Chapter 179: Sea of Books Formation
The dining hall was clearly accustomed to serving Wen Tianxia. Instead of bringing out steamer baskets, they simply removed them altogether and set down an enormous basin piled high with buns in front of him. The sight was honestly rather spectacular.
Scholar Xiao looked completely unfazed. He even passed Wen Tianxia some vinegar and asked, “Didn’t you say you’d take them to see you after breakfast? Why did you come over yourself?”
“Remembered I hadn’t eaten at the dining hall in a long time.” Wen Tianxia split open a bun. “Perfect chance to check whether they’ve been cutting corners.”
Scholar Xiao reached over and stole one of his buns. “You need twenty of each kind to check?”
“Tsk.”
Wen Tianxia raised a hand and rapped him on the forehead too.
“Give it back.”
Scholar Xiao covered his forehead. “Sometimes you know you’re going to get hit, but you just can’t help yourself.”
“I understand.” Yu Qingtang nodded gravely and casually stole a bun as well. “Bros should always match.”
He had already braced himself for Wen Tianxia to hit him too, but the man merely glanced at him and made no attempt to take the bun back.
Yu Qingtang stared in shock and raised it toward his mouth.
“I’m really eating it?”
“Eat.” Wen Tianxia chuckled. “What, you think I’m going to beat you to death?”
Yu Qingtang fell silent for a moment.
Then he tore the bun into four pieces and solemnly stuffed one into each of his companions’ hands.
“Share both joy and hardship.”
“If we’re getting beaten to death, we’re doing that together too.”
All four of them put their pieces into their mouths at the same time.
Wen Tianxia: “...”
He gave a speechless snort of laughter and glanced at Scholar Xiao.
“No wonder you don’t want to come back. Being an idiot outside really is more fun, isn’t it?”
“I know why you’re here. Tianji Zi sent you to enter the Sea of Books Formation.”
Ye Chenyan nodded.
“Yes.”
“We passed the exam. Do we need to undergo any other trials before you open the formation?”
“You call that passing?” Wen Tianxia’s expression turned complicated.
He sighed, though the speed at which he ate his buns did not slow in the slightest.
“No other trials. You just need to be able to withstand the formation.”
“I already explained what makes the Sea of Books Formation unusual to this little fellow. Other than that, it isn’t some pocket world. There’s nothing inside. You’d better eat your fill before going in.”
“Tianji Zi says you can handle it, but I still need to take a look at you myself...”
As he spoke, he looked Ye Chenyan up and down.
Ye Chenyan straightened slightly.
“What?”
Wen Tianxia gave him a faintly amused look.
“I can tell you’re hopeless. I helped you that much yesterday, and you still didn’t manage to seal the deal?”
Ye Chenyan froze.
His eyes widened instantly, and he reflexively looked at Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang was currently conducting a serious evaluation of Four Books Academy’s corn porridge and had not noticed what they were talking about at all.
He lowered his bowl, looking clear-eyed and thoroughly satisfied, then blinked at Ye Chenyan.
“Hm? What?”
“Ahem. Nothing.”
Ye Chenyan cleared his throat, shot Wen Tianxia a quick glance, and muttered under his breath,
“...None of your business.”
“Heh.” Wen Tianxia shook his head lightly. “Back to the point. With a body as strong as yours, if you cultivate at full power, you should be able to hold out for about three months.”
“You can tell that just by looking?” Chi Yantian cut in curiously, tugging Yu Qingtang over as well. “What about me? And him?”
“You two—” Wen Tianxia raised an eyebrow. “Forget it. I’m afraid saying it aloud would hurt your pride.”
Chi Yantian’s eyes flew wide in disbelief.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t tell me I’m even less durable than him!”
“Of course not.” Yu Qingtang patted his shoulder consolingly. “I’m just shameless and heartless. I don’t have any pride to hurt.”
Wen Tianxia chuckled and tossed each of the four of them a small, crystal-clear glass bead.
Yu Qingtang held his up curiously.
“What’s this? A marble? Looks like there’s water inside.”
