If you asked Xue Hui whether he had ever thought his life would take so many wild twists and turns, he would answer you with a firm no.
it was impossible in the first place. Not only did he lack the innate talent to become an expert, but he was also someone who preferred to stay out of trouble.
So when his life suddenly took a sharp turn and pushed him into a situation he had never imagined, he simply went with it and took things in stride.
That was how Xue Hui managed to face all the crazy things life threw at him.
But this? This was way beyond crazy.
Xue Hui stared at a scroll in his hands, it was a neat-looking scroll made from the fine leather of an unknown beast, adorned with gold and silver patterns along its edges.
Intrigued, Xue Hui opened the scroll and read the title.
[MOTHER TONGUE OF THE EIGHT BEASTS]
Based on the description beneath the title, once successfully comprehended this technique, one would be able to understand every language ever created since the birth of existence.
Xue Hui had a bad feeling about why this scroll was the first one that had fallen into his hands.
Looking around, he could see countless scrolls and books all over the place, neatly arranged on shelves, varying in thickness and size.
"What even is this place, anyway?"
The last thing he remembered was holding Chen Linlin in his embrace. They had stared at each other for one final time, then heard the roar of the beast behind them, and everything went dark.
When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the ruined mansion. Instead, he found himself in some kind of library. He wasn't exactly sure where he was, but books filled every corner of his vision.
Then panic rose in his heart.
He realized that Chen Linlin was no longer with him.
Xue Hui rose to his feet and began calling out to her, hoping she would respond.
But all he could hear was his own echo.
Xue Hui tried to run and look for her, only to reach some kind of barrier preventing him from leaving a certain area.
As he tried to push his way through, information suddenly rushed into his mind.
This place was called the [CREATION ORIGIN ANCESTRAL MANUAL].
all the books and scrolls contained the knowledge left behind by supreme experts who had entered this space and become authors.
The reason he was here was because he had died, and his soul had been transferred into the space of the [CREATION ORIGIN ANCESTRAL MANUAL].
he could only move within his designated area. Only after mastering the scroll in his hands would that area expand. The more knowledge he accumulated, the more books and scrolls would become available for him to study.
the only way out was by mastering all the knowledge left behind by every author.
Xue Hui's knees buckled from the sheer amount of information that had flooded his mind, his stomach churning at the monumental task before him.
Among all the information, only one thing kept repeating in his mind.
Chen Linlin was dead.
He had died, which also meant that Chen Linlin had died with him.
Tears flowed down Xue Hui's cheeks. Even though he had long prepared himself for the day Chen Linlin would finally succumb to her illness, he still couldn't help feeling pain when it actually happened.
He could only feel endless pity for his friend. Chen Linlin didn't deserve all the pain and suffering she had endured.
Xue Hui ended up sprawled on the floor, his mind drifting through memories of the time he had spent with Chen Linlin.
Until one day, something snapped inside his soul.
He sat up and looked at the scroll.
With bloodshot eyes, he opened it and began reading.
"I can get out of here if I read all the books in this place, right?"
Xue Hui read the [MOTHER TONGUE OF THE EIGHT BEASTS] as though his life depended on it.
But even after finishing the entire scroll, nothing happened.
He tried walking toward a nearby book to see if his designated area had expanded, but it hadn't. Nothing had changed, not even a little.
Xue Hui looked at the scroll again and tried to remember the rules regarding these scrolls.
It said he needed to master the scroll, not merely read through it. He needed to understand and comprehend the knowledge written within it.
Xue Hui groaned in annoyance. He glared at the scroll long enough to bore a hole through it.
"Sigh! I guess I have no other choice," he muttered before returning to his reading.
"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"
Xue Hui threw the scroll away. He had been reading the same damned thing for days now, yet nothing had come of it. He simply couldn't comprehend the intent hidden within the scroll.
Sighing in defeat, he walked over, picked it up again, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes while reciting every word from memory, trying to grasp the profound truths hidden within.
Many years passed before Xue Hui finally opened his eyes.
He set down the scroll and watched as the boundaries of his designated area expanded.
He had finally comprehended the [MOTHER TONGUE OF THE EIGHT BEASTS] to its fullest extent and could now understand every language that had been created since the beginning of life.
It had only taken him a freaking hundred years to do so.
Xue Hui wanted to vomit blood from the sheer amount of studying he had done just to comprehend that damned scroll.
He walked to the nearest bookshelf and picked up the first book that caught his eye.
[All Known Diseases in the Smaller Worlds]
Xue Hui had been eyeing this book ever since he had gained enough comprehension of the [MOTHER TONGUE OF THE EIGHT BEASTS] to read its title.
Taking the book, he sat on the floor and began reading.
Close!
"This doesn't make any sense!"
Xue Hui finished the entire book and comprehended all its contents. The book showed signs of being completed, yet he couldn't find the exact illness that had afflicted Chen Linlin.
Thanks to the [MOTHER TONGUE OF THE EIGHT BEASTS], Xue Hui was one hundred percent certain that none of the diseases listed in the book matched Chen Linlin's condition. This book cataloged nearly every disease known to exist within smaller worlds like theirs.
Xue Hui stood up and searched the surrounding bookshelves. His heart pounded furiously as he looked for a specific title.
If his guess was correct, then...
Xue Hui's eyes flashed with realization as he pulled out a particular book and began reading its contents.
THUD!
The bookshelf in front of him shook violently after Xue Hui's fist slammed into it.
"BASTARD!"
Xue Hui roared in anger, through gritted teeth. He threw another punch, splitting the skin on his fist before it healed moments later.
He had finally discovered the cause of his friend's illness.
