Chapter 693 - 44: Stage

Chen Chuan smiled and gave Jiang Xin a meaningful look.

The moment Jiang Xin had walked in, Chen Chuan’s Spiritual Power and Domain had enveloped him. This allowed him to see clearly that while the emotions Jiang Xin was currently displaying were genuine, there was something else hidden in the depths of his heart.

This student was not as innocent and shy as his outward appearance suggested.

However, Chen Chuan didn’t mind.

There were many such people in the world. Some acted this way to achieve a certain goal, some to gain the approval of others, and some simply to put on a protective veneer, choosing to face the world with a different mask.

’In this case, he’s just a student with a few tricks up his sleeve, nothing more.’

He smiled and said, "Jiang, since you’ve purchased my course, I’ll be responsible for teaching you well. Now, show me what you’ve learned."

"Yes, Teacher Chen."

Jiang Xin took off his jacket, walked into the center of the room, and began to demonstrate everything he knew.

Chen Chuan had already noticed when Jiang Xin walked in that he showed signs of at least three years of training. This meant he had started practicing his Fighting Skill before enrolling in Wuyi Academy and had been bold enough to begin his training so early.

Now, watching Jiang Xin demonstrate his Power, he saw that, as expected, his foundation was exceptionally solid. He also had a specialty in the spiritual aspect and had already reached the Second Limit. Although he had only been at this level for a few dozen days at most, his progress was astounding.

No wonder Wuyi Academy recommended him for the main campus; the instructors there probably couldn’t teach him anything.

’It seems that as the two worlds draw closer, more and more talented individuals are emerging.’

After demonstrating his routine once, Jiang Xin stopped. He looked at Chen Chuan with some trepidation, his expression exactly like that of a student seeking validation from a teacher and idol—wanting praise, yet fearing he hadn’t performed well.

Chen Chuan smiled. "Again."

"Yes, Teacher."

When he finished the routine this time, he heard Chen Chuan say, "Again."

He had no choice but to perform it again.

When he finished, Chen Chuan said, "Continue. Don’t stop until I tell you to."

Jiang Xin acknowledged the command and performed it again, and again. For the next full hour, he practiced nonstop.

He showed no signs of impatience. Each repetition was performed earnestly and with all his might, without the slightest hint of slacking. As a result, he was quickly drenched in sweat.

Just then, Chen Chuan said, "You can stop."

Only then did Jiang Xin stop.

Chen Chuan asked, "You were trained before entering the academy?"

"Mm, yes." Jiang Xin wiped the sweat from his face with his arm, an embarrassed smile appearing. "An elder in my family taught me. He was a soldier and said I had a talent for it, so I started learning from him when I was young."

Chen Chuan smiled and looked at him. "A person’s techniques and Power are taught by a teacher. But what is expressed is different for people with different hearts, different personalities, and different thoughts. Sometimes, a Fighting Skill can reveal a person’s deepest nature."

At this, Jiang Xin slowly lowered his head, his bangs obscuring his eyes.

"Your fundamentals are good; your first teacher was very dedicated. But what you’ve learned is incomplete. I can see that there are more advanced techniques that follow what you know.

However, your learning was interrupted at a certain stage, which is why you can only practice what you have on repeat. This means either your teacher is suddenly gone, or the art itself is flawed.

But from what I can see, your earlier learning went smoothly and your progress was well-paced. Your teacher was cultivating you according to a certain rhythm. A result like this probably means something happened to your teacher."

Jiang Xin remained standing with his head bowed, but upon hearing these words, his body seemed to tremble slightly. Not only had Chen Chuan pointed out the general nature of his original training, but his deductions were all correct.

Chen Chuan smiled. "Your previous Strength Posture and Skill were fairly basic. I can help you complete the subsequent parts. It might not be one hundred percent identical to the original, but it will be close. In the future, if you obtain an even higher level of cultivation and feel it’s not suitable, it won’t be difficult to adjust back."

Jiang Xin stood there for a moment, then bowed deeply. "Thank you, Teacher Chen."

Chen Chuan grunted in acknowledgment and began explaining how he should train next. Deducing the subsequent content wasn’t difficult. The framework was already in place, and he could see the logic behind it; he just had to follow the path forward.

None of it surpassed the Third Limit, so it wasn’t beyond his comprehension.

He found this heritage quite interesting. It contained some techniques from the Wilderness Sect he’d seen before, but it wasn’t exactly the same. It was as if ancient techniques had been combined with something new.

Hmm...

’It’s a bit like the original cultivation method was refined by a very brilliant individual, leading to new changes and breakthroughs.’

Under his guidance, Jiang Xin practiced the newly completed Force Technique and Strength Posture once more. When he had first demonstrated them, his movements were open and powerful, full of youthful vigor and upward energy.

