Chapter 270: Logging Off and New Members Joining

Everyone present felt a surge of excitement at this moment. Though the items possessed by the protagonist of this television drama were beyond the reach of others, his miraculous encounters and cultivation methods were completely open for them to learn!

This had been true for the Taiji Xuanqing Dao before, and it was even more so for the Heavenly Book now!

To their regret, however, the text of the first volume of the *Heavenly Book* was obscure and profound to the absolute extreme, serving as the overarching summary of the entire work.

It was not something ordinary people could comprehend, much less something that could be thoroughly understood in a mere moment!

"This is far too profound!" Nalan Hongwu wore a face full of distress. With such monumental principles of heaven and earth set right before him, he could not help but feel his head spin as he looked upon the stele. "Our understanding of this world's methods of cultivation and spells is still not refined enough. It seems deciphering this stone monument will prove rather difficult..."

Xue Daolv, Ye Songtao, and even Lan Mo and the others fared no better. At this point, they simply sat cross-legged on the floor, devoting their hearts to analyzing and researching the text, and even attempting a few trials based on their own scattered interpretations.

"I do not believe the records within these characters constitute some sublime cultivation method or technique," Nalan Mingwe said, scrutinizing every single word upon the stone monument. "Rather, they seem to represent certain special rules and fundamental truths."

"This young lady speaks the truth," Lan Mo agreed, nodding. "To put it simply, they are the ultimate principles of heaven and earth!"

Hearing Lan Mo utter these words, everyone felt a sudden wave of terror: "They actually dare to display this sort of thing for anyone to see?!"

A deep tremor shook their very hearts!

"I say, are you all finished watching yet?" Fang Qi spoke up. "The tour group is about to set off!"

"Let this old master look for another half an hour!" Nalan Hongwu demanded.

"Half an hour is far too brief!" Lan Mo countered. "Let us look for an hour! An hour first!"

"How could a single hour ever suffice!" Su Tianji exclaimed.

"We are moving, we are moving!" Fang Qi declared with a look of utter disdain. "We are watching a show! Who pauses a show for an entire hour?"

Fang Qi clicked the play button once more.

"Don't!"

"Owner, this is truly ungenerous of you! Everyone wishes to study the Heavenly Book!" Ye Songtao cried. "Allow this seat to consult it for just a while longer!"

"This old master must watch it for a bit too!" Nalan Hongwu shouted hurriedly. "Pause it! If you do not pause it, it will be gone!"

"Exactly! The drama can be watched slowly!" Lan Mo chimed in. "But this Heavenly Book must be thoroughly researched!"

"Then you all may take your time watching. This owner is going to see the second volume of the Heavenly Book," Fang Qi replied indifferently.

"There is a second volume?!" Fang Qi's words were like a bomb dropped into the crowd, causing everyone to snap their heads around to stare at him.

"Did that senior give you an advance spoiler again?" Lan Yan asked, casting a suspicious look. "How do you know there is a second volume?"

Fang Qi pointed at the very first line on the stone monument: "Do you recognize these three characters?"

"Volume One?"

Fang Qi spread his hands wide: "Is this not proof enough? If there is a first volume, why would there not be a second? For all we know, there might even be a third or a fourth volume! Do you want to watch or not?"

"We watch, we watch!" Everyone's interest was instantly piqued. "Hurry up and play it, let me (this seat) witness what the second volume of the Heavenly Book looks like!"

"Oh right! Can Xiaofan and Biyao actually manage to escape this stone cavern?!" One had to remember that their path of retreat had already been completely sealed off!

Everyone then resumed watching with rapt attention.

"Come look over here!" As Biyao walked out of the stone chamber, the crowd caught sight of a line of small characters beneath a skeleton:

The bell chimes its sorrow, a hundred flowers wither away,

The silhouette grows thin, and temples turn to frost.

Deep love breeds bitterness, a lifetime of sorrow,

Infatuation exists only for the sake of the heartless.

...

From the past history of Madam Jinling, to the two protagonists running low on water and food, searching for a way out in a desperate situation.

"Xiaofan and Biyao truly have it miserable..." Dong Qingli murmured, holding a medium-sized Pikachu plushie that she had spent ages farming her fields to buy. As she watched the drama, she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. "They have only just obtained a glimpse of the Heavenly Book. Is it possible they are destined to die here?"

