https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-887-Anomalous-Entity-in-the-Solitary-Realm/13041332/
Chapter 888: Seeking the Past, Only to Grasp the Present
Chapter 888: Seeking the Past, Only to Grasp the Present
As Chen Chuan approached, the vines seemed to part on their own, revealing the complete inscriptions within his gaze.
The handwriting was small but free-flowing and elegant, evoking a sense of vastness, likely left behind by this demon spirit before its transformation.
He glanced at the words, which were a personal account of the person.
The author introduced himself as You Zhinan, a guardian of the Golden Departure Sect.
Golden Departure Sect...
He pondered for a moment, recalling that it was a branch under the Mystic Doctrine. The reason he remembered was due to the presence of members of this sect in several Mystic Temples in the central city of Jinbei Road.
In the past, this sect held a certain level of influence, which was why it was recorded in the municipal archives. However, in the new era, due to certain reasons, the sect declined, and its disciples abandoned the fighting heritage, relying solely on divination and fortune-telling. They no longer possessed any combat capabilities.
According to You Zhinan's account, he had arrived here during the reign of Emperor Chengyi.
Emperor Chengyi...
He reflected for a moment and calculated that this should be an emperor from over four hundred years ago, even before the end of the last dynasty.
He remembered because this emperor, after the Mystic and Zen Doctrines had their decisive battle eight hundred years ago, was one of the few who revered the Zen Doctrine and suppressed the Mystic Doctrine. During his reign, the Zen Doctrine flourished once more, and scholars believed that the subsequent revolution and establishment of the new dynasty might have been related.
After this thought, he continued reading.
The author explained his presence here as he had discovered this Nine-Hole Stone Lotus, and the Golden Departure Sect possessed an alchemical recipe that utilized lotus flowers, seeds, and other rare medicinal ingredients to help guardians like him ascend to higher realms.
In the following description, he mentioned that the recipe was incomplete, and he acknowledged the slim chances of success with an unverified recipe. Yet, he had to place his hopes on it, as the Golden Departure Sect was nearly disbanded in his time due to suppression from the imperial palace.
By then, he was the only remaining guardian in the sect, and even the leader position was vacant. The remaining members were all from loosely affiliated sub-temples, and the sect had lost its former glory.
To revive the sect, they needed a new master or celestial master-like figure. After all, even though the Mystic Doctrine faced imperial suppression, the major sects remained largely unaffected, experiencing only superficial cold treatment. This indicated a clear distinction in their treatment.
For reasons unknown, he wrote down both the incomplete recipe and his own completed version.
Chen Chuan read and memorized it, but only as a record, as he couldn't verify its authenticity or if the author had left any hidden intentions.
Moreover, even if these were genuine, in the new era, technological advancements were rapid, and many old things were not just useless but had better replacements. Even the Mystic Doctrine had contributed a batch of recipes after the establishment of the Grand Alliance, which might include better ones than this.
After the recipe, the author expressed regret in his message, stating that his original purpose in coming to the Convergence Zone was to seek a treasure lost by the Mystic Doctrine long ago. However, upon encountering the stone lotus, he deemed it more important and abandoned his initial plan, choosing to guard the lotus and wait for the seeds to mature.
He rambled, intertwining some past events, confessing that in his youth, he had been so focused on cultivation that he had never repaid the kindness of friends who had helped him. In retrospect, he felt indebted to their assistance, so he left their names, origins, and past deeds here.
He admitted that while he couldn't repay their kindness, he could ensure their names would endure for eternity, never fading away.
Chen Chuan glanced at the inscriptions, which were carved on a naturally formed large stone beside the main one, listing fewer than twenty people.
The stones in the Convergence Zone, exposed to day and night, were not ordinary, and the inscriptions were deep, infused with the spiritual essence of the demon spirit before its transformation, ensuring their longevity for thousands of years unless forcibly destroyed. The author's claim was not an empty boast.
The content left behind went far beyond this, perhaps because prolonged solitude had driven him to alleviate his inner turmoil through these inscriptions.
On a stone beside it, he had inscribed some secret teachings of the Golden Departure Sect, a set of cultivation techniques from the basics to the fourth limit, which he referred to as the Martial Sage level. He also listed precautions and required medicinal ingredients for each stage.
A hint of pride was evident in his words, as he believed that by organizing his past learnings and innovating, this cultivation method could help revive the Golden Departure Sect for three hundred years.
Chen Chuan examined it, contemplating that while it had its merits, it was only suitable for a select few with exceptional talent. The new era's methods were generally better and more accessible to ordinary people.
Many techniques in the new era were the result of collective efforts and discussions among numerous fighters during the Grand Alliance period, far surpassing the solitary efforts of this author.
However, that didn't diminish the value of his work, which would have been considered decent in its time, but unfortunately, times had changed.
