Nine Desolate Records

At 3:45 AM, the bell of Bailu Academy rang precisely on time.

The sound was deep and resonant, penetrating the courtyard shrouded in a thin mist. This was the "Awakening Bell," said to have been forged by the first abbot from cold iron from Kunlun Mountain. Its sound could calm the mind and suppress evil spirits. In the past, hearing this bell would only bring Lu Li peace of mind, but today was different.

With each chime of the bell, the black mark on his shoulder burned hotter.

He gritted his teeth and mingled with the crowd of disciples hurrying to the Hall of Classics and History. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and dew still clung to the bluestone path. The cypress trees on both sides were silhouetted against the morning mist, their outstretched branches resembling the arms that had sprouted from the earth in the desolate graveyard the night before.

"Junior Brother Lu, you don't look well."

A gentle voice came from the side. It was Lin Qingyuan from the same courtyard, dressed in a spotless moon-white scholar's robe, with the jade pendant at his waist tinkling with each step.

Lu Li forced a smile: "I stayed up a little late studying last night."

"Studying?" Lin Qingyuan raised an eyebrow, his gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over Lu Li's right hand—where a newly changed strip of cloth was wrapped, but a trace of pale gold still seeped through the edges. "Junior Brother Lu is truly diligent. However, today Mr. Xun suddenly tested us on the 'Northern Mountain Classic,' which I'm afraid cannot be handled by simply studying."

Her voice carried her usual reserve, but Lu Li detected a hint of probing.

Bailu Academy divides its disciples into four classes: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. The Heaven class is for the descendants of princes and nobles, the Earth class for the sons of officials, the Black class for the sons of wealthy merchants, and the Yellow class… is for people from humble backgrounds like him. Normally, an elite like Lin Qingyuan from the Earth class would not take the initiative to speak with a disciple from the Yellow class.

"Does Senior Brother Lin have any advice?" Lu Li asked calmly.

"I wouldn't call it guidance," Lin Qingyuan smiled slightly, lowering his voice. "It's just that this morning, when I passed by the library, I heard from Senior Brother Liu on duty that around 1-3 AM last night, a strange light shot into the sky from the direction of the abandoned graves on the back mountain, lasting for about ten breaths. Master Xun summoned several instructors overnight for a meeting, and this morning there was a sudden assessment... Junior Brother Lu, do you think these two things are related?"

Lu Li's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned a perfectly measured look of bewilderment: "Strange light? I was sound asleep last night and didn't see it."

"Is that so?" Lin Qingyuan remained noncommittal, slowing his pace and putting half a step between himself and Lu Li. "Then I wish Junior Brother Lu good luck in his assessment."

Having said that, he quickened his pace and blended into a group of Earth Academy disciples ahead. They surrounded him, their laughter and chatter barely audible, the conversation revolving around which new restaurant had opened and which Western Region dancers had arrived. It was as if their earlier conversation had never happened.

Lu Li fell to the back of the crowd, his right hand subconsciously pressing against his chest. The torn piece of animal skin was hidden close to his body, and it was slightly warm through the fabric, like the body temperature of a living creature.

We've arrived at the Hall of Classics and History.

This is a three-courtyard main hall with black tiles and vermilion pillars. Seven stone beasts of different shapes are perched on the eaves, said to be carved in imitation of the "Seven Auspicious Beasts for Guarding the House" from the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Normally, only the front hall is open for morning classes, but today all three courtyards are open, which can accommodate three hundred students of the academy.

The moment Lu Li stepped into the palace, the burning sensation on the back of his shoulder suddenly intensified.

It wasn't caused by the bell.

It is the main hall itself.

He looked up and saw that the dome of the main hall was painted with a huge star map, but it was not the usual twenty-eight constellations. Instead, it was a vast network of twisted star trails that covered the entire dome. At each node of the network, there was a jade stone the size of a fist, which was now glowing faintly as the morning light shone through.

"Everyone, take your seats in order of your academy."

An aged voice came from the depths of the hall. Xun Wenruo was already standing in front of the platform, dressed in a simple blue robe that was almost shabby, his gray hair casually tied up with a wooden hairpin. He had no books in his hand, only a three-foot-long bamboo cane, its surface gleaming as if it had been rubbed for many years.

The disciples quickly quieted down and took their seats according to the order of Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow. The seats for the Yellow Hall were on the outermost edge. Lu Li found his spot, in the last row, in a corner against a pillar. From here, he could see the entire hall clearly and keep an eye on any movement at the hall's doors.

well.

