After returning to the sect, Zhou Yanxi and her senior brother enjoyed a lovely meal of spiritual cuisine in their courtyard. Taking advantage of the occasion, Zhou Yanxi asked Yuan Hen about several questions she didn't understand in Forging the Divine.
As her senior brother, Yuan Hen took his responsibilities seriously. Though he hadn't cultivated that particular technique himself, his many years of experience allowed him to guide Zhou Yanxi, who was still in the Foundation Establishment stage.
However, once he learned that Forging the Divine was an incomplete technique, Yuan Hen couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. The technique only cultivated up to the early Core Formation stage, and the difficulty was notoriously high.
But since his junior sister had already made her choice, and everyone had their own fated path, he didn't try to stop her.
After clearing up her cultivation doubts, the two discussed their training plans for the next day and then went their separate ways.
Next, Zhou Yanxi planned to make a trip to the sect's library pavilion to borrow some basic reading materials about this world.
After all, the embarrassment she suffered last time for not understanding what an epiphany was—once was enough. She didn't want to miss out on future opportunities or treasures due to a lack of knowledge.
So, Zhou Yanxi arrived at the sect's library, which—despite being called a "pavilion"—was actually an ancient supreme-grade magical artifact called the Exquisite Pagoda, with seven total floors. The first floor was for servant disciples, and outer sect disciples had access to the first and second floors.
Inner sect disciples could enter up to the third floor. As the daughter of a peak lord, Zhou Yanxi received the same treatment as a personal disciple and could access the first four floors. Anything beyond that was off-limits to her.
There had once been a disciple who tried to forcefully break into the upper levels and triggered the tower's forbidden array. When the elder guarding the library caught him, the disciple's spiritual power was sealed and he was thrown onto the Cliff of Reflection for five years.
That place had no spiritual energy, so he lived like a mortal—unable to cultivate and forced to endure extreme solitude. Since then, no one dared challenge the library's rules, nor underestimate the Elder Guardian.
Zhou Yanxi arrived at the library and respectfully bowed to the dozing elder at the entrance. Seeing no response, she proceeded inside on her own.
Had she turned around just then, she would've seen the seemingly sleeping old man suddenly open his sharp, clear eyes, a mysterious light flashing within them.
Today marked the 450th year of his service guarding the library. He had only fifty more years before his term ended—and today, of all days, he happened to encounter Chongyuan's daughter.
Most disciples just brushed him off with a token bow, assuming he was just some old relic. The younger generation no longer remembered his former glory.
Back in the day, he was once the formidable Blade Rhythm Dao Lord. But due to the inner demon haunting him—the failure to find a worthy successor—he had yet to ascend.
His standards were unusually strict: the successor had to be a disciple of the Haomiao Sect, believe that blade cultivation was superior to sword cultivation, and possess the unyielding potential needed to walk the path of a blade cultivator. In the Canglan Continent, where sword cultivators were worshiped as the strongest, this was an extremely tall order.
He had once taken in a gifted disciple five hundred years ago, but the boy was too upright and was ambushed during a training mission. The Dao Lord had to bury his own disciple—a grief that haunted him to this day.
In the decades that followed, the Dao Lord had considered accepting another disciple to pass down his legacy. But the candidates were all either too pragmatic—seeking fame more than the blade—or had no true talent, chasing his name rather than the art. Disheartened, he secluded himself in the library to avoid further disappointment.
Back on the first floor, Zhou Yanxi followed the labeled shelves and selected three jade slips: The Geography of Canglan, The Essential Guide to Cultivation, and A Complete Compendium of Spirit Beasts in the Cultivation World.
She took them to the disciple on duty and spent 100 contribution points to have them copied.
These jade slips were basic knowledge for the cultivation world, so they weren't expensive.
The servant disciples on the first floor couldn't help but look enviously at Zhou Yanxi, clad in high-grade robes. Inner sect disciples of her level rarely came here.
Her appearance drew plenty of secret glances and murmurs from the crowd.
Just as Zhou Yanxi stepped out of the library and was about to retrieve a flying artifact, a man's voice called out behind her:"Junior Sister Zhou, wait a moment—I have something to ask you."
The unfamiliar voice didn't seem relevant to her, so Zhou Yanxi simply raised her hand to summon her flying device.
But in a blink, a male disciple appeared before her, gave a slight bow, and politely blocked her way. Zhou Yanxi instinctively stepped aside to avoid receiving the full formality.
This man clearly had a higher cultivation level. Judging by the jade token at his waist, he was a personal disciple.
"Greetings, Junior Sister Zhou. I am Zhang Yuan, a personal disciple from the Sword Peak. I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask—how exactly did you achieve your recent epiphany?"
Zhou Yanxi looked at him, wondering whether he was truly naïve or just pretending to be. Asking someone in public about their personal enlightenment—how shameless could he be?
Nearby disciples immediately slowed their pace. At the mention of the word epiphany, their ears perked up.
Zhou Yanxi had no interest in befriending anyone in the sect. But she also didn't want to humiliate him in public. So she smiled faintly and replied,"Senior Brother Zhang, it was merely a passing insight, a fortunate coincidence—there's no real method to it."
Her perfunctory answer didn't anger Zhang Yuan. He continued smiling with practiced grace—though the smile never reached his eyes.
Zhou Yanxi didn't care for his fake friendliness. In this cultivation world, she knew better than to trust anyone. Only interests were eternal.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Zhou Yanxi boarded her lotus-shaped flying artifact and returned to her Zhenyuan Peak.
The watching disciples, realizing they wouldn't learn anything more, soon dispersed.
But Zhang Yuan remained standing, his eyes fixed on Zhou Yanxi's departing figure.
Inside the library, the Blade Rhythm Dao Lord had witnessed everything through divine sense. He frowned. That Zhang Yuan brat is clearly up to no good. Who asks such things so openly in public?
Meanwhile, the Blood Demon's avatar had been persistently trying to tempt Zheng Sumin into action. But she was timid by nature, and after learning Zhou Yanxi's identity, she ignored every one of the demon's whispers.
Honestly, Zheng Sumin might be greedy, but she wasn't stupid. She knew her strength was inferior, and with Zhou Yanxi backed by a powerful peak lord, only a fool would throw an egg at a stone.
The Blood Demon was nearly driven mad by this cowardly host. But with his current form weakened and unable to act without resources, he had no choice but to continue scheming in secret.
Author's Note:
The reason the Blood Demon chooses to possess those with poor aptitude is twofold:
He's afraid a master of a talented disciple might detect his presence—no matter how confident he is in his concealment, he doesn't dare take the risk.
People with low talent often harbor the strongest greed and ambition, making them easier to manipulate and control.