Chapter 99

Spending 1.8 million to obtain the Heaven and Earth Bracelet, such a treasure, was something Chen Dasheng had never expected.

"Rarely have I seen you in the library before. What books are you reading?" Han Ruoxue looked curiously at the two books in Chen Dasheng's hands.

Chen Dasheng shrugged, "Nothing much, just passing the time."

When Han Ruoxue saw the books, one was "I Ching" and the other was "Tao Te Ching," she couldn't help but be puzzled, "Why are you reading these kinds of books?"

Chen Dasheng smiled, "Personal interest!"

"Huh?"

Han Ruoxue was taken aback, not expecting Chen Dasheng to have such interests. The two books were still brand new, clearly not read by many people, making Chen Dasheng's interest quite unique.

The two of them whispered to each other for a while, but to avoid disturbing others, they each went back to their own tasks. Chen Dasheng picked up the "I Ching" and started reading.

To learn the Drunken Immortal Moon Step, one must gain insight from Daoist studies. This was what Nangong Mu had told Chen Dasheng before leaving.

Chen Dasheng was very covetous of the martial arts steps. With such a technique in front of him but unable to practice it, he felt like a cat was scratching his heart. Over the past two days, he had tried to understand the Drunken Immortal Moon Step with his extraordinary mind, but the key points recorded on the brocade were obscure and difficult to understand, and the steps were hard to follow. He could only mimic the form.

Today, Chen Dasheng couldn't resist coming to the library to find some books related to Daoist studies. After searching, he only found "I Ching" and "Tao Te Ching" on the shelves. These two works were considered the pinnacle of Daoist philosophy and were believed to be helpful to him.

The books were not original editions, and the library of Rongcheng University of Technology couldn't have the originals. They were printed versions, and Chen Dasheng had no way of knowing how different they were from the original Daoist texts. When he opened the book, the scent of ink wafted up.

The book was divided into left and right pages. The left side contained the original text, and the right side had interpretations and annotations by so-called I Ching masters. Seeing the annotations, Chen Dasheng couldn't help but smile. He knew nothing about Daoist studies, and even if he could memorize the original text with his strong memory, he wouldn't understand it. The annotations were a great help, regardless of their accuracy, as they provided some enlightenment for him.

The "I Ching" interprets the movements of heaven, earth, and all things. It is said that I Ching experts can even use it to predict the future. It encompasses a wealth of knowledge in astronomy, geography, military strategy, science, literature, and agriculture. No matter the field, one can draw wisdom from it.

It measures the heavens above, the earth below, and human affairs in between, vast and profound, containing the principles of heaven and earth's yin and yang. The "I Ching" can be considered the most precious treasure of Daoism.

"Heaven one, earth two, heaven three, earth four, heaven five, earth six, heaven seven, earth eight, heaven nine, earth ten. Heaven has five numbers, earth has five numbers, and the five positions correspond and combine. Heaven has twenty-five numbers, earth has thirty numbers, and the total of heaven and earth's numbers is fifty-five, which is why changes are formed and the spirits move..."

Reading the original text and the annotations, Chen Dasheng quickly became engrossed in the world of the "I Ching." His eyes were fixed on the text, unable to look away.

Han Ruoxue, sitting beside him, occasionally glanced at Chen Dasheng. In the slanting sunlight, Chen Dasheng's focused expression and his sharp features seemed to touch a chord in her heart.

"How can he like reading such books? But when he's serious, he's quite attractive. Oh, what am I thinking?"

Han Ruoxue, feeling as if she had done something wrong, quickly returned her gaze to her test paper, her face tinged with a light blush.

However, Chen Dasheng was completely unaware of all this. In his world, there was only the "I Ching," and everything else ceased to exist.

"The number of the great expansion is fifty, but only forty-nine are used. Divided into two to represent duality, one is hung to represent the trinity. Divided by four to represent the four seasons, the odd numbers are returned to the hand to represent the intercalary month, so the second return is followed by the hanging."

