“This is an inheritance site?” Lin Chen asked, eyes narrowing.

  If that was the case, then this had to be the inheritance of the Heavenly Sage—the very thing those cultist bastards were so desperate to erase.

  “Then we move now,” Bai Yuexin said without hesitation. “Before those people come back.”

  As they stood before the mansion, the heavy doors slowly opened on their own, without sound or visible mechanism, as if acknowledging their arrival.

  The five stepped inside.

  What greeted them was unexpected.

  There were no treasure halls.

  No hidden chambers.

  No obvious paths forward.

  Instead, the entire main hall was filled with rows upon rows of bookshelves, stretching deep into the space. Ancient books, jade slips, and worn manuals filled the shelves, all neatly arranged. At the very end of the hall stood a large formation array, faintly glowing.

  “This is…” Yan Shou muttered. “A library?”

  Before anyone could say more, ripples spread through the air.

  Glowing words slowly appeared above the hall, each line carrying an unquestionable authority.

  ---

  “First Trial — Trial of Intelligence.”

  “Choose any book within this library.”

  “You are given two hours to comprehend it.”

  The words paused briefly, then continued.

  “Those who succeed may proceed to the next trial via the teleportation array.”

  The tone shifted, turning cold.

  “The books may not be removed from the library.”

  “Violators will be immediately disqualified and expelled.”

  “Failure to comprehend the chosen text within two hours will also result in expulsion.”

  “Any violence will not be tolerated.”

  The final line appeared last.

  “This inheritance rejects the unworthy.”

  ---

  Looking at the conditions, the others couldn’t help but frown.

  “Such a harsh trial…” Bai Yuexin muttered.

  He Xiaolan and Chen Xinyi nodded in agreement, and even Yan Shou let out a quiet sigh.

  Lin Chen blinked. “Harsh? What’s so hard about it?”

  The four turned to look at him as if he had just said something ridiculous.

  Yan Shou shook his head. “You really don’t get it. Look around. Every book here is at least Spirit Rank, maybe higher. Comprehending even one of those normally takes days—sometimes weeks. Two hours is brutal.”

  “And that’s if you’re talented,” Bai Yuexin added. “Pick the wrong book, and you’re out.”

  “So the only choice,” He Xiaolan said softly, “is to find the simplest technique and barely scrape through.”

  Without wasting more time, the four split up and began scanning the shelves, clearly aiming for the thinnest, least complex manuals they could find.

  Lin Chen stood there, silent for a moment.

  “…So I’m the weird one?”

  [Yes,] Aiva replied calmly.

  [Not everyone has me.]

  [For most cultivators, high-ranking techniques require prolonged comprehension. Instant understanding is impossible.]

  [Unlike me, who can scan and analyze them immediately.]

  Lin Chen’s eyes slowly brightened.

  “…Then isn’t this a godsend opportunity?”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  While the others were desperately searching for the easiest path just to survive the trial, Lin Chen looked at the endless shelves with a different expression altogether.

  “If that’s the case,” he murmured, a grin forming, “then I don’t need the easiest technique.”

  He took a step forward, eyes sharp.

  “I’ll take the strongest one here.”

  After an hour passed,

  Lin Chen was still browsing calmly.

  For him, this place was nothing short of a treasure trove.

  Even if he couldn’t take the books out, the knowledge itself was already engraved in his mind.

  “This place is ridiculous…” Lin Chen muttered inwardly. “Who leaves this much good stuff lying around?”

  Just as he finished scanning another shelf,

  Footsteps echoed behind him.

  “So it was you.”

  Lin Chen turned his head.

  Li Zhen had arrived, followed by several disciples. Their expressions were dark, clearly still irritated about being tricked by the earlier bait.

  “So you’re the one who opened the formation,” Li Zhen continued coldly. “And the one who lured everyone away.”

  Lin Chen didn’t bother replying.

  He simply lifted a finger and pointed upwards.

  Li Zhen frowned—and then saw the glowing words still floating in the air, explaining the Trial of Intelligence.

  His expression shifted. The other disciples immediately understood as well and hurried off, scrambling toward the bookshelves, afraid of wasting even a second.

  But Lin Chen could still feel it.

  Three distinct murderous gazes.

  One came from Li Zhen—sharp, possessive, and utterly unreasonable. Lin Chen honestly had no idea what he’d done to deserve that.

  The second came from the so-called “sissy face” his master had explicitly told him to beat up earlier.

  And the third…

  Lin Chen glanced sideways.

  The chief disciple of his own sect.

  That gaze was colder than the others—controlled, but heavy with pressure.

  Yan Shou had been right.

  This guy’s ego really was as big as a mountain. Just because another disciple from the same sect had cracked the formation first, he was already looking at Lin Chen like an eyesore that needed to be removed.

