Chaotic World Book
Chapter 100 - 98 Heavenly Book

Chapter 100: Chapter 98 Heavenly Book

Ancient Sword Lake bottom, Otherworldly Space.

Essentially, when the epoch collapsed, the Divine Sword’s power protected its master and sustained a small space that became isolated. To call this space an Otherworld is not quite accurate, for it still depended on the Main Plane for its existence, with many elements including air connected through some form of pathway; therefore, one could use methods to communicate with it from above the lake, but it was impossible to find this space with the naked eye.

It should strictly be called an Attached Plane.

Zhao Changhe thought of the Azure Dragon Seal, as the Divine Sword’s action was completely unreasonable; there was no way Xia Chichi had given it any reason to deliver a fatal blow. If he had to find a possible connection from Xia Chichi, it would only be the Azure Dragon Seal, which also came from the previous epoch.

And indeed, upon trying, it was so.

When the Divine Sword touched the Azure Dragon Seal, an immediate reaction occurred.

Zhao Changhe and his two companions felt as if they had seen a trace of Ancient Times, like dreaming their way back, seeing shadows of the past.

An emperor in a robe was saying, "With the heavens set for slaughter, the stars shifting places, I fear the Heavenly Dao is changing, and a calamity is about to begin. I must return early to prepare... Should I escape this disaster, I’ll come looking for you."

The woman sighed, "Why bother to deceive me... Emperor Ye has fallen, and what you desire is merely his position, to take control of that page of the Heavenly Book. Fearing that I have past ties with them, you deliberately left me here, so as not to hinder your actions."

The emperor-clad man fell silent for a moment, "You can think that way."

"No matter what you do... I can wait for you, for however long it takes, even until the epoch restarts," the woman’s voice gradually fell, "I just fear that you won’t come back..."

The man promised, "Rest assured, I will come."

"Good, I believe you. If you truly come, I still have something for you."

What became of the man after he left, the vision does not reveal, but Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi were very clear that the man had gone back and prepared all the tombs in Beimang, readied the inheritance of the Azure Dragon Seal, and all his affairs were in order, with the sole exception of returning to the woman.

Zhao Changhe suddenly thought that the bizarre displacement of Beimang might all be the handiwork of this emperor. After all, he was already contending for the Heavenly Book, which seemed more formidable than a normal mortal emperor.

Seeing things like this, it was clear the man had not much considered the woman’s matters, and there was likely no misunderstanding.

As the collapse of the epoch approached, knowing she could not escape with her strength and with her heart already ashen, she chose not to flee and instead took her own life in the Sword Room. All the thoughts she had at her last moment were of the promise made by the man before their parting.

The image faded away.

When Zhao Changhe and his two companions opened their eyes, they saw a space that resembled a Sword Room, decorated with several swords. An Ancient corpse had long since decayed there, with even garments and other materials turned into dust, leaving only a skeleton sitting peacefully, devoid of any trace of life.

The Divine Sword left Han Wubing’s hand and circled the skeleton, wailing as if to say that the unfaithful one had come, and asked if she wanted to see.

But the master would never respond again.

Xia Chichi, feeling very uncomfortable, took off the Azure Dragon Seal and placed it before the skeleton, and said respectfully, "Ancestor, indeed I have received the baptism and inheritance of this Seal’s cultivation technique, but I’m not the original owner... Ancestor, I am a woman."

The Divine Sword: "..."

In theory, inheriting it was supposed to continue its causality, including any hatred. The Divine Sword didn’t think, nor could it differentiate between genders; its continued purpose was to kill you, and it almost malfunctioned due to the actions of Xia Chichi and Zhao Changhe repeatedly saving each other. It naturally appreciated those with loyalty and affection, and now faced with a conflict between the two, should it kill or not?

Initially, the killing intent prevailed, for she was engulfed with the aura of the Azure Dragon Seal’s cultivation technique, and wouldn’t being affectionate towards others be a further betrayal of the original owner? Just when it decided to kill them both, another young man it recognized grabbed the sword hilt.

Surrounded by three beings of loyalty and affection, the Divine Sword completely malfunctioned.

Xia Chichi was also troubled, as the robed man was certainly an inheritor of the Azure Dragon, and possibly even an incarnation of the Azure Dragon, part of the Four Symbols Sect’s faith. Now, she, belonging to the Four Symbols Sect, became the betrayer, a reversal of Xia Longyuan’s situation. If she were the heroine, she would be the one to kill the inheritor, yet now she herself was that inheritor.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Xia Chichi whispered, "Ancestor, the inheritance and creation within this Azure Dragon Seal have already been absorbed by me, and in theory, it’s already useless, only kept as a symbol of a Holy Daughter of the Azure Dragon. If the Ancestor truly detests it, I am willing to shatter it, though I wonder if the Ancestor would think it too light, of little significance?"

Regardless of its significance, at that moment Xia Chichi thought of her mother, truly empathizing, and with a gritted resolution, she furiously smashed the Azure Dragon Seal on the ground.

It wouldn’t budge.

