Unfathomable Senior

“I understand now, quickly bring the beast over here, it is the final piece of the puzzle!”

“Thank the heavens…”

“Lure it over to the formation, we don’t have much time left!”

Zhang Dong shouted out, his focus unwavering, amidst the dimly lit chamber. In front of him, a solitary white torch hovered, teetering on the edge of extinguishing. The fight with the shadow being had turned extremely tedious as it continued to dodge most of their attacks without sustaining much damage. The group was now down to a lone torch that was being sustained by his own cultivation.

Despite his deep understanding of the Dao of Holy energies and fire manipulation, Zhang Dong found himself unable to rely on these insights for the task at hand. The flame they were dealing with possessed a distinct essence, one that was primordial and ancient. It seemed to draw power from the Dao of Light, making it an entirely different challenge. Engrossed in deciphering the nature of this radiant light, Zhang Dong's companions valiantly engaged the monster, recognizing that gaining more insight could potentially be the true test of this floor, he continued.

They commenced the battle with four torches, but soon only one remained. Zhang Dong encapsulated it within a protective bubble of his holy light, enabling him to study and absorb the energies contained within. This light was of the purest form, unlike anything he had encountered before. Despite having spent years contemplating the complexities of a more challenging Dao, such as time manipulation, this particular essence felt comparatively simpler.

However, there was one crucial element he lacked which was the darkness of the void. The creature they faced stood as the antithesis to this radiant light, a void of absolute darkness. To gain insight into this void, Zhang Dong needed to merge his Dao of Darkness with its essence. This fusion would provide him with enough understanding of the light energies to overcome this peculiar trial. Consequently, his allies baited the monster, which had grown increasingly aggressive upon witnessing the dwindling torchlight.

In a mere blink of an eye, everything unfolded. Qiang, utilizing his flames, successfully lured the monster's attention towards himself. The area where Zhang Dong had been meditating had previously evaded the creature's notice, but now, in the absence of illumination, it seized the opportunity to strike. However, the creature was in for a rude awakening. Just as the white light on the verge of extinction, it erupted into an immense radiant explosion, engulfing the entire chamber in blinding whiteness.

Desperate to absorb this intense source of radiance, the monster attempted to assimilate it through its own body. It resembled a black hole, existing to devour not only light but space itself. This was the precise moment Zhang Dong had been patiently awaiting. While the creature was preoccupied with the excruciating pain induced by the radiant light, Zhang Dong swiftly unsheathed his blade and struck.

With a simple, unremarkable movement of his sword, Zhang Dong executed a basic vertical slice. Only he was able to perceive the slight use of the light dao that he just barely comprehended. Fortunately, the beast they faced was only at the nascent soul level, despite possessing a higher path. It still had its inherent limitations. As the monster was defeated, it dissipated into a cloud of dark smoke, reminiscent of polluted air. The victory was theirs, and swiftly, a luminous passage materialized, offering a way out of the gloomy dungeon.

“One down nine to go…”

He glanced at the three people that he was with. His eyes could finally relax and so could his senses. After the monster was defeated its essence was spread equally between all of the participants. This phenomenon showed just how much better it was to limit the size of the group. There was no limitation for delivering the last hit, all of the spiritual energy was equally distributed to all the participants. Only when battling lesser demonic beings besides the boss would it become more individualistic.

“How is everyone doing?”

“I don’t want to lie Senior Brother, I am slightly tired… this beast was an annoying and cowardly opponent.”

Even though nascent soul masters were at the limit of what was humanly possible they still had their limits. Huo Qiang, Zhang Zhi, and his wife Liena were all covered with sweat. They had all used up a lot of spiritual energy on an opponent that they could not even injure. The dread that they must have been feeling was probably immense.

“We have fifteen minutes until the door closes, I propose we take some recovery pills and have a short meditation break before going through.”

“That would be wonderful.”

Liena responded as she swiftly sank to her knees, seeking to regain her stamina that had been depleted during the battle. Zhang Dong followed suit, his energy levels significantly diminished after his attempt at utilizing a technique he was not entirely familiar with. Although he had caught a fleeting understanding of the Dao of Light, there remained much that eluded him. It was an enigmatic energy, simultaneously potent and delicate. A mere glimmer of light had the ability to dispel darkness, yet it was equally susceptible to being consumed entirely.

