Enlightenment

Lu Xueqi's body trembled.

The Tianya divine sword in her hand emitted a series of soft hums.

From these characters, she sensed a supreme sword intent.

It shared a similar essence with her Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique, yet it was far more grand and profound.

Bi Yao's large eyes sparkled with brilliant light.

Hailing from the Ghost King Sect, she possessed a broad range of knowledge and had dabbled in the techniques of various factions.

From these characters, she perceived a sense of great liberation—a way to break free from shackles and act according to one's own heart.

This resonated perfectly with her nature, which yearned for freedom and detested restraint.

Yet, the one who felt it most deeply was Zhang Xiaofan.

The moment his gaze touched those characters, the two conflicting, agonizingly painful Buddhist and Taoist true arts within him miraculously began to merge.

The compassion and serenity of the Great Brahma Prajna and the quiet, non-action of the Taiji Profound Clarity Path found a perfect equilibrium under the guidance of this theory.

The spiritual energy within him was no longer two mutually repelling torrents, but had transformed into a slowly rotating Taiji diagram with clearly defined black and white halves.

A feeling of unprecedented power and harmony rose from his dantian, surging through his entire body.

"Heavenly Tome!"

"This must be the legendary supreme treasure of the Demon Sect, the Heavenly Tome, lost for thousands of years!"

Bi Yao finally snapped out of her shock, exclaiming in a voice filled with wild joy.

Heavenly Tome!

The same thought flashed simultaneously through the minds of Li Xiaoyu, Lu Xueqi, and Zhang Xiaofan.

Although they were disciples of the righteous path, they had heard legends of the Heavenly Tome.

Legend had it that there were five volumes of the Heavenly Tome, formed from the origin of the Great Dao when the heavens and earth were first created.

He who obtained one volume could glimpse the secret of longevity and dominate a region.

He who obtained all five could transcend heaven and earth and stand equal with the world itself.

They had never dreamed that this legendary treasure would appear here, in the Blood-Dripping Cave.

All four were filled with shock and ecstasy.

They forgot the divide between righteousness and evil; they forgot their respective identities.

In this moment, their eyes held only the wall inscribed with supreme truth.

As if guided by an unseen force, the four sat cross-legged in the center of the stone chamber, immersing their minds completely in the realization of the Heavenly Tome.

In Li Xiaoyu's mind, the cultivation path of the Taiji Profound Clarity Path verified itself against the theories of the Heavenly Tome's general outline, elevating his understanding of the "Dao" to a brand-new level.

In Lu Xueqi's sea of consciousness, the sword intent of the Tianya divine sword reflected the majesty of heavenly thunder, evolving into a more grand and overbearing sword technique.

In Bi Yao's heart, the strange arts of the Ghost King Sect merged with the charm techniques of the Joyous Union Sect, transforming into a more mysterious and unpredictable power that struck directly at the human heart.

As for Zhang Xiaofan, the Buddhist and Taoist true arts within him fused completely, becoming a brand-new, chaotic power that encompassed all things.

At this moment, his cultivation broke through the barrier of the fourth level of the Jade Purity Realm, advancing rapidly until it reached the fifth level!

Time seemed to lose all meaning.

The four were completely immersed in this wondrous epiphany, utterly forgetting themselves.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Xiaoyu was the first to wake from his state of epiphany.

He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance passing through them before they returned to calm.

He could feel that although his cultivation level had not broken through, the spiritual energy within him had become more solid and pure, and his understanding of the Dao had reached a new realm.

He felt as if he had touched a barrier; with just a single opportunity, he would be able to break through to the seventh level of the Jade Purity Realm.

This gain was a hundred times more precious than a simple increase in cultivation level.

He turned his head and saw that Lu Xueqi, Bi Yao, and Zhang Xiaofan were waking up from their epiphanies one after another.

Each of their faces bore a joy and shock that lingered.

Lu Xueqi's temperament had become even colder, yet within that coldness was a hint of majesty like that of the heavens, making one afraid to look directly at her.

Bi Yao's eyes had become more vivid and profound, as if she could see through a person's heart at a glance.

But the greatest change was undoubtedly in Zhang Xiaofan.

His entire temperament had undergone a earth-shattering transformation.

Though he still wore that honest, simple look, there was now a hint of confidence and composure between his brows.

The fluctuations of spiritual power within him were several times stronger than before; he was now clearly a master at the fifth level of the Jade Purity Realm.

"I broke through?"

Zhang Xiaofan felt the surging power within him and said, somewhat disbelievingly.

"You blockhead, congratulations."

Bi Yao patted his shoulder with a grin.

Lu Xueqi also cast a look of approval toward Zhang Xiaofan; though she remained cold and aloof, the goodwill within her gaze was self-evident.

Li Xiaoyu smiled with even greater gratification.

"Xiaofan, I knew it—you were never meant to be a mere creature of the pond."

Receiving affirmation from everyone, a simple, honest smile appeared on Zhang Xiaofan's face, and his heart felt warm.

Just as everyone was rejoicing over their respective gains, Bi Yao's gaze was drawn to another small stone chamber in the corner of the room.

The door to that chamber was left ajar, and a faint light emanated from within.

"Huh? There's another room over there."

Her curiosity piqued, Bi Yao stepped forward and headed toward the small stone chamber.

"Bi Yao, be careful!"

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaofan called out a warning.

But Bi Yao had already pushed the stone door open.

There was no danger behind the stone door.

It was a small, quiet room—or rather, a lady's boudoir.

The furnishings in the room were simple, consisting only of a stone bed and a vanity.

On the vanity sat a bronze mirror and a wooden comb, both covered in a thick layer of dust.

Lying quietly upon the stone bed was a skeleton that had long since withered into dry bones.

The skeleton was dressed in magnificent palace attire, identical to the clothing of the stone statue outside.

Clearly, the owner of these remains was the prototype for the statue outside and the former master of this Blood-Dripping Cave.

Beside the skeleton lay several scattered bamboo scrolls and a yellowed letter.

Clutched tightly in the skeleton's hand was a small, exquisite golden bell.

The bell was of an archaic style, engraved with delicate patterns, with its rim shaped like an opening flower petal.

Even after a thousand years, it still emitted a faint golden glow, as if telling of its owner's endless longing.

"This is the Joyous Union Bell!"

Seeing the bell, Bi Yao exclaimed in surprise.

She hurried to the side of the stone bed and carefully took the golden bell from the skeleton's hand.

Cling.

A crisp chime rang out through the silent stone chamber.

The sound seemed to carry a strange magic, capable of soothing the mind and making one forget all worries.

Li Xiaoyu, Lu Xueqi, and Zhang Xiaofan followed her inside.

They looked at the exquisite bell in Bi Yao's hand, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"Joyous Union Bell? What kind of magic treasure is this?"

Zhang Xiaofan couldn't help but ask.