88 Fuxi's Library

A soft blue glow accompanied Cha Ming as he walked through a hallway in Fuxi's Library. The illumination wasn't all encompassing. Rather, it seemed that the walls "knew" where he was and lit up just enough to accommodate him. Such a design reminded Cha Ming of modern technology that had begun appearing before he left Earth.

The temperature was no longer cool like before. It was now just the right temperature. The humidity dipped as well, mimicking the dry sensation that made him most comfortable. He was an inhabitant of the plains, after all, and he had found the high-moisture environment in Crystal Falls somewhat suffocating.

Before long, he arrived in a dimly lit room furnished with a couch, a small table, and a lamp. On the table, there was a small bowl filled with white pellets that smelled wonderful and another one filled with water. His stomach grumbled when he realized he was indeed quite famished.

"The food is suitable for human consumption," a pleasant voice said behind him.

He turned around rapidly and saw the semi-transparent figure of a middle-aged man. His hair wasn't dark like those outside, rather, it was brown and cropped short. He also wore a full beard on his face, and his clothes were very unusual. The man reminded Cha Ming of his own unusual appearance. However, he was a foreigner in this world. Was this man one as well?

"Greetings, Elder," Cha Ming said, clasping his hands together and bowing. "My name is Du Cha Ming. How might I address you?"

The middle-aged man looked at him quizzically, a bemused expression on his face. "Is this the current form of greeting?" the man asked, mimicking Cha Ming's movements awkwardly. "It has been far too long since I have received visitors. Regrettably, I hate to inform you that I don't have a name. You may call me Custodian, as I am the perpetual keeper of this library."

"Why wouldn't you have a name?" Cha Ming asked curiously.

The man smiled before gesturing to the chair, urging Cha Ming to sit down. He materialized another one and sat down as well. "I don't have a name because only those with souls may have names. I am a soulless entity, so I have no name, no story."

"A soulless entity?" Cha Ming breathed in sharply. "Then you are not a ghost? Are you just a projection, then?"

"A projection…" the man mused. "Yes, I am a projection of a program, entrusted with a mission. It would be more accurate to call me a construct, a servant of my master, Fuxi. I am curious, are there such constructs in your world? Aeons have past since I last saw a living person."

Cha Ming hesitated before replying. "This world does not have such things, but in my memories, I am aware of another world. There, no one cultivated. Rather, they aimed to develop technology to the pinnacle, and were on the cusp of designing something called artificial intelligence."

"Oh, so you're a reincarnator?" the man replied in surprise. "That makes things much easier. Yes, it is as you said. I am an artificial intelligence, and I have been programmed with a mission: to preserve knowledge in case this material plane falls to the devils. The hope was to grant a small advantage to the local righteous cultivators.

"I was never found since the library was established. Aeons passed, and the world switched quietly to the control of the devils. Then, many aeons ago, the control switched back to the angels. A switch in control leads to a change in the laws of this material plane, so it is quite easy for me to determine this despite the library's seclusion."

Seeing Cha Ming's confused expression, the Custodian looked at him apologetically. "Relax and eat while I tell you a very condensed history of my purpose, and the lucky chances that are available for you here today."

Cha Ming glanced at the bowl of white pellets. His guards had never fed him adequately, so he wasn't sure how long he would last against politeness. As a compromise, he picked up the bowl and drank, then popped a white pellet in his mouth. His body was instantly filled with vitality, and he felt as though he'd just eaten a full, nutritious meal.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed.

The Custodian simply smiled and continued his story. "Each material plane was created inherently good. The laws of the world rewarded acts of kindness and mercy while punishing those who performed evil. However, the universe was created fair. It left a path of survival open to evil and its devilish souls, enabling them to convert worlds to suit their own kind. Since the beginning of the universe, the custody of many worlds has changed multiple times.

"The war in which my master participated was particularly intense. Therefore, he created libraries throughout the many material planes, where he stored the knowledge he prized the most: the power of words and names.

"Here you may take a single opportunity to learn various words, many of which may have been lost to the passage of time. Words contain power, as I'm sure you realize, since you were able to enter the library in the first place. Only those who practice runic arts may enter. In addition, only those with positive karma on their bodies may enter as well. This is to prevent the devils from learning these runic arts for themselves.

"In this library, there are three smelting trials in which you will gain the opportunity to gain knowledge. Your performance during these trials will earn you rewards, which will scale based on your cultivation level. Each level in cultivation comes with certain expectations, so as a qi-condensation cultivator, you cannot be blamed for performing poorly. After attempting these tests, you may stay here to digest your learnings, but you may never enter the library again.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

"I think so?" Cha Ming said hesitantly.

"Relax and recover," the Custodian said, smiling. "There is no rush. Once you are ready to challenge the library, simply shout out for me and let me know." With these words, the Custodian left Cha Ming in the comfortable room.

