Chapter 8: The Forbidden Book – “The Dragon-Phoenix Transformation”

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

After Yun Zhi left, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, like the other disciples, went to see their own caves. Before that, Lu Yang followed Meng Jingzhou to bring the old horse into the Dao Seeking Sect.

Outside the sect, Lu Yang saw many new fellow disciples joyfully informing their families of their acceptance into the Dao Seeking Sect. Whether from small families or large cultivation clans, having someone accepted into the Dao Seeking Sect was a matter of great pride and often recorded in the family history.

“Why hasn’t anyone from your family come?” Lu Yang asked Meng Jingzhou, knowing from his brief mentions that the Meng family was a long-established cultivation family.

Meng Jingzhou replied with some pride, “I ran away from home!”

Lu Yang: “…”

What are you so proud about?

After bringing the old horse back to his cave, Lu Yang returned to his own. He took out a jade token, given by an unfamiliar senior brother, which was the identity badge of the Dao Seeking Sect disciples. It could prove their identity outside and open their caves among other things.

The token, made from spirit stone marrow and engraved with the words “Lu Yang,” had many functions that Lu Yang could make use of once he officially became a cultivator.

Placing the token against a stone wall at the entrance of his cave dwelling, the token emitted a faint blue light. It resonated with a slot in the wall, which flickered twice before the stone wall slid open, revealing a luxurious cave dwelling beyond Lu Yang’s imagination.

As soon as he entered, Lu Yang felt a warm energy nourishing his body. “Is this the spiritual energy they talked about?” he wondered, surprised that even he, as a mortal, could feel the rich concentration of spiritual energy in the cave.

The cave was simply furnished with a table, a meditation cushion, a straw mat, and vast empty space. It was unclear whether this was a reminder for disciples to maintain simplicity or to allow them to decorate as they wished.

A piece of paper on the table had instructions on both sides. The front suggested that disciples unfamiliar with cultivation could first learn basic knowledge at Yanchuan Peak or self-study in the Scripture Pavilion. The back was a simple map of the Dao Seeking Sect, showing the main peaks and leaving much space blank. The Dao Seeking Sect, covering a hundred thousand miles, was far larger than Lu Yang had imagined.

Lu Yang, unsure what to do for the coming month, now had a direction.

Exhausted from the day’s events, Lu Yang yawned and decided to sleep. The rain, the three trials, the attention from Senior Sister Yun Zhi and Second Senior Brother Dai Bufan, and finally becoming a disciple of the Dao Seeking Sect had drained him.

“Dao Seeking Sect doesn’t even provide a pillow…” he muttered before quickly falling asleep, not caring  if it was comfortable or not.

…

The next morning, Lu Yang woke up early and headed to the Scripture Pavilion to understand more about the Central Continent.

“New here?” asked a senior brother at the entrance.

“Yes.”

“The rules of the Scripture Pavilion are simple: First, with your current access, you can only read books on the first floor. Second, you can only borrow one book at a time. Third, take care of the books.  If you damage one, you must compensate at the original price.”

“I understand,” Lu Yang nodded, and the senior brother let him in.

The Scripture Pavilion was filled with Dao Seeking Sect disciples engrossed in reading, oblivious to their surroundings. The vast hall was filled with the rustling of pages.

The pavilion housed an extensive collection, from basic routines of civilian artists to secret manuals of cultivators and insights into Qi training and foundation building.

Lu Yang, overwhelmed by the choices, randomly picked a book wedged in a gap on the shelf, covered in thick dust as  if long untouched. “What’s this book?”

He wiped off the dust and read the title: “The Dragon-Phoenix Transformation.”

“What a domineering name!” Lu Yang exclaimed softly, feeling an imposing aura from the title alone. He had a brief vision of dragons and phoenixes.

“Could that have been an illusion?” He excitedly opened the first page, wondering  if this could be a big opportunity.

Accidentally, he cut his finger on the sharp pages, and drops of blood fell on the book.

Suddenly, the ancient book emitted a golden light, as if something within was about to break free.

Lu Yang’s heart pounded uncontrollably as the unexpected event unfolded, beyond his control, unsure whether it was a blessing or a curse.

He felt as  if a powerful being was watching him, immobilizing him with its gaze. The presence grew clearer, signifying its proximity. Not speaking a word, Lu Yang started to sweat.

“You…” Finally, the presence spoke.

“Here!” Lu Yang responded sharply.

“You’ve dirtied the book.”

The presence frowned, and Lu Yang turned to see it was the senior brother from the entrance.

Noticing the blood on the book, the brother looked displeased, having just warned Lu Yang not to damage the books, this little brat actually stained the book with blood. A formation in the Scripture Pavilion alerted the guardians whenever a book was dirtied.

“What is this book? I’ve never seen it before,” the senior brother wondered, flipping through the pages, then his face changed dramatically, “This… this is the legendary forbidden book!”

Lu Yang’s heart leapt, thinking he had stumbled upon an ancient forbidden text containing untold secrets.

“Brother, what’s the issue with this book?” Lu Yang asked curiously.

The senior brother hesitated, then revealed, “This book details the mating process of dragons and phoenixes in explicit detail. Due to complaints from both dragon and phoenix clans, it was labeled forbidden. I thought all copies were destroyed, but it seems one was hidden here.”

In other words, it was an erotic book.

Lu Yang was speechless. So much for the grandeur of dragons and phoenixes! He suddenly remembered the rule –  if you dirty a book, you pay for it.

(End of the chapter)