"I swear, I will find you, whoever you are. If not in this lifetime, then in my next. And when I do, I'll return all the pain and suffering you inflicted upon Linlin a hundredfold!"
Xue Hui roared at the top of his lungs. Veins bulged across his forehead, and his fists clenched so tightly they turned pale.
He had guessed correctly.
It wasn't a disease.
It was poison.
Someone out there had the heart to inflict such a cruel poison upon a little girl.
All those years, Linlin had suffered because somebody had poisoned her.
Xue Hui repeatedly read every page concerning that poison, memorizing every detail, including its cure.
He knew it was too late, but he couldn't help himself.
He needed to know everything about that poison.
Perhaps deep down, this was simply his way of coping with the loss of his friend.
Xue Hui spent most of his time reading and comprehending the books and scrolls within the [CREATION ORIGIN ANCESTRAL MANUAL].
Some books even allowed practical training by summoning the necessary materials and equipment required to practice their contents.
Inscription materials, alchemy ingredients, and even martial arts sparring partners could all be summoned for physical training.
The more books and scrolls Xue Hui comprehended, the more knowledgeable he became, allowing him to gain a deeper understanding of the theories and concepts within them.
At first, Xue Hui needed hundreds of years to comprehend a single work.
But now, he only needed a week or two to finish an ordinary book and anywhere from half a year to a full year for the most difficult ones.
More time passed.
A dignified young man could now be seen strolling leisurely toward the lone altar within the space of the [CREATION ORIGIN ANCESTRAL MANUAL].
His eyes carried an indescribable glint of intelligence, as though he held all the answers in the universe.
Xue Hui had long since given up keeping track of how much time he had spent inside this space. He had lost count after reaching the twenty-thousand-year mark.
But he had done it.
He had read every book and scroll left behind by the supreme experts before him.
Every one of them except a single green scroll.
The scroll suspiciously resembled the birthmark on his chest.
Walking toward the altar, Xue Hui still couldn't believe he had actually managed to read everything within this space.
His hand reached into a hidden pocket within his robes. Feeling the outline of the book concealed there eased some of his anxiety.
Based on the information he had received, once he finished reading every book and scroll, he would be able to leave this place. All that remained was the final scroll resting upon the altar.
Stepping onto the altar's stairs, Xue Hui suddenly felt a jolt from within his robes.
With lightning-fast reflexes, he immediately grabbed the poison book he always kept on his person.
The book was trying to fly away.
He stared at it before looking back at the altar and instantly understood.
He wasn't allowed to bring the book with him.
Although Xue Hui had already memorized every word within it, he still kept it close.
As much as he hated to admit it, the poison book had become his only companion within this mysterious and lonely place.
He even talked to it more often than he spoke to the summoned sparring partners, despite the latter is more capable of responding.
Xue Hui knew he had unconsciously associated the book with Linlin and wanted to keep it close, just as he and Chen Linlin had stayed by each other's side all those years ago.
But now, it seemed the book wished to part with him and return to where it belonged.
Taking a trembling breath, Xue Hui released the book and watched it fly back toward its original shelf.
He then turned back to the scroll resting upon the altar, walked forward, and picked it up.
[CREATION ORIGIN ANCESTRAL MANUAL]
In the beginning of everything, there was only nothingness, until a seed was born and sprouted into a magnificent tree.
From this tree, two fruits were borne, and each became the first sentient being in existence.
The ORIGIN GOD OF LIGHT
and
The ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS.
The two beings gazed upon the emptiness and decided to fill the void.
The ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS flew to the top of the tree, plucked its leaves, and scattered them throughout the void.
Thus were created the universe, the stars, the suns, and the countless worlds.
The ORIGIN GOD OF LIGHT felt that something was still missing, so it flew forth and trimmed all eight branches of the tree.
Thus were born the Eight Ancestral Beasts.
Over time, the Eight Ancestral Beasts filled the worlds with life.
Seeing the once-empty void now overflowing with life, the two ORIGIN GODS decided to cut down the remaining trunk of the tree and divide it in two.
The ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS received the roots, the portion containing the greatest amount of heavenly energy.
With a flick of a finger, the roots transformed into pure heavenly energy and spread throughout existence, allowing all living creatures to harness its power.
The ORIGIN GOD OF LIGHT took the remaining trunk and split it into three pieces.
Two of those pieces were forged into Origin Treasures and gifted to the ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS.
The final piece remained in the possession of the ORIGIN GOD OF LIGHT.
Life prospered for hundreds of thousands of years.
Until everything was consumed by darkness.
The ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS began destroying everything they had created.
With the aid of the Origin Treasures, the ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS slew all the Ancestral Beasts and shattered countless worlds.
The ORIGIN GOD OF LIGHT fought against the ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS to stop the destruction and suffered a fatal injury.
Before its death, the ORIGIN GOD OF LIGHT banished the ORIGIN GOD OF DARKNESS into the void, saving what remained of life.
With its final breath, the ORIGIN GOD OF LIGHT took the last piece of the trunk and used all its remaining power to create a scroll.
The [CREATION ORIGIN ANCESTRAL MANUAL].
It was then entrusted to a mortal for safekeeping.
"I can only delay the destruction of life. I cannot completely stop it. Take this and learn from it. With it, you may yet save your kind."
...
Xue Hui's entire body trembled after reading the contents of the scroll.
He had yet to fully process everything when a burning sensation spread throughout his body.
Then everything turned white.
Instinctively, Xue Hui closed his eyes.
"P-promise me you won't leave my side, Hui-Hui."
Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a familiar sight.
It was dark, but a ray of moonlight illuminated the face of someone he had thought he would never see again.
'Linlin!?'
End of Chapter 4