Trouble at the Scripture Pavilion

Yang Xiao woke from meditation. A month had passed, and he had finished absorbing the twenty Low-Grade Earth Vein Crystals seven days earlier.

One earth vein crystal could expand an ordinary cultivator's Qi Sea by a thousand li, but for him, a practitioner of the Great Martial Canon, it only added a hundred li. After absorbing all twenty crystals, the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea had reached two thousand two hundred and fifty li. An ordinary cultivator could have attempted to break through to the Sea Condensation Realm, but with his million-li Qi Sea, it was still... far too early.

He stepped out of his room as the sky darkened, just in time to see Luo Kedi emerge from the Scripture Pavilion, his face full of anger. The moment Luo Kedi saw him, he gave a cold snort.

Yang Xiao smiled and took a step, vanishing from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was ten meters away.

This was the fruit of his recent training.

He entered the forest and punched straight ahead. Three Black Direwolf phantoms flew from his fist, smashing through more than a dozen trees before coming to a stop.

Yang Xiao withdrew his fist and stood still. That attack had consumed thirty percent of his magical power. If he struck with his full strength, he could unleash seven Direwolves, on par with a mid-grade spiritual technique.

Yang Xiao closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a sharp gleam flashed within them. He raised a hand, channeled his magical power into his index finger, and traced a vast black formation in the sky.

It was the Nine Thunder Formation. Once completed, the formation flew into the clouds. Dark clouds gathered overhead, lightning flickering within them. Suddenly, three thunderbolts struck in succession.

The Nine Thunder Formation was an immensely powerful formation. Three thunderbolts were enough to kill a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator, six could severely wound a Sea Condensation Realm cultivator, and nine could kill one.

With his current cultivation, however, he could only call down three.

Suddenly, the mountain shook, and a flash of white light streaked across its summit.

He saw Chen Wuyou fly into the sky and roar, "All disciples, come to the summit!"

Yang Xiao frowned. He sensed that something serious had happened.

He had already consumed more than half his magical power. With trouble brewing on the mountain, he dared not expend it recklessly, lest he find himself unable to handle a crisis.

When he returned to the summit, everyone else was already there. He was the last to arrive.

He saw Senior Brother Lei Jiuchen gripping a brush and glaring at everyone. Had Senior Sister Lei Miaoyan not been holding him back, he probably would have charged at them already.

Yang Xiao found Shen Laodao and Wang Huhu and stood beside them.

Seeing that he had arrived, Chen Wuyou swept a sneering gaze over the crowd. "You're quite something, bringing Immortal Artifacts up the mountain and even attacking the Scripture Pavilion.

"Do you really think the Carefree Sect is easy prey? The sect may have declined, but we still have two Immortal Artifacts passed down by our ancestors.

"Push this old Daoist too far, and I'll take an Immortal Artifact and drag the lineages backing you into the grave with me."

Yang Xiao frowned. He understood now: someone had wanted to enter the Scripture Pavilion's third floor.

But without Chen Wuyou's permission, they could not get in. They had used the cover of night to bombard the Scripture Pavilion with an Immortal Artifact. From the look of things, they had failed—and enraged Chen Wuyou in the process.

He lowered his head and asked Wang Huhu, "What rank is an Immortal Artifact?"

Wang Huhu froze for a moment. "Did you come out of some remote mountain wilderness?

"Didn't your elders tell you?"

Yang Xiao gave a bitter smile. He did have elders, but they had never even taught him how to cultivate.

Wang Huhu said, "Let me give you a basic rundown. From lowest to highest, magical treasures are divided into low-grade Spirit Artifacts, Mid-Grade Spirit Artifacts, high-grade Spirit Artifacts, and supreme-grade Spirit Artifacts."

"Above those are Immortal Artifacts and Immortal King Weapons. My father has an Immortal King Weapon. He treasures it so much that he won't even let me touch it."

Chen Wuyou's roar rang out again.

"Everyone, hand over your Immortal Artifacts now! If this old Daoist finds anyone hiding one, I'll expel them from the sect on the spot.

"Don't think you can use your lineages to pressure me.

"Push me too far, and I'll pay a visit to Ascetic Mountain. Given the friendship between our ancestor and the Ancestor Qing Tan, wiping out a few of your lineages is well within reach."

Yang Xiao felt as though his brain could not keep up tonight. How many times had he heard Ascetic Mountain mentioned now? Was that faction really so powerful?

He looked down at Wang Huhu and asked.

She stared at him in disbelief, then finally managed to squeeze out, "You really did come out of some remote mountain wilderness."

She patted her chest and said, "In our Great Zhou, there are two sects powerful enough to stand alongside the imperial dynasty. One is Ascetic Mountain, and the other is the Old Lord Sect. People from the former occasionally venture out into the world, but the latter has kept its gates closed for a thousand years."

Yang Xiao drew a deep breath. Even the declining Carefree Sect felt powerful to him, let alone sects that could stand alongside an imperial dynasty.

