Black Myth: Starting from the Destined One
Chapter 217 - 179: Eliminate the Inner Demon, Face the Destiny!

Chapter 217: Chapter 179: Eliminate the Inner Demon, Face the Destiny!

"Your friend is quite generous," the monk dared to say, "had he known the origin of this book, he certainly wouldn’t have given it to you."

The Supreme Tathagata Dragon Tree Monk held up the Book of the Earth and patiently explained:

"This Book of the Earth is one of the magical treasures of Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals from the Five Villages Observatory in the west of Great Tang. It truly is an extraordinary item!"

"So this book is the magical treasure of the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Zhen Yuanzi! No wonder it is so mysterious! Even I cannot fathom its secrets!"

Li Ping’an and Mahaparinirvana, the Monk Who Broke Precepts were stunned, then shocked, and finally joyous. Mahaparinirvana looked enviously at Li Ping’an, who cheerfully replied:

"Then as you say, if there is a Book of the Earth in the world, is there also a Heavenly Book?"

"Yes, not only is there a Heavenly Book, but there is also a Human Book!"

The answer of the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk surprised both Li Ping’an and Mahaparinirvana immensely!

Mahaparinirvana and Li Ping’an curiously asked in unison:

"Emperor Tathagata, what are the Heavenly Book, the Earthly Book, and the Human Book?"

The Supreme Tathagata Dragon Tree Monk patiently continued:

"The three books of Heaven, Earth, and Humans refer to the Celestial Book of Sealing Gods, the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and the Book of Life and Death."

"This Heavenly Book, containing the souls and primordial spirits of gods, is an ancient magical treasure of great renown."

"This Celestial Book of Sealing Gods, according to legend, was originally in the hands of the Ancestor of Taoism. Later, when Erlang Shen, the True Lord Yang Jian, split a mountain to save his mother, God Haotian attempted to intervene but was blocked by Immortal Yuding, a disciple of the saints. Haotian, greatly annoyed, paid his respects at Zixia Palace, seeking the command of Ancestor of Taoism for twelve golden immortals to acknowledge allegiance, which led to the gathering of the six saints at the Zixia Palace and the signing of the God-Sealing List."

"Speaking of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, it is said to have originated from the primordial membrane of the ancient earth, possessing astonishing defensive strength. As long as one stands on the earth, endless power supports the defense, able to establish the great Formation of the Earthly Book, a famous ancient defensive formation that no saint could break."

"Inside, it also secretly contains Taoist methods for becoming an immortal, and numerous forbidden Cultivation Methods, truly remarkable!"

"Lastly, this Human Book of Life and Death, along with the Scribing Brush of Reincarnation, forms a set."

"The Book of Life and Death records the birth and death dates of all lives in the Three Realms, along with the longevity. The Prince of Yin and the Ten Halls of Hell must adhere strictly to its contents to deploy their subordinates for soul reaping operations."

"The Book of Life and Death directly controls the life and death of humans; once a death date is set, even a Daluo Golden Immortal cannot escape it."

"However, the legends about the books of Heaven, Earth, and Humans are all ancient tales, indistinguishable between truth and fiction."

"Currently, it has been five hundred years after Master Xuanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Monk Sha, and White Dragon Horse went to fetch the scriptures in the west, and the world has undergone immense changes since ancient times. There is no Ancestor of Taoism anymore, and within the Three Realms, there are only the Sanqing, Four Imperial Sovereigns, Five Elders, Six Ministries, Seven Origins, Eight Extremes, Nine Luminaries, Ten Cities, Thousands of Truths and Ten Thousands of Saints, and the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, so these rumors should not be taken as truth."

"Little benefactor, if you wish to fully understand the Earthly Book, you must personally visit Zhen Yuanzi, the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, at the Five Villages Observatory."

"I see..."

Li Ping’an nodded, having understood the origin of the books of Heaven, Earth, and Humans, then asked again:

"So, is the great immortal Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Zhen Yuanzi, really in the Five Villages Observatory to the west of Great Tang? I wish to thoroughly understand the Earthly Book and fathom its secrets, which I believe will significantly advance my Cultivation and greatly benefit my Taoist Magic."

"That Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Zhen Yuanzi..."

Just as the Supreme Tathagata Dragon Tree Monk began to speak, suddenly, the sky over Chang’an swirled with wind and clouds, and a dark cloud floated over, containing two huge eyes staring at the Supreme Tathagata Dragon Tree Monk, although neither Li Ping’an nor Mahaparinirvana noticed or could see this phenomenon.

"These demons are indeed keeping a close watch. It seems I must personally elucidate the mysteries of the Earthly Book."

The Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk gazed up at the giant eyes in the dark cloud and said spontaneously, confusing both Li Ping’an and Mahaparinirvana even further.

"If you seek out the magical treasure of the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, Zhen Yuanzi, wouldn’t you be walking into a trap? He would surely view you as a thief who has stolen his treasures and would not spare your life."

The Supreme Tathagata Dragon Tree Monk looked up at those eyes for a moment and then quickly changed his statement:

"Therefore, ask if you have any doubts, and perhaps I can help you unravel the mysteries of the Earthly Book."

"You old fellow haven’t lived all these years for nothing, almost had me fooled," Li Ping’an thought to himself with a silent cheer, realizing he need not travel far to seek Zhen Yuanzi. He immediately pointed at the Earthly Book and asked:

"Emperor Tathagata, why can’t I see the characters on it?"

"Oh?"

The Emperor Tathagata was slightly taken aback:

"Is that so?"

He immediately flipped through the Earthly Book. Just as Li Ping’an had said, he could not see any characters. After pondering a moment, he said:

"The bell’s ringing must be undone by the ringer; little benefactor, try holding it now and see if you can see any characters or perhaps even illustrations?"

Li Ping’an took the book into his hands and looked through, but just the same, he couldn’t make out a single character.

"I also can’t see anything. That means this Book of the Earth is just for show; there actually isn’t any text in it at all."

Mahaparinirvana also chimed in.

"Not to deceive Emperor Tathagata, there’s really not a single word..."

Li Ping’an looked at the Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk and helplessly shook his head.

The Emperor Tathagata Dragon Tree Divine Monk then pointed at Li Ping’an:

"Look again carefully. If there are no characters, could there possibly be pictures? This time, look more slowly and with mindfulness!"