After Yun Zhi left, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou went to see their cave abodes like the other disciples.
Before that, however, Lu Yang accompanied Meng Jingzhou outside the Dao Seeking Sect to bring the old horse inside.
Outside the sect gates, Lu Yang saw many newly admitted disciples sending good news back to their families. Whether for minor clans or established cultivation lineages, having one of their own accepted into the Dao Seeking Sect was a major milestone worthy of being recorded in their clan history.
"Why hasn't anyone from your family come?" From Meng Jingzhou's occasional remarks, Lu Yang had gathered that the Meng family was an ancient cultivation clan with a long history.
Meng Jingzhou puffed up with pride. "I ran away from home!"
Lu Yang: "..."
What are you so proud of?
Once Meng Jingzhou led the old horse back to his cave abode, Lu Yang returned to his own.
Lu Yang took out a jade pendant. An unfamiliar senior brother had handed it to him moments earlier, explaining that it was an identity token for disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect. To outsiders, it proved one's status as a sect disciple, while internally, it could unlock cave abodes and perform various other functions.
Polished from spiritual stone marrow, the jade pendant bore the name "Lu Yang." Many of its functions would only become usable once he formally became a cultivator.
Lu Yang pressed the jade pendant against the stone wall beside the cave entrance. The pendant emitted a faint blue glow that resonated with a groove in the stone. The groove flickered twice, and the stone wall slid open automatically, revealing an unimaginably luxurious cave abode before him.
The moment he stepped inside, Lu Yang felt a soothing warmth spread through his body, as though a wondrous energy were nourishing his flesh.
"Is this the spiritual energy they're always talking about?"
When he realized what it was, Lu Yang was thoroughly amazed. The concentration of spiritual energy inside was so dense that even a mortal like him could feel it; one could easily imagine how extraordinary it was.
The furnishings were remarkably spartan: just a single table, a prayer mat, and a straw mat. Compared to the cavernous space, it looked stark and empty. He couldn't tell whether the Dao Seeking Sect was cautioning disciples to keep their desires pure and modest, or simply leaving it to them to decorate as they pleased.
A sheet of paper lay on the table, inscribed on both sides.
The front stated that disciples who knew nothing about cultivation could first visit Preaching Peak to learn the fundamentals, or head to the Scripture Pavilion to study on their own.
The reverse held a map of the Dao Seeking Sect. It was fairly rudimentary, sketching only the sect's major peaks with vast blank spaces in between. Judging from the map, the Dao Seeking Sect spanned a hundred thousand li—vast beyond anything Lu Yang could have imagined.
The instructions on the front gave Lu Yang some direction, saving him from aimlessness over the coming month.
Lu Yang yawned, eager for a good night's sleep.
From getting caught in the rain upon setting out, to clearing three trials through his sincere character and exceptional intellect, catching the attention of Eldest Senior Sister Yun Zhi and Second Senior Brother Dai Bufan, and finally becoming a disciple of the Dao Seeking Sect—the events of the day had left him utterly exhausted, so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open.
"How can the Dao Seeking Sect not even provide a pillow..."
Lu Yang grumbled under his breath. The fatigue of the entire day surged over him all at once. Without caring about comfort, he smacked his lips and soon drifted off to dreamland.
...
Early the next morning, Lu Yang rose with the dawn. He planned to check out the Scripture Pavilion first to get a general understanding of the Central Continent.
"A newcomer?" At the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion, a senior brother looked up at Lu Yang.
"Yes."
"Since you're new, I'll explain the rules of the Scripture Pavilion. They're simple—only three.
"First, with your current clearance, you may only read on the first floor, though you're free to browse any book there. Second, you may borrow only one book at a time for now. Third, take good care of the books and do not soil them. If you soil one, you must pay full compensation at the original price."
"I understand." Lu Yang nodded. The senior brother said nothing more and let him inside.
Inside the Scripture Pavilion, disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect were absorbed in their reading, completely undistracted. Not one even noticed Lu Yang walking past.
The vast pavilion was quiet, filled only with sporadic footsteps and the rustle of turning pages.
The shelves held an overwhelming array of books, covering everything from introductory folk comic dialogues to cultivators' secret cultivation arts, and even personal insights on Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment.
Lu Yang was dazzled by the selection, unsure of which book to pick.
"What book is this?"
By chance, Lu Yang discovered a book wedged in the gap between bookshelves. It was covered in a thick layer of dust, as if it had fallen there and gone unread for ages.
He wiped away the dust and finally made out the title—Dragon Phoenix Transformation.
"What an overbearing name!"
Lu Yang whispered in amazement. Without even reading the contents, he could feel an aura of supreme dominance radiating from the title alone!
His mind blurred for an instant. He seemed to hear the harmonious cries of a dragon and phoenix resonating together. Phantom apparitions of a dragon and phoenix materialized before his eyes, vivid and lifelike, before shifting as though enacting the genesis of dragons and phoenixes.
Snapping back to his senses, Lu Yang looked around. The sounds and phantom images had vanished.
"Was that an illusion just now?"
Puzzled, Lu Yang then turned to the first page with a flicker of excitement.
Perhaps this was his fortuitous encounter!
Who would have thought the pages were so sharp? They accidentally nicked his finger, and a few drops of blood fell onto the paper.
A sudden change occurred!
The ancient book actually began to radiate a golden light, as if something within were about to break through a seal!
Lu Yang's heart pounded against his ribs. This development was entirely unexpected and beyond his control; he had no idea whether it boded fortune or calamity.
He even felt as though some formidable entity were staring at him, instinctively paralyzing him with fear!
The sensation grew sharper and sharper, indicating that the powerful being was drawing nearer and nearer.
At last, the powerful presence stood right behind Lu Yang, silently gazing down at him without uttering a single word, terrifying Lu Yang so thoroughly that a cold sweat broke out all over his body.
"You..." Finally, the powerful presence spoke.
"Here!" Lu Yang jolted.
"You soiled the book."
The powerful entity frowned. When Lu Yang turned his head, he realized it was just the senior brother from the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion.
The senior brother looked at the bloodstains on the page with displeasure. He had just warned the boy not to soil the books, yet here he was dripping blood all over one.
An array was laid within the Scripture Pavilion. Whenever a book was soiled, it emitted a golden glow to alert the pavilion guard.
"What book is this? How come I've never seen it before?"
Puzzled, the senior brother picked up the book and flipped through it, only for his expression to change drastically. "Th-This... is actually that legendary forbidden book!"
Lu Yang felt a surge of delight. Who would have thought his luck was this good? On his very first trip to the Scripture Pavilion, he had stumbled upon an ancient forbidden tome! He wondered what profound secret lay hidden within its pages.
"Senior Brother, is there something wrong with this book?" Lu Yang asked curiously.
The senior brother's expression shifted. He hesitated, pondering whether such a secret should be revealed to a newly arrived junior brother. After a moment's thought, he spoke frankly.
"This book contains an exhaustive account of the mating process between dragons and phoenixes. Because it was written in such excruciating detail, the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan filed a joint complaint, and it was classified as a forbidden book. I thought all copies had been destroyed. Who would have guessed one remained here? Wonder who hid it!"
In other words, it was an erotic book.
Lu Yang: "..."
To hell with the harmonious cries of dragons and phoenixes!
Then he suddenly remembered: Senior Brother had said that if you soil a book, you have to pay for it.
Chapter 8