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Join the ServerThe flying ship arrived at the sect’s plaza.
After everyone had disembarked, the Sect Master beckoned towards the ship.
The enormous vessel instantly transformed into a streak of light, soaring towards him, and settled in his palm as a small boat, no larger than his hand.
This treasure was called the Void-Traversing Skiff (TL Note: ‘Kongxingzhou’ in Chinese, literally ’empty-traveling boat’).
‘Flying ship’ was merely the name Lian Yueying had blurted out the first time she saw it.
[Spirit artifacts are truly useful; I’ll have to refine one myself once I reach Foundation Establishment.
However, artifact refinement is also a profound field of study.
I haven’t even fully grasped alchemy yet, so it’s probably best to focus my attention on one area for now.]
The plaza was already bustling with numerous disciples who hadn’t participated in the treasure hunt.
Some eagerly awaited the return of their friends, while others anticipated the arrival of that special someone in their hearts.
Lian Yueying paid them no mind, glancing around instead.
Yue Yixuan had already vanished while the other masters were giving their summaries, and the Lake Hall disciples had instinctively dispersed with practiced ease.
She, too, prepared to head to the Scripture Pavilion.
As expected, someone blocked her path.
It was a group of two men and one woman, all “acquaintances” of Lian Yueying.
“Junior Sister…”
The tall, slender man extended a hand to feign a block, then called out to her before turning gracefully.
However, Lian Yueying deftly sidestepped him, her elegant figure carrying a fragrant breeze that couldn’t help but invigorate the senses.
Seeing this, the short, stout man quickened his pace, stepping directly in front of Lian Yueying.
“Junior Sister Lian, please stop.”
“I don’t know you.”
Lian Yueying had no intention of asking him to move; she merely uttered those words and instantly leaped over the stout man’s head.
Her cascade of dark hair, carrying its delicate scent, brushed past him, leaving him momentarily stunned in place.
Landing perfectly, Lian Yueying found her path once again obstructed by a girl of sixteen or seventeen.
“Surely you recognize me, Junior Sister Lian?”
[Even if I can’t remember others, I should definitely remember you.
In Lake Hall, you and Zhou Yan are the most annoying.
Of course, you’re merely annoying; Zhou Yan, on the other hand, deserves to die.]
At the thought of Zhou Yan, a flicker of fierce ruthlessness inadvertently crossed Lian Yueying’s eyes, causing the girl before her to involuntarily flinch.
“You are…?”
Lian Yueying’s words brought the girl back to her senses, dismissing the momentary ruthlessness as an illusion.
She scoffed, “Don’t play dumb, Lian Yueying. You’re utterly shameless, using Brother Yan’s (TL Note: ‘Yan gege’ is an affectionate way to refer to an older brother or close male friend, implying closeness and sometimes romantic interest) gentle nature to bully him.”
[Brother Yan… gentle… Could this Zhao Qianqian possibly have a mental deficiency?]
There were plenty of cultivators in the Qi Refining stage indulging in romance, a phenomenon that likely wouldn’t cease even in the Foundation Establishment stage.
However, Zhao Qianqian’s overly saccharine demeanor caused Lian Yueying both physical and psychological discomfort, even though Zhao Qianqian herself seemed oblivious.
Seeing this, Lian Yueying could only say with resignation, “Senior Sister Zhao, you’re so fiery right from the start; I really can’t keep up.”
“Enough with the nonsense! Tell me! Why did you destroy Brother Yan’s Harmonizing Breath Fruit (TL Note: ‘Hexiguo’ in Chinese, literally ‘harmonizing breath fruit’)?”
Upon hearing this, Lian Yueying simply spread her hands, leaving Zhao Qianqian somewhat bewildered, and the tall, slender man and the short, stout man standing beside her equally perplexed.
“What’s that for?”
“Even mundane officials in the mortal world require both the culprit and the stolen goods to solve a case.
Senior Sister Zhao claims I destroyed Senior Brother Zhou Yan’s Harmonizing Breath Fruit, but where is your proof?”
Regardless of her previous life, in this current one, Lian Yueying’s father was a scholar, and from a young age, she had secretly devoured his collection of books outside of formal schooling.
Furthermore, ever since she embarked on the path of cultivation, Lian Yueying had spent her time either cultivating or reading.
The hours others wasted on gossip and romance were diligently utilized by her, making her intellect naturally far superior to that of an ordinary woman.
Zhao Qianqian was momentarily stunned by her words, then sneered, “Brother Yan said…”
“Zhou Yan said it, didn’t he?
You neither witnessed it yourself nor have any evidence.
You’re truly ridiculous to be so easily deceived by just a couple of words from Zhou Yan.”
