Chapter 8: The Forbidden Library
Azure Dragon Academy – Inner Disciple Quarters
The sun had set, casting long shadows over the floating islands of the Azure Dragon Academy. While most new disciples were busy celebrating their acceptance or scrambling to find dormitories, Chen Feng walked with a clear purpose toward the highest peak of the central island.
Lin Yue hurried to keep up with him, her golden necklace glowing softly in the twilight. "Chen Feng, wait! You're already heading to the Forbidden Library? Don't you want to settle in first? The Supreme Prodigy quarters are said to have spirit springs and automatic formation arrays!"
Chen Feng didn't slow down. "Comfort is for later. Power is for now. That Elder Wu mentioned the library is open to me immediately. I intend to use that privilege before someone finds a loophole to stop me."
Lin Yue sighed but smiled. "Typical you. Just... be careful. The Forbidden Library isn't just a building. It's alive. It tests those who enter. Many geniuses have gone in seeking high-tier techniques and come out mentally shattered."
"Let it test me," Chen Feng said, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. "I've faced the void itself. A building won't scare me."
They reached the base of the peak. Towering above them was a massive structure made of black stone, carved with runes that seemed to shift and crawl like snakes. The air around it hummed with a heavy, oppressive pressure. Two stone statues of dragons stood guard, their eyes glowing red.
"Halt," a voice boomed.
A figure stepped out from the shadows. It was an old man with a long white beard, wearing robes embroidered with stars. He held a staff topped with a crystal orb.
"I am Librarian Mo," the old man said, his gaze piercing through Chen Feng. "Only Core Disciples and above may enter the lower floors. The upper floors—the Forbidden Section—are sealed to all but the Academy Head and... exceptions." His eyes narrowed as he looked at Chen Feng. "You must be the boy who broke the Spirit Pillar. The 'Supreme Prodigy'."
"I am," Chen Feng replied calmly.
Librarian Mo stepped closer, his spiritual pressure washing over Chen Feng like a tidal wave. It was the pressure of a *Golden Core* cultivator—far stronger than anyone Chen Feng had faced so far.
Many would have collapsed under such weight. Chen Feng didn't even blink. The *Void Flame* inside him stirred automatically, absorbing the pressure and converting it into faint warmth.
"Hmm," Librarian Mo grunted, looking surprised. "Your foundation is shallow (Level 1), yet your soul is deep as an ocean. Interesting."
He tapped his staff on the ground. "Very well. The rules grant you access. But beware, boy. The books in the Forbidden Section choose their master. If a book rejects you, it will attack your soul. Do not say I didn't warn you."
"I understand," Chen Feng said. "Open the gate."
Librarian Mo waved his hand. The massive stone doors groaned open, revealing a swirling vortex of mist inside. "Go. But remember: one hour max. Stay longer, and the library will consume you."
Chen Feng nodded to Lin Yue. "Wait here. I won't be long."
Before she could protest, he stepped into the mist.
---
**Inside the Forbidden Library**
The moment Chen Feng crossed the threshold, the world shifted.
He wasn't in a hallway anymore. He stood in an endless spiral staircase that stretched infinitely upward and downward. Shelves lined the walls, filled with scrolls, jade slips, and ancient tomes that glowed with various colors.
The air smelled of old paper and ozone. Whispers echoed from the books, calling out to him.
*"Read me... I hold the secret of immortality..."*
*"Take me... I teach how to slay gods..."*
*"Forget everything... sleep forever..."*
Chen Feng ignored the whispers. He closed his eyes and activated his *Void Sense*.
To anyone else, this place would be a chaotic maze. To Chen Feng, it was a map of energy flows. He could feel the resonance of different techniques. Most felt weak, disjointed, or incomplete.
*Too slow,* he thought, walking past a shelf of fire techniques. *Too rigid,* he muttered, ignoring a section on sword arts.
He climbed higher. The air grew thinner, the pressure heavier. The whispers turned into screams.
*"Turn back!"*
*"You are not worthy!"*
*"Die here!"*
Suddenly, three books flew off the shelves, hovering in front of him. Their covers opened like mouths, revealing rows of sharp teeth made of ink.
**Spirit Book Beasts.**
"Guardians," Chen Feng noted dryly. "Cute."
The first beast lunged, trying to bite his face. Chen Feng simply raised a finger.
"**Void Silence.**"
A ripple of black energy shot out. The beast froze mid-air, its ink dissolving into nothingness. It fell to the floor as a harmless pile of paper.
The other two beasts hesitated, then attacked together.
Chen Feng didn't even move his feet. He spun his hand, creating a small vortex of void energy.
"**Void Grip.**"
The two beasts were sucked into the vortex, crushed instantly, and vanished.
"Is that all?" Chen Feng asked the empty air. "I expected more from a 'Forbidden' library."
As if in response, the staircase stopped. He had reached a platform he hadn't seen before. At the center stood a single pedestal. On it lay a book bound in dark leather, pulsating with a faint black light. It didn't whisper. It was silent. Deadly silent.
Chen Feng approached it. As soon as he got close, the *Void Flame* in his dantian roared in recognition.
