Chapter 635: Plans

"What the Star Yuan Federation needs is not a vassal, but an ally. A vassal requires them to expend resources to manage, whereas an ally can jointly develop resources and share the pressure with them."

Zhou Chen asked nothing more. He lowered his eyes, as if undergoing a final struggle and weighing of options in his heart. Finally, he looked up again. Although his gaze was still complex, deep within lay the decisiveness of a ruler.

"Imperial Father’s side..."

"His Majesty will understand." Li Xuangang’s voice carried firmness and a sense of responsibility. "I will personally report it to him."

Zhou Chen nodded and said no more. He looked back down at the Broken Sword Jinghong resting on his lap. His fingers gently brushed past the cold, severed edge and that fatal crack, his eyes ultimately settling into a strange calm. His defeat came by this sword, and so too did his new beginning.

The candlelight in the tent CRACKLED softly as the light gradually dimmed.

Prime Minister Song Wenyuan stood up in silence. His movements were slightly sluggish as he plucked out a charred wick and replaced it with a new candle. The flames danced to life once more, stretching the silhouettes of those in the tent taller and illuminating the heavy, newfound contemplations on each of their faces.

Li Xuangang leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes, his wrinkled face etched with the weariness of weathering many storms. Eighty-seven years... He had seen the peak of Great Liang and weathered countless trials and tribulations. He had once thought that a Martial Saint was the absolute pinnacle of Martial Arts and the backbone of Great Liang. Until today, when that Sword Intention hung in the void and pierced the heavens—when that twenty-three-year-old young man stood effortlessly before the threshold of a Martial Saint...

It was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the firmament, shattering his lifelong understanding into pieces.

At the Federation’s temporary stronghold.

The second-floor lounge remained simple. Xu Wuyi sat down on a chair and placed his backpack by his feet. Qin Qinghe pulled up another chair and sat opposite him.

Outside the window, night was falling over Star Realm 0492. The pale cyan sky gradually shifted to deep blue. The smaller sun had completely sunk below the horizon, leaving only the afterglow of the larger sun lingering at the edge of the sky.

"This mission shouldn’t have been much pressure for you," Qin Qinghe said.

Xu Wuyi thought for a moment. "The rescue operation was quite urgent, but the subsequent duel... It really wasn’t much." He paused. "That Prince of Great Liang is not weak. Placed within the Federation, he’d be at the top tier among Quasi-Grandmasters."

"But he still lost to you," Qin Qinghe smiled. "And he lost thoroughly."

Xu Wuyi did not reply. He walked to the window and looked out at the stronghold’s lights, which were gradually turning on. The engineering troops were setting up lighting equipment. The beams of the searchlights pierced the night, tracing silvery-white paths across the plains.

"Senior Brother Qin," Xu Wuyi suddenly spoke up. "Once we get back, I plan to start traveling."

Qin Qinghe’s expression shifted. "Traveling?"

"Yeah." Xu Wuyi turned around. "After being in secluded cultivation at home for half a year, I’ve consolidated my foundation as much as I can. Next, I want to travel across the Federation to visit the Quasi-Grandmasters of various families and spar to exchange Martial Arts." He walked over to the table, picked up the kettle, and poured himself a glass of water. "I’ve visited quite a few seniors before, but that was mostly to exchange insights and listen to their teachings. This time... I want more hands-on experience."

Qin Qinghe listened attentively. "Do you think actual combat is better for promoting the fusion of your Heart Image?" he asked.

Xu Wuyi nodded. "A Heart Image is the manifestation of Will, and Martial Arts are the extension of that Will. Simply relying on sitting quietly in meditation will always leave a layer of detachment. Only in a real battle can you see clearly whether you’re walking the right path.

"Mainly... I just feel like my Heart Image is still lacking something." He took a sip of water and continued, "Take today’s battle, for instance. Zhou Chen’s sword is fast, but his ’speed’ lacks something. If he could take it a step further, integrate his Sword Intention into his bloodline, and imbue every strike with his own Martial Arts Will, then the outcome might have been a bit more suspenseful."

"But he didn’t," Qin Qinghe said.

"Right, he didn’t." Xu Wuyi set down his glass. "So no matter how fast his sword is, it remains merely a ’technique’, not the ’Dao’."

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Qin Qinghe suddenly smiled. "You’re only twenty-three, but you talk about Martial Arts like an old senior."

Xu Wuyi also smiled. "Maybe being in secluded cultivation at home for so long made me stir-crazy."

"When do you plan to set off?" Qin Qinghe asked.

"I’ll go back to Red River City for two days to spend time with my parents, and then I’ll leave," Xu Wuyi said. "Dean He gave me a list earlier of Grandmasters and Quasi-Grandmasters who are willing to accept visits. I plan to go down the list and visit them one by one."

Qin Qinghe pondered for a moment. "Let me see the list."

Xu Wuyi pulled up the data from his personal terminal and projected it into the air. It was a long directory containing over a hundred names. Next to each name was a note detailing their affiliated faction, location, their specialized Martial Arts, and a brief description of their personality.

Qin Qinghe skimmed it and pointed out a few names. "You need to pay special attention to these individuals when you visit them."

Xu Wuyi looked over. Qin Qinghe was pointing at "Ice Spear" Chen Han from the Northern Domain Battle Zone, "Mountain-Smashing Fist" Wang Hanshan of the Wang Family—an eastern Noble Family—and a female Quasi-Grandmaster from the Southwest Military Region, "Shadow Blade" Su Yu.

"Chen Han’s Spear Technique follows an extreme ice path, which directly counters the fire attribute of your Liaoyuan Spear. Sparring with him will help your understanding of the harmonious balance of yin and yang.

"Wang Hanshan is at the absolute pinnacle of External Skills, and his Physical Strength ranks in the top three among Quasi-Grandmasters. His fist Intention focuses heavily on ’Momentum’—a single punch from him strikes like a collapsing mountain. You can use your Heavy Water image to clash with him and see whose ’heaviness’ is more pure."

Qin Qinghe paused. "As for Su Yu, she walks the path of deception. Her Body Technique is like a shadow, and her assassination skills have reached ultimate perfection. Her style is the complete opposite of your head-on combat approach; you need to test yourself against this type of opponent."

Xu Wuyi committed this to memory earnestly. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Qin Qinghe waved his hand. "No need to thank me. You were able to think of perfecting your Martial Arts through travel and sparring. You’re walking the right path." He looked at Xu Wuyi with a somewhat complex gaze. "Back when I advanced to Quasi-Grandmaster, I also traveled across the Federation for a whole year and visited forty-seven martial artists of the same tier. During that year, I fought over a hundred matches—won seventy percent, drew twenty percent, and lost ten percent.

"Every single loss benefited me immensely."

Xu Wuyi nodded. He understood what Qin Qinghe meant. The path of Martial Arts couldn’t just consist of winning without losing. Sometimes, a single defeat could help a person see themselves more clearly than ten victories could.

"I’ll remember that," he said.

Qin Qinghe smiled and stood up. "Alright, you’re tired today, so get some rest early. Tomorrow at eight in the morning, we’re taking a special plane back to Xingjing."

"Okay."

After Qin Qinghe left, Xu Wuyi stood in the room for a while. He walked over to the window and looked out at the night sky. The Starry Sky of Star Realm 0492 was different from that of the Federation. The stars here were much denser, and the galaxy stretched across the heavens like a long, silvery-white river, shining brilliantly.

Xu Wuyi watched it for a while before drawing the curtains.