Ye Xuan had merged the Wangquan Baye template, but he had only absorbed the full range of talents and abilities from the character's youthful years. He had not absorbed the memories, the personality, or the emotions.
So why was he this confident?
The answer was simple: the Sword Heart.
What was the Sword Heart?
It was a heart that pressed forward without hesitation. It was the spirit of someone who explored without fearing hardship. And it was a heart filled, at its core, with belief in oneself.
If a swordsman didn't believe in himself, why would he have ever picked up a sword in the first place?
Before he had the Sword Heart, even with the system already in his possession, Ye Xuan's way of thinking wouldn't have been much different from that of an ordinary person, at least until life had forced him through a series of defining experiences.
But after the Sword Heart took root in him, things like cowardice, fear, and confusion seemed to have been pulled out by the roots, replaced by confidence, steadiness, courage, and calm.
Whether this change was good or bad in absolute terms was a question without a clean answer. But if the original Ye Xuan had known the Sword Heart would have this effect, he would have merged it without a moment's hesitation.
Because except for a rare few, no one actually wants to be the kind of person who is easily frightened, easily daunted, or easily lost.
Ye Xuan was no different.
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Time passed quietly, and before long another day had arrived.
At school, the first class of the morning had begun. The students in Ye Xuan's class noticed his seat was empty.
And it wasn't only his. Zhang Yu's desk and Chen Hao's desk were empty too.
It was obvious they had been taken in by the Celestial Pivot Bureau. Barring any surprises, they wouldn't be coming back to school.
Many of their classmates wore complicated expressions. Perhaps yesterday had been the last time any of them would see Ye Xuan, Chen Hao, and Zhang Yu.
Ye Xuan himself had no idea what the atmosphere at school was like, and he didn't know that Chen Hao and Zhang Yu had also failed to show up. But even if he had known, it wouldn't have surprised him. It only confirmed that everything he had reasoned through the day before was exactly right.
Chen Hao and Zhang Yu both had solid potential. And with Ye Xuan's standing as the second cross-world character template holder in all of Xia Nation, possibly the world, it was only natural that the Bureau would extend an invitation to his closest friends.
Even his parents would receive some form of "special consideration" from the Celestial Pivot Bureau, owing to their blood relation to him.
This wasn't merely about benefits. It was a way of establishing a deeper bond of connection.
Although Ye Xuan's feelings toward his parents were somewhat detached, if they ever found themselves in need of help, he would still extend a hand. That connection, however faint, was real.
He wasn't Nezha. In his childhood, he had known what his parents' love felt like. It had faded in the years that followed, worn down by the failure of their relationship, but happiness that had genuinely existed couldn't simply be erased.
Ye Xuan didn't dwell on it. He didn't have time to. Outside his door stood a group of people in black suits.
After asking permission, they began helping to pack his belongings and carry them out to the cars.
Ye Xuan recognised this as the housing arrangement Su Mengyao had mentioned the previous day, though he hadn't expected them to arrive quite this quickly.
Still.
"Why are you all wearing suits? Why not just come in normal clothes?"
"You're not bodyguards."
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He could feel the stares of the neighbours around him, each one carrying the exact expression people wore when they thought they were watching the son of some powerful figure in a drama.
If these men hadn't quietly made it clear that filming wasn't allowed, he would probably already be the lead in someone's short-form video. But because they were turning people away from photographing the scene, his neighbours were now even more convinced they were witnessing something straight out of that kind of story.
Ye Xuan shook his head slowly, feeling mildly resigned.
The "Celestial Pivot Bureau," it seemed, was quite different from the image of a normal government agency he had held in his mind.
Perhaps because most of the people inside it were young ability users who, before awakening, had never once thought they would end up involved in anything political.
Once everything was loaded, Ye Xuan got in with them. The car pulled out and moved through the ordinary streets of the city before eventually turning onto a smaller road that was noticeably quieter.
It was still a proper road, just removed from the flow of daily traffic.
That was understandable. As a cross-dimensional treasure holder, the residence the Celestial Pivot Bureau had prepared for him would naturally sit apart from the city's busy areas.
If he had joined the Bureau directly, he might have been placed close to the Bureau offices, where ability users could be concentrated in one area so that any problems could be addressed quickly. But since he was only cooperating, the housing provided would naturally be further out.
Having someone with his level of strength living unsupervised in a densely populated area posed real risks. A breakthrough, or even an intense training session, could accidentally harm the people around him.
Beyond that, Ye Xuan genuinely needed more space to practice his sword techniques. His old place was fine, but the rooms were far too cramped.
As the car drew closer to their destination, a wide villa complex came into view. It was nothing like the ordinary residential development he had vaguely imagined. This was clearly a well-planned, high-end estate.
A low iron fence marked the perimeter, and inside it, a row of carefully maintained greenery provided privacy without closing the space in too heavily.
The roads were broad and even, flanked by trimmed lawns and neatly pruned trees. Here and there, cherry trees in full bloom added an unhurried elegance to the whole scene.
The villas themselves followed a clean, modern aesthetic, their white exteriors paired with large floor-to-ceiling glass windows that let in the light freely and opened the space outward.
The properties were generously spaced, separated by wide strips of green. Some had small private gardens or garages in front. The whole compound was still and quiet. Almost no one was visible.
"Mr. Ye, this is your residence."
"If you need groceries or anything at all, you can contact Miss Su at any time, and we'll have everything purchased and delivered to you the same day."
The driver brought the car to a stop in front of a two-story villa and addressed him with quiet, deliberate courtesy.
He knew very well who the people were that lived in this compound. Before the Spiritual Energy Awakening, every resident here had been either wealthy or influential. After the Awakening, the government had acquired it entirely, reserving it for ability users and cross-dimensional treasure holders deemed important by the Celestial Pivot Bureau.
And even then, only those the Bureau considered to have exceptional talent and potential.
He had driven people here before, but this time Su Mengyao had arranged things personally, and even something as routine as shopping would go through her directly.
It was obvious that Mr. Ye held a very particular place in Su Mengyao's eyes, and in the Bureau's as well.
He was certainly not going to be anything less than respectful.
Ye Xuan stepped out of the car and looked up at the villa in front of him.
A small, well-tended garden sat before the entrance, planted with neatly shaped shrubs and flowers in coordinated colours that were currently in full bloom. Along one side was a broad parking area, tiled in smooth stone, with space enough for two or three vehicles.
At the back, a wide open lawn stretched out, its grass cut close and a vivid, even green.