Chen Chuan was well aware that while the threshold to the Visage of Man was low, advancing far along it was anything but easy—an achievement reserved solely for the elite among elites.
For the Purist Faction to rival the other schools based on this specialty, the foundation of its formidable members had to be far beyond that of ordinary people.
At this point, Mr. Zhuan spoke up. "If I recall correctly, you learned the furnace breathing method before?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "A teacher within our faction taught it to me, and later Mr. Wen also taught me the Cloud-Collapsing Hand."
Mr. Zhuan said, "Strictly speaking, only the furnace breathing method counts as an esoteric tradition here. However, furnace breathing leans primarily toward combat. Minister Chen, what breathing technique do you mainly use during your regular cultivation now?"
Chen Chuan did not conceal anything and answered truthfully, "An esoteric method from the Taibai Contemplation, passed down to me by a teacher."
"A breathing method from the Taibai Contemplation?"
Mr. Zhuan was somewhat surprised, then said, "The breathing arts recorded in it are quite good indeed. Not many people possess that legacy these days. It's just that this technique aligns much better with cultivating the Visage of the Divine. Just as the breathing method from the former imperial house's 'Dragon-Riding Changes' leans mainly toward the Visage of the Aberrant."
Having said that, his posture straightened slightly. "Whereas our Purist Faction possesses an esoteric method developed specifically for cultivating the Visage of Man, named 'Mystic Void True Life.' Within it lies a breathing technique called 'Heaven and Earth Furnace,' which is the advanced progression of furnace breathing once you reach your current stage. This breathing technique can be employed in daily cultivation, and I can teach it to you shortly.
"That said, what combat techniques do you currently rely on?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Primarily the unarmed combat forms and blade moves I learned back at Wuyi Academy."
Mr. Zhuan nodded. "Combat primarily hinges on real-time execution. In a simple fight, pairing your current foundation with those moves is serviceable enough. But beyond combat, unarmed forms actually serve to stimulate and regulate mutated tissue. That function, however, is strictly confined to the first through third limits. For the current you, it is far from sufficient."
At this, he let out a soft sigh before continuing, "Our Purist Faction possesses a set known as the Grand Firmament Forms. It is both a combat technique and an esoteric tradition for tempering the self. You have likely heard of it—Zhao Zhenye commands this very set."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. Back at the Confluence, he had glimpsed this technique from afar, and later heard Principal Yao mention it.
Mr. Zhuan said gravely, "As the minister of the Jibei Dao branch, you will cross paths with Zhao Zhenye sooner or later. Therefore, the higher-ups intend to impart this esoteric tradition to you this time. Even if you cannot master it immediately, it will familiarize you with the art so you know how to counter it."
With that, he pulled over a briefcase from his side, took out a thread-bound booklet, placed it on the table, and said, "You may take a look."
Chen Chuan reached out and took it. Flipping through, he found it to be an old booklet with slightly yellowed pages. Both the illustrations and the text were handwritten with an ink brush.
Mr. Zhuan explained, "The text and drawings in this booklet appear simple, but in truth, they contain the spiritual power imbued by our faction's seniors. Future practitioners who read it will be guided by this power, making it easier to grasp the true meaning within. Without this spiritual power, merely reading the contents would never allow one to comprehend it.
"This esoteric tradition is divided into twelve forms in total. Each form corresponds to mutated tissue in a specific part of the body. Whichever part you need to temper, you focus on training that particular form.
"However, the mutated tissue throughout the entire body forms an integrated whole. Even if a specific part needs specialization, the rest must keep pace. Thus, you must familiarize yourself with all twelve forms and include them when practicing. Just remember, in combat, it is best not to casually reveal which form you are most adept in, lest someone exploit it."
Speaking to here, he pointed at the booklet in Chen Chuan's hand again. "What is described on these pages consists mainly of the stances used during cultivation. Once you master and become familiar with them, you can adapt them into moves that suit your personal habits, or even innovate upon them on your own.
"That is why you will see later that even among practitioners of the Grand Firmament Forms, different individuals develop distinctly different styles. Everyone may have their own unique characteristics."
Chen Chuan nodded in understanding. Even with ordinary moves, common practitioners rarely performed them identically, let alone martial artists who had essentially forged their own paths and would inevitably integrate their personal comprehension into their techniques.
At present, the Grand Firmament Forms functioned more like a foundational framework. Once mastered, one could use it as a cornerstone to tread one's own path—something that bore similarities to the unarmed forms he had used previously.
Mr. Zhuan said, "However, Zhao Zhenye is many steps ahead of you and has studied this set of forms exceedingly deeply. Relying on this alone will not be enough to counter him, so I will teach you another set here: the 'Grand Radiant Light Forms.'"
At this moment, light welled from his eyes, and even the mask began to emit a hazy luminescence.
Chen Chuan was very familiar with this phenomenon. He immediately responded with his spirit, and soon sensed a stream of highly intricate information flowing into him through spiritual contact.
