Chapter 22: What Kind of Demonic Beast Is Still Not Mature at Rank 6?
After walking through the passage for about half an hour, a point of light finally appeared at the end of the passage. Spotting the light, the several people inside quickened their pace. Moments later, they finally reached the end of the passage and stepped out in a single stride.
Dazzling sunlight poured down from the sky, causing Jiang Yun and the others to instinctively narrow their eyes. Half a beat later, they slowly opened them. Gazing at the scene appearing before them, their faces were filled with astonishment.
At this moment, what lay before Jiang Yun and the others was clearly a valley hollow. The steep mountain walls extended upward on every side, finally stretching to the end of their line of sight. Amid the three sheer cliffs lay a stretch of flat, open ground, occupying an extremely broad area. There, on that open ground, stood a massive, heavy, ancient loft, its sheer size enough to stun the tongue.
His gaze slowly swept across that huge, ancient loft, finally resting on a plaque outside the building that appeared exceptionally old. Upon it, three characters, blurred and indistinct from the erosion of time, faintly revealed themselves.
Library!
This was the true core of Jia Nan Academy. The library in the Outer Academy merely recorded some basic knowledge and low-tier Dou Techniques. The Library before them was one of the great foundational pillars upon which Jia Nan Academy stood firm in the Black-Corner Region!
In the space half a meter before Hu Gan, upon closer inspection, one could discover extremely faint, shallow creases.
These creases were hidden in space and exceedingly difficult to detect. Following the faintly discernible creases with one's gaze, one would shockingly discover that this spatial crease nearly formed the shape of a door wall, protecting the entire Library behind it!
As expected of the mysterious Library of Jia Nan Academy's Outer Academy.
Hu Gan led the five slowly toward the Library. Just as they were about to enter within twenty meters of it, he stopped abruptly. Facing the direction of the Library, he cupped his fists and declared, "The top five of this year's Inner Academy Selection Tournament have been decided. According to the rules, I have brought them here. May I ask Elder Qian and Elder Bai to open the door!"
Hu Gan's words, carried by Dou Qi, echoed ceaselessly through the small valley, lingering for a long time.
Suddenly, Jiang Yun and Zi Yan's gazes shifted. They stared fixedly at the Library's main entrance.
The next second, two gray-robed figures, seated cross-legged on the ground, appeared there out of thin air.
Those two figures seemed as if they had been there all along. This eerie scene made the scalps of the others crawl.
These two were Jia Nan Academy's hidden pillars—the Elders Qian and Bai, peak Dou Zongs.
"Little Yun, these two old men are really strong!" Zi Yan now wore no trace of her usual mirth. She leaned close to Jiang Yun's ear and spoke in a solemn whisper.
Jiang Yun did not answer Zi Yan. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward the main entrance. There, the two had already turned their eyes toward Zi Yan and Jiang Yun, their gazes revealing curiosity and a desire to probe deeper.
Somewhat puzzled as to why Jiang Yun hadn't responded, Zi Yan followed his gaze and immediately discovered Elder Qian and Bai's eyes on them. A bit embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue and quietly shuffled behind Jiang Yun, half-hiding.
At that moment, the two elders also withdrew their gazes. Expressionlessly, they looked at Hu Gan and said, "You've come!"
Hearing their words, Hu Gan breathed a slight sigh of relief. He smiled and said, "These are the top five of this year's Inner Academy Selection Tournament. I must trouble the two elders to undo the spatial lock."
"This batch of students... not bad!"
Elder Qian and Bai offered a word of praise, their tone carrying a barely perceptible joy.
Not giving Hu Gan time to recover from his shock, the two elders slowly extended four withered palms from within their sleeves. Then, finger by finger, seal by seal, they began to slowly form hand seals. As their hand seals took shape, Jiang Yun and the others could clearly sense two immensely powerful invisible ripples spreading out from their palms like waves, like rolling breakers.
Jiang Yun knew—that was spatial power!
The invisible ripples gradually spread outward and finally made contact with those spatial creases. The moment the two touched, the space before Jiang Yun and the others instantly became like a mirror surface made of water, continuously rippling in circles. Moments later, the ripples ceased. A door-like shape was slowly torn open by an invisible giant hand.
"Let's go," Hu Gan said, seeing this spatial door. He then took the lead and walked inside, Jiang Yun and the others following close behind.
Stepping out from the invisible door with a single stride, Jiang Yun discovered that the scene before his eyes had become much brighter than before. The loft ahead was also growing increasingly clear. Clearly, they had truly entered within the spatial lock.
Once everyone had entered the spatial lock, Hu Gan first respectfully bowed to Elder Qian and Bai, then said, "Thank you for your trouble, Elders!"
"Mm!" The two Academy Guardians did not so much as shift their postures. Only a hoarse reply drifted back.
