Chapter 150: The Vertical Eye Scans the Book Collection Hall
The probing sensation in his spiritual perception vanished as quickly as it appeared. Xiao Bai's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. These two elders were the strongest cultivators he had encountered so far—peak Dou Zong experts. Since entering the valley, he had maintained a cautious demeanor.
The silence in the valley persisted for about ten minutes before the two gray-robed figures stirred slightly. Beneath their hoods, aged faces came into view, their eyes as calm and unreadable as an old monk's. Their gazes swept over the group, lingering briefly on Xiao Bai before a hoarse voice rasped, "This batch... is more interesting than the last."
Hearing one of the gray-robed elders speak, Vice Dean Hu Gan relaxed slightly and smiled. "In that case, may the two elders kindly undo the spatial lock?"
"Brother Xiao Bai, Xian'er, pay attention to the area around the pavilion," Xun'er whispered through a private voice transmission.
Xiao Bai nodded slightly. He had already noticed that while the space around the pavilion appeared clear, upon closer inspection, faint ripples occasionally distorted it. These ripples were nearly imperceptible, hidden within the fabric of space itself. Tracing them revealed that the entire pavilion was encased in what looked like an enormous, transparent dome.
"This is a Spatial Lock—a powerful barrier only a Dou Zun-level expert can create. This one was left behind by a predecessor centuries ago. Without the elders' unique methods, even a Dou Zong expert wouldn't be able to breach it," Hu Gan explained, noticing the confusion in some of their eyes.
As he spoke, the two gray-robed elders slowly formed hand seals with their withered hands. A faint yet profound spatial undulation emanated from their gestures, spreading outward like waves until they met the ripples in space.
In an instant, the massive transparent dome became visible to the naked eye. Ripples cascaded across its surface like water, and soon, a narrow gap appeared—as if torn open by invisible hands—widening into a doorway large enough for a single person to pass through.
"We thank the elders for their assistance." Seeing the spatial gateway stabilize, Hu Gan bowed deeply to the two seated figures before gesturing to the five behind him. "Let's go."
"Once inside, remember: no matter what you desire, do not force it. Every item within is protected by an energy barrier. If your hand can pass through, the item is yours. If not, abandon it. Otherwise, you may leave empty-handed. Many have done so in the past—though Xiao Bai, you're the exception."
"For you, most barriers won't pose much trouble. But remember this: no matter how many items you can retrieve, you may only take one out. Understood?"
Xiao Bai nearly rolled his eyes at Hu Gan's pointed warning. *Who does he think I am? Some kind of greedy thief?*
"Hehe... Alright. You have one hour. Whether you find anything or not, you must leave when the time is up. Go on." Hu Gan chuckled, deliberately ignoring Xiao Bai's expression. It wasn't that he feared the young man's greed—it was just that some barriers, while challenging for Dou Shi or Da Dou Shi, would be trivial for Xiao Bai to dismantle. If he ended up breaking them all, Hu Gan would have to answer to the Bai and Qian Elders and spend days repairing the damage. Better to set the rules straight now.
"Giggle..." The two girls beside Xiao Bai covered their mouths, stifling laughter at his sulky face. After receiving a sharp glare, Xun'er tugged his hand playfully. "Alright, Brother Xiao Bai, let's go in!"
"Mm." Xiao Bai nodded, holding both girls' hands as they stepped into the Library Pavilion.
Once all five had entered, the great doors slowly closed behind them. Watching this, Hu Gan sighed softly. "Being able to enter the Book Collection Hall is already a rare opportunity. I hope you all find something worthwhile."
Near the spatial gateway, the two gray-robed elders conversed in raspy voices.
"That boy's soul power is astonishing. In terms of sheer spiritual strength, he isn't far behind us."
"Indeed. The soul energy he wrapped around himself actually blocked our probing. And his spiritual perception is sharp—he noticed us before we even began inspecting him."
"Seems like a boy with secrets. At his age, with such talent, he likely didn't come to the academy just to study."
"As long as he bears no ill will toward the academy, we have no objection to fostering goodwill. The rest is none of our concern."
