Chapter 55: The Open Day at the Scripture Pavilion

In the center of the square.

Granny Sun, who was seated on a bench reflecting on the first half of her life, was suddenly startled by a thunderous rumbling. She rose in alarm and turned toward the sound.

In her line of sight, the forest suddenly split open down the middle, and from within, something dark and massive emerged. She widened her eyes in disbelief as the object gradually rose from the ground—was that... a rooftop?

Soon, blue-tiled walls and red pillars came into view. Before her stood a magnificent structure. At its very summit, three gilded characters gleamed.

“Scripture Pavilion!”

Granny Sun pronounced each word with care.

“It truly is a place of immortals,” she murmured, her wrinkled hand caressing her face with a trace of regret for vanished youth. “The girl must seize this opportunity well,” she said, gazing up at the Scripture Pavilion, her eyes shining brilliantly.

...

Once the Scripture Pavilion had materialized, its interior appeared vividly in Qiao Mian’s mind. He could command Zero to project every corner of the pavilion before him in real time—a clarity surpassing any cinema surveillance by ten thousandfold.

“With a space this vast, would just a handful of martial arts seem too empty?” Qiao Mian mused.

The completed Scripture Pavilion had five floors. The first housed four bookshelves filled with the default martial arts manuals; the remaining four floors were empty.

He hesitated, wondering whether to bring over more techniques from the Condor Heroes world—perhaps Huang Yaoshi’s Divine Finger Flick, the Oceanic Melody, or Qiu Qianren’s lightness skill.

Wait.

A sudden realization struck him—had he overlooked something?

“Zero, the Scripture Pavilion isn’t limited to storing martial arts, is it?” Qiao Mian asked.

“It can store any cultivation method or directly empowering item,” Zero replied.

“So, something like the ‘Great Evolution Method’ from the previous lottery could be placed here as well?” Qiao Mian’s spirits lifted.

“Yes,” said Zero.

Qiao Mian clenched his fist in delight, his heart racing. If cultivation arts could be stored here, then the value of the Scripture Pavilion far exceeded his original expectations. It might be on par with or even surpass the auction house he had so longed for.

If that was the case, why bother with mundane martial arts? Wouldn’t it be better to reserve space for higher-level methods in the future?

He made his decision.

...

However, to distinguish the ten top-tier martial arts and empowering items, after some thought, he decided to house them separately on the second floor.

Admission to the first floor would cost 100,000, and the second floor, one million. Moreover, acquiring the martial arts would require an additional fee.

With this plan set, Qiao Mian instructed Zero to implement it and to add a payment code to each manual.

“The next challenge is people,” Qiao Mian exhaled softly.

He spent half a day communicating with prospective candidates from the Condor Heroes world. As he’d anticipated, none could resist, be they the aloof Huang Yaoshi or the sincere Guo Jing.

However, Guo Jing and Huang Rong, concerned about their home world, agreed only to visit for two hours each morning for now, promising to devote themselves fully once their affairs were settled.

Everything was ready but for the final touch.

...

The next morning.

At eight o’clock, Liang Xiaoyu was already up and had started her livestream. As the stream of comments poured in, she greeted her audience with a smile and hurried to the fitness square.

Granny Sun was nowhere to be seen.

Dressed in a white shirt and black pants, her hair in a ponytail, Little Dragon Maiden was practicing swordplay. Ten meters away, a group of volunteers in “Fantasy Park” shirts wielded unopened iron swords, practicing as well.

“I’m late,” Liang Xiaoyu stuck out her tongue and quickly joined the group with her sword.

After a set of Quanzhen Swordsmanship, a slight heat rose from her forehead.

“Are you going in later?” she sidled up to Little Dragon Maiden.

Little Dragon Maiden shook her head. “I’ll skip the bustle.”

She was eager to finish her practice and find a quiet spot to catch up on her new drama.

“Alright.” Turning to the camera, Liang Xiaoyu announced, “See? It’s Little Dragon herself who doesn’t want to go.”

[Rain Thief, who said you could call her Little Dragon!]

[The streamer actually has curves!]

[Did she pad something?]

[Heh, can’t match her looks or her aura—does she think she can beat our seventeen-year-old Little Dragon Maiden?]

[Don’t cry, Xiaoyu. If they don’t want you, I do. I don’t mind that you’re old and ugly.]

[You’re all too much. The streamer isn’t so bad—she’s just a tiny bit less than my wife, Little Dragon.]

Liang Xiaoyu nearly fumed seeing these comments. Whenever she appeared on screen with Little Dragon Maiden, these mischief-makers always emerged. Once, they’d chanted “Xiaoyu is the prettiest,” and “Fly bravely, Xiaoyu; love will always follow you.” Now, they were calling her old and ugly!

“I’m only in my early twenties—these are my prime years!” she retorted.

[A twenty-something middle-aged woman.]

[Love seeing the streamer flustered.]

[Don’t be sad, Xiaoyu. No sympathy here.]

Liang Xiaoyu glanced sideways and caught Little Dragon Maiden stifling a laugh.

She pouted. The once-aloof Dragon Maiden was, in truth, an ordinary girl—fond of milk tea, cola, and fried chicken, enamored with stylish handbags, reluctant to leave fitting rooms...

She grabbed Little Dragon Maiden’s arm. “Come with me, or these rascals will roast me alive in chat.”

In fact, when Little Dragon Maiden didn’t appear, most viewers doted on her. After all, her beauty and figure were of goddess caliber—save for a less impressive bust, she was a standout among women. Besides, there were always those with a preference for such figures.

With just a touch of inner energy, Little Dragon Maiden could have freed herself, but she chose not to. In recent days, Liang Xiaoyu had sought her company often—gifting her treats, taking her shopping, spending an afternoon at Happy Valley. She had come to regard Liang Xiaoyu as a friend—her first and only friend since birth.

She didn’t want to defy her.

So, the two of them walked together toward the towering Scripture Pavilion, with volunteers quietly following, including several new faces—those specially selected overnight by the military.

Nothing within the Scripture Pavilion could be taken out, nor was it currently permitted to spread its contents freely. Everyone coveted those top-tier martial arts.

Yet mastery wasn’t gained in a single visit. After purchase, one could only study a manual inside the Pavilion for a day.

Experts debated and concluded that, to maximize benefits, one should either master several basic arts and use special items to boost inner strength before tackling the advanced techniques, or rely on prodigies with keen memories and martial foundations to memorize them on the spot and continue practicing later.

According to these strategies, several candidates had been chosen to experiment.

Soon, they arrived at the foot of the Pavilion’s steps.

It was 8:38. The Scripture Pavilion had not yet opened.

Liang Xiaoyu turned the camera and began explaining to her audience.

“As I mentioned in yesterday’s preview, the Scripture Pavilion is a newly opened attraction in Fantasy Park…”

“It houses a vast array of basic martial arts and techniques from all the great sects…”

“There are five floors—the first mainly offers foundational skills, the second holds ten supreme arts and two elixirs for enhancing martial prowess…”

“The third to fifth floors remain closed for now, but,” Liang Xiaoyu paused mysteriously, “what lies there are items that can truly transcend the ordinary, though they won’t be accessible any time soon.”

As she spoke, she subtly aimed the camera at Little Dragon Maiden.

...