Chapter 00085: The Golden Crow Secret
# The Golden Crow Secret
Chapter 85
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 85: The Golden Crow Secret
Lan Xiaobu continuously charged at the entrance of the Scripture Chamber, wondering if, after so many years, the array had become a bit worn out.
Whether the array had indeed aged, Lan Xiaobu did not know, but he could clearly feel that with each successive impact against the door, the white light emanating from it diminished more and more. After two full days of attempts, the white light finally disappeared without a trace.
As Lan Xiaobu pushed open the door to the Scripture Chamber, he couldn't help but marvel at how extraordinary this formation was. Despite the passage of so much time, it still managed to activate.
What astonished Lan Xiaobu even more was that upon entering, he found that there was not a single weed within the Scripture Chamber. But even that was not the most shocking part; the most astonishing thing was that there was not even a speck of dust inside.
If it weren't for the door being locked just moments ago, and the outside looking dilapidated, Lan Xiaobu would have suspected that someone was regularly cleaning this place.
The methods of cultivators truly surpass the ordinary, consisting of things he had never heard of before.
Lan Xiaobu used his spiritual sense to sweep the area repeatedly, confirming that no one was present. To his disappointment, there were also no texts or scriptures to be found.
The Scripture Chamber was divided into five levels, and all five levels were empty, devoid of any items. Lan Xiaobu speculated that it had likely been cleared out by someone.
He pushed open the door to the first level, which only had some empty racks. Though these racks were dust-free, they held no texts.
There was no need for him to ascend to the second through the fifth levels; his spiritual sense clearly detected that there was nothing inside, not even a single rack. The first level had at least some empty racks, while the others had none at all.
Feeling a bit forlorn, Lan Xiaobu walked to a corner and picked up a broken wooden block. It was the only thing that had fallen to the ground in the entire Scripture Chamber. He had come seeking a cultivation method, only to find nothing—how could he not be disappointed?
However, the moment he touched the wooden block, Lan Xiaobu knew it wasn't just a simple block of wood. It did not feel so cold nor did it have this kind of texture. He instinctively used his spiritual sense to probe deeper and was pleasantly surprised to find some vague forms swirling within it, although he couldn’t make them out clearly.
But he could confirm that it was a piece of jade. The jade was carved with a variety of complex patterns, and those vague forms floated above these patterns.
Without hesitation, Lan Xiaobu brought the jade closer to his forehead, and suddenly everything became much clearer.
This was a jade slip, and the inscription on it began with three words: Golden Crow Secret.
Lan Xiaobu’s excitement bubbled over, and he sat down on one of the empty racks. As his spiritual sense swept over it, the characters on the jade slip imprinted themselves in his mind with astonishing clarity.
The Golden Crow Secret was a true cultivation method, but it did not include the foundational stage of refining essence into qi. Lan Xiaobu did not care; he had already established his foundation, having long passed that stage. This technique seemed to have been custom-made for him, almost as if it knew he had already moved beyond refining essence into qi.
Custom-made? A thought struck Lan Xiaobu. When he first entered, it appeared he had missed this jade slip with his spiritual sense. Could it be that he hadn’t noticed it at first, discovering it only upon a second scan?
But in an instant, he dismissed this idea. Such coincidences couldn’t possibly happen. Did the jade slip truly just happen to be tailored for him?
Lost in thought, Lan Xiaobu carefully tucked the jade slip away, scanning his surroundings once more before calmly saying, “You can come out now; I’ve encountered many remnants like you.”
There was no reply. Lan Xiaobu repeated himself, only to be met with silence again.
He chuckled, pulling out a tiny, exquisite lighter. “I’ll give you three more breaths of time. If you don’t speak, I’ll simply burn this place down.”
Lan Xiaobu had already searched this area back and forth with his spiritual sense. Since he hadn’t found anything, he was compelled to force the other party to appear.
Having experienced two soul possessions recently and with his spiritual sense greatly enhanced, he was not afraid of another attempt at possession.
Sure enough, after Lan Xiaobu spoke, a sigh echoed from the depths of the Scripture Chamber. “If you burn this place, I still won’t be able to emerge. I am merely a guardian spirit of the chamber.”
A guardian spirit? What could that be?
The voice continued, “I saw you searching for techniques to no avail, so I kindly gave you the Golden Crow Secret. If you wish to repay me with malice, there's nothing I can do about it.”
Lan Xiaobu, still somewhat doubtful, put away his lighter and asked, “What about the others from the Hongyun Sect? Why haven’t I seen anyone else?”
