CHAPTER 354: CHAPTER 354: COLLECTING MATERIALS

"Whispers of the Night" is a small, square book about the size of a pocket dictionary.

Its surface is filled with the marks of time.

The entire cover is very worn, and Baiyu even feels that the book has life, breathing and pulsating.

Opening the title page.

Strange characters crawl chaotically on the pages like centipedes, and explosive information rushes in, making him feel as if he is in the universe.

Countless indescribable, gigantic shadows with evil tentacles crawl in the void.

Huge planets with eyes, terrifying beasts devouring galaxies, demon fish swimming inside the sun.

Slam!

After only three seconds, Baiyu abruptly closes the book.

This is a forbidden book!

In such a short time, he already feels dizzy and even struggles to control the two mouths on his palm, almost letting them tear through his skin.

Damn you, Yi Xian!

Baiyu suffers silently and suppresses an unnameable anger in his heart.

With just a glance at the title page, he feels a significant increase in his Black Moon Power, which clearly indicates that this book is related to the Black Moon of the Fifteenth.

This mad deity is shrouded in mystery.

However.

The intention behind Yi Xian’s actions...

Baiyu takes a deep breath.

Luckily, he has a strong will.

Back in the days before he crossed worlds, he could work overtime for twelve hours straight without slacking off.

The experience of a corporate slave is beyond your imagination.

If an ordinary person saw this book, they would undoubtedly be tempted to keep reading, drawn in by the strange knowledge inside, leading either to madness and distortion or being changed by the knowledge within.

Extraordinary Power has always been a double-edged sword.

However.

Baiyu’s powerful willpower at the moment allows him to bury the book at the bottom of the box.

At least he must wait until he becomes a Sequence Eight Fanatical Scholar before he can probably peruse its contents.

Yi Xian’s actions.

Harbor malicious intent.

After all, his teacher is a powerful Extraordinary with the Black Moon Mark, and he must be extremely cautious in any future interactions with her.

Baiyu’s anger gradually subsides.

Looking at the black-covered book, he gives a wry smile.

"Just perfect to use you as an ingredient!"

He thinks of the Fanatical Scholar’s formula and muses silently.

...

In the days that followed.

The school’s atmosphere clearly changed.

Even though Baiyu only goes to the cafeteria to eat every day, he can feel the change in the school’s ambiance.

Students are in a hurry.

All kinds of training grounds, such as the Mechanical Research Room, Spiritual Arts Laboratory, Combat Room, Gravity Training Room, etc., are almost full 24 hours a day.

From time to time, juniors and seniors returning from outside campus are covered in blood.

Upon inquiry.

Baiyu then learns.

The school has already announced the impending war with Black Abyss City, and even the Shelter on the Zenith City side has already engaged.

From reports and news, it seems.

The Zenith City Shelter is in a superior position, pushing Black Abyss City into a retreat.

Even on the student forums.

Many students from other schools and counties are fervently discussing the matter, full of confidence, completely dismissing the Demon Race mages of Black Abyss City, not to mention their tamed Exotic Beasts.

The entire forum has an air of unrest.

Baiyu instinctively feels something is wrong.

If it were a great victory, there should be overwhelming promotion.

Even major TV stations would broadcast scenes of the war.

But Celestial South Martial Arts University is in this state.

It seems.

The frontline battles aren’t going as well as hoped.

So many students with suspicions are striving hard to learn during this time to improve themselves and gain self-preservation capabilities in the upcoming period.

Though this last-minute effort is generally futile.

However.

Doing so always brings peace of mind.

"Last night, a massive explosion occurred in Shui’an District on the third level of Zenith City, reportedly due to a gas leak, with casualties yet unknown..."

"Shocking! Jingyang District building collapsed, and on site, we actually found..."

"Last night, six Law Enforcer squads from the Church of the God of Steam and Mechanics mobilized, surprisingly due to..."

On the phone.

A series of bizarre headlines pop up.

Although these are eye-catching articles written by unscrupulous editors, they also indicate that the past few days have been unsettled, clearly showing Zenith City experiencing an undercurrent.

Traitors of Demons, traitors of the Human Race, these issues erupt simultaneously.

Sufficient to exhaust every department in Zenith City.

Baiyu returns to his room with his meal.

Just then, Qiong Xue calls.

"Our Qiong Family has Seeking Knowledge Flower, as for Wisdom Grass, it should refer to Book Bag Grass, and we don’t have it in our warehouse.

However, if you want it.

You should be able to find it on the black market.

The two-day delay was due to a blockade on mobile signal on our end, so we couldn’t reply to you promptly."

Qiong Xue explains.

Baiyu is somewhat surprised.

"The City Lord of Yumen on the sixth level is thoroughly investigating the informants, and our family must fully cooperate.

There are traitors even among the noble class now.

The entire sixth level is cut off from the Outer World."

Qiong Xue says.

The sixth level is where the noble class resides in Zenith City, with fewer people, making it easier to investigate, and informants among these people are often the most dangerous.

So, the lockdown is understandable.

"It’s troublesome." Baiyu responds.

"It’s the least I can do; if you urgently need Seeking Knowledge Flower, you could visit our Qiong Family shop on the fifth level, right on Twenty Avenue. The people there are my trusted aides, you can trust them."

With these words, Qiong Xue hangs up the phone.

"Twenty Avenue?"

Baiyu glances at the subsequent information she sent, quickly finishes his lunch, and leaves the campus.

The street is sparsely populated.

Even steam carriages are seldom seen.

Baiyu waits for a long time at the bus stop outside the campus, finally boarding a train to Twenty Avenue.

Jasmine Flower Shop.

That’s the shop name Qiong Xue sent him.

Approaching it.

It’s really a flower shop...

The owner is a middle-aged man with a monocle, who, upon seeing Baiyu take out the token from the Qiong Family, immediately invites him to a back room.

"This is the Seeking Knowledge Flower, and Miss has already instructed about it. How many do you want?"

In the back room.

A cultivation tank filled with light displays clusters of blooming flowers.

The flowers seem folded from paper, and every vein looks like a brush stroke of ink, exquisite beyond compare.

"Seven will do."

Baiyu smiles.

"Alright, I’ll pack them for you right away."

The owner turns to the storeroom, retrieving seven wooden boxes, and using scissors to trim the flower stems short, placing each into a wooden box: "These are our special storage boxes. Items like flowers placed inside can maintain maximum vitality for a short time, staying fresh for three days without withering."

The owner packs the flowers and ushers Baiyu out of the shop:

"I heard from the lady that you also require Book Bag Grass?

It seems you’re preparing to concoct the Calming and Awakening Pill, this matter is certainly a bit challenging.

I know the Four Great Merchant Associations’ auction this time just happens to have Book Bag Grass, hopefully it can help you."

"Thanks for the tip."

Baiyu feels a slight agitation in his heart.

If the Four Great Merchant Associations do have Wisdom Grass, he might soon gather all the materials needed for concocting the Fanatical Scholar.