Wang Yu looked at the giant turtle, which was as large as a tabletop, and swept it with his divine sense. He detected no fluctuations of spiritual energy from its body, as though it were nothing more than a stubborn rock. Secretly astonished, he cupped his hands toward the giant turtle and tossed a spirit stone into the basin.
Seeing this, the giant turtle silently withdrew into the stone wall, clearing the corridor.
Only then did Wang Yu walk past. He chose the nearest stone chamber at random and entered.
Inside, rows of shelves were filled with all manner of books, scrolls, and even bamboo slips.
Wang Yu casually picked up a roll of bamboo slips and opened it. To his surprise, it taught a method for growing a grain called "yellow rice."
He shook his head, set the bamboo slips down, and picked up a book with a yellowed cover. When he opened it, he found tips on raising plow oxen and making them work harder in the fields.
Wang Yu put the book down, walked a few more steps, and picked up an unremarkable scroll. Slowly unrolling it, he found construction drawings for something resembling a waterwheel.
Understanding began to dawn on Wang Yu.
He examined several more items in succession. Sure enough, they were all records concerning various aspects of farming. Some were quite ancient, describing things that had long since fallen out of use.
No wonder one spirit stone bought an hour of reading. These things were utterly useless to the sect's disciples. The Four Symbols Sect probably kept them merely to expand its collection and dress up appearances.
With that thought, Wang Yu left the stone chamber and went next door.
The neighboring stone chamber held roughly as many books, but these all concerned mineral