The faint scent of ink still lingered throughout the room.
Clearly, Luan Yuan had been writing only moments before she was alarmed by Luan Yi’s sudden departure and hurried out to search for her.
Curiosity stirred within Chen Xuan as he picked up the book and began reading its contents.
Originally, he expected it to contain a powerful technique, Luan Yuan’s cultivation insights, or perhaps records of her experiences.
The result, however, was utterly shocking.
The words that entered Chen Xuan’s sight left him completely speechless.
"Date: 17, May, 12346 of the Tianxuan Calendar. Today, I received the gentle care of Sister Yu. Her touch was heavenly and made me satisfied in ways that were otherwise impossible to imagine."
"Date: 18, May, 12346 of the Tianxuan Calendar. Today, I entered Sister Lian’s courtyard. There, Sister Lian and Sister Mei were already waiting for me..."
"Date: 19, May, 12346 of the Tianxuan Calendar..."
Entry after entry.
The book was clearly a diary, or at least a calendar used as one. Yet every single page recorded nothing but Luan Yuan’s romantic escapades.
Chen Xuan’s expression darkened.
"No! This demoness cannot be kept alive! I’m afraid she has already set her sights on Luan Yi!"
He was just about to flip through the remaining pages to confirm his suspicion when his eyes caught something unusual.
Several pages were damp, with a sticky transparent liquid.
Under normal circumstances, he might have assumed it was water or fresh ink. However, recalling everything he had learned about Luan Yuan so far, another possibility immediately surfaced in his mind.
His face instantly turned ugly.
With a look of disgust, he flung the book aside without another thought. Then he conjured a cluster of flames, deliberately scorching the skin on his palms as though trying to burn away every last trace of contamination.
Only after the skin on both hands had nearly melted away did he finally stop.
Even then, Chen Xuan no longer dared to examine the library so casually.
He certainly wasn’t going to sit at the table anymore.
Standing several feet away, he waved his hand and wrapped the second book in Spiritual Energy instead of touching it directly.
The tome floated quietly before him as he examined it from afar.
Unlike the previous book, which had been so ordinary that it could be purchased in any mortal marketplace, this one appeared exceptionally luxurious.
Its cover was bound in dark leather, while intricate patterns decorated its surface. At a glance, Chen Xuan recognized them as formation patterns, each one exquisitely drawn and faintly resonating with Spiritual Energy.
Normally, such a book would have immediately piqued his interest.
However, after everything that had just happened, his expectations had fallen considerably.
He casually opened it without thinking much about it.
Yet once again, reality exceeded all expectations.
The moment he opened the first page, he found no words whatsoever.
Instead, four mysterious patterns occupied the four corners of the page.
As Chen Xuan’s gaze settled upon them, the patterns suddenly seemed to come alive.
They transformed into four ethereal women dancing gracefully across an endless grassland beneath a brilliant sky.
Their movements were elegant, natural, and filled with an indescribable rhythm.
Simply watching them filled Chen Xuan’s mind with countless insights.
It felt as though he were on the verge of comprehending an extraordinary technique or spell.
But just as that realization was about to arrive...
Bang!
The entire vision shattered into countless fragments. His consciousness was forcefully dragged back to reality.
He found himself standing inside the library once more, the book still floating quietly before him.
The four patterns remained engraved upon the page, yet they had completely lost their previous profundity.
No matter how carefully Chen Xuan examined them, they now appeared to be nothing more than ordinary drawings.
It was as though everything that had just happened had been an illusion.
Of course, Chen Xuan knew very well that it had not been.
Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, his expression gradually turned solemn.
After remaining silent for several breaths, he used his Spiritual Energy to turn the page.
More patterns entered his sight.
This time there were eight.
Two occupied each side of the page, arranged in pairs that interlocked perfectly, like pieces of an intricate puzzle.
The instant Chen Xuan looked at them, the familiar illusion unfolded once more.
Beautiful women danced before his eyes again.
Only this time, there were twice as many.
Each of the four scenes now contained two women dancing together, their movements complementing one another with astonishing harmony.