Apart from a flicker of surprise when first laying eyes on Jiang Yun and Zi Yan, nothing seemed capable of drawing their attention. They were like two eternally unchanging statues, silently guarding the academy's final line of defense.
Seeing that Elder Qian and Bai had no intention of engaging with them, Hu Gan didn't press further for a snub. He turned to Jiang Yun and the five, saying, "You may now enter the Library on your own. However, every item within has been fitted with an energy layer. If your hand can pass through that energy layer without obstruction, then you may take the item inside."
"Of course, no matter how many things you can pick up, you may only bring one item out of the Library. Do not be greedy. Otherwise, in the end, it will merely be drawing water with a bamboo basket—all in vain."
"If you find yourselves utterly unable to penetrate the energy layer, then give up. With your current strength, you cannot break them. Each year, people enter this Library, yet those who return empty-handed are by no means few. Thus, everything is left to fate. That which cannot be obtained—do not force it."
Hearing Hu Gan's words, Jiang Yun's eyes flickered faintly.
Unable to break them? Not necessarily!
Having rapidly finished explaining the rules of the Library, Hu Gan raised his hand and pointed at the Library, signaling Jiang Yun and the others to proceed on their own.
At this, Jiang Yun and the others nodded, then slowly raised their feet and walked toward the Library.
Within the quiet valley, only the faint rustle of footsteps sounded. Jiang Yun walked at the very front. The group passed through the grassy field before the loft and finally stepped onto the bluestone stairs, scarred and pitted by the ravages of time.
Ascending the bluestone steps, they arrived at the main entrance of the Library. Everyone gazed up at the plaque bearing the characters "Library" above the door.
Jiang Yun looked up at the plaque above him. The plaque was somewhat worn and old, yet still carried a soul-stirring power that couldn't help but drape a touch of desolation over everyone's hearts.
Jiang Yun's heart shook. Only the Dean of Jia Nan Academy, Mang Tian Chi, possessed the skill to write characters that, after so many years, still retained such force!
"Enter! The door will remain open for only one hour. After one hour, whether or not you have obtained what you seek, you must come out!" At that moment, one of the gray-robed figures—impossible to tell whether it was Elder Qian or Elder Bai—spoke.
Simultaneously, with a sweep of his sleeve, an invisible ripple was stirred. The doors of the Library were slowly pushed open.
Glancing at the mildly surprised four, Jiang Yun took the lead, pulling Zi Yan along as he stepped inside.
Spatial seals? Petty tricks! Since childhood, he had 'bathed' within space-time storms. This degree of difficulty? Trivial!
Watching Jiang Yun enter, Ling Feng and the other two immediately reacted. The academy had only given them an hour. If they tarried, they'd likely end up with nothing.
Immediately, each of them employed their movement Dou Techniques, explosively dashing toward the Library's interior—in a flash, they overtook the leisurely Jiang Yun and Zi Yan.
"Little Yun, shouldn't we hurry? Otherwise, all the good stuff will be taken!"
Zi Yan watched the three's departing backs and looked at Jiang Yun in confusion. He was pulling her along, as if they hadn't come treasure hunting but were on vacation instead.
"No rush. Just now, Vice Principal Hu Gan said the treasures here are all sealed. Think about it—this is the academy's treasure vault! Most of the academy's good things are gathered here, so it's not hard to guess how strong these seals must be."
"And as for seals—to you, Zi Yan, whether they're there or not, what difference does it make?"
Jiang Yun explained to Zi Yan. Yet this was merely one aspect. The other aspect was that they truly had no shortage of Dou Techniques and cultivation arts.
Jiang Yun needless to say—the Xie Ling Clan, as a clan possessing a Saint-grade Heavenly Sovereign and with no small number of Heavenly Sovereigns within, even if he had been very young when he arrived on the Dou Qi Continent, he still lacked for nothing in this regard.
Zi Yan, as a member of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Dragon Emperor's royal bloodline, had inherited legacies within her bloodline enough to sustain her a lifetime. Some people seemed to be wandering cultivators on the surface, but the waters beneath ran very deep indeed!
Listening to Jiang Yun's explanation, Zi Yan's eyes immediately blazed. She patted her petite, delicate frame with smug satisfaction and declared, "Leave it to me! Little Yun, whatever catches your eye later, just tell me—I'll handle it for you."
Jiang Yun agreed with a smile. Watching Zi Yan, who looked like she was about to go wholesale restocking, he couldn't help but shake his head in amusement.
In less than three minutes, Jiang Yun and the other finally arrived at a place shrouded in pale yellow light.
This was an exceptionally spacious, large room. On the walls of the room all around were nearly a dozen energy barriers. At this moment, these energy barriers were slowly pulsing with light, illuminating the room as brightly as daylight.
By now, Ling Feng and the other two, who had rushed ahead, were blankly surveying their surroundings. Seeing Jiang Yun approach, the only female among them, Su Quan, said, "We've searched everywhere and still haven't seen the treasures the Dean spoke of!"
