Chapter 654: Release

Standing among the sect cultivators, I observed from the corner of my eye. The three ancient scrolls Xu Yan had taken from Chen Jiuge's bag now rested on the bed.

The scrolls were extremely old, carrying a heavy, weather-beaten sense of history, yet they were perfectly preserved.

The first scroll on the left was an authentic Daoist text. Four lines of ancient characters were written across its yellowing paper—floating life is like a dream, yet a dream is not a dream. What is a floating life? Like a dream of a dream.

This had to be the closely guarded secret of the Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple. Daoist Master Xu Yan didn't open it; to avoid suspicion, he solemnly placed it back exactly where he had found it.

The second scroll was a Buddhist sutra written in highly complex Sanskrit. Neither I nor the surrounding sect cultivators could understand a word of it. However, Lu Jingxiu, the Lingbao Sect mountain guardian who always kept a low profile, showed a strange expression. His lips moved as he murmured, "The Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Fundamental Vows Sutra. Wasn't this sutra burned by Esoteric Buddhism a few years ago? Back then, the old Tathagata hadn't yet passed away..."

Realizing he had misspoken, he immediately snapped his mouth shut, his expression returning to normal.

Having only heard half the secret, I felt entirely unsatisfied. 'What a pity,' I thought with a sigh, my eyes locked onto the ancient scrolls on the bed as the urge to claim them for myself welled up inside me.

The true scripture of the Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple was connected to the Dream Realm. I already possessed the Dream Wing Gu; if I could also learn the Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple's Dream Dao Secret Art, the Deep Dream Layer would become my personal backyard. The Dream Realm was vast and boundless. If I could enter and exit at will, I would become the master of dreams. Who in this world could ever catch me then?

As for that Sanskrit Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Fundamental Vows Sutra, I had just seen it on the Live Show's store shelves. The sutra was priced at thirty points—it was absolutely a top-tier treasure!

If there hadn't been so many Daoist priests around, I genuinely would have considered murdering them to steal the treasures.

Burying the greed in my eyes, I steadied my breathing and continued to observe.

Xu Yan was highly experienced and knowledgeable. He seemed to have recognized the sutra as well. Treating it like a hot potato, he set it far away on the other side of the bed before picking up the third ancient scroll.

Everyone's gaze converged on the third scroll. This book appeared to be the oldest of the three. The writing on the cover was no longer legible, and the first line inside read:

"Everything is fate, nothing is up to man. Every drink and every peck is preordained. The karma of three lifetimes, the six paths of reincarnation..."

I only managed to read that opening line. Before I could continue, Xu Yan snapped the ancient scroll shut. He exchanged a glance with Lu Jingxiu, who stood at the front, and both saw the sheer shock written on each other's faces.

"The Dao of Fate?" Xu Yan slowly set down the ancient text, his tone extremely stern as he addressed the surrounding sect cultivators. "No one is allowed to read this book on their own. It is best you forget everything you just saw. Do not think about it, and absolutely do not ponder its underlying logic."

Still uneasy after saying that, he returned the three ancient scrolls to their original places, wrapped them in a Daoist robe, and slapped a golden talisman onto it.

"Fellow Daoist, lend me a hand." Xu Yan gestured politely toward Lu Jingxiu. This low-profile Lingbao Sect mountain guardian retrieved four golden talismans from his robes—each half the size of a normal talisman—and affixed them to the four corners of the bed.

He silently chanted an incantation. Right before everyone's eyes, the four golden talismans dissolved into ash, scattering across the entire bed.

"The two of us have jointly sealed this item. If anyone approaches it, we will instantly notice." He turned and called over the Qingcheng disciple, Xu Wugui. "Guard the door outside. Let no one in. The rest of you, go notify the Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple. This involves the Dao of Fate, so it is inappropriate for me to intervene. After all, Chen Jiuge was a disciple of their Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple."

