"Haha, a Di-class cultivation method!"
Amid the whistling chaos of the room, a jubilant shout broke the tender, slightly awkward moment between Xiao Bai, Xiao Yi Xian, and Xiao Xun'er. Xiao Yi Xian, her cheeks still faintly flushed, slipped out of Xiao Bai's embrace. Catching Xiao Xun'er's teasing gaze, her eyes darted away shyly.
"Huh? Poison-attributed?" The same voice, now tinged with disappointment, rang out again.
"Is that the cultivation method?" Xiao Yi Xian's eyes locked onto the gray orb in Tu Shan's hands, a flash of cold fury in her gaze.
Sensing the intense fluctuations—matching those of the Ninefold Fire Phoenix Art—she knew it was a Di-class method, and poison-attributed at that. It was clearly the one Xiao Bai had somehow summoned at great cost, yet now it was in Tu Shan's grasp.
Watching Tu Shan clutch the orb tightly, his hand probing to break the energy shield, Xiao Yi Xian's urgency spiked. She moved to intercept, determined to reclaim what Xiao Bai had sacrificed for. How could we let someone else take it so easily?
Suddenly, an arm caught hers. Turning, she saw Xiao Bai shaking his head. She frowned, puzzled.
"Xiao Bai, let go! I'll get the cultivation method back!"
"No need. He can't break the shield," Xiao Bai said, holding her back with a chuckle. Xian'er's got a fierce side now!
Xiao Bai wasn't concerned about Tu Shan claiming it. Even if they broke the shield, they couldn't take what was his.
"Relax, Xian'er. You know a Di-class shield isn't so easy to breach," Xiao Xun'er said, stepping forward to wrap an arm around Xiao Yi Xian's shoulders, her brows arching with a smile.
Xiao Yi Xian blinked, realization dawning. Her earlier urgency had clouded her memory of something crucial. Embarrassed, she recalled that she'd nearly forgotten an important detail in her haste to retrieve what Xiao Bai had fought for.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Tu Shan's hand touched the gray orb's inner layer. A tremendous rebound force erupted, blasting his hand away. The gray light flared, wrenching free from his grip and streaking off as a beam of light.
"Trouble!" Xiao Bai's face shifted, a thunderous crack sounding as he vanished from his spot.
Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian's expressions changed too, noticing the gray beam seemed drawn, as if summoned, toward the energy shield on the right wall.
Xiao Bai's sharp eyes tracked the beam. His form flickered like a teleport, appearing before the shield. At the last moment, he seized the gray orb just as it neared the shield, gripping it tightly despite its fierce struggles, his arm unwavering.
"Phew!" Xiao Bai exhaled, his tension easing. That was too close. Securing the gray orb, he stared deeply at the shield, as if trying to peer through it.
In the room beyond the shield, two gray-robed figures observed silently.
"Tch, this lad's quick on his feet. Not simple at all!" one remarked.
"Hmph, he's no honest sort. Somehow, he bypassed the Dean's restrictions, shattering the seventh marker and the seal on that shelf holding the Poison Spirit Heart Scripture. The faint thunder traces on both match perfectly—it's definitely his doing!" the other said.
"Let it go. We intervened, breaking the rules ourselves. He earned it with his skill. Besides, he showed restraint, causing no major damage. From his actions, it's clear he did it for that girl. It's understandable. And technically, he didn't break any rules," the first countered.
"You're not connected to this kid, are you?" Hundred烈 frowned, eyeing his companion suspiciously. Still saying he didn't break the rules?
"Then tell me, which depository rule did he violate?" Thousand木 replied, exasperated. After all these years together, they treated Jia Nan Academy as home. What outside ties could they have?
"Er…" Hundred烈 pondered, realizing no rule applied to today's events. The depository's regulations only prohibited fighting in the outer chamber, with no mention of the rooms beyond the shields. Who could've imagined an Outer Academy student bypassing a Dou Zun's safeguards?
"Think about it—thunder attributes, breaking the Dean's restrictions, and that girl by his side we can't quite see through," Thousand木 said, glancing at his old friend. "I'm starting to wonder if this lad has some tie to the Dean."
Hundred烈's eyes widened, disbelief turning to realization. It wasn't impossible—perhaps even likely.
"If that's true, he might know the Dean's whereabouts!" Hundred烈's cloudy eyes gleamed. The Dean had vanished nearly a century ago, leaving no trace. Generations of students had come and gone, few even knowing the Dean's name, let alone meeting them.
Thousand木 shook his head, his hoarse voice calm. "True or not, don't ask. If it's false, asking's pointless. If it's true, the Dean must have plans for him. If they haven't revealed it, it's not time yet."
"Sigh, I'd hoped the Dean could return soon to guide us. This barrier from Dou Zong to Dou Zun has trapped us too long," Hundred烈 said, sighing helplessly.
___
In the outer chamber, Xiao Bai returned to Xiao Yi Xian's side, handing her a gray-white scroll. "Not bad. It suits your current situation well. But cultivating it requires something else—we'll discuss that outside."
Xiao Yi Xian looked up at him, her gaze soft as water, her eyes twinkling like a starry river. A gentle smile curved her lips, warm as a spring breeze.
"Thank you, Xiao Bai."
In that moment, she seemed a true fairy descended to the mortal world, radiating a soft glow that left Xiao Bai momentarily entranced.
"Fool," Xiao Yi Xian said, her heart fluttering at his captivated look, her voice a playful, joyful scold.
Sensing an intense gaze nearby, Xiao Bai snapped back, feeling a prick of discomfort. Clearing his throat, he laughed, "Haha, the moon's so round tonight!"
The words slipped out, and he immediately wanted to slap himself.
Sure enough, Xiao Xun'er huffed, "We're in the Scripture Depository. Where's the moon?"
"Hehe," Xiao Yi Xian giggled, covering her mouth, watching the exchange. She knew Xiao Xun'er wasn't upset with her—just playfully needling Xiao Bai. A woman's jealousy was natural, and even she indulged in it sometimes.
As they spoke, the orbs swirling in the room shuddered, darting back to their shields like swallows to their nests. In moments, as the orbs vanished, the vortex-like shields shrank to pinpoints, disappearing with soft clicks.
A vast, intangible energy swept over the five, lingering for ten seconds before receding like a tide.
"Time's up. Leave now. Remember, everything here, including all details of the Scripture Depository, must not be revealed to anyone," a hoarse, aged voice echoed through the room.
____
If you want to support me and read advanced 20+ chapters and other stories join: patreon.com/Caluem