Chapter 49: I Want Immortal Ascension (Eighteen)
Qi Youlin tried not to look at the old man’s terrifying face. With a cold sweat, he focused his attention on picking a thicker candle.
According to the old man, the longer the candle burned, the more advantageous it should be, at least allowing him to properly choose a book.
Returning to the entrance of the Hidden Scripture Library, Qi Youlin picked up a tinderbox, lit the candle, took a deep breath, and walked inside.
The interior of the building was dim and lightless, with only the candle in Qi Youlin’s hand illuminating a small circle of light.
The interior of the Hidden Scripture Library was simply furnished, and a smell of damp, moldy paper assailed him.
Rows of old wooden shelves were filled with books, but these books were covered by a thick layer of dust, making it impossible to clearly see their titles or content.
Qi Youlin silently walked into the corridor between the wooden shelves and immediately felt a sense of oppression, as if countless eyes were peeking at him from the shadows, he didn't know if they were human, or some other existence.
There were also some bloodstains and drag marks on the ground; some were already black and looked very old, while others were still fresh and wet.
Rustling sounds surrounded him, and faint yellow candlelight flickered between the wooden shelves, clearly indicating that others, like him, had come here to try their luck.
Holding the candle in one hand, Qi Youlin casually pulled out a book, blew off the dust, and saw that it was a book titled “Skyhawk Palm.”
Hiss, the melting wax dripped onto his hand, scalding him. He almost let go and threw the candle to the ground, but thankfully, his rationality remained.
He wrapped his hand with his sleeve and continued to hold the candle firmly.
Palm techniques were not suitable for him, not to mention that his Qi Absorption had already taken enough time; he really had no time to practice this kind of thing.
He silently put “Skyhawk Palm” back and then picked another book that caught his eye, about to pull it out.
To his surprise, there was obvious resistance from behind the book.
When he exerted a little more force, he saw a pale hand extend from inside the bookshelf, gripping the book tightly.
“Do not snatch books.”
So, this was what it meant to snatch books from this kind of thing. Qi Youlin quickly let go.
The pale, eerie hand slowly retracted into the bookshelf with the book.
Qi Youlin, still shaken and with cold hands and feet, continued to search among the bookshelves, immediately backing off whenever he encountered any resistance.
He quickly flipped through more than a dozen books; there were storybooks, travelogues, and even Cultivation Techniques, but none were what he wanted.
What made him even more anxious was that the melting speed of the candle in his hand seemed abnormal.
In just a short while, the candle in his hand had shortened by half, and the wax tears covered his sleeve, forming a thick lump.
He had to hurry, so he quickly glanced through several more bookshelves, constantly pulling out books at random to look at.
Qi Youlin only regretted not having a companion; holding a candle in one hand and flipping books with the other was too inconvenient and quite time-wasting.
Unconsciously, he walked deeper and deeper, and the candle grew shorter and shorter. The surrounding darkness gnawed at the candle’s halo, making it smaller and smaller, and something was stirring in the darkness.
But he was already lost in his obsession with finding a book, completely oblivious to the changes around him.
The book in his hand was covered in thick dust, its cover worn, and its edges tattered.
He gently blew on it, and dust motes swirled in the faint candlelight before settling again.
The title was “Inner Gate Barrier Breaking Chapter.”
His heart skipped a beat; this was exactly what he needed.
But he didn’t notice that the candle in his hand was only a short stub, flickering weakly in the darkness.
Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the bookshelves, brushed past his candle, and extinguished the already fragile flame.
A bottomless darkness swallowed him, and he could see nothing.
Suddenly, he could hear what sounded like bellows-like breathing, getting closer and closer, right in front of him, slowly approaching his face, and a putrid smell grew stronger.
He fearfully took a step back, hitting a cold, lifeless body behind him, and the raspy gasping came from below his neck.
This stature… it somewhat resembled the old man outside the door…
Qi Youlin’s heart pounded in his chest, like a trapped beast being hunted, filled with terror.
Fortunately, after the wind passed, the suppressed flame of the candle in his hand reignited.
There was nothing in front of him.
Gathering his courage, he looked behind him, and there was also nothing.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his robe, trying to regain a shred of composure.
He looked down and realized that although the gust of wind hadn’t truly extinguished the candle, it wouldn’t last much longer on its own.
The faint crackling of the candle in his hand stirred the deathly silence deep within the Hidden Scripture Library; those eyes peering at him from the shadows clung tightly to him, the pressure seemingly squeezing the air from his lungs.
He had to quickly find the desk.
That momentary darkness had already made Qi Youlin realize that the strangeness in the Hidden Scripture Library was something he couldn't deal with.
The instinct for survival forced Qi Youlin not to hesitate, but he also dared not run, only able to stumble between the bookshelves, protecting the candle as he searched.
However, the bookshelves before him seemed endless; though the Hidden Scripture Library didn't look large from the outside, why could he never reach the end?
Qi Youlin’s steps grew heavier, his fear like a vine tightly entwining him, the surrounding atmosphere became increasingly oppressive, and he was gradually enveloped by darkness, unable to see the path ahead.
Suddenly, those greedy, evil eyes that had been peering and staring at him from the darkness receded like a tide.
Qi Youlin still didn’t understand why, but he felt it was an opportunity.
Indeed, as those gazes receded, the surrounding darkness gradually thinned, and he could see the path clearly again.
It grew brighter and brighter before him, and his eyes caught a faint light ahead.
Stumbling around the bookshelves, he found a row of desks with candle holders, and the flickering candlelight on the tables dispelled Qi Youlin’s desperate gloom.
Qi Youlin practically collapsed beside the desk, his ragged breaths mixed with a deep sigh of relief.
At the same time, the candle in his hand finally reached its end.
He placed the book on the table, sat down, took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself, and quickly began to read.
However, he couldn’t get into the state of mind. The feeling of being watched, which had just disappeared, reappeared; though the gaze wasn’t as cold and sinister, it felt like thorns in his back.
He stiffly turned his head; there was no one behind him, and the corridor between the bookshelves was dark and deep.
But the feeling of being watched grew stronger; he could almost be certain that, amidst these lightless bookshelves, something was quietly, coldly observing him, and moving towards him.
Just as Qi Youlin’s heart pounded faster and faster with the flickering of the candle, that thing finally appeared before him.
Or rather, those things.
Before his eyes, countless writhing, twisting thick tentacles emerged from behind the bookshelves, and the tips of the tentacles carried numerous round objects.
When those round objects were carried by the tentacles and converged before him, staring at him curiously, he finally realized.
They were all eyes!