Chapter 286 - 284: Human Skin Evil Book? Luofu Celestial Book?
Seeing the words on the Human Skin Evil Book, Chen Yuan felt a sudden sense of dread.
He had seen his fair share of strange and evil things since stepping into the Jianghu, but a living book that seemed to have a mind of its own was a first for him.
Most importantly, it somehow knew his name, as if it had been deliberately waiting for him.
"What in the world are you?"
Chen Yuan gripped the hilt of Blood Sea Listening Tide, his eyes fixed on the Human Skin Evil Book.
The characters on the Human Skin Evil Book twisted and changed again, writhing with great agitation, as if displeased.
"How rude. You’re not even as polite as Guan Tianming."
"I have had many names throughout the river of history, but now, everyone calls me the Luofu Celestial Book!"
Hearing this name, Chen Yuan was slightly stunned.
Of course he had heard of the Luofu Celestial Book. It was a Supreme Divine Artifact on the same level as the complete Seven Kills Stele.
It was said to contain records of countless powerful Supreme Divine Skills and the very mysteries of heaven and earth. Anyone who could decipher the Luofu Celestial Book could achieve Martial Dao Mastery, shatter the void, and experience Ascension in the Daylight.
Just after Chen Yuan had transmigrated, the Luofu Celestial Book had appeared in Yong Province, inciting a mad scramble among countless people before it vanished once more.
’It’s been in Guan Tianming’s hands this whole time?’
Just then, Chen Yuan’s eyes narrowed. "You’re lying to me! You are not the Luofu Celestial Book!
The Luofu Celestial Book contains countless Supreme Techniques, so what did you give Guan Tianming? Something that made him cultivate nothing but Evil Techniques?
I’ve never heard of a Divine Artifact like the Luofu Celestial Book doing something so wicked!"
The pages of the Human Skin Evil Book fluttered, as if a person were shaking their head, and the text on it changed again.
"I am only a book; I cannot control a person’s actions.
A good person can learn from a Sword Manual to help the weak and uphold justice.
A bad person might learn it and use it to kill and plunder, committing all sorts of evil. Can you say the Sword Manual itself is evil?
Guan Tianming’s foundation as a Ninth Realm Celestial Profound expert was unstable. I had the Daoist Secret Method, the ’Valley Spirit Scripture,’ to help him repair it, but he complained the progress was too slow.
So he chose the ’Evil Bone Godslaying Sword,’ pulled out his own spine to refine into the Evil Bone Sword, and shattered the Residual Cloud Sword to refine into his body as a replacement.
His physical body wasn’t strong, so I had the Buddhist Sect’s ’Vajra Undying Body’ for him to practice. But instead, he chose to capture numerous Martial Artists, lock them in an underground prison to stir up the malevolence in their hearts, and have them turn the place into a Chaotic Scene of mutual slaughter, all to refine Asura Blood Pills and strengthen his body.
And yes, the Cultivation Techniques he collected are what I require. I need a large number of Cultivation Techniques as ’ink’ to be able to deduce all kinds of Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts.
But I never told Guan Tianming to go and wantonly capture Martial Artists. He could have simply used his own wealth and treasures to buy the techniques.
The line between a Divine Demon and good or evil is but a single thought. Guan Tianming was blinded by greed, desperate for quick results. He refused to practice the Orthodox Dharma I offered him, insisting on cultivating Evil Techniques instead.
You can hardly blame me for that. I am just a book, after all."
A large block of text appeared on the Human Skin Evil Book, seeming to be both a defense and a calm statement of fact.
’It’s rumored that the Luofu Celestial Book contains countless Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts, so it’s only natural that they would include both righteous and evil ones.’
’Guan Tianming was desperate for quick success. He chose not to follow the Orthodox Dharma of the Daoist and Buddhist Lineages, opting for fast-acting Evil Techniques instead. You can’t really blame anyone else for that.’
"So, Guan Tianming has become your Commander-in-Chief?"
Chen Yuan stared intently at the Human Skin Evil Book—or, as it claimed, the Luofu Celestial Book.
The pages of the Luofu Celestial Book stirred again as new, twisted characters appeared.
"The Luofu Celestial Book has no Commander-in-Chief, nor will it ever. I am just a book, not an instrument of slaughter.
Anyone who possesses me can use Cultivation Technique Manuals as ’ink’, and I, in turn, will deduce various Cultivation Techniques for them.
Guan Tianming could make a deal with me, and so can you."
The characters wriggled slightly, exuding a strange, alluring temptation.
’This is the omnipotent Luofu Celestial Book. All kinds of divine skills and secret arts are practically within reach.’
Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes. "You can really give me any Cultivation Technique?"
"Of course. The Luofu Celestial Book is omniscient."
"Very well. I want the Taoist Secret Manual, the ’Valley Spirit Scripture.’ Guan Tianming didn’t want it, but I’m quite interested."
Lines of text appeared on the Luofu Celestial Book: "The Valley Spirit never dies; it is called the Mystic Female. The gate of the Mystic Female is the root of Heaven and Earth..."
After a short passage, the text that followed seemed faint and unsteady.
"To continue deducing a Cultivation Technique, I need other Cultivation Technique Manuals as the power of my ’ink’ to proceed.
Give me a large number of Cultivation Techniques, and only then can I continue to deduce the ’Valley Spirit Scripture’ for you.
The Luofu Celestial Book is perfectly fair. You will receive in proportion to the Cultivation Techniques you sacrifice."
