Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 599 - 541: Divine Blood

A luxurious carriage of the Zhu Family passed by leisurely. The Mountain Master stopped in his tracks, saying nothing.

Li Ang also halted, a puzzled expression on his face.

Had it been a mere nightmare, he naturally wouldn’t have mentioned it to the point of causing the Mountain Master any trouble. But that dream had been too real and oppressive, and it had occurred within Li Yuan. There was always some... ominous premonition.

Tonight seemed to be the night when the nobles of Chang’an all went out together; carriage after carriage passed in an endless stream, forming a long procession at the crossroads.

The Mountain Master remained silent, so Li Ang could only wait quietly.

"...How much of Senior Lin Liangce’s books have you read?"

Suddenly, the Mountain Master spoke.

"More than half," Li Ang replied subconsciously, "I’ve read through ’Middle Ages Zen,’ ’Western Country History Research,’ and ’Study of Persian History’ once each. As for books on the tea ceremony, gardening, and philosophy, I haven’t had the chance to look at them yet."

Lin Liangce was a venerated scholar of Yu Chu’s Academic Palace. He was passionate about studying history and classics, with forays into other fields as well.

"He traveled through various countries and even visited the Extreme West. There, he investigated local customs and folklore, collecting ancient tales hidden in remote mountain villages—tales passed down verbally from generation to generation.

And from this, he arrived at a conclusion."

The Mountain Master said slowly, "He believed that some cultivators, who had reached profound heights in their cultivation, by some twist of fate, could catch glimpses of the future as though peering through the river of time.

However, the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed, and the wise ones couldn’t directly disclose the visions of the future they saw. They could only inform later generations in an indirect way, providing warnings.

For instance, the prophets from the Extreme West have left behind flood prophecies, advising people to build giant boats to escape disaster;

Laozi brought with him the purple qi from the east to Hangu Pass, leaving behind a scroll of scriptures, expounding the Dao and the law of nature;

Before entering Nirvana, Buddha foresaw the miserable and dim era of Dharma’s end, leaving behind the ’Dharma Destruction Scripture’...

It seems that all similar prophecies mention some sort of great disaster. This includes the bronze vessels and oracle bone inscriptions excavated from the Ancient Yin Ruins, which also contain many records of blood sacrifice offerings to Haotian, praying for a delay in the arrival of disasters."

Li Ang was left speechless with astonishment. Before he could continue to inquire, the Mountain Master spoke again, "Because these ideas come from a time long past and lack evidence, referring to it as a theory would be overstating it; it would even be a stretch to call it speculation.

The Mountain Master had halted his research plans, preventing him from attempting to access the prophecies passed down through the ages at the Taihao Mountain Torch Language Institute. However, Lin Liangce was still obsessed, hoping to glimpse the future by studying prophecies.

In the end, he was protectively confined by the Academic Palace, passing away in melancholy and frustration—contrary to the Academic Palace’s public claim that he enjoyed his twilight years in peace."

Li Ang’s face showed hesitancy; he had just learned of Lin Liangce’s late-life ending, uncertain of what the Mountain Master was trying to convey.

"Li Yuan plunges deep into the earth, lying beneath layers of rock. Its proximity to the world’s origin makes it quite normal to experience dreams there."

The Mountain Master spoke slowly, "The more intelligent and sensitive a cultivator is, the more prone they are to be disturbed by random thoughts and illusions during the course of their cultivation.

If one mistakes such stray thoughts for Tianqi and fully immerses oneself in them, it is very easy to be led astray into madness. Take the Jianquan Monk, for example.

For someone like Lin Liangce, being protectively isolated was already a relatively fortunate outcome."

"The student understands."

Li Ang nodded. Lin Liangce, a scholarly Heavenly Person, erudite and possessing an extraordinary memory, was still troubled by his obsessions, ultimately resulting in a lonely and sorrowful demise.

"Mmm. In the future, don’t discuss this dream with others."

The Mountain Master paused, then said, "Your weapon was destroyed by the Ghost Shovel?"

"Yes."

Li Ang scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. His Triangular Spear had been reinforced several times in the Academic Palace workshop, consuming many precious materials. Yet, it still hadn’t survived the battle with the Ghost Shovel, leaving only half of it intact.

The Mountain Master nodded and said, "In that case, go to Dongjun Tower tomorrow and find Ati. Let him help you choose a new weapon."

HISS—

Li Ang’s eyes lit up. Dongjun Tower housed the Academic Palace’s private collection of Mutated Objects, treasures so abundant and profound that only the inner repository of Taihao Mountain could compare.

To choose a weapon from among them...

The Donghuang Bell! The Taia Sword! If all else fails, the Fangtian Halberd or the Ancient Blade would also do!

Li Ang was both shocked and delighted. Bidding farewell to the Mountain Master, and rubbing his hands together eagerly, he rushed toward the Golden City Mansion to share the good news with Chai Chai.

The Mountain Master stood in place, watching Li Ang’s cheerful departure with a faint smile.

"You lied."

A calm voice came from behind. Lian Xuanyao turned around to see a face emerging from the trunk of a roadside tree.

The spirit of Chang’an’s flora—the Huai Spirit.

The bustling crowd around them seemed not to notice this strange sight at all. They were busily celebrating the arrival of the new year, passing by Lian Xuanyao.

The Mountain Master did not deny the Huai Spirit’s accusation, his eyes dimming slightly.

Over a decade ago, someone had asked him the same question Li Ang had. After long contemplation, he had chosen to tell the truth. That person’s name was Jun Qianzi.

"I won’t make the same mistake twice."

The Mountain Master shook his head, looked straight at the Huai Spirit, and earnestly said, "I hope that you will not interfere in this matter."

"This is a matter for your Academic Palace, and it is of no concern to me," the Huai Spirit replied coldly. She owed Li Ang a favor on account of Nie Yuhuan, a debt repaid when she warned him during the last disturbance in Chang’an. "I am only concerned about our agreement."

The Huai Spirit’s gaze shifted to Lian Xuanyao’s hand, hidden beneath his wide sleeves. Her tone was chilly as she said, "Your Heavenly Person Five Decays have worsened."

"It doesn’t affect the plan. Even if I die, Chen Danqiu is there to carry on."

Lian Xuanyao took a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and casually tossed it to the Huai Spirit.

The latter manipulated tree branches to catch it steadily. Upon opening the bottle, a thick, somber stench of blood immediately emanated from it. As the bottle swayed, the faint sound of surging waves could be heard from within.

"The blood I extracted from the Divine Turtle’s body," Lian Xuanyao spoke gravely, "Let’s see what can be done with it. Someday in the future, sink Chang’an into the ground."

The Huai Spirit extended its tree branches into the bottle, eagerly drawing in the sea-like, rushing blood of the Divine Beast.

A tremendous surge of Spiritual Power flowed into the Huai Spirit’s body, and lights faintly twinkled in her eyes. All the flora in the hills near Chang’an swayed joyously, expressing their delight.

Deep underground, far below the Chang’an Ghost Market and unnoticed by all, countless tree roots writhed and burrowed, digging through tons of earth and stone.