Chapter 152: Ancient Inscriptions

The next day, Chu Youcai woke up in a hazy sleep and immediately resumed his reading. He had already exhausted the demonic arts within him, leaving both the rising sun and the icy mountain peaks in his body dimmed, yet he persisted.

During this time, he vaguely felt as though someone had come to visit him—seemingly the Third Prince of the Eastern Ocean—but he was unable to gather his focus. His mind was entirely fixed upon the ancient scripture, and everything around him was completely ignored.

Thus a full three days passed. His entire body was gripped by extreme exhaustion, and his mind felt as though it were about to burst open, yet he had gained nothing.

Throughout these three days, he had employed various techniques to commit the text to memory. For instance, with every single character he read, he would break it down using the Yong-character method to remember its shape, then write it down on a piece of paper beside him.

However, he discovered that once he finished recording a page, the characters he had written turned out completely different from those in the golden scripture, and he could not recognize them at all.

Only then did he understand: although these characters appeared within the space of his consciousness, they possessed a miraculous power. His current physical body and hands were simply incapable of bearing that power, so as soon as they were written down, they automatically morphed.

"Since I cannot record them with pen and paper, and my spiritual soul is not strong enough, what should I do?" Chu Youcai fell into deep thought.

He had already been in the Dragon Palace for three or four days, missing the time when the Relief Sculpture King was accepting disciples. Yet, he felt no regret. Right now, he possessed a grand path that could lead him to become a Rune Master. If he could successfully cultivate into a Rune Master within a month, he would not need to rely on others when the time came to enter the Scripture Pavilion. That was the most crucial thing.

He only wondered how Yun Cuixian and the others were doing now. They must be extremely worried about him, right? And he wondered how Hongyu's health was. What on earth was the strange affliction upon her?

Yet these thoughts flashed past in an instant, and Chu Youcai immediately immersed himself once more in his ongoing cultivation. With the Great Dao right before him and only a final step remaining, he naturally had to give it everything he had, single-mindedly and without distraction.

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While Chu Youcai's thoughts flickered to Yun Cuixian, Hongyu, and the others, back in the city, Yun Cuixian and her companions wore expressions of profound anxiety.

Three days had already passed since Chu Youcai's departure, yet time dragged on slower than a snail. In these three days, many events had occurred that left them utterly astonished.

First, their portraits alongside Chu Youcai's had been posted at the Rune Manor, where the attendants declared them all honored guests, and the entire city was searching for them.

Second, the Relief Sculpture King's selection of a disciple was supposed to be a momentous, joyous occasion. Over the past three days, countless people had flocked to the Ghost Market, and numerous Rune Masters had competed against one another in what was considered a rare grand event not seen in decades. Yet, after three days, the Relief Sculpture King had failed to show up!

Could it all have been a scam?

For a time, the populace was in an uproar, and countless rumors flew about. Some said the Relief Sculpture King had not found a disciple to his liking; others claimed someone had falsely borrowed the Relief Sculpture King's reputation; and there were even those who whispered that the Relief Sculpture King had discovered a genuine talent and wished to take him as a disciple, but because the person had gone missing, he used this method to try and catch that person's attention. Unfortunately, the person never appeared, so the matter of taking a disciple fizzled out into nothingness.

Naturally, almost no one believed this last theory. Who on earth could possess such talent that the Relief Sculpture King would go to such lengths? It was sheer nonsense!

Yet Yun Cuixian and the others, recalling the incident at the Rune Manor, half-believed it. They guessed it might be because of that golden scripture—what if the Relief Sculpture King was coveting that golden scripture?

Therefore, they had gone into hiding over the past few days, not daring to show their faces at all. Furthermore, the tavern had been arranged beforehand by Sun Yunnian; the innkeeper and the staff kept their mouths shut. Coupled with the fact that they constantly wore veils, no one recognized them, granting them a temporary peace.

Yet worry weighed heavily upon their hearts: *Master Chu, where on earth are you now? The Ghost Market is dangerous—are you currently facing a crisis?*

The glances they cast toward Hongyu also held a trace of anxiety. Hongyu remained unconscious, occasionally murmuring Chu Youcai's name in her dreams. Since they were powerless to heal Hongyu, they could only pin all their hopes on Chu Youcai returning soon.

