SWDnovel 3. The triumph of knowledge
3. The triumph of knowledge
Am I... dead?
Xu Yan stared blankly at the boundless darkness around him, a slight ripple stirring in his heart: Where did this come from now?
He remembered his ordeal, and he remembered being tortured to the point of near death by electric shocks, but where was this place?
He instinctively touched his stomach; there was no pain or bloody hole, and he breathed a sigh of relief, completely unaware that the darkness did not affect his vision at all.
The next second, the inky darkness twisted and rolled, the pure air rose and the turbid air fell, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a colorful sky.
Upon closer inspection, those different colors are actually many images, arranged in the sky like film reels, with each image being just a pixel.
Xu Yan was puzzled, but after just a casual glance, the scenery around him changed drastically, and he suddenly found himself in a warm place, transforming into a tiny fetus.
I could hear the pounding of a heartbeat in my ear; it felt strangely familiar.
A large hand gently stroked her belly, and a voice, though indistinct, filled with maternal love, softly hummed a song.
Then the light and shadow shifted, and a tiny life was born: the mother's warm embrace, the father's doting smile, the hands that protected him as he took his first steps, and the girl who unexpectedly entered his heart...
Every little detail from childhood to adulthood was presented to Xu Yan without her noticing, and even many long-forgotten details were not missed.
Xu Yan's nose tingled, and tears suddenly streamed down her face, like a flood that had been released from its dam, unstoppable.
It turns out that those precious memories he thought he had long forgotten were hidden in the deepest part of his memory all along!
He forgot his situation, completely opened his heart, and only wanted to stay there a little longer, gradually immersing himself in his memories.
Although I might occasionally feel that something is wrong and have fleeting thoughts of time travel, rebirth, or defying fate, these thoughts are quickly forgotten.
Without external interference, Xu Yan would remain trapped in her memories, perhaps even sinking into oblivion and never waking up again.
However, at that moment, a wisp of black energy suddenly shot out from the pearl in his abdomen, rising straight up into his spiritual platform and transforming into a ferocious purple eagle with a body entirely purple-black, which circled endlessly in the air.
From the air, everything—sky, earth, skyscrapers, and bustling traffic—was centered on Xu Yan's consciousness, and the purple eagle instantly locked onto Xu Yan's location.
Xu Yan remained completely absorbed in his own world, oblivious to the impending crisis.
A fierce glint flashed in the purple eagle's eyes. It suddenly swooped down, its sharp claws gripping the unsuspecting Xu Yan, and it tore off a chunk of flesh, swallowing it whole.
A sharp pain swept through his body, and Xu Yan let out a scream as the scene around him crumbled like shattered glass.
He was unaware of what had happened and was only resisting on instinct, but he was just a mortal and no match for the Purple Eagle.
The eagle had the upper hand, pecking incessantly with its iron beak.
With each bite, a piece of Xu Yan's memory is lost, and memories of skyscrapers and bustling traffic from another world continuously flood into Zi Diao's sea of consciousness.
Although the Purple Eagle wasn't a veteran demon king, it had over a hundred years of cultivation and considered itself knowledgeable. However, it never imagined that a mere human's spiritual sea of consciousness would contain such a vast array of memories.
It couldn't figure out where those giant ships on the sea and iron birds in the sky came from, or what their origins were.
Forget it, let's just devour this person's soul first, and then digest it slowly!
Once it completely devours this person's soul and absorbs all their memories, it can usurp their place and take their place.
But Zi Diao quickly realized something was wrong.
He was clearly a mortal, yet his spirit was incredibly resilient.
Aside from its own memories, it possesses all sorts of miscellaneous knowledge. No matter how much it devours, it can hardly achieve its goal.
Chinese was one thing, it was just something Confucian scholars came up with, but what the hell was mathematics? And what were physics and chemistry? Then there was biology, geography, history, and politics, all of which were completely unheard of and unseen, like a hodgepodge that left Zi Diao's head spinning.
Even this person's sea of consciousness was constructed using these strange kinds of knowledge. Those obscure and difficult-to-understand formulas and symbols were like a pot of boiling soup, constantly churning in Zi Diao's sea of consciousness.
