High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2276: Chapter 497: Baptism

Unlike Korma.

The moment Su Shijun stepped into San You Bookstore, she heard a splashing sound beneath her feet, and with a stumble, she fell into the water. A chilling sensation surged from all directions, and the Witch instinctively harnessed her magic power, her azure fox tail blooming like a lotus, yet unable to repel the icy invasion.

Fortunately, the water wasn’t deep. As she struggled to rise from it, she was surprised to find the water only reached her calves. The river was clear to the bottom, with colorful pebbles strewn randomly amidst the fine sand. The dark green water plants swayed, with a few pretty shells hidden among the roots.

Su Shijun felt she was not Su Ya, and shouldn’t pick up those shells.

So, she was a bit annoyed she hadn’t brought Su Ya along today.

The Witch clenched her delicate fist, irritably tapping into her magic power, intending to dry herself and expel the chill, but realized in the next second, in surprise, that she wasn’t wet at all. Then, she remembered her destination for the day.

Perhaps this was a test?

She wondered, taking another step forward. The shallow river offered no resistance, but the chill seemed to gather behind her as the water rippled away to the sides.

The Witch suddenly stopped.

She clearly felt the chill surging towards her fox tail and turned around to see one tail solidifying at an astonishing speed.

After advancing to a Big Wizard, Su Shijun possessed four tails, but three were still in a phantom state, requiring long years and immense magical power to turn intangible into tangible during the true form condensation process—Registered wizards advancing to Big Wizards need to forge their true form, not instantly a complete form. It could start with a single bone, an eyeball, a strand of hair, or a fingertip; as long as one part was forged, it marked departure from ordinary wizard ranks, enabling gradual evolution of a full true form from that point.

According to the Qingqiu tradition, the first step during Su Shijun’s advancement was to forge a tail.

In her original plan, it would take about thirty to fifty years to refine a second solidified tail, but now, just by taking one step in this small river, a tail had already condensed into reality.

This gave her a sense of stepping into the river of time, standing at the source of the world.

This was not a test.

This was a gift.

Realizing this, the Witch joyfully took a second step.

Splash!

Unexpectedly, the resistance of the river water increased. The sound of surging waves arose again, and as the Witch’s vision blurred, the shallow river vanished from sight. What lay before her was a vast, seemingly endless great river. The banks were towering and overlapping, as if constructed from stacks of books with defined spines, where countless human figures seemed to flicker, vaguely outlined, indistinguishable.

She did not look back but knew her third tail had solidified as well.

After a brief pause, the Witch took a third step in the long river with some difficulty.

Splash!

The resistance beneath her feet became increasingly pronounced, resembling walking in thick glue, each subtle movement consuming a vast amount of her energy.

And after this step, she entered an even more expansive world, akin to an ocean, with a boundless starry sky above. Clusters of nebulas stood distinct against the dark background, sketching out magnificent and radiant figures. Just a glance of this sight caused the young Big Wizard’s eyes to sting, tears welling up.

A layer of insight rose in her heart.

The truest starry sky.

She couldn’t proceed any further. Wisely, she stopped, fully aware it’d be her limit. Venturing another step might lead her into the starry river.

And she had no intention of entering the starry sky.

The moment this thought crossed her mind, the starry sky, the great river, and those resplendent silhouettes vanished from her vision. Gentle amber light wrapped around her like a warm blanket, dispelling the Witch’s cold sensation.

She quickly realized she had arrived at San You Bookstore.

The somewhat narrow shop was crisscrossed with tall bookshelves, and in the small space surrounded by the counter and shelves, sat a small red clay stove and a rocking chair.

A slightly chubby little old man sat in the rocking chair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, holding a small teacup. Zheng Qing was pouring tea into the cup from a teapot.

Not far from them was a small desk, where a Yellow Flowered Cat squatted atop a ”Wizard’s Codex,” while Poseidon copied its stance, choosing a thick ”Wizard World Encyclopedia” to sit atop.

”Welcome, welcome.”

The bookstore owner raised the teacup towards the Witch, looking behind her with a hint of surprise: ”Didn’t you pick up a few shells?”

The Yellow Flowered Cat atop the desk mocked nastily: ”Another unlucky little girl... If you had picked up some shells, you could have condensed a complete true form within a year, instead of just having four tails like now.”

”Chirp chirp!”

The Little Fox on another book sternly protested against the Flower Cat’s rudeness.

”The moon waxes only to wane, and wanes only to wax again.”

The bookstore owner seemed indifferent to the Yellow Flowered Cat’s words, his tone carrying an underlying meaning: ”For someone from Under the Moon like you, restraint is an extremely valuable quality... That’s good... Many in this world can seize chances, but few understand ’just the right amount’. Often, the difference between success and failure lies in this concept of ’restraint’.”

The Upper House Member of the Moon Council smiled faintly, accepting the gentleman’s praise, yet inwardly regretting not bending down to pick up the shells from the riverbed, out of a bit of image-consciousness earlier.

”Sir...”

Zheng Qing spoke up from the side, interrupting the bookstore owner’s diversion—from the witch’s arrival, he had already expressed his intentions, and the gentleman was about to bless the Little Fox.

”Oh oh, no rush, no rush.”

The gentleman responded consecutively, setting down his teacup and looking towards the Little Fox on the desk.

Su Shijun didn’t understand what was happening, but wisely remained silent, quietly standing beside the young cost student and watching the Little Fox on the desk with everyone else.

In front of the Owner of Qingqiu Mansion, Poseidon had abandoned its earlier mischievous demeanor, sitting upright, tail wrapped around its forepaws, as if standing on a fluffy cloud, exuding elegance amidst dignity, with a lady-like demeanor.

Su Shijun nodded in satisfaction.

”Good evening.”

The gentleman seriously addressed the Little Fox on the desk.

”Chirp chirp.”

The Little Fox politely replied, extending a forepaw to the gentleman.

”Welcome to San You Bookstore,” The gentleman extended his finger, holding up the Little Fox’s raised paw, formally shaking it: ”I am Zheng Qing’s mentor, taught him some magical knowledge, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The Little Fox withdrew its paw, joyfully flicking its ear, before immediately stopping, striving to maintain its ladylike image.

”I have only one request for you.”

The gentleman raised a finger, waving it near the Little Fox’s nose tip. Poseidon’s eyes followed the finger eagerly, making Zheng Qing worry it would abandon its lady-like posture at any second to leap forward and grab the finger.

”Do not live.”

Zheng Qing blinked, recalling the four words he heard carefully, certain they were ’do not live,’ which made him frown greatly—he came today for the old man to bless Poseidon, how could he say such words!

The bookstore owner seemed oblivious to the Warlock’s grumbling, continuing on his own:

”Study, play, adventure.”

”Savor every delicious bite you eat, cherish every encounter you experience, appreciate every beautiful sight you see, listen to the rhythm woven by nature and life, contemplate the philosophies behind magic and the starry sky.”

”You come from the world, basking in moonlight, a sprite of heaven and earth... while ’living’ is merely the pursuit of ordinary beings... So, I hope you don’t just live. If your life is solely for living, it’s too wasteful.”

”In the name of the past, present, and future.”

The gentleman’s fingers pinched thrice in the air, capturing three crystal-clear, dew-like droplets, then dotted them onto Poseidon’s forehead: ”Here, I cleanse your sins, and you will remain as pure as the day you were born.”

Perhaps finding the old man’s words too verbose, the Little Fox felt a bit bored, and its enveloping tail quietly moved to the back, joyfully wagging like a little dog.