Celestial Human Diagram

After about two minutes, Ding Mai pushed aside those helping him, got up from the floor, and looked at Chen Chuan.

Although Chen Chuan had knocked him down, he showed no signs of anger or resentment. Instead, his expression was one of pure admiration. He walked up to Chen Chuan and said loudly, "Captain Chen, you’re incredible. You have my utmost respect!"

’There’s no shame in losing to an opponent. The real shame is in being unable to face them head-on, in making one excuse after another. If you can’t even get over that mental block, how can you ever hope to win? It just doesn’t work that way.’

Everyone present felt Chen Chuan’s victory was a commanding one. He had met Ding Mai head-on, and none of those who had sparred with Ding Mai or seen him in action had ever witnessed such a relentlessly aggressive fighting style. It wasn’t just Ding Mai; they were all thoroughly impressed.

The teenager at the side ran over to the Puppet, staring at it intently before glancing back at Chen Chuan every so often, his eyes shining.

Just then, Fang Zhixin seemed to receive a message. He nodded to Chen Chuan, stepped aside, and spoke a few words into his Realm Token. A moment later, he returned and announced to the crowd, "My apologies, everyone. Teacher Chen was invited to Chairman Quan’s home and won’t be able to make it today."

The crowd showed little reaction, as if they had already anticipated this. Only the teenager looked disappointed.

Fang Zhixin smiled and said, "Although Teacher Chen couldn’t make it, everyone here today is a distinguished talent who received an invitation. There’s a bar downstairs. Why don’t we go for a drink? It’s on me."

The people present all cheered in approval.

Chen Chuan glanced around. While he had been sparring with Ding Mai, another ten or so people had trickled in. There were now just under thirty people in the room. Most were young military officers, but he could tell a few came from prominent families.

Although he hadn’t seen Chen Bitong, he didn’t plan on leaving. ’I’ll definitely have to interact with people from this circle in the future,’ he thought. ’I should take this opportunity to get to know them.’

Just then, Fang Zhixin made a point of coming over to invite him personally. "Captain Chen, no official duties to attend to, I hope? Care to join us?"

Ding Mai sidled up as well. "That’s right! Captain Chen has earned my respect. Tonight, whatever he wants is on my tab." He then added to Fang Zhixin, "Don’t even think about stealing the bill from me."

Fang Zhixin just smiled, then turned and led the group toward the elevators.

As Chen Chuan left, he glanced back and saw the teenager dejectedly return to the center of the training floor, practicing his forms alone.

He looked away and left with the others.

The group arrived on the tenth floor, where they found a spacious and elegantly decorated bar. It was only a little past ten in the morning, so there were very few customers. Their group flooded in but only occupied one corner, and it was clear they all had their own social circles as they broke off into smaller groups.

Chen Chuan sat at a table with Ding Mai and Fang Zhixin.

Waitstaff immediately began serving drinks. Fighters from Wuyi didn’t drink, but those from the military had no such reservations, though it was forbidden while on official duty.

Someone, clearly a regular, selected a song. Music filled the dance floor as a dozen or so singers and dancers, their bodies adorned with decorative Implants, walked out and began to perform to the lively beat.

The officers immediately began to applaud, but there was no boisterous heckling or whistling. They all sat ramrod straight, and it was clear that most of them were well-educated and more conservative in their conduct.

Chen Chuan ordered a soft drink. After one song finished, he clapped politely with the others, then turned to Ding Mai and ventured, "Executioner Ding, was that a foreign Force Technique you were using earlier?"

Fang Zhixin chuckled.

Ding Mai laughed as well. He took a large gulp of his drink and said, "Everyone asks that when they see me use this Force Technique. It’s called ’El-Tel.’ In the language of the Ying Continent, it translates to ’Steel Stone Aura.’"

"The Ying Continent?"

Chen Chuan asked, "You mean the Lynx Federation?"

’Ying Continent was the name of the land before the Lynx Federation was established,’ Chen Chuan recalled. ’During the time of the Old Empire, they had diplomatic relations. The historical documents referred to them as the Ying Continent People, but the people there called themselves the "First Race."’

Ding Mai took another drink, set his glass down, and said, "Captain Chen, have you ever heard of ’Pottery Cup Day’?"

Chen Chuan thought for a moment. "I think I have. The story goes that when the Lynx Federation was founded, they invited the original inhabitants of the Ying Continent to raise a pottery cup together, drinking to ’light and water,’ symbolizing that they would henceforth share the mountains and the earth. It’s still a well-known celebration today."

"That’s the Lynx Federation’s version of the story."

Ding Mai’s expression turned scornful. "The truth is, when the Lynx Federation was being founded, they invited the First People—the very ones who had taught them their ancient Secret Techniques—to establish the nation together. The offer was refused. However, as a gesture of mutual respect, several highly venerated religious leaders still attended the founding ceremony."

"According to the ancient customs of the First Race, both sides were to hold a single pottery cup—forged from a fusion of the earth’s soil, the snowmelt of the mountains, the stone of the peaks, and the light of the sun—as a symbol of reconciliation and sharing."

