Seven Books in His Heart, Saving Years of Effort
In just two days, Qiu Yan gathered seven piles of crystals and manifested seven Phantom Books. If this were to spread, it would immediately cause an uproar in the Scholar Forest, leaving everyone who heard about it dumbfounded!
You see, obtaining Book Ore Crystals in this Book Mountain Mine isn't difficult; the real challenge lies in finding all the interconnected Book Mine!
If you don't gather all the information, the insights gained from the Book Mine won't reach the scholarly Scholar Forest; in the end, it will all be for naught.
However, the cave is vast, with caves within caves, caves within caves, and branching passageways. The stalagmites and stalactites on the ground and ceiling are incredibly dense.
That's not all. The soul can hardly grasp the inner meaning through perception. To truly select and collect a complete set of Book Mine in a haystack.
If the ore were scarce, it might be easier, since it would be easy to spot at a glance and you could identify it after a few tries. But because the Book Mine is everywhere, it's much more difficult, and if you try too many times, your soul will be corrupted by the crystals, and you'll have to spend less time in the cave.
The less time there is, the more difficult it becomes to collect a complete set of Book Mine and compile them into a single volume!
Under normal circumstances, for someone to make a profit in Book Mine, they undoubtedly need extraordinary Fortune to find what they need and assemble a complete set in just a few attempts.
But such a thing is a once-in-a-century occurrence.
Some people, even with extraordinary Fortune and great fortune, often have to enter the cave several times before they can collect a complete set.
Now, Qiu Yan doesn't care how shocking his actions are. If word gets out, he won't need to do much to shock the entire Scholar Forest!
He had no intention of publicizing it at all. With a wave of his hand, his sleeves fluttered as he swept over the remaining six piles!
Instantly, the six piles of crystals, each with a different number gathered, trembled and released their luster. The six books on them then transformed one after another!
The light and shadow on the pile of yellow crystals shifted, extending horizontally and vertically, spreading out to form a chessboard. Then, mountains, seas, rivers, and lakes appeared, with black and white chess pieces each occupying one side, facing each other.
Then, Qiu Yan opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing the chessboard that had evolved into rivers and the chess pieces on it.
Immediately afterwards, light and shadow appeared on the other piles of crystals, including calligraphy, landscape paintings, flower and bird paintings, generals drawing bows and shooting arrows, and beautiful women plucking the strings of a zither!
Unpredictable and elusive.
But Qiu Yan remained unmoved. His eyes swept over the various lights and shadows, and he understood. Then he opened his mouth and inhaled. A wind rose from the ground, stirring the airflow and distorting the lights and shadows. The lights and shadows were then gathered into a single bundle, which he inhaled in one breath.
A swallowing sound followed.
Instantly, the surrounding area, filled with various colored lights and shadows, was completely cleared.
Then, the six piles of crystals quickly dimmed, turning grayish and losing their luster.
Looking at the piles of crystals, Qiu Yan did not stop. With a thought, he separated six points of Heart Fire and placed them inside, each burning. Soon, he refined the six piles of crystals into six spheres of different sizes.
The large ones are the size of a palm, while the small ones are no more than half a finger in diameter.
With a gentle wave of his hand, Qiu Yan tucked all six balls into his sleeve. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and remained silent. Then, he frowned and began to ponder deeply.
He opened his eyes again after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
"If one comprehends and integrates the principles of chess into one's own life, one's chess skills will immediately improve greatly. Although one may not become a national master, it is a process of building something from nothing, which is truly profound. Once I pass the Imperial Examinations and associate with scholars and officials, I will have a skill to rely on. Moreover, with a rough understanding, I can vaguely glimpse the meaning of Yin-Yang and the hidden principles within it. With careful study, I might gain other insights."
"These two books on painting techniques—calligraphy and painting are fundamentally one. My Calligraphy Dao has reached a state of divine artistry, but I haven't invested much in Painting Dao, nor have I achieved much. These two Phantom Books can compensate for this. Calligraphy and painting form a unified whole, allowing me to depict scenes through painting and comprehend nature."
"A book on archery. Archery is one of the Six Arts. Throughout history, many Grand Confucian were both learned and skilled in martial arts. They studied with a pen and rode horses with a bow, leaving behind many admirable stories. I want to enhance my reputation, gather popular support, and promote Human Path. The more of these things, the better. But the saying goes, 'The poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts.' My Fleshly Body was Original Edition poor and lacked resources. Studying was already a struggle, let alone riding horses and shooting arrows. Now, I cultivate the Fate Dao. Although I am strong and healthy, archery requires not only strength but also skill. This book of illusions can save me years of effort!"
"A book on music is an essential skill for a scholar. The arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting reflect a person's cultivation. One who is proficient in all of them will surely be famous throughout the world. The way of music may seem elusive, but it is admired by most people. Although I do not like such things, it is never a bad thing to have more skills. Since I have the opportunity to learn it without spending too much effort, why not? Moreover, if I show it appropriately, I will not be looked down upon by others, thus saving some struggles and troubles, and saving time from wasting on trivial matters."
After carefully studying and reviewing the contents of the six Phantom Books, Qiu Yan's State of Mind became increasingly calm and focused. These six books, along with the first one he had absorbed, on the Mechanism Arts, were of considerable use to Qiu Yan. It could be said that, based on these seven Phantom Books alone, Qiu Yan's trip to the Scholar Forest had already been worthwhile.
