CHAPTER 476: CHAPTER 474: FRAGMENT OF THE BOOK OF THE DEAD

"So where can I buy a Spirit Condensing Pill?"

The next day, students attend classes as usual, and upon returning, they naturally see the academy announcement—indeed, they couldn’t ignore it even if they wanted to. The academy announcement is highlighted in red, with gold borders, pinned at the top, and even laid over photo-sensitive powder. As they walk into the courtyard, they’re drawn to this glittering announcement, not to mention the large golden exclamation mark that has been added to the bulletin board (a little suggestion from Cha Huan that was adopted by Le Yu).

Aside from Laya, no one can resist the allure of the exclamation mark.

The announcement mainly covered three things: the benefits and potential dangers of the Spirit Condensing Pill; the possibility that the Divine Weapon that can create the Spirit Condensing Pill might be within the Imperial Academy; the bounties offered by the Imperial Court and the academy.

However, it didn’t create a huge stir; the students’ reactions were quite calm. Instead, the news about the internal special edition beta test version of "Wu Shuang Sha" being launched in the Imperial Academy sparked more discussion. Students who have played it praised it endlessly, and most agree that Wu Shuang Sha is the clever game they should be playing, while combat technique cards are seen as a fool’s game. The bulletin board was filled with debates in no time.

In fact, this was Le Yu’s ’marketing idea,’ as there’s nothing better than a verbal spar to maintain the hype; the disdain chain is the best remedy for building core player loyalty and expanding the player base.

When playing cards can evoke a sense of superiority, then "Wu Shuang Sha" can truly become the national game of Hui-Yao.

However, the Imperial Academy students didn’t really care much about the Spirit Condensing Pill. Only a small number saw the hidden value of the pill and the Divine Weapon, but that’s as far as it went; the teachers’ various concerns never materialized.

The reason is simple: they don’t need the Spirit Condensing Pill.

To sum up, the pill’s effect is to enhance learning ability, but for the majority of Imperial Academy students, the last thing they lack is learning ability. Diligence is the least commendable quality among them. Even though it helps in combat technique cultivation, students interested in combat technique are few, and most believe that reaching entry-level before graduation is considered excellent. Even if they never become prominent, it doesn’t matter, as long as they can strengthen their bodies.

Granted, advanced martial artists can tread on air, strong and unmatched, one against a hundred, but ultimately, they can’t withstand a hail of bullets. Not to mention strategic-grade warriors like Cha Huan, even common martial pillars capable of commanding an army aren’t the students’ targets—do ordinary people set goals to become national academicians while attending college?

Unless they are sure they can become a martial pillar, for Imperial Academy students, spending time on combat technique is actually a low-return choice, akin to choosing civil engineering as a major. Compared to combat technique, subjects like alchemy, logistics, political science, and sociology are the popular majors because Imperial Academy graduates are guaranteed employment. If you have talent in these areas, you start off as a blue-black operative post-graduation, transition to a position of real power in three years, and at least mix into a purple border upon retirement.

And combat technique warriors often become law enforcers: working for the Patrol and Punishment Department or the army. In these times of impending war, battlefield bullets won’t decrease in power just because you’re an Imperial Academy graduate, and becoming a law enforcer can change the nation? Becoming a reformer is the way to change the country!

Thus, the Spirit Condensing Pill, which is greatly valued by the Imperial Court, doesn’t cause much of a stir in the academy, at most it just makes students pay attention to the roadside while walking, thinking that Blood Essence Stones might randomly appear there.

Of course, many are curious about the Spirit Condensing Pill, but upon inquiry, no one knows where to buy it, so they naturally soon forget. As for those craving Blood Essence Stones, they are even fewer—no one knows what Blood Essence Stones even look like, how could they find one? Find a rock, paint it red, and try to trick Cha Huan? Only to be painted red themselves and tied to the bulletin board’s exclamation mark for public display?

Thus, Cha Huan, using a high-profile manner, completely turned a budding major incident into a minor one.

...

...

On the sixth floor of the Platinum Tower, Le Yu stared at a yellowed sheet of paper on the desk, lost in thought.

"Book of the Dead: Fragment (false)"

"Deathless: Enter the ’deathless’ state after death, where the holder can command the body through the soul and is unaffected by any adverse states, until the time of death exceeds a quarter-hour or the brain is damaged, resulting in complete death. Before complete death, if appropriate first-aid treatment is administered, the ’deathless’ state will be lifted, and resurrection will occur. ’Deathless’ applies to all minions under your soul’s command."

On the night Qin Xiao was completely sealed, even though the body was in pieces, Le Yu naturally wouldn’t skip the part of pressing "F" to loot the corpse. However, neither Qin Xiao nor the Iron-Faced Man carried any loot, not even money, so Le Yu got nothing.

When Le Yu thought he had fought the "Platinum Tower Extermination Battle" for nothing, this morning, he saw the Divine Weapon fantasy novel gifted by the Statistical Department—any record or information about Divine Weapons is virtually indistinguishable from a fantasy novel—and suddenly remembered that Qin Xiao seemed to have taken something out.

When Qin Xiao was chanting to summon the Holy Sword, he took out a yellowed page and pressed it against his Holy Sword mark. Thinking carefully, what exactly did he rely on to move the Sea of Consciousness in the Imperial Academy, to summon the Holy Sword, Hui-Yao? Surely not just his youthful spirit?

Thus, recalling that yellowed page, Le Yu murmured ’Book of the Dead,’ and after waiting all morning, the Saint’s Relic finally transformed into a yellowed sheet.

Book of the Dead: Fragment.

It was then that Le Yu realized the limitation of the Saint’s Relic: even if you have touched the body of the Divine Weapon, if you haven’t seen the complete form of the Divine Weapon, the Saint’s Relic can only turn into the part you have seen. That yellowed sheet of paper was obviously part of the Book of the Dead, but since Le Yu hadn’t seen the full book, the Saint’s Relic could only transform into a sheet.

The Saint’s Relic doesn’t function as ’transforming into the Divine Weapon known by the holder,’ but rather ’transforming into the Divine Weapon perceived by the holder.’ In simple terms, the Saint’s Relic is a product that responds to Le Yu’s inner desires and changes accordingly.

If Le Yu doesn’t even understand his own ’wishes,’ the Saint’s Relic can only partially fulfill them. Judging by this mechanism, it feels a bit like the small book about death...

The Book of the Dead fragment is of little significance to Le Yu; he rarely finds himself pushed to a dead end, and if he does, surviving an extra quarter-hour wouldn’t solve it. He has the Ice Blood Physique, fighting fate with fate is his usual tactic, "deathless" can merely act as an insurance policy at best.

Additionally, "deathless" isn’t primarily intended for the Book of the Dead holder; the greatest significance of this ability is that ’it applies to all minions under your soul’s command,’ which has unraveled many mysteries for Le Yu:

No wonder the Iron-Faced Man could reattach and resurrect after losing his head,

No wonder Qin Xiao, severed in two, could still live so long,

Turns out it’s all the group buff effect of the Book of the Dead.

Although the other effects of the Book of the Dead remain unknown, Le Yu has already grasped the strength of this Absolute Divine Weapon: reviving the dead, commanding the dead, strengthening the dead.