The Library Pavilion and the Fox's Entanglement

Bibi Dong's voice rang directly in their minds, carrying an unquestionable command. Hu Liena and Yue Guan immediately wiped away all expression and became exceptionally respectful. Yang Yu's heart also tightened.

"Yes, Teacher—Your Majesty!" the three answered in unison.

Yue Guan led the way, with Yang Yu and Hu Liena following behind. Hu Liena secretly glanced at Yang Yu, her eyes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and a trace of obvious defiance. Yang Yu acted as though he had not noticed, his gaze calm as he looked ahead.

The Rear Hall Training Ground was even larger than expected. The ground was paved with hard bluestone, while targets and stone monuments for testing strength and soul power stood around the perimeter. Bibi Dong was already waiting there, her violet-gold Empress robes making her appear especially imposing in the vast field. Another person stood beside her, tall and lean, dressed in black fitted clothing. He had short silver hair, knife-sharp eyes, and a steady, restrained aura. He was Hu Liena's older brother, Xie Yue.

When she saw Yang Yu and the others enter, Bibi Dong's cold purple eyes swept over them. Her gaze paused briefly on Yang Yu, as though she had sensed the immense changes in his physique after tempering his body. An almost imperceptible trace of satisfaction flashed through her eyes, then vanished in an instant.

"Teacher." Hu Liena and Xie Yue immediately bowed. Xie Yue's gaze also landed on Yang Yu, carrying scrutiny.

"Your Majesty." Yue Guan bowed.

Yang Yu stepped forward. "Teacher."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly and looked at Yang Yu, her voice as cold as ever. "Yang Yu, let me see exactly what is so extraordinary about your Twin Martial Souls."

Without any unnecessary words, she went straight to the point. That was Bibi Dong's style.

"Yes." Yang Yu took a deep breath. He walked to the center of the field, roughly twenty paces away from Bibi Dong.

With a thought, soul power began to circulate.

Buzz!

An indescribably profound aura instantly spread through the area! In Yang Yu's right palm, light gathered, and the phantom of a tiny crystal dragon, seemingly formed from solidified time, abruptly appeared! It was only about a foot long, its entire body flowing with dreamlike silver radiance, its scales reflecting the luster of the cosmic stars. Its dragon head was majestic. Its left eye resembled a collapsed singularity, while its right eye resembled a rushing river of time! It was the Dragon of Eternity and Time!

Though it was merely a Martial Soul phantom rather than a complete summoning, the vast Dragon Might originating from the depths of his soul had already spread outward!

"Hmph!" Xie Yue, standing behind Bibi Dong, let out a muffled groan. His face instantly turned pale, and his body swayed uncontrollably! He felt his Moon Blade Martial Soul send out an intense tremor and... fear?! It was as though it had encountered suppression from an existence on a far higher level! He hurriedly circulated his soul power and barely managed to steady himself. His gaze toward Yang Yu was filled with horror! What kind of Martial Soul was this? Just a phantom could suppress his Soul Elder-level weapon Martial Soul?!

Hu Liena stood a little farther away, but she too felt a heaviness in her chest and found it difficult to breathe. Her Demon Fox Martial Soul sent her instinctive warning and unease. Her small mouth hung slightly open as she stared in disbelief at the tiny figure in the field and the dreamlike little dragon in his palm.

Yue Guan's expression turned grave. He felt it even more deeply. It was not merely pressure, but interference on the level of laws! He felt that the light in a small area around Yang Yu seemed to have become distorted, while the flow of time itself appeared to have changed ever so slightly!

A sharp gleam flashed through the depths of Bibi Dong's purple eyes! Such powerful Martial Soul Origin! Such pure Power of Time! This pressure, this aura, surpassed every top-tier beast Martial Soul she had ever seen! God-tier! Undoubtedly God-tier!

Yang Yu did not pause. He raised his left hand as well.

Buzz!

A completely different aura erupted! This time, it was chaos where vitality and destruction intertwined! A thirty-six-petaled azure lotus phantom slowly rotated and bloomed in Yang Yu's left palm! The lotus phantom was illusory, yet incomparably distinct. Half its petals were lush green, flowing with rich life radiance that left one feeling invigorated after just a glance. The other half were a deep chaotic color, wreathed in wisps of annihilating aura, as though they could devour light itself and even faintly distort space!

Creation and destruction, two forces that formed the origin of the world, perfectly coexisted within this azure lotus!

