I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 555 Searching for Clues of the Longevity Sect
He hailed a cab directly to the Cloud Sea Tianjian Bureau.
Although Wang Lan had been to the Pioneer Space in Cloud Sea, he had never stayed in Cloud Sea itself, let alone visited the Cloud Sea Tianjian Bureau. After all, Cloud Sea Province was located in a remote corner of the southwest, far from the inland; it was sparsely populated and relatively underdeveloped.
Walking the streets of the city, Wang Lan felt as if he had returned to the urban areas of twenty years ago. Surprisingly, one could still see tractors on the roads, and many pedestrians used bicycles, often tricycles.
Since he had not given advance notice, there was no one from the Tianjian Bureau to greet them outside. Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu were stopped by the gate guard just as they approached. Once Wang Lan showed his credentials, the young guard saluted him respectfully.
RING RING RING— The phone in Director Che’s office suddenly rang. Director Che put down the file in his hand and picked up the phone.
"Director Che, the special investigator dispatched by the Ministry of Defense has arrived."
"Alright, lead them to the reception room. I’ll be right there."
Just as Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu sat down, Director Che, a man with curly hair and dark skin, stepped into the meeting room. "Greedy Wolf Crown," he exclaimed, "I had no idea the Ministry of Defense would send you as the special envoy! What an honor to meet you!"
"Director Che, you flatter me," Wang Lan replied. "I apologize for arriving unannounced."
Director Che was the head of Cloud Sea Province’s Tianjian Bureau, a peak Star Sea Realm expert. Some said Director Che’s strength had reached the level of a Titled Strongman, but because he had always served in local agencies and lacked dazzling combat achievements, he had not been granted a title.
"Not at all, Greedy Wolf Crown. What brings you here this time... for what matter?"
Director Che doesn’t know? Wang Lan was surprised. But then he considered Cloud Sea’s remoteness. Since they hadn’t even known about his visit, it was understandable that information was scarce.
"Do you have information about the Evil spirit, Director Che?"
"The Evil spirit announced by Suzhou City in Jiang Province a while ago? Yes, I’m aware," Director Che replied. "That Evil spirit is truly bizarre—is it a member of the Demon Clan, an Exotic Beast, or is it a Ghost Thing?"
"The Evil spirit was originally from the Demon Clan but transformed into a monster by absorbing the Demon God’s Blood and the genes of other demons. It is immortal and indestructible. Three thousand years ago, the Evil spirit once ruled Cloud Sea but was later defeated by Buddha Shakyamuni, who separated its flesh and Primordial Spirit, sealing them apart. Now, the Evil spirit has vanished without a trace, and I believe it might have returned to Cloud Sea. That’s why I’m here."
"What? The Evil spirit once ruled Cloud Sea? How could I have been unaware? What an eventful year this is turning out to be..." Director Che’s expression twisted, and he couldn’t help but pat his forehead.
"Director Che, you seem a bit out of the loop," Wang Lan remarked. "Given the current circumstances, shouldn’t Cloud Sea be better informed? Is there some problem here?"
"Indeed, I’ve been quite overwhelmed lately," Director Che admitted. "Half a month ago, a team of Star Martial Warriors returned from the Pioneer Space in Cloud Sea but vanished mysteriously on their way back.
After that, more Star Martial Warriors disappeared mysteriously. Upon learning of this, the Tianjian Bureau immediately launched an investigation. However, of the dozens of brothers dispatched, only a few returned. Those who came back knew nothing; they only recalled passing through a wooded area, and then seven or eight days had passed, though it felt like just a few minutes to them.
To date, a cumulative total of 137 Star Martial Warriors have gone missing. The day before yesterday, Grey Fox Crown led a team of more than a dozen brothers to search for them, and it’s been two days without any word since.
This situation is exceptionally strange, resembling what the legends of the Cloud Sea region call a ’Spiritual Barrier’."
"A Spiritual Barrier? What is that?" Wang Lan asked.
"A Spiritual Barrier is a legend from the Cloud Sea region. Every thousand years, it’s said that the bridge between the Human World and Heaven’s Realm is established, causing parts of them to overlap. In the deep forests of Cloud Sea Province, some peculiar places appear.
For example, there are death zones where living beings die instantly upon entry. There are Time and Space Tunnels, where walking through a forest can transport you dozens or hundreds of miles away. There are even Time Tunnels; after walking through dense fog, years might have passed in the real world. Some people have even accidentally entered celestial paradises, obtaining immortal fortunes and achieving immortality.
Of course, these are just legends passed down orally by the chieftains of the Cloud Sea area; there are no official records."
Wang Lan had no intention of delving deeper into this issue. His main mission was to pursue the Evil spirit. So, after a moment’s hesitation, he said, "My primary task right now is to track down the Evil spirit, so I’ll need the Cloud Sea Tianjian Bureau to provide some assistance.
Manpower is secondary; intelligence support is crucial. The Evil spirit was a criminal exiled to the Human World by the Demon Clan three thousand years ago—a being that frustrated the entire Demon Clan, yet they were powerless against it.
Three thousand years ago, the Evil spirit was defeated by Buddha Shakyamuni and local cultivation sects. Its body and Primordial Spirit were sealed away separately. Now that its Primordial Spirit is free, it will undoubtedly try to find its body by any means necessary.
The White Lotus Sect, which preserved the body, has disappeared. The Evil spirit will certainly not search for its body alone. It will undoubtedly build its own power base and have its minions search for it.
Three thousand years ago, the Evil spirit also established a faction called the Longevity Sect. I wonder if Cloud Sea Province has any records of the Longevity Sect, or any signs of its resurgence?"
