Chapter 138: The Search

Page 1/3

At present, there was no genuine relic available for Mulan to experiment on, so his research relied predominantly on theory, necessitating a vast amount of reading.

Within the grand library of the Black Castle, Mulan was searching for magical tomes that might contain similar records. Naturally, he maintained necessary discretion, so the books he borrowed appeared somewhat haphazard, though he had always been interested in a wide array of magical texts.

One by one, heavy volumes piled up in Mulan’s left hand. After wandering through the library several times, he had stacked over a dozen books—taller than his own height.

“Ah, if only I had Walton’s kind of trick,” Mulan mused, supporting the books. He thought of Walton’s ability to conceal countless items inside his hat and pockets. Unfortunately, such a capability was too advanced for him, not something that could be casually used across different systems—at least not by a Radiant Knight.

As a professor, borrowing ordinary magical books and materials was effortless for Mulan, provided they weren’t arcane tomes or of equivalent rank. All he needed was to register with the librarian. While doing so, students frequently spotted him with delight.

“Professor Jonster!” “Professor, you’re back?” “When did you return?” “When will you start teaching?” Some even boldly called out, “Professor, we miss you so much!”

While waiting to register the books, Mulan responded to most of the students. These learners were young and vibrant, and the number who had passed the observation period to remain at the Black Castle was far greater than initially expected.

“I’ll begin classes soon. Remember to secure your spots early,” Mulan said over his shoulder, which only excited the students more. He glanced behind the librarian—over a dozen books had already piled up there.

Mulan had repeated this process several times, and by now, the librarian’s desk was stacked with over a hundred books.

“That’s all the books I’ll borrow. Please send them to my residence,” Mulan instructed.

“Certainly, Professor Jonster. I’ll arrange it immediately,” the librarian replied promptly. After ringing a bell, a service officer soon arrived with a carriage to deliver the books.

However, Mulan did not leave the library immediately. Some books were inconvenient to borrow, so it was easier for him to study them on-site.

In the restricted section on the third floor, Mulan sat at a desk outside, flipping through a red leather-bound book. From this vantage point, he could look up and see down into the first-floor main hall, observing students coming and going.

Frowning, Mulan scrutinized the text meticulously. Though he did not skip a single word, he turned pages at a steady pace. Books of this caliber were themselves special elements; by channeling his own magical power to suppress and control the text, he could absorb information efficiently without hesitation.

Relics, as powerful and mysterious treasures, had long attracted countless extraordinary beings to study them, often igniting fierce battles over possession.

Even though people gradually realized that not all relics were benevolent—many carried strange and dangerous anomalies, which in fact was the norm—the allure remained irresistible.

Page 2/3

Mulan skimmed through numerous books but found no record of how to destroy a relic. However, from the many descriptions of wars and supernatural conflicts, as well as from conventional theoretical summaries and deductions, it was clear that a relic's inherent power of existence was immense. Despite the extensive reading Mulan had done, he had yet to find any account of a relic being destroyed.

After all, according to the records of the Sanctuary and some ancient texts, the origin of relics was ultimately traced back to divine beings.

Mulan stroked his chin thoughtfully, his fingertip resting on an excerpt from the Sanctuary scriptures that read, “God’s bestowed radiance.”

Besides the difficulty of destroying relics, Mulan suddenly realized another issue.

From his understanding and the chaotic, malevolent dreams he had experienced, relics and similar totem-like objects were likely infused with the power of so-called gods.

Though these gods appeared indifferent, would destroying a relic truly draw their attention?

The very thought sent a chill down Mulan's spine—a mixture of faint fear and exhilaration that slightly unsettled his mind.

“Hmph.”

Mulan snorted coldly, dispelling the faint fear. He had no desires for the evil gods; in fact, he harbored hatred toward them. Reverence or fear of gods held little sway over who he was now.

He had no reason to be deterred. Even if some of his methods might ultimately fail, or perhaps hasten destruction, so be it.

What did it matter?

Since the world had reached its current state, with rampant desires ruling over reason, and inevitable destruction looming,

If given a choice, Mulan would rather blaze brightly—even if doomed to fail—than wither slowly in greed toward a rotten death.

Perhaps that fleeting spark could even catch the gaze of an evil god in the chaos.

How tragic, how utterly tragic!

“Heh hahahaha...”

At this thought, Mulan laughed quietly, a hint of madness in the sound. His breathing fluctuated, and even the library’s lamps flickered subtly in response.

As the students below stirred slightly, Mulan composed himself and cast an apologetic glance toward the librarian.

The librarian sighed in relief—so long as the disturbance was not due to some dangerous tome, it was acceptable.

Deep into the night, Mulan continued reading. Only when he finished the last book on the table did he close it and rise.

By then, the library was nearly empty. Half an hour earlier, the students who had stubbornly waited to meet him had already left.

The gap was simply too great. With Mulan’s current strengths, obtaining a relic was nearly impossible. Not to mention securing a private, secretive space to study a relic without revealing its aura was a luxury beyond reach.

Page 3/3

Though it was temporarily difficult to find written information on destroying relics, cases of preserving or sealing them were common. The safest containment was, of course, to weave a secret realm.

But a secret realm weaver was exceedingly rare. Mulan had once believed such practitioners had vanished into history, as no new records had appeared in the past century.

Yet the Dirga Empire seemed to have mastered the power to weave secret realms—at least in the past. The Mirror Passage was a mature secret realm still in use today, and the Forbidden Gate that contained relics might also be a secret realm.

Mulan stared at the empty library hall below, fingers tapping rhythmically on the book’s cover as he pondered.

If the Dirga royal family still possessed a secret realm weaver, there would be related records. Even if none remained, abundant records must have been left behind, possibly including arcane tomes of the Path Sequence.

Such materials were beyond Mulan’s reach; he dared not request access without cause. But one thing was certain: everyone desired to control a secret realm weaver.

If he could obtain arcane tomes of that caliber, aided by his powerful resonance, Mulan might glean some insight into secret realm knowledge.

Human energy was not limitless, even for Mulan. The dual nature of light and darkness already weighed heavily on him. Yet, in the absence of a reliable secret realm partner, it was vital for him to shoulder some of the burden and make progress in that domain himself.

However, there was a problem. Mulan absolutely did not want to “suddenly discover” that he had secret realm abilities. Even if that happened later, as a Radiant Knight, he could never change his path—at least not in the eyes of ordinary people. He also wished to preserve that perception.

Furthermore, he was reluctant for this ability to be revealed to the authorities, because the goals he sought through secret realms were not within the light.

As Mulan’s thoughts shifted, the rhythm of his finger-tapping changed slowly, like a unique melody.

If someone with secret realm weaving potential appeared, it would surely attract great attention from above, possibly unlocking secret realm materials or even prompting a secret realm weaver to come forward.

Was it possible for such a person to emerge? Reasonably speaking, the Black Castle now recruited many talented students from across the Dirga territory and beyond. Among so many, finding even one with such potential was possible—but still a matter of great luck.

A slight smile curved Mulan’s lips.

“But I might not really need to find someone with secret realm potential. It’s enough to make everyone believe such a person exists!”

A deceptive illusion requires thorough cunning—to fool the target, to deceive bystanders, and even to trick oneself.

...

That evening, back at his residence, Mulan did not immediately search the delivered books for methods to destroy relics. Instead, he began organizing his upcoming lecture material, commonly known as lesson preparation. One pivotal point was underlined with an extension line—an analysis of the secret realm branch.

7017k