Put Away Your Divine Techniques Now! Chapter 1131 - 337: [I’ve Never Seen a Saint?] (2)

~5 minute read · 1,171 words
Previously on Put Away Your Divine Techniques Now!...
After spending years engrossed in the history of an "unknown race", Chen Yan finally reaches the last level, only to find it empty. He discovers a small stone cabinet containing leather scrolls detailing the history of the Black Wood Tribe, a civilization he had encountered before and had no interest in. Disappointed, Chen Yan resigns himself to reading the Black Wood Tribe's history in this desolate place.
Both the library and the archives ought to contain the historical records of the Black Wood Tribe. Reading about the Black Wood Tribe's past evoked the same feelings in Chen Yan as when he perused the histories of unknown tribes from earlier eras on the initial levels. The manner in which the Black Wood Tribe documented its history bore a striking resemblance to those primitive tribes. Their way of life was simple and basic, their culture unsophisticated, and their religious practices ancient and shrouded in mystery... The recorded events often seemed quite ordinary, focusing on aspects like hunting expeditions, tribal rituals, skirmishes with rival tribes, significant occurrences involving the tribal chief or leader, the emergence of remarkable descendants, and similar matters. Nevertheless, it was undeniably evident that even within the ancient history of the Black Wood Tribe, a certain 'extraordinariness' was present. Historical accounts spoke of the Black Wood Tribe's conflicts with the Demon Race, detailing exploits such as vanquishing a powerful Great Demon or engaging in the hunting of unusual beasts. Chen Yan completed his perusal of all the leather-bound records housed within this particular cabinet in a span of less than seven days. Upon concluding his readings, he encountered a perplexing issue: the collections he had examined represented merely a fraction of the Black Wood Tribe's complete history. The history of the Black Wood Tribe predates the formation of the Ghost Race; it existed even before the Ghost Race was established. However, this particular cabinet's historical records were notably deficient in two critical areas. The first missing piece concerned the colossal Weltree! The records offered no explanation as to how this immense, towering tree endured a lightning catastrophe from the Heavenly Dao, ultimately transforming into a scorched mountain peak. This particular historical account was absent. The second missing element pertained to the founding of the Ghost Race itself – the joint allegiance of the eighteen tribes to their ancestor, leading to the co-establishment of the Ghost Race, was also not documented. Chen Yan quickly understood the reason for the second omission; after his reading, he realized that the documents in this cabinet chronicled events from eras preceding the Ghost Race's establishment. It had not yet reached the point where the Black Wood Tribe participated in the founding of the Ghost Race. But... afterward, there was nothing more. This unresolved situation left Chen Yan in a state of considerable bewilderment. The Black Wood Tribe's own historical archives, its repositories of textual records, were so meager and fragmented, comprising merely a single, solitary cabinet. In stark contrast, the historical civilization of the 'unknown tribe' had occupied a full eight stories! It simply did not add up. Fortunately, just as Chen Yan finished examining the final document and was returning it to its place in the cabinet, the side door of the hall on this level slowly swung open. Chen Yan turned to observe the eccentric old man entering with a loping, unsteady gait. "Where have you been?" Chen Yan inquired, frowning at the elder. "I've descended level by level from the surface, and now I've reached this lowest tier, yet I haven't encountered you here. Where do you typically reside?" The old man cheerfully approached Chen Yan. "Seeing me, the question you're most eager to ask is where I usually live, isn't it?" Chen Yan twitched the corners of his mouth into a smile. "Alright, there is something else I'm rather keen to know." The old man extended his left hand, palm open before him. "Bring out something tasty." Chen Yan observed the old man's hand; his knuckles were sizable, his skin weathered and rough, and even his fingernails bore traces of black dirt. This elderly fellow appeared rather unkempt, clad in tattered garments that seemed as if they had just been unearthed, marred by stains of an unidentifiable nature. Chen Yan let out a sigh and nudged the stone table forward. "Wait a moment, I'll see what I can find." Chen Yan procured a portable stove, ignited a flame, poured in a portion of pre-prepared hot pot broth base, added water, and brought it to a boil. He then prepared some lamb, thinly slicing it strip by strip with a knife. Finally, he tossed a handful of Yunnan mushrooms into the simmering broth—purchased from a fresh market, confirmed to be non-toxic and edible. While the hot pot had yet to reach a full boil, Chen Yan produced a large packet of Harbin red sausages, a bag of spiced peanuts, and opened a can of draft beer. "Eat these first; once the pot is hot enough, you can begin dipping the meat." Chen Yan poured a glass of beer for the old man, who cast a glance at the sausages, took one, and bit off a piece. "Not bad," the old man remarked, nodding. He then took a generous gulp of beer, exhaling deeply. His gaze shifted, and abruptly, he inquired, "I've often pondered this. I've never seen the delectable items you produce; is food prepared in this fashion in the Domain Realm nowadays? The markings on these containers, too, are unfamiliar to me." Chen Yan's eyes flickered. "How long has it been since you last ventured outside?" "..." The old man contemplated for a moment before shaking his head. "So long that I can no longer recall." "Then don't trouble yourself with questions. As long as there's food to eat, that's what matters," Chen Yan responded. The old man chuckled heartily, nodding in agreement. "Indeed, as long as there is food to consume." "Regarding the upper eight floors, and the history of that unknown tribe... why does its account conclude on the final level?" Chen Yan posed the question that occupied his most pressing curiosity."I have no idea," the aged man declared, shaking his head. "It was either concealed or obliterated." Chen Yan furrowed his brow. "Why would they conceal or obliterate it? And regarding concealment... isn't this location hidden enough already? Placing it here is practically akin to hiding it, wouldn't you agree? If not here, then where else could it possibly be hidden?" "Perhaps the rationale is that even in this spot, it couldn't remain concealed. They likely feared discovery even with its placement here," the old man responded, his gaze beginning to shift evasively. "Discovery by whom were they afraid?" Chen Yan immediately inquired. The old man remained silent. His left hand, which had been holding a half-eaten sausage, swiftly tossed the remaining portion into his mouth. Then, using that same grease-stained hand, he pointed directly upwards. This simple gesture sent a shiver down Chen Yan's spine! "Yet, this place is already exceedingly secluded," Chen Yan couldn't help but muse aloud. "The passage of time here diverges from the external world, resembling an independent pocket dimension. Despite that, it's still not enough to evade... that?"