With the scraping sound echoing through the air, the palace that had remained unopened for over a thousand years was finally opened.
A faint, chilly wind seemed to blow out from within.
Li Qing could not help but shiver, his brows knitting slightly.
He gazed into the palace's dark interior.
Inside was a vast, square hall.
As he pushed open the gates, ghostly blue lights flickered to life along the surrounding walls and pillars.
Like the oil lamps he had seen upon entering this place, they gave off a pale blue glow.
After studying the surroundings carefully for a moment, a trace of surprise appeared on his face.
Within this square palace stood three gates in all—one each to the left, right, and center.
Li Qing walked in slowly, his eyes surveying both sides.
He saw two ancient, unadorned characters written upon the left gate—Strategy.
Surprise flickered in his eyes. "Could it contain things like military treatises?"
A smile touched his lips as he strode over and pushed open the door.
When the gate opened, rows upon rows of bookshelves appeared before him.
Joy rose in his heart. Shadow Paper Dolls had already spread from beneath his feet, swiftly sweeping past one bookshelf after another.
The knowledge contained in countless books was recorded. There were over a hundred shelves, yet the process took less than a quarter of an hour.
But only one-fifth of them were truly recorded by the Jade Tablet; he had already mastered the other four-fifths in the past.
He shook his head slightly. "As the information I collect grows, less and less of it can be recorded by the Jade Tablet."
"Perhaps before long, I'll have gathered every book that has ever existed throughout the Nine Provinces Four Regions."
Besides gathering the books, the Shadow Paper