"The legend of the Longevity Sect has always existed in Cloud Sea," Director Che responded, "but I don’t think it’s connected to the Longevity Sect from three thousand years ago. In Cloud Sea Province, the Longevity Sect is regarded as extremely evil and lawless, rumored to even practice cannibalism and tear out hearts.
Each time the Longevity Sect surfaced, government agencies treated them as top-priority targets for elimination. The last appearance of the Longevity Sect was thirty years ago, connected to the notorious Xiangnan Wang Family massacre. Afterward, the Southwestern Military Region and the Cloud Sea Pioneer Space jointly suppressed the Longevity Sect for six months, nearly wiping them out.
It’s been thirty years since there’s been any news of the Longevity Sect in Cloud Sea. However, if you’re searching for clues from three thousand years ago, I can point you in a direction."
"I’d like to hear more," Wang Lan said.
"As you may know, Cloud Sea Province is a mountainous region with diverse ethnicities and beliefs. The local people’s thinking can be somewhat backward and superstitious. Although education and reforms over the past century have achieved significant results, many primitive villages still exist deep within the old forests.
They’ve lived the same repetitive lives, day in and day out, for a thousand years. I can find you a guide to take you to these ancient villages. Many ancient secrets have been passed down orally there."
Wang Lan thought for a moment and then nodded. "In that case, I’ll have to trouble you, Director Che."
To be honest, I’m not very hopeful about obtaining clues from visiting ancient villages. After all, three millennia have passed. Who knows what stories passed down by word of mouth have become? Plus, the people in those ancient villages are illiterate, and the secrets are held by Sacrificial Priests or Shamans. To maintain their own ruling status, who knows how they might have concocted stories and completely distorted the facts? The main reason I agreed was to try my luck. What if I accidentally stumble upon useful information?
Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu checked into a hotel.
「That same night.」
A woman also quietly entered the hotel.
「The next morning.」
Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu came down to the hotel restaurant and were surprised to see a familiar figure.
"Ruoyun? You... how did you get here?" Jiang Xinyu asked in surprise.
"With such a major incident, the higher-ups are taking it very seriously, so they called me in," Yu Ruoyun replied. "Besides, I’ve rested for quite a while; it’s time I got back to work."
"Weren’t you with King Jiangshan?"
"Although I was with King Jiangshan, I’m still a special agent of the General Staff," Yu Ruoyun said, then pointed at the breakfast platter in front of her. "You arrived a bit earlier than me, so I’ll follow your lead for the next steps. I ordered for you; sit down and eat."
After breakfast, the plan from Che Pure was sent to Wang Lan’s mobile phone. The guide Che Pure had arranged, a guard, was already waiting at the hotel entrance.
The three of them stood up. An off-road vehicle was parked at the hotel entrance. Beside it stood an energetic young man in a guard’s uniform, his face bearing distinct local features, though his skin was surprisingly fair.
Seeing Wang Lan and his companions approach, the young man hurried forward. "Greetings, Officers! I am Tamu, guard number 117089 from the Cloud Sea Province Security Department, assigned as your guide. Please instruct me on any tasks you require."
"Don’t be so formal, relax a bit," Wang Lan said with a chuckle. The guard before him was about his age, and being addressed as ’Officer’ felt rather odd.
"Yes!"
"Tamu, are you from an ethnic minority?" Wang Lan asked curiously as they got into the car.
"Uh... no, I’m from the Hua Clan." Looking at Wang Lan’s young face, Tamu gradually relaxed. While a person’s status isn’t solely determined by clothing, the right attire could certainly command respect.
If Wang Lan had been wearing a military uniform, especially one with a general’s star, Tamu was sure he would have been too nervous to even remember how to drive. He hadn’t slept all night after hearing he would be guiding a Major General.
"I was born in an ancient village deep in the old forests. My mother passed away shortly after I was born, and I don’t know who my father is. If I hadn’t been so hungry that one year and run out of the forest, I might have ended up like the other villagers, living my whole life without ever knowing the difference between humans and animals.
The government took me in and arranged for my schooling. When I saw how vast and astonishing the outside world was, I felt an immense sadness for those still living in the mountains.
They had lived in ignorance in those remote ancient villages for thousands of years, unaware of how the world outside had changed, not realizing how fortunate we are to be born human.
So I made it my mission to bring those people out of the old forests. Even if their own lives have been largely wasted, I hope their children won’t have to live in vain."
"So, you’ve mastered all the languages of the ancient villages in Cloud Sea?" Wang Lan asked.
"Not all of them," Tamu replied. "Maybe about 70 to 80 percent. ’Mastered’ isn’t quite the right word."
"That’s quite a feat if true!" Wang Lan exclaimed. "I’ve heard that each village is very insular—some for hundreds of years, others for a millennium. They must have evolved into distinct languages. There must be several hundred, right?"
"It might seem like a lot and inconceivable to outsiders, but once you find the knack, these languages are quite easy to learn. The main differences are in pronunciation; the root language is the same. Anyway, Officer, where are we headed?"
"I’m searching for ancient information. Have you heard of the battle between Buddha Shakyamuni and the Evil spirit—an Evil Demon—from three thousand years ago?"
"Buddha Shakyamuni and the Evil spirit, the Evil Demon... was there also a Lotus Fairy involved?" Tamu asked, his eyes lighting up.
"Uh... you mean the White Lotus Sect, right?" Wang Lan clarified. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
"Ah, I know that one! I’ve heard this story," Tamu exclaimed. "It’s from a very ancient village. The Shaman there said their village was founded by descendants of the warriors who participated in that demon-slaying battle!"