"But as one of the religious leaders raised the cup, it suddenly shattered. The Lynx Federation immediately used this as a pretext, claiming the First People had deliberately humiliated them. They turned on them instantly, arresting the key religious figures and threatening to declare war."

"To rescue their leaders and avoid war, the First People entered into negotiations. In the end, the Lynx Federation demanded they hand over the inheritance of twenty veins of their Ancient Techniques."

"The various nations of the First People deliberated at length before finally agreeing to the condition."

As he said this, Ding Mai’s voice grew low, laced with a mix of helplessness and indignation—the frustration of someone lamenting their ancestors’ failure to fight back.

Chen Chuan said, "When something as important as their heritage was at stake, the Ying Continent People just agreed that easily?"

Fang Zhixin added from the side, "It was because the Lynx Federation had waged a long war against the Ying Continent People before its founding. The nations of the First People were on the verge of collapse. If the Old Imperial Family hadn’t been able to provide them with occasional aid, they wouldn’t have been able to hold on at all."

"But after the Last Emperor took the throne, he launched a series of wars to the west and never once spared a glance for the Ying Continent across the ocean."

Ding Mai took another swig of his drink, then slammed the glass down on the table. He wiped his mouth and said, "In the end, the First People handed over the highest of their Ancient Techniques—the inheritances of the Sun, Gao Mountain, and the Nu River—to the Lynx Federation."

"Only the lineage of the Earth Inheritance refused. They crossed the ocean to the Old Imperial Family and offered them the Secret Technique of their own line. It has been kept in the Old Imperial Family’s collection ever since."

"After the Lynx Federation received the Secret Transmission, to make a show of not taking it for free, they gave the First People a pair of leather boots, a porcelain bowl, and a magnifying glass as ’payment.’ Then they declared eternal friendship between their peoples."

"Barely twenty years later, the Lynx Federation tore up the treaty. On the pretext that the First People had deceived them and held back some of the Secret Techniques, they invaded their last remaining territory. They toppled the sacred altars, killed all the clergy, and after slaughtering a great number of the First People, they enslaved all who remained."

"This happened to coincide with the Renzi Palace revolt. The various Princes were too busy taking turns seizing power to have the time or interest to interfere in matters so far across the ocean."

"As for the Old Empire, it had its own Secret Techniques to pass down—more than they could ever master—so they paid no special attention to the Earth Inheritance. Eventually, they forgot they even had it. It wasn’t until after the Old Empire was overthrown that the new government found the complete collection and began to disseminate it among the descendants of the First People."

Ding Mai let out a heavy breath. "The reason I study these Force Techniques is that I have the blood of the Ying Continent People. My great-grandmother was a High Priest of the Earth Inheritance lineage, but by her time, the complete heritage was already lost. It was the military who found me and taught it to me."

"And my dream is to one day reclaim all the stolen Secret Transmissions."

He gave a small laugh. "Perhaps Captain Chen thinks I’m overreaching, but that’s my honest ambition."

Chen Chuan said, "That’s not overreaching at all. Steadfastly pursuing a goal, working to achieve it step by step—that kind of effort is commendable, regardless of the final outcome. Besides, who can say what the future holds? Perhaps you’ll achieve your wish someday, Executioner Ding."

Fang Zhixin smiled and raised his glass. "Then I’ll drink to that, Brother Ding. And to you, Captain Chen. May you both achieve your heart’s desire."

"Cheers!"

The three men clinked their glasses together and drank.

After taking a drink, Fang Zhixin said with a smile, "Captain Chen, I saw you giving Xiaojin some pointers earlier?"

Chen Chuan replied, "Assistant Fang, you mean the teenager in the training hall?"

Fang Zhixin nodded. "Yes, Xiaojin. He’s Teacher Chen’s youngest son."

Chen Chuan was a little surprised. ’Chen Bitong is called "Teacher" precisely because he’s taught so many outstanding students. But if Xiaojin is his son, why does it look as though he’s never had any formal instruction in fighting?’

At this, Fang Zhixin sighed. "Teacher Chen defended the World Ring for more than twenty years. His other son and his daughter both died on the front lines. Did you know that, Captain Chen?"

Chen Chuan nodded slightly. "I had heard."

He had read Chen Bitong’s file before, so he knew about it. ’Putting aside the question of whether Chen Bitong is a traitor,’ he thought, ’that fact alone deserves respect and sympathy.’

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Is it because of what happened before? Does Teacher Chen not want his youngest son to follow the same path?"

Fang Zhixin shook his head. "No, it’s not like that. Teacher Chen isn’t selfish in that way. He treats everyone the same, whether they are his own children or his students."

He sighed softly. "If he had been willing to show my senior brother and sister a little favoritism back then, instead of sending them on such dangerous missions, maybe things would have turned out differently."

At that moment, another performance began on stage. The tune this time was more soothing, and a number of officers went to the dance floor, politely inviting some of the dancers for a dance.

Seeing that neither of his companions intended to dance, he continued, "The real reason is that Xiaojin isn’t like his brother and sister. He wasn’t naturally gifted from a young age."

Chen Chuan said slowly, "Is that so? I thought he showed promise."

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