Ode to Returning Home

Jiang Chen thought, If the old book attendant had personally spread half-true, half-false intelligence to lure all manner of demons and monsters into the Scripture Pavilion, then slowly worked his schemes through the Demi-Immortal's Book...

This was a fisherman through and through!

Sure enough, humans were the most sinister of all.

What followed began to turn bloody.

The old book attendant secretly formed a hand seal and activated the Form-Returning Technique through an array he had set up in the Scripture Pavilion beforehand.

In an instant, crimson bloodlight enveloped the entire basement!

"You had long cultivated the Form-Returning Book. You simply never noticed because its effects were so mild."

The aged Old Devil and the great Jiao Serpent demon seemed to have their throats seized in an instant. Demonic Flame and demon aura continuously spilled from their devil cores and Demon Cores.

"How is that possible?!"

"When did you cultivate it?"

The old book attendant pressed his palms together, steadily increasing his strength as he patiently operated the Form-Returning Formation.

"The very first book you cultivated after entering the Scripture Pavilion was the genuine Form-Returning Book, created by this old man, Reverend Guiqi. If I had not called it the Demi-Immortal's Book, why would anyone have come?"

Guiqi, Gui Qi...

"So it really was you!"

The aged Old Devil and the great Jiao Serpent demon knew they had fallen for the trap. There was no turning the tide now, yet one question still troubled them.

"The Demi-Immortal's Book had such mild effects that the two of us could not detect them. Why has it become like this now...?"

Reverend Guiqi's cultivation far surpassed theirs. With victory already in his grasp, he patiently explained:

"We both cultivate the Demi-Immortal's Book. I am the Abyss, while you are fish on the chopping block. As one wanes, the other waxes; yin and yang give birth to one another. Demi-immortal plus demi-immortal—does that not form the radiant path to immortality? Rest in peace, you two. One day, this old man shall ascend to immortality in broad daylight on your behalf!"

The two were quickly drained dry of their demon aura and Demonic Flame. Their bodies twisted and rapidly withered.

"You old thief! Following such wicked demonic Outer Dao, do you think you can become immortal?!"

Reverend Guiqi's body gradually returned to an adult's height. White-haired yet youthful-faced, he bore the air and bones of an immortal... and the vicissitudes of several thousand years.

"What is an immortal? Can one become immortal with a Dao heart devoid of self, or with a kind heart that embraces all under heaven?

Every existence perched high above must inevitably be accompanied by the exploitation of the countless living beings below.

There has never been more than one road to the heavens. On this road, none is nobler than another!"

As he spoke, he had already sucked the marrow from the bones of the two demons, who had been reduced to merely Peak Golden Core cultivation, absorbing them completely.

His complexion became much rosier, his robes fluttering gracefully as he looked kindly and approachable.

"Only half a year to completely absorb the spiritual qi of two Nascent Soul demons—at this cultivation speed, Spirit Severing is not far off for this old man!"

After dealing with one demon and one devil, Reverend Guiqi reset the Scripture Pavilion's array, sealed the two holes in the wall, covered everything in dust and cobwebs, then left behind an exceedingly concealed, cramped air vent to await new prey.

He sent a carrier pigeon to Gray Castle's branch helm in Xihe Prefecture, instructing them to continue spreading false information.

Afterward, he returned to the neighboring cave dwelling to meditate and digest the spiritual qi he had devoured.

Several hours later, the plot ended.

Jiang Chen's divine sense returned to Tranquil Heart Peak.

The cruel reality made his hair stand on end.

Upon Reverend Guiqi, he vaguely saw a shadow of his own future.

With poor talent, it was nearly impossible to rely on enlightenment or improve one's innate constitution. He could only madly seize ever more resources...

Yet the resources of this world were limited. In the end, it would inevitably become a society where people devoured people.

Fortunately, generally speaking, although the Demi-Immortal's Book could not improve the innate constitution or talent of a cultivator with talent like his, it could greatly increase cultivation efficiency.

As for hunters and prey rushing toward each other only to become the Star-Absorbing Technique, Jiang Chen preferred to keep his distance...