"This 'Grand Radiant Light Forms' is an esoteric tradition that corresponds to the 'Grand Firmament Forms.' Back then, the faction did not teach it to Zhao Zhenye. Of course, that was also because he had not yet become a martial artist; imparting the Grand Firmament Forms to him at the third limit was already an unprecedented exception, which shows how highly regarded he was by the faction at the time.
"Of these two esoteric traditions, one serves to temper the physical body, while the other serves to temper the spirit. The techniques of both can be applied in combat, complementing and reflecting each other. If they can be fused together, even mastering merely one or two forms proficiently can unleash immense might in battle."
Chen Chuan sorted through the information transmitted by Mr. Zhuan's spirit and found that, in addition to the Grand Radiant Light Forms, the Heaven and Earth Furnace breathing method was also included.
"As an aside, there is something I must remind you of," Mr. Zhuan's tone turned slightly solemn. "Cultivating these two esoteric traditions in tandem yields twice the results with half the effort, but the burden on the body is also exceedingly heavy. One careless slip could lead to severe overextension of vital energy. Exercise extreme caution in your cultivation. Never greedily rush forward in pursuit of speed, only to cause yourself harm—that would not be worth the cost."
Chen Chuan said, "I will surely keep your warning in mind, sir."
Mr. Zhuan gestured toward the booklet in his hands. "Keep this booklet in your care. If you come across a suitable candidate in the future, you may pass it on to them. And if Minister Chen gains any profound insights during your own cultivation, you may write down your reflections and submit them to the faction. We actively encourage such practices, and based on their value, appropriate rewards will be granted in return."
Chen Chuan gave his thanks. "Thank you both, gentlemen."
Mr. Zhuan smiled. "All right, my business here is roughly finished. Minister Chen, do you have any questions?"
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "I do have one question. I've noticed that in combat, martial artists all possess their own martial weapons. Where do these weapons typically come from?"
Mr. Zhuan thought for a bit, then replied, "When it comes to martial weapons, it's best to use the weapon you are already accustomed to rather than having a new one forged. The mutated tissue within a mutated weapon is alive to begin with; you can replace or upgrade it using your own mutated tissue, allowing it to absorb minerals and nutrients from the Confluence according to specific proportions.
"The nurturing and refinement of mutated weapons is a whole discipline unto itself, one I am not proficient in. Both the government and various schools have technical specialists in this area. I can help connect you with someone, or you could also ask Principal Yao of Wuyi—he should know quite a bit about it."
With that, he took a notebook from his pocket, tore off a sheet of paper, wrote a few lines on it, and handed it to Chen Chuan. "Here is his contact information. Just tell him I referred you."
Chen Chuan took it and thanked him.
Mr. Zhuan asked, "Anything else?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Nothing else, except for one matter I should inform the faction about: I might be heading out to the Outer Ocean in the next few days." He explained the upcoming spar with Fenghe Shou.
Mr. Zhuan said, "I will pass word of this to the faction. As one of the three great overseas pavilions today, the Wave Pavilion boasts a rigorous, unbroken lineage, and Fenghe Shou is certainly no pushover. Take care on this journey."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I will."
With the main matters concluded, the two drank tea together for a while and chatted about other affairs before Chen Chuan stood and took his leave.
After he departed, the mask spoke up: "All right. Just as you said, I have now given him all three esoteric traditions that should have been taught over several years."
Mr. Zhuan replied simply, "He can master them."
The mask said, "I trust your eye in that regard. It's just that writing the report when we return won't be easy. Ever since the incident with Zhao Zhenye, the faction has kept a very tight watch on the imparting of esoteric traditions. We must have a justifiable reason to present, don't we?"
Mr. Zhuan said, "Isn't he going to spar with Fenghe Shou? That is our reason."
"But that kind of spar... fine, whatever."
The mask raised no further objections. As long as there was a reasonable pretext, that was enough. After all, Chen Chuan was a branch minister who also had to face a formidable enemy like Zhao Zhenye, so providing these teachings was completely warranted. He had simply worried that dumping everything on Chen Chuan all at once might be too much for him to handle.
He pondered aloud, "Still, who knows what esoteric tradition Zhao Zhenye is practicing this time? It appears to carry certain restrictions, but once mastered, he will likely be even more powerful than before."
Mr. Zhuan said, "If Minister Chen can master everything we gave him, then the three of us joining hands might just be enough to deal with Zhao Zhenye."
When Chen Chuan emerged from the factory, Chang Dong was waiting outside. Seeing him step out, Chang Dong walked up in a few quick strides and handed him a telegram.
"Minister, a telegram just arrived. The higher-ups approved the faction admission application you submitted for Captain Xu, and he has officially been confirmed as a member of the Jibei Dao branch."
Chen Chuan took it and glanced over it. "Good news indeed."
Chang Dong said, "I've also recruited three regular members recently. Minister, why don't we gather everyone and hold a meeting sometime?"
Chen Chuan nodded. Since new members had joined, they really ought to find time to hold a meeting and get acquainted. He said, "I might have to head out to sea soon. Time is tight, and I may leave today or tomorrow. Let's table this until I return."
Chapter 802