Chapter 56

Strands of light drifted up in the moonlight, and amidst the haze, a few shadows flickered within.

Lichen squinted his eyes hard, making sure it wasn't because he had been staring at these martial arts manuals for too long, causing his eyes to blur.

He bent down to pick up the book "I Am the Supreme," shook off the dust, and began to flip through it.

Rustle!

The sound of pages turning broke the silence of the floor, making it seem particularly eerie.

"This is just nonsense!"

After a few glances, Lichen threw it back in disappointment.

With his current martial arts knowledge, though not profound, he could at least tell the good from the bad.

The book "I Am the Supreme" only described how powerful one would become after cultivation, but the meridian annotations and true qi circulation were completely nonsensical.

If one were to cultivate according to this, it would surely lead to a disastrous end.

"But that's not right. If it were truly so, why would so many seniors from Nanyun Peak place such a book here?"

Lichen picked up the book again and examined it carefully, but to his frustration, no matter how he flipped through it, he found nothing unusual. It was clearly just an ordinary book.

A thought crossed his mind, and he glanced furtively at the books thrown in the corner, as if afraid of being caught.

Gradually, a glimmer of light appeared in Lichen's eyes, as the cover of the book shimmered under the moonlight, appearing particularly mysterious in the shadow of the window lattice.

"This book must have a secret. Perhaps the light here isn't bright enough!"

Lichen made up his mind. No matter what, he had to try. He immediately grabbed "I Am the Supreme" and "Ninefold Pure Yang Technique" and hurried down the stairs.

At the entrance of the first-floor hall, Chen Chongsu still waited, showing no sign of displeasure.

For a genius, selecting the necessary manuals would naturally take a lot of time. If Lichen had come out immediately, it would have made him look less impressive.

The other two also showed no dissatisfaction, one out of fear and the other because they were carefully studying the manuals in their hands.

"Uncle Chen, can I take two books?"

Lichen, holding two manuals, approached the old man's couch and asked respectfully.

"This..."

Chen Chongsu was somewhat displeased this time. No matter how talented you are, you can't act so recklessly.

After all, the reason Lichen could go to the second floor was because he had begged the old man for the opportunity.

"Oh, little boy, show me the manuals you've chosen!"

The old man, with sleepy eyes, stretched and extended his withered, twig-like hand.

Lichen felt his hands lighten, and to his shock, the two books flew directly into the old man's hands, making him gasp.

This was definitely a Wu Yuan realm martial artist!

"Why did you choose this manual?"

The old man glanced at it casually and said indifferently.

Upon hearing this, the others all showed curious expressions, but no one dared to ask. Lichen didn't speak either, as it was a private matter for every martial artist.

"Forgive me, Senior, but I have been a slave since childhood, always hoping to rise to prominence one day and never bow to anyone again. That's why I chose this manual!"

Lichen's knees trembled involuntarily, but he quickly showed determination and spoke firmly.

"Interesting. If you can provide an item of equal value, you can take these two manuals!"

The old man's cloudy eyes flashed with a piercing light in the shadows, but it quickly disappeared. He then lazily lay back on the couch.

"Thank you, Senior!"

In the shocked gazes of the others, Lichen gritted his teeth, took off his outer robe, and removed a dark golden inner armor, placing it gently on the table in front of the couch.

"Intermediate Spirit-grade defensive armor. Fine, it's not easy for you, little boy, but the rules of the sect cannot be violated. Take them."

The old man didn't even open his eyes, and with a slight flick of his hand, the two manuals landed in Lichen's hands. Lichen bowed respectfully and carefully put them in his chest.

"Grandmaster, I will take my leave!"

"I will take my leave!"

The others marveled at the old man's seniority and followed Chen Chongsu back down the mountain.

No one noticed that after they left, the old man, who had seemed weak and feeble, suddenly stood up and gazed at the dark forest, muttering to himself: "This 'Eight Desolates, Six Directions, I Am the Supreme' has been placed here according to the sect's rules since its founding. For years, no one has figured out what's special about it. It's just a fabricated manual.

Did this boy return it untouched after reading it, or did he discover something?

From his words, he didn't lie, but why do I feel something is off? Am I getting senile?"

As he spoke, the old man lay back on the couch, resuming his original appearance.

Creak!

The door of the quiet courtyard opened gently. The tall water jar, the quiet vines, the pervasive fragrance of flowers, and the large medicine rack all appeared particularly serene under the moonlight.

Looking at the familiar surroundings, Lichen touched the wall beside him, feeling quite sentimental. Back then, he was just a servant here, not even a disciple.

A year later, he had become the master of this place, truly unpredictable.

After descending the mountain, Lichen asked Chen Chongsu for the residence that originally belonged to He Kongming. Although it had been unoccupied for over a year, Chen Chongsu readily agreed.

Chen Chongsu had heard about the events between them, but no one would pursue matters involving someone who had disappeared or died.

After scanning the area to ensure no one was secretly watching, Lichen closed the courtyard gate and came to the stone table in the yard, taking out the "Eight Desolates, Six Directions, I Am the Supreme" from his chest.

Under the moonlight, the cover of the book slowly emitted a faint glow, just as it did in the floor.

Lichen held his breath, staring intently at the book, afraid to miss any changes.

One breath!

Two breaths!

Ten breaths!

After a full cup of tea time, the glow on the book became increasingly faint, almost disappearing, but there was still no change.

"Is it because the moonlight isn't bright enough?"

Lichen scratched his head, feeling a burning anxiety, unsure of what to do.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the glow on the cover disappeared, but then it burst forth, swirling around and shooting toward Lichen as a streak of light.

Caught off guard, it struck his forehead and vanished instantly.

"Ahh!"

Lichen let out a惨叫, immediately falling to the ground. But he only managed to cry out halfway before falling silent, making the quiet night seem particularly eerie and chilling.

"What the hell is this?"

A birthmark on his face suddenly flashed with a blood-red light, and a muffled, inhuman scream was heard, followed by silence.

No one knew what was in the book, nor what had happened to Lichen at that moment.

Lichen lay there until dawn, groaning as he got up from the ground, clutching his forehead, his face pale with discomfort: "What the hell is this thing?"

(End of the page)