Novel Lived
Chapter 13: Senior Brother, I Won!
Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Senior Brother, I Won!
Editor: Henyee Translations
The Daozang is said to consist of three thousand volumes; even the usual immortality-cultivating families do not possess such an extensive collection, but the Kunlun Taiqing Sect naturally has it.
Thus, in the following days, Qiu Changtian loitered non-stop in the Daozang Hall of the Scriptural Repository, studying the theoretical knowledge of the Daoist teachings, his diligence so fearsome that even those habitual to solving questions would be scared.
Because he had no intention of showing off in front of Junior Sister Xu, the Synchronization Value of his invincible character setting slid downhill continuously, watching it was borderline terrifying.
This news even reached the ears of the Ziwei Master, who after finishing a lecture mentioned offhandedly to advise him “not to get lost in these empty talks,” “Do you want to become like those blockheads from the Yuqing View?” leaving Qiu Changtian somewhat amused and at a loss.
After the lecture ended, Xu Yinglian found Qiu Changtian and asked:
“Have you recently taken an interest in the Daozang?”
“Sort of,” Qiu Changtian said in a hurry to get to the Scriptural Repository to read, casually dismissing, “Why do you ask?”
“Growing up in my family, I didn’t have many other hobbies, only reading and playing the guqin,” Xu Yinglian said with reserved pride, “Though I dare not claim to have the Daozang at my fingertips, I have basically read through it a few times.”
Despite her composed and aloof expression, her eyes shone brightly, almost as if her face was begging “Come ask me for guidance.”
Qiu Changtian uttered an “Oh” and hurried towards the Scriptural Repository.
Xu Yinglian: ?
She anxiously followed after him, saying:
“If Senior Brother is not familiar with the Daozang, you can ask me! Isn’t it better to have someone help outline the key points than to read aimlessly?”
Qiu Changtian stopped in his tracks, thinking that made sense, and was about to say “Then I shall kindly ask Junior Sister for guidance,” when the Kunlun Mirror hastily interrupted:
“Be careful! If you say something that doesn’t match your character setting, the Synchronization Value of Mirror Flower Water Moon will plummet!”
Qiu Changtian quickly swallowed the words he was about to speak and instead put on a look of disdain, as if to say “You think you can teach me?”
Xu Yinglian’s blood pressure shot up, and she coldly said:
“Or is it that Senior Brother doesn’t dare admit that I know more about the Daozang than you do? How about this, pose any question to me, and if there’s a single one I cannot answer, then you win, how about that?”
Seeing her so eager for battle, Qiu Changtian sighed in his heart.
This Junior Sister Xu, why is her personality so strong?
Sigh, being her senior brother is truly tough.
Seeing that Qiu Changtian stopped talking, Xu Yinglian simply sneered:
“What’s wrong, Senior Brother isn’t scared, is he?”
Qiu Changtian gave a faint smile and then asked:
“The Daozang’s Three Caves, what scriptures do they consist of?”
“Ah, such an easy question,” Xu Yinglian answered fluently without hesitation, “The Three Caves refer to the ultimate passages. They reach the profound and capture the marvelous, therefore they are called the Three Caves. The first is the ‘Dongzhen,’ the second is the ‘Dongxuan,’ and the third is the ‘Cave Divine.’
“The ‘Eight Element True Scripture’ says: The supreme Dao has three; the Upper True Dao has seven; the Middle True Dao has six; the Lower True Dao has eight. Totaling twenty-four scriptures, respectively, they are…”
She rattled off the names of all twenty-four scriptures as if listing vegetables before proudly tilting her chin up and asked:
“Did I get it right, Senior Brother?”
“You got it right,” nodded Qiu Changtian slightly, then continued asking, “Let’s see if you know this, what are the differences between the Three Caves?”
“What’s so difficult about that?” Xu Yinglian grinned, her smile as refreshing as a spring breeze, making flowers bloom:
“The ‘Benji Scripture’ says: Should there be scriptures that encompass twelve parts, they belong to the Three Caves, and this is called the righteous law. ‘Dongzhen’ stands for the meaning of purity, ‘Dongxuan’ is about unimpeded flow, and ‘Cave Divine’ is used for its unfathomability…”
The two walked side by side, with Qiu Changtian questioning and Xu Yinglian answering, one saying “Let me ask,” the other replying “This is quite easy” or “What’s so hard about that?” Unknowingly, they arrived at the Scriptural Repository and spent several hours inside.
Xu Yinglian was not lying; she indeed had a good grasp of the Daozang.