"Today's test is on the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' (Beishan Jing)," Xun Wenruo said bluntly, tapping the ground lightly with his bamboo cane. "However, there will be no test on memorization."

A slight commotion arose from the audience.

"If we don't test our knowledge of scriptures, then what will we test our knowledge of?" A young man in brocade robes from the front row, Zhao Zheng, the heir of the Marquis of Zhenbei, blurted out. He was known for his arrogance.

Xun Wenruo glanced at him, his gaze indifferent, but Zhao Zheng suddenly shut his mouth, his face turning pale.

"Testing eyesight, testing temperament, testing..." Xun Wenruo paused, tapping the ground with his bamboo cane again, "...testing composure."

The moment the words left his mouth, the bronze lamps at the four corners of the main hall went out simultaneously.

It wasn't that the wind extinguished it; rather, the light was "swallowed." The flame still flickered, but the light couldn't stray more than three inches from the lamp, as if an invisible membrane enveloped it. The entire hall was plunged into an eerie gloom, with only the jade stones of the star map on the dome still emitting a faint glow, outlining countless distorted spots of light in the dimness.

"First question." Xun Wenruo's voice was exceptionally clear in the dim light. "The first mountain in the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' is called 'Mount Dangu,' which is rich in gold and jade but has no water. However, the text also records, 'There is a beast there, which looks like an ox but has a white head, one eye, and a snake's tail. It dries up when it moves in water'—since there is no water, how can this beast survive?"

The moment the question was posed, Lu Li felt a sudden burning sensation in the fragment in his arms.

It's not an illusion.

He instinctively pressed his hand to his chest, but a scene suddenly appeared before his eyes—not a memory, but more like a kind of "projection": a desolate mountain ridge, jagged rocks, and not a blade of grass. A giant beast with a white head and one eye lay prostrate in the crevice of the rocks, its snake tail coiled around its side. It was not breathing, and its body was shriveled like a dried-out sack.

However, very faint water vapor seeped out from deep within the rock crevices.

It wasn't liquid water, but... the "essence of water" flowing through the earth's veins. The giant beast's serpentine tail opened a suction cup-like mouth, which was slowly devouring the invisible water vapor.

The image lasted only a moment.

When Lu Li came to his senses, he found the main hall eerily quiet.

All the disciples sat frozen, their faces deathly pale, cold sweat beading on their foreheads. Even the elite disciples from the Heavenly Academy in the front row clenched their teeth, their bodies trembling slightly. Several disciples from the Profound Academy even began to roll their eyes back, foaming at the corners of their mouths, and were quickly carried away by the patrolling instructors.

What kind of assessment is this?

Lu Li suddenly realized that Xun Wenruo's question just now was not asked verbally.

It was as if some kind of "intention" was directly poured into the consciousness of each disciple. The question itself carried a mental impact; if one could not answer it, one would suffer a backlash. Those who were carried away likely already had their consciousness damaged.

"Lu Li".

Xun Wenruo's voice suddenly called out a name.

Lu Li froze, stood up and bowed: "Your student is here."

"You answer." Xun Wenruo stood in the dim light, his blue robe almost blending into the shadows, only his eyes shining brightly. "The question from before."

All eyes in the hall turned to him. Some were astonished, some were confused, and most were gloating. The poor student from Huangzi Academy was being called upon by Master Xun to answer such a strange question first; it was clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for him.

Lu Li took a deep breath.

He knew he couldn't answer too accurately.

The strange events at the desolate graveyard last night, Lin Qingyuan's probing this morning, Xun Wenruo's sudden roll call... all of this points to one possibility: the academy has already suspected him. If he accurately answers "water essence" now, it would be tantamount to admitting that he can "see" things he shouldn't see.

But he couldn't answer completely wrong either. Given the examples of those who were carried away, he couldn't afford the consequences of answering incorrectly.

"Reply to Master." Lu Li carefully considered his words, "I believe that... the 'no water' mentioned in the text may refer to the absence of visible water such as rivers, lakes, and seas. However, water vapor naturally flows within the mountains and the earth's veins. The Book of Changes says, 'Clouds move and rain falls, and all things take shape.' Water has countless forms, and not all of them are visible."

He avoided a specific description of "water essence," only citing classical texts and giving a vague explanation.

The main hall was completely silent.

Xun Wenruo stared at him, remaining silent for a long time. His gaze was like two thin blades, trying to slice through the flesh and reach the marrow. Lu Li lowered his eyes, maintaining his bowing posture, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat.

The dark mark on his shoulder felt so hot under that gaze that it seemed to burn through his skin.