  Lin Chen sighed inwardly.

  “Seriously… these greenhouse cultivators are more troublesome than beasts.”

  Still, he didn’t let it bother him.

  With fifty minutes remaining, Lin Chen shut out the surrounding hostility and focused on what truly mattered.

  So far, he had learned two High-Grade Saint techniques.

  He had clearly underestimated Saint-rank manuals. Each technique alone had taken nearly twenty minutes to fully analyze—not because Aiva struggled, but because the content itself was dense and profoundly complex.

  The first was Nine-Heavens Thunder Split.

  It was a lightning technique that emphasized resonance with heavenly thunder. Rather than relying purely on raw Essence Qi, it focused on aligning one’s intent with the power of the heavens. At higher mastery, its strikes carried overwhelming force, capable of breaking defenses head-on.

  The second was Heaven-Scorching Blaze.

  This technique revolved around extreme fire compression. The flames it produced weren’t just destructive—they were persistent, burning through Essence Qi itself and making them difficult to extinguish once released.

  He didn’t find any Immortal-rank techniques, nor did he see a single cultivation manual.

  This entire library was focused on martial arts—combat, movement, killing methods. Useful, yes… but still a little disappointing. A proper cultivation manual would’ve been far more valuable in the long run.

  Now that he already had two high-level combat techniques, Lin Chen shifted his attention. A movement technique would be ideal. Something for escaping, repositioning, or survival.

  But the more he searched, the more it felt like wasted time. Most techniques either overlapped with what he already had or were simply unsuitable.

  Then—

  His heartbeat suddenly sped up.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  Lin Chen frowned, placing a hand on his chest.

  “What the hell…? Why is my heart beating like this?”

  It wasn’t fear.

  It wasn’t excitement.

  It felt like… something was calling him.

  Before he could react, a faint red aura began to leak out from his body. It was subtle, but unmistakable—the same ferocious Essence Qi produced by the Tyrant Body Refining Art.

  Lin Chen stiffened. “What’s going on?”

  The surrounding shelves trembled slightly.

  Then—

  A scroll shot out from the depths of the library and stopped right in front of him. It unfurled on its own, crimson characters glowing faintly.

  Tyrant Body Arts

  Lin Chen blinked. “Huh? There’s a body combat art too?”

  [This manual is reacting to your physique,] Aiva said.

  [Until now, the Tyrant Essence Qi in your body remained dormant. This technique resonates directly with it.]

  Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly. “…So this is a set?”

  He didn’t hesitate and began reading.

  Fifteen minutes later, he exhaled slowly.

  “As expected… it’s just as insane.”

  This body art forcibly burned Essence Qi, converting it into Tyrant Essence Qi—a violent, domineering energy far more ferocious than normal Essence Qi. When activated, it could temporarily boost one’s cultivation by three stages.

  But there was a condition.

  Only cultivators who had undergone Tyrant Body Refinement could use it. Anyone else would have their meridians torn apart on activation.

  “The one who created this was definitely a monster.”

  Otherwise, who could create a refining art that improves talent while also creating body arts that could raise cultivation? This person was undoubtedly a monster in both physical arts and comprehension.

  As if satisfied, the scroll crumbled into light and vanished, its purpose fulfilled.

  Lin Chen didn’t dwell on it and continued searching.

  Soon after, he found another technique.

  A Low-Grade Saint movement art.

  Thousand-Mile Steps.

  At full mastery, a single step could cross a thousand miles. Even incomplete mastery would still provide terrifying burst speed—perfect for escaping or repositioning in battle.

  “Alright,” he said quietly. “This alone made the trip worthwhile.”

  Four outrageous techniques.

  Lin Chen stepped onto the array as his time limit was up.

  The symbols beneath his feet lit up one by one, rising into the air and circling his body as if examining him. The pressure was brief but sharp—then it vanished.

  A sense of weightlessness followed.

  His body turned light, space twisted—

  —and the next instant—

  SPLASH!

  Cold water swallowed him whole.

  “What the—!?”

  Lin Chen shot back up, coughing and spitting water everywhere as he flailed for balance. After a moment, he managed to steady himself and tread water, drenched from head to toe.

  He wiped his face and looked around.

  Sea.

  Endless sea in every direction.

  “…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Then, about ten feet away, he spotted a patch of solid ice floating unnaturally on the surface.

  Standing on it was Bai Yuexin.

  She looked just as confused as he felt—though she was completely dry.

  Their eyes met.

  She stared at him for a second… then the corner of her lips curved upward.

  “You look quite natural in the water,” she said lightly. “Like a fish.”

  Lin Chen stared at her.

  “…I hope you fall in next.”

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