Divine Level Witch Doctor

Zhao Yuan had no idea that the Ying Family Ancestor had mistaken him for the meticulously groomed successor of some Major Cultivation Sect...

If he ever heard about it, he would undoubtedly shake his head and laugh.

’Successor to a Major Cultivation Sect?’

That title sounded pretty impressive, but it was nothing compared to being the inheritor of the Witch Doctor Dao! No matter how powerful or profound a Major Cultivation Sect might be, could it possibly compare to Wu Peng—the voice of the Celestial Dao, a man just one step away from achieving sainthood? What a joke!

Zhao Yuan had received Wu Peng’s true legacy. If he so wished, he could found his own Major Cultivation Sect that would stand proudly above all others!

The Ying Family Ancestor and her Ghost Spirit thought they had figured out Zhao Yuan’s origins, but they had no idea just how severely they were underestimating him, his background, and his future accomplishments!

Under Ying Ji’s guidance, Zhao Yuan passed through numerous courtyards and halls. Along the way, he saw many pavilions, towers, and landscaped gardens. He discovered that the Ying Family’s Old Mansion was not only incredibly vast but had also been designed by a master. The towers, flowers, mountains, and water features within the estate all converged perfectly to form a massive Array!

This Array could not only guard against petty intruders but also repel powerful enemies. More than that, it could draw in the surrounding Spiritual Qi for the estate’s inhabitants to absorb through their cultivation! Even an ordinary person would feel their spirits lifted and their health improve after living here for some time!

’What an incredible Array!’

Intrigued, Zhao Yuan slowed his pace and began to carefully observe his surroundings.

The Information Leaf did not disappoint, quickly recording the detailed information about the Array. Next to the ’Talisman’ section, a new ’Array’ branch appeared. He opened it and saw a volume inside titled ’Mirage’.

A mirage is a type of illusion, and the Array in the Ying Family’s Ancient Mansion primarily used illusions to confuse people, while also possessing the marvelous ability to ’swallow’ and absorb Spiritual Qi, just like the mythical beast. The name was a perfect fit!

Zhao Yuan was eager to open the volume and take a look.

’Knowing the Information Leaf’s nature, the Mirage Array in this volume was bound to be better and more powerful than the one used in the Ying Family’s Ancient Mansion!’

But just then, Ying Ji, who was leading the way, noticed he had slowed down considerably. She turned back and urged, ”Hurry up! Stop dawdling, or you’ll fall behind and get lost! I’m not just bragging—our family’s old mansion was designed by a master. If an outsider wanders off the path, they’ll lose their bearings in minutes. And if a Ying Family disciple doesn’t rescue them, they could very well be trapped here until they die!”

Zhao Yuan had already seen how formidable the Array was, so he didn’t doubt her words for a second. He immediately suppressed the urge to study the Mirage Array, quickened his pace to keep up with Ying Ji, and headed toward the Library.

The Ying Family’s Library stood at the center of the ancient mansion. It was a nine-story Octagonal Tower with gray bricks and green tiles, its design simple and archaic, steeped in history.

Ying Ji led Zhao Yuan to the Library’s large, vermilion-lacquered doors. She grabbed a door knocker and rapped it a few times.

While they waited for the keeper to open the door, she didn’t miss the chance to explain, ”This Library was built during the early Southern Song Dynasty, so it has a history of nearly a thousand years! Since its construction, only disciples of the Ying Family have been allowed to enter. You’re the first person with a different surname to be allowed inside.”

”I’m honored,” Zhao Yuan said with a smile.

Two minutes later, the Library’s heavy doors swung open from the inside, revealing an old man.

Ying Ji reported respectfully, ”Sixth Grand-uncle, the Ancestor has ordered that Zhao Yuan be allowed to enter the Library and peruse the Ying Family’s collection for one hour.”

Sixth Master Ying sized Zhao Yuan up, his gaze filled with astonishment and confusion. He clearly couldn’t understand why the Ancestor would break their family’s rules to let an outsider into the Library.

But he didn’t stop them. He simply stepped aside to clear a path and said, ”I’ve already received the call from the Ancestor. Come in.”

Once Zhao Yuan and Ying Ji were inside the Library, Sixth Master Ying gave a light wave of his right hand. A blast of cold wind shot forth, pushing the iron-bound doors, which weighed at least a thousand jin, shut.

’A master. No wonder he’s the one guarding the Library,’ Zhao Yuan mused, his expression remaining unchanged.

The lighting inside the Library was excellent. Even with the great doors closed, it had no effect; the interior remained bright and airy.

Zhao Yuan glanced around and saw that the floor was densely packed with bookshelves. Every shelf was piled high with all sorts of books, nearly all of them ancient texts.

Everything stored here was an original, not a shadow-copy or a reprint. This was because the Library was designed with a special Array that could preserve the books placed within, keeping them from rotting or being eaten by insects for millennia.

’There must be tens of thousands of volumes here!’ Zhao Yuan estimated.

’And this is just the first floor. There are eight more above it!’

’Granted, not all of these books are about cultivation, but if even a tenth... no, even a hundredth of them are, this collection is still absolutely incredible!’

’The Ying Family truly lives up to its name as a Witchcraft and Divination Family with a thousand-year legacy!’

”What subject are you interested in?” Sixth Master Ying asked. ”Do you need me to point you in the right direction?”

”No, thank you.” Zhao Yuan politely declined the offer. ”I’d like to just browse.”

”Fine, browse as you wish,” Sixth Master Ying said, nodding. He pulled a phone from his pocket and set an alarm. ”Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You only have one hour.”

”I know. Thank you for the reminder.”

Zhao Yuan wasted no more time and strode over to the leftmost bookshelf.

He planned to use his ultimate cheat, the Information Leaf, to ’pack up and take away’ every book the Ying Family had collected over the past millennium.

An hour was a bit tight, but it would be enough. He didn’t actually need to read the books; he just had to glance at their titles, and the Information Leaf would record their entire contents.

To Ying Ji and Sixth Master Ying, this looked very strange. All they saw was Zhao Yuan standing in front of a bookshelf, rapidly picking up one book after another only to immediately put it back down.

Within minutes, he had ’read’ every book on the leftmost shelf. Yet from start to finish, he hadn’t opened a single one.

Zhao Yuan moved on to the second bookshelf.

Ying Ji approached him and asked in a low voice, ”Are you looking for a particular book? Would you like me to help?”

”I appreciate the offer,” Zhao Yuan declined, ”but I’d rather just look on my own.”

Ying Ji was baffled. ”You only have one hour. Don’t you think you’re wasting it, running around like a headless chicken?”

”Not at all,” Zhao Yuan said, shaking his head. ”I feel like I’m making great progress.”

”Great progress?” Ying Ji shot back, annoyed. ”Rummaging around blindly like this? The only ’progress’ you’re making is jack shit.”

Zhao Yuan just smiled without explaining and continued his ’search’—a process that, in Ying Ji’s eyes, was utterly meaningless.

”So ungrateful,” Ying Ji huffed. She stopped paying him any mind and simply watched him ’waste time’.