Chen Chuan surveyed the area, his gaze shifting across the neatly arranged stones ahead. Each stone face bore inscriptions, meticulously documenting each year, spanning an impressive 232 years. However, when calculating backwards from the era they belonged to, there was a gap of approximately 200 years without any recorded dates. Towards the end, Chen Chuan sensed something amiss with the individual who had created these inscriptions.
Day after day, the person had endured in the Fusion Land, battling invasions during both day and night. It was likely that the accumulation of impurities within their body had led to their transformation.
The handwriting on the stones gradually became erratic, yet moments of lucidity occasionally surfaced.
The individual seemed aware of their predicament, as evidenced by their inscriptions on a stone wall, expressing their belief that the secret teachings of the Golden Departure Sect should have been sufficient to ward off these impurities. However, they acknowledged their miscalculation and speculated that perhaps only the top-secret teachings of the Mystic Doctrine or the Zen Doctrine could offer protection.
Further along, the inscriptions descended into complete madness and chaos.
Chen Chuan understood the root cause of this situation. It stemmed from the individual's growing doubts about their own teachings. Once such thoughts took hold in one's mind, the situation could quickly deteriorate.
However, there was little that could be done. The very fact that impurities had invaded the person's body led to these doubts, and even constant resistance could only delay the process. The only chance for recovery lay in leaving this place.
Determined to wait for the stone lotus to mature, the individual refused to leave, persevering for 200 years. It wasn't a matter of simply letting go, as the obsession had taken root deep within their mind. Even when they eventually became a demon spirit, they refused to abandon their pursuit.
Chen Chuan knew that Yu Guardian had made a mistake.
According to the alchemy recipe, the lotus seeds matured at different stages—the quintuple knot, septuple knot, and nonuple knot each had their own maturation period. The quintuple knot was not equal to the septuple knot, and the septuple knot was not equal to the nonuple knot. Only by harvesting the seeds at their peak maturity could their full potential be realized.
However, this information was incorrect, possibly due to gaps in knowledge transmission from ancient times. In reality, the quintuple knot, septuple knot, and nonuple knot were all correct, but the process involved removing the seeds, leaving them overnight, and then returning them. By repeating this process for all the seeds, they would mature on their own.
Around 200 years ago, the seeds had already reached the quintuple knot stage, barely meeting the requirements of the alchemy recipe. It was likely that Yu Guardian was unaware of this information, missing the opportunity and ultimately becoming a demon spirit.
Now that Chen Chuan understood the situation, it was time for him to take action.
He planned to retrieve the seeds at the precise moment when the sky's light first appeared, but today was too late. He would have to wait until tomorrow to begin.
Since he was already there, Chen Chuan decided to stay for a while, as the treasure was worth the wait.
He intended to finish reading the inscriptions left by Yu Guardian, who had originally come to this place in search of the Mystic Doctrine's lost treasure. However, the inscriptions didn't reveal what the treasure was, and given Yu Guardian's personality, he might have written it down later.
Unfortunately, the remaining inscriptions were incoherent, resembling delirious mutterings. Still, they seemed to contain some logic, as if attempting to convey a message.
As Chen Chuan read, he initially found nothing of note, but as he continued, connecting the content, he began to discern a hidden meaning.
The inscriptions seemed to describe a divine encounter during the individual's cultivation, where a deity appeared before them. They engaged in a question-and-answer session about cultivation methods, culminating in the deity's praise, "Great brilliance!" The individual believed they had witnessed the ultimate cultivation method and should "Abandon the old and embrace the new, riding the waves of the law." They expected to naturally attain enlightenment.
At first, Chen Chuan assumed that the individual's transformation and subsequent mental instability had led to these delusions.
But as he continued reading, a radiant light suddenly emanated from his body, revealing the self-manifestation of the Great Ming Light Style, seemingly warding off and dispelling something. However, his second self showed no signs of disturbance.
Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
This phenomenon occurred because his spirit had sensed danger, prompting the spontaneous activation of the Great Ming Light Style.
Therefore, the inscriptions on the stone might not have been mere delusions of Yu Guardian. Chen Chuan deduced that the individual had likely communicated with a cultivation method from another world.
When Chen Chuan read earlier, the transformed organism had received the information and initiated the transformation on its own. Such self-initiated changes typically wouldn't elicit a response from the second self without the intervention of one's will. However, the self-awareness of the spirit had detected something amiss, thus triggering the Great Ming Light Style.
Chen Chuan silently reminded himself to remain vigilant regarding certain aspects of the other world. Although he considered it fortunate to have discovered this information now, it meant he would be prepared if similar situations arose in the future.
Maintaining his alertness, Chen Chuan continued his search. On the last few stones, where the inscriptions were barely legible, he discovered some clues that seemed related to the lost treasure.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
