"Uh—"
Chu Xisheng stared blankly as he locked eyes with the crowd at the stairwell.
Could these people think it was he who did it?
This would be a huge miscarriage of justice!
Chu Xisheng instinctively hid the stick he was holding behind his back, but then thought better of it—wouldn't that just be admitting guilt?
Unwilling to take the blame, he was gathering his words to explain when another burst of brilliant fireworks exploded in his field of vision.
Chu Xisheng concentrated and noticed that although his reputation had not changed, still at the Ninth Grade Lower (actual), his Martial Arts Points had inexplicably increased from 5 to 11.
Chu Xisheng blinked in surprise.
He couldn't understand why this was happening, but could there be some advantage in being the scapegoat?
It was then that a commotion erupted from the crowd spilling out of the stairwell.
"No wonder they were screaming so miserably; all their limbs are broken. I don't know if they're still alive?"
"Did this guy do it? No way, did he take down so many people by himself?"
"Who else here besides him? This man's name is Chu Xisheng, reputed to have Sword Skill at the Ninth Grade Lower. But I never thought he'd be this formidable."
"What a ruthless man. Just yesterday, he almost chopped off the hand of the Long Family's young master."
Everyone whispered among themselves, and some faint-hearted ones didn't dare meet Chu Xisheng's gaze directly.
Only a dark-faced martial master glared coldly at Chu Xisheng, "Are these the people you injured? You're rather excessively cruel in your methods."
"Pray, tell, instructor, which eye saw me injuring anyone? Do you have any concrete evidence?"
Chu Xisheng let out a dismissive laugh, his expression utterly disrespectful, "I don't know whose hands they were injured by, but perhaps it would be best for the Tower Master or a few instructors to come and see what has actually happened."
Though being the scapegoat had its perks, he couldn't unjustly be the fool.
The situation here was clearly not right.
However, he noticed that the expressions of several instructors on the other side seemed a bit unusual, as if they were somewhat guilty and fearful.
After a moment's thought, Chu Xisheng understood the reason.
These people truly believed he was responsible for this.
They were worried that things would escalate and implicate them.
Instructor Lei Yuan of the Formless Divine Sect had been sent to the Martial Arts Academy to gain experience, and was solely focused on cultivating some talents to help him return to the Sect and climb even higher.
Should he hear of this incident, he would be enraged beyond measure.
All those who had taken silver from the Long Family would not get off easily.
As for the so-called Long Family of the Inner City, in the presence of the Formless Divine Sect, they were but dust at one's feet.
The dark-faced martial master's expression fluctuated between dark and light.
If these nine people weren't injured by Chu Xisheng, then who else? This young man's words were all evasive!
Just as the martial arts instructor was in a dilemma, not knowing what to do, the ground beneath his feet suddenly shook, and the entire floor and building violently trembled at that instant.
Many present could not keep their footing and fell to the ground.
Above, dust and sand rained down, and countless small stones fell from the ceiling.
Chu Xisheng nearly lost his balance too, and immediately looked up, his expression one of shocked surprise.
What is happening? Could it be an earthquake?
※※※※
As the entire library shook, Li Daogui stepped heavily onto the last stair of the twelfth floor of the Library.
This level was extremely spacious, without any walls to obstruct the seventy-zhang length and width of the space.
Tall wooden bookshelves lined the walls, piled with various kinds of books and scrolls.
But the moment Li Daogui stepped onto this floor, all of the bookshelves crumbled into dust in an instant, and deep grooves appeared on the four walls.
The violent blood-colored sword energy emanating from Li Daogui's sleeve clashed with a robust and masculine Vigorous Yuan.
Countless fragments of sword energy cut in all directions, and the shattered Vigorous Yuan also spilled outwards, sweeping everything away.
In the center of this floor, an old man with white hair and a white robe rose into the air from behind a nanmu desk.
Despite his advanced age, he was incredibly tall, looking down at the man at the staircase entrance who was clad in blue disciple's attire, with clear and handsome features, and a blue sword scar between his eyebrows.
"Blood Sea Floating Sword? You are Blood Wind Sword Li Daogui?"
