Chapter Eighty-Six: The Unity of the Three Realms

From the fragmented writing, Ling Xiaolei managed to glean a few pieces of information: “Mist,” “demons,” and “the flame between the fingers.”

“Isn’t it fascinating?” Crane Yin said. “Even back then, demons already existed. And as for the flame between the fingers—what do you think that means?”

Ling Xiaolei immediately thought of the Scarlet Flame Clan. “Could they be fire magicians?”

Crane Yin nodded and smiled. “It’s all conjecture, of course. It’s difficult to say whether the Chijin Empire had any connection to the Scarlet Flame Clan. And as for this ‘mist’—what does it refer to? Could it be the aura of darkness? Was the dark energy only present deep underground in those times? There’s much worth investigating…”

Ling Xiaolei grew more and more engrossed, her curiosity and desire to uncover the truth were thoroughly roused.

“Unfortunately, after the fall of the Eastern Lands, archaeological work concerning the Chijin Empire was interrupted. The location of the imperial ruins remains a mystery to this day.”

“Could it be that the empire was destroyed along with the fall of the Eastern Lands? And was its destruction linked to the demons?”

Crane Yin stroked his beard and smiled, carefully replacing the torn pages of the Miner’s Journal between the covers of a book. He looked at them kindly.

“There was once a student just like you, always asking me all sorts of questions. Alas, students these days care only for cultivating magic, and so few are interested in history…”

Ling Xiaolei scratched her head, a little embarrassed. “So there have been other students like me, with so many questions?”

Crane Yin seemed about to speak but stopped, a trace of sadness in his eyes.

“Ah, I recall now… That student’s graduation thesis is still preserved in the archives. It should be helpful for understanding the history of the Eastern Continent. I can find it for you…”

“Really? That’s wonderful!”

The two followed Crane Yin toward a side of the library. His back was a little hunched, his hands clasped behind him, and he walked quite slowly.

In a quiet corner of the library, there was an inconspicuous little door. Crane Yin drew a wand from his sleeve, flicked it, and a beam of light dispelled the magical seal on the stone door, which rose slowly upward. With another wave, he lit a lamp shaped like the stars and moon at the apex of the room; its gentle glow spread across the walls.

“This is the archive room,” he said.

Tall shelves filled the entire space, much like the main library, but here the shelves were lined with scrolls, and countless archive drawers ran along the walls.

Crane Yin ventured deeper, selected a thin booklet from the shelves, and handed it to Ling Xiaolei.

“This is the one.”

Ling Xiaolei brushed a thick layer of dust from the cover and saw the title: “On the Unity of the Three Realms.”

“The Unity of the Three Realms?” She paused, astonished by this bold hypothesis. “Which three realms—human, demon… could there also be a divine realm?” Her voice trembled with disbelief. Though she was interested in history, she had never imagined such a theory.

Crane Yin sighed, his tone tinged with sorrow. “He was once my most gifted student, a true genius in every respect. Only he possessed the courage and vision to propose such a theory as the Unity of the Three Realms. The advanced academies in the Divine Domain dismissed it as utter nonsense.”

Ling Xiaolei eagerly flipped through the pages. “This book is incredible!” she exclaimed, her eyes darting rapidly over the lines. “His research into ancient history is so profound—it’s hard to believe he was our age.”

Crane Yin made no further explanations, only said meaningfully, “Though it’s a daring idea with little evidence, it may help you approach things from a new perspective. Remember, sometimes the truth is held only by a few.”

He then took another slim booklet from the same section and handed it to Hei Yu. “As a non-elemental magician, you might want to look at this book. It contains a spell of my student’s own creation—something never before seen on this continent. Perhaps you’ll find it useful.”

“Oh, thank you, teacher,” Hei Yu replied. He was touched that Crane Yin remembered his lack of elemental affinity and paid such close attention to his students. Still, he had little expectation for a spell he didn’t understand and accepted the book absentmindedly. The cover read: “The Dark Spell of Spacetime.”

He flipped open a page at random, but the content immediately captivated him. “Countless timelines exist within a single spacetime,” it read.

“This is a spell that can alter spacetime!” Hei Yu nearly pressed his face to the page in astonishment, exclaiming so loudly that Ling Xiaolei glanced at him in surprise.

Clearly, this spell was developed on the foundation of the Unity of the Three Realms theory. The text stated explicitly that only the ‘source power’—distinct from the nine great schools of magic—could master it. But this led Hei Yu to wonder: what exactly was this ‘source power’? Did it refer to dark energy?

And was it possible such a powerful spell truly existed?

“Teacher, may I take this book with me?” Ling Xiaolei asked.

“Of course. If you like it, you may take it,” Crane Yin replied.

By this time, Crane Yin had already left the archive, his figure vanishing behind the shelves.

When Hei Yu and Ling Xiaolei walked out of the library, the academy was bathed in a hazy moonlight. Many students were returning from outside, and rows of lights shone in the dormitories. They passed through a garden in front of the library, where a fountain murmured softly.

Ling Xiaolei was completely absorbed in the book, reading as she walked toward the dormitory, feeling carefree and joyful. Unconsciously, she turned another page, and suddenly, a delicate pale blue bookmark slipped out from between the leaves. She paused, reached down to pick it up, and held it up in the moonlight, stopping in her tracks.

“What’s the matter?” Hei Yu asked, hands in his pockets, the book he had taken from the library tucked under his arm.

“A bookmark…”

Ling Xiaolei was stunned, staring at it in a daze.

“I see now. He pored over those ancient texts searching for evidence of the Unity of the Three Realms… The owner of this bookmark must be the author of this book!”

As she reached this delighted conclusion, a figure suddenly darted in front of the fountain. It was a graceful young girl, hands on her hips, a bushy fox tail swaying behind her.

“Stop, you villains!” she shouted. The two turned their gaze in surprise toward the petite girl. She had a pair of fox ears atop her head, wore a fiery red dress, and looked about fifteen. There were a few slender whisker marks on her cheeks.

“A member of the demonfolk?” Ling Xiaolei wondered.

“What’s wrong, beautiful? Why are you blocking our way?” Hei Yu asked.

“Hrrr…” The girl seemed furious, a growl rumbling in her throat. She said angrily, “I’ve been wanting to steal those two books for a long time, but that old man set a seal on the door. Tonight, I finally got my chance!”