Usually, Zhang Dong would take several days to contemplate this newfound revelation and potentially incorporate it into a new technique. However, there was no luxury of time at this moment. They had to pass through the door swiftly, or else the path would seal shut, leaving them trapped in this realm of darkness.

Upon examining the rules of the trial tower, he unearthed some unsettling truths. Failing to defeat the boss or complete the level would condemn them to an eternal existence within this pocket dimension. While Bob and his system might eventually find a way to create a new exit, it was best not to rely too heavily on luck.

“Okay, it has been ten minutes, we should go.”

The timer on Zhang Dong's system window alerted him that it was time to proceed. Though his companions hadn't fully regained their strength, they appeared slightly more refreshed than before. Perhaps in the upcoming area, they would find a moment of respite. However, for now, they needed to stay alert. Without hesitation, the group leaped through the closing door and emerged in the new area.

“Where are we now? This one looks a lot different than the previous ones.”

“There are so many books… it's much larger than even our sect library or the one we experienced in that old sacred ground.”

Liena remarked, her gaze sweeping across the vast expanse of the library. Zhang Dong nodded in agreement, their anticipation for another wave of monsters dissipated as they took in the scene before them. Instead of facing another onslaught, the air was filled with the scent of aged books and parchment. They found themselves standing in a colossal library, with bookshelves soaring over a hundred meters in height and spanning an impressive width.

“Why does it have to be books… I think this task will be up to you…”

Huo Qiang's eyes widened in awe as he beheld the sheer volume of books in the library. As a formidable cultivator, he had achieved his power through rigorous sparring and intensive training, rather than through extensive knowledge. Without the guidance and teachings of Zhang Dong, who mastered the knowledge-parting technique, Huo Qiang would likely never have attained the level of mastery he had reached.

“How did an idiot like you even survive this long, your ancestors are crying in their graves that someone like you represents their name.”

“My ancestors are doing just fine!”

“Stop arguing you two, this place doesn’t seem like it is focused on combat. Qiang, you have probably noticed that you are close to the threshold. Go find yourself a secluded space and meditate.”

“Senior Brother!”

Qiang clasped his hands while grinning widely. He was sure to show that grin to Liena that started to tremble with anger. Yet after a few pats on her back from her husband she managed to calm down. He was sure to remind her that they needed to work together for their safety and having Qiang ascend to a small realm would be quite helpful.

“Zhi, keep an eye on him, we don’t really know if this place is fully safe. I and Liena will examine this ‘library’ and call you when we find something.”

“Of course Patriarch, I will see to it that Elder Qiang isn’t disturbed while he cultivates.”

“Good, just be careful, and don’t be afraid to call me when you discover something important.”

The group soon dispersed, going their separate ways. The married couple, now alone, relished in the rare opportunity for some privacy. However, they quickly realized that their surroundings didn't allow for any extravagant activities. As they explored the area, they stumbled upon bookcases brimming with ancient scriptures. While many of the texts were beyond their comprehension, they did come across a few practical manuals of varying quality.

“I have never seen this language before, have you?”

“No, it doesn’t look like it belongs to this world… what could it mean.”

“Doesn’t belong to this world?”

Zhang Dong pondered this response and instantly thought about the other worlds that this universe they resided in was composed. There was a possibility that the scriptures here were taken from other realities where different cultures arose. Humans weren’t the only intelligent creatures out there so there was a chance that it was true.

‘If I had access to hundreds of worlds, creating such a library to hide the important stuff wouldn’t be hard…’

His theory revolved around the architect of this level. Perhaps the abundance of books in this library was nothing more than a diversion, a clever ploy to waste their time. If they persisted in meticulously examining each book, they would be doomed to spend an unreasonable amount of time here.

Despite the time distortion in this place, they continued to age, and the immensity of the library seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. Reading every single book would likely take an eternity. He knew he had to find a more efficient way to navigate through this area, but first, he needed to uncover a clue that would lead him in the right direction…