Chapter 19: The Heavenly Tome Reveals Beauty
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The Heavenly Script Academy, rooted in the ancient past, is a bastion of profound heritage, as enduring as the history of the Human Race itself. Every generation sees extraordinary talents arriving here to pursue the Dao, only to be overshadowed by even more dazzling geniuses on the same path.
Some may have once stood as proud and solitary as cranes amidst the clouds within their home provinces, counties, or prefectures. But the Heavenly Script Academy is no ordinary place.
As the head of the Seven Great Immortal Sects, the Divine Sect of Great Xia, it is a land where prodigies abound. Here, no matter how hard one strives—whether toiling day and night—it often seems that effort itself is but a cruel lie. Rumor had it that even in his dreams, Ji You might have sighed, lamenting the bitter irony of [Why am I born alongside someone like He?].
But as a sudden radiance erupted in the sky, accompanied by surging Qi Waves, such murmurs were swallowed by gasps of shock and the hurried rise of countless figures.
The Field of Enlightenment descended into chaos, like cold water splashed into boiling oil.
“What… what’s happening to him?”
“Is he about to explode?”
“Explode? No, this is… he’s resonating with the Heavenly Tome! Ji You is resonating with the Heavenly Tome!”
As the clamorous voices rang out and the tiger’s roar and dragon’s cry echoed in the heavens, even Chu He and Lu Qing Qiu, deep in their own Dao Enlightenment, were abruptly startled awake. At first, they were dazed, but soon their expressions twisted in disbelief as they turned toward the commotion.
There, within the brilliant glow, stood Ji You, radiating an inexplicable aura—tranquil, auspicious, serene, and unwavering. Gentle gusts swirled around him, yet none could penetrate the mystical radiance surrounding him, only brushing against his long hair. Ji You’s eyes remained tightly shut, his expression calm, save for the occasional flicker of light at the center of his brow.
Witnessing this, Chu He and Lu Qing Qiu were struck speechless.
For nine days, they had sat here from dawn to dusk, exhausting countless Spirit Pills and consuming untold Spiritual Stones. Lu Qing Qiu had been striving to close the slight gap separating her from Chu He, while Chu He had been cautious of Lu Qing Qiu’s relentless pursuit.
Ji You? He hadn’t even crossed their minds.
This rural Wandering Rogue Cultivator spent only half his day on Dao Enlightenment and had yet to condense even a single trace of mystical radiance. Even the Instructor had declared that among those competing for spots in the Inner Court from the Lower Three Stages, only Chu He and Lu Qing Qiu were real contenders. Ji You was dismissed as an irrelevant side note.
Yet today, it was Ji You who resonated with the Heavenly Tome.
But why him?
No one was more devastated than Chu He. His pale face betrayed his inner turmoil as he turned to Ban Yang Shu, trembling slightly. “Senior Brother Ban, could there be something wrong with this Heavenly Tome Resonance? It feels… it feels like something is off.”
“No,” Ban Yang Shu replied with a tone of certainty. “Resonating with the Heavenly Tome is just like this.”
“?”
Chu He’s complexion turned even paler.
Since childhood, he had been hailed as a prodigy and cultivated as a direct disciple of an Immortal Sect. He had unwavering faith in one principle:
If ten are chosen, I will be among them.
If five are chosen, I will still be among them.
If only one is chosen, it must be me.
And now, it wasn’t him. In that moment, the Heavenly Tome felt utterly devoid of justice.
Some among the crowd, noticing Chu He’s inability to accept the situation, suddenly recalled a truth often repeated:
This is the Heavenly Script Academy, the pillar of the Divine Sect of Great Xia. Here, no matter how gifted you are, there is always someone whose brilliance will forever overshadow your own.
But this time, the roles had reversed…
Ban Yang Shu, too, was lost in thought. After observing for a long while, a hint of confusion crept into his expression. He knew that Heavenly Tome Resonance always triggered such celestial phenomena, but something was peculiar.
Typically, one first glimpses a faint glow and must pursue it. Only upon succeeding in this chase does one resonate with the Heavenly Tome. However, that chase alone consumes a cultivator’s Spiritual Consciousness completely. Yet moments ago, Ji You hadn’t even appeared to be in a state of Dao Enlightenment—his eyes had been open! How, then, had this resonance suddenly occurred?
“Senior Brother Ban, what will he see in the Heavenly Tome?” Lu Qing Qiu finally spoke, breaking the silence. Her tone carried an undercurrent of unease.
