“Disciple of Wanjian Peak, Li Qingran, requests an audience!”
Standing before the tightly shut doors of the Sutra Repository, Li Qingran bowed respectfully.
After what had happened at the Ancestral Hall, she had learned her lesson—never underestimate any place within the Sword Pavilion.
Even though this Sutra Repository looked even more dilapidated than the Ancestral Hall, she remained cautious.
Come to think of it…
Could it be that the more rundown a place in the Sword Pavilion is, the more mysterious it actually is?
“Wanjian Peak?”
An old, hoarse voice echoed from inside.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard of a disciple from there.”
“Come in.”
Click—
With a sudden thud, the wooden door collapsed onto the ground.
Li Qingran fell silent for a moment, staring at the door that had just fallen flat.
Then, with a sigh, she stepped over it and walked into the Sutra Repository.
Since she was in the Sword Pavilion, she’d just have to get used to its oddities.
If the doors here opened downward instead of outward—
So be it.
Inside, the dim lighting made the interior feel eerie.
But standing in the center of the main hall, an elderly man with striking white hair was immediately noticeable.
He wore a dark green robe, his shadow stretching long behind him.
His hair was tied into a simple ponytail, and his sharp, narrow eyes gleamed with an almost predatory intensity—one was covered with an eyepatch, while the other had a small pupil surrounded by an unusually large sclera.
With his deep-set eyes and aged, weathered face, he radiated an aura of ferocity.
Li Qingran lowered her gaze and bowed again.
It was then that she noticed something unusual.
The old man wasn’t carrying a sword at his waist.
Instead—
He carried a dead branch.
“My name is Jiong Yuanmo. I am the elder in charge of the Sutra Repository.”
The old man spoke with a calm yet firm voice.
“I don’t normally attend the public lectures in the training grounds, so you may simply address me as Elder Jiong.”
“Elder Jiong.”
Li Qingran greeted him respectfully.
Jiong Yuanmo nodded, placing his hands behind his back.
“Since you’ve come to the Sutra Repository, you must abide by its rules.”
“The first and second floors are open to all disciples. You may enter and exit freely.”
“However, from the third floor onward, you will need to be tested in swordsmanship before you can proceed.”
“If you truly cannot find a martial technique that suits you, you may ask me for a recommendation. But be aware—”
“Each disciple only has one chance for a recommendation.”
Without a second thought, Li Qingran immediately spoke up.
“Elder Jiong, I’m not here for a martial technique.”
“I need a prescription for an antidote. Preferably one that can cure all poisons.”
“Do you have any recommendations?”
Jiong Yuanmo’s eyebrows shot up.
His expression darkened.
“You came to the Sutra Repository of the Sword Pavilion…”
“To look for a medicine recipe?”
His voice was laced with displeasure.
“And you’re willing to waste your one and only recommendation on that?”
Under the old man’s piercing gaze, Li Qingran instinctively stiffened.
But after a brief hesitation, she stood her ground.
“Yes. I need it to cure my master’s poison.”
Jiong Yuanmo’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Your master… isn’t from the Sword Pavilion?”
“Who is he?”
Li Qingran answered honestly.
“My master was once the Grand Elder of the Sword Pavilion.”
“What?!”
Jiong Yuanmo’s voice spiked eight octaves higher.
Li Qingran continued, her tone steady.
“I have already confirmed with the Sect Master. My master was the first-generation Peak Master of Wanjian Peak—Chen Huaian.”
“However, he left the Sword Pavilion many years ago to travel. Even the Sect Master barely remembers him.”
“But he did find my master’s name engraved on the Ancestral Hall’s memorial tablet.”
Jiong Yuanmo’s brows furrowed in thought.
“So that’s how it is.”
“That means he was the one who inscribed the stone tablet of Wanjian Peak…?”
Li Qingran nodded.
“That’s right.”
Jiong Yuanmo’s previous displeasure softened considerably.
Just moments ago, he had suspected Li Qingran of being a spy.
After all, the Sutra Repository was one of the most valuable sources of ancient martial techniques in the entire Cangyun Realm, second only to the Holy Land.
Moreover, its contents were freely available to any Sword Pavilion disciple.
Even if a disciple had a master from outside the sect, as long as they passed the Repository’s assessment, they could still study its techniques.
And once they learned those techniques, the sect would never take them back—even if the disciple left the Sword Pavilion later.
Because of this, there had been cases in the past where spies infiltrated the sect.
Other factions sent disciples here under false pretenses, had them memorize martial techniques, and then made them leave the sect soon after.
Although Sect Master Su Qinian didn’t particularly care about such incidents…
Jiong Yuanmo did.
In fact, he cared a lot.
