Feng Xi knew perfectly well that Xiao Baidao's words were mostly for comfort, but she decided to give it a try anyway.
After several turns through the winding corridors of the central peak, she arrived at the Scripture Pavilion and met Elder Hai.
The moment they met, Elder Hai scrutinized her from head to toe several times.
Elder Hai was eccentric by nature and spent all year in the Scripture Pavilion, rarely leaving. He hadn't attended the council meeting yesterday.
After receiving Xiao Baidao's message, he concluded that the man had most likely gone insane!
Otherwise, why would he take in a little cripple as a personal disciple?
Elder Hai had originally planned to stab her with a few cruel truths, something like, "Even if you look at the ancient scrolls, it's useless. Just accept your fate!"
But before he could speak, the little girl in front of him looked up at him with bright admiration and said earnestly, "You must be Elder Hai, right?
I've heard Master mention you many times. He said you're the jade pillar that holds up Xuantian Sect, the golden beam that bridges the sea!
You've guarded the Scripture Pavilion for years, seeking neither fame nor profit, only for the sake of the sect's legacy and foundation!
If every disciple of our Xuantian Sect possessed your spirit of selfless devotion, what would we ever have to fear for our future..."
The slightly stooped Elder Hai… instantly straightened up!
Was I guarding the Scripture Pavilion?
No, I'm guarding Xuantian Sect's inheritance. I'm guarding its very foundation!
Ah, forget it. The poor little girl's dantian was damaged, no need to rub salt in her wound.
After about a quarter of an hour of listening to her flattery, Elder Hai grew impatient and said gruffly, "Enough! I've no time for your nonsense. You want to see the ancient scrolls, right? Follow me!"
The Scripture Pavilion of Xuantian Sect had nine floors. The ancient scrolls were stored on the very top floor.
Elder Hai led Feng Xi to the ninth level and lifted the protective barrier.
Feng Xi froze in astonishment.
She had expected to see shelves of scrolls waiting to be read, but what appeared before her instead were countless glowing points of light, shimmering in the enclosed space like a field of stars.
"The ancient scrolls were originally ordinary jade slips, but over the ages they've gained a trace of sentience. You need only release your divine sense, if any of them acknowledge you, they'll fall into your hands on their own.
Don't try to seize one by force. Some have tried, but even if they caught one, they couldn't read it."
Elder Hai found that last part unnecessary. After all, this little cripple couldn't catch one even if she tried.
Feng Xi nodded and did as instructed, releasing her divine sense.
But her ruined dantian had severely weakened her spiritual power. Within moments, cold sweat broke across her forehead, and her head throbbed with splitting pain.
Elder Hai frowned, "It seems you have no fate with them. Come back down with me."
Feng Xi, unwilling to give up, pleaded, "Elder Hai, may I rest for a bit and try again? Please go ahead with your work. If I still fail after a few more tries, I'll come find you."
Elder Hai, though thinking it was pointless, couldn't resist her pitiful expression and agreed.
After he left, Feng Xi tried three more times, but there was still nothing. Not a single scroll came to her.
Narrowing her eyes, she thought it through. Clearly the normal way wasn't going to work. Time to get creative!
She clasped her hands behind her back, looked up at the glowing dots, and said cruelly, "All of you, get down here right now and let me read you one by one! Don't push your luck!
If you make me angry, I'll burn your turtle nest to ash, let's see how high and mighty you act then!"
As she spoke, she pulled out her fire striker, the small flame instantly brighter than any of the glowing points.
Even a three-year-old wouldn't have fallen for that bluff. After all, she clearly didn't have the guts to burn down the Scripture Pavilion!
Besides, the place was protected by formation barriers, no ordinary fire could harm it.
But the ancient scrolls, with only a faint wisp of sentience, barely more awareness than dead objects, had no logic or judgment.
So, they believed her.
And panicked.
Crack, crack, crack! Every last glowing scroll shot toward her like a rainstorm.
Feng Xi barely had time to shove the fire striker away before she was buried alive under a pile of jade slips.
The weight hurt like hell.
Those things weren't light because each one was solid jade, it's really painful to be hit by them!
Feng Xi clawed her way out from under the heap, tears streaming down her face.
She picked up one of the scrolls to read, and started crying even harder!
The reason was simple, she couldn't understand a single word of the ancient script.
All that pain for nothing!
Sniffling, she reached into her storage pouch for a handkerchief to wipe her tears, but the ancient scrolls misunderstood.
They thought… she was about to set the place on fire again. In a panic, they all rushed toward her, pressing themselves onto her forehead.
A massive flood of information poured into her mind. Feng Xi felt like her head was about to explode, and promptly fainted.
Elder Hai waited downstairs for nearly two hours. When Feng Xi still hadn't returned, he went up to check.
Then he saw Feng Xi lay there, bleeding from her seven orifices, face bruised and swollen, looking like a corpse.
Elder Hai was scared out of his wits. He hurriedly checked her breath and finally sighed in relief. Still alive.
Some time later, Feng Xi stirred awake.
Elder Hai's face was grim, "Didn't I tell you not to overexert yourself? Divine sense is bound to spiritual power. You've clearly overused your divine sense, aggravating your injured dantian.
Looks like you have no affinity with the ancient scrolls. Stop wasting your effort and come down with me."
Feng Xi's head was pounding, her mind full of what sounded like countless voices speaking at once. She couldn't even think straight, much less explain. She followed Elder Hai out of the Scripture Pavilion silently.
Seeing how she looked half dead, he called over a disciple and told him to carry her back to her courtyard by sword flight.
Feng Xi lay miserably on her bed. Her head felt like five hundred ducks were quacking inside it.
She forced herself to focus and turned her mind inward, gazing into her sea of consciousness.
Floating there were several glowing lights, looking closely, all of them were ancient scrolls.
The "voices" were coming from them.
Feng Xi: ???!!!
How did these things end up inside my sea of consciousness?!
But she didn't have time to think right now. She had to make them shut up, or she'd lose her mind!
She roared furiously, "Silence! Or I'll burn every last one of you!"
Instantly, total silence.
Before she could do anything else, the overuse of divine sense caught up to her again. Blood seeped from her seven orifices, and she fainted once more.
When Feng Xi awoke, she saw Xiao Baidao's worried face.
She tried to sit up, but he immediately stopped her, "Lie down! It's my fault, I should've never let you go to the Scripture Pavilion. Now look what's happened. Your injured dantian hasn't healed yet, and your divine sense is badly damaged again. You child, you… ah!"
He sighed heavily, then took out a storage pouch and handed it to her.
"Inside are ten Ziqiao Linglong Fruits. Take one every three days, they'll help repair your divine sense."