Chapter 781: Heavenly Dao Library Promotion (Part 2)

Based on what she knew about the teacher, he probably wouldn't mind. Since Dean Mi and Dean Zhao had both wanted to take him as a student or junior fellow apprentice, and he had refused them, how could he possibly become a student of any other teacher in the academy?

“Alright then!”

As expected, upon hearing her words, the young man in front of her shook his head, not seeming to mind much. Instead, he started asking about someone else: “By the way, how many students did Teacher Luo finally accept?”

“Teacher Luo, she... it seems she didn't accept any. Her conditions are too strict. Memorizing ten thousand books in an hour is impossible!” Luo Qiqi shook her head.

“She didn't accept any?” Zhang Xuan found it strange. Since she's a teacher at the academy, why wouldn't she accept any students?

“Yes, I don't know the specifics either, but everyone finds it very odd!” Luo Qiqi was also puzzled. According to legend, Luo Ruoxi was sent from the headquarters for training. If that's the case, she would definitely need to accept students and teach to complete her mission. How could she accept anyone with such demanding conditions right from the start? It's clear she's trying to drive people away!

“I'll find a chance to ask her later!” After thinking for a while, Zhang Xuan couldn't figure out the reason either, so he just shook his head.

Putting Luo Ruoxi out of his mind, Zhang Xuan then focused on Luo Qiqi. He glanced at her and couldn't help but be surprised: “You've broken through?”

Luo Qiqi had previously reached the peak of the Bridging Heaven realm, making her one of the top students in her second year. He hadn't expected that after just a few days, she would have broken through the shackles and reached the seventh stage of Mortal Transcendence, the Unity realm!

“Yes, it's thanks to Teacher's help! You enabled me to receive Dean Zhao's Marrow Cleansing, which allowed me to break through in one go!” Luo Qiqi smiled. Without Dean Zhao's help, even if she wasn't far from the Unity realm, it would have certainly taken her several months or even a year to break through.

After reaching the Spirit Confluence realm, breaking through requires not only an increase in true qi but also the growth of the soul. The latter is extremely difficult to cultivate; often, for many years, it's hard to gain even a tiny bit. Because of this, countless second-year students are stuck at the peak of the Bridging Heaven realm, unable to take that final step. As a Saint realm expert, Dean Zhao personally intervened, not only purifying her true qi but also tempering and refining her soul. That's why she naturally managed to break through in one go. Not only did she benefit, but Yu Feier, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, Ye Qian, and others also gained significantly.

“My credit?” Zhang Xuan blinked. What credit did he have? And what did it have to do with Dean Zhao?

“Yes, Teacher, have you forgotten about the underground palace? You saved us and retrieved Senior Wu Yangzi's body. That was a great contribution...” Luo Qiqi explained.

“Oh...” Only then did Zhang Xuan understand why, despite him collapsing the Blacksmith Guild branch of the Blacksmith Academy, they suddenly changed their attitude and didn't punish him. So, this was the reason.

“Teacher, I submitted the Zither Forging Art to the Blacksmith Academy without your permission. I hope Teacher will punish me...” At this, Luo Qiqi quickly bowed. The Zither Forging Art was something she obtained with Teacher's guidance, and submitting it without his permission felt a bit presumptuous.

“This technique was originally taught to you by Wu Yangzi. You can do whatever you want with it. Besides, submitting it to Dean Zhao will allow it to achieve its maximum effect. It's nothing!” Zhang Xuan quickly waved his hand. Luo Qiqi had acknowledged Wu Yangzi as her teacher, making her his legitimate student. How she chose to pass on or utilize this cultivation technique was entirely up to her and had nothing to do with him.

“Thank you, Teacher!” Although she had guessed that Teacher would agree, she hadn't expected him to agree without a second thought. Such broad-mindedness was truly admirable.

“Oh, by the way, Teacher, regarding Teacher Wu Yangzi's old residence, I had someone investigate. Someone claims to know about it and arranged to meet me tonight. It's already dark, so I need to go and check it out!” After chatting for a while longer, Luo Qiqi suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but say.

“Tonight?” Zhang Xuan looked up towards the window, only then realizing that the sun had already set in the west and it was getting dark. After dealing with the Spirit Material Pavilion, it was already past noon. Then he listened to the public lecture and wandered around with Luo Ruoxi. When he fainted, it was already afternoon! He remained unconscious for over three days, and he hadn't expected to wake up to the darkness of the fourth day.

“How about this, I'll grab a bite to eat, and then go with you!” After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said. He hadn't had a drop of water for three days, and his stomach was already empty.

“I knew Teacher would be hungry, so I've already prepared everything!” Luo Qiqi smiled, and with a flick of her wrist, the table in the room was laden with a lavish spread of food and wine.

“Thank you!” Seeing the delicious food, Zhang Xuan's appetite was greatly stirred, and he began to eat hurriedly.