"Sit down," Xun Wenruo finally said.

Lu Li sat down and realized that his legs were a little weak.

"You answered cleverly, but I'll let you pass." Xun Wenruo tapped his bamboo cane again. "Second question—"

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred.

Suddenly, a thin crack appeared in the largest jade stone in the very center of the star map on the dome of the main hall.

It wasn't a physical shattering; it was light cracking. Thick darkness surged from the crack, and within that darkness, an eye opened. No pupil, no white; the entire eye was pure black, except for fine, intricate golden lines entwined around the eye socket, the lines' direction…

The pattern on Lu Li's palm was exactly the same.

"Retreat!" Xun Wenruo shouted sharply, swinging his bamboo staff through the air.

A beam of azure light burst forth from the tip of the staff, transforming into an arc-shaped light screen that instantly enveloped the entire podium area. Almost simultaneously, the jet-black eye blinked.

No sound.

But all the disciples, including the instructors, felt as if their heads had been hit hard by a hammer. A series of muffled groans and thuds echoed in the hall; those with weaker cultivation levels fainted immediately, and fewer than thirty remained standing.

Lu Li also felt his mind churning, but the black mark behind his shoulder suddenly erupted with a bone-chilling cold, offsetting most of the impact. He struggled to hold onto the pillar beside him and looked up at the dome. The eye was slowly moving, finally locking onto his location.

No.

It was the fragment he held in his arms that was locked in place.

"As expected..." Xun Wenruo's voice was unusually solemn. "The strange activity in the desolate graveyard last night did not attract ordinary demons, but the 'Heavenly Eye'."

Before he finished speaking, dozens of thin, hair-like black rays shot out from his dark eyes.

These rays of light ignored the blue light barrier and the spatial distance, instantly piercing Lu Li's face. They were too fast; he had no time to dodge and could only instinctively raise his right hand.

The wound on my wrist from yesterday, where I bit my tongue to draw a talisman, has not yet fully healed.

A drop of blood seeped out.

The blood droplet paused in the air for a moment before exploding into a pale golden mist. The black light pierced the mist as if it were piercing a viscous colloid, its speed decreasing sharply before finally coming to a complete stop three inches from Lu Li's brow.

Then, one by one, they broke.

With each beam that broke, the dark eye in the dome dimmed a little more. When all the light was gone, the eye was so blurred that only a vague outline remained.

The main hall was deathly silent.

The disciples who were still standing all looked at Lu Li as if he were a monster.

Xun Wenruo removed the blue light barrier and walked down from the podium step by step.

He walked slowly, the sound of his bamboo cane striking the ground particularly clear in the silence. When he reached Lu Li, he stopped, his gaze falling on the dissipating pale golden blood mist, then shifting to Lu Li's pale face.

"Lu Li, a disciple of the Yellow Academy," Xun Wenruo said, his voice calm and even. "Come to my meditation room after class."

Having said that, he looked away from everyone and turned to walk towards the palace gate. The sound of his bamboo cane tapping the ground gradually faded into the distance, finally disappearing into the morning mist.

The eye on the dome of the main hall had completely vanished. The jade had returned to its original state, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

But Lu Li knew that wasn't the case.

He looked down at his right wrist, where the drop of blood had seeped out. Beneath the skin, a small patch of very faint golden lines appeared, the shape of which was exactly the corner of the totem on page thirty-seven of the incomplete manuscript.

"Junior Brother Lu...?"

A trembling voice came from the side. It was Wang Shu, a poor student from the same courtyard, who was slumped on the ground, his crotch soaked, pointing at Lu Li, his lips quivering: "You... what exactly are you...?"

Lu Li did not answer.

He looked up at the palace gate, where Xun Wenruo's figure had disappeared into the depths of the morning mist. But he knew that from this moment on, his path at Bailu Academy had completely changed.

The fragment in my arms got burned again.

This time, it wasn't a visual presentation that delivered the message, but rather an extremely brief one that was immediately imprinted in my mind:

"Three anchor point anomalies have been confirmed: Bailu Desolate Grave, Shushan Sword Tomb, and East Sea Ruins."

At the end of the message was a coordinate, not a geographical coordinate, but a "feeling": seven hundred miles southwest, at the foot of a mountain where there are hot springs.

Lu Li closed his eyes, took a deep breath, stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked towards the palace door amidst the fearful or inquisitive gazes of the people in the hall.

The black mark on my shoulder was no longer burning.

It began to pulsate.

Like a... newly sprouting heart.