Entering the Library Pavilion

The spacious, brightly lit room was lined with crisscrossing bookshelves filled with all manner of ancient books, giving it a rich scholarly atmosphere.

Before a broad desk stood five figures—the top five of this Inner Academy Selection Competition: Xiao Ling, Lin Xiuyai, Liu Qing, Han Yue, and Lin Yan.

"Not bad. You are all the most talented students of our Outer Academy, but remember that the Inner Academy is not like the Outer Academy. Those who can enter it are all geniuses like yourselves. And in the Inner Academy, strength reigns supreme. Whoever has the harder fist gets the best cultivation conditions. Therefore, students who enter the Inner Academy generally form groups. If they do not, their ends are usually far from pleasant!" Hu Gan said solemnly as he looked at the five before him.

"Rest assured, Vice Principal Hu Gan. The few of us have already decided to establish a faction in the Inner Academy. We definitely won't let anyone bully us," Lin Xiuyai interjected at once.

Hearing this, Hu Gan nodded and said kindly, "You are all rare geniuses of Jia Nan Academy. Once you reach the Inner Academy, you will certainly be able to look after yourselves. Before long, your faction will surely become the number one faction in the Inner Academy."

No longer dwelling on the matter, Hu Gan rose to his feet and said to them, "Come with me. I'll take you into the Library Pavilion to choose your treasures."

Hu Gan then walked over to a wall of black stone. With a wave of his hand, he released an invisible ripple. The wall opened, revealing a pitch-black passage.

Hu Gan stepped inside first, and Xiao Ling and the others followed one after another.

After entering the passage, they found large luminous pearls embedded in its walls. Their faint glow was somewhat hazy, but it was more than enough light for everyone present.

After walking through the passage for roughly half an hour, a point of light finally appeared at its end. At the sight of it, the people in the passage quickened their pace. A moment later, they finally reached the end and stepped out.

Blinding sunlight poured down from the sky, making them narrow their eyes involuntarily. After a long while, they slowly opened them. At the sight before them, astonishment filled their faces.

Before them was clearly a valley basin. Its steep mountain walls stretched upward until they vanished beyond the limits of sight. Between the three sheer cliffs lay an extremely broad open space, and upon it stood a massive, heavy, ancient pavilion so enormous that it left one speechless.

Their gazes slowly swept over the enormous ancient pavilion before finally settling upon an exceedingly old plaque outside it. Three characters, worn blurry by the passage of time, faintly emerged upon its surface.

"Library Pavilion!"

Though the ancient lettering had endured the ravages of time, Xiao Ling and the others were still shocked by the archaic aura contained within those words. As expected of the mysterious Library Pavilion of Jia Nan Academy's Outer Academy—this plaque alone proclaimed its status.

Hu Gan led everyone slowly toward the Library Pavilion. Yet when they were about twenty meters away, he abruptly stopped and clasped his fists toward the pavilion. "The top five of this year's Inner Academy Selection Competition have been decided. In accordance with the rules, I have brought them here. I ask the two elders to open the door!"

Carried by Dou Qi, Hu Gan's words echoed continuously through the small valley, lingering for a long time.

Not long after Hu Gan finished speaking, Xiao Ling narrowed his eyes as he watched two gray-robed figures suddenly appear seated cross-legged before the entrance.

The two gray-robed figures seemed as though they had been sitting there all along. This eerie sight made Xiao Ling suck in a breath, and he could not help but marvel inwardly, Dou Zong Experts are terrifying indeed.

These should be the Elder Qian and Elder Bai from the original story, the two peak Dou Zong Experts who would only appear when Jia Nan Academy faced a life-and-death crisis. If either of them had stepped in even slightly to intimidate those ambitious schemers in the Black Corner Region, there would not have been so many messes in the original story.

After appearing, the two said not a single word. They did not even acknowledge Hu Gan, their bearing brimming with lofty arrogance and the air of reclusive masters.

There was no dissatisfaction on Hu Gan's face, and the people behind him could only wait obediently.

After the silent atmosphere had persisted in the valley for nearly ten minutes, the robes of the two gray-robed figures seated before the pavilion gates finally stirred slightly. Then, beneath the gray robes, two pairs of ancient, well-like eyes as still as those of meditating monks lifted and swept calmly over Xiao Ling and the others in turn. Their voices carried a trace of approval. "So these are this year's top five? Their quality is much higher than that of previous years. Not bad."

Hearing them speak, Hu Gan relaxed slightly and said with a smile, "It is all thanks to these children making an effort themselves. I ask the two elders to undo the Space Lock."

The two gray-robed elderly men nodded faintly and waved their hands. Ripples immediately rose through the space before them.

Xiao Ling and the others then focused on the space half a meter before Hu Gan. Upon close inspection, they could make out faint, shallow creases. These creases were hidden in space and extremely difficult to detect. Following the barely visible wrinkles with their eyes, they were shocked to discover that the spatial creases formed something almost like a wall, shielding the entire Library Pavilion behind it!

"This is a Space Lock, an immensely powerful barrier that only a Dou Zun Expert can set up. This Space Lock was left behind by one of the academy's predecessors several centuries ago. Without the special method used by the two elders within to open it, even a Dou Zong Expert would be unable to force their way inside. All four of your families have Dou Zong Experts, so your knowledge is rather broad. You should have heard of such things to some extent. Xiao Ling, this should be your first time seeing one. Once you reach that realm in the future, you will understand it deeply," Hu Gan explained.

At the pavilion, the two gray-robed figures slowly extended a pair of withered hands from their sleeves. They then began forming hand seals, one finger and one seal at a time. As their seals changed, Xiao Ling and the others could clearly sense two immensely powerful invisible fluctuations spreading from their hands like waves.

The invisible fluctuations gradually spread outward before finally coming into contact with the spatial creases. The instant they touched, the space before Xiao Ling and the others became like a mirror made of water, rippling endlessly in circles. A moment later, the ripples ceased, and a door-shaped opening was slowly torn open by an invisible giant hand.

"Let's go." At the sight of the spatial doorway, Hu Gan waved his hand and entered first. Xiao Ling and the others followed closely behind, stepping through the doorway.

Once inside, their vision abruptly opened up, and the pavilion before them became increasingly clear. Evidently, they had truly entered the space sealed off by the Space Lock.