Celestial Human Diagram

Once the spiritual fluctuations from Mr. Zhuan subsided, he said, "I’ll write you another letter. Go there and find him, but you must hurry.

With the collapse of the Ferris Wheel Company, the Overseas Development Group and Canglong Company are tightening their control over the Outer Ocean. There might also be infiltration and sabotage from the Lynx Federation.

No matter which power gets involved, none of them will allow a Rift from a broken lineage to exist there indefinitely. Once it’s discovered, they will certainly try to destroy or reclaim it.

I don’t know how much longer that place will last. If you want to go, you’d best do it as soon as possible. The sooner you go, the more time you’ll have for cultivation."

Chen Chuan processed the information conveyed to his mind and nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Mr. Zhuan."

Mr. Zhuan opened his suitcase again and took out a lustrous piece of jade carved in the shape of a Pig-Nosed Dragon. He held it out.

"Take this with you. Contamination is unavoidable after entering a Rift. This can help you resist it, but it’s only an aid. Remember what I said: resistance is the key. My telegraph contact information is on the bottom of the jade. If you have any questions, you can use it to reach me."

Chen Chuan took it. A cool sensation spread from his hand the moment he touched it, and even his spirit felt soothed. He knew this was something special. Turning it over, he saw a series of frequencies on the back and thanked him again.

Mr. Zhuan patted his suitcase and said, "I have to get these things back as soon as possible. Headquarters will issue you some items from the Pure Sect later, but there’s no rush. They’ll have a specialist deliver them to you personally."

Instructor Wen said, "Manager Chen just told me that people from the Refinement Sect came looking for him this afternoon. It was through an introduction by Civil Affairs Chief Zhu Xian. I deduce that some high-ranking member of the Refinement Sect thinks highly of Manager Chen."

"Is that so?" Mr. Zhuan said. He stood up. "I’ll handle this matter." He extended his hand and shook Chen Chuan’s again. "Well then, Manager Chen, until we meet again."

Chen Chuan nodded. "Mr. Zhuan, until we meet again."

Mr. Zhuan shook Instructor Wen’s hand as well, then took his leave.

Chen Chuan watched him go, noticing he took off his mask while on the road. ’I wonder when the sect’s internal affairs will be settled,’ he thought. ’It’ll probably take some time...’

Fortunately, he wasn’t in a hurry for that. The trip to the Outer Ocean, however, needed to be scheduled as soon as possible.

He didn’t stay long either. After bidding farewell to Instructor Wen, he took his things and returned home.

Over the next few days, he had some free time. He called his classmates and old friends to arrange a get-together. He definitely had to see people like Wei Chang’an, who were heading to Central City, before they left.

On the twentieth, which was a school holiday, Chen Chuan took a private car through the back gate on the north side of Wuyi Academy.

At this time of year, the third-year students were basically no longer living at the academy. They should have all found their own paths more than half a year ago. Even if they returned to school, it was just a formality.

Only the first and second-year students still faced their mandatory final exams, so this was a tense final stretch for them.

The car drove to the base of South Hill. Instead of continuing forward, it climbed the winding road of Ring Mountain, finally stopping in front of the Inquiry Hall at the summit.

This was the place where Cheng Zitong had first taught him Power. When they had spoken on the phone, Cheng Zitong knew he didn’t want to cause a stir at the academy, so he suggested they meet here.

After the car stopped, he saw another vehicle parked nearby and recognized it as Teacher Cheng’s. He must have already arrived.

After an orderly got out to open the door for him, he picked up a briefcase and stepped out.

He looked around. Nearly four years had passed in a flash, but the surrounding scenery hadn’t changed much. He turned his head toward North Peak. The manor was still there; it was where the Recommended Students used to live.

Since last year, however, there had been almost no Recommended Students. Although some students from prominent backgrounds could still pay to live there, they received almost no special treatment. Everyone had to pass the entrance exam to get into the academy.

It was said that someone had proposed that Mayor Zhu reinstate the Recommended Students system, but he had rejected it, citing internal matters at Wuyi.

After a brief look, he walked toward the Inquiry Hall. He passed through the open gates, crossed the spacious Martial Arts Arena, and went straight into the main hall. There, he saw Cheng Zitong sitting on a guest chair to the side. His figure looked round and plump, and his face was ruddy and beaming. Upon seeing him, he called out, "Ah, Xiaochuan, you’re here!"

Chen Chuan immediately took off his shoes, walked in, and bowed slightly. "Teacher."

"You, my student! Come, sit, sit."

Cheng Zitong chuckled and beckoned for him to sit down.

"There’s no one else here, so no one will disturb us while we catch up. Say, Xiaochuan, do you remember the first time I brought you here?"

Chen Chuan looked around and said, "I do. Back then, you placed immense trust in me, allowing me to choose the Circulation Technique. I’m incredibly grateful to you for that, Teacher. If not for your unwavering support, I wouldn’t be where I am today."

Cheng Zitong shook his head. "Xiaochuan, in your eyes, I may have helped you, but have you not also helped me?"

For the past two years, the Fighting Families from Central City who had rarely contacted him before were now visiting him constantly. Not only did they want to build a connection with him, but they also hinted that they wanted to entrust their younger generation to his tutelage.

