Myriad Scrolls Pavilion

The small courtyard was deathly silent.

Qin Jue sat cross-legged on the bed, his chest rising and falling ever so slightly. With each breath, the air around him seemed to form a tiny vortex. After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and let out a breath of stale air.

"Hundred Refinements Third Layer. Still too weak."

Qin Jue lowered his head to look at his hands, his brows faintly furrowed.

The battle yesterday had seemed like an easy victory, but in truth, it had been perilous. Ning Zhiyuan might have been arrogant, but his Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer cultivation was the real deal. His final move, Rippling Waves Third Strike, had packed a force of two thousand catties!

If Qin Jue hadn't possessed the Void Clarity Sword Heart, which let him spot that split-second pause in Ning Zhiyuan's moves, then in a head-on clash, Qin Jue would probably be the one lying on the ground now.

Thinking back to the shattered iron sword in the Martial Arena, Qin Jue couldn't help shaking his head.

That sword had been made of ordinary iron, the sort you could buy for ten Gold Coins on the street. When he'd used Tide Surging Stance, the force he'd unleashed in an instant had been terrifying. Ordinary iron simply couldn't withstand the combined infusion of qi and blood and force. The fact that it had held together until the battle was over was already its limit.

"An ordinary Mundane Iron Sword conducts qi and blood and force very inefficiently. Infuse it with ten parts of force, and at most it can bring seven parts to bear. The other three are lost in transmission, and the strain can even damage the sword itself."

"If I had a Hundred-Refined Steel Sword, even a mid-grade Mundane Artifact, I wouldn't have had to struggle so much to break Ning Zhiyuan's blade technique."

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools.

For a martial artist, a weapon was a second life.

Qin Jue reached into his robe and took out the green Identity Jade Token. As a thread of qi and blood flowed into it, a faint glow spread across its surface, and a line of numbers appeared clearly:

[Battle Merit: 186]

Of those 186 Battle Merit points, 160 had been carved from Ning Zhiyuan.

"186 points..."

Qin Jue lightly rubbed the token with his fingers, quickly working out the numbers in his head.

At Qingcang Academy, Battle Merit was a symbol of a disciple's status and privileges. The higher one's Battle Merit, the better one's treatment at the academy and the more advanced the resources one could access.

"According to the academy's rules, once your Battle Merit exceeds 100 points, you can borrow cultivation arts from the first floor of Myriad Scrolls Pavilion."

"And 160 points is a watershed."

Qin Jue recalled what was written in the Outer Court Disciple Codex: "Any disciple who reaches 160 Battle Merit points may borrow two martial techniques or cultivation arts per month from the first floor of Myriad Scrolls Pavilion. The first time a disciple reaches this threshold, they may also claim one free mid-grade Mundane Artifact weapon from Hundred Refinements Workshop."

"186 points. That's enough."

That meant he could not only get a suitable weapon for free, but also choose two cultivation arts that caught his eye from Myriad Scrolls Pavilion.

"First Myriad Scrolls Pavilion, then Hundred Refinements Workshop to claim a sword."

Qin Jue stood and tidied his clothes.

Now that he had Battle Merit, he naturally had to turn it into strength as soon as possible.

He walked out of the small courtyard into the glaring sunlight.

Qin Jue followed the bluestone path deeper into the academy.

After passing several halls, the ground gradually rose. As he reached a turn in a covered walkway, he abruptly stopped.

This was one of the high points of the Outer Prefecture, known as Star Gazing Platform.

From here, one could look down over all of Qingcang Academy and even see Skywind Martial City at the foot of the mountain.

Qin Jue walked to the railing and gazed into the distance.

Qingcang Academy was built against the mountain, its imposing halls of blue-green stone scattered in orderly rows. Beyond the academy, Skywind Martial City crouched upon the earth like a colossal beast. The city was bustling, and the towering, hundred-zhang Four Seas Pavilion gleamed with gold and jade. It was where merchants gathered. To the west, the Hundred Battles Martial Training Ground seethed with killing intent, a place where martial artists staked their lives.

Farther away, at the edge of his vision, stretched the endless black peaks of the Dragon Severing Mountain Range.

