From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 16: Light in Adversity

Instructor Zheng's words were interrupted, and I also looked at the newcomer with curiosity. The newcomer had white hair and beard, but was in good spirits. He wore a spotless gray robe and held a whisk in his hand, looking like a hermit.

"Disciple greets Uncle Qian." Instructor Zheng bowed respectfully, and I then realized that the person who came was Manager Qian, who was in charge of the Scripture Pavilion.

Manager Qian nodded slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on me, with a hint of scrutiny: "You are Xiao Yao?"

I quickly and respectfully replied, "Reporting to my master, this disciple is indeed Xiao Yao."

Manager Qian looked me up and down, a hint of admiration in his eyes: "Not bad, not bad. Such tenacity at such a young age is truly rare."

I was somewhat flattered and wondered why Manager Qian had suddenly praised me.

"I heard that you performed exceptionally well in today's battle, defeating a stronger opponent with your own strength. Your courage is commendable," Manager Qian said slowly. "In that case, I will make an exception and allow you to enter the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion to choose a cultivation technique."

I was overjoyed. The Scripture Pavilion was the most important place in every cultivation sect, containing countless cultivation techniques and secret manuals. Ordinary disciples never had the chance to set foot there. For a newly initiated disciple like me to have such an opportunity was truly incredible luck!

I suppressed my excitement and was about to thank Manager Qian when a cold snort came from the side.

"Uncle Qian, isn't this unreasonable? She's a useless person without spiritual roots. Even if we give her advanced cultivation techniques, she won't be able to cultivate them. Wouldn't that be a waste?"

I turned my head and saw that it was Wang Fugui who was speaking. He was looking at me with a gloomy face and his eyes were full of resentment.

Manager Qian glanced at him indifferently: "When did it become your place to tell me what to do?"

Wang Fugui was speechless and dared not say another word. I sneered inwardly. It seemed that Wang Fugui hated me to the core, and he probably wouldn't let this matter rest.

I silently followed Manager Qian into the library. As soon as I stepped inside, I felt an ancient and mysterious aura wash over me. Countless books were neatly arranged on tall bookshelves, emitting a faint spiritual light.

Manager Qian led me to a bookshelf, pointed to the books on it, and said, "These are all cultivation techniques suitable for your current stage of practice. Choose one yourself."

I nodded respectfully and began to carefully read through the pages.

"You'd better be careful not to damage these precious books." Wang Fugui's voice suddenly came from behind, tinged with a sinister smile. "These books are priceless..."

I was startled and turned around abruptly, only to find Wang Fugui standing behind me with a strange smile on his face... My heart tightened, and I instinctively took a step back, looking at him warily: "What do you want?"

Wang Fugui just smiled and said innocently, "Junior Sister Xiao is joking. What could I do? I'm just kindly reminding you that these books are very precious. If you damage them, you'll be expelled from the sect."

He spoke words of concern, but his eyes were full of malice, making me even more uneasy. I suppressed my fear and said coldly, "Don't worry about it, I know what to do."

I turned around and continued browsing the martial arts manuals on the bookshelf, but I couldn't concentrate at all. Wang Fugui's appearance made me realize that my current situation was extremely dangerous.

"Found it!" My eyes lit up. I had finally found a cultivation technique suitable for me—the "Azure Wood Technique." Just as I was about to reach for it, a loud crash suddenly came from behind me, followed by the entire bookshelf shaking violently.

I turned around in horror and saw Wang Fugui standing beside the bookshelf with a sinister smile on his face. He had actually activated the defensive array of the Scripture Pavilion, trapping me here!

"Wang Fugui, are you crazy?!" I roared angrily. "Do you know what you're doing?!"

"Hahaha, of course I know!" Wang Fugui laughed wildly. "I'm going to make you, this piece of trash, disappear from the Scripture Pavilion forever!"

The moment I finished speaking, the bookshelf behind me suddenly collapsed, burying me completely. I struggled desperately, but to no avail. Books rained down from the shelf, crushing me and making it hard to breathe.

I felt trapped in a small, dark space, the air growing thinner and thinner. I realized I was trapped in a secret chamber of the Scripture Pavilion, a place not only lacking oxygen but also protected by a restriction set up by Wang Fugui, my spiritual energy being rapidly depleted.