“Once you enter the Sea of Books Formation, remember to place it in front of you.” Wen Tianxia kept his head down as he ate. “When the water inside fills up, that means you’ve reached the limit your current body can withstand. You’ll need to leave the formation.”
“For old times’ sake, I won’t stop you from going back in afterward either, as long as your bodies can take it.”
Yu Qingtang looked down at the little glass marble in his hand.
Only then did realization finally hit him.
He jerked his head up in horror.
“Huh? All of us have to go in?”
“Mm.” Wen Tianxia looked at him. “Otherwise, while he’s inside, what exactly were you planning to do out here?”
Yu Qingtang gave an embarrassed grin.
“Hehe.”
“Go see whether Central Province has anything good to eat.”
Ye Chenyan turned his head toward him.
Yu Qingtang immediately covered his eyes.
“Don’t look at me. You’re making me feel guilty.”
“In your dreams.” Wen Tianxia snorted. “Don’t worry. The Sea of Books Formation is large enough. If you enter in separate groups, none of you will run into one another.”
“Of course, if you insist on sticking together, you can always hold hands on the way in.”
He set down his now-empty plate and looked at the group.
“Finished eating? If you’re full, let’s get going.”
Scholar Xiao froze.
“I have to go too?”
“Yes.” Wen Tianxia glanced at him. “You said it yourself. Share both joy and hardship.”
“Wait!”
Yu Qingtang shot to his feet.
“There’s nothing to eat inside, right? I’m going back to the counter to pack more food!”
“Don’t eat too much.” Wen Tianxia shook his head slightly. “Anything you eat inside will all enter your stomach at once shortly after you come back out. Don’t become the first cultivator in history to die from overeating inside the Sea of Books Formation.”
Yu Qingtang did not hear a single word after the first sentence.
He was already bouncing happily toward the serving window.
“Don’t worry.” Ye Chenyan chuckled. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“I knew you two wouldn’t separate.” Wen Tianxia reminded him, “Also, this is a cultivation sanctuary. Don’t you dare use it to—”
“Ahem! I know.”
Ye Chenyan hurriedly cleared his throat and cut him off.
Yu Qingtang had already returned with his packed food.
“I’m ready!”
Wen Tianxia shook his head, amused.
“You’re all cultivators. You won’t starve to death just because you don’t eat. Do you really have to be that gluttonous?”
“You just ate several dozen buns. You have absolutely no credibility saying that.” Yu Qingtang rubbed his stomach. “Besides, when my stomach is full, my heart feels secure.”
“That’s true enough.”
Wen Tianxia stood.
“Human cultivators cultivate in pursuit of transcendence. But before they transcend, they inevitably remain bound by the seven emotions and six desires, as well as... the five grains and assorted cereals.”
He chuckled.
“Come on. The Sea of Books Formation is ready for you.”
...
“So this is the Sea of Books Formation.”
Yu Qingtang had not expected Wen Tianxia to bring them high above Central Province, near the Sage’s Book.
They had already greeted Four Books Academy’s first-rank spiritual artifact before, so they could hardly be considered strangers.
Yu Qingtang even enthusiastically said hello to it.
The Sage’s Book continued pretending to be aloof and did not answer.
One glance at the formation was enough to understand why it was called the Sea of Books Formation.
Beneath the Sage’s Book, volume after volume imbued with spiritual power layered over one another, forming the array.
Mist drifted among them.
Every so often, one could vaguely see a book spread open and flash past like a bird desperately beating its wings.
Yu Qingtang: “...”
It really was a sea of books.
Wen Tianxia turned toward Ye Chenyan.
“Go.”
Ye Chenyan took Yu Qingtang’s hand and was about to lead him into the formation when Wen Tianxia called from behind them.
“Spend too long inside, and your sense of time will inevitably grow dull. Every time a day passes outside, the little bead will remind you. Remember to keep an eye on it.”
“Breaking through a minor realm inside is fine, but if you’re about to break through a major realm, remember to leave the formation. Heaven and earth are filled with spiritual energy out here. It will benefit you.”
“And if you’re tired, sleep when you need to.”
Ye Chenyan turned back in surprise.
“You’re awfully concerned.”