Though it lay thousands of miles away, Qin Jue could still feel the terrifying aura emanating from the range. Heavy dark clouds hung over its peaks year-round, and flashes of lightning flickered within. It was a forbidden zone for humanity and a paradise for Fierce Beasts.

They said that deep in the Dragon Severing Mountain Range, calamity beasts on par with human cultivators of the Divine Palace Realm lay in wait. A single breath from one could destroy an entire city.

"Huangwu Divine Dynasty... Xuanhuang Domain..."

Qin Jue mused to himself as fragments of his predecessor's memories surged through his mind.

Skywind Martial City might be prosperous, but on the map of the entire Huangwu Divine Dynasty, it was no more than a grain of sand on the southeastern frontier. And the Huangwu Divine Dynasty itself was but a drop in the ocean of the vast, boundless Xuanhuang Domain.

"In my past life on Blue Star, the laws of heaven and earth put a limit on us. Even at the peak of what a mortal body could achieve, one could fight no more than a hundred men. But this world is full of limitless possibilities."

In this world, martial cultivation could reach the divine.

Upon entering the Nascent Core Realm, the dantian became an ocean, and primordial power condensed into a core. One's lifespan could reach two hundred years.

As for the mighty figures of the Divine Palace Realm, their divine sense could leave their bodies, allowing them to seize objects from a distance and control flying swords. A single release of their divine might could make the weak buckle at the knees, while even the strong felt their limbs bound, as if they were fighting against the momentum of heaven and earth.

"Below the Nascent Core Realm, all are ants. Beyond the Divine Palace, the heavens remain unseen."

Qin Jue murmured softly.

What was there to gloat about after defeating one Ning Zhiyuan?

In the eyes of those Outer Court disciples who had never seen beyond their own little well, yesterday's battle might have been earth-shattering. But to true powerhouses, it would be no more than two children rolling about in the mud—not even worthy of post-meal conversation.

"The road ahead is long."

Myriad Scrolls Pavilion stood at the very center of the academy, its seven-story tower rising majestically, with sweeping eaves and interlocking brackets.

Qin Jue had just stepped onto the bluestone plaza before the pavilion when a slippery voice called out from the side.

"Well, if it isn't Qin Jue, the man who broke a thousand waves with one sword and is now famous throughout the Outer Prefecture! Brother Qin, what a pleasure! I've heard so much about you!"

Before the words had even ended, the speaker was already standing before him.

A youth in a drab gray robe, a chipped wine gourd swinging from his waist, blocked Qin Jue's path with a beaming grin.

Qin Jue furrowed his brows and stopped short. His right hand had already reached for the empty space at his waist. His sword might have been broken, but the alertness he'd honed over sixty years was carved into his bones.

"Hey, hey, hey! Brother Qin, hold your fire! We're on the same side!"

The youth recoiled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, hunching his neck and waving both hands frantically. A fawning smile spread across his face. "This little brother is Mo Xingkong, just an Outer Court Disciple. I've long admired you, Brother Qin. I came especially to pay my respects. I mean you no harm at all!"

Only then did Qin Jue look the newcomer up and down.

The young man appeared to be eighteen or nineteen. His features were utterly unremarkable, the sort of face that would disappear in a crowd. His clothes were plain, and he looked like a good-for-nothing.

But with one glance, Qin Jue spotted something amiss. The man's stance seemed casual, but his feet secretly aligned with the Eight Trigrams. His lower body was as steady as bedrock. He had clearly trained in some highly refined movement technique.

"Interesting."

Qin Jue took his hand away from his waist, his expression unchanged. "What is it?"

Mo Xingkong edged closer with the familiarity of an old friend and lowered his voice. "Brother Qin, that battle you fought in the Martial Arena yesterday really made us proud! That Tide Surging Sword Strike—tsk, amazing! Everyone in the Outer Prefecture's talking about you now. They say you're a ruthless, hidden talent, and you even beat a stuck-up bastard like Ning Zhiyuan into a dead dog!"

At the words "dead dog," Mo Xingkong wore a gleeful look.

Qin Jue wasn't swayed by his flattery. He merely said, "I was lucky."

