Chapter 146: Ascending to the Heavenly Tome Hall
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
“Has that Ji You chosen which Immortal Hall to join?”
“Not yet. It seems he’s still considering his options. A few elders went to persuade him earlier, but no definitive response was given.”
“I recall hearing from the Outer Court that his physique is as extraordinary as that of the Chu Clan?”
“That has yet to be verified, but judging by his talent and his speed in breaking through realms, it does seem likely…”
Within the Inner Court of the Heavenly Script Academy, beneath the ancient cypress trees of the Divine Path, a group of disciples from various halls gathered in heated discussion.
Among them were direct disciple candidates from the Hall of Longevity, Hall of Detachment, and Hall of Purity.
When Chu He returned to the academy, there had been rumors that one of the Hall Masters sought to take him as a direct disciple. Now that Chu He had been defeated by Ji You and was barred from entering the Inner Court, it was evident that at least one of the three Hall Masters had already set their sights on making Ji You a direct disciple.
Thus, the contest for the coveted spot had already begun to take shape.
“Judging from the Autumn Duel, Ji You is undoubtedly a prodigy, but he is still only at the Mystic Enlightenment Stage. There is no need for us to concern ourselves too much with him.”
“The Upper Five Realms and the Lower Three Stages are vastly different. Each breakthrough requires profound comprehension of the Dao, and the leap from Mystic Enlightenment to Dao Fusion is the most arduous.”
“Although Hall Masters have never set a strict realm requirement when choosing a direct disciple, there has never been a case where a disciple below Dao Fusion was accepted.”
“More importantly, when the Five Hall Masters select a direct disciple, they must also consider the disciple’s clan background.”
Their words were not without truth. Indeed, Ji You had not rushed into choosing an Immortal Hall. Even Wen Zheng Xin and Ban Yang Shu advised him not to be hasty.
The path of cultivation was long and arduous—there was no room for impatience in such matters.
Thus, that very afternoon, Ji You took the Inner Court map drawn by Ban Yang Shu and wandered the mountains at his leisure.
He traveled along the mountain paths, gazing at the sea of clouds above the vast forests. The autumn sunlight streamed down, passing through layers of mist like cascading gold.
He climbed Freedom Peak and visited the Hall of Tranquility, then ascended Auspicious Peak to see the Hall of Auspiciousness. One by one, he explored the Hall of Longevity, Hall of Purity, and Hall of Detachment before finally setting his gaze on the very center of it all.
From the Immortal Gazing Platform, where the six peaks converged, he could see the sacred ground of the Heavenly Script Academy—the Heavenly Tome Hall, the residence of the Headmaster himself.
The hall was a grand structure of pure white, its surface engraved with the intricate Seven Sages’ Path to Enlightenment. Under the sunlight, it shimmered with an almost divine radiance.
“I should check on the Headmaster’s health,” Ji You murmured before stepping onto the mountain path leading directly to the hall, his so-called filial concern guiding his steps.
In truth, he was not the only one with such thoughts.
Two hundred years ago, the Headmaster of the Heavenly Script Academy had reached the Approaching Immortal Realm. Since then, countless eyes across the Azure Cloud Continent had eagerly awaited his ascension.
Yet two centuries passed, and he remained seated atop Mount Ni, without any news of his immortal breakthrough.
Because of this, the Five Hall Masters had yet to decide on a successor, and the title of Hall Master’s Direct Disciple remained just that—without ever advancing to the next level.
In simpler terms, the Headmaster had single-handedly stalled two entire generations of the academy’s hierarchy.
The previous Headmaster of Spirit Sword Mountain, a contemporary of his, had long ascended. Even the current one was already in seclusion, preparing for his own ascension.
By contrast, the Heavenly Script Academy had remained frozen in time for two centuries.
Meanwhile, Spirit Sword Mountain, situated along the Mystic Sea, was already nearing its third generation of leadership.
Thus, when rumors spread that the Human Dao had weakened, it was not solely due to the Ruins of Qiling—a significant part of the blame lay in the Heavenly Script Academy’s stagnation.
Now, Ji You strode along the Divine Path leading to the Heavenly Tome Hall.
As he walked, he noticed how this peak was far steeper than the other five, nearly as sheer as the Heavenly Sword Peak of Spirit Sword Mountain.
Yet, what struck him the most was the peculiar breeze that met him. Unlike ordinary wind, it carried an enigmatic energy, brushing against him and making him feel weightless, his spirit invigorated.
