On his room, Ming Li sat crossed legged while staring at the tattered book and the medallion Great Elder Gu gave him.

He purposely didn't return the medallion thinking that it would be useful someday in other branches of the Ten Great Merchants Union. He wasn't sure if Great Elder Gu forgot about the medallion, since they have been too absorbed about the pill and the reward for Ming Li, or if Great Elder Gu actually allowed him to take the medallion.

He then kept the medallion and flipped the pages of the book. Every-time he stares at the inscriptions written in demonic energy, his core would thrum nonstop. He knew that when his core acts like this, it means that it is related with demons. 

He studied the book for hours, however he didn't progress one bit.

He wasn't sure how to decipher the inscriptions, but he wanted to know what the book is about. 

After pondering for a while, he tapped his cube and took out the wooden slip. He has no other item more mysterious than the book except the wooden slip. Also he was aware of the ability of the wooden slip to create an art, so it would be his best item to decipher the book. 

He held the wooden slip on one end and tapped it in the book like some form of magic wand. Ming Li waited for a few breaths for something to happen, however the book did not react to the wooden slip. 

He did several actions trying to get some reaction for the wooden slip or the book, sometimes he would place the wooden slip on top of the book and focus on it. He also placed the book on the top the wooden slip, and he also did some random gestures which made him look stupid, but nothing happened.

After an hour, he realized that he was acting funny, so he decided to stop and think of a more reasonable way to get some form of resonance between the two items.

Suddenly his eyes gleamed and he slipped his consciousness into the wooden slip. Inside the wooden slip he deeply contemplated the items written in the book, since he has been staring at the contents of the book for several hours, he have almost memorized it. So he tried to push his luck and try to gain enlightenment regarding the book inside the wooden slip. 

After a day, his eyes were still closed, however veins can be seen on his forehead. It was not some reaction to some enlightenment, rather it was just him being annoyed by the fact that he cannot slip into a meditative state.

After another hour, he finally gave up and withdrew his consciousness. He held the wooden slip on one hand, while holding the book on the other hand. This time he thought of having the book forcefully enter the wooden slip, or the wooden slip into the book. Since he knew that the wooden slip can enter his forehead, he thought that it could also enter the book or the book could enter it.

He took a deep breath and shoved the wooden slip into the book with strong force, his eyes gleamed with determination as he do a stabbing motion.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Upon contact, the wooden slip slowly pushed the book inward. It slowly pierced the book page by page. When Ming Li saw this, he gaped in shock and felt extremely stupid for trying something really childish. Seeing the wooden slip punctured at the center of the book left his heart broken. He did't know if the book would be still useful after he remove the wooden slip.

He hurriedly removed the wooden slip with teary eyes. When it was fully removed, he tried to repair the book with demonic energy. Since it is a demonic item, he thought that it could be repaired if it absorbed his demonic energy.

When his demonic energy touched the book, it slowly covered it. After being completely covered with demonic energy, it suddenly erupted with black flame.

Ming Li's eyes went wide when he saw the book in flame. He wasn't sure if the flame is some sort of good reaction or if the book is really burning. He felt the need to extinguish the flame, but he also wanted to know what will happen after the flame settles down.

He felt tense the whole time, ready to extinguish the flames when he see some more damage to the book. Several drops of cold sweat rolled through his face. This is the part of his life where he felt most indecisive. 

Suddenly the flames flickered, It instantly grew wild. When Ming Li saw this, he immediately lifted his hands trying to blow away the flame with his energy, however he was a moment too late. With a single eruption of the flame, the book was instantly turned into ash.

His eyes widened to the extreme and his mouth fell open in shock. The book worth millions of soul ore which he painstakingly obtained through great hardships was burnt into crisp without him even saving a single page.

Tears rolled down from his eyes. He cannot stop the feeling of great loss as he shouted "NOOO!"

The entire room quacked from his scream. Everyone near the room was startled and stopped what they were doing.

Inside the room Ming Li stared at the ash of the book slowly dropping into the ground.

He slowly reached out for the ash trying to collect it. It is the most expensive item he earned in his life. So the pain he experienced was so great that he even want to collect the ash of it.

When he was deep in sorrow from his loss, the ash suddenly glowed and flew towards his forehead.

He was caught of guard and every piece of ash entered his forehead before he could even react. His eyes went blank as his consciousness entered into another space.

Inside the space, he saw the same demonic inscriptions written in the book. It floated in the empty space as if it had been there for countless of years. When Ming Li stared at the inscriptions his mind was filled with rumbling as inscriptions flowed in his soul. It was like he was being sealed!

When he opened his eyes he saw a giant puppet tearing through space. He panicked, but for some reasons he felt that he was bound by numerous strings.

His body trembled when the puppet's hand slowly entered his body. He felt grave danger when he realized that he was slowly being possessed! 

The puppet is trying to take over his entire body. Ming Li fought back with his will, which made the hand of the puppet to halt and started to be pushed out of his body.

Ming Li doesn't care anymore if the situation is related to gaining an art, he only cares about surviving.

The puppet and Ming Li fought for possession of his body for hours. Strangely the puppet wasn't able to fully exit the tear in space, so it can only use one of its arms to possess Ming Li.

While using his will to keep the puppet into pushing further, he kept staring at the puppet trying to study it. He also probed the strings binding his body, and realized that they were from the puppet.

When Ming Li noticed that the puppet cannot push further, his eyes flashed with desire as he stared at the puppet pervertedly and he said "Now I'm curious about you. I want to rip you open right now and study you."