As Daoist Master Xu Yan issued his orders one by one, some cultivators remained puzzled. For instance, Wei Jianming, who was standing near the back not far from me, lowered his voice and asked Wei Wenming, "Eldest Senior Brother, I've heard of Daoist and Buddhist scriptures, but why did Daoist Master Xu call this final book on the Dao of Fate a forbidden text? He even told us to forget what we just saw and forbade us from even thinking about it."

"First destiny, second luck, third feng shui. Destiny is the one and only thing that cannot be touched. To touch it is the ultimate treason!" Wei Wenming explained earnestly to his junior brother, worried the young man might violate a taboo. "Destiny rests in the hands of Heaven. Our cultivation emphasizes following the natural order, but Fate Cultivation is entirely different. That is fighting against Heaven and defying divine laws. The slightest misstep, and one will be reduced to ash."

"Can destiny not be cultivated?" Wei Jianming still didn't quite understand, looking somewhat bewildered.

Wei Wenming was just about to explain when Xu Yan interrupted him with a wave of his hand. His voice was stern, carrying a heavy warning. "Destiny is not to be discussed lightly. Those who vainly attempt to snatch destiny from Heaven are all madmen! If you ever discover such a person, kill them on sight. Do not be curious about their identity, do not speak with them, and absolutely do not touch anything on their bodies. It is best to burn them to ash with a single fire, ensuring not a single trace of them remains in this world."

Listening to Xu Yan's words, a chill crept into my heart. I really hadn't expected sect cultivators to hold such a ruthless attitude toward Fate Cultivation.

Along with my shock came a trace of worry. There were Daoist practitioners in my livestream too, like Daoist master Wan and Half-Immortal Liu. Even if they didn't know my roots inside and out, they weren't far off.

'If Daoist master Wan comes to Jiangcheng this time, will he conveniently wipe me out—a Fate Usurper who's barely crossed the threshold? I'm not just cultivating fate; I'm actively trying to defy the heavens and change my destiny...'

What is a blessing is not a disaster, what is a disaster cannot be avoided. I stood silently in the crowd, not speaking for a long time.

After issuing tasks to everyone, Daoist Master Xu Yan locked his cloudy eyes on me, making me entirely uneasy. "Daoist Master, if you have something to say, just say it. Although I am a Ghost Cultivator, I am open and aboveboard. I do things fair and square—which is quite different from you Daoist sect folks."

"Sharp-tongued, but you do have some skill." Daoist Master Xu Yan paced around the room. "An inner disciple of a Daoist sect carrying a Buddhist sutra, a Daoist scripture, and a forbidden technique all at once... this entire situation reeks of strangeness. We must be extremely careful."

"Daoist Master, are you implying we might also become targets?" Lu Chen asked from the side. "That shouldn't be possible, right? After all, who would have the guts to provoke so many sects at the same time?"

"Chen Jiuge is already dead. What isn't possible?" Xu Yan said calmly, yet his voice carried an innate, commanding presence. "Ordinary people revere the Five Great Upper Sects, but there is a group of people who don't even respect Heaven itself. There is nothing in this world they wouldn't dare to do."

"Are you talking about Fate Usurpers?" Lu Chen realized his slip of the tongue the moment the words left his mouth. He held a very high status in the Profound Truth Dao as the Celestial Master's first disciple, so he knew many hidden secrets. He was well aware that in certain settings, the words 'Fate Usurper' were absolutely not to be spoken aloud.

Xu Yan gave Lu Chen a deep look and nodded. "Correct. I now suspect Chen Jiuge's death is connected to them. As early as five years ago, people witnessed them appearing in South China."

"If it was truly their doing, then this matter needs to be reported to our sects. It would be far too difficult for just the few of us to deal with Fate Cultivators." Without me noticing when, Lu Jingxiu had walked over to my side. This old man was utterly terrifying. He moved completely soundlessly; even though I had already entered the Breath Listening Realm, I hadn't sensed him in the slightest.

