Chapter 53 – Forces Gather
Book Reserve Hall
Contrary to the layout of the Treasure Hall, there weren’t any chambers, and at the instant one entered the hall, it was an enormous space that covered an area of 3,000 meters.
Rows upon rows of 30m tall bookshelves could be found all over. They stood layer upon layer to occupy every space within the entire hall. If one were to look down from a high vantage point, one would be able to see that these rows of bookshelves formed an octagonal shape, and were like orderly layers of a blossoming flower bud.
Walking within it was like walking into a winding maze. Everywhere one’s gaze passed was filled bookshelves that were densely piled with jade slips, and one was unable to discern any direction.
At this moment, Chen Xi had stopped before a bookshelf, as he’d walked along the hall and gone around all the bookshelves.
“Talisman crafting, puppeteering, taming, botany, divine abilities, techniques… This Book Reserve Hall actually covers and contains everything!” Chen Xi couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.
Nearby, Ji Yu put down a jade slip in his hand and shook his head. “A huge number doesn’t mean it’s rare and valuable. According to what I’ve seen, most of the jade slips are all ordinary.”
Chen Xi didn’t argue, as he knew that Ji Yu was extremely picky, and Ji Yu holding these jade slips in contempt was within reason. Moreover, these jade slips were extremely precious to Chen Xi.
He was impoverished since a young age. When he’d gone to Pine Mist City’s Exquisite Pavilion to purchase the martial techniques he’d required, he was actually ridiculed by the female attendant. If it wasn’t for the Little Princess of the General’s Estate, Qin Hongmian, stepping forward, he could only swallow the insult and humiliation silently, then leave in dejection.
So, at this moment, he’d already decided inwardly that even if he didn’t cultivate it, he would still take away these jade slips that were practically as vast as the ocean. Exchanging them for spirit stones would still be an enormous sum of wealth!
However, right at this moment, a wave of footsteps suddenly sounded out from outside the hall.
Someone has come so quickly!
Chen Xi was shocked inwardly. At this moment, it was already impossible for him to plunder all these jade slips, but he was extremely reluctant to miss the opportunity to obtain so many jade slips.
What should I do?
I came back empty handed from the Treasure Hall, could it be that I’m going to meet the same fate at the Book Reserve Hall now?
“I’ve helped you picked sword techniques, divine abilities, and movement techniques. What else do you lack?” As he spoke, Ji Yu extended his hand out and successively swept it through the air, and numerous jade slips flew over to him as if they’d grown wings.
Chen Xi was stunned, then asked. “Can we take them all?”
Ji Yu’s face sank and he stopped what he was doing.
Chen Xi cursed inwardly. He’d been together with Ji Yu for a long time and understood Ji Yu’s character extremely well. Ji Yu could devote himself to guide Chen Xi’s cultivation, but if Chen Xi were to ask him to do something he wasn’t willing to do, then it would absolutely not be possible.
According to what Ji Yu said, only when Chen Xi had passed all the trials within the Heavenpeak of Trials to become the personal disciple of the Master of the Manner would Chen Xi be able to order him around.
At this moment, when he saw Ji Yu was displeased, Chen Xi apologized right away. “Senior Ji Yu I’m sorry, it was junior that was too greedy. If I’m able to choose, then I hope to obtain some talisman crafting jade slips.”
Chen Xi knew that so long as he spoke of things related to talisman crafting, Ji Yu would surely be extremely happy. Because his Master, Senior Fuxi, had precisely observed the River Diagram to deduce the profound meaning behind the cycle of the secrets of the heavens to gain sudden comprehension the Grand Dao and ascend to the peak of the Dao.
Whereas it was precisely because he himself had comprehension in the Dao of Talismans that he was able to walk out of the Star Secret Realm and obtain Ji Yu’s acknowledgment.
As expected, Ji Yu’s expression instantly eased up significantly when he heard that Chen Xi was still constantly thinking of the Dao of Talismans. Ji Yu snorted coldly before extending his hand out to sweep through the air, and 10 plus jade slips once again shot out towards him.
13 talisman crafting jade slips, coupled with the jade slips related to sword techniques, movement techniques, and divine abilities, I already possess 20 jade slips. Although it’s only a speck in the vast ocean that is the Book Reserve Hall, jade slips that were able to be picked by Senior Ji Yu ought to be gems within this sea.
Chen Xi casually stored the jade slips within his storage ring, then followed behind Ji Yu to dash off the way he came in.
The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, and it was vaguely mixed with the clamorous sounds of people. All the cultivators that were able to enter the hall were at the Violet Palace Realm and had formed groups before coming; the large gap in their strengths and numbers caused Chen Xi to not dare stay on any longer. Moreover, for the sake of preventing his tracks from being noticed, he didn’t even touch the numerous jade slips on the nearby bookshelves as he was afraid others would notice something from the traces left behind.
Different to how the others entered the hall via the main door, Chen Xi had entered through a concealed little passageway from the Main Hall. If one didn’t search carefully, it would be extremely difficult to notice this passageway, so, he didn’t encounter a single cultivator all through his return journey.
“Hahaha! Book Reserve Hall! The Book Reserve Hall the immortal, Nether Enlightenment, left behind!” Hoarse and shrill laughter suddenly resounded out within the hall. “The jade slips on these rows of bookshelves are probably at least a few tens of thousands and have been covered in dust for 10,000 years. Now it will instead benefit us. It’s truly an extremely great good fortune.”
This fellow really doesn’t disguise his excitement, huh? Chen Xi stood before a far away concealed door and couldn’t help but shake his head when he heard this voice, and he was just about to step into the concealed door and leave when he suddenly heard a familiar voice sound out, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.
“Fellow Daoists of the Phoenixcloud Sect, aren’t you getting excited too soon?” The voice was hearty and warm, but when it entered Chen Xi’s ears, it instead caused killing intent to surge within his heart.
