Seeking Truth with a Sword

Chapter 411 - 362 - s Heavenly Book

What is this?

Li Ang raised an eyebrow and pulled the book, securely locked with a delicate chain, from the shelf.

The book was about the size of half a sheet of newspaper and approximately four fingers thick. Its yellow-brown cover felt as smooth as jade yet was tough and substantial, seemingly made of some kind of tree bark paper.

The lock was tightly fastened, so Li Ang couldn’t see the contents. He picked up the book, descended the ladder, placed it on the table, and then used a key to unlock the chain.

CLICK.

The delicate chain scattered. Li Ang brushed the links aside and opened the book’s cover.

The author of this book was an elder from the Supreme Mysterious Sect—an even more significant figure than those from Zhao Yao Que.

The Supreme Mysterious Sect was keen on collecting various ancient artifacts and researching secret techniques. Even among all the Hidden Sects, their power was considered among the strongest.

Li Ang quickly flipped through the pages but found the content was encrypted. The sentences were jumbled, and there were many obscure and difficult-to-understand patterns and lines.

It’s this kind of encryption method again.

Li Ang immediately understood. This book was written by an elder of the Supreme Mysterious Sect, so the Book Collection Pavilion had included it in their collection. However, because it was encrypted and difficult to decipher, no one could understand it. Thus, it was relegated to a corner of the shelf.

BUZZ!

Suddenly, the Spirit Summoning Paper on his chest, covered by Mo Si, vibrated more intensely, as if trying to escape the Mo Si’s confinement.

After a moment’s hesitation, Li Ang loosened the Mo Si and took the Spirit Summoning Paper from his bosom.

As soon as the Spirit Summoning Paper touched the air, it unfolded on its own. SWISH! It shot into the pages of the book.

The originally brownish-yellow, wrinkled paper instantly became smooth and white, merging seamlessly with the book’s pages.

It was as if this Spirit Summoning Paper had always been a part of the book.

After absorbing the Spirit Summoning Paper, the text throughout the book slowly faded. Within a few breaths, it vanished completely, replaced by lines of fresh ink.

"When you open this book, I should already be dead. And you, no matter who you are, whether a Cultivator or a commoner, have already been ensnared by it."

The handwriting was hurried and messy, as if the writer had penned these lines under intense emotional distress.

"Ten years ago, in the First Year of Xuanzheng, my companions and I unearthed this book from a Demon Cultivator’s tomb in Shengzhou."

"That Demon Cultivator, named Blood Ling, was originally a common refugee on the brink of starvation a hundred years ago. He obtained this book from somewhere and began indiscriminately killing the innocent, using human blood and bones as offerings to gain power. In just five short years, he became a Great Demon in the Northern Territory. All factions hated him to the bone and made several joint attempts to hunt him down. Yet, he always managed to escape, growing even stronger each time."

"Then suddenly, he disappeared without a trace."

"He was killed by this book. Before his death, just like me, he left a multitude of accusations within its pages."

"This book is a Mutated Object. It possesses two abilities. The first is sacrifice."

"Fingernails, hair, limbs, flesh, memories, lifespan... anything belonging to the user can be offered to this book. In return, it will grant something of equivalent value—whatever you desire."

"It could be gold and silver treasures sufficient for a lifetime of luxury, a Cultivation Technique promising a path to immortality, or a peerless essay capable of making one the top scorer in imperial examinations..."

"Whether Cultivator or commoner, few can resist such an alluring promise to fulfill any desire. One might begin with a tentative sacrifice. Upon discovering it truly works, greed takes hold, driving them to demand more and more."

"But everything has a price, and Mutated Objects tend to attract one another. Each sacrifice inevitably draws the user into new dangers in the future, compelling them to offer even more."

"The book’s second ability is to erase memories. If the user attempts to destroy the book or reveal its properties to others in any way, the very thought of doing so will be erased."

"I tried throwing it off a cliff, tossing it into the deep sea, and burning it with mutant fire—all to no avail. It always manages to erase my intentions beforehand, preempting my plans."

"After obtaining this book, misfortune plagued me. I repeatedly encountered dangers, forcing me to use it and make sacrifices to it time and again."

"I lost all my fingernails, an arm, a leg, ten teeth, some internal organs, my sense of taste, twenty years of my lifespan, my birthday, and many memories of my life. The worst part is, I don’t even know which memories I’ve lost."

"Following the clues, I discovered that before Blood Ling, this book had many hosts—mortals and Cultivators alike. Without exception, all had achieved fame in their respective Domains before dying suddenly."

"The Book of Sacrifice, the Wish Book, the Ten Thousand Spirit Book, the Heavenly Book... whatever previous users called it, it brought misfortune, sooner or later."

"I have now achieved my lifelong ambition of becoming an elder of the Supreme Mysterious Sect. But I would give anything not to have dug up this book from that underground tomb."

Here, the writing broke off, leaving a large blank space, as if the author was suffering immense torment.

"To whoever is reading these words now, I wish you good luck. I hope you can break this deadly curse."

The words ended abruptly. After lingering for a few seconds, the messy script began to slowly fade.

Ten Thousand Spirit Book...

Li Ang’s eyebrows furrowed. He immediately put down the book and stood up.

He had already opened this book. If what its previous owner wrote was true, he was now ensnared by the Ten Thousand Spirit Book.

He needed to report immediately to the Sacrificial Officer and the Supervision Department.

Just as the thought formed in his mind, it suddenly dissipated.

Li Ang stood at the desk, staring blankly at his own palms.

What was I... supposed to do?

He looked around; this corner was empty, with no one else in sight.

"..."

Confused, Li Ang sat back down. The moment his palm touched the now-blank book, his lost memories instantly returned.

I’ve already been ensnared.

Li Ang took a deep breath and immediately began experimenting.

First, he tried to destroy the Ten Thousand Spirit Book using his Mo Si. He failed; the thought was instantly erased. Furthermore, the Mo Si wouldn’t actively devour the Ten Thousand Spirit Book on its own.

Then, he tried writing a message for help on a piece of paper, intending to leave it on the desk.

This attempt also failed; the thought dissipated as soon as it formed.

This included ideas such as casting Magic to trigger the Book Collection Pavilion’s Prohibition and alert the Supervision Department, or even self-harming to attract their attention. Any thought in his mind that could potentially endanger the Ten Thousand Spirit Book would instantly vanish into thin air.

Even his usually infallible Mo Si couldn’t resist this effect. His attempt to have a Mo Si Clone form a written plea for help also failed.

Li Ang pressed his palm on the book’s page, remaining silent.

I might have made a huge mistake, unleashing a Mutated Object capable of altering consciousness.