After a quarter of an hour, Ji You reached a gentle slope on Heavenly Tome Peak, where a lush, verdant meadow stretched before him. At its center stood an ancient maple tree, towering and thick.
Beneath the tree lay a stone table and stone stools, and atop the table sat an unfinished game of Go, as if someone had just left it there moments ago.
Ji You stepped forward, his expression solemn as he observed the board for a long moment.
Suddenly, he seemed to grasp a hidden pattern, his sharp brows furrowing slightly. With slow deliberation, he picked up a white piece.
After another moment of study, he carefully placed the piece on the board, forming a five-in-a-row sequence, before letting out a satisfied sigh.
“Hmm?”
“This Go board is carved from a spirit core?”
“Wouldn’t this be worth at least a million spirit stones?”
“And yet it’s just lying here by the roadside… Does that mean it’s abandoned?”
Ji You muttered to himself while scanning his surroundings. Was it possible that every Heavenly Script Academy disciple was so upright that they left valuables unattended, without fear of theft?
After a moment of hesitation, Ji You withdrew his hand from the board and continued up the path.
A treasure was indeed a treasure, and though the Go pieces’ material was unknown, their worth must have matched the exquisite board.
However, he was a fierce bandit, not a thief. Professional ethics must be upheld.
Still, he found it baffling—wasn’t leaving such a valuable thing out in the open too much of a test of human nature?
If, the next time he passed by, an old man was sitting there, he would take it as a sign to act.
By then, the grand, white sacred hall loomed ahead, its surging spiritual radiance cascading like waves of iridescence.
The sun had begun its descent, casting its golden glow over the Heavenly Tome Hall, blending seamlessly with the hall’s luminescence.
All around, silence reigned—few people were in sight, only drifting mist rolling through the air.
After gazing at the hall for a long moment, Ji You lifted his robes and strode up to the peak of Mount Ni, standing before the imposing Heavenly Tome Hall.
Unlike the other five halls with their sweeping eaves and curved roofs, this one bore a circular dome, its double-door entrance standing two zhang tall, slightly ajar.
“Respected Headmaster, greetings. My name is Ji You.”
“Uh… I’ve come to check on your health.”
Muttering to himself, Ji You stepped inside.
Within the vast hall, everlasting lanterns cast a warm glow over the towering bookshelves, which stretched all the way to the second floor.
He tilted his head back, admiring the grand architecture—intricate carvings and painted beams adorned the chamber with an aura of boundless wisdom.
The relief carvings on the main beams and pillars depicted the rise of the Human Race over a millennium—a long yet fleeting history.
The most striking scene was of towering waves, surging forth as if to swallow the world. The surrounding houses leaned precariously, some already collapsing, as though everything would soon be submerged. Yet, toward the right, a mighty ship stood steadfast, braving the tempest with unyielding resolve.
This was the great World-Drowning Flood that marked the end of the Primordial Remnant Race, a calamity endured by the Azure Clouds Dominion.
Ji You gazed at the carvings before stepping into the grand hall. However, after a brief search, he found no one inside.
It was only natural—the Headmaster of the Heavenly Script Academy wouldn’t idle in the great hall, waiting for disciples to seek an audience. His absence was to be expected.
Ji You, slightly disappointed, cast another glance at the carvings on the overhead beam before turning toward the exit.
Yet, just as he was about to leave, a deep, resonant hum echoed behind him—familiar, yet unusually clear.
The sound came from the highest point at the center of the Heavenly Tome Hall. A radiant celestial light streamed through the dome, cascading down in torrents, rushing toward him like a tidal wave.
“This time, I’ll pass.”
“Someone is in seclusion within. I’d best not disturb them.”
As his voice fell, the celestial radiance gradually faded. With a nonchalant wave of his hand, Ji You strode out of the hall.
This peak was the domain of the Headmaster of the Heavenly Script Academy, and he had suspected the Heavenly Tome would be nearby—perhaps even within the hall itself. As expected, the light just now had been its summons, calling for him to resonate with it.
But Yan Shu Yi was in the midst of her more irritable days. Ji You decided it best not to tempt fate.
“Not being able to see the Headmaster and directly request the position of successor—what a pity…”
Muttering to himself, Ji You descended the peak, heading toward another location—the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest, nestled at the intersection of the Six Peaks.
Ban Yang Shu had specially marked this bamboo forest on a map, labeling it ‘Inner Academy Zen Grove’, accompanied by some notes.
It was said that the first Academy Headmaster had once used great arcane power to transform this place, turning it into a conduit for the exchange of Heaven and Earth’s spiritual energy. He had also drawn countless laws from Mount Ni, capturing them here to facilitate the disciples’ comprehension of the Dao.
