Banned Book: Dragon-Phoenix Change

Chapter 8: Banned Book—Dragon-Phoenix Change (Thanks to "Give Me a Hug" for the alliance leader reward!)

After Yun Zhi left, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou went with the other disciples to check out their own caves.

Before that, however, Lu Yang followed Meng Jingzhou outside Ask Dao Sect to bring the old horse in.

Outside Ask Dao Sect, Lu Yang saw many newly arrived fellow disciples reporting the good news to their families. Whether they came from a small family or an Aristocratic Clan of cultivators, having one of their own accepted by Ask Dao Sect was a major event worthy of being recorded in the clan history.

"How come no one from your family came?" From Meng Jingzhou's brief remarks, Lu Yang had learned that the Meng family was a venerable clan of cultivators with a long history.

Meng Jingzhou looked rather proud. "I ran away from home!"

Lu Yang: "..."

What was there to be proud of?

After Meng Jingzhou led the old horse back to his cave, Lu Yang returned to his own.

Lu Yang took out a jade pendant. It had been given to him just now by a senior brother he didn't know, who said it was an identity token for Ask Dao Sect disciples. It could prove that he was a disciple of Ask Dao Sect when dealing with outsiders, and within the sect, it could open his cave and serve other purposes.

The pendant had been carved from spirit-stone marrow and bore the words "Lu Yang." Many of its functions would only become available once Lu Yang officially became a cultivator.

Lu Yang placed the pendant against the stone wall by the entrance to his cave. It glowed with a faint blue light, answering the groove at the entrance. The groove flashed twice, and the wall slid open by itself, revealing a cave of unimaginable luxury.

As soon as he stepped inside, Lu Yang felt warmth spread through his body, as if some mysterious energy were nourishing him.

"Is this the spiritual energy they're always talking about?"

Once he realized what it was, Lu Yang was astonished. The spiritual energy inside the cave was so dense that even a mortal like him could feel it. That alone showed how extraordinary it was.

The cave's furnishings were simple: a table, a meditation cushion, and a straw mat. Against the backdrop of the vast cave, they looked rather sparse. Lu Yang couldn't tell whether Ask Dao Sect was urging its disciples to live simply, or leaving them to decorate the place as they pleased.

A sheet of paper lay on the table, with writing on both sides.

The front said that disciples who knew nothing about cultivation could first go to Word Transmission Peak to learn the basics, or study on their own at the Scripture Depository.

The back showed a map of Ask Dao Sect. It was quite rudimentary, depicting the sect's main peaks and leaving large areas blank. According to the map, Ask Dao Sect covered a hundred thousand li. It was so vast that it was far beyond Lu Yang's imagination.

The information on the front gave Lu Yang, who had no idea what to do for the next month, a sense of direction.

Lu Yang yawned. He needed a good night's sleep.

From setting out into the rain, to relying on his sincere character and brilliant wit to pass three trials in a row and win the attention of Senior Sister Yun Zhi and Second Senior Brother Dai Bufan, and finally becoming a disciple of Ask Dao Sect, the day's events had left him mentally exhausted. He was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open.

"How can Ask Dao Sect not even provide a pillow..."

Lu Yang muttered. The exhaustion of the whole day crashed over him. Whether he was comfortable or not no longer mattered. He smacked his lips and soon drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Lu Yang got up at dawn. He planned to visit the Scripture Depository first and learn about the general situation on the Central Continent.

"New here?" At the entrance to the Scripture Depository, a senior brother looked up at Lu Yang.

"Yes."

"Since you're new, I'll explain the rules of the Scripture Depository. They're simple—there are only three."

"First, your current access only allows you to read books on the first floor, but you can read any of them. Second, you can only borrow one book at a time. Third, take good care of the books. Don't get them dirty; if you do, you'll have to pay full price for them."

"I'll remember." Lu Yang nodded. The senior brother said no more and let him enter.

Inside the Scripture Depository, Ask Dao Sect disciples were absorbed in their books, completely undistracted. They didn't even notice Lu Yang walking past them.

The enormous Scripture Depository held only the occasional footstep and the soft rustle of turning pages.

The shelves were packed with all kinds of books, from introductions to folk performers' comedic routines, to cultivators' techniques and secret manuals, to insights on Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment. It had everything.

Lu Yang was dazzled by the selection and had no idea which book to pick.

"What's this book?"

By chance, Lu Yang found a book wedged between the shelves. It was covered in thick dust, as if it had fallen there and been left unread for ages.

He brushed off the dust and finally made out the title: Dragon-Phoenix Change.

"What a domineering title!"

Lu Yang whispered in astonishment. Even without reading a word, the title alone carried an air of kingly might!

For a moment, he seemed to hear the dragons and phoenixes singing together. Their lifelike apparitions appeared before his eyes, then shifted, as if reenacting the process by which dragons and phoenixes came into being.

Lu Yang came back to his senses and looked around. The sound and apparitions had vanished.

"Was that just an illusion?"

Lu Yang eyed the book suspiciously, then turned to the first page, a little excited.

This could be his stroke of fortune!

But the pages were sharp, and he accidentally sliced his finger. A few drops of blood fell onto the page.

A sudden change occurred!

The ancient book began to shine with golden light, as if something inside were about to break free!

Lu Yang's heart pounded. The whole thing was completely beyond his expectations and outside his control. He had no idea whether it was a blessing or a disaster.

He even felt that some powerful being was watching him, making him freeze in place without thinking!

The feeling grew clearer and clearer, which meant that the powerful being was drawing closer.

At last, the powerful being stood behind Lu Yang, watching him in silence. Cold sweat poured down Lu Yang's body.

"You..." At last, the powerful being spoke.

"Here!" Lu Yang jolted.

"You got the book dirty."

The powerful being frowned. Lu Yang turned around and saw that it was the senior brother from the entrance to the Scripture Depository.

The senior brother looked displeased at the bloodstain on the page. He had just warned Lu Yang not to get the books dirty, and now the kid had dripped blood all over one.

The Scripture Depository had a formation that made any book-dirtying incident emit a golden light, alerting the person guarding the place.

"What book is this? Why haven't I seen it before?"

The senior brother picked up the book and flipped through it, his expression changing drastically. "Th-this is actually that legendary banned book!"

Lu Yang was delighted. He couldn't believe his luck—he'd found an ancient banned book as soon as he arrived at the Scripture Depository. He just didn't know what kind of secret it contained.

"Senior Brother, what's wrong with this book?" Lu Yang asked curiously.

The senior brother's expression shifted. He considered whether he should tell the new junior brother such a secret, then decided to be honest.

"This book gives a detailed account of the mating process between dragons and phoenixes. It was so explicit that the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan filed a joint complaint, and it was banned. I thought they'd destroyed every copy. I can't believe one was left here. I wonder who hid it!"

In other words, it was a dirty book.

Lu Yang: "..."

Damn your dragons and phoenixes singing together!

He suddenly remembered that the senior brother had said he'd have to pay for any book he got dirty.