Chapter 149: The Exquisite Scripture Hall

"Warning? Why warn me?" Nantian Yijian shouted defiantly. "We're disciples of the Heavenly Mandate Hall as well. We have the right to speak!"

"

You ignorant child, silence!

"

A pure surge of spirit qi burst through the valley, striking Nantian Yijian's mind and leaving him muddled.

"

Huh?

Ignorant child? Me?" He shook his head, glancing around, but saw no one nearby. "Boss, did you hear tha—"

Before he could finish, the two spears that had been flung away earlier shot back toward him, their speed and power doubled.

"They're coming again! Boss, save me!" Nantian Yijian scrambled behind Lu Chen, shouting. "What kind of spears are these? All I did was complain a little!"

"Little Jian, stay quiet for now," Lu Chen said, steadying him with one hand while drawing out the chief disciple's identity token with the other.

Bowing toward the Scripture Hall, he said, "I am Lu Chen, the newly appointed chief disciple of the Serene Void Academy. If I have given offense, I ask for forgiveness."

The voice sounded surprised. "Serene Void Academy's chief? Has the position changed hands?"

The two spears froze before Lu Chen's brow, while dozens of streams of pure spirit qi shot out from the Scripture Hall and the surrounding peaks, sweeping over the token in his hand.

After scanning it several times, the spirit qi seized the token.

From atop the mountains, murmurs echoed through the Scripture Hall, most questioning how someone of Lu Chen's strength could have the qualifications to become the Serene Void Academy's chief disciple. Ten streams of even denser spirit qi then shot back at him, carrying the token.

The spirit qi enveloped Lu Chen's body, as though conducting a thorough examination, scanning and testing him. Lu Chen simply relaxed, letting them inspect him freely.

He knew that no matter how closely they examined him, they would still conclude that while his body seemed ordinary, his true power was formidable.

With each scan, murmurs of astonishment rose from the end of the valley, like children marveling at candy for the first time, with Lu Chen's mystery being the sweet they craved.

After three breaths, the spirit qi reluctantly dispersed, and the two spears shot back toward the Scripture Hall.

A solemn voice echoed from within. "The Scripture Hall is a sacred site of the sect. Even the academies' chief disciples must maintain silence at all times. Whoever violates this rule shall no longer be permitted entry.

"Take the manuals quickly and leave. After four hours, they will return to the hall on their own.

"Since the Serene Void Academy has only just returned, you may not yet know this. From today onward, the Scripture Hall will remain closed for one month. Not even the academy's chief may enter during this period. Do you understand?"

With that, the commanding voice faded, and silence fell over the valley once more.

"I understand, Senior. We will maintain silence at all times," Lu Chen said, retracting the chief disciple identity token and bowing again to the surroundings. "Little Jian, remember, always stay quiet here."

"

Mm

, got it. Let's hurry inside," Nantian Yijian said, shaking himself and urging Lu Chen forward. "There are people ahead. Once we reach them, maybe we'll know why it's so empty today."

"Alright," Lu Chen replied, glancing at Jun Laoye, who was staring blankly at the Scripture Hall. "Little Jun, what's on your mind? Let's move."

"

Uh...

I'm fine... okay," Jun Laoye muttered nervously, lowering his head as he ran forward. "Little Lu, wait for me. I'm coming."

He looked up, only to realize Lu Chen wasn't there. "

Huh...

Little Lu? Could they have already gone in?"

He scanned left and right before hurrying on.

"What's with Little Jun?" Lu Chen frowned, watching Jun Laoye stumbling distractedly ahead. "He shouldn't be acting like this."

"Little Jun, you big fool! We're right behind you!" Nantian Yijian called out, chasing after him. But Jun Laoye didn't seem to hear and didn't slow down.

"Boss, let's hurry," Nantian Yijian urged, waving at Lu Chen. "Something's off with Little Jun. We need to catch up."

"Ever since that voice appeared, Little Jun has been acting strangely," Wind Dragon said gravely, watching him from behind. "His mind fluctuated wildly at that moment. He must have recalled something deep and buried."

"I'm curious about Little Jun's true identity," Wind Dragon added, narrowing his eyes. His pupils turned into thin vertical slits as a strange smile spread across his face. "Where could he have come from to know so many secrets?"

"Enough, Wind Dragon. Drop it," Lu Chen said, giving him a sharp slap on the head, leaving him stunned. "Everyone has secrets. It doesn't matter where he's from. He's our brother now."

