Who Let Him Cultivate？

Chapter 8: The Forbidden Book — “Dragon and Phoenix Transformation”

Following Yun Zhi’s departure, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou joined the exodus of new disciples seeking out their assigned cave dwellings. But before settling in, Lu Yang accompanied Meng Jingzhou to the outskirts of the Dao Seeking Sect to retrieve their old horse.

Beyond the sect’s grand gates, a sea of newly inducted disciples were frantically sending word to their families. Whether they hailed from humble mortal lineages or ancient Cultivation dynasties, securing a place within the Dao Seeking Sect was a monumental triumph destined for the clan’s historical annals.

“Why hasn’t anyone from your family come to celebrate?” Lu Yang asked, having gleaned from Meng Jingzhou’s sparse comments that the Meng clan was a Cultivation family of profound antiquity.

Meng Jingzhou puffed out his chest, his chin raised in triumph. “Because I ran away from home!”

Lu Yang stared at him. What in the world are you so proud of?

After Meng Jingzhou proudly paraded his old horse back to his quarters, Lu Yang sought out his own cave dwelling. He withdrew a smooth jade pendant from his robes. An unfamiliar Senior Brother had pressed it into his hands earlier, explaining it was the official identity token of a Dao Seeking Sect disciple. It served as proof of status to the outside world and a master key within the sect.

Carved from the marrow of a high-grade Spirit Stone, the pendant bore the characters for “Lu Yang.” Its true myriad functions, however, would remain dormant until he officially stepped onto the path of Cultivation.

Lu Yang pressed the jade against the stone face of his designated cavern. A faint, ethereal blue light pulsed from the stone marrow, resonating with a carved depression by the entrance. The groove flared twice in silent acknowledgment before the massive stone slab ground open, revealing a cavernous expanse of unimaginable luxury.

The moment he crossed the threshold, a profound warmth washed over him. It was as if a miraculous, unseen current was actively nourishing his mortal flesh.

“Is this the Spiritual Qi they keep talking about?”

Lu Yang murmured, his eyes widening in awe. The concentration of Spiritual Qi within the cavern was so dense that even a mortal like him could physically feel its embrace. It was a testament to the sect’s terrifying foundation.

Yet, the furnishings were starkly spartan. A single wooden table, a woven meditation cushion, and a humble straw mat sat marooned in the center of the vast, echoing chamber. It was impossible to tell if this was the Dao Seeking Sect’s method of enforcing ascetic purity upon its disciples, or simply a blank canvas awaiting personal decoration.

Upon the table lay a single sheet of parchment, inscribed on both sides.

The front dictated that disciples ignorant of Cultivation should first proceed to Word Transmission Peak to grasp the foundational truths, or venture to the Scripture Pavilion for independent study.

The reverse side bore a map of the Dao Seeking Sect. It was a minimalist rendering, detailing only the primary peaks and leaving vast tracts of the territory blank. According to the scale, the sect spanned a staggering thirty thousand miles—a sovereign empire of Cultivation that defied mortal comprehension.

The instructions provided a clear path for the coming month, but for now, Lu Yang only had one goal: sleep.

From stepping out into the morning rain, to relying on his earnest character and peerless intellect to conquer three grueling trials, to drawing the terrifying scrutiny of Senior Sister Yun Zhi and Second Senior Brother Dai Bufan—the day had drained his soul. His eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

“The Dao Seeking Sect doesn’t even issue pillows…” he mumbled.

The crushing exhaustion of the day finally overtook him. Foregoing any semblance of comfort, he collapsed onto the straw mat, smacked his lips, and plunged into a dreamless sleep.

…

Dawn broke, and Lu Yang rose with the sun. His first objective was the Scripture Pavilion; he needed a functional understanding of the Central Continent’s geopolitical landscape.

“New blood?” A Senior Brother guarding the pavilion’s grand entrance lifted his gaze as Lu Yang approached.

“Yes.”

“Since you’re new, I’ll lay down the laws of the Scripture Pavilion. They are simple. Three rules. First, your current clearance restricts you to the first floor. You may peruse any text there freely. Second, you may only borrow one book at a time. Third, revere the texts. Do not soil them. If you damage a book, you will compensate the sect for its full original price.”

“Understood,” Lu Yang nodded firmly. The Senior Brother offered no further pleasantries, waving him through the towering doors.

