Chapter 86: The Love-Struck Mind

"Disciple Li Qingran of Ten Thousand Swords Peak seeks an audience!"

Before the tightly shut doors of the Scripture Pavilion, Li Qingran clasped her hands and bowed.

Having learned her lesson from the ancestral hall incident, even though the Scripture Pavilion looked even more dilapidated than the ancestral hall, she dared not underestimate it. Or perhaps, could it be that the more decrepit a place in the Sword Pavilion, the more mysterious and unfathomable it was?

"Ten Thousand Swords Peak? It's been a long time since we've had a disciple from there."

"Come in."

With a creak, the wooden door of the Scripture Pavilion fell to the ground, and a hoarse voice called out from inside.

Li Qingran stared at the fallen door for a moment, then stepped up the stairs and entered the Scripture Pavilion.

Since she was in the Sword Pavilion, she would have to gradually get used to these strange places.

So what if the door opened downward? As long as it opened, that was enough.

The interior of the Scripture Pavilion was dimly lit, but an elderly man with white hair stood out in the gloom.

He stood in front of the main hall, wearing a dark green robe, his shadow stretching into the darkness behind him. His hair was tied into a ponytail, and his eyes were narrow and sharp like an eagle's. One eye was covered with an eyepatch, while the other had a small pupil, with the sclera taking up most of the eye. Combined with his deeply sunken eye sockets and aged appearance, he gave off a fierce and intimidating aura.

Li Qingran bowed again, and as she lowered her head, she noticed that the old man wasn't carrying a sword at his waist, but rather a withered branch.

"I am Jiong Yuanmo, the elder in charge of guarding the Scripture Pavilion. I usually don't teach in the square, so you can address me as Elder Jiong."

"Elder Jiong."

"Hmm." Jiong Yuanmo nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. "Since you've come to the Scripture Pavilion, you must abide by its rules. You may freely enter and exit the first and second floors, but to go beyond the third floor, you must undergo a test of your sword heart. Only by passing can you proceed. If you can't find a suitable cultivation method, you can ask me for a recommendation, but each person only has one chance for a recommendation."

Without hesitation, Li Qingran said to Jiong Yuanmo:

"Elder Jiong, I am looking for a detoxification pill formula, preferably one that can cure any kind of poison. Do you have any recommendations?"

Jiong Yuanmo raised an eyebrow, his expression darkening:

"You've come to the Sword Pavilion's Scripture Pavilion to look for a pill formula?

Are you sure you want to waste that precious recommendation opportunity on a pill formula?"

Under his sharp gaze, Li Qingran felt a bit uneasy, but she still braced herself and said, "Yes, I want to cure my master's poison..."

"Is your master not from the Sword Pavilion? Who is he?"

"My master was once the Supreme Elder of the Sword Pavilion."

"What?!" Jiong Yuanmo's voice unconsciously rose an octave.

Li Qingran replied honestly, "I have already confirmed with the Sect Master. My master was the first peak lord of Ten Thousand Swords Peak, named Chen Huaian. However, he left the Sword Pavilion many years ago to travel, and even the Sect Master only has a vague memory of him. But I did find his name on the ancestral hall's memorial tablet."

"So it's him, the one who inscribed the words on the Ten Thousand Swords Peak stele?"

"Exactly."

Hearing this, Jiong Yuanmo's displeasure eased considerably.

He had been upset earlier because he suspected that this disciple might have been manipulated by someone with ulterior motives.

After all, the Sword Pavilion's Scripture Pavilion was indeed one of the places in the Cangyun Realm, aside from the Holy Land, that housed the most ancient scriptures and texts.

Moreover, the Scripture Pavilion was open to all Sword Pavilion disciples. Even if a disciple had another master outside the Sword Pavilion, as long as they passed the Scripture Pavilion's tests, they could learn the cultivation methods and martial arts within. Even if they later left the Sword Pavilion, their knowledge would not be taken back.

Such incidents had happened before.

Other sects had sent disciples to the Sword Pavilion's Scripture Pavilion to steal knowledge, only to leave the sect afterward.

