Earth Tier Mid-Rank, Eight Desolations Return-to-Origin Art

After leaving the arena, Qin Yu headed straight for the Vice Principal's pavilion.

He had achieved his goal of reaching the top fifty on the points ranking. It was time to collect on Hu Gan's promise.

The pavilion door was slightly ajar. Qin Yu had just raised his hand to knock when an exasperated voice suddenly came from inside:

"Grandpa! I've already surpassed the Academy's admission requirements! Why won't you let me enroll?!"

"See? Getting worked up again."

The next second, the door was violently shoved open, and a petite figure rushed out.

Qin Yu instinctively sidestepped. The figure brushed past his shoulder. She was a girl of fourteen or fifteen, with a ponytail, delicate features, and large, bright eyes that were currently glaring at him in fury.

"What are you looking at?!"

The girl threw out those words fiercely and ran off without looking back.

Qin Yu paid the angry girl no mind. He merely peeked into the room, where Hu Gan sat in a grand chair, rubbing his temple with one hand, his face full of helplessness.

"Vice Principal, that girl just now was...?"

"My granddaughter, Hu Jia."

Hu Gan sighed and took a sip from his teacup.

"She's only fifteen, yet she's clamoring to enter the Academy. I told her she was too young and needed to wait another two years, but she refused to accept it. She comes here every few days to make a fuss."

Qin Yu nodded in understanding. So that had been Hu Jia.

No wonder she had looked like an enraged little kitten with its fur standing on end.

"That girl's talent is quite good, but she's far too impatient. She's been unconventional since childhood, and no one can control her."

Hu Gan shook his head. He was clearly troubled by his young granddaughter, though he quickly composed himself and looked Qin Yu over from head to toe.

"I heard you fought Lin Xiuyan today and even learned his Coiling Serpent Hand?"

"I'm gifted. Can't help it."

"Heh, you're not modest at all."

Hu Gan chuckled. The exhausted air Hu Jia had left him with vanished in an instant.

"You came to see me about reaching the top fifty on the points ranking, right?"

Qin Yu nodded.

"I've already discussed this matter with several of the Academy's higher-ups. In light of your talent and your performance over the past half year, we've decided to make an exception."

Hu Gan rose and walked to the window, his gaze directed toward the distant Scripture Repository.

"Tomorrow, I'll take you into the depths of the Scripture Repository. What is stored there is Jia Nan Academy's true foundation."

Qin Yu's heart stirred. It was just as he had guessed.

"However, you may only choose one item to bring out. Just one."

Hu Gan raised a finger.

Qin Yu nodded. He had expected that condition. Being allowed inside to take even one item was already an exception.

"Thank you, Vice Principal."

"It's nothing. You deserve this exception."

Hu Gan returned to his chair, then suddenly changed the subject.

"Come to think of it, you've been at Jia Nan Academy for nearly a year. Do you want to go home and have a look?"

Qin Yu froze for a moment. Go home?

His parents in this life had long since passed away. That little house in Wutan City...

It didn't matter. The continent was vast. As long as he had enough strength, he could put down roots anywhere.

Still, Hu Gan's question reminded him that although Jia Nan Academy's academic year lasted ten months, the recruitment teams generally set out in advance.

Those who traveled with the recruitment teams were usually new students who had enrolled less than two years ago.

"...We'll talk about it when the time comes."

After thinking it over, Qin Yu gave his answer.

"That works too. It's only one more person, anyway. Just come find me directly tomorrow."

Qin Yu took his leave. By the time he walked out of the pavilion, the sky had already darkened.

He followed the tree-lined path back toward the dormitories, thinking about the depths of the Scripture Repository tomorrow.

Compared with heavenly treasures and rare materials, Qin Yu was more inclined to choose a cultivation art.

Although the Mysterious Earth Qilin Formula had fused the Mystic Tier High-Rank Mountain Qilin Suppresses the Mountains with the Earth Origin Formula he had created himself, its foundation was ultimately too weak.

If he could obtain an Earth Tier cultivation art from the depths of the Scripture Repository, he would not need to spend effort worrying about cultivation arts for a long time to come.

Early the next morning, Qin Yu arrived at Hu Gan's pavilion on time. Hu Gan was already waiting at the entrance.

The two said nothing more and walked side by side toward the Scripture Repository.

After arriving at the top floor of the Scripture Repository, Hu Gan opened a hidden door and led Qin Yu inside.

Beyond the hidden door stood an ancient, enormous pavilion nestled quietly between three sheer cliffs.

"This junior, Hu Gan, has brought student Qin Yu today to choose a treasure from the Scripture Repository. This matter has already been discussed with the higher-ups. I ask the elders to open the door."

Hu Gan stepped forward and clasped his hands toward the pavilion.

The next moment, two figures appeared abruptly.

They said nothing. They simply rose, each extending one hand to press against the doors. An invisible ripple spread from their palms.

"Open."

The doors slowly opened, revealing a distorted, gray expanse beyond them. Nothing inside could be seen clearly.

"Go in."

Hu Gan patted Qin Yu on the shoulder.

"Remember, you may only take one item. Time is limited."

Qin Yu took a deep breath and stepped into the gray vortex. The scene before him abruptly changed.

When the gray mist dispersed, an incomparably vast space appeared before Qin Yu.

Countless spheres of light in different colors floated through the air, giving off energy fluctuations of varying strength.

Inside every sphere of light rested a treasure. Faint runes flowed across the surfaces of the light barriers, firmly sealing the treasures within.

Looking into the distance, hundreds upon thousands of light spheres hovered densely at different heights like stars in the night sky, stretching all the way to the end of his vision.

Just as Qin Yu was preparing to search for the cultivation art he needed, several brown light spheres actually flew toward him on their own, forming a circle around him.

"This..."

Qin Yu casually grabbed one of the light spheres. Before he could even circulate his Dou Qi, its barrier dispersed by itself.

Earth Tier Low-Rank Earth Attribute Dou Technique, Falling Heaven Palm.

Inside another sphere was a massive axe emitting a brownish glow, its blade marked with faint dragon patterns.

...Could it be that the boost from his Earth Sovereign trait caused these Earth Attribute items to approach him on their own?

He had not noticed this before.

After examining them all, Qin Yu found that none of the light spheres contained the Earth Attribute cultivation art he wanted, so he continued searching.

Yet wherever he went, the Earth Attribute treasures in that area followed him as if they had automatic tracking.

Only when time was nearly up did Qin Yu finally find what he had been looking for.

Eight Desolations Return-to-Origin Art, an Earth Tier Mid-Rank Earth Attribute cultivation art.

Returning the Eight Desolations to the origin, bearing all lands with immense solidity—this was the core principle of the art.

Qin Yu merely gave it a cursory glance, yet his intuition told him that this was exactly what he needed.

It seemed that the other light spheres sensed Qin Yu had made his choice. They scattered in all directions, while Qin Yu, his time limit having expired, was teleported out of the space.