102: Chapter 103 The Azure Pearl Transforms into an Inkstone

Shen Moyan's expression shifted as he began to search for the recently released gazettes and major announcements on the Nine Songs Net.

Sure enough, the most prominent position on the official homepage displayed the highest-level announcement issued by the Holy Court's Privy Council.

The wording was solemn, confirming the rumors:

【Privy Council Urgent Decree: Announcement Regarding the Sudden Change in the Hundred Peripheral Prefectures】

Due to the resurgence of the remnants of the Six Hells Demonic Sect, a Demon Venerable has manifested in the world. The resulting fierce battle with the Venerables of the Holy Court has caused severe damage to the spatial structure of hundreds of prefectures, including Langya and Cang Go.

Currently, the two supreme beings have moved their battle to the Outer Domain.

The Holy Court has activated emergency protocols, sealing off the relevant prefectures and dispatching elites from the Demon Suppression Department and the Guardians of Orthodoxy to handle the aftermath. All Cultivators are warned not to approach the danger zones.

Relevant prefects and commandery governors are to perform their duties diligently and stabilize public morale... The announcement was official and concise, but it omitted many details.

Such as that Star River Brightening Fate Controller, the inner details of the Demon Venerable's resurrection, and the nascent soul dao fruit.

"By not allowing Cultivators to enter those prefectures, it seems the high-level officials of the Holy Court do not want the existence of the Fate Controller to be known by Cultivators in other prefectures."

Shen Moyan exited the Nine Songs Net, his face grave.

"Hundreds of prefectures... sweeping across the Boundary Sea, a range that can strike through hundreds of prefectures and even reach the heart of the Yao Race territory. This kind of power..."

Gao Sheng, Zheng Quan, and his own schemes all became jokes in the face of the absolute power of the Fate Controller and the Demon Venerable.

"The Four Seas and Eight Desolations... The Yao Race will never sit idly by and watch two beings run wild on their territory. I'm afraid they will use this as an excuse; the high-level officials, or even those Holy Sovereigns, will take action!"

Shen Moyan suddenly realized this, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

In the face of this grand trend sweeping across the heavens, his meager cultivation was practically like dust.

After steadying his mind and firming his Dao Heart, Shen Moyan took out the qingming pearl.

"Alright, let's see the harvest. What exactly is this qingming pearl?"

The pearl was cool to the touch, with blue-mist clouds slowly circulating inside. It emitted faint spatial fluctuations and was likely a rare spatial treasure.

"Why can't I open the space?"

Shen Moyan tried again and again, but he simply could not open the internal space of the qingming pearl.

Just as Shen Moyan was puzzled, a cold voice interrupted his actions.

【Origin Dao Trace Detected—'qingming pearl'】

【Whether to collect and transform it into an inkstone?】

As I Have Written, which had been silent in the depths of his will and served as his greatest reliance, now began to flip its pages rapidly without any wind.

"An inkstone? What the hell?"

Shen Moyan was startled.

In the Xiyi Perspective, there was a natural sense of resonance between As I Have Written and the qingming pearl.

"Confirmed. Transform it into an inkstone."

Shen Moyan also wanted to see what kind of surprise this Golden Finger would give him.

After a short while, under the shroud of the light from the book pages, the qingming pearl actually began to soften and deform.

It no longer maintained its spherical shape but was instead being kneaded and molded by an invisible giant hand.

The light grew brighter. In the Xiyi Perspective, Shen Moyan seemed to see countless tiny golden characters flying out from the pages like precise carving knives, branding themselves onto the surface of the changing qingming pearl, reweaving its internal structure and Laws.

Almost instantly, the light faded.

Shen Moyan looked closely and saw that the qingming pearl in his palm had disappeared.

In its place was a palm-sized, deep blue, ancient-looking inkstone.

The material of this inkstone was neither metal nor jade. It was warm to the touch, its surface as smooth as a mirror, yet it also had faint cloud and water patterns flowing within.

Upon closer inspection, those patterns were actually composed of countless extremely fine golden runes, sharing the same Origin as the text on As I Have Written.

The center of the inkstone was slightly concave, as if it could grind the heavens and earth, or like a bottomless miniature Universe.

The qingming inkstone!

The moment this treasure was completed, Shen Moyan naturally understood how to use it.

This treasure contained an internal Origin space that could grow.

However, it was far more vast and stable than storage Magic Treasures of the same rank. It could store living beings, nourish spiritual Materials, and its spatial barriers were extremely difficult to break by external force.

"Isn't this just a Grotto-Heaven!"

Shen Moyan was pleasantly surprised.

A Grotto-Heaven was different from a Domain; it was something that only a True Lord could open up.

Furthermore, this space was bound to As I Have Written and could persist through Shen Moyan's Reincarnation!

This meant that the precious items he harvested and placed into this space in each life—such as Cultivation Technique Jade Slips, special Materials, and Magic Treasures—could all be stored by the space unless they were consumed or destroyed in that lifetime.

Even if Shen Moyan died and entered Reincarnation, he could re-summon the qingming inkstone through As I Have Written in his next life and access the items stored within!

The space had its own internal Laws, which could slowly nourish the treasures placed inside, enhancing their spiritual quality and even repairing minor damage.

Having been reshaped by the power of As I Have Written, this inkstone and its internal space possessed a powerful effect of obscuring heavenly secrets, capable of isolating it from external divination and investigation to a certain extent.

"My cheat has finally been activated!"

Even with Shen Moyan's resolute will, he couldn't help but feel his fingertips tremble with excitement at this moment.

What did this mean?

It meant that from now on, he possessed a mobile treasure vault that belonged only to him and could span across lifetimes!

He no longer had to worry about the Materials he worked so hard to collect going to waste because of a failed Reincarnation!

This was of immeasurable value for him to use the advantage of Reincarnation to accumulate his foundation!

With a thought, his Divine Sense easily merged into the qingming inkstone.

In an instant, he saw a hazy space about a hundred zhang square. The edges of the space were flowing with qingming mist.

The center of the space was clear and bright, emitting a stable and peaceful aura.

The flow of time within the space seemed slightly different from the outside world, being slower and more peaceful.

Although it was currently heavy with mist, Shen Moyan could feel the immense potential of this space.

"Not bad! Truly not bad!"

Shen Moyan held the qingming inkstone in his palm with great care.

Without hesitation, he transferred several of his most important items into it.

The Formation Plate from the Formation Masters Pavilion, the Xuanhuang Emperor Lord death exemption gold plaque, and some miscellaneous items from Star Sign True Person that he hadn't had time to check carefully but felt were extraordinary.

Watching these belongings float steadily within the qingming space, nourished by a faint blue glow, Shen Moyan let out a long sigh of relief, a heavy weight lifting from his heart.

"In this way, if I accidentally perish and restart with my Final Stroke, as long as As I Have Written remains, these accumulations will not be lost!"

However, when his Divine Sense swept across the hazy mist at the edge of the space that seemed to merge with the barrier, he detected an extremely unusual aura.

"Hmm?"

With a thought from Shen Moyan, his consciousness form appeared before that patch of mist.

He reached out and touched it lightly. The mist rippled and parted to both sides like a water curtain, revealing the scene behind it.

It was a small house.

The small house sat alone at the edge of this misty space, as if it had been moved here in its entirety from somewhere else.

White walls and blue tiles, the style was simple. A string of wind chimes hung under the eaves, but they were silent now as there was no wind.

Shen Moyan's brow furrowed slightly. He was wary, but even more so, he was curious.

He stepped forward slowly and pushed open the slightly ajar wooden courtyard gate.