"Lucky? Now you're just being modest, Brother Qin."

Mo Xingkong pursed his lips, giving him a look that said, Don't try to fool me. "Can luck beat a Jade Bone Realm cultivator at the Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer so badly that he coughs blood and passes out? Ning Zhiyuan may be a lousy person, but his Hundred Bones Thunderous Sound Art isn't made of paper. If you breaking through his defenses was luck, then I'd like to try my luck too."

Seeing that Qin Jue wasn't responding, Mo Xingkong's eyes shifted. He suddenly dropped his grin and leaned in closer, putting on a mysterious air.

"But, Brother Qin, as your friend, I should give you a warning."

Mo Xingkong's voice fell so low only the two of them could hear. "You won this time, but you've also stirred up a hornet's nest. That kid Ning Zhiyuan is petty and vengeful. After losing face so badly, he definitely won't let it go. And..."

He pointed toward the Inner Court, hinting at something. "Ning Zhiyuan dares to throw his weight around in the Outer Prefecture not only because of the Ning Family, but also because of Senior Brother Li Changfeng in the Inner Court. You struck Ning Zhiyuan in the face, which means you've slighted Li Changfeng too."

At this, Qin Jue's eyes narrowed slightly.

Li Changfeng.

The name was naturally in his predecessor's memories. A prodigy ranked among the Inner Court's top ten, he had supposedly already reached the Hundred Refinements Ninth Layer and was a true force to be reckoned with.

"Thanks for the warning."

Qin Jue glanced at Mo Xingkong, his tone softening a little.

He didn't know why Mo Xingkong had gone out of his way to tell him this, but the warning did have some value.

"Hey, don't mention it!"

Seeing that Qin Jue had taken his advice to heart, Mo Xingkong beamed. The slight stiffness in his manner vanished at once, and his streetwise air resurfaced.

"Well... Brother Qin, since we're friends now, I won't keep anything from you."

Mo Xingkong rubbed his hands together. With the look of a shrewd merchant, he pulled a crumpled little booklet from his robe. "I may not be much in a fight, but when it comes to gathering information, no one in the Outer Prefecture dares claim second place. Whether it's what a senior sister likes, the inside scoop on Deacon Hall bounties, or the Black Market auction list, if there's something Brother Qin wants to know, I've got it!"

"If you ever want to buy information, just come to me. I'll give you the friend price—twenty percent off. How about it?"

Qin Jue looked at Mo Xingkong, and something stirred within him.

Information.

It was indeed what he lacked most right now.

He had only just arrived, and most of what he knew about this world came from his predecessor's limited memories. He was completely in the dark about many hidden rules, the distribution of factions, and how to obtain resources.

And although Mo Xingkong looked slippery, his eyes were clear. He didn't seem like a wicked man. Besides, his movement technique was impressive. He was clearly a clever fellow who knew how to avoid danger and seek advantage.

Doing business with a clever man was often less troublesome than befriending a fool.

"Fine."

Qin Jue nodded. "If I need anything, I'll come to you. As long as the information is accurate, I'll trade you resources of equal value."

"Deal! Brother Qin, you're generous!"

At the words "resources of equal value," Mo Xingkong's eyes lit up like candle flames in the dark. He took a swig from the wine gourd at his waist and cupped his hands toward Qin Jue. "I won't keep you from picking out treasures at Myriad Scrolls Pavilion, then. See you around!"

With that, the fellow slipped away, darting into the crowd like a loach. His movement was so strange and nimble that the people nearby only saw a blur before he vanished.

"Flowing Cloud Movement Technique..."

Qin Jue watched the direction in which Mo Xingkong had disappeared, deep in thought.

The technique was only Mortal Tier Mid-grade, but when Mo Xingkong used it, it flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water. He had clearly practiced it for a long time.

"The Outer Prefecture is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, after all."

Qin Jue withdrew his gaze and turned to face the imposing Myriad Scrolls Pavilion.

The immense tower was built entirely of black ironwood, and it gave off a scent that blended sandalwood with ink and books. A huge plaque hung above the entrance, bearing the three gilded characters "Myriad Scrolls Pavilion," their powerful strokes faintly radiating an imposing pressure.