Chapter 149: Re-entering the Library Pavilion

Outside the Pavilion of Scripture, a long queue still snaked along. When it was Ji Jiuxuan’s turn, the disciple in charge of registration directly motioned for her to go and see Elder Wei Si.

Because they were within a protective barrier, the bystanders had no idea what was said between them, nor did they suspect for a moment that the Elder was about to give Ji Jiuxuan special treatment.

"Not bad, you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Keep up the hard work." From the very first time the little girl had visited, Wei Si had felt a strong affinity for her, and the unusual commotion inside the Pavilion of Scripture only served to highlight her exceptional talent.

She was such a brilliant seed for swordsmanship; entering the path of books was certainly a good thing, yet the hours she spent practicing the sword each day were indeed rather few.

Having suddenly felt a rare surge of appreciation for raw talent after all these years, he decided that since she had entered the path of books, allowing her to enter the Pavilion of Scripture and read every single text on the first floor was not out of the question. To view the higher floors, however, she would have to pass trials.

He hoped the little girl would gain a deeper understanding of the cultivation manuals, comprehend the profound mysteries within them, and apply herself even more diligently to her cultivation.

"Yes." Ji Jiuxuan had no inkling that she was currently viewed in Wei Si's eyes as an uncarved piece of jade and a somewhat reluctant disciple who lacked enthusiasm for hard work. She bowed very solemnly to Wei Si and said respectfully, "Thank you, Elder, for giving this disciple this opportunity."

Ji Jiuxuan knew very well that the Pavilion of Scripture was not a place one could enter and peruse casually, even for just the first floor.

"Don't thank me just yet; I have a condition. You must agree to it before you are allowed to enter."

Meeting Elder Wei Si's gaze, Ji Jiuxuan felt a bit uncertain. "Please speak."

"It's nothing major. It's just that once you go in today, you must finish reading every single book before you can come out. If you pass the assessment, you may proceed to the higher floors."

If anyone else had overheard this, they undoubtedly would have been even more astonished. Being able to continue reading on the next floor simply by passing an assessment—such a marvelous stroke of good fortune was unheard of anywhere under heaven.

That was a supreme sect repository of secrets; even the Sect Master had not read them all.

Within the Sky Mystery Sect, those who entered the path of books were only granted such an opportunity after passing strict verifications and assessments.

Ji Jiuxuan looked toward the entrance of the Pavilion of Scripture. Her master had his reasons for sending her here, and in her heart, she was willing. "Yes, this disciple is willing."

Wei Si nodded. This time, there was no token given; instead, a beam of spiritual energy shot directly toward Ji Jiuxuan's identity token.

After the spiritual energy merged into the token, she sensed a formidable formation within it, possessing an aura very similar to the one she had encountered previously upon entering the pavilion.

"Go on in." With that, Wei Si closed his eyes, using his divine sense to observe the little girl's every move.

Ji Jiuxuan bowed deeply to him once more, then walked toward the entrance without the slightest hesitation.

Even the first floor of the Pavilion of Scripture contained a vast ocean of books, and with the possibility of advancing to higher floors through assessments, she understood that the time required to complete this might be even longer than the time she had spent in her master's private study.

The spatial pouch contained plenty of Bigu pills; she would not starve to death even if she stayed for a few years.

It was just that her trip to the Southern Ocean shores would have to be postponed for now.

After informing her relatives that she was going into seclusion, Ji Jiuxuan walked resolutely toward the array formation of the Pavilion of Scripture.

The first floor, much like the other floors, was filled with walls of books.

Ji Jiuxuan stood there cautiously, her experience on the fifth floor still fresh in her mind.

Just as she relaxed slightly, the very next moment, all the books flew toward her. However, this time it was not as exaggerated as before; instead, they lined up one by one, waiting quietly for her to read them.

Fortunately, array formations were set up within the Pavilion of Scripture, and every disciple who entered was placed into an individual independent space. Therefore, even on the first floor where there were usually the most people, no one noticed anything unusual about her situation.

