Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation | Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Time flew. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Lisheng had already spent an entire month in the Mountain Gate’s library.
The 30 days he spent reading had benefited him a lot. He finally learned that although witchcraft was made by nature, when one tried to become a wizard, there were stable methods that could allow one to make steady progress in the Three Gates of Witchcraft of Life, Death and Sacrifice. There was no harm even if he did not become a wizard, completely unlike how he used to feed the bugs with his blood and by using his life in exchange for the small chance of success.
He understood that if one wanted to make a breakthrough before Rank-6 Wizard, there were actually many methods that could provide assistance. As long as there were enough resources, it was not like there were no shortcuts for the cultivation road after the level of Rank-6 Wizard either.
He also knew that the witchcraft bloodline he inherited was actually very poor. If it was not for the fact that he had inexplicably obtained the amazing ability to enhance his wizard power by absorbing the negative emotions of the enemy, he would have most likely remained as only a Rank-2 Wizard.
Not only that, he also learnt that if a wizard cultivating the Gate of Death blindly picked a powerful wizard gu to transform after making a breakthrough to Rank-6 Wizard, even if he had proper preparation and protection from a Grand Wizard, he would most likely end up dead. The fact that he could still be alive after transforming three ancient strange worms and one foreign world’s demonic bug meant that his luck was completely incredible, much more incredible than winning a lottery ten consecutive times.
Also, he had also come to know that in the ancient human tribes, a true powerhouse who truly refined his witchcraft step by step from the sea of blood and corpses would have his own unique combat method. A change in the concept of fighting could result in an earth-shattering change in one’s strength…
However, the more Zhang Lisheng knew about witchcraft, the more loss he felt.
“If I take myself as an example, then the knowledge recorded in 90% of the books in this library would all be nonsense. Is this because I’m just too strange or is it because most of the books collected by the wizard gu in the past several thousands of years are wrong?” Sitting on the wooden chair sighing at the same time, the young man muttered as he shut the lid of a book titled ‘An Overview of Witchcraft’.
In fact, right now, he had already made up his own answer at this time. He knew that there was no precedent case in this path that he was undertaking.
After figuring all of these out, Zhang Lisheng stood up and took the borrowed book to a counter made of brown wood, before telling the teenage girl who was busy arranging the borrowed book records on the third floor of the library. “Sister Rong, I want to return this book.”
“Alright, Lisheng. Take a look at the catalogue first and call me after you’ve decided on which book you want,” the girl answered without lifting her head.
“Not anymore. I’m leaving now.”
“Oh? You’re leaving early today?” The girl raised her head and glanced at the young man. She flipped the book he borrowed from the first page to the last to check whether there was any defect or smearing. Then, she put it away and added casually, “The book is alright but why are you leaving so early today?”
“I suddenly understood now so I feel I might as well go back…” Zhang Lisheng smiled and blurted out in a genteel manner. Turning around, he walked down the stairs.
When he walked out of the library, he felt nothing but refreshed. He walked up the other side of the mountain road along the street and trod the stone roads to the foot of the mountain. Originally, he planned to leave the Gate of Witchcraft for good and never return but he saw that there was a total of 20 to 30 long green-robed Gate of Witchcraft’s disciples and three to four silver-clothed disciples guarding as they stood in front of the cave where the exit of the Mountain Gate lied.
In front of those disciples were a group of wizards wearing parti-colored clothes busy shouting in all sorts of different attitudes, one after another. “Senior Brothers, I want to become an official disciple of the Gate of Witchcraft but I couldn’t make it in! Right now, it’s you guys who refused to take me as a disciple but you still want me to remain here? Why the hell do you want me to stay here for?”
“You guys are being unreasonable. I came here and spent my money here but what do you mean by blocking the exit now? Perhaps other people are afraid of you guy but I’m not, okay? As a lawyer, I can tell you clearly that the Mountain Gate of Witchcraft is not a vacuum region free of law…”
“Oh come on please, Senior Brothers. I really have an urgent matter to attend to! What are you guys doing by sealing the exit like that for no reason?”
In the face of all kinds of excuses, the only answer given by the Gate of Witchcraft’s disciples guarding the cave was, “Please return to the city. The exit will not be opened today no matter what. However, from now onwards, all of your expenses in the Mountain Gate will be borne by the Mountain Gate.”
Hearing the words of the Gate of Witchcraft’s disciples from afar, Zhang Lisheng’s heart gave a jolt of surprise. Frowning, he mumbled, “It’s sealed?”
Even though he had already understood the level of importance of those disciples wearing green robes and silver clothes here and that they were nothing but useless people here, Zhang Lisheng still did not dare cast his omniscient power to forge an escape room for himself under the nose of those mysterious Grand Wizards in the Gate of Witchcraft. With no other choice, he could only turn back to the mountain city to find out the reason the exit was sealed.
When Zhang Lisheng made his way here, due to the reason that nothing else was in his mind other than his desire to leave, he did not notice the anomaly in the mountain city. Now that he was going back with the intention to inquire for information, he realized that some of the people in the city looked flippant and impetuous. Most of the pedestrians had a complicated look on their faces, some of them looked terrified, some of them looked joyful as they walked quickly.
It was not suitable for him to just randomly stop a passerby and ask questions so after pondering about it, the young man could only walk back to the small courtyard where he lived in the Gate of Witchcraft.