The old man in the white robe spoke with a mixture of shock and anger, "You are very bold, but have you considered the consequences?"
"How could I not know?"
Li Daogui laughed at the question, raising his head with rebellious eyes, "Isn't it just being regarded as an enemy by the entire Formless Divine Sect? But since I've already come here, why would I be afraid?"
His clothes turned blood red at that moment.
In an instant, countless blood-colored sword energies merged into one, forming a gigantic Blood Sword that thrust directly in front of the old man in the white robe.
"Utterly lawless!"
The old man in the white robe drew a whisk from his sleeve and casually shattered the Blood Sword with a swipe, "In recent years, you've willingly turned to the evil path, committing innumerable misdeeds. If your master were still alive, he would be ashamed of you."
"Had I not turned to the Blood Sea, I would have been a ghost under the court's knife several years ago."
Li Daogui sneered with disdain, his eyes brimming with killing intent, "Enough talk. I'm here for the items Qin Muge left in this tower. Hand over all her notes, annotations, and True Intent drawings. My subordinates and I will leave immediately and not harm a single blade of grass or piece of wood in this tower."
The old man in the white robe was momentarily stunned, his expression full of confusion, "Is that why you've come? There are a few True Intent drawings that Qin Muge copied when she was young, but are they worth your grand display of force?"
Li Daogui snorted in dissatisfaction, his voice laced with murderous intent, "Don't play dumb with me! Her childish scribblings are nothing in my eyes. What I want is Qin Muge's Rebellious God Flag!"
After hearing this, the old man's expression became even more astonished, as if he found it both laughable and lamentable.
Li Daogui continued, "Qin Muge began practicing martial arts at ten, reached the First Grade of Primordial Skill at twenty-two, and was undefeated in her lifetime, dominating the Northern Territory. Such achievements are truly unprecedented and unrivaled, and cannot be explained simply by talent.
Some have concluded that the ancient divine artifact 'Rebellious God Flag' was in Qin Muge's possession, the only object in the world capable of defying heaven and concentrating the creation of heaven and earth into one being. Yet, after Qin Muge's death, the Tieshan Qin Family and the Inner Court masters searched all her possessions, but the Rebellious God Flag was nowhere to be found."
The old man shook his head, "Leaving aside whether this Rebellious God Flag was in Qin Muge's possession, even if she had it, what does it have to do with Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall? When she left the Martial Arts Academy and went to the Formless Divine Sect, she was only twelve years old. After that, Qin Muge never set foot here again in her life."
"A Sixth Grade martial cultivator at the mere age of twelve!" Li Daogui said with a cold smile, "She was young then, and even more likely to have left a clue to the Rebellious God Flag here. Half a month ago, the emperor sought the State Preceptor, who spent his life expectancy to divine the whereabouts of the Rebellious God Flag, obtaining the prophecy 'The hero's pass is like iron, yet now I start again from the beginning'—"
His expression suddenly shifted, and a fierce light appeared in his eyes, "You're stalling for time, waiting for someone to come to your aid? Wishful thinking!"
Li Daogui's body suddenly slid forward, pointing a finger towards the old man's forehead.
A countless number of blood-colored sword energies converged, spiraling like swimming fish, slicing forward like a bloody storm, with an astonishing momentum.
In front of the old man, the Pure Yang Gang Yuan shattered inch by inch. He remained calm, his Vigorous Force instantly changing from Yang to Yin, then he struck forth with a palm.
In an instant, Li Daogui and the blood-colored sword energies were all frozen three feet in front of him. Countless vapors condensed outside his body, solidifying into ice.
The old man in the white robe, however, showed no pleasure in his feat. Instead, he retreated several steps, drawing out a soft sword from his sleeve, gathering his True Yuan with all his might.
The cold ice around Li Daogui began to crack, and blood-colored sword energies seeped out from within.
With a light praise, he said, "This is the Yang Extreme Reverse Yin Palm that Qin Muge often used before reaching Fourth Grade, a martial art that she created herself. Did you learn it from this library? This means she was able to create a Fourth Grade martial skill at just twelve years old? Remarkable."
Upon seeing this, the old man could not help but gasp sharply.
He thought to himself, what intense bloodlust, what strong malevolence—