He knew some were genuinely concerned for their descendants, while others just wanted to forge a connection with Chen Chuan. So, he hadn’t agreed to any of them.

Just then, Chen Chuan took some documents out of his briefcase and said, "I found these specifically for you, Teacher."

They were all archived files from the Central City Processing Bureau regarding abnormalities and similar phenomena, most of which were unresolved.

It was only after he became an Execution Captain that he learned there were ways to fight and suppress abnormalities in and around Central City. For example, the active Consciousness Bodies of corporations and the government were very effective at it.

This meant that abnormalities mostly appeared in remote corners and chaotic regions. These places were difficult to handle, and the cost of doing so was too high. Therefore, the initial approach was to ignore them until an abnormality breached a certain threshold, which would then attract the attention of the higher-ups.

For various reasons, the government didn’t intervene directly, instead entrusting the task to agents or contracted companies. The latter’s most common method was direct extermination—after all, if the people are gone, so is the abnormality. The Golden Shrimp case was a prime example.

This cold and inhumane approach was, in fact, tacitly approved by certain higher-ups. But he had already made a decision. Since he was now the Investigation Chief, he would pay attention to these matters and, at the very least, do his best to suppress and properly handle these incidents within his capabilities.

Cheng Zitong took the thick stack of documents, stroking the cover. He sighed. "Xiaochuan, this is very thoughtful of you."

He put the documents down and looked at Chen Chuan. "Ah, it wasn’t convenient to talk on the phone. Xiaochuan, tell your teacher about what happened in Central City. How did you suddenly become the Investigation Chief? Oh, but if you can’t talk about it, don’t. I understand."

Chen Chuan certainly wasn’t going to talk about the Fumu’s reproduction and division, but the official story would be enough. As for the opponents he fought, he just had to omit their names and identities.

As Cheng Zitong listened to his account of the past six months in Central City, his round face was alight with excitement and pride.

’This is the student I taught!’

’True, the path this student walks now has little to do with me, but he built his foundation here. No matter where he goes in the future, people will know he is a student of Cheng Zitong!’

’And this student is far from reaching his true destination. What he has experienced so far might just be the beginning. A longer road awaits him, and his future is boundlessly vast.’

After chatting for a while, he asked, "Xiaochuan, how long are you planning to stay this time?"

"Perhaps only a month," Chen Chuan replied. "I might be traveling abroad for a while after this."

Cheng Zitong smiled and said, "You never needed anyone to push you in your training; you were always self-motivated. But there should be a balance between work and rest. It’s good to go out and relax.

Xiaochuan, you have your own mind, so I’m never worried about you. But I still have to nag you a bit: think things through and observe carefully before you act. Sometimes, if you can’t advance, don’t rush it. With your skills, you can make a life anywhere. Just wait. Waiting might bring a new opportunity."

Chen Chuan said earnestly, "Teacher, I’ll remember that."

"Good, as long as you remember. Come, have some tea." Cheng Zitong gestured for him to drink the tea he had just brewed.

Chen Chuan lifted the cup and took a sip. "Right, there’s something else I need to tell you, Teacher. I’ve been approved by Wuyi Academy to become a teacher here."

Cheng Zitong was a little surprised. "A teacher at Wuyi," he said, then nodded. "Xiaochuan, your strength is more than enough." He sighed with emotion. "I can’t believe that in the blink of an eye, you’ve become a teacher too."

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "It’s not convenient for me to appear at the academy right now, so I’ll have to ask you to pass a message to the dormitory supervisor for me. Tell him I haven’t forgotten my promise to him and that I’m working toward that goal."

Cheng Zitong smiled. He didn’t ask what the promise was, simply saying, "I’ll be sure to pass it on."

The teacher and student spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and drinking tea. As evening approached and the sky began to darken, Chen Chuan prepared to leave. But Cheng Zitong said, "Xiaochuan, wait a moment."

He stood up, walked to the side, and took a thin, thread-bound booklet from his briefcase. He came back and handed it to Chen Chuan.

"This is a Spiritual Cultivation Record written by an ancestor of the Cheng Family. My second uncle gave it to me when I left Central City. I knew I didn’t have the talent for it, but while I don’t, you do.

Don’t worry, it’s just a cultivation guide; it doesn’t involve any Secret Techniques. This is a new era, there’s no need for that old mindset of treasuring a worn-out broom. If it’s useful, use it.

Any Dharma Gate that’s kept hidden away will never amount to anything. Xiaochuan, if you can innovate upon it after you’ve read it and carry it forward to greater heights, I would be even more gratified."

Chen Chuan didn’t stand on ceremony and took it directly. "Then I thank you, Teacher." He stood up. "Teacher, I’ll be leaving now."

"Alright, I’ll see you out."

Cheng Zitong walked out with him. Standing atop South Hill, he watched as Chen Chuan got into the car and drove away down the mountain road. He couldn’t help but think of when he had left Central City, determined to prove that the path he had chosen was not wrong.

He himself had failed to prove his path was right, but his student had helped him achieve it.

Many people from Central City had come to see him over the past two years, but his old man still acted as if nothing had happened, never acknowledging him. He scoffed. ’Old man, let’s see how long you can hold out.’

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