When calculus finally came up, Zi Diao was completely bewildered.
This person actually has a secret manual or celestial book within their soul. Could they be a reincarnation of a disciple from some hidden sect?
Even now, Xu Yan still doesn't know what happened. He only knows that his soul is being torn apart again and again, and the indescribable pain is penetrating to his very bones.
Even a clay Buddha retains some earthy nature. The continuous excruciating pain aroused Xu Yan's ferocity. He grabbed the purple eagle without hesitation and bit it hard.
As he swallowed a mouthful of flesh, memories of the Purple Eagle flooded his mind.
The hardships of hatching, the hunger of infancy, the fear of leaving the nest, the confusion of nascent intelligence... a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye.
Finally, a dazzling sword light slashed towards him, and excruciating pain coursed through his entire body. Knowing he could not escape, the Purple Eagle immediately abandoned his body, and his remnant soul hid in his inner core.
Without a doubt, the purple eagle's lifespan is much longer than Xu Yan's, but its experience is shockingly simple; it can be instantly assimilated upon being swallowed.
There's no need to even go through the formalities.
Therefore, Xu Yan was completely unaware that he had acquired some memories that shouldn't exist, and just kept burying himself in his studies.
The purple eagle was horrified to discover that it was no match for this person. Not only were the memories it had stolen taken back, but even its own essence had been taken away.
It wanted to escape, but was powerless to break free.
With each exchange, one's strength diminished and the other's waned; in no time at all, the purple eagles were swallowed whole by Xu Yan.
It wasn't until he finished eating that he realized all his injuries had vanished and all his lost memories had returned.
Xu Yan was stunned for a moment, and found that he had never been so clear-headed. Many problems that he could not understand before were solved as easily as water flowing into a channel.
However, aside from human memories, he always felt like a bird, and subconsciously waved his arm.
Then, he really did transform into a giant eagle, capable of not only soaring through the air but also spitting out lightning and being covered in lightning!
Realizing something was wrong, it immediately transformed back into human form.
Xu Yan scratched the back of his head in confusion, and by working backward from the result, he quickly guessed most of the truth.
He finally realized that the bead in his belly wasn't some treasure, but the inner core of the Thunder Eagle!
Xu Yan was instantly furious.
You bastard, did you even disinfect it? How dare you stuff it into my stomach?
Fortunately, it was only a remnant soul. If it were a complete demon soul, the outcome would be uncertain!
Xu Yan was furious and couldn't help but curse.
Outside, the instant Xu Yan's soul transformed into a giant eagle, the restless demon core in his abdomen suddenly quieted down, then released a burst of demonic power that circulated throughout his body, even emitting wisps of lightning from his body.
The toad was startled and cried out in surprise, "Immortal Master! Immortal Master!"
"Get out of the way!" The scholar slapped the toad away and moved closer to Xu Yan, staring at him with wide eyes as if he had seen some kind of priceless treasure.
He muttered to himself, "It's done, it's done!"
He pointed a finger at Xu Yan's brow.
Xu Yan was cursing vehemently when his consciousness suddenly became somewhat blurred. Then, he experienced a sharp pain in his lower abdomen, and his consciousness returned to his body.
Opening my eyes, I saw a pair of excited eyes looking down at me.
The toad spirit beside him shouted happily, "He's awake! He's awake!"
Xu Yan was momentarily confused: Am I still alive?
The pain in my lower abdomen was not as intense as it had been at the beginning. A familiar yet unfamiliar force was constantly coursing through my body, causing a tingling sensation wherever it went.
At first I thought it was an electric current, but after careful examination I realized it wasn't right, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Xu Yan suddenly became somewhat dazed.
This looks like the method that silly eagle used to temper its body!
Then he discovered that his senses had suddenly become much sharper, and he could see through the cobwebs in the corners, the dust on the beams and pillars, the holes in the roof, and even the darkness outside the temple at a glance.
The sounds I heard were completely different from usual; my breathing was like thunder, my blood flowed like a river, and even the sound of withered leaves falling to the ground was crystal clear.
Is this the benefit of consuming demon souls?
Boss, ten more, please!