Ch 1: Li Wei

The sun was setting over the ancient city of Blissland, casting long shadows across the bustling streets. In the heart of the city, where the old and new mingled, a young scholar named Li Wei hurried through the crowded marketplace. Clutching a worn satchel filled with scrolls and books, he made his way toward the eastern outskirts, where the ruins of an old martial sect lay forgotten and overgrown.

Li Wei was not a cultivator. He had no interest in the martial arts that dominated the lives of so many in the Land of Ancient Dragon Domain. Instead, he was a scholar, fascinated by history and ancient texts. His father, a modest merchant, often scolded him for spending too much time with his nose in books and too little time helping with the family business. But Li Wei's curiosity was insatiable, and today, he was chasing a rumor that had piqued his interest.

Local legends spoke of the Dragon Descending Sect, a powerful martial force that had mysteriously vanished hundreds of thousands of years ago. Their library, filled with rare and forbidden texts, was said to be hidden in the ruins of their once-grand Scripture Temple. Li Wei had heard whispers of this library from an old storyteller in the market, and he could not resist the lure of such knowledge.

A library filled with ancient scriptures and forbidden texts!

There must be thousands of books for him to read and obtain knowledge from.

As he approached the outskirts, the bustling city gave way to quieter, more desolate paths. The road became narrower, flanked by dense undergrowth and twisted trees. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves.

Li Wei tightened his grip on his satchel and pressed on. His heart was beating with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the ruins.

Actually, this ruin was not that hidden. Its location was known to everyone in the ancient city of Blissland. In fact, over the course of thousands of years, countless cultivators have also come to explore this place, however, they gained nothing and left in disappointment.

Slowly, the legends about the Dragon Descending Sect become nothing more than stories and then rumors.

As for the Scripture Temple of the Dragon Descending Sect, let alone entering, no one had ever even seen this temple in this vast ruin.

The remnants of the Dragon Descending Sect stood before him, shrouded in ivy and moss. The grand entrance that once was a sign of the sect's glory was now nothing more than a crumbling archway. Statues of fierce dragons, their features worn by time, guarded the entrance. Li Wei took a deep breath and stepped through the archway.

However, for some reason, he felt a chill running down his spine.

"Should I continue or go back?"

There was no greed inside Li Wei's heart. He was but an ordinary young man without a trace of cultivation. In fact, he never wanted to walk the path of cultivation at all. He came here for the sole reason of finding thousands of books and reading them. In his heart, there was nothing more enjoyable than reading books and scriptures.

He wanted nothing from the Dragon Descending Sect. If there is something he truly wants, then that is to browse all the books they might have stored in the Scripture Temple.

Rumors spoke of every cultivator of the Dragon Descending Sect mysteriously vanishing hundreds of thousands of years ago. They disappeared, leaving behind a complete but empty sect. That is why, although this sect has become a ruin over the course of years, it still maintains its complete structure.

Almost all the men of the ancient city of Blissland have entered the ruin of this sect to try their luck and see if they can obtain some treasure or artifacts that might change their lives completely. Even Li Wei's own father was no exception.

However, this was Li Wei's first time here.

After entering the ruin of the Dragon Descending Sect, he went to a few buildings. However, he could not shake off a strange feeling that was constantly appearing inside his heart.

He spent half a day exploring several places, however, he found no trace of the Scripture Temple. He was here for the sole reason of finding the Scripture Temple, so he did not waste time thoroughly exploring other buildings.

"Is it truly just a rumor? There is no sign of Scripture Temple anywhere!"

Li Wei sighed. Nonetheless, he had yet to give up. He continued to look for any temple-looking structure.

A few hours later, he did find one. However, its condition was unlike the rest of the Dragon Descending Sect. It was no longer in its complete state, it was broken in several places.

"Maybe, this is the Scripture Pavilion!"

Li Wei's eyes glowed with light. He excitedly strode forward, entering the temple.

Inside, the temple was eerily silent. Shafts of fading sunlight filtered through the gaps in the broken roof, casting an ethereal glow on the debris-strewn floor. Li Wei's footsteps echoed softly as he navigated the maze of fallen pillars and collapsed walls. He scanned the area, searching for any sign of the hidden library or even a single book.

Unfortunately, he found none. His excitement started to fade slowly.

Though he did find a temple, it may not be the Scripture Temple he was looking for. If there was something unique about this temple, then it was its collapsed state and a middle-aged man's statue wearing a dragon crown on his head.

As he looked at the statue, the strange feeling within his heart grew stronger and stronger. This made Li Wei very uncomfortable.

Taking deep breaths, he tried to calm his heart. After that, ignoring the statue, he continued to search. After several minutes of careful exploration, he noticed a faint trail of footprints leading behind the statue.

"Hmm?"

"Is someone else here as well?"

His curiosity piqued. Li Wei followed the trail and arrived behind the crown-wearing middle-aged man's statue. He was surprised to see a hole, wide enough for a person to easily pass through, on the ground.

He could see a few stone tiles stacked to the side. It seems whoever found this secret path forgot to close the hole or they might have thought that no one would come here.

Curious, Li Wei slowly entered the hole. When he was halfway inside the hole, his legs touched something. As he completely entered, he saw stairs.

It was a long stair that went deep underground. The walls on each side of the stairs were embedded with glowing stones that were the only source of light at this place.