Chapter 918 - Scripture of Faith

Time slipped unnoticed, and an entire day passed before anyone knew it. Liu Xiucheng had sealed the news of Liu Wuxie entering the secret chamber.

The Liu Clan's shops were also safe and weren't under attack for the time being with the traitor exposed.

Inside the secret chamber, Liu Wuxie slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

When the Heavenly Dao Book closed, Liu Wuxie was surprised to find a new sequence belonging to the Buddhist Clan occupying two pages.

The Buddhist Clan's culture was vast and profound, and the Scripture of Faith was just a part of it.

"What an exquisite way of cultivating the faith of others. At a higher level, one can even control others through manipulating faith..." Liu Wuxie exclaimed as he sat down.

"I understand now. The Golden Cauldron Pavilion focuses on controlling others, and the faith force bears a resemblance to the mysterious imprint... Could it be...?" Liu Wuxie's eyes lit up as all the pieces fell into place. He discovered why the Golden Cauldron Pavilion had been targeting the Liu Clan.

They were probably after the golden parchment. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure, as it was only a strong hunch.

"I need to inform grandfather about this first. As for the faith-based cultivation technique, it's best not to leak it for now," Liu Wuxie murmured as he exited the secret chamber and headed straight for his grandfather's study room.

At this time of day, his grandfather could typically be found in his study room.

"Wuxie, what have you discovered?" Liu Xiucheng asked eagerly as he shut the study room's door behind him. After witnessing the golden text enter Liu Wuxie's head, he knew his grandson must have found something.

"Grandfather, we were right. The Golden Cauldron Pavilion is after the golden parchment," Liu Wuxie said as he sat across from his grandfather solemnly. Even he hadn't expected that this single parchment would bring such a crisis upon the Liu Clan.

"What secret does the parchment hold?" Liu Xiucheng asked, his brows furrowed in thought.

"It contains a chapter called the Scripture of Faith. If I'm not mistaken, the power of faith can dissolve the imprint placed by the Golden Cauldron Pavilion," Liu Wuxie explained. "That would make the Scripture of Faith the bane of the Golden Cauldron Pavilion."

If they had discovered the golden parchment's secret earlier, the Grand Elder wouldn't have died, as the Scripture of Faith could have restored his freedom.

"No wonder!" Liu Xiucheng's eyes lit up with a realization. Everything had now been pieced together, and he also understood why the Liu Clan was targeted. So, everything was caused by that golden parchment.

If they had known earlier, they would've never fought for it in the first place.

"What's done is done, and we must ensure the Liu Clan's rapid development. This is the only way we can protect ourselves," Liu Wuxie said. There was no use dwelling on the past as what mattered most was to ensure the Liu Clan's survival moving forward.

He had refined the golden parchment, and even if they wanted to, they couldn't hand it over to the Golden Cauldron Pavilion.

"You're right. We must grow stronger fast. But the challenges lies in securing resources," Liu Xiucheng sighed.

No clan could thrive without resources, and the Liu Clan didn't have a core business they focused on. They mainly survived by buying pills at a low price and selling them through their channels to earn a meager profit.

Long ago, the Liu Clan was a prominent alchemy clan. But since the passing of their ancestor, many of their pill formulas had been lost, beginning their decline. Their current venture was minor and only brought meager profits to sustain their consumption.

"As for resources, the Liu Clan can partner with the Heavenly Dao Society. I believe everything will fall into place within two months," Liu Wuxie said. The Heavenly Dao Society also needed the Liu Clan to develop, and vice versa.

"We're already in talks," Liu Xiucheng said. He had decided to collaborate with the Heavenly Dao Society on his last visit. Though the Heavenly Dao Society was founded by his grandson, it didn't belong to the Liu Clan.

Liu Wuxie had established the Heavenly Dao Society to represent the Heavenly Dao, and it didn't belong to any one individual.

"Grandfather, I may have to return to the academy in a few days. Don't overextend the Liu Clan for now and develop quietly in the shadows," Liu Wuxie said. It had been half a year since he had left, and it was time to return.

"Focus on your cultivation in the academy, and don't worry about the clan. I'll also assign experts to protect the Heavenly Dao Society in case anyone harbors ill intentions," Liu Xiucheng said, patting Liu Wuxie's shoulder. He had long treated Liu Wuxie as the clan's future.

After leaving the study room, Liu Wuxie returned to his courtyard and greeted his parents before entering the cultivation chamber. He didn't even have time to chat with Jian Xing'er or Chen Ruoyan. He had to quickly comprehend the Scripture of Faith.

Ten days passed inside the cultivation chamber, and it had only been two hours in the outside world. He read the chapter carefully, one word at a time. Each word was exquisite, brimming with profundity.

Despite his disdain for the Buddhist Clan's methods, Liu Wuxie had to admit they were formidable—strong enough to rank among the top ten of the three thousand races.

Currently, the Divine Race held first place, followed by the Dragon Clan. The Human Race couldn't even break into the top ten, and the Buddhist Clan's civilization was far older than that of the humans.