At almost the very same time, within the Rune Realm of the Ghost Market, Ma Ji and the Relief Sculpture King were at their wits' end.

They truly had not expected that, despite all their painstaking scheming, they still failed to wait for Chu Youcai.

Their entire plan had fallen through.

As for those who had come seeking instruction, none had managed to pass the highest-level test set by the Relief Sculpture King.

Ma Ji could not help but offer a bitter smile, feeling a deep sense of guilt for having come up with such an idea in the first place.

The Relief Sculpture King, however, merely smiled faintly and said, "This is not your fault. When the time comes, I shall simply take one or two formal disciples. A month from now, the Scripture Pavilion opens—since it concerns Rune Masters, that young master will undoubtedly appear."

Meanwhile, in another corner of the Ghost Market, three or four unconscious Rune Masters were tied up. Chu Yuwei stood before them with a stern and piercing gaze, then forced some special medicine down their throats.

A chilling, sinister look crept into Chu Yuwei's eyes: "Very good. These Rune Masters are all outstanding figures among those who came to the Rune Realm this time, and they are somewhat eccentric by nature, so no one will care if they go missing. A month from now, they will be under my control. When the time comes for the Scripture Pavilion, that treasure is within my grasp!"

Inside the Dragon Palace, before a jade tree thick enough for a person to embrace, a woman sat reading beneath its branches.

The tree trunk was crystal clear like white Lazurite, and its leaves resembled jasper, as thick as copper coins. The shade cast by the foliage was intricate and dense, while at the very center of the tree lay a pale yellow heart slightly thinner than an arm, which was currently throbbing rhythmically.

The woman possessed a beauty akin to an immortal fairy. Upon her head was pinned a lotus petal crafted from red agate, an item known as the Crimson Jade Lotus, which was a cursed magical treasure endowed with miraculous powers.

She looked tranquil, utterly absorbed in her reading. Yet for some reason, she seemed like a puppet—devoid of joy or sorrow, sitting there quietly reading like a figure in a painting.

When the Third Prince of the Eastern Ocean saw this sight, his footsteps unconsciously grew lighter.

The woman raised her head and said, "Third Brother."

She was none other than the Fourth Dragon Princess.

The Third Prince of the Eastern Ocean let out a hearty laugh and asked, "What book are you reading?"

The Fourth Dragon Princess smiled faintly and did not speak. Noticing that the volume cradled in her hands was none other than the *Precepts for Women*, he smiled wryly inwardly and said, "Fourth Sister, what did you think of the poem *Gazing at the Tidal Sea* that I gave you a few days ago?"

"He is indeed a great talent to be able to compose such poetry. No wonder Father Wang praised him so highly," the Fourth Dragon Princess said, her voice devoid of both joy and sorrow.

Seeing her remain completely unmoved, the Third Prince could not help feeling a twinge of disappointment. He casually remarked, "I heard that Father Wang even imparted to him the method of studying runic arts—said to be an ancient runic script. Fourth Sister has always been immensely knowledgeable; you must have heard of these ancient runes, haven't you?"

Hearing this, the Fourth Dragon Princess's expression finally shifted slightly. "Ancient runes? It is said that in ancient times, wielding runes was as effortless as turning the palm, unlike today, where a Rune Master must expend vast amounts of time and energy, perhaps failing to master a single character even after ten years. It is a pity that ancient runes have long been lost. I have also perused the ancient scripture in Father Wang's possession; it gives me a splitting headache, and I cannot even distinguish the characters. Moreover, Father Wang does not possess the cultivation method for ancient runes either."

"It is said that to cultivate ancient runes, one must simultaneously pass through the three trials of demons, Dao, and literature. Only then can one grasp the true essence of these ancient runes. Ordinary people could study them for a lifetime and never even glimpse their threshold."

The Third Prince of the Eastern Ocean was taken aback, his brow furrowing tightly. "If that is the case, then Master Chu is likely facing insurmountable obstacles. Fourth Sister is widely read and experienced—might there be a way you could assist Master Chu?"

The Fourth Dragon Princess smiled faintly and replied, "The *Precepts for Women* mentions the third chapter on respect and caution: for men, strength and firmness are prized; for women, gentleness and softness are considered beauty. Women must be humble and deferential; how could one ever overstep one's bounds?"

Hearing this, the Third Prince of the Eastern Ocean was left completely speechless.