Cha Ming noticed that the room not only contained a couch, but also a bed. Since he was dirty from his work in the mines, he was pleased to find a small room that contained washing facilities, where he cleaned himself up before collapsing in exhaustion. It was his first time sleeping in months.

***

Cha Ming calmly cultivated and adjusted his state of mind for the next few days. After almost a year in slavery, he took pleasure in exploring his newfound freedom. His mindset had transformed greatly. Before, he took cultivating for granted. Now he saw it as something that he did willingly and proactively. It was a privilege to improve himself.

After finishing his cultivation session, he drank water from a bowl that always refilled itself and ate a single white pellet. It melted in his mouth like mana from the heavens, and the energy that traveled to his limbs when he ate reassured him that it wasn't just empty calories.

It took a week for Cha Ming to finally relax and relieve the tension in his sore body. After recovering to his peak condition, he didn't dare delay for too long. After all, the villagers were still mining up above, and who knew what kind of tricks Wei Chen would pull once the harvesting was completed. Moreover, he was concerned about the latter's status as vice leader. Who was the leader? Could the activities of the bandit leader be restrained by the oaths of his subordinate?

So Cha Ming had to use every shred of available time to increase his strength. The reason the village was in such a situation was due to his carelessness and compassion. But as the doctor had said, it was his responsibility to make up for his actions and save the villagers.

"Custodian, I'm ready," Cha Ming said to the empty room.

The middle-aged man instantly appeared. Surprisingly, he now wore cultivator robes. Seeing Cha Ming's surprised expression, the Custodian chuckled.

"No need to worry," he said. "I simply surveyed the outside world and studied the culture while you rested. It's interesting to see a world so primitive yet so advanced in the Dao. Often, cultures first discover technology before cultivation."

Then, as though realizing something, the man motioned to the sofa in the common room, and a set of light blue robes appeared. "After looking around, I realized that you were dressed much like a beggar, so I used up a little energy from this facility to craft these new robes for you. They should be a lot more durable than the rags you are wearing, and they will always stay clean. Further, they will provide you some level of defense against the elements and various weapons.

"Everyone out there is so violent nowadays. You could hardly tell this is an angel-controlled material plane. I mean, isn't the whole point of cultivating to seek peace and live forever?"

Cha Ming wasn't sure how to respond, so he took the opportunity to change robes. The fabric felt soft and pleasantly cool. The robes were weaved with a sky-blue material he had never seen before. Even using his full strength, he wasn't able to tear the fabric. The robes were covered in various white and dark blue runes, which made it clear to Cha Ming that the garment was at least a magic treasure.

"There," the Custodian said when Cha Ming walked out of the room. "Now you look like a proper cultivator. These robes should last you during your stay in this material plane. You can change their appearance at will."

"During my stay here?" Cha Ming questioned.

"Oops, I said too much," the Custodian said. "Still, you have karmic threads linking you to individuals outside this material plane. Given your current foundation, I see no reason why you wouldn't surpass the limitations of this realm. In any case, you're as weak as an ant, and there are tens of thousands of existences in this realm that can trample you with impunity. Work hard."

Cha Ming followed the Custodian down a wide hallway that eventually led into a large room containing three large obsidian steles. They were covered in white characters, which he figured were instructions. Beside each stele, he saw a bowl filled with blue liquid and a brush. The stele on the left had the smallest bowl, and the stele on the right had the largest bowl.

"Each stele contains a trial," the man explained. "As part of each trial, you will receive the opportunity to absorb knowledge related to words. Each stele has its own rules. You must past the first stele to proceed to the second, and so on."

Cha Ming nodded and chose the stele on the left. He sat on the meditation cushion provided. As soon as he sat down, he saw the world around him fade, and soon he was surrounded by darkness. The only things he could see were the obsidian stele, the bowl, and the brush.

"First trial, the trial of words," a voice said inside his head. "Words are the basic building block of civilization. Each word provides insight into the Dao and contains a trace of the true nature of heaven and earth. Without words, no one can speak, write, read, or listen. Conversations cannot be held, poetry cannot be created, and stories cannot be read or written. As such, it is necessary to have a sufficient understanding of words for civilization to flourish.

"As part of this trial, you will be shown increasingly complicated runic characters. You may study them as long as required, but you will only have five chances to write out the character. Use the liquified elemental essence in the bowl. You may use the brush provided or your own brush. The pass rate is determined based on the percentage of characters completed. Only basic material plane characters will be tested."

Suddenly, a character appeared in front of him. It was a character he recognized, one that he had used to craft multiple frost talismans with in the past. He summoned the Clear Sky Brush and withdrew all the elemental essence from the bowl, pulling it into the white brush. With the infusion of liquified elemental essence, the two remaining characters of his body-cultivation technique lit up. He was sorely tempted to give up on the test right then and attempt to break through to the Bone Forging Realm.

