Looking around, Rui found that only this jade slip was placed inside a glass jar, seemingly there for a reason.
His curiosity getting the better of him, he pulled the glass jar open, grabbing the jade slip inside with caution and slowly inspecting it.
There wasn’t any dust on it; it was as clean as humanly possible.
“Is it because it was inside the jar?” He thought while sliding his fingers over the engravings.
It was incredibly smooth and cold to the touch. He could feel a bit of energy sipping through his pores as he touched it.
Surprisingly, he couldn’t see any energy fluctuations near this jade slip; it was like a void of energy, repelling energy that came close to a certain area in a spherical shape.
He used identify on it.
[Spirit Jade Slip
Tier: Low-Heavenly grade
Recording: Heavenly Demon Mantra Rune-gathering Method.
Description: A low level Heavenly grade spiritual jade slip created approximately ten millenniums ago. It was created by a cultivator that went by the nickname of Heavenly Demon. The method is inherently demonic.
Contains only the Rune Gathering stage method.]
Reading the description, Rui became shocked. He couldn’t understand how a demonic skill was here. Who would put such a rare artifact in a library for new students?
Feeling his hands go limp, Rui almost dropped it in panic. This artifact was probably more valuable than a high-grade rune master, despite being only for the beginner stage of cultivation. It could be used as study material for developing new cultivation methods.
Not sure what he should do, he placed it down and sat cross-legged.
After five minutes of thinking, he got up and shouted.
“Fuck it!”
Grabbing the jade slip and inserting energy into it
This jade slip was basically a higher-quality version of the projection stone. He had nothing to lose, and he had already touched it; there was nothing he could do if he was found out.
“If you are going to do something, see it through!” He chanted while awaiting the information.
[Alert!]
[Item, “heavenly demon mantra” has come into contact with the user.]
[Checking compatibility with user.]
[Compatibility rating at 98.5%]
[Spirit jade slip is of extremely high quality, checking skill]
[Skill “Heavenly Demon Mantra” is a low-Heavenly grade cultivation method.]
[Analyzing skill]
[Analysis complete]
[Result: Heavenly Demon Mantra is a demonic Method, System does not recommend cultivation.]
[Recalculating]
[”Heavenly Demon Mantra” has been completely analyzed, analysis of the “Heavenly Demon Mantra” has upgraded the system’s methods.]
[Integration of the updated skill will now commence]
[Integration successful]
[Calibrating]
[”Heavenly Runic Mantra” Has been created by combining the methods of the system and the “Heavenly Demon Mantra”]
[Confirming]
[Calculating]
[”Heavenly Runic Mantra” is a High-Earth grade cultivation method designed specifically for the user. It doesn’t belong to any path of cultivation.]
Rui was staring in awe as a large number of system windows continuously appeared at a rapid pace. It seemed that the method that the system had given him was specifically tailored to him.
Encountering the “Heavenly Demon Mantra” brought unbelievable benefits, but he couldn’t help but worry that this was too coincidental.
He found a heavenly-grade cultivation method by just searching through a small room hidden away inside the library. This was just too lucky, and he already knew that his luck was horrible; it was displayed as a number after all.
“There must be a reason.” He thought while pondering.
Just as he was in deep thought, the slip in his hand started glowing a resplendent gold color.
In shock, he almost threw it on the ground but paused as the system windows appeared.
[User possesses the Heavenly Rune physique. The “heavenly Demon Mantra” has chosen user as the future successor.]
[Confirming]
[User possesses a demonic personality path, can be influenced by the “Heavenly Demon Mantra”.]
[The “heavenly Demon Mantra” is trying to make the user fall into the demonic path.]
[Calculating]
[The system has taken precautions against any invading attack, user is safe]
[Calculating]
[User will not fall into the control of the “Heavenly Demon Mantra”. User is safe to accept the Inheritance.]
[Mental message wishes to be sent into user's mind; do you accept?]
[{Accept} / {Reject}]
Rui was stunned by the number of consistent messages.
It felt like this phenomenon had become a normal occurrence at this point.
After pondering it over for a bit, Rui hit accept. He had nothing to lose and more to gain since the system said he wouldn’t fall prey to any attack, nor would he fall into the demonic path.
The system had given him an Orthodox method tailored for him; he didn’t need to cultivate the “heavenly demon mantra,” nor did he think of cultivating it, but thought that the mantra accepting him as a successor was probably an opportunity. The faster he could become stronger, the better.
He wasn’t particularly power-hungry but wanted the best for his family. If it weren’t for them, he would have never known true filial piety.
