#664 - Chapter 664: High-profile Cultivator

“Why do you think those cult members who control the Huaguo bases these days don't dare to openly control Huaguo? It's because they know better than anyone that a moment of carelessness means certain death.”

“So, do you understand why I didn't tell you?”

“National treasures should not be shown to others. It's better to be ignorant about these things,” Old Qin explained.

If everyone wasn't confined to the underground base, and no one could leave, Old Qin definitely wouldn't have said so much.

“Alright. What's the deal with that Xu Fu? Why would the council support Xu Fu in creating the Shanggong Institute and conducting human experiments?” Dongfang Chen asked.

“Xu Fu? Which Xu Fu?” Old Qin frowned and asked.

“The Xu Fu who sought immortality and medicine for Qin Shi Huang,” Dongfang Chen said.

“Are you saying the Shanggong Institute was created by him?” Old Qin asked.

It seemed he didn't know either.

“That's right, Shen Huiying said so,” Dongfang Chen nodded.

“Xu Fu? Xue Fu? So that's it. No wonder!” Old Qin muttered to himself.

“What's going on?” Dongfang Chen asked.

“The Xu Fu you're talking about should be Xue Fu. He was among the early high-tech talents in Huaguo. At that time, Huaguo was poor and backward, and technological development was the top problem facing the council. The scientific research team led by Xue Fu was specifically responsible for the research of organic polymer materials. In order to fully support their research, a separate department was established: the Huaguo Industrial Research Institute. This Huaguo Industrial Research Institute is the Shanggong Institute you're talking about.”

“If it's just research on organic polymer materials, it doesn't need to be so confidential, does it?” Dongfang Chen asked.

“Of course, it needs to be confidential. Because these materials are mainly used in weapons and equipment,” Old Qin replied.

“Alright, from what you're saying, you know Xu Fu?” Dongfang Chen asked.

“Of course, I know him. That person is a bit strange and very cunning. Back when Qin Shi Huang was purging the Zoroastrian Church, he was the one who was obstructing it from behind the scenes,” Old Qin said.

The Zoroastrian Church at that time and the Red-Clad Sect now are of the same nature. Both were forces created by the Mani Sect's saint.

“Why would he do that?” Dongfang Chen asked.

“I'm not sure. But what's certain is that he wasn't colluding with the Zoroastrian Church. He always acted alone and didn't like to cooperate with anyone,” Old Qin said.

“I guess he might have wanted to study the secrets of those Zoroastrian Church members' strength advancement,” Dongfang Chen said.

Because Shen Huiying had told him that Xu Fu had been researching the extraction and transformation of crystal cores.

“There's that possibility,” Old Qin nodded.

“There's also an extra question, how did you advance to the 9th rank? How long did it take?” Dongfang Chen asked curiously.

“In the era I was born in, there were relatively many cultivators. At that time, the Yellow Emperor provided us with a set of cultivation methods that utilized meridians to circulate spiritual energy in order to enhance the strength of the entire tribe. This method is recorded in the 'Spiritual Pivot' chapter of the *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon*, also called the *Spiritual Pivot Classic*,” Old Qin replied.

“However, in the early days, it was all passed down orally due to the lack of writing. It wasn't until the Western Zhou Dynasty that some cultivators recorded it in written form. Later, during the Western Han Dynasty, after Emperor Wu of Han recognized the absolute advantage of cultivators in warfare, he ordered a nationwide search for cultivators. The *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* was integrated and compiled at that time, becoming the version it is now.”

“I reached the 9th rank Tribulation Transcending stage during the early Tang Dynasty by following this cultivation method.”

“What kind of person was the Yellow Emperor exactly? Why would he know so much? As far as I know, meridians are still an unsolved mystery to this day,” Dongfang Chen exclaimed.

Meridians are not organs, and from an anatomical point of view, they do not exist at all.

But they do indeed play a vital role in the normal functioning of the human body.

“Yes, he was a very wise man, a tireless man,” Old Qin sighed.

“Then what happened to him later?” Dongfang Chen asked.

Logically speaking, such a powerful cultivator, if nothing unexpected happened, should have been able to survive until now.

“Alas! His inner core shattered in the battle with Chi You, and he didn't have long to live,” Old Qin replied.

“According to Shen Huiying, he once met a person named Guiguzi in a mountain village. Who is this Guiguzi? Do you know?” Dongfang Chen asked.

“Guiguzi? Of course, I know such a great figure. I should have first heard his name in the late Western Zhou Dynasty. At that time, I was still a 5th rank Spirit Transformation stage cultivator, while this Guiguzi was already a 9th rank Tribulation Transcending stage,” Old Qin said.

“That's not right. According to Shen Huiying's description, he should have been at the 8th rank Great Ascension stage at that time,” Dongfang Chen reminded.

“Hahaha, Xiao Chen, what kind of person is Guiguzi? Unfathomable! For hundreds of years in the Zhou Dynasty, everyone knew him. If such a high-profile cultivator only had 8th rank strength, could he have lived well?” Old Qin asked with a smile.