Chapter 651: Control

"Did you see it clearly?" Lin Jianyi asked.

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Lin Jianyi.

"Thank you, Teacher Lin."

Lin Jianyi nodded slightly, saying no more.

The snow had stopped at some unknown point. The small courtyard was completely silent, save for the occasional soft RUSTLE of snow slipping from the branches of the ancient pine. The two cups of tea on the stone table had long gone cold, a thin layer of ice forming on the surface.

Lin Jianyi put down his teacup, his gaze falling upon Xu Wuyi. His eyes remained as calm as water, but upon closer inspection, a trace of imperceptible fluctuation hid deep within them.

"Your Heart Image has changed." Lin Jianyi spoke slowly. His tone was a flat statement, as if he were merely noting that today’s snow was heavier than yesterday’s.

Xu Wuyi nodded. "Yes. I didn’t expect that this questioning of the heart would cause such a fundamental change in my Heart Image."

He paused, seemingly weighing his words, before continuing, "My Golden Crow True Intention was originally born from an indignant heart, with the thought of burning away all injustice. But after these three months, I have gradually realized that injustice cannot be entirely burned away.

"As long as there is competition, as long as there are differences, injustice will always exist.

"Even if it were forcibly erased by external forces to make everyone born equal, acquired circumstances would still create disparities. Injustice will always exist in everyone’s heart.

"Even if one is already luckier than ninety percent of people, as long as they see someone even luckier than themselves, they will still feel it is unfair. The human heart can never be satisfied."

He looked at Lin Jianyi, his eyes clear and calm, completely devoid of the confusion he had three months ago.

Lin Jianyi thought for a moment, then asked, "So, what is your answer?"

"Order," Xu Wuyi said. "Sufficiently clear Rules and Order. There is no need for everyone to be convinced by it, but as long as everyone follows it, they will be able to get what they deserve."

"Who will be the judge?"

This time, it was Xu Wuyi’s turn to fall silent. After a long time, he spat out a single word.

"Me."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jianyi didn’t speak immediately. Instead, a slight smile appeared on his face. He picked up his teacup, found that the tea was cold, and put it back down. His gaze passed over Xu Wuyi, looking at the snow-covered ancient pine in the courtyard, at the snow occasionally slipping from its branches, and at the buried ground beneath.

"Absolute Order requires absolute power."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it struck Xu Wuyi’s heart like a Heavy Hammer.

"You want to establish Order. That’s good. But the scale of the Order you can build depends on how strong you are.

"If you are a Martial Artist, you can only establish Order within a small squad. If you are a Martial Artist, you can establish Order in a city. If you are a Grandmaster, you can establish Order within a war zone."

Lin Jianyi turned his head and looked at Xu Wuyi again, his gaze somewhat sharper than before. "If you want to establish an Order that everyone follows, you must possess a power that no one can resist."

Xu Wuyi remained silent for a moment before nodding solemnly. "I understand."

He certainly understood.

The word ’Order’ was easy to say, but making it truly function relied not on beautiful wishes, but on concrete power. An Order without violence to maintain it was merely an empty scrap of paper. Just like the Federation’s laws—the reason they could constrain the vast majority of people wasn’t because the laws themselves were so sacred, but because the Federation had enough power to enforce them. They had Grandmaster Level experts holding the fort, the military’s deterrence, and a comprehensive law enforcement system.

If the Federation were to lose these powers one day, the laws would turn into a pile of waste paper. Order would collapse, and everything would revert to the jungle laws of the strong preying on the weak.

Xu Wuyi understood this point. Before he became a Grandmaster, a top-tier Grandmaster, or even an existence above a Grandmaster, he would not expose his true thoughts. A goal was just a goal. Right now, he didn’t have the power to establish Order, so he had to abide by the Order of others.

Xu Wuyi raised his head, looked at Lin Jianyi, and emphasized once more, "I truly understand."

"Since you’ve figured it out, stay for a few more days," Lin Jianyi said with a smile. "Strike while the iron is hot and stabilize your Heart Image. If there is anything you don’t understand, come ask me anytime."

A wave of gratitude surged in Xu Wuyi’s heart, and he bowed deeply to Lin Jianyi.

"Thank you, Teacher Lin."

Lin Jianyi waved his hand, walked back to sit at the stone table, and picked up the cold teacup again. "The tea is cold. Go boil another pot."

***

For the next half month, Xu Wuyi lived in Lin Jianyi’s small courtyard.

The courtyard was not large, possessing only three rooms. Lin Jianyi lived in the main house. The east wing was empty and could accommodate guests with a bit of tidying up. The west wing served as the kitchen and storage room, piled high with various sundries.

On his first day moving into the east wing, Xu Wuyi thoroughly cleaned the room.

The room was small and sparsely furnished with a wooden bed, a desk, a chair, and a wardrobe. The window faced the ancient pine in the courtyard; pushing it open offered a view of the snow-covered old tree.

He leaned his Liaoyuan Long Spear against the bed, placed his fresh clothes in the wardrobe, and set his personal terminal and water cup on the desk. Once everything was in order, he sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into his sea of consciousness.

Within his sea of consciousness, the dark golden marsh continued to undulate slowly. It was deep, profound, and as stable as the Earth. That was his foundation, his vessel, and the source of all his power.

Deep within the marsh, the Golden Crow Illusion floated quietly.

Unlike before, the edge of every single feather on the Golden Crow was now flowing with a faint layer of blue halo.

The halo was very faint, almost imperceptible if one didn’t look closely. But Xu Wuyi knew exactly what that blue halo represented. It was Order, the new power born after the evolution of his Heart Image.

Xu Wuyi’s consciousness drew near the Golden Crow, carefully perceiving every detail of that blue halo.

He discovered that the blue halo wasn’t simply attached to the Golden Crow’s feathers; rather, it had fused together with the Golden Crow’s own crimson-gold Flame. They were completely intertwined, inseparable from one another.

The crimson-gold Flame was the Will to burn, while the blue halo was the Rules of Order. The two intertwined to form an entirely new Flame.

He tried to touch the blue halo with his consciousness.

At the exact moment of contact, a profound realization welled up in his heart. He suddenly understood the various miraculous uses of the Flame of Order.

First was a sense of near-absolute control.

He could feel that as long as he wished it, that blue Flame would follow his Intention completely, burning whatever he wanted to burn. It wasn’t aimless burning, but a targeted, precise, and controlled combustion.

He could ignite an enemy’s Qi and Blood, causing their Energy to run wild in an instant until they exploded and died. He could also ignite an enemy’s Spirit, plunging them into endless Chaos and robbing them of their combat ability. He could even ignite an enemy’s body, leaving them struggling in agony without dying immediately.

This ability of targeted combustion elevated his control over battle to an entirely new height.