"Hiss..." Yue Guan sucked in a cold breath. Seeing it with his own eyes was far more shocking than sensing it! The aura of this azure lotus was filled with the vigorous vitality of creating all things, yet it also contained the will of destruction that could end everything! Contradictory yet unified! It was God-tier as well! He had no doubt!

Hu Liena and Xie Yue were completely speechless. Only blank astonishment remained on the siblings' faces. Twin Martial Souls?! And both possessed such terrifyingly unmatched auras?! This... this was simply a monster!

Even Bibi Dong's breathing seemed to quicken by an imperceptible degree. The Chaos Creation Lotus! The potential contained within this Martial Soul might even surpass that of the Dragon of Time! Creation and destruction... these were powers that touched upon the essence of the world!

Yang Yu felt the power of his two great Martial Souls surging through his body. That overwhelming sensation of controlling everything stirred his mind. With a slight thought, he tried to mobilize a thread of their power.

The eyes of the Dragon of Time phantom in his right hand brightened faintly.

Buzz! An invisible ripple spread out from Yang Yu, instantly covering an area roughly three meters around him!

Hu Liena and Xie Yue, standing at the edge, felt nothing. But Yue Guan, who stood within the range, suddenly stiffened! He felt the motion of raising his hand, the posture of taking a step, even the circulation of soul power within his body, all become... abnormally slow at that moment! It was as though he had fallen into thick mud! Though the sluggishness was extremely weak and he could break free instantly with the strength of a Titled Douluo, the sensation of having his body's rhythm forcibly disrupted made his scalp tingle! Time deceleration?! Was this the Martial Soul's domain ability?!

Yang Yu's face turned slightly pale. Merely trying to control a trace of the Power of Time and produce such a weak effect had nearly drained one-third of the soul power within him! The consumption was too great! He immediately stopped controlling it. The sluggish sensation instantly vanished.

Yue Guan regained his freedom, and the shock in his eyes was beyond measure! It truly was a time ability! Though still very weak, it had genuinely interfered with the flow of time! This ability was simply heaven-defying!

Yang Yu then looked at the Chaos Creation Lotus phantom in his left hand. He focused his mind on an emerald-green petal containing vitality.

Buzz! An extremely faint green light, almost impossible to notice, shot from his fingertip and landed on a wilted little blade of grass that had just sprouted from a crack in the bluestone beneath his feet.

A miracle occurred! The little blade of grass, which had been on the verge of withering, became green and upright at a visible speed. Its leaves unfurled, brimming with vitality! In just two breaths, it had grown a small section taller than the others nearby!

Then Yang Yu shifted his focus and concentrated on a chaotic-colored petal that contained an aura of destruction.

An equally weak gray beam, threaded with wisps of black energy, shot out and landed on another smooth bluestone nearby.

Sizzle! An almost inaudible sound of corrosion rang out. A needle-tip-sized black hole, bottomless in depth, instantly appeared on the surface of the hard bluestone! Its edges were smooth, as though some force had directly broken it down and annihilated it!

After doing all this, sweat had already formed on Yang Yu's forehead, and the soul power in his body was nearly depleted. He withdrew the Martial Soul phantoms from both hands. The heart-palpitating pressure and strange fluctuations in the field disappeared along with them.

The entire Training Ground fell silent.

Hu Liena and Xie Yue stood with their mouths open and eyes wide as bells, their minds completely blank. Everything they had just witnessed had utterly surpassed their understanding! Time deceleration? Withered grass returning to life? Annihilating stone? Could a child who had only just awakened his Martial Soul truly do such things? This was practically a miracle!

Yue Guan's expression shifted constantly. His gaze toward Yang Yu had become incomparably complicated, containing shock, awe, and even a trace of... fear? This child's Martial Soul abilities were too inconceivable! Once he grew up, he would undoubtedly become unimaginably terrifying!

Bibi Dong stood quietly, her violet-gold Empress robes fluttering without wind. There was no expression on her beautiful face, but within those deep purple eyes, it was as though stormy waves had risen! Having personally witnessed just the tip of the iceberg of these Twin God-Tier Martial Souls, even with her composure, she felt an unprecedented impact!

Time control! Granting life! Annihilating matter! Any one of these abilities, if developed to its limit, would be enough to look down upon the world! Yet Yang Yu possessed all three alone! Though he was still weak now, his potential... was limitless!

More importantly, she had keenly caught the near-instinctive precision with which Yang Yu controlled these abilities! This was not merely talent, but an indescribable degree of compatibility! It was as though this power had naturally belonged to him from birth!