"Calm down, Xiao Yao, you must calm down!" I kept telling myself. The more critical the moment, the more important it is not to lose my composure. I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down, and began to recall the spiritual energy control techniques my master had taught me.

I tried to use my meager spiritual power to sense my surroundings and search for the exit of the secret room. Time passed second by second, and my spiritual power was almost exhausted, but the door to the secret room remained unmoved.

"Am I going to die here?" A feeling of despair welled up inside me, but I quickly suppressed it.

"No, I can't give up, I still have so much to do!" I gritted my teeth, summoned the last bit of spiritual power within me, concentrated it all at my fingertips, and slashed fiercely at the door of the secret chamber...

The moment my fingertips brushed against the stone door, I seemed to hear the sound of stone shattering. A surge of joy filled me, and I pushed open the heavy stone door with all my might. A bright light appeared before me, and fresh air rushed into my lungs like a lifeline. I breathed it in greedily, but a sharp pain shot through my chest, reminding me that my spiritual energy was almost depleted.

I staggered out of the secret chamber, only to be met with Wang Fugui's repulsive face. He clearly hadn't expected me to escape; a flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by greed. "Oh, so your wretched life is pretty tough! But you think you're safe just because you escaped? Hand over the 'Azure Wood Manual,' and I might consider letting you die a quicker death!"

His two lackeys immediately lunged at me menacingly. I braced myself against the swaying weight and coldly swept my gaze over them. "You bunch of scrawny bastards, you think you can steal something from me?"

I quickly reviewed my memories of the "Azure Wood Technique." This manual was profound and complex; although I had only glanced at it briefly, I had already memorized some of its moves. I took a deep breath, mobilized the last wisp of spiritual energy within my body, concentrated it in my palm, and struck fiercely at one of the lackeys who charged at me.

With a muffled thud, the lackey was struck by my palm strike and flew backward with a scream. Seeing this, another lackey's eyes flashed with fear, but under the pressure of Wang Fugui's tyranny, he still gritted his teeth and pounced on me.

I endured the excruciating pain in my body, nimbly dodging his attacks while tightly protecting the "Azure Wood Technique" against my chest. I knew that in my current state, I was no match for them; I had to find a chance to escape as soon as possible!

As I stalled them, I searched for an escape route. Just then, I spotted a narrow path in the distance leading to the back of the Sutra Repository...

I leaped towards the narrow path. Seeing this, Wang Fugui roared furiously, "Chase her! Chase her! Don't let her get away!"

The two lackeys quickly followed. I glanced back and saw that Wang Fugui wasn't chasing after us, which relieved me slightly. It seemed that although he was greedy, he knew his own limitations and didn't dare to rashly enter the back mountain of the Scripture Pavilion.

I endured the excruciating pain and stumbled deeper into the woods. The dense foliage blocked out the sun, offering me a brief respite. I leaned against a thick tree trunk, panting heavily, large beads of sweat sliding down my forehead, my vision blurring in waves.

No, I can't fall! I gritted my teeth, forced myself to stand up straight, and continued walking forward. I knew that if I stopped, Wang Fugui would likely catch up with me.

As I walked, I tried to recall the contents of the "Green Wood Manual" to find a way to restore my spiritual power. However, my mind was in complete chaos, and I couldn't concentrate at all.

Just when I was in despair, I suddenly felt a cool sensation coming from my palm. I looked down and saw that the originally dull and lifeless "Azure Wood Manual" was now emitting a faint green light, as if responding to the longing in my heart.

A thought struck me, and I quickly turned the pages, carefully reading every word. As I read, the words seemed to come alive, transforming into streams of clear water that flowed into my body.

I felt an unprecedented power awakening within me. My body seemed to be filled with energy, and the previous fatigue and pain disappeared.

Overjoyed, I immediately began circulating my spiritual energy according to the instructions in the book. As I cultivated, I felt the surrounding spiritual energy converging towards me, and my spiritual energy was rapidly recovering.

I finally understand why the "Green Wood Technique" is called an advanced cultivation method. It's not just because of its powerful strength, but also because it can help cultivators quickly absorb spiritual energy and improve their cultivation level.

I took a deep breath, slowly opened my eyes, a resolute light flashing within them. Wang Fugui, you just wait! One day, I will make you pay for what you've done!

But what I need most right now is… I looked down at the *Green Wood Manual* in my hand, and a bold idea surged into my mind. If…