"What? Brother Qin, you aren't joking, are you?"
Shen Tianming’s pupils dilated slightly, his expression one of pure disbelief. One had to understand that this place was reserved exclusively for the nine peak Dao Children. If what Qin Xuan said were true, wouldn’t that mean he would enjoy the same treatment as a Dao Child from now on?
"I have always stood by my word. Believe it or not, that is up to you," Qin Xuan said coolly.
"I believe you! I believe you! Whatever Brother Qin says, I believe," Shen Tianming replied, his excitement bubbling over as he spoke loudly.
Qin Xuan’s face remained expressionless, his tone indifferent as he added, "Let’s get one thing straight: I have conditions."
"What conditions?" Shen Tianming paused, stunned for a moment. "As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse even if it means climbing a mountain of blades or plunging into a sea of fire." A flash of fierce resolve crossed his face as he spoke in a low, determined voice.
It was no wonder. To him, this was a heaven-sent opportunity to change his fate, and he had to grasp it with everything he had.
"You are here, enjoying the top-tier resources of Tianling Peak. Therefore, within one month, you must break through to the Zhoutian 3rd Layer. Otherwise, you may leave on your own—I cannot afford to lose face like that."
"Understood! I guarantee I will complete the task!" Shen Tianming promised, slamming his chest firmly.
Still devoid of any expression, Qin Xuan shifted the topic. "Do you know where one can obtain martial arts techniques within the Qingshan Sect?"
Although he had broken through to the Zhoutian 1st Layer, he lacked a suitable martial art. As an Alchemy Emperor, he was not short of powerful techniques, but those were far too shocking; if he used them, they would likely cause an uproar. Of course, with his current cultivation in the Zhoutian Realm, he couldn't even perform those advanced techniques. If he tried, he would likely be drained dry before he even touched his enemies.
"Martial arts? That's simple. As a personal disciple of the Peak Master, you can go directly to the Scripture Pavilion. Given your status, you can choose whichever techniques you like," Shen Tianming said, his voice laced with envy.
Ordinary disciples found it difficult to even enter the Scripture Pavilion, but a Dao Child like Qin Xuan could come and go as he pleased—a fact that made everyone else green with jealousy.
"Fine. Let's go to the Scripture Pavilion then," Qin Xuan nodded.
With that, the two left the courtyard and headed toward the Scripture Pavilion. It stood atop Qingshan Peak, protected by formidable experts. After all, the cultivation manuals and martial techniques within were collected by the ancestors of the Qingshan Sect through immense effort, and no errors could be tolerated.
Before long, led by Shen Tianming, Qin Xuan arrived before the building. He looked up to see a nine-story pavilion piercing the clouds, radiating an extraordinary presence. Disciples moved in an endless stream, entering in an orderly fashion.
"Brother Qin, this is the Scripture Pavilion," Shen Tianming introduced with enthusiasm. "As you can see, there are nine levels. The higher the level, the higher the grade of the martial arts and techniques contained within."
Qin Xuan pondered this for a moment and remarked, "Then let's go straight to the ninth level."
At these words, Shen Tianming froze in his tracks.
"What? Is there a problem? Didn't you say that a Dao Child of Tianling Peak could choose whatever he wanted?" Qin Xuan asked calmly.
Shen Tianming’s mouth twitched, and he quickly explained, "The Dao Children of the nine peaks can choose freely, but there are conditions. You must reach the corresponding cultivation level to enter the higher floors. Especially after the seventh level—only the Sect Master and the various Peak Masters, who are experts in the Xuanji Realm, are qualified to enter."
"After all, haste makes waste. In the past, some Dao Children were too ambitious and rashly tried to learn techniques from the ninth level, only to end up dead with their cultivation destroyed. The Qingshan Sect learned from these tragedies, and thus, this rule was established."
Qin Xuan nodded slightly. He had nothing to say regarding the sect's rules.
Shen Tianming continued, "Brother Qin, you are currently at the Zhoutian 1st Layer, so you can only go up to the second level at the highest."
Without a word, Qin Xuan walked straight into the Scripture Pavilion. Along the way, disciples who recognized him turned their heads to look with curiosity.
"Is that the peerless genius who just joined the Qingshan Sect?"
"I really can't figure out how someone at the Zhoutian 1st Layer could trigger the Nine-Star Alignment. I don't buy it!"
"What’s the point of saying that? If you’re so capable, you trigger a Nine-Star Alignment yourself. The Peak Masters are all depressed that they didn't snatch him up; if you could succeed, they’d be overjoyed."
People whispered among themselves. Feeling as though he were sharing in the spotlight, Shen Tianming puffed out his chest, walking close to Qin Xuan. Qin Xuan, however, remained indifferent to the noise and soon arrived at the entrance.
Suddenly, he sensed an unsettling aura and instinctively looked forward. The air at the entrance was distorted, seemingly harboring a terrifying power.
"It's the power of a barrier!" Qin Xuan realized at once.
The fluctuations emitted by this barrier were such that even experts in the Xuanji Realm would not dare to touch it lightly.
"So, you’re the kid who triggered the Nine-Star Alignment, are you?" An aged voice drifted over.
Qin Xuan looked toward the source to see an old man lying crookedly on the ground, holding a wine gourd.
"That's the Elder of the Scripture Pavilion. He has been guarding this place for who knows how many years. His temper isn't very good, so be careful," Shen Tianming whispered into Qin Xuan's ear, his eyes full of worry. Given his limited knowledge of Qin Xuan, he knew the latter wouldn't bow and scrape just because someone was an Elder.
Qin Xuan’s temperament was fine at Tianling Peak, but this was the Scripture Pavilion, and Shen Tianming did not want to see any unpleasantness.
However, it was clear that Shen Tianming was overthinking it. Qin Xuan offered a slight bow to the Elder. "May I ask what the Elder’s advice is?"
While his tone wasn't particularly warm, it was perfectly polite, leaving no room for complaint. Seeing this, Shen Tianming let out a sigh of relief.
"Heh, you’ve got some spirit. But I don't care who you are. Once you enter the Scripture Pavilion, you must follow its rules, or else..." The old man paused, his expression turning cold. "You’ll bear the consequences yourself!"
Shen Tianming nodded frantically and quickly produced two tokens—his own and Qin Xuan’s. "Elder, these are our tokens. Please have a look."
The Elder drooped his eyelids, gave the tokens a cursory glance, and said indifferently, "The rules of the Scripture Pavilion: inner disciples get two visits a year; the nine peak Dao Children may come as they please. But be warned: stay out of the areas you aren't supposed to enter!"
With a wave of his large sleeve, a crisp clicking sound echoed from within the pavilion. At the same time, the terrifying barrier at the entrance vanished.
"Understood!" Shen Tianming bowed.
Qin Xuan nodded and stepped into the Scripture Pavilion.
"Brother Qin, which martial arts are you planning to learn?" Shen Tianming asked, catching up to him, his curiosity piqued.