"Let's go inside the Xuanzhen Hall and have a look. Other alien races have already entered; sooner or later, there will be clashes. Right now, we should see what treasures we can find here," Yi Tianxing withdrew his gaze and decisively stepped toward the hall.
Having crossed even the Thunder Dragon Dao, it was now time for harvest.
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it! I wonder what kind of treasures we'll find inside," Ye Zhiqiu's spirit instantly lifted at the mention of treasure hunting. His previously limp body suddenly brimmed with energy, and he stood up without hesitation.
"What a massive palace! Even the imperial palaces of old aren't much grander than this,"Flower Monk also nodded, exclaiming in admiration at the sight before him.
The Xuanzhen Hall itself was not protected by any restrictive arrays.
However, a colossal door blocked their path.
The door was immensely heavy.
Flower Monk volunteered himself to push it open. True to his innate strength, under his exertion, the door groaned with a grating sound and slowly swung open. Beyond it unfolded a vast hall — an enormous space with wide, clear views. Inside stood towering bookshelves, upon which countless bamboo scrolls were neatly arranged.
"This Xuanzhen Hall… it's a library! It's a hidden scripture pavilion! We've struck gold this time. With a hall this large, who knows how many ancient scrolls are stored here?" Ye Zhiqiu peeked inside. His eyes flashed with intense excitement, his jaw practically dropping in astonishment.
The most crucial part was that King Huainan had been obsessed with seeking immortality. Thus, the books he collected were undoubtedly mostly Daoist scriptures related to longevity, alongside classics from other schools of thought. In the current chaotic post-cataclysm world, such ancient texts were invaluable — each one was a crystallization of human wisdom from ancient times.
These were bamboo scrolls — among the most ancient forms of books.
Characters were engraved onto bamboo slips with a knife, then inked. The carving etched the words deep into the bamboo, ensuring that as long as the bamboo survived, so would the text. Yet a single work could require an entire cartload of bamboo scrolls.
Thus, in ancient times, when praising someone's scholarship, they would say he had a "learning of five cartloads" — literally, five carts of books.
Here, aside from bamboo scrolls, there were also texts recorded on beast hides and silk manuscripts — materials that required tremendous resources to produce at the time.
It was astonishing.
"How many books did King Huainan gather in the end? No wonder legends say that when he 'ascended to immortality,' even his house ascended with him. His treasures mysteriously disappeared, and people thought he had taken them into the heavens. It seems now he sealed them within his tomb instead,"Flower Monk exclaimed in amazement.
In ancient times, knowledge and books were revered above life itself. Many would beg, borrow, or even steal books, painstakingly copying them by hand to pass down as family heirlooms. To have a collection like this was utterly unimaginable.
Even a single book could sustain a scholar for years. Reading became an obsession — foregoing sleep and food without complaint.
And now, an entire hall full of such treasures stood before them.
The shock was overwhelming.
"This... This is the greatest treasure of all. Truly priceless,"Yi Tianxing's heart burned with excitement.
Such a collection — meticulously gathered by King Huainan, who had the status and power to obtain original texts from the royal libraries of the Han dynasty and beyond — was unimaginable. Many of these works had long since vanished from history.
These were the crystallizations of ancient wisdom.
Especially during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods — an age of a hundred schools of thought contending — when human wisdom exploded with creativity. The knowledge from that era could rival millennia of later human development.
The Mohists could craft mechanical birds that could fly, and mechanical beasts capable of combat. They even built mechanical cities. The Agriculturalists developed methods to shorten rice-growing cycles. The Medicalists could diagnose disease at a glance.The Military strategists could plan campaigns that decided victory from a thousand miles away.
A single technique from that era still left future generations amazed.
And now, the seeds of all that knowledge might lie within this hall.
These thoughts surged in Yi Tianxing's mind. Even he found it hard to restrain himself.
"We must take them all. Every last book must be moved to the Scripture Pavilion. This is a priceless treasure beyond valuation — it can't be measured in gold or jewels. Once housed in our pavilion, the knowledge foundation of Xuanhuang Town will be unparalleled. Our Scripture Pavilion will truly live up to its name. It will benefit the town's development in unimaginable ways,"This thought immediately took root in Yi Tianxing's mind, unstoppable.
Compared to any artifact or treasure, these books were even more precious.
""Hundred Questions on Mohist Mechanics"! This is a Mohist classic! I can't believe it's here!"Ye Zhiqiu rushed forward and grabbed a bamboo scroll, his eyes wide with excitement.
"And here — "Notes on Cultivating Emerald Rice"! A text from the Agriculturalists! Emerald Rice... What is that? I've never heard of it before. Maybe it was a secret strain they cultivated but kept hidden,"Flower Monk picked up another bamboo scroll and muttered to himself.
"Foundational Medicine Classics!!"Yi Tianxing himself picked up a scroll — an herbal medicine manual. It detailed the properties, uses, and identification methods of various herbs and spiritual plants.
These were the recorded lifetimes of experience of past sages — seemingly simple, but of enormous value.
""Purple Sun Alchemy Manual" — a notebook on pill refining!"Yi Tianxing also uncovered a scroll made from beast hide — a priceless record of a pill master's experiences and alchemical formulas, earned through countless experiments and failures.
Every formula was worth its weight in gold.
""The Analects", "Zuo's Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals", "Han Feizi" — they're all here!"Ye Zhiqiu quickly grabbed a few more scrolls, exclaiming one after another.
"The library here is astonishingly rich. Considering King Huainan's status, it's no surprise. He would have had full access to the royal libraries. Even if he couldn't take the originals, he could obtain handwritten copies. It's only natural he amassed such a collection,"Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, making up his mind. Every book here must be moved to the Scripture Pavilion. They would become part of Xuanhuang Town's greatest legacy.
Once word got out, it would surely attract scholars from across the land, giving the town an unrivaled advantage in drawing in talent.
The sheer volume of these books was incredible.
Just then—
"Those who come uninvited are thieves! Are you planning to become book thieves?"
A calm voice suddenly rang out.
An elderly man in scholar's robes — hair as white as snow — stepped out from behind a bookshelf, a bamboo scroll in his hand. He gazed at Yi Tianxing and his companions, his voice steady.
Yet in that voice was a penetrating force that struck directly at their hearts.
The moment he spoke, a surge of Haoran Righteousness (浩然正气) erupted.
An overwhelming pressure descended, making them feel guilty, unable to meet his gaze. It was as if they had been caught in the act of theft, their spirits momentarily crushed.
Even Ye Zhiqiu and Flower Monk unconsciously lowered their heads, their faces burning with shame.
Yi Tianxing, however, remained calm, though inwardly he grew cautious.
Fortunately, when that force touched his soul, a dragon's roar exploded from within him, shattering the invisible pressure instantly.
This was the power of Confucianism.
Haoran Righteousness — nurtured by one's scholarly virtue and moral integrity — was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
"What a pure and powerful Haoran Righteousness. Such profound Confucian cultivation. May I ask, Senior, how should we address you?"Yi Tianxing took a deep breath. He could tell that this white-haired elder was a formidable Confucian cultivator, though it was difficult to gauge exactly how strong. Still, the man's presence was like a boundless sea — deep and unfathomable.
The elder's righteous qi was extraordinary.
"I come from within the books themselves. You may call me the Elder of Book Mountain (Shu Shan Lao Ren / 书山老人),"The white-haired elder glanced at Yi Tianxing. Noticing that Yi Tianxing was unaffected by his aura, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Calmly, he continued,"Tell me — are you planning to move these scriptures?"