High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2954: Chapter 1172: Book of Order

Doppelgängers are not true life forms.

They exist as mere thoughts reliant on their original forms.

Even knowing this fact, Zheng Qing still couldn’t help but ask as he watched the gemstone crack, ”Sir, in the future when I use the forbidden curse, must I always ’sacrifice’ myself... Or one of my doppelgängers? Is this the price of using the forbidden curse?”

”Of course not.”

The sir responded with a very clear denial: ”It’s just that your powers are limited now, and your understanding of the forbidden curse is not comprehensive. What you call ’self-destruction’ is essentially your forced interpretation of the forbidden curse. Or, you forcibly release a forbidden curse unified with yourself through ’disassociation’... When you have higher cultivation and deeper understanding of the world, using the forbidden curse will not be so crude and simple.”

This statement slightly comforted the young wizard.

But he was still somewhat unsatisfied: ”Is it possible to use other ’offerings’? I mean, besides ’blowing myself up,’ is there any other way to drive this forbidden curse?”

The sir glanced at the Law book in his hand. Perhaps due to absorbing the essence of a doppelgänger, the originally milky white cover emitted a faint luminescence, while Zheng Qing also sensed a slight hunger from the book, as if the spiritual power provided by those Black Gem Cats earlier didn’t satisfy its appetite.

”Theoretically, there is.”

This time, the sir’s answer was not so certain: ”As long as your Law book doesn’t reject them and is willing to ’consume,’ then you can sacrifice other sufficiently strong souls to release the forbidden curse as well... After all, this Law book now carries a rich array of forbidden curse spells. But I doubt whether you can hunt strong enough souls to offer it. From another angle, I also don’t quite support using other souls.”

”Why?”

”Two reasons.”

The sir unlocked the clasp and leisurely flipped through the Law book, seemingly verifying whether the automatically generated spells within were qualified, while steadily answering the young man’s confusion:

”First, other souls may contaminate your Law book, especially since many powerful wizards more or less deal with knowledge from the Starry Sky, which is poisonous. If your Law book is contaminated by the Starry Sky, details of this forbidden curse may be known by the Starry Sky, which is not good for you. Second, wizards of your age are easily disturbed by the outside world, leading to distractions... Or, as old-school wizards describe them, ’magical thoughts,’ which can hinder your cultivation. The Art of Body Transformation can reduce the associated risks. Each time you ’detach’ a doppelgänger, you can take away some inner distractions, which are utterly obliterated as the doppelgänger vanishes...”

”Upon lifting the Art of Body Transformation, won’t those magical thoughts return to me?” Zheng Qing immediately noticed a certain untoward detail in the sir’s reply.

”Very astute.”

The sir’s gaze left the Law book and satisfactorily looked at Zheng Qing: ”After lifting the Art of Body Transformation, those distractions indeed return. But the next time you use it, even more distractions will be taken away. I remember you took an elective in Mysticism this year, do you recall its ’Mystic Aggregation Principle’?”

The young man nodded repeatedly, just as he was about to speak, the sir didn’t give him a chance.

”—A wizard’s ’distractions’ follow this principle too.”

The sir resumed scrolling through the Law book, slightly speeding up his speech: ”Within everyone’s soul, pure thoughts and distractions are distinctly separate, though they mix in a murky cup of water day to day. Once you successfully extract the first thread of distraction, it grows stronger as it contacts the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi than other distractions. So, when it returns to the wizard’s body, other distractions adhere to it per ’aggregation’ principle. Thus recurrent, distractions accumulate more and more, the doppelgänger spiritually grows stronger until eventually, a doppelgänger produces ’autonomous’ thoughts...”

Zheng Qing instinctively glanced at the edge of the grotto where a vibrant blue dragon was happily ’playing ball’.

”—Hence, doppelgängers are a perilous type of magic.”

The sir remained oblivious, speaking without a hint of fluctuation: ”In ancient times, some wizards specialized in nurturing doppelgängers, absorbing magical thoughts originating from themselves, severing them upon fruition to achieve mental perfection. However, this path is fraught with danger; a moment’s carelessness, the distraction-filled doppelgänger may devour the original, usurp its place. Therefore, this practice falls out of use, with wizards opting to foster distractions within themselves for convenient control... I believe you’ve encountered Professor Yao’s true form, right?”

Zheng Qing gave a little nod.

The three-headed, eight-armed Giant Ape left a profound impression on him in the Black Prison Battlefield. A few days ago, when the Sun above Buji Island was stolen, he also saw this true form appear across the skies.

”—Professor Yao’s ’three heads’ are generated by separating distractions.” The sir nodded slightly: ”But his situation is more complex, so the three head state is somewhat special.”

”Will the Art of Body Transformation we practice also backlash?” Zheng Qing cautiously raised his hand.

The sir lifted his eyelids, gave him a glance, and snorted: ”Zhongshan Jiang Family has deep foundations, you needn’t worry about Student Jiang Yu getting these things wrong... As for you, with this Law book consuming for you, my only concern is you lack daily distractions, so in future, can’t condense doppelgänger. Hmm, but judging from your indecisive nature, distractions should be plentiful... Good, the spells on the book are very clear and comprehensive. Now just need a guide...”

Saying this, he grabbed Zheng Qing’s arm and gave it a gentle shake.

Several drops of bright red blood trickled from Zheng Qing’s fingers, falling upon the Law book’s cover. The crimson appeared striking against the milky white, and in an instant, spread and seeped into the book’s depths.

Do spiritual beings bleed?

Zheng Qing suspiciously surveyed his condition, quietly withdrew his fingers and checked the wound, only to see the skin as smooth as before, without any sign of injury.

As the blood dispersed, four tadpole-like characters slowly swam out from a blank space, eventually stopping at the book’s center, aligned head-to-tail, appearing well-ordered.

Book of Order.

Zheng Qing softly recited these four characters he did not recognize, realizing abruptly what he had just done.

”Ready?”

The sir gave him no more opportunity to ask questions, holding Zheng Qing’s shoulder, lifting a foot, about to step out of this solidified time-space, then paused, glanced back at the young man: ”—Uh, finally, I need to remind you.”

He waved the Law book in his hand: ”The effects when I use this book differ from when you use it... Therefore, what I can achieve, you may not be able to. I hope this doesn’t impose undue psychological burdens on your future.”