The Ninth Floor Has No Door

Xuan Chu Academy disciples were only permitted to enter the first three floors of the Scripture Library.

Anything above the fourth floor housed Foundation Establishment techniques and sect secret arts, requiring a personal warrant from an elder to access. The ninth floor, meanwhile, had never even been mentioned in the Xuan Chu Academy handbook.

Li Sanshun examined the half-page of old paper several times.

The edges of the library seal were frayed, and the ink had aged significantly. If this object truly originated from the Tai Xuan Sect Scripture Library, then the Old Rascal and the Tai Xuan Sect must have shared some history.

The next morning, he took his newly earned fifteen points of Xuanchu Merit to the Scripture Library.

Built on the north side of the main peak, the library consisted of eight floors. The structure was fashioned from dark timber, and an old man in grey robes sat dozing before the entrance, clutching a sword.

Li Sanshun looked up and counted twice.

There were indeed only eight floors.

The disciple in charge of registration checked his token and handed him a wooden timing talisman.

"Xuan Chu Academy disciples may stay on the first three floors for two hours. Basic immortal arts cost two to five points of Xuanchu Merit, while Qi Refining mental cultivation methods cost ten or more. Techniques may only be read within the library; they can only be copied after being exchanged."

Li Sanshun entered the first floor.

The shelves held basic texts such as the Fire Ignition Art, Water Condensation Art, and Thick Earth Merit. Most of the content was even simpler than what the Old Rascal had taught him, and the five-element arts were placed in different sections, with no records of how to operate them in succession.

The second floor contained Qi Refining techniques.

Li Sanshun found the Primordial Origin Art on the innermost old bookshelf.

The sect version consisted of three volumes, covering Qi Refining levels one through nine, and cost fifteen points of Xuanchu Merit. The cover was thick with dust, and the borrowing record had not been updated in over twenty years.

Seeing him take the book, the guard disciple couldn't help but offer a reminder.

"The Primordial Origin Art requires the practitioner to draw upon five-element spiritual energy simultaneously, which is much slower than single-element mental cultivation methods. The sect has long since classified it as a miscellaneous art. Even though you possess Five Elements Synchronization, you should consult the peak master first to avoid going down the wrong path."

Li Sanshun opened the first volume.

The opening content was identical to the version passed down by the Old Rascal, but in the section regarding the return of the five energies to the origin, the sect version was missing three lines of energy circulation routes. The missing content fit perfectly with his half-page of old paper.

The Primordial Origin Art given to him by the Old Rascal was more complete.

"Who placed this technique in the Scripture Library?"

The guard disciple shook his head.

"There are too many old books, and the catalog only records the names of the techniques. If you want to check the source, you must go to the third floor and look at the library archives."

Li Sanshun returned the book and climbed to the third floor.

The library archives were arranged by year, and the old records from a hundred years ago were all on the west side. He began checking from the earliest borrowing record of the Primordial Origin Art, finally finding a line of entry in a catalog from six hundred years ago.

Primordial Origin Art, collected from the Mysterious Bird Secret Vault, three incomplete volumes, missing the Five Elements Combination Art and the Foundation Establishment General Outline.

Next to the four characters for Mysterious Bird Secret Vault was the same ninth-floor library seal.

Just as Li Sanshun was about to continue his search, the Gold Blade in his robes vibrated gently.

He pressed his hand against the hilt through his clothes, but the vibration did not cease. A faint, grating sound also emanated from the wooden wall behind the archives.

In front of the first-floor entrance, the old man clutching his sword opened his eyes.

Having guarded the library for over a hundred years, he knew the formations within the Scripture Library by heart. Just now, an old array pattern that had been sealed for years inside the west wall of the third floor had briefly awakened.

Even he did not know where the array pattern led.

The old man picked up the teacup on his table, glanced toward the third floor, and did not move to intervene.

Gu Changyue had sent word this morning. There was no need to interfere with any techniques Li Sanshun consulted; he only needed to record what the boy took away.

On the west side of the third floor, Li Sanshun followed the direction of the Gold Blade's vibration to the corner of the wall.

A Mountain and River Map of the Tai Xuan Sect hung on the wooden wall. In the map, the main peak showed only the eight-story Scripture Library, yet inside the mountain, a very narrow white line was drawn.

The white line extended upward from the third floor, its end suspended at the roof of the building.

