20: Chapter 20 The Female Cultivator in Red

Ye Xiaoyao heard that cold "Hmm?", and saw that jade hand which had appeared suddenly, as if wrapped in a soft glow.

His heart skipped a beat, and like an electric shock, he immediately released his hand that was gripping the "secret records of the sacred body".

Almost simultaneously, a gentle yet irresistible force came from across the bookshelf, and that thick ancient book was steadily taken by the other party.

Through the gap left by the book that had been on the shelf, Ye Xiaoyao vaguely saw a striking red hem of a garment across, as well as a slender, tall, and hazy figure.

Although multiple powerful Restrictions were set within the Scripture Pavilion, which not only suppressed Spiritual Qi fluctuations but also severely interfered with Divine Sense probing, making it difficult for people to clearly perceive the specific Realm of others.

However, an instinctive warning originating from the level of life made the hairs on his body stand up slightly in an instant.

The aura of the person opposite was like a silent abyss; although not intentionally released, it naturally exuded a sense of oppression far beyond what he, a small Qi Refining Cultivator, could compare to.

Definitely an expert Senior!

Ye Xiaoyao dared not be the slightest bit negligent, hurriedly retreating half a step. Across the bookshelf, he bowed respectfully in the direction of that red figure, his tone fearful and anxious as he said: "This Disciple has been presumptuous. I did not know that Junior Martial Uncle was here to retrieve a book. I have caused much disturbance, and I ask Junior Martial Uncle to forgive my sins."

He automatically categorized the other party into the category of a Foundation Establishment Stage Junior Martial Uncle.

After all, in the eyes of a Qi Refinement Stage Disciple, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was already a Senior who needed to be looked up to.

Across the bookshelf, there was a brief silence. The Red-robed Female Cultivator clearly heard his address and seemed slightly surprised, whispering extremely softly: "Junior Martial Uncle?"

Her cultivation was profound, and even under the suppression of the Restrictions, her Divine Sense perception was far sharper and clearer than Ye Xiaoyao's.

She could see the weak Spiritual Qi fluctuations around the youth opposite her; he was indeed only at the Qi Refinement Stage, and seemed to have just broken through the fourth level not long ago.

To her, the gap between the Qi Refinement Stage and her Realm was like fireflies compared to the bright moon.

In the outside world, such small Cultivators would need to respectfully address her as Grandmaster or even higher upon seeing her.

At this moment, within this Scripture Pavilion, it was because the Restrictions interfered with the other party's judgment that she was mistaken for a "Junior Martial Uncle".

However, this slight surprise only flashed through her mind, and she did not pay it any mind.

Her voice was calm and waveless, with no discernable emotion, as she said to Ye Xiaoyao: "Since you spotted this book first, you may read it first."

How could Ye Xiaoyao dare to agree? He hurriedly waved his hands, shaking his head like a rattle-drum, and said: "No, no need! Junior Martial Uncle, you have misunderstood. This Disciple was just browsing casually and is not in a rush to use it. Please go ahead, Junior Martial Uncle. This Disciple will just come back next time."

His attitude was respectful and obedient; he just wanted to quickly send away this Senior of unfathomable depth, lest he offend someone unintentionally.

"No need to be modest." The Red-robed Female Cultivator's tone remained indifferent, yet firm. "As a Senior, how could I fight a Junior like you for the mere order of reading? You read this book first."

Before the words had faded, and without waiting for Ye Xiaoyao to respond again, that thick "secret records of the sacred body" was lightly passed back from the gap in the bookshelf, landing steadily back in its original position.

Then, that flash of red hem moved gracefully. Accompanied by almost inaudible footsteps, she quickly moved away, disappearing behind layers of bookshelves.

Ye Xiaoyao was stunned for a moment, bowed once more in the direction the Red-robed Female Cultivator had left, and whispered: "Many thanks, Junior Martial Uncle."

After that invisible sense of oppression had completely departed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and refocused his attention on the ancient book before him.

He carefully took down the "secret records of the sacred body". The book felt heavy in his hand; the cover was made of some unknown dark leather, cool to the touch, with worn edges, obviously of great age.

The pages were not ordinary paper, but a supple, pale yellow animal hide, emitting a faint scent similar to sandalwood mixed with herbs.

He couldn't wait to open the first page. The opening was a general overview of the Physique, the language ancient and obscure, but the main idea was clear.

In the Qiongming Realm cultivation world, Spiritual Root is the key to entering cultivation, and Aptitude determines the speed of cultivation and the upper limit of potential.

Even so, the creation of Heaven and Earth is mysterious. A very small number of living beings, whether due to Innate endowment or Acquired fortuitous encounters, are able to awaken a special Physique that transcends ordinary Aptitude, which is called a "sacred body".

Those who possess a sacred body often have cultivation paths that differ from ordinary people, or possess unimaginable talents or abilities in specific areas.

Ye Xiaoyao was invigorated and flipped through the pages carefully one by one. The types of sacred bodies recorded in the book were numerous, opening his eyes.

The "Primordial Sacred Body": The Physical Body is unparalleled, strength can uproot mountains, and blood and Qi are like a Dragon. Those who possess this body have close-quarters combat abilities that are unrivaled among their peers and can often challenge those at higher levels. However, the disadvantage is that the speed of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is subjected to some inexplicable suppression, and cultivation progress is usually relatively slow, requiring a massive amount of resources to hone the Physical Body.

The "Nine Spiritual Sword Body": Naturally possesses a clear Sword Heart and is naturally compatible with the Sword Dao. Those who possess this body find that practicing any Sword Technique or Spell yields twice the result with half the effort, and their understanding of Sword Intent far exceeds that of ordinary people; they are excellent material for becoming a peerless Sword Cultivator.

