A few days later, Li Qingan was back on his lounge chair, swaying gently as he savored these peaceful days.
The task of teaching Zhang Xiaofan had been "snatched" away by Song Daren—naturally, the Eldest Senior Brother's motive was to dodge Su Ru's rigorous examinations. Li Qingan, of course, was more than happy to slack off and focus on his own primary study: the Geomantic Array system he had created a year ago.
Though he had poured the vast majority of his converted "Enlightenment" time into these arrays, he had still managed to derive several techniques. The most notable were the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission he used earlier and a modified Sword Kinesis that allowed for much faster flight. He had already handed these techniques over to Tian Buyi to strengthen the foundation of Big Bamboo Peak.
However, his primary array studies had hit a wall. The more he researched, the more he felt that his current knowledge was but a single drop in a vast ocean. He had tried explaining even one of the runes to Song Daren and the others, but they were completely baffled. Even when he held their hands to guide the brush, they could only mimic the shape; they couldn't capture the "Spirit" of the rune.
Li Qingan had abandoned the idea of becoming a grandmaster teacher that day. He figured he would have to wait until he could simplify the runes; perhaps then the disciples of Qingyun could understand them, and he could truly establish a new branch of cultivation: the Array Path.
Suddenly, the voice of Lyu Daxin drifted from outside. "Junior Brother, a Senior Brother from Tongtian Peak is looking for you."
Li Qingan rose to greet them. Lyu Daxin entered, leading a disciple dressed in the robes of the main peak.
"Senior Brother, to what do I owe the honor of this visit from Tongtian Peak?"
"Junior Brother Li, your reputation precedes you. I am here on the Sect Leader's orders to deliver the token that grants access to the Tongtian Peak Library. Also, your spirit pet has nearly finished its training; the Sect Leader asks that you come to collect it."
The disciple pulled a gilded token from his robes and handed it to Li Qingan.
"Thank you for the trouble, Senior Brother." Li Qingan accepted the token; the words "Tongtian" were embossed on both sides.
"My mission is complete, so I shall take my leave."
"I happen to be free, I'll go with you," Li Qingan said with a smile. He turned to Lyu Daxin. "Fifth Senior Brother, I'm heading out. I probably won't be back for lunch, so tell Eldest Senior Brother not to save any food for me."
With a flash of his sword, Li Qingan was gone, following the Tongtian disciple and leaving only his words behind.
Lyu Daxin watched their silhouettes vanish into the clouds. He looked around Li Qingan's courtyard, then glanced in every direction to make sure the coast was clear. Finally, he walked straight to the lounge chair and carefully sat down.
"Ah..."
The moment he lay back, he felt a wave of pure relaxation. All the fatigue in his body seemed to evaporate.
"Junior Brother truly knows how to enjoy life," Lyu Daxin mused. As someone known by the Big Bamboo Peak disciples for being pragmatic and hardworking, he had been eyeing this chair for a long time.
A long while passed.
Lyu Daxin finally opened his eyes, having rested in a daze. He checked his surroundings once more to ensure no one had seen him. He didn't want his image as a serious, diligent worker to be ruined in the eyes of his brothers or his Master.
He stood up, resuming his usual stiff and serious posture, straightened his robes, and brushed away any trace of himself from the chair. It was then that he realized his cultivation had jumped significantly—he was now at the peak of the third level of the Jade Essence Realm. He was only a single step away from the fourth level.
"This... the barrier to the fourth level that has haunted me for years... it just opened up?"
Lyu Daxin checked his internal state repeatedly in disbelief.
"Could it be... does Junior Brother's chair actually have an effect on cultivation?"
He circled the chair a few times but couldn't see anything unusual. "Never mind. If this chair really had such a function, knowing Junior Brother's personality, he wouldn't keep it a secret."
Lyu Daxin was certain of this. After all, other peaks had been prying for news of the Spirit-Gathering Array. With that array alone, Li Qingan could have lived like royalty in the cultivation world, yet he had shared the knowledge without hesitation just a few days ago. (Though none of them had learned it, that was their own lack of talent, not Li Qingan's lack of generosity.)
Tongtian Peak, Azure Water Pool
After bidding farewell to the Tongtian disciple, Li Qingan arrived at the pool.
He saw the massive whirlpool that had persisted for so long finally beginning to dissipate. The collapsing waves sent ripples across the vast pool. Even the Spirit Venerable (the Water Kirin), who usually lay lazily on the bank, opened its eyes.
From the center of the water, a transformed turtle rode a wave toward the shore.
Li Qingan knelt by the bank, staring in shock at the "Xiao Luo" before him. It looked nothing like the simple, honest little turtle of before. What kind of fortune did the Spirit Venerable give him? He can manipulate water now, and even his shell has changed!
Li Qingan picked up the turtle. Its shell was now as dark as black jade, while its underbelly shimmered with a pale gold hue. More importantly, nine diamond-shaped plates protruded from the center of the shell—naturally forming the layout of the Luo Shu (the Magic Square of Nine), an ancient mystical diagram he had read about in old scrolls.
Each plate was inlaid with silver-white fluorescent patterns, and black-gold lines interlaced between the gaps, outlining the Sixty-Four Hexagrams. Li Qingan could even vaguely see familiar runes forming a "Nine-Palace Grid" on the shell.
"Xiao Luo, you've certainly had a makeover! Looking good, looking much cooler... but why haven't you grown an inch?"
Li Qingan weighed Xiao Luo in one hand and laughed. "Well, we have a new 'chef' at home now, and his cooking is excellent."
Xiao Luo didn't seem to understand his master's words yet, but he stretched his neck out to rub against Li Qingan's hand.
"Come, let's go thank the Spirit Venerable."
He walked toward the Water Kirin, which had already closed its eyes again. Li Qingan bowed deeply. "This disciple thanks the Spirit Venerable for granting Xiao Luo this opportunity."
Even though it wasn't his first time seeing the Kirin, he was still awed by its mythological presence. He looked at the Luo Shu pattern on Xiao Luo's back and thought of the other divine beasts like the Nine-Tailed Fox or the Black Water Serpent. In a world where such creatures existed, he refused to believe there weren't deeper secrets hidden beneath the surface.
Seeing that the Spirit Venerable had no intention of acknowledging him, he turned and left, taking his "Tongtian" token toward the Library.
The Library
Li Qingan arrived at the site. With Xiao Luo perched on his shoulder, he walked straight in.
The Library was divided into five floors, each requiring a token for entry. He skimmed the first floor; most of it was content he had already seen or similar to the books at Big Bamboo Peak.
"Let's go straight to the third floor," he thought, heading for the stairs.
There were no visible guards at the entrance, but he suddenly felt a sharp Sword Intent hanging visibly over his head. It felt as though if he made one wrong move, the intent would pierce right through him.
"Disciple Li Qingan has received the Sect Leader's permission to view the collection," he said, his expression calm and unbothered. He simply held the token higher so the unseen guardian could see it clearly.
I'm not being a coward, Li Qingan thought to himself. I just don't want to go looking for trouble.
"Granted!"
A voice drifted from an unknown location. The piercing pressure above his head vanished instantly.
He exhaled in relief and continued upstairs.
"I've never heard of a master on Tongtian Peak who is so skilled in swordplay that their Sword Intent can take physical form," Li Qingan mused, recalling the gossip he'd heard from disciples.
[Visual: Xiao Luo the Turtle]