Chapter 363: Chapter 367: Yuan Tiangang’s Discovery_1
"As you command, Heavenly Master!" the disciple of the Dream Fantasy Sect knelt on the ground, his gaze towards Zhang Jiao filled with adoration, much like a devout believer beholding the grandest deity in the world. With fervent devotion, he wanted to convey his humble loyalty to his master.
This patrolling disciple held a certain position within the Dream Fantasy Sect. He led Zhang Jiao unimpeded, and they quickly reached the central peak.
"Heavenly Master, the Dream Fantasy Sect has one Emperor Realm ancestor and nineteen Semi-Emperor elders. You must be careful!" the patrolling disciple whispered. Now a follower of the Dao of Peace, he had cast the Dream Fantasy Sect aside. Even if the Sect were to be destroyed, he would not feel an ounce of sorrow.
The Dao of Peace was founded by Zhang Jiao. It is capable of deceiving people’s hearts and eliciting blind worship. This was why Zhang Jiao, in his previous life, could instigate a massive uprising and summon an army of millions. However, in his previous life, this method could only be used successfully if there was an inducement, and it was restricted to times of chaos. Now, having arrived in this primitive continent, and through the influence of this world’s rules, his Dao of Peace has become infinitely stronger and is capable of directly enchanting people’s minds.
"Hmm!" Zhang Jiao nodded, showing no sign of worry.
They entered the great hall, finding the senior members of the Dream Fantasy Sect discussing important matters. Seated at the head was the Dream Fantasy Sect’s sole Emperor Realm Martial Artist.
"Zhang Leng, you should know not to bring a stranger into the hall without permission! Don’t you know we are in a meeting? You have no manners!" an elder seated below chided unhappily.
All gazes converged on the two, and formidable auras surged towards them like mountains toppling and seas overturning. Zhang Leng’s body quivered slightly, like a small boat tossed on a turbulent sea, at risk of capsizing at any moment. However, his expression was extremely determined, without any intention of backing down.
"Interesting!" the Ancestor of the Dream Fantasy Sect, seated at the head, suddenly sneered.
He slowly stood up, walked in front of Zhang Jiao, and asked coldly, "You have some nerve, daring to use illusion magic to control a disciple of the Dream Fantasy Sect?"
Upon hearing this, all the elders were outraged. They themselves were masters of illusion magic; to have one of their disciples controlled by an outsider was a blatant slap in the face. In an instant, their gazes turned icy, and a murderous aura filled the room.
"I did not control him. I merely guided him away from the sea of suffering of the mortal world to embrace Great Peace," Zhang Jiao said, smiling, showing no signs of nervousness.
In his hand, the ancient book he held radiated an intense light. The words ’Great Peace’ emerged, emitting a mysterious energy, as if it were a new world itself. In this world, people live happily, martial arts thrive, everyone can accomplish great things, reach the pinnacle of martial arts, and enjoy a good life. This world was the utopia for every martial artist!
"A celestial destiny! This is my celestial destiny!"
"This is the world a martial artist should inhabit! I feel as if I’m in the Immortal Realm!"
"The Dao of Peace! Delivering all beings from suffering! I am willing to be a messenger, spreading its principles in the world!"
The Quasi-emperor Realm martial artists in the hall all knelt respectfully on the ground, their expressions incredibly agitated. Their gazes towards Zhang Jiao were filled with adoration and faith.
The only one who still seemed clear-headed was the Dream Fantasy Sect’s Ancestor, but even his gaze was unfocused, and he was struggling to hold on.
"What powerful illusion magic!" the Dream Fantasy Sect’s Ancestor bit hard on his tongue. The metallic taste of fresh blood brought him temporary clarity. From his breast pocket, he took out a jade flute and began to play.
Advanced illusion magic; the flute’s notes were like a call to the soul!
The clear and melodious flute tunes echoed in the great hall, calming the heart and simultaneously stirring the subconscious, conjuring beautiful images. This move was the Dream Fantasy Sect’s strongest technique, capable of trapping people in their own dreams, never to awaken.
"Useless!" Zhang Jiao shook his head. His body was encased in a yellow glow that blocked all the flute’s sound.
After a stalemate of three minutes, the Dream Fantasy Sect’s Ancestor was the first to falter. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes glazed over, and he slowly knelt on the ground, kowtowing reverently.