He looked at his fellow disciples. Not a single one stepped forward.

Chen Wuyou's expression grew uglier by the moment.

"Since none of you are willing to hand them over voluntarily, give me your Storage Rings and let this old Daoist search them himself."

He sneered and continued:

"If you don't want to be searched, that's fine too. The road down the mountain is right over there. Will you leave on your own, or shall this old Daoist personally see you off?"

Silence fell over the summit. After a long while, someone finally stepped forward.

It was Dongfang Mingyue, who had been holding Wang Huhu's hand. She took an Azure Longsword from her Storage Ring. "This is a keepsake my father left me. Master, please take good care of it."

Chen Wuyou accepted the sword. "Who else?"

Wang Huhu skipped up next and handed over her Storage Ring. Whatever Chen Wuyou saw inside made him suck in a breath of cold air. His hands trembled as he returned the ring.

One after another, the disciples went up and handed over their Storage Rings. Chen Wuyou inspected each one, then calmly returned it.

Yang Xiao was the last to step forward. As he handed over his Storage Ring, he hesitated. There was no Immortal Artifact inside, but there was a treasure—a Dragon Horn.

Even before stepping onto the path of cultivation, he had known how powerful dragons were.

Before he could react, however, Chen Wuyou snatched the Storage Ring from him. Then Yang Xiao saw shock spread over Chen Wuyou's face. It took a long while for him to compose himself and hand the ring back.

Yang Xiao accepted his Storage Ring. Nothing inside was missing, and the Dragon Horn still lay quietly in a corner.

When he returned to the crowd, Shen Laodao sidled up and slung an arm over his shoulders. "Yang Xiao, we're such good friends. What treasure are you hiding that you won't even let your brother take a look?"

Yang Xiao's mouth twitched, and he tucked his hand behind his back. If Shen Laodao saw a treasure, would I ever get to keep it?

Chen Wuyou had inspected everyone, but apart from the Immortal Artifact Dongfang Mingyue had handed over, he had not found what he was looking for.

Naturally, Dongfang Mingyue became the focus of everyone's attention.

Dongfang Mingyue stood where she was, utterly unmoved by their stares. She merely said, "It wasn't me."

Just as Yang Xiao thought Chen Wuyou would punish Dongfang Mingyue, Chen Wuyou smiled and said, "It's late. Go back and get some sleep."

With that, he took the Lei siblings back to his room.

Yang Xiao turned toward his own room. Shen Laodao and Wang Huhu followed behind, two pairs of eyes fixed hungrily on him.

Yang Xiao walked back calmly. He had no intention of telling them about the Dragon Horn.

He opened the door, and Shen Laodao and Wang Huhu followed him inside. They sat at the table, the former watching him solemnly, the latter staring at him with her chin propped in both hands.

Just as he thought that was the end of it, another person entered—the icy beauty, Dongfang Mingyue.

After stepping inside, she said calmly, "I'm here to keep an eye on Huhu."

Then she walked over and sat at the table.

Yang Xiao looked at them helplessly. "I really don't have any treasure."

"Hmph!"

Wang Huhu gave a soft snort and turned to look at Dongfang Mingyue.

Seeing that he would not talk, Shen Laodao said, "Do you want to know who attacked the Scripture Pavilion tonight?"

That single sentence drew everyone's attention. Even the icy beauty Dongfang Mingyue cast him a curious glance.

Shen Laodao then looked at Yang Xiao. "If you want to know, trade your secret for it."

Yang Xiao closed his eyes and meditated. Tell them about the Dragon Horn? Not a chance.

Seeing that Yang Xiao refused to talk no matter what, then noticing Wang Huhu's curious expression, Shen Laodao offered the answer himself.

"According to this humble monk's analysis, the one who attacked the Scripture Pavilion tonight was our master, Chen... Wu... you."

Yang Xiao's gaze sharpened. He had not considered it before Shen Laodao spoke, but now that he had, it actually seemed possible.

Dongfang Mingyue frowned. "Why?"

Shen Laodao looked at her. "Think about it. Only two people on this mountain have Immortal Artifacts. One is you, and the other is Master.

"By putting on this show tonight, he could find out whether anyone had an Immortal Artifact."

"If they did, he would have an excuse to confiscate it. If they didn't, he would still get to probe what you had up your sleeves."

Dongfang Mingyue stood and headed for the door.

Yang Xiao frowned. "What are you going to do?"

Dongfang Mingyue kept walking. "Get my sword back."

Those words made him ninety percent convinced that Shen Laodao's deduction was right. Someone with such low emotional intelligence would not have done something like that.

The remaining ten percent allowed for the possibility that Dongfang Mingyue was deeply scheming.

Shen Laodao hurriedly said to Wang Huhu, "Quick, stop her!"

Wang Huhu hastily stepped forward to stop Dongfang Mingyue. It took a good deal of persuasion from everyone before she finally sat back down.