However, the rankings couldn't determine everything. While the Witcher Clan wasn't on the list, their strength was undeniable.

With the rapid development of the Human Race, their actual ranking could be placed among the top three.

"With the strength of heart to summon the masses...the foundation of faith..." Liu Wuxie murmured as faint golden energy swirled within his soul sea.

"This is the faith force?" Liu Wuxie murmured. With this power, he could convert others into his followers. Followers were how he put it kindly, but those people would be no different from slaves—bound to servitude for life.

Through the Heavenly Dao Book's analysis, Liu Wuxie didn't have to spend much effort understanding the entire chapter.

"As it turns out, it's not just converting but a form of soul manipulation," Liu Wuxie muttered with a peculiar light flashing in the depth of his eyes.

The Golden Cauldron Pavilion's mysterious imprint manipulated the primordial spirit, forcing one into absolute obedience.

However, the faith force was the opposite. It could make people serve with devotion from the bottom of their hearts—not force.

Liu Wuxie stopped once he accumulated a pool of faith force. It couldn't be mastered overnight; he needed time to comprehend it fully and—ideally, a test subject.

Those around him weren't suitable, as imbuing faith force into them would mean taking away their autonomy with their lives controlled by him for eternity. When he emerged from the cultivation chamber, only a day had passed in the outside world.

Jian Xing'er and Chen Ruoyan were happy in the Liu Clan, spending their days chatting with Liu Wuxie's mother.

When they learned that Liu Wuxie was returning to the academy, the two women felt a wave of sorrow.

"You two stay here and focus on your cultivation. Don't fall behind, and I will visit as often as possible," Liu Wuxie said in a comforting tone.

Ultimately, the two chose to return to the Heavenly Dao Society. They knew it needed help and wanted to contribute in whatever way they could.

Liu Wuxie didn't stop them, as their happiness mattered the most.

There had been no progress in the search for Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi, which troubled him greatly.

After he had made all the necessary arrangements, he set out again for the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

"Brother Han, what are your plans next?" Liu Wuxie asked. Han Feizi had left the Liu Clan with him.

"I'm going to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy with you, of course," Han Feizi replied, rolling his eyes. He had already said he would follow Liu Wuxie wherever he went.

"Wait, you're a disciple of the academy?" Liu Wuxie asked. Outsiders weren't allowed inside the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy without an official medal. Intruders were killed on sight.

"Nope," Han Feizi replied, shaking his head. He didn't have much interest in joining the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

"How do you plan to enter, then?" Liu Wuxie asked, his curiosity growing. Han Feizi's tone suggested that entering the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy wasn't hard for him.

"You'll know when we get there," Han Feizi replied, leaving it at that.

As they talked, the two arrived at Astral Glory City. Liu Wuxie planned to visit the Spirit Jade Pavilion, hoping to buy the primary material to reforge the Heretic Blade.

He had gathered all the supporting materials and only needed the primary material. If he could gather the primary material, he would be able to reforge the Heretic Blade.

Liu Wuxie didn't stop by the Heavenly Dao Society as he believed things would be fine with his father-in-law managing it, not to mention it was under the Liu Clan's protection.

With a single leap, Liu Wuxie flew straight for the Spirit Jade Pavilion that hovered in the air, radiating a brilliant light with only one entrance. When he looked at its characters gleaming above the gate, he finally understood the origin of its name—truly a pavilion among pavilions.

Each structure and pillar was forged with rare materials, making them seem exquisite. The entire building exuded grandeur, dignity, and solemnity.

Anyone stepping inside would instinctively become more serious, afraid to tarnish the environment.

The three characters—"Spirit Jade Pavilion"—gleamed above the gate, exuding a gentle golden glow. As Liu Wuxie stepped through the entrance, the light swept across his body, radiating a comforting warmth.

Only those who had reached the True Profound Realm could enter the Spirit Jade Pavilion, but that was merely the minimum requirement. Most visitors were at the Spirit Profound Realm or even stronger.

The Spirit Jade Pavilion was massive, containing a market and an auction house. However, Liu Wuxie had no time for the auction as he aimed to acquire the material needed to reforge the Heretic Blade.

Inside, the crowd moved like waves, with many cultivators having arrived early to browse for their desired materials.

Liu Wuxie activated the Ghost Eye to scan the surroundings as time was short, and he had to return to the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. The sacred ground would soon open, and he didn't want to miss it.

The sacred ground was opened once every five years. There were rumors that it was connected to the outer starry skies, to an unimaginably ancient world, and countless cultivators would flock to it every time it opened.

He didn't know much about it and had to study the details.

When he retracted the Ghost Eye, he had already scanned the surroundings. There were plenty of materials there, but the prices were also outrageous. Even first-grade spiritual herb was of the lowest grade.

One could purchase a third-grade spiritual pill corresponding to the Heaven Profound Realm with sufficient resources. Such treasures were rare across the entire True Martial Continent, not just because of the refining method but because the materials to refine them were challenging to obtain.