"Very good." After a long while, Bibi Dong's cold voice finally broke the silence. Not a hint of emotion could be heard, as though the shocking scene just now had never occurred. "How much soul power did you consume?"

"Reporting to Teacher," Yang Yu said after catching his breath, speaking truthfully, "controlling the Power of Time over a three-meter range, with a weak deceleration effect lasting three breaths, consumed nearly thirty percent of my soul power. Stimulating the grass consumed five percent. Annihilating the stone took fifteen percent. In total, I used over fifty percent." He deliberately overstated the consumption a little, leaving himself some room to hide his strength.

Even so, the expenditure was astonishing enough. A level-thirty Soul Master had nearly exhausted his soul power merely by displaying weak traces of his Martial Soul abilities.

Bibi Dong nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by this answer. How could the power of a God-Tier Spirit be so easily controlled? Her gaze turned toward Yue Guan. "Yue Guan."

"Your subordinate is here!" Yue Guan immediately bowed.

"Take him to the Library Pavilion. The first six floors are completely open to him." Bibi Dong's voice allowed no objection. "Let him read and learn on his own. If there is anything he does not understand, he may ask you or come ask me."

"Yes! This subordinate understands!" Yue Guan's heart trembled. The first six floors! This was an enormous privilege! It seemed that Your Majesty the Empress was determined to nurture this little monster into a true pillar supporting the heavens!

Bibi Dong's gaze finally fell on Yang Yu. Beneath her coldness was a trace of expectation that was difficult to detect. "The foundation of power lies in control. Martial Souls are ships, knowledge is the sail, and soul power is the sea. With only a treasure ship but no sails and no sea, one cannot take even a single step. Go. I await the day you truly set sail."

After saying that, she did not linger. Holding her scepter, she turned and left, her violet-gold figure disappearing through the exit of the Training Ground. Xie Yue gave Yang Yu a deep, complicated look before silently following after her.

Only Yang Yu, Yue Guan, and Hu Liena, who was still frozen in stunned shock, remained in the Training Ground.

"His Highness the Holy Son, please follow me." Yue Guan's attitude toward Yang Yu had become even more respectful.

"Thank you for your trouble, Elder Ju." Yang Yu nodded.

Just as the two were about to leave, Hu Liena suddenly came back to her senses. She rushed over in a few quick steps and blocked Yang Yu's path.

"Hey! Wait!" Hu Liena's beautiful fox eyes fixed fiercely on Yang Yu. Shock still lingered on her little face, but there was even more intense curiosity and indignation. "You... what was that ability you used in the Training Ground? Time deceleration? How did you do it? And that grass, that stone! What exactly is your Martial Soul?"

She fired off questions like a string of cannon shots, her crisp voice carrying the particular arrogance of a young girl. Clearly, this favored disciple of the Empress and core member of the Golden Generation had been thoroughly captivated by the abilities Yang Yu had displayed, while her competitive spirit had also been provoked. Why should this newly arrived brat receive such attention from their teacher? Why should his Martial Soul be so powerful?

Yang Yu looked at the pink-haired little fox blocking his path and felt a slight headache. This girl looked like trouble.

"Nana! Do not be rude!" Yue Guan's face darkened as he rebuked her.

"Grandpa Yue Guan!" Hu Liena stomped her foot and pointed at Yang Yu. "I'm just asking him! That move he used was amazing! It looked even stronger than my brother's Full Moon!" She looked at Yang Yu, her eyes sparkling with a hint of challenge. "Hey, brat! Do you dare fight me? Let me see just how strong you are!"

Yang Yu did not even raise his eyelids. He walked around her and continued forward, tossing back only one sentence. "I'm out of soul power. Can't fight."

"You!" Hu Liena choked with anger. She had not expected this brat to give her so little face! Watching Yang Yu's retreating back as he followed Yue Guan away, she bit her lip, and a crafty gleam flashed through her fox eyes.

"Hmph! A monk can run, but the temple cannot! The Library Pavilion, right? Just you wait!" she muttered softly. Tossing her long pink hair, she quickly followed after them.

Spirit Hall's Library Pavilion was an independent high tower built entirely from some kind of bluish-gray boulders, filled with the weight of countless years. The tower was incredibly tall, piercing straight into the clouds. Its entrance was heavily guarded, and even the lowest-ranked guards were Soul Ancestors with fierce auras.

With an elder like Yue Guan personally leading the way, the guards merely bowed respectfully and did not stop them.

