Mountain-Guarding Spirit Beast

Lin Xuan went on living as boldly and carefree as ever, and time proved that his judgment had been correct. Though Master Yunhe was furious, the search for Zhang Yu and Zhou Yan still made no progress. Some independent cultivators and cultivation sects were listed as suspects, and Floating Cloud Valley even came into conflict with them. Of course, none of that had anything to do with Lin Xuan. Low-ranking disciples had their own advantages—he only needed to keep his head down and cultivate.

On the surface, Lin Xuan's life looked exactly as it had before: diligent and hardworking, yet with little to show for it. In truth, however, he set aside time every day to study the mysterious light spot within his body.

In the blink of an eye, two weeks passed.

"It seems I need to look through some records and see whether I can find any useful clues in ancient texts." Lin Xuan lay on his bed and muttered to himself. Actually, there was another option: asking the sect's seniors. Those elders were vastly experienced; surely someone would know.

Of course, he had only considered that in jest. Lin Xuan had long since dismissed the idea. He understood the saying that a common man commits no crime, yet is punished for possessing jade. If those elders discovered the benefits of the Blue Light Spot, would they not murder him to silence him and seize it by force?

Lin Xuan was not foolish enough to invite disaster upon himself.

Besides, Zhang Yu and Zhou Yan's affair might be exposed as well...

The Blue Light Spot was his secret alone. Lin Xuan had long been clear on that point. He would rather spend more effort slowly learning about it himself than allow this matter to leak out.

Having made his decision, Lin Xuan went to sleep. He would search through the ancient texts tomorrow.

Early the next morning, Lin Xuan arrived before a grand hall.

The hall had been built against the mountain, imposing and magnificent. It was where Floating Cloud Valley stored its books. Such an important place was not only located at the heart of the sect, but also protected by layer upon layer of Restrictions.

There was a guard every three steps, a sentry every five, and all manner of mountain-guarding Spirit Beasts patrolled the grounds.

Mountain-guarding Spirit Beasts were actually a type of Demonic Beast. Unlike wild ones, however, these Spirit Beasts had either been tamed by the sect's experts or simply raised by Floating Cloud Valley from infancy.

Simply put, they were livestock raised by cultivators.

But one must never underestimate the power of Spirit Beasts. They too could wield the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, possessing Supernatural Powers beyond ordinary imagination.

Moreover, Spirit Beasts were extraordinarily loyal. Once they recognized a master, they would never betray them. In battle, they feared neither death nor injury. Thus, every cultivation sect raised Spirit Beasts to guard its gates and protect its mountains.

Roar!

A thunderous bellow echoed through the mountains. Lin Xuan had only just reached a point some two hundred meters from the hall when he heard a threatening roar. Red light flickered, and a huge, vividly colored tiger appeared before him. Yet unlike an ordinary beast, this giant was entirely crimson, with a faint layer of flames even covering its body. The grass around it began to burn before it could even touch the creature.

And that aura—no Lion or tiger could compare to it. An utterly tyrannical, fearsome presence swept over him, sending a chill through his entire body.

A Blazing Flame Tiger, a low-grade Level One Demonic Beast!

Just as cultivators were divided into eight stages, from the Spirit Movement Stage to Tribulation Transcendence, Demonic Beasts were likewise divided into Levels One through Eight. Each level was further divided into four grades: low, middle, high, and supreme.

The Spirit Movement Stage corresponded to Level One Demonic Beasts, the Foundation Establishment Realm to Level Two Demonic Beasts, and so on...

Though their strength was roughly comparable, cultivators of the same level were still stronger in an actual fight. After all, although Demonic Beasts could also wield spiritual energy, they possessed no intelligence. Naturally, they could not defeat clever humans.

The Blazing Flame Tiger was over three meters long, and an astonishing aura radiated from its entire body. Yet Lin Xuan paid it no heed. It was merely a mindless beast. Besides, though he was not valued within the sect, he was still a disciple of Floating Cloud Valley.

The spiritual sense signatures of every disciple in the sect were transmitted into the minds of the mountain-guarding Spirit Beasts through wondrous Daoist arts, leaving deep imprints behind. That way, the Spirit Beasts could distinguish their own people from outsiders.

The Blazing Flame Tiger came before Lin Xuan and let out a low growl. Lin Xuan remained calm. The Spirit Beast glanced at him a few times, and its hostility gradually faded. Wagging its head and tail, it had clearly confirmed the youth's identity through his spiritual sense signature. It stepped aside, even rubbing its head against his trouser leg.

After passing through the checkpoint guarded by the Blazing Flame Tiger, Lin Xuan arrived at the hall. Looking up at the structure before him, he saw that the entire Library Pavilion was divided into three floors. The first floor held the most books, at least several hundred thousand volumes, and was open to all disciples.

Yet to cultivators, the books on the first floor held little value. There was not a single cultivation manual, nor any secret text on artifact forging or pill refinement. Those were all stored on the second floor, and only experts at the Foundation Establishment Realm or above could borrow them.

The defenses on the second floor were also far tighter than those on the first. Not only were there layers of Restrictions and secret arts, but the patrols were conducted by the sect's elders.

As for the third floor, it was even more precious. It enshrined the cultivation insights left behind by generations of patriarchs, as well as Floating Cloud Valley's most powerful cultivation arts. It was said that only those holding a Sect Master Command Token were permitted to enter.

Several reclusive old monsters guarded the third floor as well!

Books from the second and third floors were strictly forbidden from being borrowed. On the first floor, each disciple could borrow three books at a time. After reviewing the Library Pavilion's rules in his mind, Lin Xuan began searching in earnest.

The entire first floor covered several thousand square meters. Rows upon rows of bookshelves stood neatly arranged, and Lin Xuan began looking from the left side.

Tianshan Nine Yang Art, Mystic Yin Scripture, Sun Moon Divine Palm, Demon Lord Overlord Fist...

One martial arts manual after another lay before him. They were all supreme arts practiced by martial arts experts who had attained the Way of Heaven in the secular world, but to cultivators, they held no appeal whatsoever. No matter how high one's martial skill, it could not stand against a Dharma Treasure. Here, such things were not worth a penny.

Lin Xuan shook his head and went to another corner.

Record of Hundred Herbs, Thirteen Chapters of Divine Medicine, Golden Needle Pulse Interception...

One title after another entered his sight. These were medical texts that had been lost for centuries, but they held no value for cultivators either. A single lowest-grade medicinal pill could cure all manner of illnesses afflicting ordinary people.

Looking at the titles before him, a trace of mockery appeared at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth. No wonder the place was open for free. To cultivators, everything on the first floor was tasteless to eat yet a pity to discard. They called it a benefit for Spirit Movement Stage disciples, but now it seemed they simply did not take low-ranking disciples like them seriously at all. They did not value them in the slightest, merely going through the motions.

The Cultivation World truly was a place where the strong devoured the weak. To gain power and earn respect, one needed strength. With that thought, Lin Xuan's determination to cultivate only grew firmer.