He suddenly felt a large amount of information pouring into his head, a splitting headache ensuing, and a feeling like his brain was getting cut to pieces.
After a while, the pain subsided, and the information contained inside the jade slip was all transmitted to his mental sea.
The mental sea was a concept used by cultivators as a place where they stored all their knowledge and could access that knowledge at any time they wished. It was basically a mental library. Being a cultivator really was a cheat.
“If I had this ability back in my school days, I would have spent more time reading novels and playing around.”
Just as he was recalling the past and reminiscing, a small black snake slithered out of the jade slip, directly coiling towards his leg.
Rui became shocked, trying to shake it off his leg with force; however, it didn’t budge and squeezed tighter.
"Please, master, don’t shoo me; I swear I won’t do anything bad; please calm down!”
Rui’s motions suddenly ceased as he looked around in disbelief before promptly looking down at the snake.
Their eyes locked as the snake tried to look as kind as possible, bearing an adorable expression.
“Have I actually gone insane? Where did this snake come from, and is it talking to me? What the fuck did that Heavenly Demon Mantra do to me?”
Whispered Rui as he rubbed his glabella in disbelief. His eyes looked at the snake with a questioning gaze.
Hearing his words, the snake promptly raised its head slightly, its small tongue flicking in and out.
“Master, don’t worry, the mantra did nothing to you! How could it harm its master?”
Said the snake proudly.
Rui reached out his hand and grabbed the snake by its head. The snake didn’t resist, clearly being extremely docile.
“What are you, and why are you calling me master?”
Asked Rui in bewilderment.
“I’m a rune spirit created by the creator of the heavenly demon mantra. Each new master of the heavenly demon mantra becomes my master.”
Explained the snake in a comprehensive way, pride lingering in its voice.
“So, what you are basically saying is that I’ve become the master of the Heavenly Demon Mantra, so I have become your master?”
The snake nodded in agreement. Rui almost scoffed.
'This is the benefit I got after risking accepting the mental message?'
Rui thought.
“Since Master was chosen by the Heavenly Demon Mantra, not even the heavens could change that fate. You probably coincidentally found the jade slip; that is the heavenly demon mantra’s power of fate.”
Rui looked in amazement at the little snake. He didn’t know that even artifacts could spout such bullshit.
“Wasn’t this a demonic method? What is the power of fate? Even if your words are true, I’m not even going to cultivate them!” Mused Rui.
Of course, he didn’t say those words out loud, but he really wanted to.
At least he had gotten a spiritual artifact from this interaction; after all, it was a spiritual artifact. Even if it was the lowest grade, it would be a unique item coveted by many; artifacts with consciousness were even rarer.
A spiritual artifact is exactly as its name suggests; even mortals knew of them, though they called them immortal artifacts.
Seeing that the snake had nothing else to say, he placed the jade slip back in its spot and tried to make it look like he hadn’t touched it.
Looking around, he found a random method and picked it. He didn’t really care what method it was, but to make sure it was at least decent, he looked it through and found it rather good. After being satisfied with his pick, he was about to head out.
“Hey little guy, can others see you?”
“They cannot see my current form, but they will be able to see my true form.”
“Your true form? What is your true form?”
“It's an earring master.”
“Show me”
The snake nodded, its body becoming ethereal and slowly disappearing; in its place, a golden half-moon earring was left.
Grabbing the earring in his hand, Rui placed it inside his clothes and asked.
“Can you still communicate in that state?”
"Yes, master, as this is my true form, this form is better for me. The form of the snake was taken so that I could move around.”
“Do you possess any other abilities?”
“My true form might be an earring, but as a spiritual artifact, I have many functions.”
“What sort of abilities do you have?”
“I can unleash special energy attacks when used along with the Heavenly Demon Mantra. I can also protect Master from harm by erecting a barrier.”
After hearing its words, Rui somewhat understood their uses.
Just as he was about to walk outside the room, he realized that he had forgotten to ask an important question.
“What do I call you?”
“The original master named me Yue, master.”
“Good, Yue, you are now my companion. I hope that this bond won’t end miserably. Just so you know, I will be on guard against you.”
“I’m the master's loyal companion to death.”
After saying those words, another system prompt appeared.
[Warning!]
[User has made a bond with a spiritual artifact.]
[Bonding contract has been successfully created; the artifact cannot betray the master.]
[artifact rating is of low-Heavenly grade.]
[calculating loyalty to user]
[Loyalty is at 60, the level of trust a child has for its parents.]
[System recommends user deepens the bond with spiritual artifact]
Rui looked at the system with shining eyes. It looked like “Yue” was speaking the truth. This made his mind slightly more at ease, as the system is far more trustworthy than just words.
