Late at night.
Dressed in a black night-prowler's robe and completely hidden within a black cloak, Xiao Ran stealthily approached the Scripture Pavilion.
Xiao Ran had been endlessly annoyed these past few days.
First, a Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer cultivator named Yin Tu had been provoking him daily, spouting nonsense about taking revenge.
Yin Tu only backed off after Xiao Ran brought up Elder Sunx's name.
Then, some sinister dwarf named Hou Longtao appeared out of nowhere, brazenly telling him to take good care of his Magical Treasure, as he would come to claim it after reaching Foundation Establishment.
'This rotten, cowardly Demon Sect is just disgusting. Are all Demon Disciples this shameless?'
Xiao Ran felt he couldn't stand it for another day.
"Master, is the legacy of an Ancient Buddhist Cultivator really on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion?"
Xiao Ran didn't seem to be speaking to anyone, muttering to himself.
The next moment.
A white, misty soul emerged from the ring pendant around Xiao Ran's neck, forming into a white-haired old man.
"That's right. Although the True Demons of the Blood Demon Sword Sect are vicious and perverse, they are all, without exception, exceptionally talented geniuses. The number of foes they've defeated is countless."
"Back when I was at the Foundation Establishment Realm, I once stumbled upon this place. On the third floor of the Blood Demon Sword Sect's Scripture Pavilion, I happened to find a Buddhist secret manual that would be of great benefit to your cultivation of the [Celestial Demon Soul-Catching Strategy]."
If anyone else had seen this, they would have been utterly astonished.
Without a Soul Banner, a Soul Cultivator would need to be at least at the Foundation Establishment Realm or higher to materialize a physical form.
But this white-haired old man clearly had no Cultivation Realm, yet he could ignore the astral winds of the outside world, a testament to the strength of his Divine Soul.
"With your physical constitution, you should have been cultivating the Righteous Dao. It's a shame you fell into the Demon Sect..."
The white-haired old man let out a deep sigh.
Then, his tone shifted.
"However, the [Celestial Demon Soul-Catching Strategy] you cultivate focuses on the Divine Soul, which in turn helped speed up my awakening. Every cause has its effect; it was all ordained by fate.
The attainments of Ancient Buddhist Cultivators in the path of the Divine Soul far surpass the Demon Sect's Sword Dao. Only the Southern Border's Gu Race might compare."
"With my protection, you can rest assured. No one below the Nascent Soul Realm will be able to detect you were here. After today, we'll leave this place and never come back!"
"Alright!" Hearing this, Xiao Ran's eyes lit up.
The white-haired old man in the ring, whose name was unknown, called himself Elder Chen.
In his past life, Elder Chen had been a Nascent Soul Daoist Monarch, but he was murdered by a treacherous disciple. By a strange twist of fate, his soul attached itself to the heirloom ring left by Xiao Ran's mother, where it had lain dormant until now.
It wasn't until the day Elder Sunx pushed Xiao Ran into a Pill Furnace that Elder Chen was finally awakened.
Compared to that half-baked Alchemy Master, Sunx Yuan, Elder Chen, a Nascent Soul Daoist Monarch, was a true virtuoso when it came to Alchemy.
He had casually refined a furnace of medicinal powder that not only healed all of Xiao Ran's burns but also caused his Cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.
He had also saved Xiao Ran from peril on several occasions.
Xiao Ran's heart was filled with boundless admiration for Elder Chen.
"Elder Chen, you said that Hou Longtao is really the reincarnation of a Golden Core Cultivator?" Xiao Ran asked suddenly as he snuck into the Scripture Pavilion.
"Indeed. But he has reincarnated seven times, and his True Spirit is already damaged. He is no cause for concern."
Elder Chen chuckled. "Even if it were his first lifetime, it wouldn't matter. You are a Son of Fortune, naturally blessed to turn misfortune into luck."
After hearing this, Xiao Ran's eyes shone even brighter.
'Elder Chen has never been wrong. It looks like I'll definitely be able to escape this time.'
Ripples spread through the air as Elder Chen, using some unknown Secret Technique, enveloped Xiao Ran.
Just as expected, the guard, a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator named Lv Hong, noticed nothing.
Relieved, Xiao Ran boldly made his way to the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
...
「Elsewhere」
On the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
'Book number 3650...'
Qin Xuan repeated the number in his mind, slowly searching along the vast, sea-like rows of bookshelves.
Finally, in a hidden corner, he found a blank, black book.
The number next to the black book was exactly 3650.