"If this young friend remains by our side, I fear he will be dragged into our troubles. Although he has ties to the Ghost Mother, that is a separate matter..." Lu Jingxiu shot me a faint glance. His eyes seemed to contain an entire ocean, making it impossible to fathom his thoughts. "Our most pressing task right now is to uncover the cause of Chen Jiuge's death. The matter of the Ghost Mother can wait. He never left his guest room last night, so he has nothing to do with Chen Jiuge's death. It would be better to let him go for now. Once we bring Chen Jiuge's killer to justice, we can look for him again."

After Lu Jingxiu finished speaking, the surrounding sect cultivators were all somewhat dumbfounded. I froze for a moment, muttering inwardly, 'Is he really that kind-hearted?'

"Daoist Master, we cannot release this guy! He's mastered evil arts. Once he's prepared, it'll be incredibly difficult for us to catch him again!" Wei Jianming spoke out directly, ignoring his senior brother's attempts to stop him.

"Mastered evil arts?" Lu Jingxiu shook his head. "His ghost art is exceedingly orthodox, harmonizing Yin and Yang. He walks the path of attaining the Dao through the Yin spirit. If he truly wanted to leave, you junior disciples wouldn't be able to stop him. Since we two old bones must handle Chen Jiuge's matter, we can't keep an eye on him around the clock. Rather than force a deadly confrontation, it is better to let nature take its course."

"This man isn't very skilled, but his ability to stir up trouble leaves us in the dust. Sending him away is for the best." Lu Chen was the first to speak up in support, followed closely by Leng Qingxuan, who also put in a good word for me.

Eventually, Xu Yan nodded in agreement. "It happens to be a time of great turmoil. I don't know whether to call you lucky or unlucky."

After talking for quite a while, the old Daoist finally flicked his sleeve. "Leng Qingxuan, escort this young friend out."

"Are you really letting me go?" I stood rooted to the spot, motionless as I looked at the sect cultivators. Aside from Wei Jianming, who had quite a few complaints, the others all seemed to have had a change in temperament because of Chen Jiuge's death.

"Hurry up and leave. How long are you planning to stay?"

Leng Qingxuan dragged me out of the guest room, and we took the elevator down. It wasn't until we stepped entirely out of Century New Garden that I finally snapped back to reality. "You guys are genuinely letting me go?"

"Would we fake it? Daoist Master Xu Yan and Daoist Master Lu Jingxiu are highly respected seniors. Why would they deceive a junior like you? In truth, we Daoist practitioners honor trust and righteousness above all else; you've just always been prejudiced against us." After saying that, Leng Qingxuan bid me farewell.

"Was I overthinking it? Sect members value trust and righteousness above all else?" Once Leng Qingxuan was far away, my expression entirely shifted. With a cold sneer, I lightly tapped the Ghost Ring. "If they valued trust and righteousness, they wouldn't have secretly hidden a talisman inside the Vermilion Fruit! They're probably still entirely in the dark, thinking they can use me to find the Ghost Mother!"

I strode away from Century New Garden. The talisman from the Vermilion Fruit was currently inside Wang Shi's body, which meant the sect cultivators could track my position at any moment. While this was a disadvantage for me, it was also the critical key to turning the tables.

"If you have no intention of harming me, then naturally I won't move against you. But if you dare scheme against me, don't blame me for showing no mercy and burying every single one of you in a pit!" The smile slowly faded from my face. I hopped into a taxi heading for the Central Bank of Jiangcheng. Along the way, I pulled out the Live Show Phone and began picking out the items I was preparing to redeem.

"The sect cultivators have strength in numbers and excel at laying formations, making this Nine Palaces Realm-Breaking Divine Talisman well worth redeeming. Deep within the ley lines of the Three Yin Sect, the core of the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation consists of a Black Chess Piece and a Mountain God Sculpture. If I redeem this Mountain God Talisman now, it might just come in handy later..."