Scripture Repository

After putting away all the supplies, Yang Tianyou left the metal hall and went to meet up with Yang Dangmo.

Come to think of it, if he had not killed those Affiliated Cultivators of the Zhao Household earlier and obtained four Storage Bags, his own Storage Bag would never have had enough room.

Every spiritual item along the way had been swept clean. By the time Yang Tianyou found Yang Dangmo, the latter was working with the Zhao Household cultivators to break the restrictions on the Dragon Valley Sect's Scripture Repository.

The Scripture Repository of a Golden Core sect with a legacy spanning hundreds of years was sure to have everything: Cultivation Methods, scriptures, all kinds of Law Techniques, and insights into cultivation.

The Scripture Repository's formation restrictions were not as complex as those on the red-gold gate outside.

After Yang Dangmo brought out another two Array-Eroding Talismans, and with the aid of the Zhao Household's Empty Marsh Liquid, the Scripture Repository doors swung open in less than three hours.

Everyone filed inside. In the center of the spacious hall, a bright beam of light shone down from above, enveloping a golden-robed elder whose hair and beard were both white.

The elder's face was gaunt, and he looked imposing.

Though there was no longer the slightest trace of life in him, a distinctive Dao resonance still flowed around his body.

That Dao resonance was keen and sharp, like a treasured sword pressed against one's throat.

Clearly, he had cultivated a metal-attribute Cultivation Method and reached the Golden Core Realm.

Otherwise, his flesh and body would not have remained undecayed and lifelike after more than two hundred years.

"Is this the Dragon Valley Sect's inheritance elder?"

Yang Tianyou asked softly, the shock in his eyes still impossible to dispel.

"Mm, that's right. According to the records, this senior was named Zhou Zhenhao. He was known in his day as the Dragon Valley Sword Immortal and cultivated the Geng Metal Sword Art, one of the Dragon Valley Sect's foundational Cultivation Methods. His attacks were exceptionally fierce, and his offensive prowess was unmatched.

"Once, when several Golden Core cultivators tried to stop him, he forced his way through their encirclement and vanished with the Dragon Valley Hall, a supreme treasure of the Dragon Valley Sect's inheritance."

Yang Dangmo recounted the story at length. When he finished, he respectfully bowed to the elder's corpse, showing his respect for a senior cultivator. Seeing this, Yang Tianyou bowed as well.

Led by Zhao Zongkun, the Zhao Household members also bowed one after another, each wearing a respectful expression.

After paying their respects, Yang Dangmo and Zhao Zongkun stepped forward to take the inheritance elder's Spatial Ring.

Unexpectedly, the instant they touched the elder, a hazy light began to swirl. Startled, the two hurriedly drew their Law Artifacts and took defensive stances.

To their surprise, the light did not attack. Instead, it gradually formed a curtain of light about ten feet high.

On the curtain stood Zhou Zhenhao, the Dragon Valley Sect's inheritance elder known as the Dragon Valley Sword Immortal. His hands were clasped behind his back as he gazed at them impassively.

Though there was not the slightest fluctuation of spiritual power, an invisible pressure descended upon everyone's hearts in an instant. It was the majesty of a powerful expert.

"Those who came after me, I do not know whether you are cultivators of the Three Rivers Sect, members of the Feng Household, or other cultivators coveting the inheritance of my Dragon Valley Sect."

"None of that matters anymore. When a person dies, it is like a lamp going out, so I will make no harsh demands. I only hope that after you obtain my Dragon Valley Sect's inheritance, if you encounter any Dragon Valley Sect descendants, you will lend them a hand if it is within your power."

"Also, do not disgrace the name of my Dragon Valley Sect's inheritance."

With that, the curtain of light dissipated, and the perfectly preserved corpse also dissolved into strands of golden light, leaving only some clothing behind.

Clearly, this was a contingency Zhou Zhenhao had left to prevent his corpse from being desecrated and exploited.

Breathing a soft sigh of relief, Yang Dangmo and Zhao Zongkun stepped forward again. This time, nothing unexpected happened.

When Zhou Zhenhao's corpse dissolved into the Dao, the Spatial Ring fell to the ground. Zhao Zongkun snatched it up, only for Yang Dangmo to seize his wrist.

