Chapter 164: 藏书楼

"Damn it! The Sacred Soul Sky Array has been triggered! This is a huge problem." Long Kun muttered, his heart filled with worry for Xu Yang and the other three. Although they didn't have a deep connection, they were still his students. If they were to die like this, he, as their teacher, would certainly be implicated. He probably wouldn't even have a place in the academy after this battle.

*Rumble!* In an instant, brilliant golden light erupted from the very top of hundreds of stone towers throughout the academy, outlining an incredibly complex giant hexagram formation against the dark sky. The formation's center was directly above Stone Tower Number One.

"Sacred Soul Meteor, condense!" Dean Jiantong roared towards the sky. A terrifying golden light rapidly condensed from all directions. The sphere of light grew larger and larger, quickly filling the center of the hexagram formation above. At the same moment, the roof of Stone Tower Number One retracted, revealing the massive light sphere directly above the array patterns beneath Xu Yang and his companions' feet. There was no doubt that this was where the meteor-like light would strike.

"Hahaha! Xu Yang, do you have anything more to say? This is your last chance. If you don't reveal your intentions for today, the moment the meteor falls will be the moment you perish!" Xu Yang burst into laughter. "If you're so confident, then unleash that light. I'd like to see who dies first: the four of us, or you pathetic wretches!"

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Very well, I shall grant your wish!" Jiantong hesitated no longer. As the meteor-like golden light plummeted from the sky, a circular totem ignited in his palm – an attempt to escape the hall's confines. Xu Yang displayed a faint smile. "What, do you want to leave now? It's not that easy! This magnificent tomb is better reserved for yourself!"

Xu Yang extended his left hand towards Jiantong's physical body. A powerful suction force firmly locked onto his outline. No matter how brightly the totem in Jiantong's hand glowed, he could not break free from Xu Yang's restrictive technique. "Anyone who can escape my blockade is either already dead or hasn't been born yet!"

Xu Yang declared domineeringly, stomping his foot. A brilliant Tai Chi totem ignited beneath him in the final moments before the meteor struck. "Universe Shift!" *Whoosh...* Under everyone's gaze, Xu Yang and his three companions appeared out of thin air in Dean Jiantong's previous spot. The unfortunate dean, however, had been swapped by Xu Yang to the very center of the hexagram formation. He raised his head in despair, watching the seemingly apocalyptic meteor plummet towards him. "Farewell, Dean!"

*Boom!* Golden light exploded, instantly destroying Stone Tower Number One. Of the thirty-odd academy teachers and elders who had attacked, most were either dead, wounded, or had fled. Xu Yang paid them little attention, but before escaping Stone Tower Number One, he made sure to bring Long Kun and Little Tuan Tuan along.

"Oh my god! Look over there, what happened to Stone Tower Number One? Was there an invasion by an external powerhouse?" "It's terrifying... the academy actually activated the Sacred Soul Sky Array!" No one could have imagined that this devastating battle was aimed precisely at the young transfer students who had just won the academy championship.

"Damn it, you guys are truly insane! You even killed the Dean?" Long Kun felt as though he'd boarded a pirate ship, chattering incessantly in mid-air. "Hmph, what a joke of a Dean. He was just a petty villain consumed by hatred. He disregarded the safety of the academy's students just to kill us. And you want to cling to someone like that?"

Long Kun, helpless, asked, "What do you do now? Just leave?" Bai Lianxue, mid-flight on her sword, suddenly turned her head. "Teacher Long Kun, do you know where the library is? Perhaps that's the only place we can seek refuge right now!" "Alright, I can't stay in this academy anyway. I'll take you there and we'll see this through!"

Under Long Kun's guidance, Xu Yang's group of six quickly reached the back mountain area. It was a small, secluded mountain, separate from all the stone towers, with no towering buildings – more like a secluded valley. "This is the academy entrance."

After landing, Xu Yang and his companions immediately revealed their true forms, making Long Kun shiver. "What?! You three are actually..." All three young women were peerless beauties. The sight immediately made Long Kun dizzy, and he quickly wiped his nose. "Surprised? Hehe!" Tuan Tuan, who had already seen the three goddesses' true forms, chuckled playfully at Long Kun. "Indeed, it's quite a surprise. This is good, I'll take you in directly under the guise of being the champion's mentor. No one outside will be able to find you for a while. Because without the Dean's personal order, even the academy's teachers cannot easily enter this back mountain area. I'm not sure about the strength of the caretaker inside, as they usually have no contact with the academy. Let's just get inside first!"

The six flew into the center of the back mountain valley. On the ground was an empty stone platform, with no other unusual installations visible. Even spiritual energy fluctuations were hard to detect in the air. "What the hell is this place? There aren't even any insects or birds chirping?"

"Don't rush, watch me!" Teacher Long Kun finally took action, using his cultivation technique to draw a special rune on the ground. It was the unique restriction that opened the entrance to the academy's back mountain. Soon, a massive luminous entity slowly materialized beneath their feet. Unlike the academy's hexagram formation, this array core resembled an ancient inscribed mark, suggesting that this entrance was even older than the academy's entire heritage!

*Rumble!* A subtle tremor ran beneath their feet. "Maintain your spiritual focus, the teleportation is about to begin!" Long Kun prompted. The six closed their eyes simultaneously, concentrating their spiritual energy. *Whoosh!* In the blink of an eye, the six vanished from before the array core. When they opened their eyes again, everything around them had completely transformed.

"Oh my god... this, this is the Sacred Soul Academy's library? You can't even call it a library; it's practically a sea of books!" Candlelight illuminated the vast area. Five rows of bookshelves stretched endlessly into the distance, as if this path could never be fully traversed. The space housed a wide variety of ancient texts, which could be arranged as one pleased.

What unsettled Xu Yang and the others was how eerily empty the library was. Apart from them, not a single soul seemed to be found. "Goodness, I feel like I've entered an illusion; this is just too unreal!" Bai Lianxue murmured, eliciting a sigh from Long Kun.

"To be honest, I've only been here once myself," Long Kun said. "I remember there was an old woman sweeping when I came last time, but for some reason, she's nowhere to be seen now!" "Ahem, young man, are you looking for me?"