“Wait until you become a master yourself. Then you’ll understand that even the coldest cultivator loses his composure when faced with an idiot disciple.” Wen Tianxia clasped his hands behind his back. “Fortunately, Tianji Zi was never cold in the first place.”
Ye Chenyan: “...”
Speechless, he pulled Yu Qingtang straight into the formation.
Scholar Xiao sighed softly.
“It’s been a long time since I cultivated alone...”
“I got used to all the noise before. I’m not even sure whether I can adjust anymore. Even when I spent that time at Fire Cauldron Sect, I found myself missing how lively these people were.”
“It’s only three months.” Chi Yantian folded his arms. “One period of seclusion and it’ll be over.”
“I meant three months in the real world.” Wen Tianxia glanced at them. “Inside the formation, it’ll be a little under three years.”
Chi Yantian went pale with shock.
“Huh? Then those two are going to spend more than three years in there together? In three years, they could have a kid already!”
Scholar Xiao slowly turned toward him.
“Brother Chi.”
Chi Yantian belatedly realized the problem.
“Oh, right. Little Yu’s a man. He can’t give birth.”
He waved a hand, visibly relieved again.
“Then it’s fine.”
Scholar Xiao pressed his fingers helplessly to his brow.
“Brother Chi, that isn’t—”
“That’s enough.”
Wen Tianxia lifted a foot and kicked him into the formation.
“You two get in there too.”
“Hey!”
Scholar Xiao clutched his backside.
Chi Yantian, determined not to get kicked himself, voluntarily stepped into the formation.
At last, the surroundings fell quiet.
Wen Tianxia raised his eyes toward the Sage’s Book floating in midair.
“I’ll leave them in your care.”
“I know.”
The Sage’s Book’s strange voice sounded.
“Judging from your preparations, are you planning to keep the Sea of Books Formation open regularly after this?”
“Mm.”
Wen Tianxia lowered his eyes.
“Once they come out, the Sea of Books Formation will be opened to cultivators throughout the world. Anyone who passes the trial may enter.”
“A great calamity is approaching. We have no choice but to pull up the seedlings to make them grow.”
He paused, then suddenly asked,
“In your opinion, can we win this time?”
The Sage’s Book did not answer immediately.
Wen Tianxia chuckled softly.
“Forget it. Why am I asking you?”
“I cannot predict the future,” the Sage’s Book said slowly. “Everything recorded within me belongs to the past.”
“However, if you consider me a member of the academy, then I suppose I should say—”
“I hope you win.”
Wen Tianxia looked back at it, a faint smile appearing on his face.
“That’s good.”
“I hope you win too.”
The Sage’s Book was silent for a moment.
“Wen Tianxia.”
“Surely that question was not another test for me?”
“How could it be?” Wen Tianxia stood lazily with his hands behind his back. “In terms of seniority, you’re my senior. How would I dare test you casually?”
“Just as I clearly know you’ve been leading people astray in my academy, yet I still wouldn’t dare drag you off to Discipline Hall.”
The Sage’s Book: “...I detect dissatisfaction.”
Wen Tianxia gave it a faint smile.
“You heard wrong.”
The Sage’s Book fell silent again.
“And the person behind you? Did you deliberately let her hear all of that too?”
“It wouldn’t matter if she heard.” Wen Tianxia did not turn around. “You’re still not clever enough. If you hadn’t pointed her out, neither of us would have needed to exchange pleasantries. Now that you’ve exposed her, she has no choice but to show herself, and I have no choice but to talk to her.”
“You enjoy talking.”
“I do.”
Wen Tianxia turned around with a smile.
“But she clearly doesn’t.”
Girl in the Bamboo stood silently behind him, holding two kittens in her arms, with a Blazing Rhinoceros standing behind her.
Wen Tianxia reminded her,
“Pets aren’t allowed inside the academy.”
“I didn’t enter.” Girl in the Bamboo slowly raised her head. “I’m in the sky.”
“The sky counts as academy territory too.”
Halfway through the sentence, Wen Tianxia shook his head.
“Forget it. I never specified that before. I’ll add it to the academy rules later.”
“What are you doing here instead of staying down in the soil in Nanzhou?”