Chapter 171: Catastrophic Blessing
The next floor was the exact same as the two before it; the floors, lights, counter, they were all the same, identical.
Jacob walked deeper into the third floor. There was only one thing that was different, each book on this floor seemed to glow from the inside, oddly so. Even though the halls also looked endless, Jacob already had the feeling that what would be done on this particular floor would not entail reading only.
He walked up to the counter, which as he guess, presented him another piece of paper.
"Welcome to the third floor of the Library of Life. You have left the Hall of Skills and Ascended to the Hall of Souls. Every bookshelf contains sealed souls, from Legendary Cultivators, To Ancient Sages, in any era, any universe!"
The instruction from the last two floors wasn’t displayed on the piece of paper so Jacob assumed that he’d have to search on his own.
Jacob dropped the paper on the table and walked through the aisle, he ran his fingers on the shelves as each book glowed from the inside, carefully placed so that the souls do not escape.
’Kinda smart, placing them like this.’ He thought as he walked through, he finally reached one, the title read: Immortal Sect Cultivator.
The title piqued his interest and he decided to see what soul(s) such a book held.
He opened the book, and was immediately hit with a blinding light. It was so bright that Jacob gasped and dropped the book to the ground, open. He used his hand to cover his eyes as the brightness slowly reduced.
A tendril of light began seeping out of the book slowly, slowly forming into a figure sitting directly before him.
"Greetings young master." A very large man with a long white beard and mustache sat in a lotus position before him, smiling.
"Immortal sect cultivator, you’re supposed to be immortal, what happened." Jacob asked.
"You are not wrong young master. So many people have asked this question for millenia and I’ve never been able to tell them a direct answer haha." The man said, pausing after his laugh.
"Why is that though?" Jacob asked.
"But I can tell you one thing though." The man continued as though Jacob had not asked him a question. Making Jacob feel as though this were a recording, rather than an organic conversation. The man wore something resembling a kimono and a V-shaped had made entirely of straw.
These clothes suggested that he was from a more ancient time.
Jacob kept quiet, he didn’t say anything.
After a moment of silence, the man responded. "Well if you won’t say anything. I’ll just tell you. Nobody is truly immortal. True Immortality stems from within. Which is why my soul is still avle to communicate with you till this day. This was the reason I spent a thousand years in the Matapan caves, cultivating my Qi to the peak of my powers.
"Out of everybody in my sect, I was the only one to achieve true immortality." The man concluded, his voice calm and serene just like the environment that surrounded them.
"How come the immortal sect does not exist any longer?" Jacob followed up with another question.
"Because of the same reason I have told you. There are no real immortals of the flesh. Cultivation only grants longevity in this world, not immortality.
The Immortal sect was the first sect ever created. It was created by the first cultivators, which I am a part off. The first sprouting of the World Tree created a shockwave that affected the entire world as we know it. People began to develop powers, the world was plunged into chaos, the weak devoured by the strong. It wasn’t until the Immortal sect was created, that balance was restored.
"The immortal sect contained all sorts of people—races—United by cultivation. It was created to show people that unity was achievable. That we did not have to fight each other.
"And it was very peaceful under our reign, cultivation made us believe that immortality was achievable, we started feeling as though we would rule forever. How Tragic.
"I had to separate myself, and go on my own journey. It was not easy, but here I am. What about you Young Master, what is your story?"
After the kind speech and backstory on the immortal sect that this strange man had just bestowed on Jacob, the young man placed his hand on his chin.
’So human immortality is a myth.’ He mused, realizing this meant that his family would die one day. The realization hit him like a hard thump in his abdomen. His chest tightened.
"I’m just a regular prince." Jacob responded to the question, tightening his fists hard as thoughts flashed through his mind.
The strange man burst into laughter, ince that sounded a tad maniacal, he almost rolled on the ground with how hard he laughed.
"Do you think I’m stupid boy? Even a child would be able to notice that bright light you carry in you. You carry a divine—no—catastrophic blessing that most would want to possess. You have no need to be modest about it." The man said. "I am Yue, it is nice to meet you Jacob Ironfell, I am at your service."
The man bowed as he sat in a lotus position, placing his palms together as he gave reverence to Jacob, who was confused.
"How did you know my name?" Jacob inquired.
"The Library told me." Yue smiled, he had a smile that reminded Jacob of Xenia, reassuring and unwavering.
For the past few days he had seen Xenia’s smile waver in ways he didn’t even think was possible so he had to rethink that comparison.
Jacob started to feel like he was being interviewed at some point, so he just closed the book, causing the man to disappear. That was how easy it was to deal and unseal these souls.
He got up and began walking through he aisle again, he could spare enough time to talk to one or two more souls.