Li Sanshun took down the Mountain and River Map, revealing a palm-sized groove behind the wall.

The shape of the groove was similar to the base of the Gold Blade's hilt.

The Old Rascal had warned him not to show the Gold Blade to others easily. Since this was the Tai Xuan Sect Scripture Library, inserting it into the groove rashly would inevitably trigger the sect's formations.

Li Sanshun did not draw the blade; he simply wrapped the hilt in a cloth sleeve and pressed it gently against the wall.

The Mysterious Bird pattern lit up through the cloth.

The sound of gears turning came from within the wall, and a narrow door shifted inward. Behind the door were no stone steps, only a wooden ladder extending upward.

The wooden timing talisman was still ticking down, and the Scripture Library guards did not appear.

Li Sanshun took out the half-page of old paper. The ninth-floor library seal on the paper was growing hot, pointing toward the wooden ladder.

Since the door was already open, it was too late to pretend he hadn't seen it.

He climbed up the wooden ladder.

At the end of the ladder was a sealed chamber. The windows were all boarded up, and the room contained seven rows of bookshelves, which were empty save for a black wooden box resting on a central stone pedestal.

An old plaque hung on the wall.

Ninth Floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

Li Sanshun did not rush to touch the wooden box, checking the area around the stone pedestal first. The floor was covered in dust, save for two sets of footprints left in front of the pedestal.

The footprints were very shallow, at most half a month old.

Someone had been here recently.

He followed the footprints to the corner and discovered a piece of burnt paper. A partial "Zhao" character remained on the scrap, alongside red wax commonly used by the Deacon Hall.

People from the Zhao family had entered the Ninth Floor of the Scripture Pavilion?

Li Sanshun wrapped the paper scrap in cloth and tucked it into his storage bag. He then walked back to the stone pedestal and opened the black wooden box.

There were no techniques inside the box, only five copper plates of different colors.

When the half-page of old paper drew near the copper plates, five art patterns lit up in sequence. The copper plates arranged themselves, forming a diagram of human energy circulation.

Five-element spiritual energy entered the dantian from the energy meridians, underwent a single transformation within the dantian, and was then released simultaneously through the five arts.

Engraved beneath the pattern was a short verse.

"One turn of the Primordial Origin, five arts return to the flow. Five turns of the Primordial Origin, five elements return to one."

Li Sanshun memorized the verse and returned the copper plates to their original positions.

A letter was also pressed to the bottom of the wooden box.

The envelope had already been opened, and only half a sheet of letter paper remained inside.

"If the Gold Blade returns, the descendants of the Mysterious Bird will surely arrive. The bearer of the blade may take the Primordial Origin Foundation Establishment General Outline; the remaining items must not be disturbed..."

The latter half had been torn away.

Li Sanshun placed the letter back where it was, his gaze falling on the two sets of footprints.

The person who had entered this place recently had already read the letter and torn away the most important half-page. They were perhaps waiting for the person holding the Gold Blade to appear.

The sound of weight on the wooden ladder came from below.

Someone was coming up.

Li Sanshun retreated to the side of the bookshelf, his hand already gripping the Gold Blade.

A withered, thin hand reached into the narrow door first, followed by the wrinkled face of the old man clutching his sword.

The old man looked at the opened wooden box, then swept a glance at Li Sanshun's posture as he gripped the blade.

"Don't draw it. If this blade leaves its sheath, the entire main peak will sense it."

Li Sanshun did not relax.

"Did you know about the ninth floor, Senior?"

"I knew it existed, but I couldn't get in. The ninth floor only recognizes the Mysterious Bird seal. I've guarded this place for over a hundred years, and today is the first time I've ever come up."

The old man walked to the side of the stone pedestal and discovered that only half the letter remained, his expression turning ugly.

"Fifteen days ago, the Scripture Library's formation malfunctioned for half a quarter of an hour. I checked all eight floors and found no issues. It seems someone took the opportunity to enter here."

Li Sanshun took out the paper scrap with the "Zhao" character.

"Do you recognize this sealing wax, Senior?"

The old man took the scrap, and after seeing the mountain pattern in the red wax, he set his teacup down heavily on the stone pedestal.

"Zhao Chong."

The sound of a bell rang from downstairs.

A sword-wielding disciple entered the Scripture Library and announced in a loud voice.

"Li Sanshun, the Supreme Elder summons you. Bring your Gold Blade and proceed to the side hall of the main peak."