Unless he encountered true crooked demons and wicked devils.

This plot was fairly simple.

It was just that several of the characters possessed excessively high combat power, and Jiang Chen had no idea how to intervene for the moment.

He had no obligation to save demons.

He only wanted to know how he could obtain the Form-Returning Book.

Three chances.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Chen found that his general guiding principle was still similar to the previous round of Plot Simulation.

For the first attempt, he would try the stupid method first: charge in alone and see whether there was any opportunity.

For the second, he would cooperate with Liu Ruyan and attempt to devise a flawless plan.

For the third, he would leave himself a small safety net.

With that in mind, he immediately took action.

"Begin the first simulation."

[Reminder: The host is currently under another person's gaze and attention. To avoid causing spacetime and logical distortions, the current state cannot be airdropped to a plot point. The Plot Simulation can only begin from the host's current location.]

Jiang Chen froze.

If someone was nearby, he could not flash away... This system was rather scientific!

Did that not mean it would be best to watch the Plot Simulation next time only when no one was around?

With no other choice, Jiang Chen could only begin the plot from where he stood. He said to Liu Ruyan:

"To raise my cultivation as quickly as possible, I need a large quantity of spirit stones, pills, and healing medicine. Help me gather them by tomorrow, and then I'll tell you where the hidden masters within the sect are."

Liu Ruyan was slightly startled. She had not expected Jiang Chen to truly know the powerful experts within the sect...

"See you tomorrow."

After casually chatting with Liu Ruyan for a few more sentences, Jiang Chen returned to the disciples' quarters.

The reason he made a deal with Liu Ruyan was also to prepare an escape route in advance. Perhaps he could achieve a perfect ending in the first simulation and make it his safety net?

Then he could take greater risks in the remaining two attempts and do the things he loved to do.

Upon returning to the disciples' quarters, Jiang Chen immediately sat cross-legged on his meditation mat and began quiet cultivation.

Liu Ruyan did not follow him over while invisible this time.

His plump senior brother, Wang Baolin, came over to warn him instead:

"I just saw you talking with Senior Sister Liu. You'd better be more discreet next time, lest the other senior brothers bear a grudge against you."

Jiang Chen closed his eyes and thanked him.

"Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother Wang!"

Yet Wang Baolin did not leave. With a furtive grin, he said:

"Well, Junior Brother Jiang... Seeing how well your senior brother takes care of you, could you teach me some cultivation method for winning the hearts of senior sisters and junior sisters?"

To send Senior Brother Wang away as quickly as possible, Jiang Chen could only offer a serious suggestion:

"My suggestion is that you lose weight. Eat less."

Upon hearing this, Wang Baolin suddenly regained the majesty of a three-hundred-pound powerhouse.

"I can do without women!"

Having finally fobbed Wang Baolin off, Jiang Chen calculated the precise timing according to the original plot. Only after Reverend Guiqi had devoured the demon and devil did he set out, flying his sword straight toward Myriad Laws Peak.

After arriving at Myriad Laws Peak, Jiang Chen had no way to head directly to Reverend Guiqi's cave dwelling.

So he went to the Scripture Pavilion directly above Reverend Guiqi's cave dwelling and slipped two spirit stones to the pavilion steward.

After calculating the exact location, he went to a corner on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, directly above Reverend Guiqi's head. He plopped down and casually began chanting the Ode to Returning Home:

"Return, return! My fields and gardens are about to grow wild—why do I not return? Since I have made my heart a servant to my form, why should I grieve alone in melancholy...?"

The disciples who had come to the Scripture Pavilion to borrow jade slips all turned to look. They felt that some fool had arrived, yet could not help admiring the young man's literary talent.

Jiang Chen's purpose was not to show off. He was dancing on Reverend Guiqi's grave right above his head, drawing his attention.

Whoosh—

Sure enough, before he could finish chanting the Ode to Returning Home, a gust of demonic wind suddenly poured into the Scripture Pavilion and swept Jiang Chen away.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Chen appeared in the forest.

There was no one around. All he heard was Reverend Guiqi's aged voice by his ear.

"Who are you, and why have you appeared here?"