Aside from the Heavenly Tome Hall, this was the most direct place to sense the Heavenly Tome itself.
The Field of Enlightenment in the Outer Academy? That was merely a lesser replica of this Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.
As Ji You stepped into the bamboo grove, he saw disciples seated cross-legged throughout, their figures faintly glowing as their auras resonated with the celestial light.
Before he could take a closer look, a soft rustling of footsteps approached him. Turning toward the sound, he saw a woman in a flowing white silk dress—a figure that carried the bearing of the world upon her shoulders.
It was He Ling Xiu, the Direct Disciple of the Hall of Tranquility.
“Junior Brother, congratulations on entering the Inner Academy.”
“I just went to your new courtyard in the Inner Academy to prepare for your arrival, but you weren’t there. I figured you might come here—and indeed, I was right.”
They stood facing each other, yet their gazes did not meet.
Because Ji You was captivated by her noble demeanor, while He Ling Xiu was staring at his broad chest.
A moment of silence, still and harmonious.
After the Autumn Duel, He Ling Xiu had received a copied portrait from Zhuo Wan Qiu. Now, painting and reality merged before her eyes.
Ji You was the first to recover from the daze. As he looked down, he noticed He Ling Xiu’s gaze lingering on his chest.
[Truly, the human heart is full of desires…]
[It was one thing for the Outer Academy to be filled with admirers, but even in the Inner Academy? At this rate, I might as well be a mandatory experience for every female disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy…]
“Ahem, Senior Sister, what brings you here?”
He Ling Xiu blinked, returning to her senses, and spoke with a voice as soft as an oriole’s song: “Junior Brother, are you interested in joining my Hall of Tranquility?”
Ji You immediately understood her intentions. “But the Hall of Tranquility already has you as its Direct Disciple.”
“Oh? So Junior Brother intends to join one of the other three halls as a Direct Disciple of a Hall Master?”
“Senior Sister Wen Zheng Xin and Ban Yang Shu both advised me to do so.”
He Ling Xiu studied him for a long moment before speaking: “It seems Junior Brother might not know—You Bu Yu is the nephew of the Master of the Hall of Auspiciousness, while I am the niece of the Master of the Hall of Tranquility.”
Ji You blinked. “So you’re saying… the Hall Masters ultimately choose their Direct Disciples based on their own noble lineages, and a mere rural cultivator like myself is simply dreaming beyond his means?”
“Junior Brother underestimates himself, but… the reasoning isn’t wrong.”
He Ling Xiu continued, “My uncle dedicated himself to achieving an unwavering immortal heart, forsaking all worldly ties. That is why I became his Direct Disciple. However, if you join the Hall of Tranquility, I promise that the Daoist arts and resources available to you will be no less than what I receive.”
Ji You held his breath. “Will I get paid?”
“Of course.”
“That… is quite tempting.”
He Ling Xiu smiled brilliantly. “Then, I shall await good news from you, Junior Brother.”
At that moment, Ji You glanced back toward Heavenly Tome Peak, where he had just been. “I went to Heavenly Tome Peak earlier, but…”
“You were disappointed?”
Ji You hesitated for a moment. “Not exactly, but it was a bit of a letdown.”
He Ling Xiu chuckled softly. “That’s only natural. Every new Inner Academy disciple is eager to go there. You’re not the first.”
Ji You nodded in agreement, realizing that the Headmaster wasn’t merely absent on occasion—he was practically never there. He wasn’t the first to miss an audience.
Bidding farewell to He Ling Xiu, Ji You descended the mountain.
Meanwhile, within the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest, Wang Yue and Fang Lin Chao arrived.
“Senior Sister He Ling Xiu, were you trying to recruit Ji You into the Hall of Tranquility?”
She turned to them. “And what of Senior Brother You Bu Yu?”
“He’s been sent back to his family.”
“Then, you both came here… for Ji You as well?”
“The Feng Prefecture may be distant and remote, but it is vast. Ji You might one day become its sole ruling noble. Naturally, our Hall of Auspiciousness would like him to join.”
He Ling Xiu smiled. “Too bad. He just told me he’s quite interested in my Hall of Tranquility.”
The two exchanged glances.
“But he didn’t seem particularly pleased just now…”
He Ling Xiu chuckled. “That’s because he went to Heavenly Tome Peak and couldn’t enter. He didn’t know that only Hall Masters and their Direct Disciples can walk its Divine Path.”
Realization dawned upon them.
That made sense.