In the quiet valley, only the faint sound of footsteps rustling through the grass could be heard. Xiao Li walked at the front as the group crossed the lawn before the pavilion, then stepped onto the bluestone stairs, pitted and uneven from years of wear.
Moss covered the stone steps, making them somewhat slippery underfoot, but fortunately, they posed no obstacle to Xiao Li and the others.
After following the bluestone steps for a while, they arrived before the Library Pavilion. Looking up at its ancient signboard, they felt a desolate aura seep from it and coil around their hearts, lingering long after.
A ripple stirred in Xiao Li's eyes. "What a strange signboard. It actually has the power to ensnare the mind."
"Go in. The door will only stay open for an hour. Once that hour is up, you must come out, whether or not you've found what you need."
To the left of the five, a gray-robed man watched Xiao Li. No wonder everyone thought highly of him; his soul power was truly exceptional.
A breeze stirred the gray-robed man's sleeves. Then, with a creak, the tightly shut doors slowly swung open, revealing a pitch-black passage within.
As the doors opened wide, an ancient, desolate aura swept out, making Xiao Li and the others hurriedly guard their minds. They didn't dare let a single stray thought take hold.
The Library Pavilion contained Earth Tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques. They absolutely couldn't afford to be careless.
Once all five had entered the Library Pavilion, the open doors creaked as they slowly swung shut, finally closing tight.
Watching the doors close again, Hu Gan let out a relaxed sigh and smiled. "I hope these youngsters find something they like. Getting into Jia Nan Academy's Library Pavilion is a rare opportunity. They mustn't let it slip away."
Meanwhile, Elder Qian and Elder Bai got into an argument.
"Give him an Earth Tier cultivation method. His current Low Xuan Tier one is just too unimpressive."
"Don't be ridiculous. We should give him a Dou Technique. Once he becomes our disciple, there'll be plenty of cultivation methods."
"Do you have a Thunder-attribute cultivation method that's a higher tier than the ones in the Library Pavilion? We've got Thunder-attribute Dou Techniques, but no cultivation methods."
Elder Bai was left speechless. Still, he stubbornly retorted, "I can find someone else to trade with. If that doesn't work, I'll go to the dean!"
At the mention of the dean, Elder Qian fell silent. Then a bold idea came to him. "What do you say we steal one of the dean's treasures..."
Elder Bai shuddered, disbelief in his eyes. "You're crazy! You'd actually go after the dean's things?"
Elder Qian's eyes flickered. "Why not? We're cultivating students for the academy, too. The dean won't blame us. Besides, he's been away for so many years. Who knows if he even..."
Elder Bai quickly covered Elder Qian's mouth. "I give up, Qian Mu. You really do have nerve. Fine, we'll go get it, all right?"
The Two Elders Qian and Bai exchanged a glance. Elder Bai tacitly walked away, while Elder Qian stayed behind, waiting for the chance to deliver a Dou Technique to Xiao Li.
"By the way, Bai Lie, take that Thunder Fusion Body. It can also temper his body. I'll find him a suitable Dou Technique."
Elder Bai nodded.
"And don't forget the dean's cultivation notes. Make a copy. One for each of us, and one for that youngster. That'll save us the trouble of teaching him without any experience with Thunder-attribute cultivation."
Elder Bai paused, then continued on his way.
"And there's that record of strange affairs in the dean's room. His experiences traveling the continent will be useful, too."
Elder Bai stumbled sideways, nearly falling over.
"By the way, there's also..."
"Enough! Stop trying so hard to turn a death sentence into death by a thousand cuts!"
Elder Bai tore open space and hurried into the void, afraid Elder Qian might name yet another resource.
Elder Qian curled his lip and turned his gaze back to Xiao Li. Tsk, a fifteen-year-old Two-Star Great Dou Master, a sure-bet Dou Zong prospect! As long as his character was sound, he had a good chance of reaching Dou Zun. After a lifetime of frustration, perhaps taking on a disciple could make up for his regrets.
In the vast room, Xiao Li gazed at the light clusters darting through the air, his eyes blazing. These were all high-tier Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills. Any one of them would be treasured as a secret not to be passed on by the Xiao Clan.
He forced himself to calm down and carefully sensed the auras of the light clusters, studying their brightness as he waited for the right moment to act.
Chu Junliang couldn't hold back. He leapt up first and snatched a fiery-red light cluster. Dou Qi surged in his hand, shattering the red cloud and revealing a book inside.
"Low Xuan Tier Dou Technique, Fire Wind Palm."
Shock showed on everyone's faces. Chu Junliang had grabbed the dimmest light cluster, and even that contained a Xuan Tier Dou Technique.
Xiao Li looked at the light clusters flying all around him. There were well over a hundred of them, representing more than a hundred Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills of at least Xuan Tier. Jia Nan Academy truly had an extraordinary foundation.
Sensing the auras of the light clusters, Xiao Li didn't hesitate any longer. He reached for the purple cluster with the strongest aura.
"High Xuan Tier Cultivation Method, Black Panther Strange Thunder Art."
Xiao Li's heart stirred, but he didn't let the method go. The Cultivation Method he currently used was only Low Xuan Tier. If he couldn't find a better fit, this one would do nicely.
Outside, Elder Qian grew anxious as he watched. He hurriedly began searching the treasury for a higher-tier Thunder-attribute Dou Technique.
"Found it. You're the one!"
A purple light cluster radiating intense light flew toward Xiao Li.
Xiao Li was startled. The cluster was at least three times larger than the one in his hand. It had to be something good.
He promptly tossed aside the Black Panther Strange Thunder Art and drew the cluster toward him with both hands. The process was surprisingly smooth; he met almost no resistance.
Xiao Li scratched his head. There was no time to think it over, so he hurriedly inspected the book in his hands.
"Low Earth Tier Dou Technique, Nine Steps to Heaven!"
Xiao Li's eyes widened and his breathing quickened. An Earth Tier Dou Technique—and judging by the name, it was a movement technique.
He felt a little regret that the cultivation method he had found was still only Low Xuan Tier, but he decisively kept the Dou Technique. The difference between Earth Tier and Xuan Tier was like heaven and earth. His Cultivation Method was a little low-level, though, and he didn't know how many times he'd be able to use this technique.
An hour of happiness passed all too quickly. Once everyone found what they wanted, they left the room.
As the five departed, the vortex-shaped energy barriers around the vast room began to shrink. A moment later, they dwindled to tiny specks and vanished completely with a faint crack.
The enormous room was now empty. No one would have guessed that moments earlier it had been filled with countless treasures capable of causing a sensation in the outside world.
Outside the room, Hu Gan stared blankly at the four who had emerged, utterly baffled. "Where's Xiao Li? Didn't he come out with you?"
Li Hao and the others looked at one another, equally unsure what was going on.
After receiving a voice transmission from someone in the distance, Hu Gan gave a subtle nod and asked no more.
In the space between the Library Pavilion and the outside world, Elder Qian and Elder Bai wore stiffly benevolent smiles. Decades of arduous cultivation had long since warped their expressions, making their smiles look rather eerie.
Xiao Li felt goosebumps rise all over his body. "Senior, may I ask why you've summoned me?"