With every question Qiu Changtian asked, she was mostly able to provide the answer right away, at most pondering quickly for a few moments.
After answering, receiving a “You got it right” from Qiu Changtian made her reveal a joyful and pure smile, and the resentment in her eyebrows seemed to dissolve as well.
Witnessing her demeanor, Qiu Changtian knew that she had mended most of the cracks in her Daoist Heart and nodded to himself in approval.
Junior Sister, your senior brother has done so much for you. If you are troubled by your Heart Demon again, you cannot blame me.
“Let’s stop here for today,” Qiu Changtian closed the book.
Xu Yinglian, a little parched from talking, licked her lips subconsciously, not wanting to stop and asked:
“Is that all? So, Senior Brother, you are admitting defeat?”
Qiu Changtian didn’t respond but simply stood up with composure and a faint smile.
“Sorry, Junior Sister. If I had no Synchronization Value, what harm would there be in conceding to you every day?”
“But my Invincible Character Setting’s Synchronization Value has naturally dropped to 77%.”
“If I personally admit defeat, what if it plummets below 60% directly?”
“Admitting defeat to you is impossible, it will never happen in this lifetime.”
Seeing her senior brother fall silent, Xu Yinglian took it as tacit consent and immediately beamed with joy:
“Senior Brother, this time I definitely won.”
“Let’s return to Golden Ridge,” Qiu Changtian said, dodging the question.
“Mm-hmm, I won.”
The two left the Jade Void Palace, rising up with Sword Control.
Seeing the smile still on Xu Yinglian’s face, Qiu Changtian felt something was amiss and casually remarked:
“The wind tonight is really boisterous.”
“It must be joyful because Senior Brother lost to me,” Xu Yinglian actually continued.
Qiu Changtian: …
“I wonder how our junior brother and sisters are doing,” he changed the subject, “Are they getting used to living in the new cave abode?”
“As long as I win a few more times, I believe they’ll quickly adapt to the life of cultivation,” Xu Yinglian said with a laugh.
“Junior Sister, can you stop bringing this up all the time?” Qiu Changtian asked helplessly.
“Sure, you just need to say these words to me, and I will stop mentioning it,” Xu Yinglian said in high spirits, “Say: ‘On the seventh day of the seventh month, within the Scriptural Repository of Kunlun Jade Void Palace, Qiu Changtian admitted defeat to Xu Yinglian during a debate.’”
“Hurry up, repeat that for me to hear,” she urged excitedly.
Qiu Changtian: ……..
Junior Sister, you’re really too unadorable.
Ignoring Xu Yinglian’s hopeful gaze, Qiu Changtian steadfastly refused to admit defeat, and they made their way back to the Golden Ridge Cave Abode, where he left under her pouting gaze.
Back at the cave abode, Qiu Changtian said indifferently:
“Ah Jing, I want to read files!”
[Countdown to world destruction: One thousand years.]
[Please hurry in searching for the Heaven-Mending Stone.]
The Kunlun Mirror droned mechanically:
[Location Three: Penglai Jade Pure View, Daozang Pavilion.]
[Identity: Luo Yan.]
[Overlaying Mirror Flower Water Moon Template, currently time-space traveling.]
Luo Yan slightly lifted his eyelids and saw himself standing in front of a bookshelf, daydreaming.
He quickly pulled out a copy of the “Yuqing Hidden Scripture” from the shelf, his gaze sweeping over a passage of text, with the full content instantaneously surfacing in his mind.
With Qiu Changtian’s Daoist Heart Clarity and diligent study, he had memorized all twenty-four scriptures in his mind.
Through discussions with Xu Yinglian, he had also come to mostly understand their meanings.
Next, all he needed to do was to go over the knowledge points one more time, and then wait for the final exam!
Outside the Daozang Pavilion, Shi Liuli was pacing back and forth aimlessly, wondering how her junior brother was doing inside.
Ah, what other senior brothers or sisters would care so much about a junior brother who hadn’t reached Entry Level?
No helping it, I’m just that responsible…
“Liuli, little Junior Sister!” a few senior sisters called out as they passed by, “There’s a new batch of Beauty-preserving Elixirs at the market in Fanghu, and they are on sale only for today. They’re selling fast and about to be sold out. Do you want to come with us?”
“Limited edition?” Shi Liuli’s eyes lit up, “About to be sold out?”
In that instant, any responsible senior sister and the junior brother undergoing an exam disappeared from her memory.
“Let’s go, let’s go, right now! Take me with you!”