If the cross-dimensional treasure Ye Xuan had obtained was the Wangquan Sword, there would have been no strong reason for him to wear Wangquan Baye's clothes. After all, compared to Wangquan Baye, Wangquan Fugui's strength was far greater and, to a certain degree, more naturally aligned with the Wangquan Sword.
But without confirmation from Ye Xuan, Su Mengyao couldn't rule out that possibility.
Now everything had finally been settled.
The only thing she still didn't know was whether the template he had obtained was Wangquan Baye before or after the Outer Circle incident.
If it was before, then while he wouldn't yet have the Sword Intent, he would still possess the Sword Heart. With the Wangquan Sword in hand, that version of Wangquan Baye was capable of retreating safely from a Demon King.
If it was after, then even though Wangquan Baye had eventually forced his way to comprehending the Wangquan Sword Intent and become one of the most powerful humans Tushan Honghong had ever seen in her life, in Su Mengyao's estimation, that version still wasn't an improvement over the earlier one.
Obtaining the full power of a character through a template required the holder to align with the character's mental state.
The young Wangquan Baye was full of vigor, free-spirited and direct, a swordsman who roamed the world pursuing justice and adventure. Ye Xuan, also a young man, would find it far easier to raise his synchronization with that version of the template.
The older Wangquan Baye, on the other hand, had endured too much suffering. Without a life experience that closely mirrored his, achieving the mental alignment that version required would be nearly impossible, making it extremely difficult to draw power from it.
Su Mengyao actually wanted to ask more, but looking at Ye Xuan's expression, she was certain he wouldn't answer even if she did. And beyond that, there was nothing their side could offer to help him with that particular matter, so asking would be pointless regardless.
As for the possibility that someone might receive the full power of a template without having to consider "synchronization" at all, that thought never crossed her mind.
The only existing reference point for a cross-world character template holder in the entire world was Elder Zhong. If the Morax template worked that way, all the others presumably did too.
"At present, Xia Nation has thirty-five confirmed cross-dimensional treasure holders. Twenty-three of them are Devil Fruit ability users, three hold Zanpakuto, seven have awakened Visions, and two hold one of the Eight Wonders each."
"As for cross-world character template holders, there are currently only two. One is Elder Zhong, and the other is you."
"But that is only what we know. There are certainly more treasure and template holders whose existence we haven't confirmed."
"We have a list of individuals we suspect, but we haven't been able to establish with certainty whether they're genuine ability users or treasure holders."
What could they do about it? As powerful as the machinery of the state was, unless someone's strength clearly exceeded the highest level any current ability user could reach, there was no way to make an absolute determination.
Especially for those who were deliberately keeping a low profile. Even if they were cornered into displaying their strength, they wouldn't show everything, which made confirmation difficult.
That said, the state would certainly be approaching them one by one to find out.
"The Eight Wonders..."
"Could I ask which two types have appeared?"
Toward Devil Fruits, Zanpakuto, and Visions, Ye Xuan didn't feel particular interest. Those things were essentially mutations of ordinary fruit or collectible figurines, and the difference between the real thing and a normal object was far too obvious. They weren't especially rare.
And while they were powerful, developing that power to its full potential took considerable time.
The Eight Wonders were different. Even though the abilities appeared relatively modest within the confines of their source anime, their essential nature was exceptionally high, believed to be the peak expression of a particular power system. The destructive potential they could unleash in the real world would almost certainly far exceed what was shown in the anime.
If one of the holders happened to possess the "Divine Smithing" wonder, Ye Xuan had a mind to ask that person to forge an instrument shaped like the Wangquan Sword.
It wouldn't match the real Wangquan Sword, but it needed to at least be better than what he was currently carrying.
The sword the system had given him was a proper divine weapon by the standards of the Fox Spirit Matchmaker world, but it was still a mass-produced piece. If he used his full strength, he wasn't confident it could withstand even a single full-force release of the "One Strike to Cleave Heaven and Earth" technique.
Having someone reinforce it would be ideal.
"I'm sorry. Given the specific nature of those abilities, I'm not able to share that information without their consent." Su Mengyao shaking her head. Devil Fruits were one thing, but Zanpakuto, Visions, or the Eight Wonders were restricted information.
She didn't have the authority to disclose that.
"If you can't, that's fine."
The sword he had for now would hold for a while longer anyway. And the next fishing opportunity wasn't far off. If Ye Xuan remembered correctly, he had bound with the system near the end of the month.
(Hmm? Actually, now that I think about it, aside from the initial free pull, shouldn't I have another one coming?)
(The first month should include a quota too, shouldn't it?)
Ye Xuan checked his system panel. Sure enough, there was nothing. It seemed the system would only provide the monthly quota starting from the following month.
It was a pity the system had no AI. If it did, he might have been able to argue his way into an extra pull.
"With that said, Student Ye Xuan, would you consider our offer and join the Celestial Pivot Bur—"
"No."
Before Su Mengyao could even finish the sentence, Ye Xuan's refusal was already in the air.
Silence settled over the room.
Su Mengyao looked at him with an expression of quiet helplessness.
(Could you at least let me finish my sentence?)
(And why do all the cross-dimensional treasure holders refuse this firmly?)
(Is the Celestial Pivot Bureau some kind of frightening monster to you people?)
(Do you have any idea how many people exhaust themselves every year just trying to obtain an official civil service position?)
(Well, admittedly, those people haven't awakened abilities. If they had, I... I would still have to come invite them.)
Regardless, there was simply no comparison between ordinary ability users and cross-dimensional treasure holders when it came to raw strength.
She drew a slow breath, gathered herself, and continued in a measured tone.
"Student Ye Xuan, at least let me finish explaining the details of what we're offering."
Ye Xuan shrugged and gestured for her to go on.
Su Mengyao composed herself and began laying things out properly.
"If you're willing to join the Celestial Pivot Bureau, first and foremost we would provide substantial financial support, including but not limited to cultivation resources, a full range of training equipment, and a living allowance."
"Second, you would have access to state-level welfare benefits, including housing allocation, comprehensive healthcare, and dedicated support for your immediate family."
"Beyond that, if the National Research Institute develops any technology or equipment that would be of use to you, you would have priority access rights."
"On this point, I believe you can trust the research capabilities of Xia Nation. We have already begun studying Spiritual Energy. We haven't yet uncovered the underlying principles, but we have developed a considerable range of equipment based on its observed properties."
"In the future, there will certainly be more breakthroughs."
"Things like medicinal compounds, genetic enhancement treatments, divine weapons and instruments, the state will be capable of providing them in time."
"And your only obligation would be to suppress mutant creatures that appear within the city when we need your help."
As she spoke, she watched Ye Xuan's expression carefully, but there wasn't a ripple to be found. Even the light in his eyes remained unchanged.
Seeing this, Su Mengyao knew she had no realistic chance of bringing him in.