The Divine Scripture and the Poisoned Meal

The little snow-white beast had stolen the Undying Sect’s sacred scripture. Xiao Chen stared in stunned disbelief. This little creature truly possessed an innate spiritual intuition for treasure—he had seen it on Dragon Island. It seemed that no heavenly material or earthly treasure could escape its grasp. Even a celestial cultivation manual like this could not escape its clutches. It was truly speechless.

Keke blinked her big eyes innocently, as if saying it was a trivial matter. Then she handed Xiao Chen a cluster of sparkling, crystal-clear fruits that emitted an enticing fragrance.

“These can’t be Fire Cloud Fruits, can they? Legend says they bloom for ten years, bear fruit for ten years, and ripen for ten years…” After careful examination, Xiao Chen confirmed they were indeed Fire Cloud Fruits. But he had a bad feeling.

This cluster held at least thirty fruits, strung together like translucent red grapes. Where had the little thing gotten them? Could they be stolen from the Undying Sect’s forbidden grounds? If so, the little one had surely stirred up trouble. Given her nature, she had probably already eaten her fill and now returned this cluster—even returning them now would be too late.

Xiao Chen held the sect’s sacred scripture and the Fire Cloud Fruits, utterly speechless. This situation was not easy to handle.

“Didn’t I tell you not to cause trouble now? How… how did you steal their sacred treasure?”

Of course, he could not scold the little white beast harshly, but he had to reproach her. Since the deed was done, the main thing now was to find a way to remedy it. However, since it was already stolen, he might as well take a look first. While reprimanding Keke, Xiao Chen began to peruse the legendary scripture.

But Keke was not happy. Huffily, she snatched back the Fire Cloud Fruits and began enjoying them one by one.

“Hey, you’re throwing a little tantrum now? Am I wrong to scold you?”

The little white beast did not argue. Only after finishing off the entire cluster of Fire Cloud Fruits did she leisurely tug at Xiao Chen’s sleeve, signaling him to follow.

Xiao Chen’s heart stirred. He tucked the Undying Sect’s sacred scripture under his arm and followed her out of the hut. They crossed the back mountain and headed north, traveling over twenty li before reaching their destination. He never expected Keke to lead him up a steep rocky mountain. Then, with a flicker, she drew him into an ancient cavern.

The mountain was not particularly high, entirely of stone. The ancient cavern was deep and winding, with many branching tunnels that could easily confuse a wanderer. After walking deep within for quite some time, Xiao Chen felt waves of heat rolling in. There was a hot spring gurgling inside.

After another half hour, light flickered ahead. He followed Keke into a spacious cave chamber. The stone walls were inlaid with many luminous pearls, illuminating the space like daylight.

The moment he entered, Xiao Chen was first startled, then amused. Near the hot spring, hanging on the walls were clusters of crystalline Fire Cloud Fruits—like strings of red gems, exuding an intoxicating fragrance. The little defiant dragon was contentedly belching, half-submerged in the hot spring. That little fellow had always been cool and aloof; to see him in such a state was rare indeed.

Xiao Chen realized he had wronged the little white beast. Still, he could not help but marvel. Calling her a treasure-seeking beast was fitting—Fire Cloud Fruits hidden so deep in the mountain’s belly could not escape her detection.

“Hmph!” Keke made a very human snort, expressing her displeasure.

“Alright, I know I wrongly accused you. I think I gave you the wrong name. I should have called you ‘Everything-Eater’ instead. It seems no heavenly treasure can slip through your little paws.”

He carefully inspected the cave and found several man-made stone chambers complete with tables, chairs, and beds. The Undying Sect’s sacred scripture he held had actually been discovered by Keke right here—a clear dust mark on one stone bed testified to that.

Xiao Chen immediately laughed heartily. So the Undying Sect’s divine art had not been lost; obtaining a duplicate of the scripture here meant he could study it without worry.

His own cultivation method came from the ancient Yellow River stele and the mysterious stele on Dragon Island. Although it seemed further perfected, whether it was truly complete remained unknown—but its power was undeniable. Other scriptures held little allure for him unless they were particularly renowned. However, the Evil King’s legacy greatly attracted him. He wanted to see what unparalleled heavenly art that unparalleled genius had created. Perhaps it would inspire him through cross-referencing.