What would Ji You see within the Heavenly Tome? This question lingered in Ji You’s own mind as well.
And as a darkness, heavier than the deepest night, descended upon him, he finally saw everything laid bare before his eyes.
Standing amidst an endless desolation was a towering mountain that seemed to pierce the heavens. Darkness cloaked the surrounding lands, while atop the peak, wind, rain, lightning, and thunder intertwined in chaotic disarray, forming a tempestuous and ungoverned domain.
At the mountain’s base stood Ji You, yet he was not alone.
Beside him stood a woman dressed in a flowing gown of crimson smoke and golden embroidery, the fabric exuding an ethereal radiance. Her jade-white feet, bare beneath the hem of her dress, were exquisitely delicate. Her long hair cascaded unbound to her waist, and her gaze was fixed upon the turbulent summit.
Sensing someone behind her, the woman’s attention shifted. She turned slowly.
Her loose hair framed a face both delicate and elegant, her complexion as fair as porcelain. Thin, moist lips complemented fine, willow-like eyebrows, and beneath her curled lashes lay a pair of deep, mysterious eyes, like tranquil lakes concealing unfathomable depths.
She seemed young, possibly close in age to Ji You. Yet the blood-red gauze of her attire lent her an aura of cold majesty, noble and distant.
[Indeed, the ancients were wise to say beauty resides within a book,] Ji You mused. [Could she be a spirit born from an artifact? No wonder the academy’s disciples all strive so fervently to attune themselves to the Heavenly Tome. It’s because of wonders like this.]
As Ji You assessed the situation, the woman suddenly lifted a dainty, pink-hued foot, her figure enveloped in a faint glow as she floated gracefully toward him.
“Who are you?” Her voice was soft yet commanding. “How did you come to be within my mirror?”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she hesitated, her gaze probing. “Are you a spirit born of an artifact?”
[I’m doomed. Have I really become an artifact spirit?]
Ji You scrutinized her for a moment, then adopted a kind tone. “I am not an artifact spirit. Like you, I only just arrived here.”
“And where did you come from?” she asked, her expression softening slightly.
“I was meditating within the mountain when I noticed a sudden flash of celestial light. Curious, I followed it and found myself here.”
Ji You deliberately simplified his explanation, as the woman appeared equally perplexed. Her identity remained a mystery, and caution seemed prudent.
[First, she’s not an artifact spirit; otherwise, she wouldn’t need to ask if I were one. Second, this must also be her first time here. Lastly… she’s breathtakingly beautiful.]
He mentally compared her to others he had encountered. Fang Ruo Yao, while exquisitely lovely, lacked grandeur, possibly due to her humble upbringing. Lu Qing Qiu, on the other hand, epitomized the elegance of a noblewoman, her allure tinged with a faint mystique.
But the woman before him was flawless beyond reproach, her presence transcendent and otherworldly.
Still, Ji You recalled the words of Zhang Wu Ji’s mother: “Beware of women this beautiful; they are the most deceptive.”
Sure enough, her demeanor shifted as she saw through his vague replies. Narrowing her eyes, she spoke with an air of authority. “I’ll be honest with you. That earlier question was a test. I am a celestial fairy who has ascended. This place is my dominion.”
Ji You paused, then asked respectfully, “May I have the honor of knowing the fairy’s name?”
“My name is not something you’re entitled to learn so easily.”
Undeterred, Ji You decided to test her claim. “As I said before, my arrival here was unintended. If my presence disrupts your domain, I humbly request that you release me.”
Her expression did not waver. “Do not presume to tell me what to do.”
With that, the woman turned away, her snow-white feet treading lightly as she began ascending the mountain. Occasionally, her gaze drifted skyward toward the chaotic interplay of heavenly forces.
In that moment, Ji You felt the proximity of the Heavenly Dao—a sensation he had only dimly perceived when his spiritual senses soared. Now, it was near, almost tangible.
[No wonder they say comprehending the Heavenly Tome leads to understanding the Heavenly Dao. The tome itself must be a reflection of it.]
Raising his head, Ji You focused on the intricate patterns unraveling above. Yet even a brief moment of contemplation brought immense pressure crashing down upon him. Dizzy and disoriented, he fell to the ground.
He realized then that his current state was merely spiritual observation. Though his cultivation had progressed rapidly, his spiritual consciousness remained frail.
[Compared to Chu He and Lu Qing Qiu, who can sustain their spiritual senses daily with pills, I’m at a clear disadvantage in this aspect.]
His thoughts churned as he steadied himself, preparing to face the challenges ahead.