Chapter 583

Great Xia capital, the Imperial Library.

After briefing Xiong Hanzi on the secret diffusion extract, Lin An chose to first visit the archive that stored the entire empire's history.

Thanks to his status, he forcibly browsed through the entire imperial collection in just two days.

"Ascetic Practitioner, what other books do you need?"

"I can help you look for them."

The official in charge of the library wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and followed Lin An closely, nervously.

It's truly terrifying.

Over those two days, he watched Lin An flip through over a hundred books at once.

The rustling of pages never ceased.

The entire library, over 170,000 books, was thoroughly browsed.

Although he knew Ascetic Practitioners possessed special abilities, he truly doubted Lin An could retain so much.

What a strange Ascetic Practitioner.

Like the Ascetic Practitioners of the Great Xia dynasty, they also read books, but more often they studied the records left by their predecessors a century ago.

Few Ascetic Practitioners pay attention to history and the various classics.

He neither ate nor drank, neither slept nor rested.

With a willpower level of 35, Lin An etched all the data into his memory within forty‑eight hours.

The library official might not be aware.

With his terrifying memory, he could even recite it backward fluently.

No need.

After a brief reply, Lin An slightly frowned, half‑closing his eyes as he gazed at the sky over the capital.

A mist‑white canopy hung over everything, like a lamp veiled in white paper.

Thanks to his battlefield achievements, he forced the three‑month entry limit for the Primordial Ground down to twenty‑eight days.

Adding the earlier month, he had officially spent a full two months in the Secret Realm.

After browsing 173,921 books, he gained little.

The human history of this Secret Realm closely resembles that of ancient empires.

Aside from the blood corpse invasions, he found hardly any abnormal clues.

He had once speculated that this world might have experienced a technological war, which led to the current state.

For example:

Genetic pollution, biochemical disasters, AI rebellion, and other man‑made catastrophes destroyed the original technological system.

And to counter these disasters, humanity evolved a highly developed pituitary gland in the struggle for survival.

Just like biological evolution.

A technological rupture saw a new power system replace the technological side.

Only by combining this Secret Realm's strange rules did this situation arise.

But.

None.

He saw no traces surpassing the present era, nor any remnants of technology.

The people of this world still conceive of nature as 'heaven round, earth square,' with no evidence they ever built a glorious technological empire.

Blood corpses are not the remnants of a disaster left by a previous human civilization.

It's as if they appeared out of nowhere before an unknown age.

The only useful clue was that, in the empire's historical records, he found partial descriptions of the earliest Ascetic Practitioners.

They appeared very early, and as soon as they appeared they possessed great power.

Moreover, according to the descriptions, the more Lin An read, the more he felt they resembled real‑world Buddhism.

The Eight Divisions of Asuras...

Is it a coincidence or the inevitable result of natural selection?

He felt somewhat irritable.

After confirming he could get no more clues from here, Lin An without hesitation headed straight for the Primordial Ground.

Today is his entry day.

The Primordial Ground has extremely strict limits: only one person may enter at a time.

According to many Ascetic Practitioners, those who enter may gain insight into the power of faith, thereby advancing further.

Some even believe the Primordial Ground retains the method of 'transcendence' left by the first Ascetic Practitioner.

Transcendence is the sole ultimate pursuit in the hearts of all Ascetic Practitioners.

The Great Xia imperial court, upon the throne.

"Your Majesty, this is the latest report from the Military Affairs Office."

"Currently, the cultivation methods of the newly ascended Ascetic Practitioners have become mainstream."

"Under our contact, they are all willing to serve Your Majesty."

"Moreover, another 15 of the old‑era Ascetic Practitioners have refused to participate in combat."

"This is the recent situation: the frequency of blood corpse invasions has increased more than double compared to the past ten years."

"Furthermore, the empire's population keeps declining; even your previous edict encouraging childbirth..."

His face looked grim.

The Great Xia emperor Xia Xuan watched as the Military Affairs ministers continually presented reports, his mood heavy and gloomy.

Only when hearing news of new Ascetic Practitioners did his mood improve a bit.

All other news is bad.

As the supreme ruler of an empire, he often feels like a puppet.

The empire's real power rests with the 33 Ascetic Practitioners bearing the lowest numbers.

If these individuals rarely appeared to take part in imperial governance, even issuing decrees would need their approval.

"The Seventh Fortress garrison, the 21st Ascetic Practitioner, is also preparing to abandon its post?"

"In their eyes, in their hearts! Is there still a Great Xia?"

"At such a perilous moment, they actually 'desert the battlefield'!"

Boom— he rose to his feet, Xia Xuan wearing bright yellow imperial robes, his chest heaving rapidly.

As the powerful Ascetic Practitioners of the old era take part in battle less and less, the empire's legion losses grow ever more severe.

If this goes on, he even feels that the nation could be destroyed!

The people below still feel nothing, still believing Great Xia remains as it has been for the past few centuries, stably resisting the blood corpses.

But he knows.

Ascetic Practitioners engage in no production, marry not nor bear children; in reality, they are a malignant tumor to the entire imperial structure.

In the whole Great Xia Dynasty, those who can endure hardship all become Ascetic Practitioners.

Those who cannot endure hardship seek ways to become vassals of the Ascetic Practitioners.

Talent cannot be selected, population cannot increase.

If it weren't for the supreme military needing the Ascetic Practitioners' support, he would not let this group spread Ascetic Practice no matter what.

The army needs manpower replenishment; the empire needs talent management.

But under the negative influence of the Ascetic Practitioners, the empire's population declines year by year.

Adding the large numbers of soldiers killed in battle, even if he issues yearly edicts encouraging childbirth and even enacts laws mandating reproduction, he cannot reverse the empire's trend toward population collapse.

And now.

"Bang!"

He has completely lost the former emperor's composure and dignity.

Xia Xuan gritted his teeth, clutching tightly the dragon-head carving on the chair.

"These worms!!"

"I have given them supreme privileges! No need to produce, they see the emperor without bowing, and I grant them imperial and military authority—whatever they want, I give!"

"Do they think Ascetic Practice doesn't consume resources!!"

"To build the scene of Ascetic Practice in their hearts, for the so-called further progress they speak of!"

"Great Xia's annual spending on building Ascetic Practice scenes takes up half of the national treasury!"

"Claiming they don't occupy resources, don't indulge in pleasure…"

"But where do they spend little? Those hundred-meter statues! Those temples, which one doesn't waste manpower and material resources!!"

"Whatever they want to do, I cooperate with them!"

While speaking, Xia Xuan, angry and powerless, gazed at the kneeling civil and military officials, his expression icy:

"What I seek! Is merely to ask them to bless Great Xia! To ask them to act, so fewer of my Great Xia people die!"

"But now!? They, in pursuit of the so-called transcendence, repeatedly defy orders!"

"Me, what use are they!"

"Do they want Great Xia to perish!!"