Fairy Nishang was an honored guest throughout Yan Family Fortress. After all, she was not only a Moon Masking Sect elder and a Core Formation Cultivator, but also Yan Ruyan's master.
This status eclipsed her other identities. In a sense, she could even be considered "one of the Yan family."
Consequently, she received a warm welcome from the highest echelons of the Yan family. The Yan Family Ancestor even gave up one of the top three spiritual caves in the Yan family—a sanctuary complete with a spring of spiritual eyes—and invited Fairy Nishang to use it for her cultivation.
Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, Yan Taibai and Yan Ruyan were also fortunate enough to enter and cultivate there.
As for the Scripture Pavilion, how could it compare to the comfort of staying with Fairy Nishang, especially when one could also receive her personal guidance?
Fairy Nishang and the higher-ups of the Moon Masking Sect were overjoyed when Yan Taibai reached the 11th Layer of Qi Condensation in a mere three years.
Otherwise, they would not have been in such a hurry to have Fairy Nishang take Yan Taibai back to the Moon Masking Sect to cultivate.
In the end, Yan Taibai had declined the offer, yet Fairy Nishang still imparted a great deal of guidance to him.
At the same time, she taught Yan Ruyan—who had just begun her cultivation—a different cultivation method from the Moon Masking Sect suited specifically for women.
According to Fairy Nishang, once one reached the Foundation Establishment stage, this cultivation method would prove immensely beneficial for dual cultivation.
Of course, she only briefly mentioned this to Yan Taibai; Yan Ruyan was still too young to discuss it further, and was merely told to apply herself diligently to her cultivation.
At present, Yan Ruyan had only just embarked on her cultivation journey.
Two months later, accompanied by a host of senior figures from the Yan family, as well as Yan Taibai and Yan Ruyan, Fairy Nishang departed from Yan Family Fortress.
As soon as she left, Yan Taibai formally petitioned the Yan Family Ancestor for permission to read books on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
After all, the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion was practically indistinguishable from the first—it was essentially a shoddy knock-off version. Most of the contents in the books, ancient texts, and jade slips were largely identical, and their contribution to the progress value of his [Read Ten Thousand Books] ability was virtually negligible.
By contrast, the information contained within the books, ancient texts, and personal journals on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion, while perhaps not entirely unprecedented, should still vastly surpass that of the second floor.
Otherwise, they would not have been kept on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion, accessible only to the Yan family's Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Regarding this request, the ancestor of Yan Family Fortress had initially not intended to grant it, wishing instead for Yan Taibai to devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation and achieve Foundation Establishment as soon as possible.
After all, Yan Taibai's cultivation speed was truly astonishing and a pleasant surprise to everyone.
If nothing unexpected happened, reaching Core Formation was merely a matter of time, and he even had the potential to become the very first immortal cultivator in the Yan family to achieve Core Formation before turning a hundred years old.
Naturally, these were merely speculations by the Yan Family Ancestor and Mr. Xuanye.
Therefore, they did not want Yan Taibai to waste his time on the Scripture Pavilion. In any case, the information and knowledge on the first and second floors alone were more than enough to benefit most immortal cultivators for a lifetime.
As for the information and knowledge on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion, understanding it prior to the Foundation Establishment stage offered little benefit and could easily disrupt one's state of mind; furthermore, the jade slips there had specific restrictions placed upon them.
Without Foundation Establishment cultivation, attempting to view them by force ran a serious risk of accidentally damaging one's spiritual sense or even the primordial spirit, which would not only disrupt cultivation but, in severe cases, could reduce a person to an utter fool.
However, unable to withstand Yan Taibai's repeated requests, the Yan Family Ancestor and Mr. Xuanye could only agree, and they arranged for Mr. Xuanye to help Yan Taibai lift the restrictions on the third-floor jade slips one by one.
They went out of their way to accommodate virtually every request Yan Taibai made, which only deepened his sense of belonging and loyalty to the Yan family.
***
On the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
"Taibai, I have already dissolved the restrictions on the jade slips on this third floor in accordance with the ancestor's instructions. You can examine them without worry. However, remember this: you may only look at them; you must not attempt to practice the divine abilities or secret techniques contained within."