Within the Scripture Pavilion, Dao Seeking Sect disciples sat in monastic silence, their focus so absolute they didn’t even register Lu Yang’s passing shadow. The cavernous library was a sanctuary of knowledge, disturbed only by the muffled tread of footsteps and the crisp rustle of turning pages.

The sheer volume of literature was staggering. The shelves housed everything from a mortal entertainer’s Novice guide to crosstalk, to esoteric Cultivation manuals, to profound treatises on Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment.

Lu Yang wandered the aisles, thoroughly overwhelmed by the boundless sea of knowledge.

What is this?

His eyes caught on a tome wedged awkwardly in the dark crevice between two towering bookshelves. It was caked in a thick layer of dust, seemingly abandoned and untouched by human hands for an eternity.

He carefully extracted it, wiping away the grime to reveal the ancient characters on its cover: Dragon and Phoenix Transformation.

“What a domineering title!” Lu Yang whispered in awe.

Even without opening it, the sheer majesty of the name radiated a tyrannical, world-conquering aura.

For a fleeting second, his vision blurred. The harmonious, earth-shattering cries of primordial dragons and divine phoenixes echoed in his mind. Majestic, lifelike phantoms of the mythical beasts danced before his eyes, intertwining in a grand, cosmic display of their genesis.

Lu Yang blinked, snapping back to reality. The grand illusions vanished, leaving only the quiet hum of the library.

Was that a hallucination? he wondered, his heart hammering against his ribs. With trembling, eager hands, he prepared to open the first page.

Could this be my Fated Chance?

But the ancient parchment was unnaturally sharp. As his thumb slid against the edge, the paper sliced through his flesh. A few drops of crimson blood fell, splattering starkly against the aged page.

Suddenly, the world shifted!

The ancient tome erupted with a blinding, majestic golden light. It was as if a primordial force sealed within the pages was violently tearing through its restraints!

Lu Yang’s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs. This was completely off-script. The ritual was out of his control—was this a heaven-defying blessing or a fatal curse?

He could feel the crushing gaze of a supreme, terrifying entity locking onto him. The sheer spiritual pressure paralyzed his limbs; his survival instincts screamed at him not to move a muscle.

The oppressive aura drew closer, step by agonizing step. Finally, the supreme entity stopped directly behind him. It stared at the back of Lu Yang’s head in absolute, chilling silence, causing cold sweat to slick Lu Yang’s spine.

“You…” The ancient entity finally spoke, its voice carrying the weight of judgment.

“Present!” Lu Yang shrieked, his soul nearly leaving his body.

“You bled on the book.”

The supreme entity frowned.

Lu Yang snapped his head around, only to find the guardian Senior Brother from the entrance glaring down at him.

The Senior Brother stared at the fresh bloodstains on the ancient parchment, his expression souring. He had literally just warned the kid not to soil the texts, and five minutes later, the boy was bleeding all over them.

The Scripture Pavilion was woven with a profound Formation. Any damage inflicted upon a text would trigger a golden beacon, instantly alerting the pavilion’s guardian.

“What text is this? I’ve never seen it in the registry,” the Senior Brother muttered, his annoyance giving way to confusion. He snatched the book from Lu Yang’s hands and flipped through the pages.

Suddenly, the blood drained from his face. “This… this is actually the legendary forbidden tome!”

Lu Yang’s heart soared. I knew it! To stumble upon an ancient, forbidden artifact on his very first day—his luck was truly heaven-defying! He could only imagine the world-shaking secrets hidden within its pages.

“Senior Brother, what profound mystery does this book hold?” Lu Yang asked, his eyes shining with reverence.

The Senior Brother’s face cycled through several complex emotions. He debated internally whether such a scandalous sect secret should be revealed to a fresh Junior Brother. Finally, he sighed, deciding on the truth.

“This text… it meticulously records the biological mating process between the Dragon and Phoenix races. Because the illustrations and descriptions were deemed far too explicit, the Dragon and Phoenix monarchs filed a joint diplomatic grievance against the sect, demanding it be classified as a forbidden text. I thought the Elders had incinerated every last copy. I can’t believe some degenerate hid one here!”

In other words, it was ancient monster pornography.

Lu Yang: “…”

To hell with the harmonious cries of dragons and phoenixes!

Then, a chilling realization struck him like a physical blow. The Senior Brother had been very clear at the door.

If you dirty a book… you have to buy it.