However, he still had some cautiousness toward the system. He had no idea what it actually was or why it was connected to him.
Just to make sure that the system was correct, he used the identification on the golden half-moon earring.
[Heavenly Moon, Yue
Tier: Low-Heavenly grade.
Fighting grade: low-Human Grade.
Master: Guang Rui
Abilities: Moon Shield, Moon Slash, Weak Regeneration.
Description: A spiritual artifact created by the Heavenly Demon when writing down his cultivation method. It does not possess a lot of power and most of its grade comes from the almost indestructible material it is made out of. The only useful function is its information.]
Rui almost tripped as he read through the description.
“What the hell is this? This thing is basically useless! Fuck!” Cursed Rui inside.
His luck was truly horrible. He found a so-called “heavenly grade” method, but it was demonic. Thankfully, the system upgraded the methods it already had by analyzing them.
Afterwards, he was chosen as the successor of that so-called demonic method, but the only thing he received was a spiritual artifact that was basically useless. At least he hoped that the information would be useful.
Taking a few more strides, he once again arrived at the center of the library. The elderly keeper was still explaining things to Xiong Liliang. Noticing that Rui had come out, a smirk appeared on his wrinkled face.
He turned towards Rui and asked.
“Did you find anything to your liking?”
"Ah, yes, here it is, elder.”
Said Rui, giving the jade slip over to the elderly keeper.
Taking the slip, the elderly keeper inspected it, nodded, and then gave it back to Rui. An evil glint appeared in his eyes for a split second before promptly being hidden, Rui being unable to notice it.
“Great, this is indeed a good method. You can take it and leave now.”
Rui took the slip back and said goodbye to the elder and Xiong Liliang, leaving the library.
Returning to his quarters, he took a deep breath to calm himself down.
He felt that all the energy in his body had left him. Conversation with the elderly keeper put him under a lot of stress, even though it was probably his own imagination.
Sighing, he glanced over at the transformed snake. He wasn’t sure how to treat this new artifact of his since it was, in fact, sentient. Thankfully, it would obey any of his commands, like it was a part of his body. He had already tested its abilities, but he was unable to do so since he hadn’t even cultivated the “heavenly demon mantra” to begin with and wouldn’t do so anyway.
It wasn’t like its fighting power would be anything amazing anyway.
In the library, he had read through [the introduction to artifact grades] by scholar Li Fang, a well-known artifact lover. Thankfully, the library contained such knowledge for new rune masters; of course, it was only limited to introductory knowledge, as access to deeper levels would be required to get more detailed information.
The grades of artifacts that everyone acknowledged were: human, spectral, earthly, heavenly, and supreme.
However, there were differences between grades as well, from low, to mid, to high, to peak grade artifacts. The system of alchemy followed the same grading as well.
He was glad that he read through books on introductory knowledge while at the library; otherwise, he would still be ignorant of what he had learned.
He remembered that the pill he had ingested after the first test was of earthly grade. The academy truly didn’t spare any effort for its students.
Opening the skill tree window, he found that the cultivation methods of the system had changed icons, having a more polished appearance. It was clear that the skills had been upgraded, but he was still restricted to the first level, and the number of levels didn’t change, still being twelve.
Honestly speaking, he didn’t even need to go find a method for cultivation in the library since the system already provided him with one. Thankfully, even though he had a luck stat of 1, Lady Luck smiled upon him, giving him an upgrade to his cultivation method.
Clicking on the first level of the skill, he expected it to activate, but what he found was a large amount of text and ways to move energy through his body in a weird pose. He became slightly confused as he posed himself and meditated, following the methods shown.
The methods didn’t include anything else important, just a very basic and understandable path to follow.
His energy flowed freely throughout his meridians, not being blocked in any way. It went exactly as the method entailed and ended the same way.
After doing the cycle ten times, he stopped, feeling sore all over.
Unlike the first time he cultivated, he didn’t feel rejuvenated but rather exhausted, as if his body couldn’t handle it.
Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to do this for long; at least that’s what the method entailed. This was just the first of the steps needed to reach the rune gathering stage, which was basically the foundation where you would first create a stable source of energy in your body. It would at most take a month or two, though that depended on the cultivation method.
Everything needed a stable foundation, since if the foundation wasn’t stable, many problems could occur, just like in buildings.
If the foundation of the building isn’t stable, the house will easily collapse, especially in the face of a disaster. In the process of cultivating energy, each stage was a disaster stronger than the last.
The little snake had been observing him all the while, not disturbing him in the least.
It had its own thoughts on its new master, and truthfully, it was rather excited. It had been a few hundred years since it last had a master, and it had been rather lonely.