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, but his hand was already gripping Blood Sea Listening Tide tightly.
"Tell me," Chen Yuan said suddenly, "what is my name? Is it three characters long, or four? Don’t write out the name, just tell me if it’s three or four."
At Chen Yuan’s sudden question, the Luofu Celestial Book seemed to freeze up. The text on it twisted before finally forming the two words "Chen Yuan." It didn’t say whether his name was three characters or four.
The next moment, Chen Yuan slashed down. The Red Lotus Blood Fiend erupted from his saber, hurtling straight toward the Human Skin Evil Book!
"Some demonic creature from who-knows-where dares to impersonate the Luofu Celestial Book?"
In the next instant, the text on the Human Skin Evil Book twisted unceasingly, erupting in a scarlet, bloody glow.
The Array in the main hall was activated, and in an instant, the brilliance of the Array Dao flared, blocking Chen Yuan’s strike.
The pages of the Human Skin Evil Book flipped, but this time, no words appeared. Instead, it sketched out a simple drawing of a shapely, alluring woman. Her expression was mournful, as if she were sighing deeply. Then, line by line, text began to appear.
"How did you figure out I was a fake? Was it just because of the name?"
"Not because of the name, but because you tried to be too clever!"
Chen Yuan sneered. "Writing out my name from the start was certainly surprising. I guessed you wanted to make a strong first impression, to create the illusion that the Luofu Celestial Book is omniscient and omnipotent.
But you overplayed your hand. In the conversation that followed, my name never appeared again. When I asked you how many characters are in my name, you couldn’t answer, because you don’t actually know what my real name is!
The words you write aren’t an Illusion Technique, but they can silently influence a person’s mind.
No matter how I looked at that line of words, what I saw was my name.
If my name were Zhang San, I would have seen ’Zhang San.’ If it were Li Si, I would have seen ’Li Si’."
"You suspected me over such a tiny flaw?"
The alluring woman’s image on the Human Skin Evil Book began to change, her expression twisting into anger and a trace of disbelief.
"Of course not. The real reason I grew suspicious of you is because I actually know the ’Valley Spirit Scripture’."
Chen Yuan grinned, but his smile held a hint of mockery. "You Evil Book, you do have some skill. You actually managed to deduce a few classic lines from the ’Valley Spirit Scripture.’
Too bad the rest was completely wrong. It was utter nonsense.
You don’t know the ’Valley Spirit Scripture’ at all. You were just trying to lure me into sacrificing various Cultivation Technique Manuals.
Even if I had sacrificed all those Cultivation Technique Manuals, you wouldn’t have given me the ’Valley Spirit Scripture’ in the end. It would have probably been some bizarre and sinister Secret Technique!
I bet Guan Tianming ended up in his current state because he believed your pack of lies!"
This Human Skin Evil Book was incredibly strange. It was sentient and could communicate. Plus, it called out his name right from the start, which really did make it seem like the legendary Luofu Celestial Book.
But it never could have imagined that the ’Valley Spirit Scripture’ had already been obtained by Chen Yuan. Its disguise was completely exposed.
The drawing on the Human Skin Evil Book transformed. The alluring woman tore off her own human skin, revealing a hideous ghoul that sneered at Chen Yuan.
"I never thought a Cultivation Technique like the ’Valley Spirit Scripture,’ lost for thousands of years, would actually reappear in the world. I miscalculated.
No matter. I’ve gathered more than enough ’ink’ here. It’s time to move on."
The Human Skin Evil Book snapped shut, and a comical ghost face appeared on its cover, grinning grotesquely at Chen Yuan.
"Trying to escape?"
Chen Yuan snorted coldly. He raised his hand, and the Heaven-Burning Destruction Sword Qi surged mightily toward the evil book.
Though this thing certainly wasn’t the Luofu Celestial Book, it possessed human-like intelligence and was cunning and treacherous. Even if it wasn’t a Divine Artifact Demon Soldier on the same level as the Luofu Celestial Book, it was by no means an ordinary object.
Chen Yuan intended to capture it and show it to Mr. Bei and the others to see if they could identify its origins.
But at that exact moment, every Array in the hall activated at once. The boundless radiance of the Arrays surged toward Chen Yuan, threatening to envelop him.
These weren’t actually offensive Arrays, but some kind of refining Array, and a high-level one at that.
The power of these Arrays erupted instantly, their might incredibly astonishing as they enveloped Chen Yuan in a flash.
With blood-red flames that seemed to burn the sky, Chen Yuan instantly pushed his Blood Fiend Power to its absolute limit, forcefully resisting the violent impact of the Arrays.
More than a dozen breaths later, the roaring Array Power finally dissipated.
When he looked around the hall again, there was no trace of the Human Skin Evil Book to be found.
Chen Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly. He hadn’t expected to be fooled by a book.
’The Human Skin Evil Book must have stayed here after Guan Tianming left to wait for the next person, to bewitch them into collecting Cultivation Techniques for it.’
’But it was cautious and had prepared an escape route in advance. It probably had Guan Tianming set up these Arrays but left itself a hidden backdoor to control them.’
’The moment it realized something was wrong, it immediately triggered the Arrays to cover its own escape.’
Chen Yuan searched the main hall but found nothing of value. He did, however, find a secret underground passage. This must be where the Sun-piercing Sword was suppressed.
Chen Yuan leaped directly inside. About fifteen minutes later, back on the rubble-strewn floor, a single green brick suddenly stood up on its end. Its color shifted and changed, and it transformed back into the Human Skin Evil Book.