Looking thoroughly exhausted after dismantling the restriction on the very last jade slip, Mr. Xuanye wore a solemn expression as he reminded Yan Taibai.
The jade slips, ancient texts, and journals on the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion simply could not compare in quantity to those on the first or even the second floor, yet they represented the core cultivation methods, divine abilities, spells, and secret techniques of the Yan family.
Though there were only a little over a hundred items, it would be no exaggeration to call them the very foundation of Yan Family Fortress.
Even the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Yan Family Fortress were not permitted to linger there, restricted to just an hour or two per visit, and even then, only to consult jade slips and ancient texts directly related to the cultivation methods and divine abilities they practiced.
One could only imagine just how crucial this third floor of the Scripture Pavilion truly was.
Had it not been for Yan Taibai's status, his aptitude, and his astonishingly rapid progress in cultivation, the Yan Family Ancestor would never have agreed to this matter.
"Taibai understands. Mr. Xuanye can rest assured. Thank you, Mr. Xuanye."
Hearing this, Yan Taibai bowed respectfully to Mr. Xuanye and expressed his gratitude.
Even though there were only a little over a hundred items, they would still be immensely useful to him, as the contents and information within them were things he had virtually never laid eyes on before.
He believed this would surely accelerate the progress value of his [Read Ten Thousand Books] ability.
It had been three years. Do you have any idea how he had survived these past three years?
Day in and day out, working without rest, devouring books and throwing himself into cultivation—his life had been practically a single straight line.
Aside from occasionally keeping company with Yan Ruyan, his little fiancée, he paid no attention to anything else and asked no questions about outside affairs.
Well, that wasn't entirely true; there was also his aunt, Dehua—no, Yan Yun.
Because of Yan Taibai, Yan Yun was now considered a core member of the Yan family.
She had even been awarded a Foundation Establishment Pill, though because her cultivation realm was still at the 10th Layer of Qi Condensation—inferior even to Yan Taibai's—she had not yet taken it.
From time to time, Yan Taibai would also share a portion of his own cultivation resources and Spirit Stones with his aunt Yan Yun.
After all, he was the only one who clearly remembered how bitterly difficult it had been for an underage girl to raise a newborn baby before his spiritual roots were tested—back when virtually anyone dared to bully and humiliate them,
even trying to seize the shops and Spirit Stones awarded as compensation by the Yan family.
Yet the moment Yan Taibai finished testing his spiritual roots, all those people simply vanished. As to where they had gone, Yan Taibai neither knew nor cared.
Nor would he bother to ask, because according to the rules of the Yan family, he would never see those people again.
Naturally, he let the matter drop.
Yan Yun had repeatedly refused the cultivation resources Yan Taibai offered her, but she could not withstand his persistent pleas and ultimately accepted them, resolving to cultivate with all her might.
At any rate, Yan Yun was now just like Yan Taibai: her only task was to cultivate, and she had no need to tend to any other matters whatsoever.
Initially, the Yan Family Ancestor had even intended to arrange a marriage between Yan Yun and a direct descendant of the Yan family, but Yan Yun had turned it down.
Out of personal selfishness, Yan Taibai had been secretly thrilled by this.
After all, the two of them were each other's closest kin in this entire world.
"Of course I have no doubts about you, but a reminder is still in order."
Mr. Xuanye nodded and smiled.
He naturally held Yan Taibai in extremely high regard. Over the past few years, every single aspect of Yan Taibai's upbringing had been managed by him down to the smallest detail.
Consequently, the two of them shared an exceptionally close bond. Despite the vast difference in their ages, their relationship was very much that of both master and friend.
"Understood! Taibai knows where the boundaries lie."
Yan Taibai nodded respectfully.
Right now, his only wish was to complete the [Read Ten Thousand Books] requirement as soon as possible so he could initiate his second immortal cultivation simulation.
***
At the same time, in a desolate mountain range a thousand miles away from Yan Family Fortress.
"What did you say? Only Fairy Nishang of the Moon Masking Sect left the Yan family alone, and she didn't bring that brat with her?"
"Reporting to the Elder, that is correct. This subordinate confirmed it repeatedly before daring to come and report to you."
"Hmph, consider that brat lucky, but he won't be so fortunate next time."