Dusty Divine Arts?

After putting down Violet Dawn, Lin Fan no longer blindly searched for the right cultivation manual, and started to ponder instead.

"Right!"

"According to Qi Zixiao's shadow, she did not sense any Spirit Qi on Earth—or where I had been, at least…"

"And how immortal cultivations do not need Spirit Qi?"

"Any cultivation or arts would require the support of Spirit Qi, and cultivation would never work without it."

"So…"

"It's useless even if I read it!"

Lin Fan promptly felt pained at that.

Just as he assumed that he had reached the scripture chamber and could use the status of Saintess to get some immortal arts to train with—in fact, it would have been perfectly fine even if he only got a top-level immortal cultivation manual instead of immortal arts.

But now, things did not prove to be the case.

Putting it simply, Earth as it was now would never support his cultivation!

"In other words, almost all cultivations and spells are useless even if they are read and memorized."

"So that begs the question. Why did I even come to the scripture chamber?"

'I must have been out of my mind!

'Am I really that shameless?!'

After pitting his wits and brawn against the air for so long and getting prepared in all sorts of different ways, and finally deciding to be 'reckless' after much difficulty… This was the outcome?

Lin Fan really wanted to drop to the floor.

How upsetting!

Even so, he could not show his disappointment, and had to feign coldness and composure instead as he put down the books in his hand, and kept heading downstairs…

"Fine. Since I can't learn immortal arts or cultivation manuals, I'll search for texts about history or martial arts and the like.

"I do wonder if martial arts exist here."

Reading history books would probably help him understand this world, and it would be best if he could learn about the Sacred Violet Manor.

As for books about martial arts…

Since immortal cultivation needed Spirit Qi, he could just give up on that on Earth, and turn to martial arts instead, could he not?

Nonetheless, the most worrying matter at the moment was this: would a scripture chamber of sacred grounds belonging to immortals have such 'inferior' martial arts volumes?

Lin Fan did not know.

Still, he was sure that if such books were available, they would definitely be on the first floor.

He kept heading downstairs.

Like the seventh floor, the sixth floor was empty aside from Lin Fan.

Several elderly cultivators were sitting cross-legged meditatively on the fifth floor, fully engrossed in some measurement…

There was no telling who they were or whether they should be disturbed at that state, which was why Lin Fan light-footedly headed further down.

Things became livelier as he headed downstairs.

As many bowed toward him, Lin Fan maintained his composure and continued downstairs…

"Why would the saintess leave so quickly?"

"How could the likes of us understand the actions of a prodigy anyway?"

"Eh? Why is she pausing on the first floor? That's…"

"Could it be!!!"

Suddenly, someone cried out in surprise but promptly muffling herself, and quietly said, "Everyone, have you all heard about the storytellers?"

"Storytellers? I do more or less know about it. Don't they tend to speak of folk-tales, which mortals listen to as a way of leisure?

"Yes, folk-tales! To tell the truth, brothers and sisters, I am one of the disciples who passed the trials when the mountain gates were opened to the public a few years ago, but I had the opportunity to listen to many storytellers."

"Most of the tales are about cultivating immortals like us, just as there are many tales about the scripture chambers of various major sects…"

"Oh?!"

The people around the disciple all came closer, curiosity showing on their faces.

"So? What about the scripture chamber?"

"Yes, brother. Quick, tell us."

"Brothers, sisters, patience. Please listen as I, Zhong Feiyu slowly tell you in detail~"

The male disciple waved his hands and spoke mysteriously. "Many tales about the scripture chamber involve Dusty Divine Arts."

"And what are the Dusty Divine Arts?"

"It refers to certain cultivation methods and arts that could destroy the world, but was dumped carelessly in a corner with no one picking it up."

"That is, until fate and chance combine, and the one who read it shall ascend beyond the heavens!"

"And these divine arts that are covered in 'dust' would always be found at inconspicuous corners in the scripture chamber, or amongst ordinary texts…"

At that point, everyone understood what Zhong Feiyu was talking about.

Still, there were those who were puzzled too. "This scripture chamber is built by the founder of these sacred grounds. Every text has been sorted and placed according to rarity. If there really was some divine art, how would it…"

However, the disciple who was speaking paused at that, uncertain of what to think.

It was not just him. Every other disciple present became thoughtful as well.

True, the scripture chamber had been built by the founder all those years ago, and the books here were all brought in by him and his many successors, eventually filling the racks and sorted.

But who could be sure that all of those people did not behave 'weirdly'?

What if said weird person wanted to 'play around'?

For example, putting the divine art manual in some inconspicuous corner?

Over the years, most of the first floor had become covered in dust, aside from certain spots where handyman disciples would browse.

And from that line of reasoning…

Right then, whether it was out of inspiration or something else, one of the disciples muttered, "If Dusty Divine Arts really exist, anyone who is aware would rank higher than us, and the Saintess…"

Ding!

Everyone's eyes gradually lit up.

That was so true!

While Dusty Divine Arts might be a folktale, it was not totally impossible when one remembered that no one had been combing through the first floor.

And who was the Saintess compared to them? With her status that permitted entry to the seventh floor, why else would she loiter around the first floor?

At first, they had merely been browsing through various texts on the second floor, and simply wanted to ogle at the saintess when she came downstairs.

However, after they realized that the saintess was staying at the first floor and coupled with Zhong Feiyu's story, everyone's brains went into overdrive.

After that…

All of them went down to the first floor and began scrounging.

They certainly would not approach the saintess carelessly, but since the first floor was so vast and held so many texts, and had a lot of spots that were covered in dust…

Hence, over a hundred disciples once again made the first floor of the scripture chamber that had been bleak for who-knows-how-many-years lively once again.

Other disciples who arrived later were naturally taken aback when they saw that sight, and then… asked quite a lot of questions.

After the questions, they naturally joined in the search.

Even though Dusty Divine Arts was merely a theory, it had a frighteningly huge chance to be true since the saintess was looking around, did it not?!

Slowly…

Many had gathered at the first door, with the more hygienic female-disciples casting wind-type spells. As the gentle gusts breezed on, the layers of dust were all blown away.

***

Lin Fan watched as everything unfolded, but did not say a word, even if he really wanted to play the straight man right then. 

Dusty Divine Arts?

You people have read too many novels, haven't you?! Did you really think some divine manual was lying in some inconspicuous corner?

Even if there were, it would be protagonists who get them, would it not?