All was peaceful and serene inside the Painting of the Nine Immortals.
The Keeper of Land and Sea was dressed in the purest shade of white, her face as calm as the surface of an undisturbed lake. She rested against the wind on top of the Mount of the Healing Soul, timeless as an immortal statue.
Despite her ghostly shell, her commanding presence and everlasting beauty continued to capture the imagination of everyone who laid eyes on her.
Predictably, her resting figure was the first thing Ling Xian spotted upon entering the Painting. His eyes lit up the moment he saw her. He couldn’t help but exclaim in silence, "The undisputed goddess; the epitome of perfection; the legend that occupied the top seat of power for over 200,000 years. What a vision!"
Paying no attention to Ling Xian’s obvious display of admiration, the Untainted descended softly from her resting place. Her figure remained pure, unstained by dust and other earthly impurities. Her Serene Highness pointed at the Petals of Enlightenment, resting lazily on top of the Mount of the Healing Soul and said, "I take much liking to that little thing."
"That’s great to hear, your Highness."
Ling Xian grinned in satisfaction. The tiny Elfkind was inhaling deeply and hungrily the magical energy around it. A moment of shock consumed Ling Xian. He mumbled, "Foundational?"
"Correct. For Elfkind, the energy on top of the Mount of the Healing Soul is most ideal for their development. That’s why she followed you into these Mountains," The Untainted explained.
"But, she was of the eighth level only a few days ago." Ling Xian was stunned by this revelation. Breaching the foundational level after only a few days here was implausible. She must have defied the laws of nature.
"It is for precisely that reason that I asked you to bring her here at all cost," the Untainted continued, "The Elfkind is a rare species. Their future is unstoppable. The Petals of Enlightenment was borne out of the enlightenment of nature. She was born a powerful entity. The magical energy from the Mount of the Healing Soul expedited her advancement. This is a rather normal process."
The words were uttered so peacefully and matter-of-factly, yet explosive to Ling Xian’s ears. He laughed with a hint of bitterness, "That’s too strong. A few day’s work is comparable to years of meditation and training. Even I feel defeated."
"Wrong, you have the most ancient and powerful Majestic Blood running through your veins. You are much more enlightened than she is. But you have yet to awaken this power fully. When you do, you will feel invincible." The Untainted shook her head softly.
"I understand. I said it casually," Ling Xian responded. His eyes beamed. He wouldn’t have minded if even he was less enlightened than the little Elfkind.
Born talent was a crucial component of cultivation. But it was by no means the one and only.
Not to mention the Petals of Enlightenment already belonged to Ling Xian. Regardless of her powers, what was hers was his. He couldn’t wait for the little creature to grow.
"Oh right, your Highness, can you look and tell me what this is." Ling Xian suddenly remembered the Golden Pages. He summoned it, and the golden book presented itself instantly.
"Eh?"
The Untainted paused a moment, perhaps startled. Then, without holding back her brief moment of shock, she said, "You are lucky indeed, you have stumbled on a treasure."
"Your Highness, please don’t tease, tell me about it." Ling Xian was ecstatic, sensing that this item was indeed of monumental significance. Otherwise, it could not have shocked the Keeper of Land and Sea as it was presented to her.
The Untainted looked at the golden book and fell into a state of reminiscence. Finally, she asked, "Have you ever heard of the Divine Book of Genesis?
"The Divine Book of Genesis…"
Ling Xian frowned as he contemplated. Then, he suddenly remembered where he had seen a description of it and took a deep inhale. Without speaking to anyone in particular, he mumbled, "Legend has it there exists a book of creation from which the Taoism Community was born. That book actually exists?"
"Correct, but don’t be surprised. Sometimes legends are born out of facts," The Untainted replied and turned around to walk away.
Ling Xian followed hastily after her and continued, "Your Highness, please enlighten me."
"There’s not much to enlighten. Just as the legend says, the Divine of Genesis is the book of creation from which the Taoism Community originated," The Untainted continued her reminiscence about the past.
"Well…"
Ling Xian was shaken to the core. He asked, hopefully, "Could this be… the actual Divine Book of Genesis?"
"No, the Divine Book of Genesis is composed of 3,000 pages detailed with 3,000 paths it was meant to create and govern. When creation of our world was complete, these pages fell into different corners of the land. This one is only a part of the book." The Untainted sighed again.
"Sssssss!"
Ling Xian took in another gulp of air. This stunning revelation sank him into a sluggish state.
Only two treasures have existed since the beginning of creation, the Divine Ax and the Divine Book of Genesis.
What he called the Golden Pages was actually one of the two untamable weapons within the entire realm of cultivation. 3,000 pages detailed with paths and fates to be had. This weapon has no match except for the Divine Ax, which was rumored to have been damaged.
Unfortunately, the legend provides explicit details regarding the fate of the book. Its pages were loosened and scattered throughout the land of the Taoism Community upon creation.
This was only some of the 3,000 pages. Ling Xian was now overcome with jubilation.
The Divine Book of Genesis, even if this was only part of the 3,000 pages. Its power was unparalleled. If this news got out, the entire Taoism Community would go berserk, and he will be expecting visits, well-intended or otherwise, from the most prominent figures within the community.
What he had was one of the origins of creation, a fate untamable by anything that existed in the mortal world.
If he could discover enlightenment through the teachings of the path written on these pages, there would be no limit to what he could achieve.
"Wooo… that’s why Yue Lian Han was so confident during her battle. She knew this came from the Divine Book of Genesis. She figured her victory was secure with this as a weapon." Ling Xian let out a deep sigh of relief.
He was confident in his ability to develop into a feared cultivator and ruler. But if he could accelerate this process with the help of external substances, why would he reject them?
"It’s just a page, look at you going mad over it," the Untainted said calmly.
"Your Highness, perhaps to you this is nothing more than a child’s toy. But I’m merely a cultivator of the foundational level. To me, this will open up the path to greatness." Ling Xian smiled back at her.
The Keeper of Land and Sea pondered a moment and continued, "You are right. This will be of great use to you. It can save your life in moments of desperation."
"Yes, the Divine Book of Genesis! If this news gets out, the entire community will go mad with rage and envy," Ling Xian muttered proudly. With a gentle wave of his sleeve, the golden book flew back and settled in the center of his palm.
"Now, let me see which path is recorded on these particular pages."
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