"Vice Principal said the treasures are wrapped in an energy barrier. Could it be that we need to enter inside these?" Liu Zhicun speculatively pointed at the giant energy barriers surrounding them on all sides, voicing his guess to the four.
Jiang Yun's brow arched. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he said meaningfully, "Speaking of which—here it comes!"
"Hm?"
The three looked at Jiang Yun in confusion. Only Zi Yan studied the heights above with great interest.
The next moment, a faint sound of something tearing through the air rang out. The three instantly perked up, focusing their gazes on the midair.
"Something's coming!"
Though this sound was faint, everyone present was at the Da Dou Shi tier or above. After detecting it, the three quickly collected themselves and soon heard the sound.
In no time, a pale green ball of light shot out from one of the energy barriers. Ling Feng and the other two's faces lit up with joy. But before any of them could react, a purple figure was the first to leap into the air. In a single bound, she seized the ball of light in her hand.
Her small hand smoothly passed through the light sphere, as if the seal upon it simply did not exist. The next second, a scroll was retrieved from within by Zi Yan.
"Mysterious Class Mid-tier Dou Technique: Green Wood Spike!"
"Tch— useless thing!" Zi Yan curled her lip in dissatisfaction, as if blaming her own luck. With a flick of her small hand, the Mysterious Class Dou Technique, worth a fortune in the outside world, was carelessly tossed back.
The flying scroll once again transformed into a ball of light and shot straight into one of the energy masses.
Su Quan and the other two opened their mouths several times but still said nothing. A Mysterious Class Mid-tier Dou Technique was already quite excellent in their eyes. Had they obtained it, this trip to the Library would have been considered a great success.
Pity, they weren't close with Zi Yan and Jiang Yun and couldn't bring themselves to speak up.
With the appearance of the first ball of light, it was as if some switch had been flipped. One ball of light after another continuously shot out from the dozen-plus energy barriers all around.
The remaining three had already been burning with excitement upon seeing the very first ball of light Zi Yan caught was a Mysterious Class Dou Technique. Now witnessing this scene, they all eagerly rushed off to intercept the light spheres.
Jiang Yun did not blindly grab at the light orbs. Instead, he spread his soul perception to its absolute maximum, locking onto every flying light sphere, seeking one with the most vigorous and profound aura.
As time ticked away second by second, Jiang Yun sensed a ball of light brimming with scorching, fiery aura fly out from the energy barrier behind him. Without hesitation, he spun around and leaped up, snatching at the light sphere.
Although he felt a thread of resistance transmitted from this light sphere, a firm squeeze of his five fingers and he once again grasped a scroll.
"Blazing Sun Ninefold Art: Earth Class Low-tier Cultivation Art!" Jiang Yun looked at the Earth Class cultivation art in his hands. He did not toss it away. Instead, he held onto it as a kind of safety-net reward.
Quietly noting the intensity of an Earth Class cultivation art, in his soul perception, any ball of light with an aura below this threshold was excluded by him. In the next instant, Jiang Yun's figure blurred. His body shot out like a cannonball, his palm reaching out. When he landed, three balls of light radiating powerful auras were already in his grasp.
"The primary ingredient for the tier 6 pill, Azure Underworld Longevity Pill—Longevity Vine. An Earth Class Dou Technique. And a rank 6 monster core."
Jiang Yun's gaze pierced through the light spheres and saw the items within. All were rare, excellent treasures. After a moment's thought, Jiang Yun kept the Longevity Vine. This item, whether used for pill refining or simply given to Zi Yan to eat, was quite good.
"Little Yun, look what I found!" At that moment, Zi Yan's excited voice came. She was holding a fruit, glossy as jade, jubilantly raising it before Jiang Yun's eyes.
"Heavenly翡翠 Fruit—not a bad find!" Jiang Yun recognized this fruit at a glance. It was a rather fine medicinal ingredient.
Consumed directly, this very fruit could raise a person's Dou Qi cultivation by roughly one star. And if used in pill refinement, it could be used to concoct a certain tier 6 pill—a precious pill capable of directly boosting a Dou Wang expert's strength.
In the outside world, such an item was practically at a sky-high price, extremely difficult to find. He never expected Zi Yan to stumble upon it.
"Hehe, Little Yun, you have to help me! I'm almost at the peak of rank 5. Help me refine it into a pill!" Learning of this ingredient's effects, Zi Yan's eyes immediately blazed. She coquettishly tugged at Jiang Yun's hand.
At this moment, only a single thought filled her mind: she was going to grow up! She was finally going to be rid of this appearance!
It couldn't be that after breaking through to rank 6, she'd still be in this form, right? The medicinal power of the Transformation Grass still hadn't been fully digested, right? She still hadn't reached the mature phase, right?
No way? No way?
What kind of demonic beast still wasn't mature at rank 6?!
(End of Chapter)