While eating, he took the opportunity to look into his mind. Three days ago, he had fainted because the Library had shaken. Now that he was awake, he wanted to see what exactly had happened. His consciousness sank into his Sea of Consciousness, quickly arriving inside the Library, and he immediately froze in surprise.

“This... how has it changed?”

Previously, the Library was a massive hall, filled with countless books stretching endlessly. Now, its appearance was still the same, but the palace had become even more vast and grand. It seemed as though the tremor had caused the entire Library to be renovated. Not only was it more magnificent and larger, but it also exuded more solemnity. From afar, it gave a spiritual sense of oppression. If before it felt ethereal, like a flower in the water or the moon in a mirror, even though it was in his Sea of Consciousness, now it was completely different—solid and substantial, as if there was a real, tangible hall right before his eyes.

“It's more real, but... what's the use?” Even if it became more real, what good was it?

He walked up to a bookshelf again and reached for a book, but just like before, he grabbed nothing. This meant that although the numerous books before him looked more real than before, they were still illusory, visible but untouchable.

“Where are the previous books?” These books were empty; what about the ones he had collected before?

He approached and casually picked up a book, gently opening it. Whoosh! He only heard a rustle of pages, and Zhang Xuan immediately felt his vision blur. The content of the book directly entered his mind, firmly imprinted.

“This...” His eyes widened instantly. Previously, even within the Library, he had to flip through these books page by page and memorize them word by word. Now, it seemed completely unnecessary; as long as he picked up a book and read it, its content would automatically be imprinted in his mind, unforgettable.

“Fantastic... the speed at which I read books will definitely increase significantly from now on!” His eyes gleamed with excitement. He had thought that the renovation hadn't brought much change, but he hadn't realized that there indeed was a change, he just hadn't noticed it before! With the ability to instantly memorize a book upon touching it, as long as his consciousness was within the Library, he could easily memorize not just tens of thousands, but even hundreds of thousands of books in an hour. From now on, the Heaven's Path Divination Art could be saved and wouldn't need to be wasted on this.

“My reading speed has increased... I wonder if other abilities have also become stronger?” The Library had become grander, and its abilities seemed to have strengthened. If so, had it also gained more functions? He hastily withdrew his consciousness from the Sea of Consciousness, returning to the present, and looked at a chicken leg in his palm.

“Flaw!” He whispered. A book appeared, and he casually flipped it open.

“The boneless chicken leg of a spirit beast, cooked by Master Chef Wu Bushui of Drunken Heart Pavilion using forty-seven different seasonings...” He quickly finished reading.

“No difference, then!” Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Previously, the Library could also detect flaws just like now. The renovated version didn't seem to have increased its power.

“Does looking at a chicken leg not work?” Full of curiosity, his eyes fell upon a nearby bookshelf. The elite district's house was fully equipped with various items, and the bookshelf also contained some books. However, they were about humanities, geography, customs, and habits, not cultivation techniques.

“Flaw!” Just as he was about to stand up, he remembered something and didn't rise, instead moving his consciousness. His mind flickered, and a book appeared.

“This...” He had only been trying it out, not holding much hope, but he never dreamed that a book would actually appear. He quickly grabbed it and flipped it open. After reading it, he experimented several more times, and a moment later, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“I can now collect books into the Library without touching them! This is incredible...” Previously, there was only one way to collect books: by touching them with his hand. But now, he could collect them simply by looking at them and mentally calling out. In other words, he could do it without touching! Before, he had to rush along bookshelves, but now he no longer needed to go through such trouble. His efficiency had increased severalfold!

“What about other items?” After trying with books, he wanted to see if he could collect other items without touching them, but he regrettably found that it was simply not possible. This meant that, for now, only books could be collected by focusing his mind and looking at them. Other treasures and items still required physical touch to reveal their flaws. He couldn't help but shake his head. He had gotten excited for nothing. If he could know something's flaws just by looking at it, without needing to touch, his abilities would more than double. Unfortunately, he didn't know if it was because the Library's level wasn't high enough or if the Heaven's Path itself had a flaw, but it simply wasn't possible at the moment.

“Let me try again!” Still feeling unwilling to give up, he began to experiment again.

While he was happily experimenting, Luo Qiqi, sitting opposite him, was utterly bewildered. She had originally bought a table full of dishes, hoping Teacher would enjoy them. Yet, the person before her picked up a chicken leg, examining it from left to right as if greeting an old friend—at one moment happy, then shaking his head, then excited, then melancholic, then serious, then relaxed... He displayed a full range of expressions. Could it be that his brain was fried after fainting? Was he still not well? Otherwise, any normal person would be looking at her, not a chicken leg, right? No matter what, she was on the campus beauty list, a rare beauty among tens of thousands. How could her beautiful appearance be inferior to a mere chicken leg?

As she was pondering this, she saw the teacher in front of her reach out and tear off another chicken leg, examining it even more closely. It was as if he was answering her unspoken question: if one chicken leg wasn't enough, then... two!

“...” Luo Qiqi.