It was a sentient weapon after all, having even a certain amount of emotion. Since it was an artifact made by a great master, it felt arrogant and all-mighty.
It had gone through many hardships, and it finally ended up at the hands of this institution without its knowledge, as it was sealed along with the true inheritance.
The heavenly demon mantra was created by the first heavenly demon, an individual many have forgotten the true identity of. It had probably been thousands of years since he was last seen, and no one knew if he was truly alive or dead.
He was an incredibly powerful master who created his own cultivation methods that corresponded to his own talents, taking a demonic path.
Yue was instructed to keep each successor protected until they were strong enough to continue their legacy. Each individual who became a successor would be considered a part of their family. This, of course, included Rui, the new successor.
Yue had reached some conclusions after observing him.
First, Rui was different than his previous masters.
He had little trust even after the vow was made, seemingly knowing that an actual contract had been created but still keeping a distance from it.
Secondly, Rui started cultivating the methods of the Heavenly demon mantra in a different way than the others, following a somewhat changed version that kept the same core but changed it so it would be better for him, not having any demonic energy whatsoever.
Thirdly was the incoherent mumbling and self-talk his new master would rumble on, be it saying weird words that made no sense or speaking a language that was unbeknown to even him, a sentient artifact that had lived for thousands of years.
This, of course, was Rui talking to himself about the system, and he had not realized that he was in fact using English to call out the system windows.
Inside the academy library, the elderly keeper just said goodbye to Xiong Liliang, who had finally found a method that went well with him.
The amiable smile on the elderly keeper instantly became hideous as soon as Xiong Liliang and the elderly teacher outside left, with the lights inside the library turning off and darkness encompassing the area.
He smashed a table holding books as he screamed into the air.
Rushing towards the small room, he looked around and found nothing weird had happened. He sighed in slight relief as a demonic voice permeated the surroundings.
“Zhang Yun, you son of a bitch. You took advantage of the small moment I was relaxing to instruct that little kid to come here! If it weren’t for my life being on the line, I would have killed you already! Thankfully that kid didn’t take the [Heavenly Demon mantra]! It seems he found it by the looks of it, but he didn’t take it.”
He clutched his long beard and pulled strongly, almost ripping it. His eyes were bloodshot, but there was incredible clarity in his pupils. It was clear that he wasn’t in control of his body at the moment.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“I found that ancient scroll a thousand years ago and discovered it was basically an extremely evil cultivation method that would lead one to their death, even if he possessed the heavenly rune physique, however, if you become its master, you will gain a heavenly grade cultivation method tailored for the demonic path! Thankfully that kid didn’t take it or else I would be stuck here forever! That kid seems to be the new genius that Peng Liliang wanted to take as a student, right? I should find an opportunity to kill him!”
He laughed hysterically before suddenly stopping and coughing up dark blood.
“Bastard demon, you still have a grudge over that sage? Can’t you be a bit more resilient? My cultivation might be at the Rune soul stage, but it's not strong enough to hold out if you have outbursts like this so casually!”
“SHUT UP BASTARD! IF IT WEREN’T FOR ME, HOW COULD YOU EVEN REACH THE FOURTH STAGE IN YOUR MEASLY LIFE? YOU COULDN’T EVEN WALK! I CAN'T BELIEVE I’VE BEEN TRAPPED HERE FOR OVER FIVE HUNDRED YEARS THANKS TO A BASTARD LIKE YOU, HOWEVER I FINALLY FOUND A CHANCE TO HARM THAT BASTARD. AFTER I TAKE OVER YOUR BODY, I’LL FINALLY BE ABLE TO KILL HIM WITH MY HANDS!!”
“You sure are delusional, you are but a measly demon, but you still wish to kill the sage of the empire? Do you have any idea how much powerful he has gotten since the last time he defeated you? Its been over five hundred years! You think he would even think of a measly new cultivator as well? He just wants him since its convenient for him to get a good seedling. You are thinking too highly of this matter…”
“SHUT UP!!!!!”
Bellowed the demon in anger.
“Okay, okay, calm down, you are making my head hurt again. I feel bad for the kid, falling into the schemes of a demon just because of his relationship with the sage. I don’t know if this is his fate or not but it's truly miserable.”
“Hahahahaha, you fool, what pity? If it weren’t for this place suppressing my senses and my desire for killing, everyone would be dead by now! Too bad I couldn’t see what that kid was doing here.”
“Truly a demon… I will never understand how you demons think.”