"Brother Zhao, we had better look at what's inside this Spatial Ring together, don't you think?"

Zhao Zongkun narrowed his eyes slightly. "Of course!"

The two then extended their Spiritual Awareness into the Spatial Ring together.

A moment later, they withdrew their Spiritual Awareness, their faces filled with wild delight.

Zhao Zongkun gripped the Spatial Ring tightly, unable to suppress the desire surging in his heart.

"Brother Zhao, what are you trying to do?"

Yang Dangmo's expression changed, and his pupils gradually reddened. Strands of flame began to circle his body, while the Separation Fire Seal, his life-bound Law Artifact in his Dantian, stirred, ready to strike at any moment.

At some point, Wolf Ancestor had also circled behind Zhao Zongkun. His body was slightly hunched, his sharp fangs bared without restraint, and his presence was menacing.

Zhao Zongkun glanced at the old wolf behind him, a trace of wariness flashing in his eyes. Then he tightened his fist and said with a cold snort, "What's the hurry? We agreed on half for each Household. Do you take my Zhao Household for the sort of petty people who go back on their word?"

As he spoke, Zhao Zongkun took out a Storage Bag and transferred half the resources from the Spatial Ring into it, then tossed the bag to Yang Dangmo.

"It was my Zhao Household that discovered the Dragon Valley Sect's inheritance palace, after all. The Storage Ring should belong to us!"

Yang Dangmo caught the Storage Bag and swept it with his Spiritual Awareness. After carefully checking the contents, he nodded.

"It's just a Storage Ring. You can have it!"

Having just made a huge windfall, Yang Dangmo no longer cared about a mere Storage Ring.

At most, it was worth a few thousand Spirit Stones. Compared with their haul this time, that was nothing but loose change; it was not worth endlessly haggling with the Zhao Household over it.

After dividing the treasures, what remained was the most valuable part of the Dragon Valley Hall: the Scripture Repository.

In the world of cultivation, nothing mattered more than the Dao. For any individual cultivation power, the Scripture Repository was the most important place, the true foundation of a sect or Lineage.

For this reason, many capable Lineages and sects assigned an inheritance elder to their Scripture Repository, so that at a critical moment, their inheritance could be preserved and they could strive to rise again.

From this, one could see how much importance cultivators placed on Cultivation Methods.

That was only natural. Without a Cultivation Method, what good was having a Spirit Root?

Take Fifth Sister Yang Tianyun, for example. She had a water-and-wood Dual Spirit Root and excellent comprehension. Her natural talent ranked among the top five in the Yang Household.

But because she lacked a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method, Yang Tianyun was destined to remain stuck at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement for her entire life.

At a high enough cultivation level, one could still grope one's way toward creating a Cultivation Method.

But with cultivation merely at Qi Refining, or even Foundation Establishment, creating a Cultivation Method was as hard as climbing to heaven!

For that very reason, Yang Tianyou and the others were all exceedingly careful as they sorted the various texts in the Scripture Repository, afraid of damaging them.

The Dragon Valley Sect's Scripture Repository had thirteen floors. From the second through the fifth, it held texts such as Qi Refining Period Cultivation Methods, Law Techniques, and first-tier pill and Talisman Canons.

The sixth through ninth floors held texts corresponding to the Foundation Establishment Realm, including Cultivation Methods, Law Techniques, methods for refining various Life-Bound Spiritual Objects, various rare Secret Arts, and Tier 2 Talisman Canons, pill scriptures, and formation scriptures.

The tenth through thirteenth floors held texts corresponding to the Golden Core Realm, including Golden Core Cultivation Methods, methods for cultivating Divine Abilities, and Third Tier pill and Talisman Canons.

The Qi Refining Realm texts were generally physical books, while those for Foundation Establishment and above were recorded in Jade Slips, inheritance steles, inheritance spirit pearls, and other objects refined from special Spirit Items.

Unlike the crude preservation formation in the metal hall, the Scripture Repository was a vital sect location. More than twenty percent of all the Spiritual Qi gathered in the Dragon Valley Hall flowed here. After being transformed by the formation, it created a unique preservation field that kept every text perfectly intact.