The moment he entered the first floor of the Library Pavilion, Yang Yu was stunned by the sight before him. It was enormous! He could not see the end of it at a glance! Rows upon rows of massive bookshelves, reaching all the way to the ceiling, stood in orderly formation like a forest of steel. The shelves were crammed with books, scrolls, and jade slips of every material imaginable. The air was filled with the faint fragrance of ink and the distinctive aged scent of old paper. The dome overhead was high, set with massive glowing Spirit Guidance Crystals that lit the entire space as brightly as day. Quite a few deacons and students dressed in Spirit Hall uniforms were quietly reading inside. When they saw Yue Guan enter, they hurriedly bowed, their curious gazes sweeping over Yang Yu at his side.

Yue Guan led Yang Yu directly through the first, second, and third floors... The higher they went, the smaller the space became, but the books and scrolls on the shelves were visibly older, and their materials more unusual. Some were made of jade, some of metal plates, and some were even bone fragments emitting energy fluctuations. There were fewer and fewer people as well. By the fifth floor, there was almost no one in sight.

"Your Highness, the Library Pavilion has nine floors in total. The first through third floors contain miscellaneous knowledge such as the continent's general history, geography, local records, foundational Soul Master theory, and common soul beast illustrations, as well as Yellow-tier and Mysterious-tier cultivation methods and soul skills," Yue Guan explained quietly as they walked. "The fourth through sixth floors contain more profound Soul Master theories, Martial Soul research notes, high-level Soul Master cultivation insights, some Earth-tier cultivation methods and soul skills, and detailed records concerning rare soul beasts, heavenly treasures, and special secret realms. They even include some... forbidden knowledge." He paused and gave Yang Yu a meaningful look. "By Your Majesty's decree, Your Highness may freely browse the first six floors without time or content restrictions. But remember, some knowledge contains spiritual imprints or special restrictions. If you feel unwell, stop immediately and inform me."

As he spoke, they reached the entrance to the sixth floor. The guards here had been replaced by two old men in dark gold robes with profound auras. They were actually Soul Douluo-level experts! When they saw Yue Guan, they only nodded faintly in acknowledgment, their eyes lingering on Yang Yu with scrutiny.

Yue Guan displayed a violet-gold token. After inspecting it, the two old men stepped aside.

The sixth floor was much smaller than those below, with only a dozen enormous bookshelves. Their material was neither metal nor jade, and they emitted a warm luster. The number of books and scrolls on the shelves had sharply decreased, but every one of them appeared exceptionally heavy and ancient. Some were protected by light barriers, while others emitted faint energy fluctuations. The air was so quiet that a falling needle could be heard.

"Your Highness, please make yourself at home. I will be in the meditation room by the entrance. Call for me if you need anything." Yue Guan pointed at a closed stone door nearby.

"Thank you, Elder Ju." Yang Yu nodded, his gaze already eagerly fixed upon the bookshelves. Knowledge! This was what he needed most right now! His modern soul made him understand that in this world, strength was certainly important, but information gaps and a reserve of knowledge were the true cheat codes! The original plot would change with his arrival, and the advantage of foreknowledge would gradually weaken. He had to understand this world's true rules as quickly as possible, especially knowledge concerning Martial Souls, soul power, soul rings, and even gods!

He walked to the nearest bookshelf and casually pulled out a thick book whose cover was made from some kind of black beast hide. The title was written in ancient characters that he did not recognize, but when he opened the first page, a faint spiritual fluctuation came from it. The words seemed to come alive, directly transforming in his mind into the Douluo common tongue he could understand—Probing the Origins of Martial Souls (Fragment) · Notes of the Seventh Director of the Star Luo Empire Martial Soul Research Institute.

Yang Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately immersed himself in it.

Time quietly passed. Yang Yu devoured knowledge hungrily. He read broadly, from the most foundational analysis of the nature of soul power to speculative theories concerning the deeper principles of Martial Soul Fusion Skills, then to charts detailing the habits and weaknesses of various rare soul beasts, and even scattered records about legends of gods and the Power of Faith... An immense amount of information poured into his mind. The thought patterns of a modern person and the advantage of his powerful spiritual strength were fully displayed at this moment. Unlike the Soul Masters of the original work, who treated certain theories as unquestionable truths—such as Yu Xiaogang's system—he examined, analyzed, and verified them with a critical eye.

"Hm? It says here that the limit for absorbing soul rings is not only closely related to physical fitness, but also greatly connected to soul strength and the quality of one's Martial Soul Origin? It even says that through special secret techniques, one can draw upon the source power within a soul beast's remnant soul during absorption to strengthen one's Martial Soul itself? This is completely different from Yu Xiaogang's rigid theory about age limits..." Yang Yu flipped through a yellowed notebook, his brows furrowing as he sank into thought. Yu Xiaogang's theories seemed... far too one-sided and idealistic?

