Chapter 19: The Elder of the Cultivation Sect Breaks Down

“Let me see what’s going on.”

The quarrel between the two quickly attracted the attention of curious onlookers nearby.

As more disciples gathered, Ruan Fei’s expression darkened, and he hesitated to make a move.

“You’re lucky today. Next time, I’ll make sure you regret it!”

Ruan Fei spat out these harsh words hurriedly, then dragged Sun Qian away, their faces covered in dust.

If the conflict dragged on and caught the attention of the elders, it would be difficult for him to escape.

It wasn’t that he feared defeat; given his cultivation level, he could easily defeat a newly inducted disciple with one hand.

“Not even this much courage? What a coward.”

Although Li Wudao muttered this, he felt a twinge of regret for not provoking Ruan Fei into making the first move. His plan had temporarily failed.

If Ruan Fei had dared to attack, he would have been invincible and could have acted freely.

There was a sect rule forbidding disrespect towards true heirs.

If an inner disciple dared to assault a superior, the sect’s laws mandated five hundred lashes with a special whip, regardless of life or death, as a deterrent.

This was no ordinary whip but a specially crafted spiritual weapon, lined with barbs. Each lash would tear the flesh of even a body-refining warrior.

If Ruan Fei endured such punishment, he likely wouldn’t be able to leave his bed for at least a month or two.

Putting aside his thoughts, Li Wudao entered the Scripture Pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, he immediately noticed an elderly man reclining behind the counter—a long-time elder responsible for managing the martial arts manuals.

“Identity token.”

The elder spoke calmly, half-lying in his chair, with a pot of tea before him, exuding an air of leisure.

Li Wudao handed over his token, inwardly wondering how all these old folks seemed so adept at enjoying life.

To be honest, he was deeply envious.

In his previous life, he had struggled desperately just to survive, and now, even in reincarnation, cultivation required great effort—it was truly difficult.

“True heirs may enter the third and fourth levels. You have one hour for borrowing. Up to three manuals allowed. Time is limited; go ahead.”

The elder lazily passed him the token for true heirs.

Li Wudao thanked him and proceeded inside.

The first floor was reserved for outer disciples, stocked with lower-grade manuals and books. The best techniques were only mid-grade Profound Tier.

The second floor’s manuals were also modest, with the best being lower-grade Earth Tier.

Glancing through these briefly, Li Wudao found little interest and headed straight to the third floor.

This floor was designated for true heirs, with a clear qualitative difference.

The collection here was vast—while the first and second floors combined housed only five or six hundred books, the third floor had hundreds of shelves.

Li Wudao flipped through several manuals, all at least Earth Tier, covering a broad range: mental cultivation methods, combat techniques, body movement, alchemy, artifact forging, and more—diverse and colorful.

Unfortunately, after leafing through nearly a hundred manuals, he found not a single Celestial Tier manual, which failed to ignite his desire to cultivate.

Finally, he ascended to the fourth floor.

Here, the collection was much smaller. The martial arts section occupied only a fraction of the space; ninety percent of the books recorded secret histories and unofficial chronicles.

Though fewer in number, the martial arts manuals here were all Celestial Tier, top-tier masterpieces.

Without rushing, Li Wudao stood before the shelves, reading with great interest.

With his comprehension, a single Celestial Tier manual could be fully memorized within the time it took to drink a cup of tea—there was no need to borrow them.

After an hour, Li Wudao had completed memorizing every true heir manual on the fourth floor, missing none.

With time to spare, he did not leave but instead began perusing the miscellaneous books.

These recorded the customs, legends, and peculiar tales from various regions of the Eastern Wilderness, including histories omitted from official records.

For instance, the Southern Jin Dynasty vanished overnight a thousand years ago—not due to natural disaster or war but because of a demon assault, with millions turning into bloodied prey.

Or, a forbidden zone within the Eastern Wilderness rumored to harbor an emperor’s legacy—several sovereign-level warriors entered but none survived...

“This place is a must-visit whenever I have the chance.”

Li Wudao read with rapt attention. These insights refreshed his understanding and deepened his knowledge of the Eastern Wilderness.