"Got it. You're all good brothers, but can't I be a little curious?" Wind Dragon extended his claw and stroked his head lightly. "Aren't you curious about where he came from? A mere mortal clan daring to chase the Dao. How bold is that?"

"Wan'er, let's go." Lu Chen ignored him. He wrapped an arm around Nantian Wan'er, then unleashed the Lightbody Art, chasing after Jun Laoye toward the Scripture Hall.

Seeing Lu Chen soar past, Nantian Yijian quickly reached out and grabbed his shoulder strap. "Boss, take me with you!"

In just three breaths, Lu Chen had crossed several hundred meters, arriving at the base of the Scripture Hall. Yet Jun Laoye was nowhere in sight. It was as if he had vanished the moment he entered the valley.

"Where's Little Jun? Should we search for him first?" Lu Chen circled the Scripture Hall, studying the building while looking for any trace of Jun Laoye.

Two long spears stood on display at either side of the entrance. Lu Chen examined them closely and immediately recognized them as the same spears that had attacked earlier. One shaft even bore the unmistakable scratch left by the Hunyuan Greatsword.

He then raised his eyes to the plaque above the hall. It read "Scripture Hall," yet the structure before him resembled more of a Scripture Tower.

The building stretched over two hundred zhang in length and nearly a thousand in height. On closer inspection, its eight walls appeared identical from every angle.

It was a perfectly symmetrical octagonal tower. Each tier of eaves jutted out into eight corners, and on each corner coiled a golden stone dragon.

"It looks like this building once collapsed and sank into the ground," Lu Chen said. "Look behind the plaque. There's a cross-shaped mark."

He squinted past the plaque, catching sight of a faint '十' etched behind it. "Crouch down. See how the base of the first floor resembles an eave?"

Nantian Yijian crouched by the wall and dug into the soil with a small knife, unearthing fragments of tile beneath. "Seems like it."

"If I'm not mistaken, the Scripture Hall is the eye of a formation," Wind Dragon leapt onto Nantian Yijian's head, scooping up a handful of soil. "As I expected... This soil clearly carries the energy of a formation."

"If this is truly the eye of a formation, and they used an octagonal tower as the core..." Wind Dragon jumped down and flew around the Scripture Hall. "Then there should be a cliff behind the hall, and something must be hidden beneath it."

"As I thought, there's a cliff here, and it's incredibly deep." Reaching the back of the hall, Wind Dragon peered into the bottomless abyss. His eyes gleamed. "Whatever's buried down there must be extraordinary."

Lu Chen arrived at the rear of the hall just in time to hear Wind Dragon's exclamation. "A cliff?"

He saw Jun Laoye leaning over the edge, muttering to himself. "Little Jun?"

Lu Chen hurried over, patting his shoulder. "Little Jun, what are you looking at?"

"

Huh?

Who's there?!" Jun Laoye stiffened and instinctively thrust his weapon backward. Realizing the person behind him was Lu Chen, he quickly kicked the spear aside, narrowly avoiding an accident.

"Little Lu, you made it! I just saw something incredible."

Jun Laoye sheathed his spear and calmed slightly. "I saw a golden spirit dive down here. It seemed to be the legendary Cosmic Psyche Incarnation. I remember that once a cultivator obtains it, their Divine Psyche Incarnation will inevitably reach its peak."

"Cosmic Psyche Incarnation? What's that?" Lu Chen walked up to the cliff's edge, peering into the sea of white mist below. "How have I never heard of it?"

"You've never heard of it?" Jun Laoye frowned, finding it strange that Lu Chen didn't know about the Cosmic Psyche Incarnation. "Since you know about beings from the Primeval Era, how could you not know this? The Cosmic Psyche Incarnation is an ancient concept. Legends say that once it awakens, it becomes hundreds of times stronger than an ordinary Earth Core Realm cultivator and receives the blessings of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth itself."

Noticing Lu Chen's confusion, Wind Dragon added softly, "Simply put, the Cosmic Psyche Incarnation is a cultivator, just like humans and beasts.

"It trains only the mind, not the body. Once it awakens, it becomes immensely powerful, but its path of cultivation is far more difficult. One misstep, and it could be captured by humans or beasts and used to train their own Divine Psyche Incarnation. That's why the Cosmic Psyche Incarnation is extremely rare today."

"Basically, it's exactly as Senior Wind Dragon said. I'd only ever heard of it before. I never imagined I'd see it with my own eyes," Jun Laoye said, slowly approaching the cliff and tossing down a stone. "But this cliff is far too deep. With my current cultivation, I don't dare descend. I threw this stone just now, and I haven't heard it hit the bottom yet."