Although Sect Master Su Qinian didn't mind such things.

He did!

Especially when these disciples tried to use the precious recommendation opportunity to have him find a cultivation method tailored to them.

Only to leave the sect afterward.

Such behavior was simply disgusting!

Upon hearing that Li Qingran's master was once the Supreme Elder of the Sword Pavilion, Jiong Yuanmo's expression became more serious and solemn.

He didn't doubt Li Qingran's words—who would dare use the Sect Master as a cover for lies?

Besides, his eyes weren't that old yet! He could tell at a glance whether a disciple was lying or not.

In Jiong Yuanmo's eyes, Li Qingran had transformed from a potential knowledge thief into a filial and devoted disciple.

"Wait a moment, let me think."

Jiong Yuanmo sat back down on the cushion in the main hall, closing his eyes and entering a meditative state.

Li Qingran didn't wander around or look around, but obediently stood by the wall, waiting.

After a short while, the entire Scripture Pavilion suddenly shook. Li Qingran saw a strong wind blowing outside the pavilion, leaves swirling at the entrance, and countless scattered scrolls' shadows appearing around Jiong Yuanmo. Following that, a faint golden figure, resembling Jiong Yuanmo, emerged from the top of his head, and the scrolls floated up, dancing wildly around the golden figure.

"Yang Spirit Emergence?" Li Qingran blinked, murmuring to herself.

This Elder Jiong was also a master.

Only when a cultivator reached the Nascent Soul stage could they emerge their Yang Spirit.

It was said that once the Yang Spirit left the body, it possessed the great ability to perceive all things in an instant.

At this moment, Elder Jiong was using his Yang Spirit to search through all the scriptures and cultivation methods within the Scripture Pavilion.

However, Yang Spirit Emergence wasn't something just any Nascent Soul cultivator could do.

Reaching the Nascent Soul stage was merely the threshold for Yang Spirit Emergence.

Those who could stably emerge their Yang Spirit and control it freely were without exception the old monsters of various sects.

After waiting for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the strange phenomena within the Scripture Pavilion gradually disappeared, and the wind outside also calmed down.

Jiong Yuanmo opened his eyes, a trace of fatigue flashing deep within them.

This was the first time he had searched for a pill formula, and it was much more taxing than searching for sword techniques.

"I have searched through the 337,600 scrolls within the Scripture Pavilion and found something on the fifth floor that might be useful to you."

Jiong Yuanmo stood up and led Li Qingran up the stairs to the light barrier in front of the fifth floor.

"That scroll is titled 'Annotations on the Pill Heart.' It records a pill formula that may cure various strange poisons. However, the rules of the Scripture Pavilion cannot be broken. If you want to take that scroll, you must pass the Sword Heart Trial on the fifth floor."

Seeing Li Qingran pursing her lips, he thought she was nervous.

So he comforted her, "As long as your sword heart is firm and your path is clear, passing this Sword Heart Trial won't be difficult. Go ahead."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Qingran had already walked in, holding her Su Xian sword.

Jiong Yuanmo clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head.

He estimated that he would have to wait several hours.

The Sword Heart Trial was essentially an illusion. Upon entering, one would have to fight a version of oneself at the same cultivation level. Only by having a superior sword heart could one pass. However, most disciples would first be beaten to the point of doubting their lives before they began to contemplate their true aspirations.

This Li Qingran seemed intelligent, so she would probably take about two hours, right?

This thought had just crossed his mind.

Then, with a 'crack,' Jiong Yuanmo stared in astonishment as Li Qingran emerged from the shattered light barrier, her fair face calm as she stepped into the fifth floor.

"So fast?!" he thought, surprised.

He quickly connected with the Sword Heart Trial's formation, carefully examining it, and his expression couldn't help but become a bit strange.

"I never expected this girl's heart to be entirely focused on her master. Her sword heart is incredibly firm, and with a single strike, she defeated her mirror image, slaying gods and buddhas alike..." He chuckled wryly, shaking his head and sighing.

"But this girl hasn't considered that her master is the Supreme Elder. The age difference between them must be at least a few hundred years..."

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