'It secretly corresponds to the number of the Great Dao.'
The moment he picked up the book, the scenery before him abruptly changed. A small, hidden chamber suddenly opened up and appeared before Qin Xuan!
He stepped into the chamber.
Inside, Qin Xuan found a serene and elegant girl, as cool and distant as moonlight. She was sitting on the floor with her small, fair feet bare, engrossed in an ancient book she was lightly flipping through.
'Someone's here!' Qin Xuan immediately grew cautious.
The girl wore a flowing, plain white silk dress. Her features were breathtakingly beautiful, like those of a sacred, inviolable goddess. The complex Rune patterns embroidered on her hem flowed like a river of stars, further accentuating her otherworldly, ethereal aura.
When Qin Xuan entered, the girl merely glanced up, her limpid, autumn-water eyes sizing him up for a moment before she lowered her head again to continue reading.
'Good. It seems she's tacitly allowed me to enter.'
Qin Xuan quietly walked into the chamber.
At first, he thought the girl was just aloof.
However, as Qin Xuan passed by her, he realized something was off.
He saw the girl cautiously shrink back, like a frightened fawn, making way for him.
Her timid nature was a stark contrast to her cold and beautiful face.
"Senior Sister, I didn't mean to disturb you," Qin Xuan said apologetically.
"You... can see me?"
The girl looked astonished, speaking timidly as if she wasn't used to talking.
Qin Xuan was taken aback, then smiled. "Of course I can. You're not a ghost, Senior Sister, so why wouldn't I be able to see you?"
"Oh, oh!" The girl quickly lowered her head, her gaze returning to the book in her hands.
However, her slightly trembling eyelashes and the occasional nervous glance she shot at Qin Xuan inadvertently betrayed her inner panic, making her seem like a timid fawn in the woods.
'This Senior Sister isn't aloof, she's socially anxious!'
The atmosphere felt a little awkward, so Qin Xuan took the initiative to ask a question.
"Senior Sister, may I ask if there are any books here related to the Qi Cultivation Realm?"
The girl looked up blankly, a hint of naive charm in her expression.
"Qi Cultivation... what's that? Is there such a Realm?"
This, in turn, completely stumped Qin Xuan.
But from the look on her face, she genuinely didn't know.
"Er, of course there is... I have a few Li Fire Golden Dates on me right now that can help my cultivation in the Qi Cultivation Realm, but I don't know how to use them..."
Qin Xuan tried to explain.
"Li Fire Golden Dates?" The girl tilted her head slightly.
She seemed to know about those. She gently shifted her body, using her hands to reach a book on a nearby shelf.
Only then did Qin Xuan realize.
This Senior Sister wasn't just sitting on the floor by choice; she had a leg ailment and had no other option but to sit there...
Qin Xuan quickly took the book from her.
But when he opened it, he found it was written in the Demon Sect's unique script, which he couldn't understand at all.
"Are you a Fierce Soldier of the sect?"
The girl asked out of the blue.
Qin Xuan was startled. "How did you know, Senior Sister?"
The girl recited: "The Fierce Soldier charges into battle, collecting bones and gathering corpses, brave and unafraid of death...
"Yet their end is to perish from exhaustion among chaotic armies, or fall from grave wounds in a swamp of blood... The soul of a Fierce Soldier is ultimately destined for desolation!"
She recited the long passage in a clear, pleasant voice.
'What the hell?'
Qin Xuan couldn't help but curse inwardly.
'He had some foundation in classical language, at least. Senior Sister, you're cursing me to die!'
"No, I didn't curse you to die."
But after saying this, the girl froze, a blank look on her face as if she couldn't remember anything.
"What... did I just say?" the girl asked blankly.
Qin Xuan was stunned.
'This Senior Sister seems a bit... dim-witted.'
'Social anxiety plus the memory of a fish?'
Qin Xuan felt like he might have actually seen a ghost.
'Who forgets what they said the moment they say it? You just asked me a second ago!'
"Oh, right. I did just ask you that."
The girl seemed accustomed to forgetting things. She then looked at Qin Xuan curiously and spoke again, timidly.
"Can you not understand what's written in this book?"
'How does she know...?'
Qin Xuan nodded slightly.
'This Senior Sister seems to have a Mind Reading Technique!'
The girl shook her head dazedly. "You've misunderstood. I don't have a Mind Reading Technique."
Qin Xuan's eyes went wide. The girl's words had nearly scared him to death.
'And you call that *not* having a Mind Reading Technique?'