Hu Gan listened nearby, his face twitching. *Why don't you just ask me?!* The Bai and Qian Elders would rather speculate than spare him a word!
Here he was, the Vice Dean of the outer academy, visiting once a year—yet aside from when they needed manual labor, the two elders rarely deigned to speak to him.
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Inside the Book Collection Hall, the group walked through a pitch-black passageway illuminated only by faint yellow lantern light. After about five minutes, a bright glow appeared ahead. Quickening their pace, they soon emerged into a spacious, well-lit hall.
The room was vast—more like a grand hall—with walls lined by over a dozen energy barriers that pulsed with light, illuminating the space as brightly as daytime.
"Xiao Bai, didn't they say there were many treasures here?" Xiao Yi Xian stood beside him, scanning the seemingly empty room in confusion. "Are we supposed to enter those energy barriers?"
"Don't worry, Xian'er. Just wait here," Xiao Bai replied softly, ruffling her hair—which was nearly the same shade as his—with a chuckle.
As he spoke, a faint rustling sound echoed through the room. Everyone's gaze snapped toward the source: an energy barrier on the left wall.
"Something's coming out of there..." Xun'er frowned, watching the barrier intently.
No sooner had she spoken than a streak of violet light shot out from the barrier, hurtling straight toward the group. Tu Shan and the other contestant yelped and scrambled aside in panic.
Xiao Bai didn't even blink. As the purple light neared, he raised a pale, slender hand and caught it effortlessly.
The glow faded in his grip, revealing a scroll encased in an energy layer. Probing it with his soul power, he let out a soft laugh. "Nice name. And it's lightning-attribute too."
Hearing this, Xun'er's face lit up with a sweet smile, assuming he had found something valuable.
"Too bad it's only a high-tier Xuan Class cultivation method—Purple Thunder Art."
Xun'er's smile froze. She barely resisted the urge to smack him, settling for an elegant eye-roll instead. *All that drama for a measly Xuan Class technique?*
Tu Shan and the other contestant, however, had a different reaction. Realization dawned on them—the treasures of the Book Collection Hall were ejected from the barriers!
As another series of whooshing sounds filled the room, their eyes gleamed with excitement. Soon, multicolored energy orbs poured out from the barriers like a meteor shower, filling the hall with streaks of light that zipped through the air, their movements erratic.
"Go ahead and take a look too," Xiao Bai said, amused by the eager glint in the girls' eyes—especially Xun'er's. No matter her background, she was still a girl at heart, and these flying orbs were like mystery boxes. *Who could resist the thrill of unboxing?*
"Brother Xiao Bai, what are you looking for? I'll help you find it!" Xun'er bounced on her toes, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Lightning-attribute. Anything will do—the higher the Class, the better." He didn't refuse her offer. Though he could easily locate what he needed himself, he wasn't about to ruin her fun like some clueless straight guy.
"Got it! Come on, Xian'er, let's go play!" Xun'er nodded eagerly, grabbing Xiao Yi Xian's hand. They darted around, sensing the flying orbs and swiping at them with graceful motions.
Xiao Bai watched them with fond amusement before shaking his head and settling into a cross-legged position. Closing his eyes, he unleashed his soul power, flooding the room to inspect the darting orbs.
"Sky Emerald Fruit—main ingredient for Sky Emerald Pill, boosts Dou Wang cultivation..."
"Mystic Water Art—high-tier Xuan Class water-attribute Cultivation Technique..."
"Gale Annihilation Seal—low-tier Di Class wind-attribute Dou Technique..."
Any one of these treasures would spark fierce competition if released into the outside world. Xiao Bai couldn't help but marvel at the depth of Jia Nan Academy's resources. Recalling Hu Gan's earlier words, he felt a fleeting urge to pack up the entire Book Collection Hall and take it with him.
These items were the foundation of any major faction. With them, establishing a new force would be effortless—assuming one had the strength to defend them. Otherwise, they'd just be handing out free loot like some kind of delivery service.
