Translator: CinderTL
Before long, everyone had received their punishment. Remarkably, no one vanished today, and two new individuals had even joined the group—a cause for cautious celebration.
The newcomers sat beside Xu Sanyan, having also endured their beating. Since they hadn't been late, their punishment was limited to three strikes each.
The old teacher settled into his wooden chair and resumed his lecture from yesterday, meticulously dissecting the "Six Arts of the Gentleman" with clarity and precision. His teaching was truly impressive: clear, concise, and easy to understand, making the complex concepts effortless for Xu Sanyan to grasp.
Xu Sanyan's gaze flickered to the panel hovering before him. If he dismissed it, he would lose consciousness, becoming no different from the others.
The "Mystical Arts" section of the panel had undergone significant changes:
[Mystical Arts: Blood Demon Corpse Refining Method (Mid Stage), Life Coffin Technique (Entry Level), Soul Condensation Technique (Uninitiated), Yin-Yang Union Technique (Uninitiated)...]
Several other mystical arts were listed as well, such as corpse refining methods, gu cultivation techniques, and more. Detailed instructions on selecting suitable corpses and nurturing gu insects were vividly imprinted in his mind.
If this book were to be taken outside, it would undoubtedly ignite a fierce competition among countless individuals. A single volume could serve as the very foundation for establishing an entire sect.
Adopting a "since I'm here, might as well make the best of it" attitude, Xu Sanyan figured he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, so he resolved to focus on his studies. Thus, while others rushed to sleep after school, Xu Sanyan diligently completed his assignments.
Xu Sanyan never imagined he would become the kind of person he used to despise, now caught in the very cycle of relentless competition he had sworn to avoid.
A month passed swiftly. During this time, Xu Sanyan absorbed over a hundred soul fragments and experienced the fragmented memories of countless individuals. Yet the most vivid and haunting recollection remained the incident involving the woman being... violated.
This would forever cast a shadow over his life, one he could never shake off.
One morning, as the group lined up to enter the school, Xu Sanyan's towering height made him stand out like a crane among chickens, a giant among the children surrounding him.
Having regained his normal stature, Xu Sanyan's growth ceased. Instead, his body began to solidify, his muscles becoming increasingly defined and powerful. This marked a transformation from mere quantity to true quality.
Moreover, the school, which had initially housed around twenty students, had seen several disappearances and mysterious new arrivals over the past month. Despite these fluctuations, the overall number of students had actually increased.
After finishing his studies, Xu Sanyan closed his eyes tightly, his mind flooded with images. The first memory fragment that surfaced was of a child.
He didn't know whose childhood memory this was, yet it remained vivid even now.
In the scene, the child squatted outside a crude thatched hut, playing with mud. Suddenly, sounds erupted from inside.
"Honey, just a little bit... please?" the man pleaded anxiously.
"Go away! The child's still outside..." The woman's voice was laced with feigned reluctance, clearly hinting at her own desire.
The man chuckled knowingly. "Please? Just once, it'll be quick..."
After a moment of silence, the woman replied with a hint of wistfulness, "Can't you slow down? You're always finished before I even feel anything..."
The child quietly rose, his curiosity piqued by his parents' activities inside. He crept to the corner of the hut and peered through a gap in the thatched window.
He saw his father hastily stripping his mother's clothes, revealing her slightly rough skin.
The child's eyes widened in a mixture of confusion and intense curiosity. He covered his mouth, his eyes wide with shock...
Xu Sanyan stood with his eyes closed, observing the memory fragments unfolding in his mind. The old man's silent gaze swept over him, his thoughts unreadable.
The scene shattered abruptly. Xu Sanyan sighed inwardly. Too fast. Each memory fragment lasted only a fleeting moment, and in that brief instant, the man had already begun pulling up his trousers.
A second fragment immediately followed. Xu Sanyan's heart skipped a beat. Did they connect?
No, it didn't connect to the previous scene. Instead, it linked to the earlier memory of the young man being chased by the spider.
After the golden Small Bell restrained the spider, the youth visibly relaxed. He turned toward the edge of the forest as a crimson figure gracefully emerged—Qin Manyang herself!
An inexplicable emotion stirred within Xu Sanyan, one he couldn't quite articulate. It felt like watching a perfectly normal movie only to have your second aunt suddenly appear in a kissing scene with a stranger.
The timing of this memory fragment was unclear, making it impossible to determine when it occurred.
The youth clasped his hands in gratitude, his face a mix of relief and deep appreciation. "Thank you, immortal maiden, for saving my life."
Qin Manyang had shed her earlier vivacious demeanor, replaced by an aloofness. She nodded curtly, casually flicked her wrist, and the Small Bell floated into the air, gradually shrinking until it landed in her palm.
The spider shrank along with the bell, perhaps having already been refined.
Xu Sanyan was stunned. Could the bell truly possess such power?
Earlier, when his Blood Demon had been enveloped by the bell, it had only suffered minor superficial injuries after a prolonged struggle. He didn't believe his Blood Demon was stronger than this spider. It seemed Qin Manyang had deliberately held back.
"A mere Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator dares to venture into Ten Thousand Demons Mountain?" Qin Manyang glanced at him with icy indifference.
The youth sighed helplessly. "I was forced here. I only seek refuge within the Harmonious Heart Holy Sect."
The vision ended there.
Xu Sanyan pondered silently. The youth's words revealed that the Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect operated within Ten Thousand Demons Mountain. Qin Manyang's presence there suggested she might also be a member of this demonic sect.
The third vision materialized immediately. Xu Sanyan froze—he was staring at himself!
From the observer's perspective, Xu Sanyan lay on a bamboo bed reading, while the observer stood quietly outside the bedroom, watching him intently.
This must be... the old gentleman's perspective!
He hadn't expected his soul fragments to manifest in these visions.
But why was the old gentleman staring at him?
Suddenly, the old man in the vision moved his lips, muttering in an almost inaudible whisper, barely audible even to himself: "Take the discipline ruler when you leave, or you won't escape."
Boom!
Xu Sanyan's mind exploded with a thunderous shock. A tingling electric sensation surged from the depths of his divine soul, jolting his body and leaving him utterly astonished.
He's talking to me! Xu Sanyan thought. The old man is definitely talking to me!
He wants me to take the discipline ruler when I leave!
To communicate in such a way...
But why couldn't he just tell me directly?
Unless...
He's restricted too!
Perhaps he's forbidden from directly interacting with students, forcing him to convey his message through indirect means?
The vision shattered. Xu Sanyan slowly opened his eyes and instinctively glanced at the old man. For the first time, a faint ripple disturbed the man's usually impassive gaze.
Xu Sanyan knew: he knew. He knew Xu Sanyan had witnessed the memory fragment.
With a barely perceptible nod, Xu Sanyan subtly signaled his compliance with the request.
Only then did the old man speak, "Take your seat."
Xu Sanyan pressed his lips together and wordlessly sat down.
This old man... he didn't seem to belong here. He seemed more like one of them—those who had stumbled into this place by accident.
Perhaps he too dreams of escaping one day?
(End of the Chapter)
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