The books near the front were mostly foundational cultivation manuals. Given Ji Jiuxuan's current level of cultivation, she could understand foundational manuals completely.

Even though her cultivation had already surpassed this stage, she still quietly sat cross-legged on the floor and prepared to begin reading.

Just as she was about to take out a changming lamp from her spatial storage for illumination, she noticed a gentle beam of light shining down upon her.

A table and chairs also appeared beside her, styled for extreme comfort.

Ji Jiuxuan was filled with delight; this was truly wonderful.

She sat down in the chair and began to read.

As she read, those books waiting in line floated quietly in mid-air, neither retreating nor moving, making not the slightest sound.

Yet, the moment Ji Jiuxuan finished a book, the next one would automatically fly into her hand to replace the previous one. At that moment, all the remaining books would shuffle forward a little bit, the sound of their movement filled with an inexplicable eagerness.

At first, Ji Jiuxuan paid attention to this quirk, but soon she became utterly captivated by the contents of the books, immersing her entire mind and soul within the texts.

This was the optimal state for someone who had entered the path of books. Her absorption of the knowledge within the texts became much faster, and her integration of it grew increasingly rapid.

Wei Si leaned back in the chair outside the Pavilion of Scripture, probing the little girl's condition with his divine sense. Seeing how earnest she was, he nodded in satisfaction, then withdrew his divine sense and paid her no further attention.

Since the little girl had promised not to come out until she finished reading, he trusted her word. If she diligently completed this task this time, she would prove herself to be a moldable talent; if she slacked off, the Pavilion of Scripture might be permanently closed to her in the future.

Time slipped away unnoticed, for years and months held no meaning within the Pavilion of Scripture. When Ji Jiuxuan finally emerged from the very last book, her entire body was enveloped in a golden radiance, plunging her into a profound, mystical state.

The memory of a cultivator grew sharper as their cultivation advanced, and coupled with the fact that Ji Jiuxuan had entered the path of books, she possessed a truly photographic memory.

Every single manual and text on the first floor of the Pavilion of Scripture was now imprinted within her mind.

Perhaps because she had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, her comprehension of the cultivation manuals had ascended to a new level.

She felt as though all the various manuals were connected by an invisible thread—a sensation even more distinct than the one she had experienced back in her master's study.

Time flowed on, and when Ji Jiuxuan finally opened her eyes, golden light swirled within them before settling into absolute calm.

At that very moment, Wei Si appeared, a smile on his face, thoroughly pleased with Ji Jiuxuan's performance.

"Shall we test your qualification to enter the next floor?"

Ji Jiuxuan had no desire to waste this opportunity; her harvest on this floor had been immense.

She had agreed to it earlier, yet right now, a new doubt arose within her.

She possessed a natural sword body, destined to walk the path of the sword much more smoothly than others. Among all the countless paths in the world, which one was she truly walking?

The system had once told her that her Dao heart was exceptionally stable, but at this moment, she suddenly felt somewhat lost.

As a sword cultivator, she ought to walk the sword path properly. Yet within the entire Pavilion of Scripture, there were books and categories for nearly every trade and path in the cultivation world.

"The host need not fret; simply follow your original heart." The system chimed in promptly at that moment, its voice carrying a guiding tone.

"My original heart? What is my original heart? At the beginning, it was to break everything with speed, but now that doesn't quite seem to fit." The more things she learned, the more eclectic her knowledge became.

"Did you define yourself as a pure sword cultivator from the very beginning?"

To this question from the system, Ji Jiuxuan replied without the slightest hesitation, "No, I never thought of becoming a pure sword cultivator."

Otherwise, she would never have bothered to study talisman arrays and alchemy.

"There you have it, then," the system concluded at last. "You were never a pure sword cultivator to begin with, and Zhou Guangsheng never taught you in the manner of a pure sword cultivator either."

Thanks to Minmin_Eb for the monthly pass, thank you! ~

(End of this chapter)