*No wonder the academy sealed this place with a Spatial Lock created by a Dou Zun expert. Without it, the factions of the Black-Corner Region would've banded together to raid Jia Nan Academy long ago.*
As time passed, Xiao Bai's brow furrowed slightly. After scanning all the orbs, he hadn't found anything truly satisfying—let alone the specific technique Xiao Yi Xian needed. There wasn't even a trace of it.
"Could it be that these energy barriers release a fixed, random number of items each time, with some things not appearing yet?" Xiao Bai opened his eyes, scanning the dozen or so energy barriers with a thoughtful gaze.
While the barriers were still emitting light orbs, the frequency had slowed significantly compared to the initial flurry. Now, only one orb appeared every so often.
Suddenly, Xiao Bai's expression shifted. A fiery red light shot out from one of the barriers ahead. The moment it appeared, the temperature in the room skyrocketed, drawing everyone's attention. Seeing such a spectacle, Tu Shan and the other contestant instinctively lunged toward it.
But before they could get close, the fiery orb abruptly changed direction, as if summoned, making a sharp 90-degree turn. The two halted mid-movement, following its trajectory—only to see the figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, who had been motionless with his eyes closed, casually beckoning the orb toward him. The fiery light obediently landed in his palm.
Disappointment flickered in their eyes. An orb with such presence undoubtedly contained something extraordinary. But now that it was in his hands, who dared to snatch it?
Earlier, they had wondered why he was just sitting there, unmoving. Now they understood—he didn't need to scramble around like they did. He could simply summon the treasures to him with a wave of his hand. Such a method was unheard of, placing him in an entirely different league. What was there to compete over?
"Brother Xiao Bai, what is it?" Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian hurried over, eyeing the scroll in his hand with curiosity.
"Nine-Layered Phoenix Flame Art—a low-tier Di Class fire-attribute cultivation method." Xiao Bai's hand shimmered with golden light as he wiped away the fiery glow, revealing an ancient crimson scroll. He handed it to Xun'er. "You're fire-attribute. I know you, little heiress, don't lack for such things, but consider it a collectible. Keep it."
"Hmph! 'Little heiress'—how crude!" Xun'er wrinkled her nose at him, but her face quickly brightened into a radiant smile. She accepted the scroll with delicate fingers and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Xiao Bai! I actually needed a transitional technique, and this fits perfectly."
The other two contestants exchanged glances, their lips curling into bitter smiles. *Look at these people.* A Di Class technique, treated like it was nothing—just casually handed over after effortlessly dispelling its barrier. If they had gotten their hands on it, they'd have guarded it like a priceless treasure, afraid to even let others glimpse it. After all, this was a Di Class technique, not some common weed!
And here, one dared to give it away, the other dared to accept it—neither caring in the slightest. *Transitional technique?* Since when was a Di Class method just a transitional tool? *What kind of privileged lives do these people lead?!*
"Don't worry, Xian'er. Yours will come too," Xiao Bai said softly, turning to the other girl.
"...!" Both girls were speechless. This guy truly had mastered the art of balancing affections—never leaving anyone out.
"Come on, Xun'er! Let's ignore this guy!" Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks flushed slightly as she tugged Xun'er away. Though her tone was dismissive, her light footsteps betrayed her delight.
Xiao Bai chuckled inwardly. *A harem is nice, but maintaining balance is crucial—everyone must be cared for.* Xian'er might be gentle and magnanimous, but she was still a woman, and she too deserved the emotional attention everyone else received.
As time passed, the hour grew short. The technique Elder Huo had mentioned never appeared. Studying the energy barriers, Xiao Bai's eyes flickered with uncertainty before finally hardening in resolve. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused his mind inward.
Channeling his vast soul power into the silver mark on his forehead, the silver mark began to glow, threads of silver light weaving together until they formed a mysterious symbol—like a vertical eye slowly cracking open.
As soul power poured in, the eye trembled slightly before fully unveiling a pupil of swirling chaos—majestic, indifferent, and infinitely profound.
Xiao Bai's perspective shifted abruptly, as if he had ascended to a god's-eye view, looking down upon all existence. Information about his surroundings flowed into his mind effortlessly. His vision expanded beyond the room, penetrating barriers that had once blocked his soul power. Everything hidden within the energy barriers now lay bare before him.
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