“They have all been slaughtered, leaving the Hongyun Sect extinct.” The spirit’s voice was tinged with age and fatigue.
“Can you tell my cultivation level?” Lan Xiaobu thought about the techniques in the Golden Crow Secret.
The spirit slowly replied, “I cannot see it. All I have is this Golden Crow Secret, which does not require foundational practice. Whether or not you can cultivate it remains unclear. However, you should be able to use your spiritual sense, and thus, should be able to cultivate it.”
“Thank you, senior.” Lan Xiaobu acknowledged that the spirit had no need to harm him and bowed deeply towards where the voice came from.
This spirit seemed to be quite powerful since Lan Xiaobu couldn't even locate it with his spiritual sense.
“Although I do not know how you established your foundation, I do know that it is an ordinary foundation. Approximately forty thousand miles behind the Hongyun Sect, there is a Womb Cleansing Pool. You might go there and try your luck, to see if you can wash away your ordinary foundation. This is your last chance; otherwise, after cultivating the Golden Crow Secret, you will no longer have the qualification to step onto the immortal path. Of course, having passed these many years, I cannot say for certain if the Womb Cleansing Pool still exists; you will only be able to see for yourself.”
At the spirit's words, Lan Xiaobu froze for a moment before instinctively asking, “If I do not go to the Womb Cleansing Pool now, will I be stuck at the realm of mortals forever?”
The spirit sighed, “It should be said that you will be stuck at the Human Immortal Realm. Though it contains an 'immortal' character, you remain a mortal. There are methods to resolve it, but those methods are nearly impossible for you to achieve.”
Lan Xiaobu bowed again, “Thank you for your guidance, senior spirit. I must take my leave now. If there is anything you need me to do, when I have strength one day, I will certainly not refuse.”
He did not ask why the Hongyun Sect was destroyed or who was responsible. Knowing the truth wouldn’t help him avenge the sect; in fact, it was better that he didn’t know. Besides, the reasons behind the destruction of the Hongyun Sect were of little concern to him. Who was right and who was wrong in this matter was not his to judge.
A soft sound interrupted his thoughts as two more jade slips fell to the ground, followed by the spirit's voice, “These two jade slips contain some basic Dao techniques and foundational formations. A cultivator who lacks both Dao techniques and formations is indeed pitiful; having them here is of no use to me. Since you possess a spiritual sense, you can cultivate them—take these two jade slips with you. Before you go, visit the main hall of the Hongyun Sect; there is a patch of red cloud there, and on that red cloud is a small dark cloud. Help me press that dark cloud into the red cloud, and from then on, the Hongyun Sect shall seal its gates.”
“Rest assured, senior. I can certainly do it.” Lan Xiaobu hurriedly tucked the two jade slips away, expressing his gratitude.
As Lan Xiaobu turned to leave, the guardian spirit spoke again, “The Hongyun Sect was established to commemorate its founder, Elder Ji, and to seek revenge for him; it is merely unfortunate that its strength was too weak. Should you encounter any disciples from the Hongyun Sect in the future, and if you have the ability, please lend them a helping hand.”
Could it be that it was an ancestor of the Hongyun Sect? If that were the case, it was a bit outrageous.
“I will definitely remember. Farewell!” Lan Xiaobu again bowed deeply before turning to exit the Hongyun Sect.
In a sense, this guardian spirit could be seen as his mentor. Without this spirit, he would have remained stuck at the Innate Foundation stage.
He knew well about that patch of red cloud and returned to the main hall, where he climbed up and indeed spotted a small dark cloud hovering above the red cloud. He pressed down on the dark cloud, and immediately, the entire sect began to tremble.
It felt as if the ground beneath was about to quake. Lan Xiaobu didn’t dare to hesitate and fled the Hongyun Sect as swiftly as he could.
Standing outside, Lan Xiaobu clearly saw billowing white mist rising around the Hongyun Sect. Following the booming sounds, the surrounding mountains gradually faded away, and the dilapidated buildings covered in plants slowly disappeared into the swirling mist.
After more than half an hour, the entire Hongyun Sect vanished without a trace. All that remained before him were some ordinary plants and wilderness.
Lan Xiaobu couldn’t help but admire the methods of cultivation. An array could cause such a massive sect to become invisible.
However, after a brief moment of contemplation, he quickly summoned Kunlun again. He needed to pilot Kunlun to search for the Womb Cleansing Pool.
(Today's update ends here. Goodnight, friends!)
(End of Chapter)