Especially when those spies had the audacity to use their one-time recommendation request just to have him personally tailor a technique for them—only to leave the sect right after!
Just thinking about it infuriated him.
But now—
Hearing that Li Qingran’s master was a former Grand Elder, Jiong Yuanmo’s attitude shifted dramatically.
He had no reason to doubt her words.
Who would dare impersonate a master of the Sword Pavilion?
Not to mention, his eyesight was still sharp—
He could easily tell whether a disciple was lying.
In that moment, Li Qingran was no longer some scheming thief stealing knowledge.
She was now a devoted disciple, searching for a cure to save her master.
Jiong Yuanmo let out a long breath.
“Alright. Give me a moment to think.”
He sat back down on a futon in the main hall, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes in meditation.
Li Qingran didn’t wander around or inspect the shelves.
Instead, she obediently stood near the wall and waited quietly.
Then—
The entire Sutra Repository began to shake.
A powerful gust of wind roared outside.
Leaves whirled wildly, piling up at the entrance.
Li Qingran’s eyes widened as countless chaotic shadows flickered around Jiong Yuanmo.
And then—
A pale golden figure, shaped like Jiong Yuanmo himself, slowly floated up from above his head.
The swirling leaves lifted into the air, spinning around the golden apparition.
“Yang Shen leaving the body?”
Li Qingran blinked, murmuring to herself in surprise.
This Elder Jiong was indeed a master.
Only cultivators who had reached the Transformation of Spirit Realm could separate their Yang Shen (Primordial Spirit) from their physical body.
It was said that once the Yang Shen left the body, it could perceive all things in a single thought, granting incredible supernatural abilities.
At this moment, Elder Jiong was using his Yang Shen to scan through and query all the scriptures and martial techniques stored in the Sutra Repository.
However—
Not every Transformation cultivator could achieve this feat.
The Transformation Realm was merely the threshold.
Only seasoned masters—the kind that had lived for centuries and accumulated immeasurable experience—could stably separate their Yang Shen and control it freely.
After about an incense stick’s worth of time, the mysterious phenomena inside the Sutra Repository gradually dissipated.
The wild gusts outside settled down.
Jiong Yuanmo opened his eyes—a flicker of exhaustion flashing within them.
This was his first time searching for a pill recipe.
Compared to retrieving a sword scripture, the process had been far more mentally taxing.
Still, he had found something.
“I have searched through 337,600 volumes of scriptures in the Sutra Repository.”
“I found a record that may be useful to you—it is located on the fifth floor.”
Jiong Yuanmo rose to his feet and led Li Qingran up the stairs.
Upon reaching the light curtain marking the entrance to the fifth floor, he turned back to her.
“The scripture is titled ‘Annotations to the Heart of Dan.’”
“It contains a recipe for a pill that can cure various poisons.”
“However—”
“The rules of the Sutra Repository cannot be broken.”
“To retrieve this scripture, you must pass the Sword Heart Test on the fifth floor.”
Jiong Yuanmo noticed Li Qingran purse her lips, seemingly deep in thought.
Assuming she was nervous, he reassured her.
“As long as your Sword Heart is firm, and you hold onto your goal, the test won’t be difficult.”
“Go on.”
But before he could finish speaking—
Li Qingran had already stepped into the light curtain.
Jiong Yuanmo: “…”
He watched as she disappeared inside, then shook his head with a faint smile.
“Looks like I’ll have to wait a few hours.”
The Sword Heart Test was actually an illusion trial.
Inside, a disciple would be forced to fight a mirror image of themselves at the same level.
Only by defeating their own reflection could they pass.
However—
Most disciples were ruthlessly tormented inside before they even started thinking about what their heart truly desired.
This Li Qingran seemed quite intelligent.
She should take at least two hours to pass, right?
Just as this thought crossed his mind—
Click—
The light curtain shattered.
Jiong Yuanmo stared in disbelief as Li Qingran stepped out, pale-faced but unharmed—
And then walked straight into the fifth floor.
Jiong Yuanmo: “???”
So fast?!
He quickly scanned the formation of the Sword Heart Test, carefully reviewing what had happened inside.
After a moment—
His expression turned… peculiar.
“I can’t believe it…”
He let out a baffled chuckle.
“This little girl… her heart is completely set on her master.”
“Her Sword Heart was so firm that she cut down her mirror image the moment she drew her sword—”
“She would cut down gods and Buddhas alike…”
Jiong Yuanmo shook his head, sighing with amusement.
“But this little girl… never even considered that her master is the Supreme Elder…”
“There’s at least a several hundred-year age gap between them…”
Jiong Yuanmo chuckled again.
“Ah… young ones these days…”