While enjoying the Fire Cloud Fruits, which replenished essence and spirit, Xiao Chen began to read the Undying Sect’s sacred scripture. At first glance, he was deeply captivated. The Evil King was truly a prodigy—his art was uniquely unconventional, fundamentally different from other schools.

As he read the Undying Demon Art, Xiao Chen felt as if he were experiencing the process of the Evil King creating it. He fell deeply into its depths.

But this strange art was too unfathomable. At first, it was manageable, but the further he read, the more obscure it became. Before long, he was plagued by visions. Ultimately, he nearly coughed blood—it felt as if countless demons were howling around him, shaking his soul until it was nearly shattered.

Xiao Chen drew a deep breath, silently circulating his own technique. It took a long time to calm down. He sighed inwardly—this art was truly worthy of being the Undying Sect’s sacred scripture, worthy of the Evil King. It was far too sinister. An ordinary person who read even half would likely break down completely.

He recalled a legend from the mortal world: when the Evil King first perfected his Undying Art, even the incomplete version had caused countless people to fight over it. Practically everyone who saw the scripture had their souls shattered. Thus, the Evil King’s infamous reputation had grown.

“A sacred scripture! A heavenly art!” Xiao Chen exclaimed.

This scripture indeed had unique merits. The world-shaking “God-Demon Undying Seal” within it described a method to exert maximum power with minimal force, achieving the goal of overcoming the strong with the weak and killing the great with the small. It was truly impressive. This was the primary reason the Undying Art dominated the world—it maximized every bit of power.

What also interested Xiao Chen was the record of the “Undying Heavenly Wings.” By materializing energy, one could cultivate one’s own Undying Heavenly Wings, allowing a martial artist to soar through the air at the Fifth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding. This was an enormous temptation for Xiao Chen. Being able to fly through the sky was a divine ability he had always dreamed of, and the Undying Sect’s sacred scripture precisely solved this problem.

The “God-Demon Undying Seal” and the “Undying Heavenly Wings” were the two most essential parts of the Undying Sect’s scripture, the very elements that made this strange art shake the world and become one of the most famous heavenly arts.

Xiao Chen had only skimmed a portion—he could not master it immediately—but he had already formed a plan. He would not abandon his original Divine Stele Profound Art, but he could effectively incorporate some techniques and methods.

For example, the “God-Demon Undying Seal,” which maximized the power of every ounce of strength—this technique could be skillfully integrated. As for the “Undying Heavenly Wings,” it only required opening some mysterious channels, allowing energy to burst out from the back to form divine wings that could fly and traverse the earth. This, too, could be combined.

Xiao Chen’s mind could not settle. Merging the world-famous arts into his own cultivation method would undoubtedly elevate it to another level. Finally, his entire consciousness ascended into a wondrous state. He mechanically imprinted the Undying Sect’s sacred scripture into his mind without seeking understanding. He dared not immerse himself in detailed meditation, for he could not grasp all the subtleties in such a short time. Forcing it would only cause his soul to shatter like most others.

Deeply engraving it in his heart, Xiao Chen let out a long breath. He could not carry the scripture on his person, nor could he come here every day. The safest method was to commit it to memory.

Picking several large clusters of Fire Cloud Fruits, he had the little white beast lead him out of the underground labyrinth and back to his dwelling.

On his way back, he vaguely caught a glimpse of a figure flickering ahead—it seemed to be near the kitchen. That was a small kitchen serving the back mountain, where some high-level experts were said to be in seclusion. Xiao Chen’s current dwelling lay between the front and back mountains, so his daily meals were also supplied from there.

Seeing a suspicious figure so late struck him as odd. Silently, he crept closer. When he reached the brightly lit area, his precognitive spiritual sense—perception without seeing or hearing—caught everything.

Every night, someone asked about Xiao Chen’s menu for the next day, and the kitchen would prepare the ingredients for the morning meal in advance. The visitor had actually sprinkled a considerable amount of powder into the ingredients specially prepared for him.

It seemed to be the man by Qin Yi’s side. Xiao Chen understood instantly. Qin Yi wanted to deal with him. After the man retreated, Xiao Chen calmly walked in. At his current cultivation, even poison could be quickly expelled from his body—unless it was something special.

He took a bit of the ingredients and went into the forest, catching a wild rabbit and force-feeding it. The rabbit immediately turned green-eyed and grew frantic, chasing does all over the mountain. After observing for a while, Xiao Chen understood the powder’s function.