Scripture of Days Past

According to the description of events in the Secrets of the Religion of Inaction, all of the villagers immediately returned to their senses as soon as the triangular artifact was taken away from its original position.

It was as if they had woken up from a dream; they had zero recollection of the past few days.

Just when everyone thought that was the end of the story, they quickly came to discover that they were sorely mistaken.

Over the course of the next few months, the villagers returned to the tomb one after another and committed suicide inside.

As for Zhao Longkun, he took the triangular artifact back to Jade Face Mountain, and then he obsessively studied it day and night. He’d often forego meals and sleep just to study it.

He pored over incomplete historical records, ancient journals, and secret scriptures deep within the archives building, obsessively trying to find as much information as he could about the triangular artifact.

His strange behavior naturally alarmed his colleagues at the Demon Vanquishing Department, and he was locked up in a cell. As for his research notes...

I was given permission to examine Zhao Longkun’s notes, but the key second half of the notes was completely incomprehensible, filled with mad ramblings and inexplicable images.

Hence, I could only follow the first half of the notes to the best of my abilities and resume Zhao Longkun’s quest to find more information on the triangular artifact.

Finally, I was able to find some key pieces of information in a journal from the Chen Dynasty.

The author of the journal claimed to have witnessed the ascension of the pope of the Religion of Inaction. He and the followers of the religion all believe that their leader had discarded his physical body, while his soul had ascended to the immortal realm.

The triangular artifact was left behind by the pope, and they believed that by performing a certain ritual, they would be able to communicate with their pope in the immortal realm through the artifact.

However, all of their attempts ultimately ended in failure. To this day, I still don’t understand why the villagers committed suicide in the tomb or how Zhao Longkun was driven to insanity. Were they trying to complete the ritual? Were they trying to communicate with the immortal realm?

After reading for a bit longer, Chu Qiguang’s attention was drawn to a certain incident outlined in the book.

Zhao Longkun escaped from prison. No one knows how he managed to free himself from the restraints of the Demon Vanquishing Chains, even though his martial arts cultivation base has been expunged. No one can figure out how he managed to escape through that tiny window that was just barely enough to fit a hand through.

However, escape he did, and by the time we found him, he was long dead with the triangular artifact in his arms and a satisfied smile on his face. I often wonder to myself if he managed to successfully communicate with the immortal realm. He looked so satisfied and blissful in death; could it be that his soul had also ascended?

Later in the book, it was stated that all subsequent artifacts of the Religion of Inaction were immediately destroyed by the Demon Vanquishing Department upon discovery.

Shortly thereafter, Chu Qiguang reached the end of the book. He felt a sense of joy from his Ring of Ignorance, and immediately afterward, he forgot everything he had just read.

Once again, he was rewarded with a boon, and this one presented itself in the form of a series of options that echoed in his mind. Heavenly Fiend Foundation Establishment Technique, Sumeru King Scripture, Undying Seal, Heavenly Spirit Body Refinement Fist Techniques, Yaksha King Fist Techniques, Primordial High Zenith Qigong, Heavenly Demon Vanquishing Palms...

It was a list of all of the martial arts he had learned, but the Heavenly Fiend Foundation Establishment Technique, the Sumeru King Scripture, and the Undying Seal were all dark and faded, while the other cultivation arts shone faintly.

At the same time, a sense of urgency welled up in his heart. It was like something was urging him to make his choice quickly.

He reflexively chose the Primordial High Zenith Qigong. As soon as the choice was made, he could feel the original Primordial High Zenith Qigong in his memory undergoing a change.

Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts? It altered the cultivation art?

Before he had a chance to examine the new Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts any further, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind.

Someone was approaching him from the darkness.

”Is that you, Senior?”

There was no response, but the sound of the footsteps had abruptly sped up.

Chu Qiguang followed the sound of the footsteps while using the oil lamp to light his way forward. Soon, he watched as a woman slowly emerged from the darkness.

”H-Hello, my name is Lin Lan. I’m a bookkeeper here,” she said in a rather timid voice.

She had long, black hair. She wasn’t lacking in the looks department, but she seemed to be lacking in the self-confidence department, as she was doing her best not to meet Chu Qiguang’s gaze.

However, her watery blue eyes still left a deep impression on Chu Qiguang. He took a glance at her shadow and discovered that it was just a normal shadow.

”Can I help you with anything?” he asked.

Lin Lan looked down at the ground as she explained, ”I was about to tidy up these bookshelves. I’m not getting in your way, am I?”

”Not at all,” Chu Qiguang replied. ”Go ahead.”

Chu Qiguang revealed a curious expression as he watched Lin Lan step back into the darkness. ”You can see in the dark?”

”I can’t,” Lin Lan replied in a timid voice.

”Then how can you tidy up the bookshelves?” Chu Qiguang asked.

”Not being able to see actually helps me,” Lin Lan replied. ”If I can see the books, then things can easily go wrong.”

Chu Qiguang didn’t really understand what Lin Lan was talking about, but he presumed that she could identify the books on the shelves through her sense of touch or some other means.

Once Lin Lan had disappeared into the darkness, Chu Qiguan returned his attention to the Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts, but at a glance, he was unable to see any difference between the Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts and the Primordial High Zenith Qigong.

Conscious of the fact that closing time was fast approaching, he set the Primordial High Zenith Demonic Arts aside for now and turned his attention back to the Secrets of the Religion of Inaction.

After reading through it once more, he thought, It almost sounds like this Religion of Inaction is trying to communicate with aliens.