“How could Brother Yan lie? You—”
“Believe it or not, I don’t care.”
With that, Lian Yueying unleashed her full escape technique, flashing past the trio and heading straight for the Scripture Pavilion.
[What a waste of time.
There’s nothing more to say to these people.
Thankfully, most disciples within the sect are diligent and shouldn’t be as foolish as them.]
The Scripture Pavilion was conveniently located next to the plaza, making it easily accessible for peak hall disciples who resided on the mountain.
However, it was quite a distance from the Bamboo Hall and Lake Hall down the mountain, posing a significant inconvenience for Qi Refining disciples to travel back and forth.
Therefore, whenever Lian Yueying had the opportunity to visit the Scripture Pavilion, she would always try to take out as many books as possible.
[Should I get a formation array book now?
I still haven’t finished the practical sections of the alchemy book I borrowed earlier.
But I can try to look at it first.
Even if it’s difficult to digest… I must digest it!]
With newfound resolve, Lian Yueying stepped into the Scripture Pavilion.
The main entrance of the Scripture Pavilion consisted of two double doors, with a frame six chi (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately 33.3 cm) high and eight chi wide.
Although the doors appeared grand, they were insignificant compared to the pavilion itself.
The Scripture Pavilion as a whole was a nine-story pagoda constructed from wood and stone, standing a majestic ninety-nine chi tall.
Upon entering, one would discover that the pagoda was hollow, its inner walls entirely lined with bookshelves.
These shelves held an uncountable array of books, covering everything from astronomy and geography to literature, medicine, and musical scores, presenting a dazzling spectacle.
Of course, this wasn’t its entirety; as a celestial scripture pavilion, cultivation techniques and spells were naturally indispensable.
However, these were not located in areas accessible for casual browsing.
Lian Yueying had been a disciple of the Tuoshan Sect for half a year now, making her a regular visitor here.
The moment she stepped through the door, the young attendant of the Scripture Pavilion greeted her, and she smiled in response before walking over to the counter.
The counter was circular, situated at the center of the pagoda, with light shining down from above.
Looking up, one would realize that the precious mirror (TL Note: ‘Baojing’ in Chinese, literally ‘treasure mirror’) at the top of the pagoda was a spirit artifact, capable of absorbing sunlight and projecting it downwards, bathing the interior in a soft glow.
Even when the sun set in the west, the precious mirror could project the sunlight it had stored during the day, ensuring the pavilion was never dark.
Only one person was perpetually stationed inside the counter.
Disciples affectionately called him ‘Mr. Rocking Chair,’ because whenever no one was borrowing books, he would invariably be found lying in his rocking chair, a book covering his face as he slept.
Lian Yueying held considerable respect for the person in charge of the books.
She could sense cultivation emanating from him, yet she couldn’t discern the extent of his power, leading her to believe he must be a senior master.
Thus, despite not knowing his true name, she refrained from using the playful nickname.
Having once heard a senior sister refer to him as ‘Mister,’ she had adopted the address.
“Mister.”
“Hmm.”
Such a terse reply was his usual demeanor.
Lian Yueying continued, “Disciple wishes to borrow ‘Eighty-One Formations of Success’ (TL Note: ‘Chengzhen Bashiyi’ in Chinese, literally ‘succeed formation eighty-one’), and has come to register for it.”
“A formation array book?” The Mister paused, his rocking chair swaying gently.
“You’ve made progress in just a few days, but it’s not enough.
You should be dedicating your time to the right areas.
Besides, have you finished the alchemy book you borrowed last time?”
“Yes, I’ve finished it, and this disciple has benefited greatly.”
[To easily perceive the changes in my cultivation, this person must be at least late-stage Foundation Establishment, if not higher.]
“What was discussed in the seventh chapter of the third volume?”
“It was an introduction to the Earth-Trapping Lotus (TL Note: ‘Xiandilian’ in Chinese, literally ‘trap ground lotus’)...”
“Be more specific.”
The Mister’s somewhat impatient voice reached her, and only then did Lian Yueying understand his meaning.
Suppressing the agitation in her heart, she began, “The Earth-Trapping Lotus grows in subterranean caverns, and its nature is warm…”
[Borrowing a book, and now I’m being tested.]
After she finished speaking, Lian Yueying waited for a long time without a response.
Looking up, she saw the Mister had stood up and was beckoning to her from the side of the counter.
“Mister…”
“I don’t recommend you read formation array books, but if you insist on learning about them, you can look at ‘Elementary Introduction to Formations’ (TL Note: ‘Zhenfa Chujie’ in Chinese, literally ‘formation method initial explanation’).
