Entering the Library Pavilion

In the spacious, brightly lit room, bookshelves crisscrossed one another, filled with all kinds of ancient-looking books and lending the place a scholarly air.

At that moment, four people stood quietly in the center of the room. Behind the table before them sat an elderly man with white hair and beard, slowly flipping through a book in his hands. The entire room was steeped in silence.

The four people in the room were the Jia Nan students who, along with Xiao Yun, had placed in the top five. They had clearly been waiting here for quite some time, yet there was not the slightest trace of impatience on their faces. First, because the old man reading before them was Hu Gan, vice principal of Jia Nan Academy. Second, because the person making them wait was Xiao Yun!

The atmosphere for study at Jia Nan Academy was quite amicable, but that was only compared to the Black-Corner Region outside. As long as no student's life was endangered, the biggest fist ruled at Jia Nan Academy and was entitled to more cultivation resources. Xiao Yun's fist was bigger than all four of theirs, so he was qualified to make the four of them wait for him alone!

Fortunately, Xiao Yun had not deliberately arrived late. The moment he received Hu Jia's message, he hurried over.

After the four stood in the silent room for nearly another ten minutes, Xiao Yun finally arrived.

Knock, knock, knock!

A knock sounded, followed by a voice from outside the door. "Dean, Xiao Yun has arrived."

"Let him in." Hu Gan set down the book in his hands, then turned his gaze toward Fang Wen and the other four. "Once you enter the Inner Academy, you may well have to struggle together. Every year, the freshmen who enter the Inner Academy will not have a good ending if they do not band together. Also, strength reigns supreme in the Inner Academy. Whoever has the harder fist speaks the true reason and receives more cultivation resources. Any background you have will be useless there!" As he spoke that final sentence, Hu Gan stared intently at Xiao Yun, who had just entered. Its meaning was self-evident.

Hearing Hu Gan's words, Xiao Yun quickly stepped forward and bowed. "This student will remember the Dean's teachings."

"Little Yun, you finally made it." Hu Gan spoke with a beaming smile, his attitude entirely different from before. His gaze lingered on Xiao Yun's face for a moment longer. "Not bad. The Dou Qi in your body has become more solid. It seems the Selection Tournament has strengthened your foundation considerably."

As Hu Gan and Xiao Yun stared at each other for a while, the old man's sharp eyes detected a fiery volatility and instability hidden beneath Xiao Yun's calm exterior. He was like a tranquil mountain concealing a volcano; at any moment, the terrifying volcano within him could erupt with frightening energy.

"Since everyone is here, I will not waste words. You should already know why you were summoned." Rising from his chair, Hu Gan smiled. "You are the top five of this year's Inner Academy Selection Tournament. According to academy rules, you are qualified to enter the Library Pavilion once and rely on your own luck to select one treasure from within."

As he spoke, Hu Gan walked to the wall behind him and casually slapped it a few times. A low rumble sounded, and a hidden door appeared before them.

"Follow me." Hu Gan waved to the five of them and took the lead into the pitch-black passage. Seeing that the other four did not move and clearly intended to let him walk ahead, Xiao Yun did not stand on ceremony. He followed Hu Gan inside, and only after Xiao Yun entered did the other four walk into the passage in turn.

The passage was utterly dark and silent, with only the faint rustle of footsteps echoing through it.

Whoosh!

A bright flame emerged from Xiao Yun's hand, illuminating the entire passage and drawing everyone's gaze toward him.

"Put that fire out. You are all Da Dou Shi already. Can't you see the road?" Hu Gan said irritably.

"All right." Xiao Yun gave an awkward dry laugh, glanced at everyone in embarrassment, and extinguished the flame in his hand.

They walked through the passage for nearly half an hour before a point of light finally appeared at its end. At the sight of it, everyone quickened their steps. A moment later, they reached the end of the passage and stepped out.

Dazzling sunlight poured down from the sky, causing Xiao Yun and the others, who had just emerged from darkness, to instinctively narrow their eyes. After a while, they slowly opened them. The sight before them left everyone somewhat astonished.

Before Xiao Yun and the others lay a valley. At its center was a depression, clearly created by human hands.

This was probably created by that Half-Saint dean, wasn't it? Xiao Yun thought to himself. Other than Mang Tian Chi, he could not think of anyone in Jia Nan Academy who possessed such power.

Steep mountain walls extended upward until they vanished beyond sight. Between the three cliffs lay an expansive flat stretch of land, and upon it stood an immense, heavy, ancient pavilion so vast that it was almost unbelievable.

His gaze slowly swept over the enormous ancient pavilion before finally settling on an exceptionally old plaque outside it. Three characters, eroded by time and somewhat blurred, were carved upon it.

Library Pavilion!

Though they stood at a distance, Xiao Yun and the others could still sense the ancient aura contained within those three blurred characters. As expected of the most mysterious Library Pavilion in Jia Nan Academy, even this ancient plaque alone proclaimed its status.

Hu Gan led the five toward the Library Pavilion. When they were about twenty meters away, he suddenly stopped, cupped his fists toward the pavilion, and said, "The top five of this year's Inner Academy Selection Tournament have been decided. In accordance with academy rules, I have brought them here. I ask the elders to open the door!"

Hu Gan's voice was empowered by Dou Qi, reverberating endlessly through the small valley and lingering for a long while.

Not long after Hu Gan finished speaking, Xiao Yun's gaze, which had been inspecting the Library Pavilion, suddenly froze. He swept his eyes to the side and finally fixed them on two gray-robed figures seated cross-legged at the entrance. When he had entered earlier, he had clearly seen no one at the door.

Yet now, these two gray-robed men had appeared there at some unknown moment, as though they had been sitting there all along. As expected of the Qian-Bai Elders. The strength of Peak Dou Zong was truly terrifying. Even my soul perception failed to notice when they appeared.

Xiao Yun was secretly alarmed. Although he had long known of the Qian-Bai Elders' strength, hearing about something a thousand times could not compare to seeing it once. A Dou Zong was considered an expert even across the entire Dou Qi Continent. In the Northwestern Continent, far removed from the central regions, they were simply towering figures!