The principles of yin and yang in the "I Ching" were quite similar to the Tai Chi he had understood. By cross-referencing them, Chen Dasheng felt he gained a lot, and many obscure points became clear.

In the vast, dark world of his consciousness, a faint and massive Tai Chi diagram slowly formed, glowing with golden light. Mysterious and profound Daoist truths emanated from the diagram, ancient and extraordinary.

Chen Dasheng alternated between confusion and enlightenment, his facial expressions rich and varied. Han Ruoxue, sitting beside him, felt very curious.

What a strange person!

Time passed minute by minute, the sun slowly set, and the sky gradually darkened. Han Ruoxue finished a set of test papers, stretched lazily, yawned, and turned to see Chen Dasheng still staring at the book.

It was already dark outside, and Han Ruoxue felt hungry. She waved her hand in front of Chen Dasheng, "Dasheng, what are you daydreaming about? Let's go eat?"

The Tai Chi diagram in his mind instantly dissipated, and Chen Dasheng quickly returned from the mysterious and ancient world of his consciousness. The first thing he saw was Han Ruoxue's stunning face, "What did you say?"

Han Ruoxue felt a bit helpless, "What's wrong with you? It's already past six. Let's go eat?"

"Past six?"

Chen Dasheng was taken aback. The sky outside was dark, and looking at the phone screen Han Ruoxue showed him, it was indeed almost seven.

He had come to the library at two in the afternoon, and now it was almost seven. Chen Dasheng was surprised. Unconsciously, nearly five hours had passed, as if he had lost several hours. He had no idea how he had spent those five hours, and it felt like a blink of an eye, yet also like a long time.

Looking down, he had only read less than a quarter of the "I Ching." Chen Dasheng felt as if he had discovered a treasure. The "I Ching" was indeed profound. If it were an ordinary book, with his memory and comprehension, he could have read many books in five hours. But with the "I Ching," he had only read a quarter, showing how much information it contained.

Recalling the indescribable feeling, it was truly captivating. If Han Ruoxue hadn't interrupted him, he probably wouldn't have known when he would have come back to reality.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Chen Dasheng's dazed look, Han Ruoxue asked curiously.

Chen Dasheng shook his head, closed the book, and smiled at Han Ruoxue, "Nothing, are you hungry? I'll treat you to a meal, will you accept?"

Han Ruoxue smiled, "You've helped me so much, I should treat you!"

"Really?" Chen Dasheng's face was full of smiles, "Alright, it's just the right time. Let's go to the cafeteria!"

"The cafeteria?" Han Ruoxue was taken aback.

Chen Dasheng nodded, "Yes, I haven't eaten at the cafeteria for a long time, I've forgotten what it tastes like!"

Han Ruoxue looked at Chen Dasheng's face, knowing he didn't want her to spend money. Seeing his smile, she couldn't refuse his good intentions and nodded, her eyes narrowing, "I just recharged my meal card today!"

"Looks like my luck is pretty good!"

Chen Dasheng laughed, picked up the two books, and walked out of the library with Han Ruoxue.

Borrowing the books, they walked out of the library. A cool breeze blew, and Chen Dasheng closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, looking completely entranced.

At this moment, Chen Dasheng felt his mind was exceptionally clear, as if he could hear the breath of all things and merge with the universe.

"Looks like this afternoon wasn't wasted!"

Opening his eyes, Chen Dasheng's lips curled into a smile. After this afternoon, his realm had improved significantly. He could feel that he could break through to the third-level martial artist at any time if he wished.

It seems I need to read more in the future! Chen Dasheng tightly held the two books. Although these Daoist texts were headache-inducing, they contained many truths of the universe, and even clues to martial arts principles. They were undoubtedly a great help to his cultivation.

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Thank you to the book friend "Ice Wind Magic Universe" for the 588 coin reward, Ghost Valley thanks you!

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