Just as he was immersed in the sea of knowledge.

Tap, tap, tap...

A faint set of footsteps, deliberately slowed, came from the staircase.

Yang Yu did not even look up.

A pink head poked out from the stairwell. It was Hu Liena. When she saw that Yang Yu was indeed here, a trace of smugness flashed through her fox eyes. She tiptoed in and looked around. Finding that there was no one on this floor except Yang Yu, and that Elder Yue Guan was nowhere in sight, her courage immediately grew.

She walked to a bookshelf beside Yang Yu, pretended to pull out a thick book, then hugged it as she shuffled over to him. She plopped down onto the thick carpet on the floor less than half a meter away from him.

Yang Yu frowned but ignored her and continued reading.

"Hey, brat." Hu Liena lowered her voice and nudged Yang Yu with her elbow.

Yang Yu did not move.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Hu Liena nudged him again, using a little more force this time.

Yang Yu finally closed his book and turned to look at her, his eyes calm and undisturbed. "What is it?"

Hu Liena felt inexplicably guilty under his gaze, but she quickly puffed out her small chest. "Of course there's something! You still haven't told me what ability you used in the Training Ground! How did you do it? And why did Teacher take you as a disciple? She even made you the Holy Son? What exactly is your Martial Soul? Tell me already!"

She finished in one breath, staring unblinkingly at Yang Yu with complete curiosity.

"Teacher accepted me naturally because of my talent." Yang Yu's tone was flat, as though he were merely stating a fact. "As for my Martial Souls and abilities, Teacher has her own arrangements. It is not convenient to say more." With that, he picked up his book and prepared to move somewhere else.

"Hey! Don't go!" Hu Liena panicked and grabbed Yang Yu's sleeve. "You miser! Just tell me! I won't tell anyone else! Look, my teacher is the Empress too, so we're fellow disciples. What's wrong with exchanging a few words?" She began trying to act familiar with him.

Yang Yu looked at the small hand clutching his sleeve, his brow furrowing even more. This girl was really clingy.

"Let go." His voice turned colder.

"I won't!" Hu Liena gripped him even tighter and deliberately leaned a little closer. Her beautiful fox eyes flickered, and an extremely faint spiritual ripple carrying a seductive aura quietly spread out, attempting to influence Yang Yu's mind. This was the passive talent of her Demon Fox Martial Soul. Though it was still weak, it was usually unbeatable against people her age.

However, the moment that seductive ripple touched Yang Yu, the phantom of the Dragon of Eternity and Time deep within his body seemed to take offense and released a low dragon roar that only Yang Yu himself could hear! A majestic aura originating from the source of time and space, one that stood above all things, instantly rebounded!

"Mm!" Hu Liena's delicate body suddenly trembled! It was as though an invisible giant hammer had struck her soul! Her seductive ripple was instantly shattered into pieces, while an icy, majestic terror, like the fear of facing an ancient beast, instantly seized her heart! Her face turned white. The hand clutching Yang Yu's sleeve let go as though shocked by lightning. She stumbled back several steps, then fell onto the carpet with a thud. Her eyes stared at Yang Yu in terror, her little face deathly pale and her chest rising and falling violently.

The terror she had felt in that instant had nearly made her scream!

Yang Yu gave her a cold glance, his gaze carrying a warning. She dared use spiritual seduction on him? She truly did not know the difference between life and death. If not for the fact that she was Bibi Dong's disciple, the Dragon of Time's counterattack just now would have been enough to make her suffer.

He ignored Hu Liena, who sat there stunned with fright, hugged his book, and walked straight toward a more secluded corner deep within the Library Pavilion.

Hu Liena sat on the floor, staring at Yang Yu's disappearing back among the shelves. It took her a long time to recover. She touched her heart, which was still pounding wildly, feeling shocked, afraid, and angry all at once. This brat... what kind of monster was he?! His eyes... and that aura just now... were too frightening!

She bit her lip, her expression complicated. This was the first time she had suffered such a huge setback before someone her own age, and in the spiritual field she was best at! A powerful unwillingness and an even more intense curiosity began to grow wildly within her heart.

"Hmph! Yang Yu, right? I'll remember you!" She climbed to her feet, dusted off her skirt, and her fox eyes flashed with an unyielding light. "Just wait and see!"