But now, there was a hidden, elusive quality to them. He was like a predator preparing to hunt, concealing its aura and hostility before unleashing a fatal blow at any moment.

Throughout the process, he consistently avoided eye contact with Chen Chuan, like a young beast growing in strength, wary of provoking the majesty of the far more ferocious beast at its side.

Chen Chuan instructed him from the side for over an hour. Seeing him start to pant and clearly noticing that his Mutated Organization was also growing fatigued, he spoke up, "That’s enough for today."

Jiang Xin stopped. He turned around, sweat dripping from his cheeks onto the floor. Then he looked up, his face once again breaking into the sunny smile characteristic of a young man.

"Teacher Chen, thank you for your guidance."

Chen Chuan smiled. "Jiang, you may leave."

"Thank you, Teacher Chen."

Jiang Xin gave a very polite bow, picked up the jacket he had taken off, and walked out of the Training Ground. Once outside, he suddenly exhaled, feeling the cold sweat on his back and the involuntary trembling in his body. He muttered to himself, "Teacher Chen... he’s truly terrifying."

He held out his hand, sensing what he had gained that day, a hint of pleasant surprise on his face. But the moment his lips curled into a smile, he suppressed it. He meticulously put his jacket back on, buttoning it up one by one, and adjusted his expression back to its original shyness before walking away.

Chen Chuan had taught another student, and this time, he had completed a cultivation method. It was more rewarding than teaching Fan and Kong, and his Second Self had clearly grown a little stronger.

He left the classroom in high spirits and returned to his faculty apartment.

He ate some Nutrition Paste, refilled Chaoming’s food and water, then went upstairs. He sat down, took out a bottle of Pure Essence, and, buoyed by his good mood, drank it down.

His speed at assimilating Pure Essence was increasing. He didn’t have much left, and by late afternoon, he had used up the rest.

At that moment, he felt as if he had been completely reborn.

If his spirit had once been a bottomless abyss, that abyss now seemed to have transformed entirely into a flowing radiance, incomparably pure both inside and out.

Through the continuous consumption of Pure Essence, the upper limit of his own potential had expanded once again. Even so, he could keenly feel the physical limit of his body and knew he was not far from it. On the other hand, his Spiritual Power still had room to grow. From now on, he would focus all his efforts on that aspect, pushing it toward Perfection with all his might.

「Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and the first rest day of September arrived.」

Chen Chuan took a private car to the Shu Tianxia Hotel. Several days prior, he had arranged to reunite here with old friends and classmates who had arrived in Central City.

Entering the lounge area of the private room, he saw that Wei Chang’an and his team, along with old classmates like Luo Kaiyuan, Feng Xiaochi, Wu Han, and Weidong, had already arrived. They were currently in a lively discussion. Of their original team, only Lin Xiaoti, who was still in school, and Senior Brother Ren, who had other plans, were absent.

When they saw him enter, they all stood up to greet him. They then moved to the dining table. While they were ordering, Ding Liao said to Weidong, "Junior Wei, besides Junior Chen, are you the only one here with citizen status?"

Weidong said, "I do." He immediately pulled out his citizen Name Card.

Seeing it, many of those present looked on with envy.

Only after arriving here did they discover how inconvenient it was not to have citizen status. They couldn’t enter most public areas, had difficulty using public facilities, and couldn’t even ride the trams on the main roads, being forced to use older ones instead.

If they drove their own vehicles, they had to face checks from city security. If found not to be a citizen, they would be fined and receive a violation on their record.

At this, Chen Chuan smiled. He tapped his Lower Realm Token, and a form quickly appeared within it. "Everyone, fill this out."

Feng Xiaochi looked at the display and said excitedly, "Is this the Processing Bureau slot you mentioned, Chen?"

Chen Chuan said, "Yes. This slot can, to a certain extent, substitute for citizen status. You’ll be able to use public facilities, enter and exit public places, and you won’t be subject to checks. However, it’s only temporary and is only valid while I have you assigned to a mission."

"Temporary is good enough!"

Ding Liao said, "I’ve had enough these past few days. Without citizen status, even the contracting companies look down their noses at you. If Junior Wu hadn’t helped us out, we’d probably still be looking for a place to stay."

Cai Si lamented as well. Although Chen Chuan had told them about the situation in Central City before, experiencing it firsthand was far more profound.

But even so, the fees they earned from commissions far exceeded what they could get in Yangzhi City. One year here was worth more than five or even ten years of earnings in Yangzhi. After coming to Central City, not a single one of them wanted to leave.

Everyone carefully filled out the form and sent it to Chen Chuan. After he confirmed it, they all heard a notification chime, indicating that they had all become temporary employees of the Processing Bureau.

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