*This is it,* he realized. *A technique compatible with the Void.*
He reached out. The book didn't attack. Instead, it opened on its own. The pages were blank, but as Chen Feng looked at them, characters began to form, written in blood-red ink that slowly turned black.
**Title:** *The Void Scripture: Chapter One - Devouring the Heavens.*
**Rank:** *Heavenly Grade (Incomplete)*
**Description:** *A forbidden art lost for ten thousand years. Allows the user to devour spiritual energy, techniques, and even souls to fuel the Void Flame. Warning: High risk of losing oneself to the void.*
Chen Feng smiled. A true, dangerous smile.
"Perfect."
He placed his hand on the page.
"I accept."
Light erupted from the book, shooting into his forehead. Knowledge flooded his mind—complex formulas, breathing techniques, and methods to convert stolen energy into pure Void power. It was painful, like fire burning through his brain, but he endured it without a sound.
When the light faded, the book crumbled into dust. The knowledge was now part of him.
**[DING!]**
**[New Technique Acquired: The Void Scripture (Level 1)]**
**[Effect: Cultivation speed increased by 500%. Ability to 'Devour' enemy attacks added.]**
**[System Update: Host compatibility with Void Flame increased to 15%.]**
Chen Feng took a deep breath. He felt stronger. Much stronger. His Level 1 cultivation trembled, on the verge of breaking through to Level 2, but he suppressed it. *Not yet. I need to consolidate my foundation first.*
"One hour is almost up," he murmured, checking the time. "Time to leave."
He turned to descend, but a voice stopped him.
"You found it."
Chen Feng froze. He hadn't sensed anyone else.
From the shadows of the upper stairs, a figure emerged. He was tall, wearing white robes adorned with silver dragons. His face was handsome but cold, with eyes that held absolute arrogance. He floated in the air, not touching the steps.
*Foundation Establishment Level 5.*
"And who are you?" Chen Feng asked, his hand resting near his waist where his dagger was hidden.
"I am **Long Ao**," the young man said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Senior Brother to all fools in this academy. And you... you are the bug who broke the pillar."
Long Ao descended slowly, circling Chen Feng like a shark. "That book you just absorbed... *The Void Scripture*. It was supposed to be mine. I've been searching for it for three years. Hand over the inheritance, and I might let you leave with your soul intact."
Chen Feng laughed softly. "You think you can take it from me?"
"I am a Level 5 Foundation Establishment cultivator," Long Ao sneered. "You are a Level 1 ant. Do the math."
He raised his hand. A massive spear made of pure water energy formed in his grip. "*Azure Dragon Spear Art: Piercing Tide!*"
He thrust the spear. A torrent of water, sharp as steel, rushed toward Chen Feng with terrifying speed.
Chen Feng didn't dodge. He remembered the new technique.
*Devour.*
He opened his palm. A black hole, no bigger than a coin, appeared in his center.
"**Void Scripture: Devour.**"
The water spear hit the black hole... and vanished. Sucked in completely. Not a drop spilled.
Long Ao's eyes widened in shock. "What?! You absorbed my attack? Impossible!"
Chen Feng clenched his fist. The absorbed water energy converted into black flame within his palm.
"Your water tastes bland," Chen Feng mocked. "Do you have anything stronger?"
Long Ao's face twisted in rage. "You dare mock me?! Die!"
He charged, forming a dozen water spears around him. "I'll tear you apart!"
Chen Feng sighed. "So noisy."
He stomped his foot.
"**Void Step: Flash.**"
In an instant, he disappeared and reappeared directly behind Long Ao. Before the senior brother could react, Chen Feng tapped his back.
"**Void Shock.**"
Long Ao flew forward, crashing into the wall. His water spears dissolved. He slid down, coughing blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"How... how can a Level 1 defeat me?" he wheezed.
"Because you rely on levels," Chen Feng said, walking past him toward the exit. "I rely on the void."
He stopped at the edge of the platform and looked back. "Tell everyone in the academy. If anyone comes for me or what's mine... they will end up like that book. Dust."
Long Ao trembled, unable to speak.
Chen Feng stepped into the exit portal.
---
**Outside the Library**
Lin Yue was pacing nervously when Chen Feng emerged from the mist.
"Chen Feng! You were gone for almost two hours! Librarian Mo was about to send a rescue team!"
Librarian Mo stood nearby, looking at Chen Feng with a strange expression. "You survived. And... you look different."
Chen Feng shrugged. "Just found a good read."
Lin Yue grabbed his arm. "Did you get a technique? What happened inside? You look... darker."
"I got what I needed," Chen Feng said, looking up at the sky where the stars were beginning to shine. "Now, let's go find my room. I have a lot of cultivating to do."
As they walked away, Librarian Mo watched them go, stroking his beard.
"The Void Scripture..." he whispered to himself. "The prophecy said it would return when the Six Stars aligned. Has the era of chaos begun again?"
He shook his head and closed the library doors. "Whatever comes, the Academy must be ready."
But deep inside, he feared that no amount of preparation could stop what was waking up in the form of a sixteen-year-old boy.
---
**To be continued...**