lodged, not only the Disposal Bureau but also the Government Affairs Hall actively responded.
When a martial artist sought intelligence, so long as he enjoyed good relations with the local Center City government, every quarter would facilitate him. Thus, barely half an hour after making his request, pertinent information from all sides had been compiled and relayed to him by Andun—extraordinary efficiency indeed.
Such a thing would have been unimaginable in the past.
Such were the perks of being part of the system: without having to scurry about himself, all sorts of intelligence and resources converged on him automatically. In return, he had to uphold the system, cultivating a stable and mutually beneficial relationship.
Once he had read through all the intelligence, he had basically reconstructed the full picture.
In the past, the Wave Pavilion had been able to persist not only because of Fenghe himself, but also because the Wave Pavilion did not actively embroil itself in outside affairs.
Back then, the situation across the Outer Ocean was locked in a struggle between Great Shun and the Linax Federation. Before a victor emerged, neither side wished to introduce additional variables, so no one provoked the Wave Pavilion.
Yet this time, Great Shun had eradicated the Ferris Wheel Company, shattering the proxy propped up by the Linax Federation in a single stroke. With the Ocean Exploration Group and Canglong Company bringing most of the Outer Ocean under their sway, the Wave Pavilion, caught in the middle, had to make a choice.
Thus, challenging him to a spar was very likely just a pretext. Fenghe's true intention was probably to find someone of equivalent stature with whom to hold a negotiation.
He pondered for a moment. Regardless of whether that was the case, he intended to answer the challenge and experience this Blade Master's swordsmanship firsthand.
Only, given his current standing, he could not simply depart at will. He had to notify the Center City government and the Martial Artists Council beforehand.
Just then, the telephone on the desk rang.
He felt a touch of surprise. Normally, only family called this phone, and because today was a rest day, he had already spoken with his aunt and the others that morning.
He walked over and picked up the receiver. A voice on the other end said, "Supervisor Chen, it's Yao Zhiyi."
Chen Chuan was somewhat surprised. "Principal Yao, you're back?"
"Just got back, but only to say a few words to you—I have to head right back shortly. Weren't you inquiring about Fenghe? The Government Affairs Hall wanted to hear my opinion. They originally intended to send me instead, so as to avoid any mishaps on your end.
"But I shot it down. I can't leave my post right now, and besides, Fenghe specifically called you out by name. What would it look like to swap someone else in? Furthermore, while they might not know, this old man knows full well what you're capable of. You are the one who should go."
Chen Chuan said, "Principal, I was just hoping to see what this Blade Master is capable of myself."
Yao Zhiyi laughed heartily. "I knew you would go. I can roughly guess what Fenghe is thinking. I doubt he wants to make things difficult for you; he's just looking for a graceful way out. And aren't you on fairly good terms with his disciple? That makes you the most suitable person to go."
Chen Chuan gave a quiet affirmation, saying placidly, "I am on good terms with one of his disciples. But his other disciple died by my blade."
Chapter 800