Chapter 71: Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor Obtained

“Great Immortal, we have gathered all of Dong Shen’s belongings for you,” a eunuch official said respectfully.

Now, throughout the entire Capital, no one dared to act arrogantly in front of Chen Xiyi. Not long ago, he had effortlessly wiped out nearly eighty percent of a hundred-thousand-strong rebel army. It was said that the cleanup crews were almost sick from the sight, as the ground was littered with horrifying charred body parts.

When this news spread, all the restless factions across the lands immediately quieted down.

They did not believe they were stronger than that hundred-thousand-strong rebel army. If they were foolish enough to attack, they might not even leave a trace behind.

People in the Capital were saying that if the rebels hadn’t died in such numbers and surrendered quickly, there might not have been a single survivor.

Because of this event, Wang Li’s position as emperor became even more secure. Now, no one dared to claim that Wang Li’s ascension was illegitimate. After all, he had been personally chosen by an immortal. If anyone disagreed, they could go ask the dead rebels themselves.

Chen Xiyi rummaged through the pile and found a jade slip titled Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor. The jade slip was not large, and the text engraved on it was not extensive, totaling only about five thousand characters.

A true teaching can be conveyed in one sentence, while a false one fills ten thousand volumes.

Moreover, it was already nearing the Age of Dharma Decline at that time, so why write so much?

“I understand, you may leave,” Chen Xiyi said with a casual wave, then turned his attention to reading the contents of Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor.

After reading for most of the year, he had no trouble understanding Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor. He now understood why Dong Shen had rebelled.

“The concept itself is not flawed, but it underestimated the Age of Dharma Decline.”

From the fact that Qi Observing Art could still be used, it seemed entirely feasible. However, the problem was that it was like a tree without roots. Clearly, the creator of Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor had died because of this.

Chen Xiyi realized that even if one became emperor, the power of the realm could not replace the consumption required by Cultivators. The creator of Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor had died from the exhaustion caused by practicing it.

Dong Shen was the same, and his situation was even worse. As an ordinary person, he could not withstand the toll of Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor; even using Qi Observing Art could have cost him his life.

Of course, the worst off was Chen Xiyi himself. He lacked a Spiritual Root, so he could not use either Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor or Qi Observing Art. He could only study the knowledge within.

‘So, in this world, to practice cultivation, one needs a Spiritual Root. But in the Age of Dharma Decline, Spiritual Roots cannot survive, likely due to a lack of external energy like Spiritual Energy or Spiritual Power.’

‘Then, is the Age of Dharma Decline caused by the disappearance of such external energy?’

Chen Xiyi did not know more specific details. He was not a Cultivator; he was just a Sandbox Game Player. If he had the corresponding Module, he might have understood, but for now, he was completely in the dark.

‘Spiritual Roots and external energy are likely the key to cultivation in this world and the cause of the Age of Dharma Decline.’

Chen Xiyi did not know how many people in this world, like Dong Shen, had obtained the legacies of those who took desperate measures before the Age of Dharma Decline. But he was certain of one thing: orthodox cultivation traditions had surely gone extinct, with the Shanhe Sect being a prime example.

However, those who took desperate measures might not have left much behind. Only top-tier existences, like the creator of Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor, could have left behind even a scrap.

[You used an Alloy Pickaxe on a Wooden Crate, dealing 1 point of Durability damage.]

[You obtained: book (Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor), book (Discourse on the State)…]

Chen Xiyi used a bug in the Home Game to store all of Dong Shen’s belongings in his Inventory. Unfortunately, the jade slip version of Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor, like the Spiritual Root, was just an ordinary item and was even categorized as a book.

When he took it out of the Inventory, he found it was exactly the same as before. There were no hidden secrets revealed through appraisal; it was completely normal.

But thinking about it, this made sense. In the Age of Dharma Decline, even if there were secrets, they would have become ineffective due to the lack of external energy.

From Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor, Chen Xiyi could tell that its creator was undoubtedly a master of Formation Arrays. Qi Observing Art was just one application; the five thousand characters also elaborated on the creator’s philosophy of Formation Arrays.

Chen Xiyi benefited greatly from this. Although he could not use it, it seemed he could make adjustments based on Feng Shui to achieve some effect.

Unfortunately, aside from the Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Formation, which was essential for Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor, no other Formation Arrays were recorded. This left Chen Xiyi deeply regretful.

Cultivation legacies that could be recorded in writing were extremely rare. From the diary of a True Disciple of the Shanhe Sect, Chen Xiyi had learned that many legacies could not be described in words and required the use of a Jade Slip to impart knowledge directly into the soul.

Only legacies specifically designed for the Age of Dharma Decline, like Ascension of the Sovereign Emperor, were recorded in writing.

Moreover, many miscellaneous books and ancient texts containing records of Feng Shui, celestial phenomena, and so on were mostly left by Cultivators from before the Age of Dharma Decline. However, as times changed, these things had been replaced by various writings and relegated to the dustbin of history as miscellaneous studies.

Aside from someone like Chen Xiyi, who genuinely wanted to collect them, the only people reading these were likely charlatans.

After all, who would bother learning such mystical stuff if not to deceive others?

‘It seems that before leaving, I not only have to dismantle Yongning Palace and take it with me, but I also need to take all these books,’ Chen Xiyi thought, setting a new goal for himself.

After all, he still had many books left to read.

Reading might not necessarily increase his intelligence or emotional quotient, but it was definitely beneficial. There was no harm in reading more.

For example, now he could fully act as a doctor with extensive medical theoretical knowledge. He might not be able to practice, but he had no problem engaging in arguments and debates.

He could not only argue from a professional standpoint but also deliver precise criticisms.

The only regret was that the status he had established was too high, and there was no one who could let him showcase what he had learned recently.

‘Although it’s useless to me, I can definitely use it to fool others.’

Watching the cooldown of the Cycle Function steadily decrease, Chen Xiyi knew that Dali was just a starting point, not the end. Learning more would surely be useful in the future.

Even if he might not need it, or even if he never used it, it was better to have it than not.

It was like the triple-Enchantment TNT. He could keep it in his Inventory as a display piece without using it, but he absolutely must have it. Otherwise, when he really needed it and didn’t have it, he would have to suffer the consequences.

This was the principle of being prepared.