Memory Jades had ranks of their own. From lowest to highest, one had: white, green, blue, violet, red, black and finally, crystalline Memory Jades. These ranks didn't necessarily correspond to how valuable what was inside it was, but what it did correspond to was just how much information a Memory Jade could withstand and also the kind of information it could store.
Due to the distortion of the Spiritual Qi pool, Ryu hadn't had any idea what the color of the Memory Jade was previously, but now that he held it in his hand, he couldn't help but be baffled.
White, green and blue Memory Jades could easily store up to Heaven Grade techniques, even some simpler Mystical Grade techniques would fit. Violet Memory Jades were large enough that even an Origin Grade technique could fit and still have plenty of room to spare.
One might wonder, just what were the point of red, black and crystalline jades, then? Well, the answer came in the form of 'kind' of information. Red and black Memory Jades were able to hold the consciousness of past individuals, they could also hold a replaying of history, even allowing one to relive wars that lasted thousands of years down to the most minute details.
Then what of crystalline jades? They could hold entire Holy Lands! Crystalline Jades often held the Legacy of an entire Clan. They could also hold the shadows of their ancestors, every technique they had ever grasped or learned, and even comprehension of those techniques. Some could hold insights into Natural Enlightenments, and even Mortal Endowments. The range of possibilities was almost endless!
Some larger Clans even used crystalline jades to give their young geniuses life saving measures. One could crush those crystalline jades to release the comprehension an elder had of a certain attack or defense, thus saving a genius who had their backs against the wall.
Knowing all of this, one could understand why Ryu, despite his usual coldness, felt a slight excitement. Anything that would help him bring his family back together faster was something worth celebrating, he was now even more certain that his decision was the right one.
Soon, Ryu calmed himself. He realized that while a crystalline jade offered the most opportunity, it also signified the most danger. There was no telling what was hidden within. Whoever went through so much trouble to bury these fragments away definitely wouldn't want just anybody benefitting from them.
Ryu looked away from the jade, debating with himself about to do. In the end, he chose to take the risk. He simply didn't feel like his own talent was enough to cover the sky with a single palm, he needed all of the help he could get.
He knew very well that this could be the moment he died, but he had already braved death once, what did a second time mean to him? With a deep breath, his mind delved into another world.
Ryu's mind swirled, it almost felt like he had stepped onto a teleportation formation, but his body was still in place. This would have caused an incredibly odd cognitive dissonance in many, but for Ryu who had delved into more crystalline jades than he could bother to count, he felt right at home. It reminded him of the times he'd spend days, even weeks on end in Shrine Library with no one but Nuri by his side.
Soon, Ryu's mind cleared. He found himself in a fragmented world one could only expect from a fragmented jade. The skies were splintered like broken grass, Ryu floated on air that should have been a beautifully paved road, and the large, almost endless Palace in the distance a fourth its true size.
Ryu didn't take long to walk forward, in fact, it didn't take any time at all. Since it was a projection of his mind, he only had to will himself to appear before the silver palace and he was there.
Quietly absorbing and taking everything in, Ryu nodded to himself. As expected, this Memory Jade was deliberately splintered, so whoever did so had taken great care not to damage the inheritance left within, or else what would have been the point in leaving them behind in the first place?
From the architecture, Ryu placed these remnants in the Sky God Era. This made perfect sense. After all, the protective formations on the fountain that led here were also originally from the Sky God Era.
'It also seems that everything here is perfectly placed to sooth one's mental state.' Ryu thought to himself, walking through the Palace. Although three quarters of it was gone, what remained was beautiful. Even the fragmented portions had an art to them. 'This was definitely designed by a master in Feng Shui.'
Ryu swept through the Palace floor by floor. It didn't take long for him to realize that it was split into four tiers total. Although it was easy for him to walk to every level, three of the floors were so fragmented that there was nothing to be gained. After a cursory glance, Ryu realized that only the second floor allowed him to explore anything properly. Obviously, each floor represented a fragment of the jade.
Once he understood everything, Ryu once more made his way to the second floor. He followed along its long hallway. Though he could appear near the end instantly, he didn't want to miss any details that might be useful.
Soon, he reached the end, finding himself at large, golden double doors. Ryu could only sigh when he realized that the symbols that coated these doors were more artifacts from the White Devils. Would he really have to rely on the Mental Realm Masters the people of his time hated so much to grow stronger in this life? It seemed Fate was still playing tricks on him.
Without much more thought, Ryu's mind pressed forward. The doors resisted slightly first, but as though Ryu had passed some sort of test of its, they swung open, basking Ryu in a blinding light his mind had to slowly adjust to.
In that moment, Ryu found himself in a library so vast it shocked even him. For a man who spent much of his life in Shrine Library, one could imagine the scope of what was before him now. The bookshelves stretched several hundred meters high, and Ryu couldn't see the end of the length of them.
It didn't take more than a quick glance for Ryu to realize that this wasn't a library of techniques. Rather, it was a hub of knowledge even more vast than the Shrine Library. A source of knowledge from the era of Sky Gods!
Ryu grew excited once more. No one knew the benefit of knowledge more than he did. If it wasn't for Shrine Library, how could he ever have found a path to cultivate? Maybe someone else would be disappointed by this prospect, but Ryu found it wholly satisfying.
Just as he was about to bring his mind out, planning on delving into this knowledge after completing his affairs on the Higher Mortal Plane, Ryu realized that he had underestimated this second floor.
Images began to flash in his mind. It was confusing at first, but the purpose became clear soon after. First Floor: Cultivation. Second Floor: Core Texts. Third Floor: Natural Order. Fourth Floor: Battle Spirit. Ryu was completely wrong, all of this lost civilization's Core Teachings could be found right here!
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