"Do not speak such nonsense!" Group viewing was always a lively affair, and an elder of the Cloud Ocean Sect who happened to be passing by chimed in, "From what this old master can see, heaven never seals off every path!"

Finally, just as the two were on the verge of despair, they discovered that the character for 'bitterness' in the phrase 'infatuation is always embittered by the heartless' was unusual!

The recessed indentation perfectly matched the bell they had acquired earlier!

"There it is, there it is!" A chorus of young women cheered in excitement.

The others also watched with quite a bit of thrill.

Yet, it seemed that what lay ahead was not an exit at all, but rather characters identical to those in the previous Heavenly Book stone chamber!

"Could it be the second volume of the Heavenly Book?!" Everyone grew even more excited, sub-consciously reading the text aloud:

Nine netherworld spirits, gods and demons of the heavens,

With my bloody form, I offer myself as a sacrifice.

Through three lives and seven incarnations, falling forever into the realm of King Yama,

Solely for the sake of love, with no regrets even in death.

"Using a woman's entire essence and blood to transform into a fierce curse...?" Looking at the text of this incantation, everyone felt a sudden tremor of dread in their hearts.

For such a curse to be unleashed, enduring three lives and seven incarnations while falling forever into the depths of Yama's realm—it was simply too malicious...!

"The Infatuation Curse?" Listening to Biyao's explanation, everyone was filled with astonishment. "This incantation is so sinister, what could it possibly have to do with infatuation...?"

"Would anyone truly use it?" Everyone harbored an attitude of deep skepticism.

Right at that moment, the screen went black.

"Why is it gone already, ahhh!!"

"How has it already been two episodes?! Did Xiaofan and Biyao actually get out or not?"

Everyone fell into a state of utter frenzy.

"Owner! Where is the second volume of the Heavenly Book?!"

"It will probably be in the next episode."

Everyone: "...If you have the ability, don't run away!"

"Allow me to give you a beating, and I shall forgive you!"

"Can you not just update a hundred episodes all at once?!"

"Can you not just put several volumes of the Heavenly Book into a single episode?!"

"Hmm? That is not right! Why have my vegetables decreased again?!"

"Where did Owner Fang go?!"

Everyone stood dazed: "He went offline!"

Owner Fang had already decisively logged off at this moment. In any case, no one could crawl through the network cables to beat him! Fleeing by logging off granted immunity to all things!

In Half City, along with the rising popularity of Fang Qi's shop and the prevailing craze of *Legend*, naturally no one without eyes would dare to stir up trouble at his door during this time.

Furthermore, the 'Heaven-Defying Online Games Guild' had crippled Qin Honglin, establishing themselves as the largest power within these thirty-six districts.

Instead, there would occasionally be cultivators arriving to join the guild. Although Fang Qi's in-game guild had not yet been formally established, the real-world guild had already expanded to twenty or thirty members.

The numbers were not vast, and many matters were clear at a glance. Thus, Fang Qi would occasionally have Ruan Ning and a few other girls help keep an eye on things, and even let Zou Mo assist with management. In this regard, he bore the grand posture of a mega-guild leader from before his transmigration—a completely hands-off manager.

But today’s prospective members...

Fang Qi found himself rather surprised.

“Guild Master! Well?” Ruan Ning murmured with an air of triumph, her voice hushed. “With this lady leading the charge, I managed to reel in three grand cultivators at once!”

Fang Qi looked at the utterly embarrassed Mo Tianhang standing before him, then at the plump, short old man who was currently rubbing his hands together in sheer awkwardness, and finally at the elderly Taoist priest clad in dark robes beside them.

“Heh, ah... Guild Master Fang,” the short, plump old man said, rubbing his palms together. “Does your guild happen to have any more openings?”

Beside him, Mo Tianhang and the elderly Taoist wore expressions that made it perfectly clear they were ashamed to be seen in his company.

“Could you take us along to farm some gear too...?”

“The equipment you guys swap out... could you spare some for us...?”

“And where exactly is the best place to level up? We keep getting ganked whenever we try to grind...”

This relentless barrage of questions caused President Fang’s face to twitch uncontrollably: that last line was clearly the real reason they were here!