The "Heavenly Phoenix Spiritual Body": Possesses a trace of ancient Phoenix Bloodline, the power of fire-attribute Spells is doubled, the control of fire is as easy as moving one's fingers, and in critical moments, it may trigger the power of Nirvana, possessing extremely strong life-saving abilities.

The "Mysterious Yin Maiden Body": Only found in female Cultivators, it is an excellent Physique for Dual Cultivation. Not only is their own cultivation speed not slow, but when Dual Cultivating with a Dao Companion, it can greatly promote the other party's cultivation, and it has miraculous effects on harmonizing Yin and Yang and breaking through Bottlenecks. The book also subtly mentions that some Cultivators who take crooked paths will covet this Physique, regarding it as a top-grade cauldron.

The "Geng Metal Lightning Body": Naturally has an affinity for Metal and Lightning attributes, the power of attack is extremely fierce, the power when casting related Spells is astonishing, and it has an Innate restraint against evil spirits and demonic monsters.

The "Yi Wood Longevity Body": Possesses immense vitality, astonishing recovery ability, is skilled in healing and cultivating spiritual plants, and Lifespan is usually longer than that of Cultivators of the same Realm.

…Every type of sacred body has a relatively detailed description, including main characteristics, cultivation advantages and disadvantages, and famous Cultivators who have appeared in history, etc.

Ye Xiaoyao was surging with emotion as he read, and he secretly compared it to his own situation. Then, he turned to the "Pure Yin Sacred Body".

The book clearly records that this is an extremely Yin-attribute Physique, appearing only in female Cultivators. It is a peerless Genius for cultivating Yin-cold attribute Cultivation Techniques, and is also a treasure in the eyes of certain Dual Cultivation sects. However, female Cultivators with this Physique need to use a pure yang object to harmonize when breaking through major Realms, otherwise…

Ye Xiaoyao was thoughtful, vaguely feeling that he had grasped some clue, but for a moment he could not sort out his thoughts.

He was immersed in the sea of books, completely unaware of the passage of time. The Scripture Pavilion was quiet and peaceful, with only the slight rustling sound he made when turning pages.

Just as he finished reading the record of the "Pure Yin Sacred Body" and was preparing to continue reading the next sacred body called "Pure Yang Sacred Body", Ye Xiaoyao suddenly thought to himself. Not good! How long has it been since I came in?

He looked up suddenly. Although there were no windows in the pavilion, and he could not directly see the sky, his vague sense of time within his body told him. The one-hour time limit was probably approaching! "Crap! I'm going to be forcibly teleported if I go over time!"

Ye Xiaoyao cursed himself for being too engrossed and forgetting the time. He hurriedly closed the heavy "secret records of the sacred body" in his hands, and according to the position in his memory, hurriedly stuffed it back into the empty space on the fifth shelf.

He didn't even bother to confirm if it was placed neatly, and turned to stride towards the stairwell. The wooden stairs made a hurried "thump-thump" sound under his feet, appearing exceptionally clear in the quiet pavilion.

He prayed in his heart that the Formation would be accommodating for a moment and let him run out by himself. After all, he had previously experienced the discomfort of being teleported by a Formation.

Just as he rushed to the corner of the stairs between the third and fourth floors, a sudden change occurred. The surrounding space twisted slightly without warning, and a huge yet gentle suction force instantly wrapped around his whole body, as if an invisible giant hand was holding him firmly.

Ye Xiaoyao only felt the light and shadow before his eyes blur and change, and his body lost control, as if he had fallen into a rapidly swirling vortex, with a very slight humming sound seemingly passing by his ears.

The next instant, the feeling of the world spinning disappeared. His feet stepped on solid ground again, and the slightly glaring sunlight made him squint.

A breeze brushed his face, carrying the scent of grass and soil, as well as faint human voices in the distance. He was already standing on the open white marble square in front of the Scripture Pavilion.

He had been thrown out by the Scripture Pavilion's Formation right on time.

Ye Xiaoyao shook his still-dizzy head and patted his forehead in annoyance, saying: "Really… all that work for nothing!"

Although he had read a lot of knowledge about sacred bodies and broadened his horizons, the most critical question remained. Was the anomaly in his own body some kind of sacred body Awakening? If so, which one was it? There was still no definitive answer.

The content of that "secret records of the sacred body" was vast; in just one hour, there was simply no time to carefully compare and investigate. "Twenty Spirit Stones…"

Thinking that that huge sum of money had just been spent, and only in exchange for a pile of vague information and more questions, he felt heartache.

"Can only wait until next time, prepare more fully before coming again." Ye Xiaoyao did not want to spend Spirit Stones to go in again right now.

He shook his head, temporarily suppressing his chaotic thoughts. Whether it was a sacred body or not, Cultivation could not stop.

The most urgent task was to go back and consolidate the Realm of the fourth level of Qi Refinement, and then find a way to exchange Spirit Stones for Medicinal Pills to continue improving his cultivation.

Identifying the direction, Ye Xiaoyao used the Light Body Technique and sped towards the living area for Outer Sect Disciples. Compared to when he came, chatting and laughing with Chen Shi, he was alone now, his speed was faster, and his figure disappeared after a few leaps along the mountain path.

Along the way, nothing happened. Soon, he came to a relatively secluded valley. The cliffs on both sides were steep, the trees were lush, and only a winding path ran through it. The sunlight was cut into fine spots of light by the dense branches and leaves, sprinkling on the ground covered with fallen leaves, appearing quiet and slightly cool.

Ye Xiaoyao was burying his head in his journey, his mind still immersed in matters of sacred bodies, Spirit Stones, and Cultivation. Suddenly— "Junior Brother Ye, don't be in such a rush to leave."