However, he pushed the thought out of his mind and focused on the task at hand. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Liquified elemental essence could be found, but such a chance would disappear forever. He used his brush and quickly painted the familiar character on the obsidian stele.

"First attempt, failure," the voice said coldly. "Four attempts remaining."

Cha Ming frowned, confused. Wasn't this the character that he had painted so many times in the past? This caused him to be very doubtful about the legitimacy of the exam.

No, there must be a reason. Maybe I need to sense the character like I did before.

Cha Ming sent his incandescent force into the lightly glowing character in front of him. His mind focused on the different pieces of the character. As he gleaned insights from it, the character became increasingly clear in his mind's eye.

After half an incense time, when he felt that he sufficiently understood the character, he tried to paint it once more. His strokes were exactly the same, but this time he attempted to use his soul to imbue the various insights he had gleaned from studying it. The character on the stele glowed brightly, then peeled off the stele and plunged into his mental space, where it hovered joyfully and awaited his whims and wishes.

"Character is satisfactory," the voice intoned. "Proceeding to the next character in sequence." A new character now appeared on the stele, this one relating to fire.

It seems I never truly understood frost after all. Cha Ming sighed inwardly. But why do I feel like I've only scratched the surface? Why is it that, despite obtaining a satisfactory grade, I feel like there's so much that I didn't understand about it?

It was clear as day what the library was trying to convey: You can only properly use words you understand. Simply copying them will only produce a weak shadow.

The trial continued, and days passed. Every morning, Cha Ming saw a bowl of water and three white pellets appear in front of him to meet his basic nutritional needs. In the beginning, he could understand and copy 500 characters per day. After the first 5,000, however, the characters became much more obscure, and the time he used increased. The failures increased as well.

Soon enough, three weeks had passed. He sat down calmly, observing the 10,000th character in succession. The past nine characters had required five attempts before he obtained one success. He sweated profusely as he attempted to draw the next character, aware that he was reaching his limits. This would be his last attempt.

He painted the last character as though in a trance, reflecting on the meaning hidden within. The character was one related to a gentle wind. He held his paintbrush and traced the character with gentleness and care. It took fifteen strokes, but these were filled with the various insights he had gleaned over the last three weeks.

With the last stroke, the character glowed brightly like the others before it. Success! It peeled off from the stele and dove into his mental space, joining the 9,999 others before it. The instant it joined the others, each of the ten thousand danced with joy, as though the presence of this last character brought them additional meaning.

Soon, the blackness faded, and he found himself in the room with the three steles. Ten pieces of jade appeared before him. A quick scan of the pieces of jade confirmed their contents: all 10,000 characters he had just learned.

Cha Ming suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to cough. He did so, and ten drops of blood flew out of his mouth and imprinted themselves on the pieces of jade, like a forcefully acquired signature. He now intuitively felt a golden thread of karma connecting him to the building. An obligation of sorts.

"Congratulations on perfectly completing the first trial," the Custodian said. "As a reward for a perfect pass, you may choose one of the following items."

Suddenly, a multitude of items were floating in the trial room. Each item had a description floating beneath them. Cha Ming, who had now memorized 10,000 characters, could easily decipher the descriptions. There were various peak-magic weapons, talismans, and formation plates. He even saw several crafting-related items, such as talisman brushes, carving knives, pill cauldrons, and spiritual hammer cores.

Yet Cha Ming was hesitant to pick.

"Is that all?" he asked the Custodian.

The Custodian frowned. "Yes, that is all. Are none of these treasures pleasing to your eyes? They are all peak-magic treasures, and more than a few are well suited to you."

"Would it be possible to obtain liquified elemental essence?" Cha Ming asked shyly. "My cultivation method requires it, and I am currently impoverished. I am a talisman artist with no crafting materials. I have a brush, but no ink or paper. Furthermore, I've noticed that there seems to be an adequate amount in this building."

"Ah!" the Custodian exclaimed. "This is actually very easy to resolve. This library has an elemental-essence-gathering formation. As for paper, I can find a way to make you some. In fact, this is much more convenient for me. I only have a set amount of treasures to give out, and I have no way to replace them. Meanwhile, elemental essence is a renewable resource.

"Just wait until the three trials are over, and I will make sure you are well stocked. I'll reward you based on your performance in all three trials."

Cha Ming was overjoyed. He could now relax and complete the trials without worry.

"Oh, one more thing," the Custodian said. "Since you have perfectly passed the trial, you have been given jade slips containing a record of all you have learned. Since the trial has been of special benefit to you, your obligation is greater than others. Before breaking through to transcendence, you have a karmic obligation to teach ten others the content of these slips. Further, they must all be morally upright individuals. The slips are there to aid you in your teaching endeavors. Once this is accomplished, you will owe Master Fuxi nothing.

"You may now rest before attempting the second trial," the Custodian said before disappearing. The entrance to the hallway appeared once more, allowing Cha Ming to catch up on the sleep he had missed for three weeks.