Consider it a way to familiarize yourself with the basics.”
[An ‘Elementary Introduction’… It must be a common foundational text, similar to ‘Comprehensive Introduction to Talismans’.]
It was natural to start with the basics when undertaking any task, so Lian Yueying had no objections.
Just as she was about to speak, she heard the Mister add, “However, there is only one copy of this book, and you cannot take it with you.
You may only consult it within the Scripture Pavilion.”
To be honest, Lian Yueying felt a slight urge to retreat.
The ‘Eighty-One Formations of Success’ she had always wanted to read contained apprentice-level formations, but she hadn’t even heard of this ‘Elementary Introduction to Formations.’
And to make matters worse, she could only read it within the Scripture Pavilion itself.
“May this disciple transcribe it?”
“You may.”
As he spoke, the Mister cleanly tossed a book, easily two fingers thick, onto the counter.
The marble counter vibrated slightly from the impact.
[An ‘Elementary Introduction’… It’s actually this thick?!
How long will it take to copy all of this?]
Noticing Lian Yueying’s troubled expression, the Mister simply took the book back.
He then settled into his rocking chair and said, “If you find it too troublesome, then forget it.
If you’re determined to read ‘Eighty-One Formations of Success,’ just register for it over there according to the usual procedure.”
Having said that, the Mister once again placed the book over his face, falling silent.
[He won’t even let me glance at it; how am I supposed to know if it’s useful?]
“Mister? Mister?”
After calling out twice and receiving no response, Lian Yueying pursed her lips.
She picked up the brush next to the ledger and recorded her name, affiliated hall, and the book she wished to borrow.
The moment she finished writing, the ledger immediately emitted a golden light.
The written book title floated upwards, dissolving into ink, which then spread out like a stain on rice paper, transforming in a breath’s time into a book one finger thick.
Clearly, this ledger was also a spirit artifact.
Book titles registered within it would materialize into actual books, only to reappear as complete records once the books were returned.
Lian Yueying took the book, placed it into her storage pouch, and didn’t forget to bow to the Mister.
After she had left, a faint sigh echoed through the empty Scripture Pavilion: “Impetuous.”
Even after successfully borrowing the book she desired, Lian Yueying couldn’t bring herself to be happy.
[Could Mister have been trying to teach me something?
But if he wanted to teach me, why was his attitude so unpleasant?
Is that just his temperament?]
Lian Yueying wasn’t one to trust people easily, and she often struggled to make accurate judgments.
Thus, she temporarily set the matter aside in her mind.
Her current concerns were her spoils of war and how to steadily and rapidly improve her cultivation.
However, she had barely taken a few steps out of the Scripture Pavilion when she spotted Zhao Qianqian and the other two standing at the entrance, most likely waiting for her.
[How utterly unlucky.]
Regardless of whether they truly had nothing better to do, Lian Yueying quickly activated her escape technique, preparing to leave.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Qianqian also unleashed her escape technique, pressing towards her.
“Lian Yueying, you can run on the first day of the month, but you can’t run on the fifteenth! (TL Note: A common Chinese idiom, ‘duo de liao chuyi, duo bu liao shiwu’, meaning you can evade something temporarily but not forever.)
If you run again, I’ll just come to your room to find you.”
The moment these words were spoken, Lian Yueying could only stop helplessly, dispelling the swirling qi around her.
Raising an eyebrow, she looked at Zhao Qianqian and asked, “What exactly do you want?”
“Brother Yan is on the verge of Foundation Establishment; how could you—”
“If you utter another word of nonsense, I’m leaving.”
As she spoke, Lian Yueying made a gesture to form a spell seal.
Zhao Qianqian quickly interjected, “You can’t leave… I want to challenge you to a spar!
If you lose, you’ll give the Harmonizing Breath Fruit to Brother Yan!”
Her voice was not quiet, and with many people in the plaza being sharp-eared and keen-sighted cultivators, they all turned to look in their direction.
It was well-known that even for Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Harmonizing Breath Fruit was an extremely valuable spiritual plant.
Whether given to the sect or sold on the market, it would yield a significant income.
Lian Yueying frowned, looking at Zhao Qianqian.
She wasn’t sure if this person was acting intentionally, but she had to refute her.
“I’ll say it again: Zhou Yan is lying.
There was only one Harmonizing Breath Fruit, and it was already destroyed when he and I contended for it.”
“You *did* destroy the Harmonizing Breath Fruit!” Zhao Qianqian glared at Lian Yueying, indignantly drawing her longsword and pointing it at her.
It was as if Lian Yueying had single-handedly ruined Brother Yan’s path to Foundation Establishment.
“I challenge you to a spar!”
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