The Primordial Continent was far more complex than he had imagined, full of unknowns and constant change.

Compared to Celestial Tier manuals, he found these secret histories even more valuable—perhaps they would give him an edge and help him avoid pitfalls in the future.

Descending the stairs, Li Wudao happened upon Ruan Fei assisting Sun Qian in choosing manuals. They appeared at odds, unable to settle on a choice.

“I think this manual is better; it can boost combat power by at least twenty percent once mastered.”

“But this technique seems more suited to male warriors…”

They noticed him and immediately stopped, faces sour.

“It’s just a mid-grade Profound Tier manual. What’s there to fuss about?”

Li Wudao glanced at them from afar, shaking his head with a faint smile.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, he lightly clapped his hands.

“Almost forgot—those above the third floor are off-limits to you. What a shame, you’re missing out on all the good stuff.”

Li Wudao’s exaggerated frustration sent Ruan Fei and Sun Qian into a furious rage.

Damn him, this guy was clearly mocking them.

“Well, I’m off to cultivate my Celestial Tier techniques. You two can keep fiddling with your trash.”

Grinning widely, Li Wudao left in high spirits.

Speaking with the villain’s tone felt surprisingly satisfying.

No sooner had he left than sharp curses rang out from Sun Qian behind him.

She lost all desire to select manuals, the news that Li Wudao could cultivate Celestial Tier techniques stinging her like swallowing a pound of flies.

Her loud voice drew the attention of a steward, who immediately scolded her harshly.

Sun Qian fell silent, face pale, displaying the guise of a meek woman.

“The Scripture Pavilion is a crucial place of the sect. Considering it’s your first offense, you’re let off this time. But if you disturb the peace again, expect punishment according to sect rules.”

The steward, unwilling to argue further, left after this admonishment.

“Damn it! Li Wudao, I hope you’ll just die…”

Sun Qian gritted her teeth, eyes red, cursing him hundreds of times in her heart.

Soon, however, she regained composure, leaning on Ruan Fei’s shoulder, whispering softly.

“Senior Brother Ruan, that fellow is so arrogant and overbearing. Even you look down on him. He’s utterly conceited. We must teach him a lesson.”

Using her charms once more, Sun Qian’s scheme worked perfectly.

“Don’t worry, Qianqian. I’ve already made arrangements. Three months from now, there will be a newcomer competition in the sect. I’ve planted several elite Blood-Mover Realm disciples there, promising them generous rewards…”

Ruan Fei draped his arm around Sun Qian’s shoulder, sneering, “On the arena, all are treated equally. Even a true heir’s status won’t help. If Li Wudao faces them, he won’t die but will be maimed for sure!”

“Senior Brother Ruan, you truly have clever methods!”

Sun Qian smiled coldly.

She had cultivated for five years, only just breaking through to the peak of Body Refining Realm yesterday.

Though she didn’t know how Li Wudao had obtained cultivation qualifications, he had not advanced in all these years.

In three months, he probably wouldn’t even reach mid-Body Refining Realm. Facing Blood-Mover Realm experts, he would stand no chance.

“But Senior Brother Ruan, those disciples are strong and conspicuous. Won’t this draw suspicion upon us later?”

Sun Qian hesitated.

“Don’t worry, Qianqian. I spent a great deal to bribe those newcomers, then replaced them with my trusted subordinates. They use the newcomers’ identity tokens as cover, making it hard for anyone to find out.”

Ruan Fei replied confidently.

“Even if something goes wrong, my trusted disciples will take the fall. They wouldn’t dare betray my family.”

“That’s a relief.”

Only then did Sun Qian relax. She wanted to destroy Li Wudao but not at the cost of her own involvement.

At the same time, Li Wudao reached the entrance, preparing to leave.

The elder at the counter called after him, “Don’t leave yet. Come register the manuals you borrowed and their return deadlines. The maximum borrowing period is six months.”

“I didn’t borrow anything. Is registration still necessary?”

Li Wudao stopped, slightly puzzled.

“Huh?”