Chai Letian!
Even if he’d turned to ash, Chen Xi would still recognize the owner of this voice.
As he recalled being stabbed in the back by this fellow in the Crimsonflame Mountain Range which caused him to fall down the deep chasm, the hatred in Chen Xi’s heart uncontrollably surged, and his expression went extremely icy cold.
“Senior Ji Yu, I’ve decided to stay back.” Chen Xi took a deep breath and sent a voice transmission with a deep voice.
Ji Yu glanced at Chen Xi and said indifferently, “Take care of your enemy yourself. I won’t help you even if you’re killed by him.”
Chen Xi nodded, only by killing his enemy with his own two hands would he be able to vent the roiling hatred in his heart.
Whoosh!
Chen Xi glanced at the surroundings, then his body arched as the tip of his feet lightly tapped the floor and he nimbly scurried up the stone beam in the corner like a silent leopard cat. This stone beam was three meters wide and was arranged in a crisscross pattern with tens of stone beams, like a large net that ran through the top of the entire hall, and he didn’t have to worry about being discovered when hiding here.
Moreover, he was able to see the scene within the entire hall from this position. According to Chen Xi’s conjecture, those Phoenixcloud Sect cultivators would surely initiate a battle with Chai Letian’s group for the sake of competing for the jade slips within the hall. In this way, he would be completely able to hide here and pick the best opportunity to launch a sneak attack on Chai Letian!
Violet Palace Realm cultivators already possessed Perception Force, moreover, their six senses were acute and were extremely sensitive to their surroundings. Chen Xi didn’t dare utilize his Perception Force. He restrained the aura on his entire body then lay flat on the stone beam, like a wisp of a black silhouette. At the same time, his eyes narrowed into slits as he carefully gazed at the hall below.
At this moment, two groups of cultivators had already gathered within the hall.
One group was the group of cultivators led by Chai Letian, with Chen Xi’s acquaintances like Du Qingxi, Duanmu Ze, Song Lin…
Whereas, on the opposite side was a few unfamiliar cultivators who wore varied clothing and were of various ages. The four people in the lead were extremely conspicuous, a gaunt old man, a stalwart middle aged man, a young man and a young woman. The four of them wore similar crimson-purple robes with exquisite patterns of a fire phoenix dancing in the air while surrounded by clouds. They were shockingly those Phoenixcloud Sect cultivators that Chen Xi had seen within Bloodbath City.
At the moment, the two groups had already taken out their Magic Treasures and weapons and were in confrontation on the space in the middle of the bookshelves, ready to fight.
The gaunt old man from Phoenixcloud Sect said coldly, “Hmph! Even though all of you are disciples that are from the various great powers of Dragon Lake City and have extraordinary status, but I’m sorry, for the sake of the jade slips here, asking us to leave is absolutely impossible. Not only would I, Fu Heng, not agree, the fellow daoists behind me would absolutely not agree as well!”
“Right, we’ll absolutely not agree.”
“Want us to leave on our own? No chance!”
All the other cultivators behind the gaunt old man echoed his views, yet their expressions weren’t relaxed. Obviously, Chai Letian’s group brought quite an amount of pressure to them.
“Why torture yourselves? If you offend us, then would your small sects be able to live on happily after this?” Chai Letian said unhurriedly, “Could it be that all of you aren’t worried that the sects all of you represent will be pulled up from the roots and completely annihilated?”
“I advise all of you to leave quickly. Brother Chai’s ancestor is one of the great Nether Transformation Realm cultivators of the southern territory. Dealing with all of you would only be a matter of giving the order.” The Myriadcloud Institution’s Yu Haobai shook his head and sighed. He seemed elegant and refined, yet his tone was filled with the intent to curry favor with Chai Letian.
The gaunt Fu Heng’s expression flickered between a pale and grim expression, and he was violently struggling within his heart. Whereas behind him, the expressions of those cultivators from various cities in the southern territory had mostly become quite gloomy.
The deterrent force of a Nether Transformation Realm cultivator is so great?
Chen Xi couldn’t help but become anxious when he saw Fu Heng and the other’s will to fight was fading. If Fu Heng’s group fled before a battle, then his plans to sneak attack Chen Letian would come to naught.
“Hmph! According to my knowledge, the great Nether Transformation Realm cultivator, Senior Chai Shao, isn’t a person that’s unreasonable. Not to mention that this sword immortal’s abode is derelict and the jade slips here belong to whomever who gets it. Aren’t you going too far by asking us to leave with just a word?”
Fu Heng gritted his teeth. “In my opinion, why don’t we do it like this? If Fellow Daoist Chai agrees, then my group will take 40% of the jade slips here, and the remaining 60% belongs to your group, how about it?”
“Absolutely impossible!” Chai Letian refused right away and sneered coldly. “Want to take things from me? You aren’t worthy! I’ll give you another ten breaths of time, hurry up and fuck off from this hall. Otherwise, don’t blame us for being merciless!”
“You…” Fu Heng’s eyes were wide open with exasperation, and he was actually angered to the point he was unable to speak.
“Hmph! You dare come here and try taking things from me with this level of courage? Hurry up! Five breaths of time have already passed.” Chai Letian shook his head in disdain.
These fellows have the intentions but not the courage!
Chen Xi couldn’t help but be speechless as he gazed at Fu Heng’s group who didn’t dare do anything and were silently swallowing the insult and humiliation.
“Hmph! I was wondering who it was, so it turned out to be Fellow Daoist Chai from Starnet Palace!” It was at this moment that a delicate voice of a woman slowly echoed out within the hall.
Chen Xi gazed over and couldn’t refrain from saying inwardly, Shit! Su Jiao’s group has actually come here as well!