Su Xi watched Huan Jie lying in the water and stood up calmly, saying perfunctorily, "Oh dear, someone fell into the water. Don't be afraid, I'll save you, you'll be fine."
The suction from her body instantly intensified, and the water in the Tian Yue Pond rapidly receded. Huan Jie, who had been submerged, surfaced, gasping for air and weakly clinging to the mud, his eyes rolling back.
Although Su Xi had saved him, she had also absorbed some of the spiritual energy from his body.
The onlookers couldn't help but twitch their eyelids as they watched Huan Jie lying in the mud.
They were fortunate to have left earlier; otherwise, they would be in such a sorry state.
Having their spiritual energy drained could be recovered with a few days of rest, but the discomfort would linger for a long time. They weren't foolish enough to want to experience that.
Su Xi turned to the few people on the shore and offered an apologetic smile, "I'm truly sorry, saving him took a bit of time."
"It's fine," the crowd quickly waved their hands, assuring her it was alright. They had absorbed some spiritual energy themselves, so it wasn't a complete loss. Compared to Huan Jie, who was now lying in the mud, they considered themselves extremely lucky.
Since the Tian Yue Pond was devoid of spiritual energy, no one intended to linger. Their hearts were set on obtaining the next reward.
Tang Yi Feng had given everyone twenty-four hours, and only two had passed. He had planned to find a place to rest, but he was surprised to see Su Xi and the others emerging so soon. His expression faltered.
What was going on?
He suddenly suspected that Su Xi might have misheard the allotted time and pressed further, "You can stay inside for twenty-four hours, why did you come out so early?"
Upon hearing Tang Yi Feng's question, the group exchanged awkward glances, unsure of what to say.
Facing Tang Yi Feng, Su Xi replied calmly, "We don't need to undergo cleansing of marrow and washing of essence. We only wish to obtain the next reward as quickly as possible."
Tang Yi Feng glanced at Su Xi, not entirely believing her words. However, he couldn't fathom why they would emerge so quickly.
But the Tian Yue Pond only stipulated a maximum duration, not a minimum. Su Xi and the others had made their choice, and he couldn't say anything more.
"Since you've all made up your minds, follow me."
Tang Yi Feng turned and headed towards the Scripture Repository, completely forgetting that one person was missing.
After Tang Yi Feng and the others departed, the person in charge of the Tian Yue Pond began cleaning it. To his shock, he discovered the pond was completely dry, with a person lying at the bottom, nearly scaring the life out of him.
The Tian Yue Pond was a treasure of Shu Shan, and now it was completely depleted.
Daoist Master Meng Xu arrived upon hearing the news. Seeing the scene, even with his deep composure, his face couldn't help but twitch.
The Tian Yue Pond was a supreme treasure of Shu Shan, usable only once every five hundred years. Now, it not only lacked water but also might not be able to recover.
Were these disciples cultivators or bandits?
"What a disaster," Daoist Master Meng Xu lamented, tugging at his beard as he looked at the damage to his precious artifact, yet feeling helpless.
He had never anticipated that someone would actually drain the pond dry, so he hadn't issued any prior warnings. Now, seeking an explanation would be futile and might even lead to further trouble.
"Throw this person into the Scripture Repository," Daoist Master Meng Xu said irritably, looking at the still unconscious Huan Jie.
He could sense the residual fluctuations of Tian Yue Pond's water on Huan Jie, clearly indicating his involvement in the disappearance of the water. Out of sight, out of mind.
Thus, the still-sleeping Huan Jie was unceremoniously tossed into the Scripture Repository like a chick.
Tang Yi Feng, now aware of what Su Xi and the others had done, watched them with a half-smile. Their actions were certainly intriguing.
However, his focus was solely on cultivation, and he wouldn't cause trouble over such matters.
A spell was cast on Huan Jie, waking him up, and Tang Yi Feng began to explain the rules of the Scripture Repository.
"You have the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn to enter the Scripture Repository and memorize the techniques you desire. Once the time is up, regardless of whether you have found your desired techniques, you will be teleported out..."
After a lengthy explanation, Tang Yi Feng suddenly seemed to recall something and added, "Damaging any technique in the Scripture Repository is forbidden. Violators will be killed without mercy."
The destructive power of this batch of newcomers was too great, so he had to be extra cautious.
Su Xi knew Tang Yi Feng was referring to her but remained unfazed. Her immediate priority was to obtain valuable items.
After all, she had heard from Lin Qing yesterday that the Scripture Repository contained Earth-grade cultivation techniques. As long as she had the ability, she had a chance to improve her strength.
Huan Jie rubbed his groggy head and cast a resentful glance at Su Xi, his eyes filled with unspeakable malice.
Su Xi had drained his spiritual energy, leaving him weak-kneed. The cheating methods he had prepared were now useless.
Su Xi completely ignored Huan Jie's gaze, her mind occupied with how to obtain the legendary Earth-grade techniques.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Tang Yi Feng decided not to make his presence known. He took out a token and opened the seal of the Scripture Repository.
"Open," Tang Yi Feng said, but before he could urge them further, he turned to find that everyone had vanished.
They were all afraid of being late, which might mean fewer techniques to choose from or failing to memorize them.
Looking at the empty doorway, Tang Yi Feng adopted a shrug emoji expression and chose to wait patiently.
This, he realized, was not just a reward but also a test.
In such a short time, faced with so many techniques, one had to learn to prioritize. If one desired everything, they would ultimately gain nothing.
The Scripture Repository had three floors, each filled with rows of bookshelves.
The books on the shelves bore the marks of time. Many techniques rarely seen in the outside world were casually placed here. Beneath each book was a small wooden plaque with a brief description.
Su Xi looked at the cobwebs and dust covering the Scripture Repository, and a thought suddenly struck her. Glancing around, she broke into a silly grin.
The others ignored Su Xi and had already begun actively searching for their targets.
Huan Jie, seeing Su Xi still standing in place, sneered. He didn't know what trick Su Xi had used to harm him earlier, but he was certain that in the Scripture Repository, Su Xi, this reckless fool, would be helpless.
He had already received word that there was a technique suitable for him on the third floor. So, without wasting any time, he rushed directly to the third floor to peruse.
Suddenly, the entire first floor was left with only Su Xi, who repeatedly picked up each book, flipped through it, and then put it back.
Tang Yi Feng watched Su Xi's actions, his brow furrowing.
He hadn't interacted much with Su Xi, but he knew she wasn't foolish. However, he couldn't understand her actions now.
A significant portion of the time had already passed. Even with her exceptional talent, it was impossible for Su Xi to memorize techniques in such a short period.
Was Su Xi preparing to give up?