“I can say the same for you humans, such useless blabber is incredible for a demon like myself. If it weren’t for that bastard, I’d have probably become an arch-demon by now and would probably be ruling over this realm!”
“You say I’m the one that blabbers useless things, while here you are being delusional. You couldn’t even defeat the sage, running with your tail between your legs, you will never get the chance! Not only that, but if you can’t even defeat the sage, then don’t even think of the rune emperors, you won’t even be able to see them with your measly strength!”
“SHUT IT, I’VE HAD ENOUGH! DON’T RUIN MY MOOD! I’M GOING INTO A SLUMBER!”
“Sure, go ahead and hide in your little turtle shell.”
Seeing that the demon didn’t respond, Zhang Yun sighed deeply and grabbed his head, vomiting blood violently on the floor.
The lights in the room finally turned back on as the systems in the library started working once more.
“Son of a bitch, you almost fucking killed me.”
He muttered as he grabbed a broom and cleaned over the blood, instantly making it disappear, like the blood was never there. At the same time, the broken table was fixed as well, as if it had never been broken.
“It's been over five hundred years since that demon possessed me; thankfully, we were able to seal him here, but I will never be able to regain my freedom. At least there are moments of peace like this, where he is in a slumber.”
Sighing, he headed towards what seemed like a small room. The inside was clean, with only a bed and a desk. He sat cross-legged and meditated, restoring his healthy expression with some effort.
He hoped that the kids in this batch wouldn’t have it rough. He truly felt pity, but he could do nothing about it. If he tried, then the demon would probably take over his body and make him unable to even speak.
He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, recalling his past.
He came from the illustrious Zhang clan. A large clan that had been in power for hundreds of years; however, he was born with the inability to walk and was disregarded for most of his life. Thankfully, he had awakened as a rune master, taking control of his life at least a bit.
“Zhang Yun! Zhang Yun! Are you still staying in the library? Don’t be such a bookworm and come out to play!” shouted a handsome youth. The distinct feature that everyone pointed out was his dual pupils and the Ansuz rune on his forehead.
A lot of people knew his story: a kid who had been blind since birth finally gained eyesight after awakening. The sage Peng Liliang
“Peng Liliang, I’ve told you many times, stop bothering me while I’m reading.” Zhang Yun responded with an amicable grin.
“Look at this guy, still being smug! Next month we will be leaving the academy, you know?”
“I know; you don’t have to tell me. That’s why I’m reading more.”
“This bookworm.”
Sighed Peng Liliang
“Enough with the reading, let's go spar!”
“Spare your head,” said Zhang Yun while launching a thick book towards his head.
Dodging the book Peng Liliang put on a cunning face and continued dodging.
Like that, they spent their days together as best friends. It was Zhang Yun’s first friend, as he was born disabled from the waist down. The only individual who talked to him like this was Peng Liliang, a youth who had gone through similar hardships.
They had spent most of their academy days together, and Zhang Yun was his only true friend.
After the academy ended, they each took different paths. He became a librarian, while Peng Liliang became a sage candidate, fighting demons, evil/demonic cultivators, and other races for humanity and his empire.
Their paths slowly became more and more far apart.
One day, however, as he was reading a book in the library, a demon appeared. Shocked by the appearance of the demon, using what little cultivation he could amass, he tried to fight back.
The demon was already heavily injured, but he still couldn’t do any damage to it. He couldn’t understand how a demon had appeared here.
The demon abandoned its body and took an ethereal form, taking over Zhang Yun’s body.
Not wanting to be taken advantage of and harm others, he chose to inform his superiors, locking himself up in a [demon and god suppression array] located inside the academy library. Since he had been a librarian his whole life, he hoped to still be able to read books.
Truthfully, he had thought of ending his life multiple times, but the demon would always resist it, having already seen through him.
However, he still couldn’t get rid of the demon, as it had merged with his body and soul. Even when Peng Liliang came over to try and eradicate it, he was unable to do so, being incredibly sorry since he was the cause of this matter. Like that, he lived his life in the library, secluded. He only heard news from the keepers coming in and out or the new students. The demon couldn’t do anything to the students while inside the array.
Surprisingly, he lived for a long time, as the demon took control of his body and cultivated it diligently, clearly trying to take revenge. Of course, he would try to suppress his cultivation as much as possible, even destroying it multiple times and bearing the pain, just so the demon wouldn’t get more powerful.
Years passed like this, and the demon barely held his life together by cultivating him to the fourth stage. He had been suppressed mentally, and he couldn’t last any longer at this point. Thankfully, he was sure that the demon wouldn’t be able to escape, as failsafe plans had already been made.
WaryBaconOG· Sep 12, 2023
Poor guy
