Chapter 125 - 64: Mountain of Books and Sea of Literature

Chapter 125: Chapter 64: Mountain of Books and Sea of Literature

BOOM!

When the third rune exploded, however, the result was completely different from the previous two. Instead of the expected burst of light from a Skill, the shattered rune fragments gathered like fireflies returning to their nest. They all flowed into the Opening Scripture Profound Essence Spell, one of the Eight Great Divine Spells, transforming into a gentle yet powerful literary aura that lingered around the Divine Spell, refusing to dissipate.

[Notification: Your Opening Scripture Profound Essence Spell has gained a new effect: Mountain of Books and Sea of Literature.]

[Mountain of Books and Sea of Literature: When you cast the Opening Scripture Profound Essence Spell on a book, the book itself and the literary Dao Rhyme within it will be fully activated. You will enter the special Book Mountain and Sea of Literature Illusion Realm, allowing you to personally experience everything recorded in the book as if you were there.]

[Note: Mountain of Books and Sea of Literature consumes the book’s Dao Rhyme and your own Power of Heart Soul. The greater your spiritual strength and the richer the book’s Dao Rhyme, the more profound the insights and rewards you will gain within the Illusion Realm.]

...

With the fading of the notification, Jiang Xuan’s advancement to Scripture Profound Daoist was officially complete.

[Scripture Profound Daoist · Pavilion Master]

[Grade: Purple Treasure Level]

[Level: 1/7]

[Attribute Bonus: Slightly increases Heart Soul strength per level.]

[Professional Passive: Memory Palace - Scripture Pavilion, Dialectical Paradox: Scripture Pavilion]

[Professional Active Skill: Eight Great Divine Spells (Opening Scripture Profound Essence Spell: Mountain of Books and Sea of Literature)]

Jiang Xuan hadn’t gained a single Attack Skill from this advancement, but he wasn’t surprised.

Support Skills were often like this. When he’d advanced from a Kitchen Apprentice to a Gourmet, he had also only received Support Effect enhancements, with no Attack Skills to speak of.

But this didn’t mean the advancement was without benefits—quite the opposite. Its long-term impact on Jiang Xuan’s growth was nothing short of revolutionary.

The benefits this profession could bring, both for his current cultivation and future plans, were endless.

’This is now my core profession. In my future cultivation, I must prioritize its advancement above all else!’

While envisioning the future, Jiang Xuan was also eager to test the changes brought about by his increased Spirituality (Comprehension).

However, as he glanced around the Scripture Pavilion, his expression grew strange. Most of the Secret Technique Manuals displayed in the pavilion were from the Valley of Summer. Those three Purple Treasure Level books were, without exception, secret Techniques from the Valley of Summer. He couldn’t find a single Cultivation Technique from the Valley of Winter.

’So, should I continue studying the ordinary Magic of the Valley of Winter, or should I first dive deep into the secret Techniques of the Valley of Summer?’

He didn’t hesitate for long before deciding on the latter.

"Although my current focus is on the Techniques of the Valley of Winter, that doesn’t mean I can’t learn other Techniques. Besides, the cultivation of Techniques and Swordsmanship has always emphasized learning by analogy and mutual reinforcement. Hmm, for me, it’s more of a ’Kan and Li Seal.’ Kan represents water, corresponding to the cold of winter; Li represents fire, corresponding to the heat of summer. Water and fire are opposites, yet they can also complement each other. Grasping the ultimate principles of ’fire’ will undoubtedly deepen my understanding of ’ice’ in turn."

With this in mind, Jiang Xuan immediately turned and retrieved the three Secret Techniques gifted to him by Yan Shouzhuo, the Valley Master of the Valley of Summer, from a hidden compartment in the Scripture Pavilion.

A quick flip through the pages revealed the nature of the three Secret Techniques: a Swordsmanship manual, a Technique, and a Body Refining Technique.

He was already familiar with the Swordsmanship manual—it was one of the Four Great Swordsmanships of the Four Seasons Valley, *Mangzhong: Fire Tree and Silver Flowers*.

"This is the one!"

Given his love for the sword, it was his first choice. However, after making his selection, he didn’t rush to open the book. Instead, he went to an adjacent courtyard and fetched a basin of Purifying Spiritual Water, where he meticulously purified his clothes, body, hands, and mouth.

Finally, he respectfully placed the Sword Manual Secret Scroll beneath a wooden plaque engraved with the two characters for "Heaven" and "Earth" and bowed deeply in reverence.

During this ritual, Jiang Xuan not only cast the Three Purification Mantra: True Communication in succession but also began to chant the Incense Prayer Spell.

"The Dao is learned by the Heart, the Heart’s intent by incense conveyed; As incense burns in the jade censer, the Heart’s prayer before the Sovereign is laid..."

The low, solemn Spell echoed slowly through the Scripture Pavilion. This was a secret incantation meant to use incense to convey messages to the heavens. Now, however, Jiang Xuan treated the *Mangzhong: Fire Tree and Silver Flowers* in his hands as the divine recipient, using the most pious of rituals to forge a closer connection with the Sword Manual’s Dao Rhyme.

Following that, the chants for the Earth God Spell and the Purifying Heaven and Earth Divine Spell rang out one after another. He even solemnly cast the Golden Light Spell for self-protection.

This was both a requirement of the ritual and a part of Jiang Xuan’s own cultivation.

’The next advancement for a Scripture Profound Daoist is still a long way off, but there’s no harm in starting my preparations now.’

’If I want to continue down this path, I’ll have to reach Level Perfection and achieve Mastery in all Eight Great Divine Spells. That’s the bare minimum... I should recite the Divine Spells more often whenever I have free time.’

With this in mind, Jiang Xuan spent the time it takes to drink a cup of tea busying himself with these preparations. Once all the rituals were complete, he finally picked up the Sword Manual and sat back down at the desk in the Scripture Pavilion.

"Hooo..."

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xuan gathered a wisp of his Power of Heart Soul at his fingertip and began to slowly chant the Opening Scripture Profound Essence Spell at *Mangzhong: Fire Tree and Silver Flowers*: "Cloud seals in the great void, at the dawn of the cataclysm; now distant, now near, now sinking, now floating. Wandering the five directions, a zhang and more; the True Sovereign of Heaven takes up his brush and writes..."

"Go!"

The instant the Spell concluded, Jiang Xuan’s fingertip tapped down sharply onto the cover of the Sword Manual.

VMMMMM—!

As Jiang Xuan’s Magical Power and Power of Heart Soul flowed into the book, and as the Opening Scripture Profound Essence Spell took effect, a low hum immediately filled the Scripture Pavilion.

The next moment, something occurred that was identical to when he first became a Scripture Profound Daoist. The ancient Sword Manual before him suddenly erupted in a dazzling, crimson light. Its pages began to flip rapidly on their own, WHIRRRING despite the lack of wind. Countless characters spewed from the pages like sparks of a fire, swirling around Jiang Xuan and radiating a dense Sword Rhyme of the Flame Dao.