During this period, Zhang Lisheng had buried himself in books in the library so he would only come back to the small courtyard to overnight for one night every seven to eight days. Not only that, every time when he came back, he seemed to be silent but fortunately, he had always been very respectful towards the so-called Senior Brothers. Adding on the fact that the ‘halo’ Su Deli had crowned on him had not faded yet, his relations with them were still quite good.
Upon seeing him entering the door, Chu Xiang, who was wearing a green robe but carrying an inferior brand of waterproof hiking bag, appearing to be neither fish nor fowl as he was waiting to set out, laughed out loud. “Haha… Junior Brother Zhang! I knew that you were going to come back early today! Which team are you in?”
“What team, Senior Brother Chu?” Zhang Lisheng asked with a wry smile. “I’ve read my books for over twenty days and my head is very groggy. I wanted to go outside and breathe out today but I found out that the Mountain Gate has been sealed instead. The people on the street appeared to be in a state of anxiety too. This is why I came back to ask all you Senior Brothers what is going on actually?”
“You haven’t received any news yet? Impossible! The teams going to the Oasis World have already been decided…” Chu Xiang looked at Zhang Lisheng strangely as he replied.
Before he could finish his words, the courtyard door was pushed open by somebody. Min Lan, who was wearing a long golden dress, entered and when she was about to open her mouth, she saw Zhang Lisheng was actually standing beside her. Surprised, she said suddenly without context, “What a coincidence to see you the moment I stepped into this courtyard, Lisheng. Get ready, I’ll come for you later and we’ll head to the foreign world that newly emerged in China.”
Turning around, she proceeded to leave.
“Er, wait a minute, Sister Min Lan. W-What’s going on?” Zhang Lisheng pulled Min Lan and asked in astonishment.
The young man grabbed her wrist and the girl turned stiff right away. She pulled her hand with force and glared at him, a face that was indeed skinny and was at a loss of what to do.
“If you dare to act reckless like this again, I’ll cut your hands off right away!” The anger in Min Lan’s heart disappeared greatly and she did not burst into her rage. Lowering her voice, she snapped and then continued to explain in a whisper. “This time, the Gate has fully dedicated to cooperate with the government to explore the Oasis World. All of the disciples who have some strength are all dispatched. At first, you’re not included because you’ve only just entered the Gate but then again, Big Boss Su remembers that you’ve had experience living on the foreign world before and that it was also a jungle as well, he insisted in bringing you along.”
“Is the Oasis World a foreign world so similar to the Cretaceous Period of Earth?” the young man asked in shock.
“Yes!”
Going to a foreign world that was similar to the most proliferating period of Earth’s biological species, the Cretaceous Period, was a huge temptation for a Gate of Death’s wizard who was also an outstanding biologist. Zhang Lisheng immediately replied with his tongue in his cheek, “Since I’ve already joined the Gate of Witchcraft, of course I’ll contribute to the Gate too. It’s right for Big Boss Su to ask me to go!”
“It’s good that you have such a mindset. Go get ready!” Min Lan nodded and glanced at the young man before walking away.
At this time, upon seeing an elite disciple personally come to inform Zhang Lisheng, the strange look on Chu Xiang’s face disappeared right away. Shaking his head, he said, “No wonder Junior Brother Zhang did not know of the situation. It turns out that you’re following Big Boss Su directly, something that a ‘grass’ like us can’t compare at all.”
“Senior Brother Chu Xiang, you’re the vanguard, I can’t compare to you at all!” Zhang Lisheng smiled noncommittally and cupped his hands in front of his chest towards Chu Xiang before returning to his room. There was nothing for him to prepare anyway so he merely gulped down two cans of Coke and lied on the bed, resting for a while. Eventually, Min Lan came to see him once again.
When the girl saw the young man appearing in front of herself with both hands empty, she was astonished. “Lisheng, why are you not bringing anything? Okay, you can bring nothing but you’d at least have to bring several packets of feed to feed your wizard gus right?”
“You mean those items that are compressed and made from expired plasma and animal fats?” Zhang Lisheng shrugged. “I didn’t bring any wizard gu with me so there’s no use even if I buy them.”
“I thought you know a spell that can hide your wizard gus away. What kind of Gate of Death’s wizard are you if you usually don’t bring any wizard gu with you? Ah forget it, we don’t expect you to fight anyway. But still, it’s really too ridiculous if you’re empty handed like that!” Min Lan thought about it and threw her backpack to Zhang Lisheng. “You can carry my backpack for me as a cover. Don’t look down on the wangle tricks of the Gate. In fact, those are the most practical methods researched by the senior Grand Wizard and True Wizards for the past thousands of years bit by bit. Everyone knows that the wizard gus fed by one’s own blood essence or flesh would be the most ferocious but the consumption is just too high. Unless you’re a Grand Wizard like Junior Uncle Chen who purposely cultivated the Gu Nest Spell, you’d usually have to take the shortcut eventually.”
“Sister, is this Junior Uncle Chen mentioned by you the same Junior Uncle Chen who came together with you to look for me in Guawo Village last time?” Zhang Lisheng, who was following behind Min Lan, felt his heart gave a jolt. Like talking in riddles, he asked.
“Of course it’s him. Junior Uncle Chen and my master have now been sent by Old God Su to stay beside Big Boss Su. Even though it’s on the reason that they can help to guide the younger generation, they’re actually functioning as his ears,” Min Lan whispered.
“In that case, does this mean that Junior Uncle Chen’s method that allowed the winged flying snake to crawl out of his nostril is not an incantation but a witchcraft method?” Strong interest rose in the young man’s heart as he asked again.