One more follower for the Dao of Peace!
"Lost beings, return to the Dao of Peace!" Zhang Jiao ascended to the highest seat and spread his hands. An energy infused with a seductive allure enveloped the entire mountain peak. All the disciples of the Dream Fantasy Sect knelt on the ground, offering devout salutations.
"We greet the Heavenly Master!"
The resounding voices echoed through the heavens, as if announcing to the world the advent of the Dao of Peace.
Zhang Jiao’s lips curled upward into a slight smile. The pieces on the chessboard he had laid out in the Middle Region could finally be set in motion.
The Dream Fantasy Sect was his first piece.
「Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away in Donghuang City.」
A grand court assembly was taking place inside the magnificent imperial palace. Today was the day the Grandmaster of Taiyi would officially appoint the clan ministers. In the Taiyi Saint’s Court, where the clans and the monarch co-ruled, there was a special system called the Recommendation System. Through this system, domestic clans could recommend their own kin for official government positions.
In the spacious royal court, ninety-nine clan disciples had been recommended for official positions. Dressed in fine attire and adorning warm jade trinkets around their waists, they displayed an impressive demeanor as they awaited the Grandmaster of Taiyi’s official appointment.
Among these young men, Sima Yi stood in the very center, a faint smile on his face. He planned to undertake a world-shaking endeavor: to seize control of a nation through his own wisdom and political maneuvering.
「Imperial Capital. Book Repository.」
Yuan Tiangang, his hair disheveled, sat in a secluded corner, clutching an ancient book, his expression one of extreme excitement. "Found it! I’ve finally found it!"
The book was titled "Book of the Other Shore"!
So the Supreme Lord of Yellow Spring possessed a treasure called the Yellow Spring Dao Seal, which he had never used. After his demise, it was taken into his tomb. This treasure holds the power to defy the heavens and alter destiny!
Yuan Tiangang carefully flipped through the "Book of the Other Shore," his eyes shining brightly. But as he became engrossed in reading, his face suddenly stiffened. The text on the following pages was severely damaged; many characters were blackened and completely unreadable, as if burned.
This "Book of the Other Shore" is a handwritten copy. There should be more out amongst the common folk!
Yuan Tiangang took the ancient book back to the Imperial Observatory. He immediately divined the locations of other copies of the "Book of the Other Shore" and, based on these divined locations, dispatched men to find them.
Three days later, six copies of the "Book of the Other Shore" lay on his desk.
Yuan Tiangang stared at these six ancient books and fell silent. The doubts in his heart were not dispelled by these six "Other Shore Sutras"; instead, they grew even heavier.
This was because the damaged and missing sections in these six copies of the "Book of the Other Shore" were identical!
How could this be possible?
"Master, the official who oversaw the original collection of ancient books has arrived!" At this moment, a servant came forward and bowed respectfully.
"Let him in!" Yuan Tiangang said, looking up.
A few minutes later, a middle-aged man dressed in a green robe walked in, trembling.
"Your humble subordinate, Hou Yi, pays respects to you, Master!" Hou Yi was apprehensive and utterly bewildered. He was just a minor, unranked official in the Book Repository, usually responsible for collecting books from the populace. Why would the Director of the Imperial Observatory summon him?
"Have a look at this book. Do you recognize it?" Yuan Tiangang, without putting on any official airs, handed the "Book of the Other Shore" to Hou Yi.
Hou Yi took the ancient book. After carefully examining it, he showed a hint of confusion. He then glanced at the official seal on the back of the book and said, puzzled, "Strange. There is an official seal on the back, indicating that this book was accessioned into the Book Repository. But why is it damaged?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Tiangang’s pupils contracted sharply as he realized the gravity of the situation.
According to regulations, books accessioned into the Book Repository must not be damaged.
Therefore, the damage to the "Book of the Other Shore" must have occurred recently. But who could infiltrate the Book Repository and damage the "Book of the Other Shore"?
If they meant to damage it, why not simply take the book away instead of leaving such an obvious flaw?
Furthermore, why were the copies of the "Book of the Other Shore" collected from the common folk also damaged in the exact same way?
And what exactly is the content that was destroyed?
A series of questions flooded Yuan Tiangang’s mind.