"The sect is going downhill. Ever since we have ranked last in the previous consecutive Conference Meeting's, we have lost all the spirit veins and mining areas. Even the city that we were assigned has been seized. The sect disciples' basic cultivation resources can no longer be guaranteed. As a result, many of them have left." Thaddeus felt devastated as he slowly left his cave.
They were finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new disciples in the first place, but now it was like rubbing salt onto a wound.
Without resources, nobody would be willing to join the sect for nothing in return. The disciples were gone and so nobody was left to even maintain the patrols. The sect looked empty. Thinking about how lively it used to be many years ago, his eyes became moist.
And now, this new disciple would most probably leave in disappointment before long as well. After all, this was a sect that could not guarantee even the most basic cultivation resources. What was the point in joining it?
He came out from underground and looked at the graveyard with deep thought.
In the inner region, in front of a stone wall...
"Junior Brother, you can pick any cave you want. Remember, when the bell rings tomorrow, we have to meet at the Lecture Hall. I will take you there tomorrow." Isla smiled at Davion.
"I got it." Davion nodded. "But Senior sister, I want to ask you the last question; where is the sect's library? I want to know more about cultivation and this place."
"The library is at the back of the rock wall. You'll see it if you walk around it. You may read any of the books at will, as long as you don't damage them. But remember, there is also a section containing immortal arts and you can't go there without permission. There is also an elder guarding it." After explaining this, she went to her own cave.
Davion picked a cave that was already open. It was wide open, and furniture like tables, chairs, shelves, and cupboards was complete, albeit all made of stone. A heavy musky odor permeated the air in the cave.
He went inside and found the locking mechanism on the stone door. It was half of a sphere adhered to the door, which required a key to open.
The key, a piece of intricately shaped metal, was placed on the tabletop in the cave.
He picked up the piece of metal and locked the door. Without further ado, he left his cave and descended down the stairs.
There he found a way to get to the back of the wall and slowly walked along with it. This area was not lit up and was completely dark. He used his Mind-Eye and acute senses to quickly find the way to the library. He walked along and found a bridge that connected to the library on the other side.
There were shelves where books were kept and tables and chairs for people to sit and study. At the far corner, he could see an old man sitting there and reading a book. He used his Mind-Eye and quickly found out that he was at least in the late stage of Qi refining.
"He might be the elder of the sect who Isla talked about and might be guarding the place where immortal arts are kept."
He walked towards the bridge and it started shaking. "Wew, it is really old. This might be also one of the reasons why nobody wants to join this sect."
Making up his mind, he used his spiritual energy in his legs and crossed the bridge in a few seconds. There was a signboard hung where "Library" was written.
Seeing a person coming, the old man glanced at Davion for a second and continued reading the book.
"It looks like he will only care if someone wants to enter the area where secret arts are kept." Davion thought.
Casually, he picked a shelf at random and saw that it was packed with books.
"History about Sects and Cultivation", "Spiritual Herbs and Heavenly Materials", "Reality of the World", "Elements existing in Nature", "Energy of the World"…
There were many books that looked rusty and uncared. But he didn't mind it. He casually picked up the book "History about Sects and Cultivation". He carried the book to a table and sat down on a chair. He slowly started reading it.
The book narrated what cultivation was; how it started first and how it started to expand and cover the whole world. It also talked about how the sects were established and their power designs. He also learned about the hierarchy of the cultivation system.
He continued reading in his seat. Unbeknownst to him, several hours flew by.
"Dang… dang…"
The bell rang from some unknown spot.
Davion put down the book in his hand and recalled how Isla had mentioned that the ringing of the bell indicated the start of the morning lesson.
But he had only come in for several hours; it was unlikely to be the morning lesson.
'In that case, it should be the reminder to return to our caves…' Davion put the book down and stood up.
"I haven't gotten a clear grasp of the situation in the sect yet. So, I should follow the rules and not stay outside the cave for long." He made up his mind and quickly returned the book to the shelf, walked out of the building, and returned to his cave.