In the court of Great Rui, those with many talents often have an Innate Realm advantage, while those without are subconsciously looked down upon, leading to many instances of people failing to recognize their worth.
If someone is indifferent to their work and only wants to enjoy a moment's pleasure, they can naturally use this opportunity to feign weakness and then exploit their strength. However, Qiu Yan takes the Imperial Examinations for two reasons: first, to fulfill the Karma, and second, to experience and deduce the Human Path. With these two goals in mind, he often feels pressed for time. How can he have time to compete with others for a moment's advantage?
Playing chess, painting, and playing music are all ways to interact with people. They may seem useless, but Great Rui is ultimately made up of people. If Qiu Yan wants to achieve something, he cannot walk alone. He must communicate with people and interact with all things.
"Once you comprehend the Phantom Books, that is 'knowledge'; when you apply it, that is 'action,' which involves all aspects of life. The path of Human Path is to use my power to intervene in and change the hearts and minds of others, rather than limiting myself to cultivation only for my own sake..."
The more Qiu Yan thought about it, the clearer it became. He gradually grasped a core point. Then, the center of his soul body suddenly changed. His Heart Fire condensed and turned a little bloody. Then, his entire soul body fluctuated and was pulled inward by an inexplicable force!
"Hmm?" Qiu Yan's brow twitched. A rich Incense Faith surged from the Soul Aperture, replenishing the Heart Fire and simultaneously merging into various parts of his soul body to prevent internal collapse and stabilize the soul body!
After absorbing the Incense Faith, the blood color in the center of the Heart Fire became increasingly intense, showing a tendency to spread throughout the entire Heart Fire. However, it soon showed signs of exhaustion and was forcibly stopped by the intentions within the incense offerings!
"I never expected that a momentary insight could bring about such an opportunity. This must be what they call 'sudden enlightenment.' Unfortunately, I haven't even truly stepped into the second stage yet. I can't aim too high, otherwise, with an unstable foundation, no matter how high I climb, it will just be a castle in the air, collapsing under the slightest pressure. However, since I've already come this far..."
As Qiu Yan pondered, he flipped his wrist, and a white stone appeared in his hand. It was perfectly round and smooth, the very Realm Stone he had obtained from the body of the Trial Beast!
Looking at the Realm Stone, Qiu Yan pondered for a moment, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes. Furthermore, his senses and Incense Faith surged forth, enveloping the white stone as he explored and analyzed it.
His gaze hardened quickly, clearly indicating he had made a decision, and then his fingers flicked, ready to strike.
Just then!
Shock!
The ground beneath my feet suddenly began to shake! Then, the cave began to tremble!
"What's going on?" Qiu Yan stopped what he was doing and looked around. He noticed that the ground beneath his feet, the cave walls around him, and the cave ceiling above him were all shaking and even seemed to be twisting. They were moving closer and further away, as if they were about to collapse!
The person was in a deep cave, and the cave ceiling was shaking.
Anyone in this situation would feel uneasy, and a timid person would panic and scream.
However, although Qiu Yan's eyes showed surprise, his expression remained unchanged. He quickly regained his composure and walked towards the Ginseng Baby.
"Whatever has happened, we must leave this place first and follow the markers back. Panic is useless. Besides, I have already gained seven complete experience books, so this trip has been worthwhile. Even if I have to turn back now, there is nothing to regret. Moreover, the time to stay in the cave is limited. Two days have already been spent, and there is less than a day left. If we go any deeper, there may be more trouble on the way back. It is better to stop while we are ahead."
Qiu Yan followed the Ginseng Baby all the way, collecting seven piles of crystals. The journey was quite long, and the caves within caves branched out, interlocking and extremely complicated. With Qiu Yan's memory, just in case, he marked the way to avoid any accidents on the way back.
However, when he reached the Ginseng Baby, the ginseng spirit, who was soundly asleep after eating and drinking its fill, suddenly trembled and jumped up from the ground. A look of joy appeared on its face, and then it turned around and headed towards the depths of the cave!
But before he could take two steps, a large hand grabbed his neck and lifted Qiu Yan up.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
The Ginseng Baby struggled, emitting incoherent thoughts.
Qiu Yan frowned, remained silent for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "Scholar Forest is a wondrous place. I wouldn't be surprised if I encountered some great fortuitous opportunity. But one must act within one's capabilities. Trying to get involved in everything and sharing all the benefits is a dangerous idea. If this continues, one will eventually regret it."
After saying that, he ignored the Ginseng Baby's struggles, turned around, and hurried away following the marker.
But as the cave shook, it gradually shifted position, and the markings he Original Edition made became ineffective!
Seeing this, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, but did not panic. Instead, he released his senses and followed his intuition, gradually leaving the deep underground and returning by following his memories.
However, things don't always go as planned. Just as Qiu Yan had gone nearly halfway, the ground in front of him suddenly exploded, and a figure flashing with five-colored light appeared out of it!
After the figure appeared, without saying a word, it suddenly stretched out a hand and grabbed at Qiu Yan!
The light and shadow in his hand shifted, unleashing a chaotic and powerful aura of violence!
ps:
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