Xu Shan was utterly perplexed by the events that had transpired. The emergence of the Book of Desires from within his storage ring and the sudden appearance of the System after he used the Celestial Spirit of Devouring had left him questioning everything.
The meaning behind the Corruption was another puzzle he couldn't seem to solve.
He wanted to call out Xinren to ask her, but no matter how many times he called her, she didn't appear, as if she just couldn't come out for the time being.
The error screens kept multiplying, as if they were struggling against the so-called Corruption, only to fail. Before long, all the screens turned pitch black, disappearing at once with one last flicker.
The Error screens, which made Xu Shan feel a headache, suddenly disappeared, as if everything that he saw was nothing more than a dream.
As for the Book of Desires, it transformed into glimmering particles of light and returned to his storage ring once more.
Xu Shan remained standing in his place with a frown on his face. He hadn't found the Book of Truth and the system screen also appeared to be bugged. He felt as if it was completely destroyed, disappearing in the end. However, he couldn't be convinced about it. Something didn't feel right.
He had lost track of time as he remained lost in thought, trying to make sense of the situation. However, his efforts were in vain as nothing seemed to add up or make any sense.
Just when he was on the brink of losing interest, the screen suddenly flickered back to life! The once brightly lit screen was now shrouded in complete darkness, save for a single message scrawled as if written in blood.
[Fragments Collected: One out of Nine]
The appearance of the system screen had drastically changed from the last time he saw it. Gone were the shades of red and sky blue, instead, it was now completely black.
Strangely enough, there was an odd sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was reminiscent of the feeling he got when he fully awakened the Celestial Spirit of Devouring.
Though he couldn't see it, the Star Mark in his left eye appeared darker and more pronounced. Despite his best efforts, his skill struggled to conceal it. Thankfully, his skill still managed to function and hide it, albeit barely.
"Fragments Collected? One out of Nine?" Xu Shan reiterated what he had seen on the dark system screen. However, instead of finding clarity, his mind was overwhelmed with a slew of further queries.
He had no idea what this system was talking about. What were these fragments that it talked about?
Even in Ji Yang's ring, there wasn't anything special, other than a few ordinary gold coins. In fact, that ring didn't even have any skill books or treasures. Ji Yang was probably the poorest Heaven's Chosen.
"The only collection that I can think of are these damn books. With the system, I probably received the Book of Truth without realizing. That could've explained what that one means. However, that's certainly not it. There are seven of them according to Xinren. So that can't be it."
He sighed in frustration and rubbed his forehead while sitting on the bed. He felt overwhelmed by the numerous tasks at hand, leaving him with no time to ponder over such mysteries.
With a simple gesture, he effortlessly removed the black screen from view. It was almost as though he had an innate understanding of how to manipulate it. Though he couldn't quite explain it, he simply trusted his instincts and acted accordingly.
"One of nine, huh..." He reclined on the bed and shielded his eyes with both hands. "Just what's going on in the world."
Not too long ago, he lived in a world where discussing such imaginative concepts would have been met with skepticism or dismissed as crazy or childish eighth grade syndrome.
However, now he found himself immersed in a world full of enigmas. Even his own understanding of himself was limited, as he had to adapt and learn as he went along.
"Wait a minute... Shouldn't the Book of Truth be able to see through me?"
He raised his right hand lightly. "Tell me about myself."
As he finished speaking, another screen appeared before him, this time much larger in size.
======================
• Name: Xu Shan
• Age: Twenty
• Physique: ???
• Innate Nature: ??? (Partially awakened)
• Celestial Realm: Ninth Stage Celestial General
• First Celestial Spirit: Devouring ( Partially Awakened)
• Second Celestial Spirit: ???
• Innate Ability: Devour, Demonic Heart, ???
• Learned skills: Minor Disguise, Cloud Steps
• Fragments Collected: One out of Nine
=========================
Seeing the status screen, Xu Shan couldn't help but sigh. There were so many question marks, that even he felt frustrated seeing them.
pαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ He didn't understand why those question marks were there in the first place. Was that because even the Book of Truth couldn't see through them entirely? Or was something else the case?
Despite so many details being missing, he still managed to get some useful insight from the information, mainly about his innate skills.
For a while, he had been fascinated by the mystery of his increasingly distant demeanor. As soon as he stumbled upon the reference to Demonic Heart in his innate abilities, he couldn't shake off the inkling that it might have played a part in his personality change.
"The Book of Truth can see that I have a second Celestial Spirit. However, even it can't see through it entirely, only resulting in those question marks. Strange..."
****
Under the cover of darkness, three Shadow Generals from the Qin Dynasty emerged outside the Royal Palace, without being noticed.
It seemed as though they had been biding their time, waiting for the flurry of guests to depart and the atmosphere to quieten. At last, they made their move.
The three dispersed, moving towards distinct directions to encircle the Palace from different angles. Upon arriving at their designated locations, they proceeded to pull out pitch black flags and placed them on the ground.
The three flags showed signs of wear and tear, giving the impression of being quite old and fragile. Yet, an eerie sensation emanated from them, emitting a ghostly force that enveloped them in a murky green glow.
Upon placement, the three spectral flags seamlessly synchronized, casting a shadow that converged into a magnificent formation, engulfing the entirety of the Palace.
"Let's see how you survive today, little brat!"
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