Nine Nether Spirit Flame Art

After everyone had entered the Space Lock, Hu Gan first respectfully bowed to Elder Qian Bai, who sat cross-legged on the ground, before saying, "I'll have to trouble you two Elders!"

"Mm." The two academy guardians did not move in the slightest; only a hoarse response came from them.

Seeing that Elder Qian Bai had nothing more to say, Hu Gan turned to Liu Xi and the others. "You may enter the Scripture Library on your own now. However, everything inside is covered by an Energy Layer. If your hand can pass through the Energy Layer without obstruction, then you may take the item within. If you cannot pass through the Energy Layer to retrieve it, give up as soon as possible. This is not something you can break."

"Furthermore, no matter how many items you manage to take out, you may only bring one away from the Library Pavilion. Do not be greedy, or you may end up leaving empty-handed! Over the years, quite a few people have entered the Scripture Library only to leave with nothing. Remember this—do not be greedy!"

After hearing this, Liu Xi and the others nodded. They exchanged glances, then followed Liu Xi's lead toward the Scripture Library.

After climbing the Bluestone Stairs and arriving before the Scripture Library's entrance, they looked at the plaque above the doors bearing the words "Scripture Library."

The plaque was somewhat weathered, yet it carried a soul-stirring force that filled everyone's hearts with an inexplicable desolation. Even Liu Xi, whose soul was resilient, was not spared.

"Go in! The door will only remain open for one hour. After an hour, whether or not you have obtained what you need, you must come out!" one of the Gray-robed Men said. At the same time, he flicked his sleeve, sending out an invisible ripple as the Scripture Library's doors slowly opened.

The doors gradually opened, revealing a pitch-black passageway. An ancient, desolate aura rushed toward them. Having only just recovered from their dazed state, everyone hurriedly steadied their minds.

Liu Xi stared at the passage with burning eyes. Taking a deep breath, he was the first to enter, with the others close behind.

Knowing they had only one hour, Liu Xi and the others immediately used Movement Dou Techniques. In less than three minutes, they arrived at an area shrouded in pale yellow light.

Once their eyes adjusted, they looked around and found themselves in an exceedingly spacious chamber. Along the walls were nearly a dozen Energy Shields, each slowly pulsing with light and illuminating the room as brightly as day.

"So this is where the Scripture Library keeps its treasures. But where are the treasures?" Wang Shan, who looked rather simple-minded, was the first to speak, his face full of confusion.

"The Vice Principal said the treasures are wrapped in Energy Shields. Does that mean we have to enter them?" Shui Rou'er, the only woman among them, pointed at the enormous Energy Shields around them as she guessed aloud.

Liu Xi naturally knew how to obtain the treasures, but he did not explain further. Instead, he focused and listened carefully to the sounds around the room.

"Something's coming!" Liu Xi said, his spirits lifting as he caught a faint sound of something slicing through the air.

Though the sound was faint, everyone present was at least a Da Dou Shi. At Liu Xi's reminder, the four of them collected themselves slightly and soon heard it as well.

Before long, a pale green ball of light shot out from one of the Energy Shields. Liu Xi, the first to react, leaped into the air and caught it in his hand in a single rise and fall.

Liu Xi's palm passed smoothly through the ball of light and closed around a scroll. Opening it, he read aloud, "Azure Wood Cultivation, Mysterious Tier Intermediate Cultivation Method."

At the same time, following the first ball of light, one glowing orb after another continuously flew out from the dozen or so Energy Shields around the room. Seeing that the first orb Liu Xi caught contained a Mysterious Tier cultivation method, the other four were already excited. Now, witnessing this scene, they eagerly rushed off to intercept the light orbs.

Seeing that it was a Wood Attribute cultivation method, Liu Xi tossed the scroll away. The flying scroll transformed into a ball of light once more and shot back into one of the Energy Shields.

Liu Xi no longer blindly grabbed at the light orbs. Instead, he watched every orb that flew out, releasing his Spiritual Power and extending his Soul Perception to its limit as he searched for a blazing orb that might contain a Fire Attribute cultivation method.

As the seconds passed, Liu Xi sensed a ball of light filled with scorching heat emerge from an Energy Shield behind him. He immediately turned, leaped up, and grabbed at it. Although he felt a slight resistance from the orb, he exerted force with his fingers and once again grasped a scroll.

"Nine Yang Cultivation, Mysterious Tier High-Level Cultivation Method." Liu Xi looked at the scroll with a bitter smile. This was already the most scorching light orb he had sensed so far.

He squeezed the scroll tightly and once more used his Spiritual Power to sense the light orbs. Liu Xi was beginning to feel disappointed. I remember there should be at least a mid-level Earth Tier Nine Layered Phoenix Fire Art. Did I miss it?

