The Daozang was said to number three thousand volumes. Most cultivation clans didn't have anywhere near that many books, but the Kunlun Taiqing Sect naturally did.
So, for the next several days, Qiu Changtian spent all his time wandering the Scripture Depository's Daozang Hall, studying Daoist theory with such dedication that even exam grinders would have been frightened.
Since he had no intention of showing off in front of Junior Sister Xu, the synchronization value of his Invincible Persona kept plummeting, until even looking at it made him nervous.
The news even reached Ziwei Sect Master. After one of his lectures, he mentioned it in passing and advised Qiu Changtian "not to lose himself in empty talk" and asked, "Are you trying to become one of those dullards from Yuqing Temple?" Qiu Changtian could only laugh helplessly.
After the lecture, Xu Yinglian found Qiu Changtian and asked,
"Have you taken an interest in the Daozang lately?"
"More or less." In a hurry to get to the Scripture Depository and study, Qiu Changtian gave her a perfunctory answer. "Why?"
"I grew up at home and never had many hobbies. I only read and played the zither." Xu Yinglian spoke with cool composure. "The Daozang has three thousand volumes. I wouldn't claim to know them by heart, but I've read through most of them several times."
Her expression was reserved and aloof, but her eyes shone brightly. She might as well have written "Please ask me for help" across her face.
Qiu Changtian gave an "Oh," then hurried toward the Scripture Depository.
Xu Yinglian: ?
She hastily hurried after him and said,
"If you're unfamiliar with the Daozang, Senior Brother, you can ask me! Wouldn't it be better to have someone give you the main points than to read aimlessly?"
Qiu Changtian stopped. She had a point, he thought. He was about to say, "Then I'll ask Junior Sister for guidance," when the Kunlun Mirror hurriedly cut in:
"Be careful! If you say something that doesn't fit your persona, the Mirror Flower Water Moon synchronization value will drop sharply!"
Qiu Changtian hurriedly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, then put on a disdainful expression, as if to say, "You?"
Xu Yinglian's blood pressure shot up. She said coldly,
"Or are you afraid to admit that I know more about the Daozang than you do, Senior Brother? How about this: ask me anything you like. If there's even one question I can't answer, you win. What do you say?"
Seeing how eager she was for a fight, Qiu Changtian sighed inwardly.
Why was Junior Sister Xu so stubborn?
Sigh. Being her senior brother really was exhausting.
When Qiu Changtian fell silent, Xu Yinglian simply sneered.
"What is it? Don't tell me you're afraid, Senior Brother."
Qiu Changtian smiled faintly and asked,
"What scriptures are included in each of the Three Caverns of the Daozang?"
"Hah, that's an easy one." Xu Yinglian answered fluently, without a moment's hesitation. "Cavern means 'penetrating.' There are three branches that penetrate the mysteries and reach the sublime, hence the name Three Caverns. First, Dongzhen; second, Dongxuan; third, Dongshen."
"The Eight Su True Scripture says: The Supreme One's Dao has three; the Upper True Dao has seven; the Middle True Dao has six; the Lower True Dao has eight. That makes twenty-four scriptures in all, namely..."
She rattled off the names of all twenty-four books as if reciting a menu, then raised her chin haughtily and asked,
"Was I right, Senior Brother?"
"I'll grant you that one." Qiu Changtian gave a slight nod, then asked, "Let me test you again. What's the difference between the Three Caverns?"
"What's so difficult about that?" Xu Yinglian smiled radiantly, like a spring breeze brushing across the land as a hundred flowers bloomed.
"The Original Foundation Scripture says: Any scripture that contains the twelve divisions and corresponds to the Three Caverns is called the true Dharma. Dongzhen takes 'unmixed' as its meaning, Dongxuan 'unimpeded' as its name, and Dongshen 'unfathomable' as its function..."
They walked side by side as Qiu Changtian asked and Xu Yinglian answered. He would say, "Let me ask you this," or "One more question," while she replied, "That's easy," or "What's so difficult?" Before they knew it, they had reached the Scripture Depository and spent several hours inside.
Xu Yinglian hadn't been boasting. She really did know the Daozang exceedingly well.
Whenever Qiu Changtian asked a question, she could usually answer at once, taking no more than a few seconds to think at most.
