29. The Angry Book’s Voice
A saying goes, The dragon slayer eventually becomes the dragon. This was particularly true for those who sought success through the Thousand Transformations martial arts manual.
Despite countless people’s experiences proving that this so-called “hundred sources, one stream” technique was beyond the grasp of ordinary people, it couldn’t deter their desire for a shortcut to the top.
In short: don’t bite off more than you can chew.
The creator of this technique succeeded because of his extraordinary talent. You couldn’t just pick a random person and expect them to have the same insight and understanding as a genius.
Therefore, despite the countless who tried, they all failed miserably, becoming cautionary tales.
If it weren’t for her own cultivation technique being no less impressive than, and even superior to, the “Hundred Paths to a Single Source,” Gong Yiling wouldn’t have bothered with this.
As for the book itself, it shouldn’t be in the regular martial arts section…
After a long search, Gong Yiling found the long-sealed book in the miscellaneous records section on the top floor of the library.
What kind of books were kept here?
Well…
A book called The Great Chronicles of the Ancient Era, whose contents were impossible to verify and filled with absurd descriptions.
A book titled Analysis of Ancient and Modern Mechanical Principles, written by a certain Lin Muyou, whose name no one had ever heard of, and whose contents were incomprehensible.
And other such books, analyzing the breeding problems of demonic beasts, the habits of extinct ancient divine beasts, and how to break a stone on one’s chest without breaking the stone but killing the person underneath.
—Ahem, this last book was once imitated by some troublemakers, causing a panic in the entire acrobatics world. The “breaking a stone on one’s chest” act was even removed from performances for a long time, until all copies of the book were confiscated and destroyed by the Hundred Paths Mountain, restoring the honor of this traditional technique.
As you can see, this place was filled with useless, unverifiable, or questionable books.
Compared to these dusty old tomes, the Thousand Transformations was relatively popular, its dust layer still fresh.
—Another dreamer had lost their hope.
Would she become a dreamer too?
Gong Yiling sat down, leaning against the bookshelf.
But as she was about to open the book, she found it was stuck, as if glued shut.
She tried everything, even using her spiritual energy, but she couldn’t pry it open.
Strange… why was it stuck?
She examined the book from all angles but couldn’t find anything wrong.
“Could it be… the previous owner’s doing?”
To prevent others from touching this, they sealed it with a technique.
This explanation was… plausible.
But wasn’t this a trap!?
Gong Yiling, frustrated, slammed the book on the ground several times, but to no avail.
Finally, she took out her scroll and a giant guandao. She aimed it at the book’s spine.
—If conventional methods didn’t work, then she would have to resort to unconventional ones!
“Ha!”
“Wait, wait, wait!”
Just as the guandao was about to strike, a voice came from the book. “Can’t we talk this out? Don’t use a knife, it looks painful.”
“Huh?”
Gong Yiling paused.
This book… could talk?
She put away the guandao, picked up the book, and asked curiously, “Are you a ghost or a spirit artifact?”
“A ghost, no, a spirit artifact!” The voice from the book said frantically, “Well, it doesn’t matter to you. If it’s easier to accept, then a spirit artifact.”
What a strange thing to say…
Gong Yiling, although puzzled, asked the most important question. “Why won’t you let me see?”
“There’s no need. I don’t want you to waste your time.” The voice from the book sounded surprisingly sincere. “This isn’t something a normal person can learn. You’d be better off improving your cultivation.”
So, the book had sealed itself to prevent others from wasting their time?
Gong Yiling relaxed and chatted with it casually. “You don’t think I can do it?”
“Girl, let me be honest with you.” The book’s voice was earnest. “Many people who have encountered me had a much higher cultivation level than you.”
“But none of them even grasped the basics.”
“Most gave up after a while. The more stubborn ones kept trying for hundreds of years, wasting all their talent and dying in obscurity.”
“The last person who borrowed me was on the verge of mastering a combined sword and saber technique. But after reading me, he thought he was on the wrong path, abandoned his original technique, and was ridiculed by others. He finally returned me in a state of self-doubt.”
Hearing this long-winded story, Gong Yiling instinctively asked, “And then he died?”
“Not really. He went home and inherited a huge fortune. He even considered picking up his old sword and saber technique again.”
The book’s voice continued, “If he had figured it out, he would be living a good life now.”
It seemed this person was one of the more open-minded ones.
But Gong Yiling found a problem with his story.
“Wait, how do you know he inherited a fortune after going home? Are you making this up?”
“Ahem…!” The book’s voice was slightly embarrassed, but it replied seriously, “No, no, that’s not the point. The point is, only the author of this book has ever mastered the ‘Hundred Paths to a Single Source.’ Young lady, work hard and don’t daydream.”
Of course, even after all this, Gong Yiling wasn’t deterred.
The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. “What if I insist on opening you, even if it means splitting you in half with my guandao? Can you stop me?”
“Why won’t you listen, girl!” The book’s voice was clearly angry. “Unless your understanding of the ‘Hundred Paths to a Single Source’ is equal to the legend’s, or your inner cultivation technique is the Heavenly Saint Technique of the Myriad Paths, then don’t waste your time!”