At that moment, Liu Xi sensed a ball of light that contained chilling cold amid its blazing heat. It immediately drew his full attention. He turned to look at a dark blue orb flying out from an Energy Shield to his front left.

Liu Xi pushed off the ground and shot toward the dark blue orb, grabbing it and landing on the floor.

This dark blue ball of light gave Liu Xi an extremely strange feeling. In his perception, it was blazing heat mixed with bone-chilling cold, yet his right hand, which held the orb, felt incomparably frigid!

Liu Xi directly mobilized the blazing Dou Qi within his body, sending it surging toward his right hand to suppress the cold sensation. Then he forcefully reached for the scroll inside the orb. This time, the resistance was even stronger than that of the high-level Mysterious Tier Nine Yang Cultivation, but beneath the sweep of Liu Xi's blazing Dou Qi, he still successfully grabbed the scroll.

"Nine Nether Spirit Flame Art, Earth Tier Intermediate Cultivation Method. It takes from Heaven and Earth's abundance to make up for one's own deficiencies; supremely yin and cold, supremely yang and fierce." Looking at the scroll, Liu Xi could no longer suppress his excitement. He could not help but laugh softly as he directly threw away the high-level Mysterious Tier Nine Yang Cultivation.

It turned out that once someone cultivated the Nine Nether Spirit Flame Art, the Meridians in their body would continuously devour heat from the outside world, strengthening the might of their Fire Attribute Dou Qi.

Moreover, when fighting others, not only could they unleash stronger Fire Attribute Dou Qi, they could also continuously plunder their opponent's heat. Such an attack method was impossible to guard against.

The formidable power described in the scroll made Liu Xi want to study it immediately, but now was not the time.

By then, more than half of the hour had passed. Liu Xi put away the cultivation method scroll and looked toward the other four. Smiling, he asked, "How were everyone's gains?"

"Judging from that smile of yours, Master Liu Xi, you must have gotten something incredible! Sigh, I gained something too, but I still can't break that strange Illusion Technique of yours!" Shui Rou'er was the first to speak. Her watery eyes stared at Liu Xi as she spoke in a tone that seemed both gentle and aggrieved.

Liu Xi felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze and could only laugh awkwardly twice. Fortunately, the simple-minded Wang Shan spoke up and eased his embarrassment.

"Liu Xi, once I master this Dou Technique, I'll definitely be able to defeat you!" Wang Shan shouted excitedly at Liu Xi, waving the scroll in his hand.

"Fine, no problem. I'll wait for you to challenge me!" Liu Xi immediately replied.

Liu Lingfeng and Lin Chen said nothing, but both wore smiles as well. Evidently, they were very satisfied with what they had gained this time.

As the hour was nearly up, Liu Xi and the others, having obtained treasures they were satisfied with, could not wait to leave.

One hour after Liu Xi and the others entered the Scripture Library, its doors opened once more, and everyone emerged with smiles on their faces.

At that moment, one of the Gray-robed Men suddenly shifted his sleeve slightly. Immediately afterward, Liu Xi and the others sensed a vast and majestic invisible energy sweep across their bodies, its strength utterly terrifying.

The invisible energy did not linger long. After only a dozen or so breaths, it receded like a tide until it completely vanished.

"Time is up. Leave now. Remember, you must not reveal a single word of what happened here today, including anything concerning the interior of the Library Pavilion, to anyone." A hoarse, aged voice slowly drifted from the doorway.

At those words, Liu Xi and the other four nodded one after another.

"You're all out?" Seeing the five emerge, Hu Gan, who had been standing before the pavilion, smiled. "None of you came out empty-handed, right?"

Liu Xi and the others nodded.

"That's good. Whether what you obtained suits your wishes or not, at least you gained something." Hu Gan smiled, then slightly bowed toward the two academy guardians beside the doors. "Since these little ones have already come out, I shall not disturb the two Elders' cultivation any longer. Farewell."

The two Gray-robed Men still showed no response to Hu Gan's words, but Hu Gan did not mind. He waved at Liu Xi and the others. "Come with me."

Liu Xi and the others also bowed to the two Gray-robed Men before following Hu Gan away.

"Stay close to me. Do not touch those spatial wrinkles, or even I won't be able to save you." Just before passing through the invisible doorframe, Hu Gan turned his head and gave them a warning. Then he carefully stepped forward, passing through the doorway with one foot. Liu Xi and the others followed cautiously behind, not daring to make the slightest unnecessary movement.

After Hu Gan and the others safely passed through the invisible doorframe, an invisible energy slowly brushed past them. Moments later, an extremely solid wall of spatial wrinkles appeared once more, sealing the Library Pavilion behind it.

The two Gray-robed Men had vanished as well. When they appeared again, it would likely be when the top five of next year's Inner Court Selection Tournament had been decided.