After answering, she would hear Qiu Changtian say, "I'll grant you that one," and break into a delighted, pure smile. Even the gloom between her brows would lift.
Qiu Changtian studied her expression and realized that most of the flaws in her Dao Heart had been mended. He couldn't help but nod to himself.
Junior Sister, your senior brother has done so much for you. If you're troubled by inner demons again later, don't blame me.
"That's enough studying for today." Qiu Changtian closed the book.
Xu Yinglian had talked until her mouth was dry. She licked her lips unconsciously and asked, reluctant to leave,
"That's it? So you're admitting defeat, Senior Brother?"
Qiu Changtian didn't answer. He simply rose unhurriedly and smiled faintly.
Sorry, Junior Sister. If not for the synchronization value, what would it matter if I admitted defeat to you every day?
But the synchronization value for my Invincible Persona has already naturally dropped to 77%.
What if I admit defeat out loud and it falls straight through 60%?
Admitting defeat to you? Not a chance. Not in this lifetime.
Seeing that her senior brother wouldn't say anything, Xu Yinglian took it as a tacit admission and immediately beamed.
"Senior Brother, I won this time."
"Let's head back to Jinling," Qiu Changtian said, evading her claim.
"Mm-hmm. I won."
The two left Yuxu Palace and took flight on their swords.
Seeing that Xu Yinglian was still smiling, Qiu Changtian sensed something was off and casually said,
"The wind is awfully noisy tonight."
"Perhaps it's cheering because Senior Brother lost to me." Xu Yinglian actually played along.
Qiu Changtian: ...
"I wonder how our junior brothers and sisters are doing," he said, changing the subject. "Have they settled into their new cave mansion?"
"If they keep losing a few more times, I'm sure they'll soon get used to cultivation life," Xu Yinglian said with a smile.
"Junior Sister, could you stop bringing that up all the time?" Qiu Changtian asked helplessly.
"Sure. Just say this sentence to me out loud, and I won't mention it again." Xu Yinglian spoke up brightly, full of enthusiasm. "Say: On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the Scripture Depository of Kunlun's Yuxu Palace, Qiu Changtian lost a debate on the Dao to Xu Yinglian."
"Come on, say it for me." She urged him excitedly.
Qiu Changtian: ...
Junior Sister, you really weren't cute at all.
Ignoring Xu Yinglian's hopeful gaze, Qiu Changtian refused to admit he'd lost all the way back to Jinling Cave Mansion, then left under his junior sister's sulky stare.
Back in his cave mansion, Qiu Changtian said calmly,
"A Jing, I want to reload!"
[Time until World Destruction: one thousand years.]
[Hurry and search for the Sky Mending Stone.]
The Kunlun Mirror intoned mechanically:
[Location three: Penglai Yuqing Temple, Daozang Pavilion.]
[Character identity: Luo Yan.]
[Applying Mirror Flower Water Moon template. Beginning time-space traversal.]
Luo Yan slowly raised his eyelids and saw that he was standing in front of a bookshelf, lost in thought.
He quickly pulled a copy of the Yuqing Hidden Book from the shelf. His gaze swept over a passage, and the entire text instantly surfaced in his mind.
With Qiu Changtian's Clear Dao Heart and diligent study, he had already memorized all twenty-four scriptures.
His discussions with Xu Yinglian had also given him a basic understanding of their meaning.
All that remained was to review the material once more and wait for the final exam!
Outside the Daozang Pavilion, Shi Liuli paced back and forth in boredom, wondering how her junior brother was doing inside.
Goodness, would any other senior brother or sister care this much about a junior brother who hadn't even joined the sect yet?
Well, there was nothing she could do about it. She was just such a responsible young lady...
"Junior Sister Liuli!" Several passing senior sisters called to her. "A new batch of Beauty-Nourishing Pills just went on sale at the market in Fanghu. Apparently, they're only available today, and they're selling like hotcakes. They're about to sell out. Want to come with us?"
"Only today?" Shi Liuli's eyes lit up. "They're about to sell out?"
In that instant, the responsible senior sister, the junior brother taking an exam—all of it vanished from her mind.
"Let's go, let's go! Right now! Count me in!"
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