Their bodies intertwined rhythmically, resembling the blending of Yin and Yang, though the balance between them felt strangely incomplete.
Yet before Chen Xuan could fully grasp the profound meaning hidden within the dance, the vision shattered once again.
His consciousness returned to reality.
This time, however, Chen Xuan showed no trace of disappointment.
After experiencing the phenomenon twice, he had already guessed both the nature of the patterns and the true identity of the book before him.
A dual cultivation technique!
As the Master of Yin Yang Peak and a dual cultivation practitioner himself, Chen Xuan recognized it almost instantly.
Yet precisely because of that, he found it deeply strange.
Ordinary dual cultivation techniques were founded upon the harmony of Yin and Yang, allowing a man and a woman to merge their energies and strengthen one another.
This technique, though, was fundamentally different.
The Yang within Yin and Yang had vanished entirely. Only Yin remained.
Thinking of what such a cultivation method implied, Chen Xuan’s eyes gradually narrowed.
’Is this technique the reason behind Luan Yuan’s strange hobby? Is she cultivating in this manner to strengthen herself?’
Fortunately, he did not need to speculate for long.
The answer was already lying before him.
All he had to do was continue reading. And so he did.
Using only his Spiritual Energy, Chen Xuan carefully flipped to the third page.
This time, sixteen patterns appeared.
On the fourth page, there were thirty-two. On the fifth, sixty-four.
Page after page, the number of patterns multiplied exponentially.
More importantly, however, the deeper Chen Xuan progressed through the book, the more profound the insights flooding into his mind became.
His Great Yin-Yang Origin Dao began circulating of its own accord. At the same time, the half-completed Law Mark within his Nascent Soul also awakened, resonating faintly with the mysterious illustrations before him.
Gradually, the outline of an unfathomable cultivation technique began taking shape within Chen Xuan’s mind.
It was a technique whose very existence he had never thought possible, much less one he had ever heard of.
--
Chen Xuan had no idea how much time had passed.
All he knew was that by the time he finally snapped back to reality, the book had already reached its final page.
Countless patterns were engraved across it.
By now, they covered the page in its entirety, overlapping and intertwining in ways that seemed both chaotic and harmonious. Their profoundness had also reached an entirely different level.
Simply looking at them for too long would likely blind even Core Formation experts, much less weaker cultivators or ordinary mortals.
Even Chen Xuan felt a faint stinging sensation in his eyes after observing them for only a few breaths.
His gaze slowly swept across the page. Soon, he noticed something.
The previous pages all bore subtle traces of human activity. Some had faint scratches along the edges, while others contained nearly imperceptible fingerprints or slight signs of repeated handling.
This page, however, was completely pristine.
Not the slightest mark could be found upon it, as though no one had ever touched it before.
’No wonder this book was left on the reading table. Has Luan Yuan been trying to decipher its final page all this time?’
’If that’s the case, then the cultivation method she practices isn’t the complete technique. At best, it’s merely a fragment pieced together from the insights she gained from the previous pages...’
Chen Xuan silently arrived at this conclusion. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Otherwise, there was no reason for such a precious inheritance to remain lying openly on a desk instead of being carefully stored away.
Still, he had no opportunity to ponder the matter any further.
The moment his divine sense spread across the thousands of mysterious patterns, an irresistible force erupted from within them.
His consciousness was pulled inside without the slightest resistance.
The library surrounding him vanished once more. This time, however, what appeared before him was no mere images.
Instead, it felt as though he had truly crossed into another world.
An endless grassland stretched beyond the horizon, covered with countless colorful flowers and lush vegetation.
Above him, an azure sky sparkled with countless stars despite it clearly being daytime, creating a breathtaking scene that defied all common sense.
Before Chen Xuan could inspect his surroundings, a soft melody drifted through the air.
It was the voice of a woman.
Gentle, sultry, and enchanting.
Every note carried an indescribable charm that seemed capable of slipping past one’s defenses and tugging directly at the deepest strings of their heart.