Scripture of Days Past

"Is it because of Jiang Longyu?" Lin Lan asked. "He definitely has an advantage right now with his saber techniques, seeing as you're both third-state martial artists, but given your aptitude, I'm sure you'll be able to surpass him in the future."

This version of Lin Lan was very gentle and considerate, with a delicate air of fragility that stirred Chu Qiguang's instinctive urge to protect her. At the same time, he couldn't help but think of the Lin Lan he had seen in his vision.

If the current Lin Lan was a gentle and dignified young maiden, then the Lin Lan from his vision felt like a seductive female ghost or a fox fiend.

They seemed like two completely different people, and Chu Qiguang couldn't help but wonder how such drastically different personas could occupy the same body.

Could it be that she also has a condition like mine that drastically affects her personality?

Lin Lan couldn't help but blush a little under Chu Qiguang's intense scrutiny. She lowered her head and began wringing her hands timidly as she asked, "Did I say something wrong, Brother Chu?"

"Not at all," Chu Qiguang replied with a smile. "I was just thinking about something else."

He told her about the bet he had made with the gatekeeper, and Lin Lan immediately looked up in surprise.

"You made a bet with Grandpa Hai?"

Grandpa was what Lin Lan liked to call the gatekeeper. Chu Qiguang didn't know the gatekeeper's name, and even when he asked, the gatekeeper refused to answer, so he simply referred to the old man as Senior.

A concerned look appeared on Lin Lan's face after she learned about Chu Qiguang's bet with the gatekeeper, and she hurriedly began coming up with ideas for him.

"Have you considered wearing armor? If you can get your hands on a good suit of armor, it should be able to protect you from Jiang Longyu's saber. Actually, no, that won't work. You've never fought in armor before, so it'll only affect your movements and end up doing more harm than good. Maybe you should use a defensive weapon, like a shield, a hammer, or a claymore?"

She began rattling off one idea after another, but she wasn't satisfied with any of them.

However, Chu Qiguang had drawn some inspiration from her suggestions.

"You know what? A large weapon could do the trick. The sparring platform is limited in size, so as long as the weapon is large enough..."

With that in mind, Chu Qiguang asked, "Lin Lan, do you know what type of material was used to construct this building? I've always felt like it's made from something very special and sturdy."

"It is," Lin Lan confirmed with a nod. "The entire building was constructed from black iron granite, which was transported here from somewhere far away in the south. I've heard that this material is as hard as steel and also has demon-subjugation properties."

Shortly thereafter, Lin Lan escorted Chu Qiguang out of the building.

Not long after Chu Qiguang left, a furious roar rang out from within the archive building. "What the hell happened to the gate?!"

There had originally been two gates standing at the entrance of the archive building, each one over five meters tall and around one and a half meters wide.

However, one of them had suddenly gone missing.

"Brother Chu is borrowing it to use as a weapon in his sparring matches," Lin Lan said. "He promised to return it after he's done with it tonight."

The gatekeeper was speechless.

"You've only known him for a month, yet you're already taking this building apart for his sake! If he stays here for an entire year..."

The more the gatekeeper thought about it, the more disgruntled he became.

I hope Jiang Longyu chops that little bastard up real good tonight!

***

Outside the secret chamber, Song Ming had been left behind by Zhong Shan'e and tasked with standing on lookout duty.

At this moment, he was facing off against Yi Shuang, who had also arrived outside the private chamber.

"What're you doing here?" Song Ming asked coldly. "The head instructor says that no one is to disturb Jiang Longyu."

"I only came here to take a look out of curiosity," Yi Shuang replied with a smile.

"There's nothing to see here," Song Ming said indifferently. "Chu Qiguang has no chance at defeating Jiang Longyu, but that won't affect his chances of inheriting the Myriad Ghost Journal. Are you satisfied now?"

This had previously been a point of contention between Zhong Shan'e and Yi Shuang. Yi Shuang wanted Chu Qiguang to inherit the Myriad Ghost Journal, while Zhong Shan'e wanted him to cultivate the Silent Shadow Step and become a Dao soldier.

However, over the past month, Chu Qiguang had been unable to activate the Demon Vanquishing Talisman, and his lack of faith in the Profound Origin Dao Lord meant that cultivating the Silent Shadow Step was no longer a viable option for him.

The two lecturers chatted for a while before the door of the private chamber was opened from the inside, and Jiang Longyu stepped out.

Song Ming and Yi Shuang turned to look at him, and they discovered that Jiang Longyu's aura had become extremely restrained and contained, like a once-dazzling saber that had been tucked into its scabbard and hidden beneath a thick black cloth.

It was no longer as radiant and eye-catching as before, but its concealed edge made it feel even more dangerous.

Yi Shuang's gaze fell upon Jiang Longyu's saber, and he thought to himself, It feels like the saber has truly become an extension of Jiang Longyu's body, as if it's a living creature that breathes and has a beating heart. Is this what it means to become one with one's saber?

Indeed, to Jiang Longyu, it really did feel as if his saber had become an extension of his body, and it was trembling slightly with the circulation of his qi and blood.

Despite maintaining his state of oneness with his saber, Jiang Longyu looked a little frustrated.

Why am I still feeling tired? I should be in peak mental condition right now...

***

At the training ground, the sparring matches had already resumed, and after the two-hour break, most of the trainees had recovered to their peak condition.

As the rankings continued to change, the sparring matches became more and more fiercely contested.

At the moment, Zhang Haizhu was on the platform, and he had gained the upper hand over his opponent.

Sensing an opening, he raised one leg high before bringing it down violently in a guillotine kick aimed at his opponent's shoulder.

If that kick landed, then it would surely result in snapped tendons and broken bones.

However, before Zhang Haizhu's leg could make contact, Zhong Shan'e caught it and the head instructor declared, "Zhang Haizhu is victorious."