The elder frowned, surprised. “You’re wasting resources. Even as a true heir, you can only enter the Scripture Pavilion once a month.”

In all these years, he had never seen such a peculiar disciple.

And a newly appointed true heir, at that.

To have such excellent resources yet neglect cultivation pained him deeply.

“I understand.”

Li Wudao nodded.

“Understand, but still... What? You know and yet do this? Are you mocking me?”

The elder’s expression darkened suddenly. “You brat, you’re unreasonable. I’ll give you fifteen minutes. Pick three manuals for me now.”

Li Wudao felt conflicted.

He had already comprehended every Celestial Tier manual on the fourth floor. Now, only practical application remained to refine his skills.

He wanted to say he had already mastered them all but swallowed the words.

If he spoke out, the elder might not believe him and might even think he was crazy.

Forget it. Since the elder meant well, he wouldn’t argue.

Li Wudao shook his head and returned inside.

“Hmph. A little foolish, but at least obedient.”

The elder stroked his beard, his anger dissipating somewhat.

He picked up his tea and just took a sip when Li Wudao appeared before him holding three manuals.

The elder’s hand froze mid-air, lips twitching.

Only a few breaths had passed—just enough time to ascend the stairs. This boy must have grabbed any three manuals at random and rushed down.

And indeed, that was the case.

“You’re showing some disrespect, boy.”

The elder’s tone grew colder.

“Respectfully, elder, I have memorized these three manuals thoroughly. If you doubt me, you may test me.”

Li Wudao replied calmly.

“What? You say you’ve memorized them all?!”

The elder laughed incredulously, never expecting such boldness from a youth.

He picked up a manual titled “Wandering Shadow Step.”

“This is a Celestial Tier body movement technique, consisting of five levels, with over 106,000 characters. Recite it for me.”

Li Wudao did not argue and spoke calmly.

The elder’s expression changed gradually.

The boy was indeed reciting a Celestial Tier body movement technique fluently and effortlessly.

“Good. Next one.”

Unconvinced, the elder grabbed another manual.

At a glance, he froze—it was a high-level alchemy manual, “Comprehensive Essentials of Spirit Pills.”

He secretly wondered if the boy was from the Alchemy and Artifact Peak.

Meanwhile, Li Wudao began reciting smoothly, without hesitation.

The elder pressed his palm to his forehead and stopped him.

“Enough. I no longer doubt you. Third manual, continue.”

Li Wudao glanced at the elder, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

The elder liked to be difficult? Fine, he wouldn’t let him break through his defenses.

“Wait, what nonsense are you reciting? It makes no sense!”

The elder stared at the third manual, a technique involving talismans, finally showing a victorious look.

The boy had made a mistake.

“Forgot to tell you—I was reciting them backwards.”

Li Wudao grinned.

No more pretense—he was only showing off because the elder forced his hand.

“What?!”

The elder was utterly incredulous and hastily flipped to the last page.

Li Wudao continued reciting, his smile growing wider, while the elder’s expression turned visibly horrified.

“Alright, you may leave now. No registration needed.”

Defeated, the elder slumped into his chair, waving him off, utterly bewildered.

He could hardly comprehend how a disciple could so easily overcome his challenges and mock him so fiercely.

He had truly lost face.

Was this boy even human?

“I’ll take my leave, elder.”

Li Wudao set down the three manuals and departed gracefully, leaving the elder to brood in silence.

A few steps away, someone called out to him.

Li Dabao, Li Chang, and Li Xiaoyu approached briskly.

“Young Master.”

They greeted him enthusiastically.

Li Wudao responded warmly. After brief conversation, he learned they had also come to the Scripture Pavilion to study manuals.

Truth be told, he wanted to share some Celestial Tier manuals with his clan members.

However, the sect’s strict rules forbade outer disciples from overstepping limits, or else it would bring harm instead of help.

After some thought, Li Wudao produced the bottle of Jade Scale Pills and the lower-grade Profound Tier spiritual sword he had received as an initiation reward.

These held little value for him but could help his clan’s disciples.

This way, he could strengthen their abilities and repay their support—a win-win situation.