Without hesitation, Xia Chichi grabbed the Divine Sword that circled its master and chopped down with force.

The Azure Dragon Seal, a treasure spanning epochs, was split into two.

The Divine Sword that shattered the Azure Dragon Seal emitted an extremely joyous wail, almost as if one could feel its jubilation, as though the hatred that crossed epochs was finally resolved here.

Han Wubing, who watched from the side, saw a change in Xia Chichi’s eyes and thought to himself that the Demoness was indeed ruthless, wondering how she could bring herself to do it... It’d be wise to be cautious when opposing such a woman.

Zhao Changhe was the only one who understood Xia Chichi’s heartfelt emotions. He gently embraced her and whispered low, "It’s okay now, the senior will calm down too."

As if to validate his words, the skeleton that had always been sitting cross-legged seemed to give off a delusion of a smile before its bones gradually dissipated like smoke, as if it had never existed there.

"This is a case of a lingering obsession ending and thus dissipating. I’ve heard elders in the Sword Pavilion tell similar tales." Han Wubing finally spoke up, "It’s hard to believe that such a thing, like out of myths and legends, would actually appear before our eyes... the previous epoch... the previous epoch..."

Listening to him, it was as if one’s spirit wandered through endless ages, admiring the many styles and passions of that time.

Zhao Changhe glanced at him. Shouldn’t you feel like a third wheel at a time like this? In this small Sword Room, I’m holding a girl in my arms—can’t you see?

Never mind him. Clutching the still somewhat melancholic Xia Chichi, Zhao Changhe asked, "The Azure Dragon Seal is shattered. Can you explain that when you get back?"

Xia Chichi shook her head, "Why would anyone check my Azure Dragon Seal? Worst case, I’ll just report that the Maitreya Sect stole it and then go after them."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Xia Chichi let out a sigh, "As I said before, the Azure Dragon Seal itself is no longer useful; it’s just a symbol. Whether I can secure my position as the Holy Daughter doesn’t rely on a symbolic treasure, but on other things. Now my first important task has ended up in such a mess..."

Seemingly lost in thought, Han Wubing suddenly spoke up, "Was your task to retrieve the sword?"

"Yes."

Han Wubing said, "Then your task is completed, isn’t it?"

Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi spoke in unison, "We thought it was yours."

Han Wubing was at a loss for words, "Look at how the sword clings to your hand. From where do you see it being mine?"

Xia Chichi looked down at the sword and realized the Divine Sword had a kind of dependence on her, like a cat clinging to its owner.

She began to understand; with the old master’s obsession gone, the treasured sword would be reborn. If it were to recognize a new owner, it would naturally be her—the one who had destroyed the Azure Dragon Seal. Others, no matter how emotional or righteous, might see it as a partner, but wouldn’t so easily recognize an owner, just like how the Dragon Sparrow now interacted with Zhao Changhe.

Thinking it over, the sword truly was hers, and the task was completed...

Zhao Changhe also came to these conclusions, feeling somewhat apologetic: "Brother Han, this..."

Han Wubing was even more speechless, "I know you mean well, thinking the sword suits me and should be mine. However, I don’t like this sword; never have I seen a sword so fixated on trivial matters of men and women. Why would a swordsman want such a thing, it’s just an annoyance? Besides, it’s a bit too flashy. In my line of work as a bounty hunter, a weapon should be simple and discreet."

Zhao Changhe fell silent, "That’s true... then your sword..."

Han Wubing pointed to the surroundings, "Aren’t these all ancient high-quality swords? If they were collected by the owner of this Divine Sword, they can’t be too low in grade. As for myself, I never desired an exceptional sword; that only creates dependency, misleading one’s own sword heart. Sufficiency is key. Speaking of which, I would also advise you both to not rely too much on divine weapons in your hands. Fighting above your level might benefit you in the short term, but it’s not necessarily good in the long run."

Zhao Changhe stepped back, bowing respectfully, "Many thanks for the advice, Brother Han."

Stepping back, he unexpectedly trod on something—it was the cushion the skeleton had been sitting on.

Zhao Changhe was puzzled. This object was peculiar; the skeleton had dissipated, its clothes turned to dust long ago, so why was this cushion still here?

Upon closer inspection, he found the cushion seemed to be woven from golden threads. Peering into the seams, there was a shimmer of gold, as if it concealed a page of Book Silk.

Zhao Changhe narrowed his eyes.

The words of the woman from the vision flashed through his mind: "Emperor Ye has fallen, and what you desire is his position, to control that page of the Heavenly Book. Afraid that I have old ties with them..."

This sentence might not mean much to Xia Chichi and Han Wubing—who had no understanding of the Heavenly Book, possibly seeing it simply as some token. But to Zhao Changhe’s ears, it was like the striking of a bell next to his ear, unforgettable.

Thinking of the glint of gold flickering through the Chaotic World Book...

If... this gold foil was that page of the Heavenly Book.

"If you really can come, I still have something for you."

If that man was to return, he would have it.

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PS: Third update, asking for monthly tickets~