15: Resting briefly in the pavilion, amidst the subtle fragrance and sparse shadows.

Inside the Scripture Pavilion, time seemed to stand still. Only the golden light emitted by the demon suppression token on the altar was fighting against the increasingly thick darkness outside the window, and the light seemed slightly weaker than before.

The pressure was palpable, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.

"Split up and search! Don't miss any records concerning Devilish Qi, Seals, the history of the Immortal Palace, or methods of leaving!" Lin Xuan broke the silence, his voice echoing in the empty pavilion.

Without needing further instruction, the four immediately split up, quickly browsing the Jade Slips and ancient texts on the shelves like drowning people grasping for straws. The shelves were towering, requiring them to use spiritual power to leap up and retrieve scrolls from the high places.

Lin Xuan's Divine Sense was powerful, giving him the fastest browsing speed. He skipped most of the Cultivation Technique and Divine Ability Jade Slips, focusing instead on texts recording secret histories, geography, Formations, and Seals. His fingertips slid across the cold Jade Slips, his Divine Sense surging in like water. Massive amounts of information washed over him; most of it was useless, though occasionally there were ancient secrets or records of exotic items that had nothing to do with their current predicament.

Su Wanqing's figure was graceful, like a Fairy under the moon, drifting between the bookshelves. Her thoughts were meticulous; she mainly checked records concerning Formations, Seals, and powers related to Great Yin and purification. Her clear, cold eyes were focused and serious, and whenever she found something, she would engrave it onto a Jade Slip.

Qu Feiyan took a different approach; she seemed more interested in miscellaneous books recording strange tales, or even unorthodox and heterodox paths. With a flicker of her seductive eyes, her jade hands brushed over dusty spines, occasionally pulling out an ancient beast-skin text or a dull-colored Jade Slip to study carefully.

Gongsun Yu's cultivation was slightly weaker, but her background from an aristocratic family meant her knowledge was extraordinary. She was mainly responsible for identifying ancient scripts and symbols, as well as checking texts related to lightning techniques and Talismans, hoping to find a method to restrain the Devilish Qi.

Time passed minute by minute. The Devilish Qi outside the window surged even more violently. Twisted demonic shadows struck the golden light barrier, emitting a grating "sizzle" sound, and the golden light slowly dimmed at a visible rate. The cracks on the demon suppression token also seemed to have increased by one.

Suppression and anxiety spread silently.

"No good, there are too many! We can't possibly look through them all!" Gongsun Yu rubbed her hair irritably, her small face falling.

Su Wanqing remained silent, but her tightly pressed lips showed her inner turmoil.

Qu Feiyan put down a Jade Slip recording a certain forbidden Medicinal Pill, rubbed her brow, looked toward the altar, and sighed faintly: "At this rate, I fear we'll become part of the demons outside, along with these texts, before we find a solution."

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew that searching blindly like this was too inefficient. He walked to the edge of the altar and placed his hand on the demon suppression token again, attempting to inject spiritual power into it. But it was like a stone sinking into the ocean; the token was like a bottomless pit and could not be replenished at all.

Was there really no way out?

Just as his mind was in turmoil, a familiar, sweet and alluring fragrance quietly approached.

Qu Feiyan had moved to his side at some point, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, watching the raging Devilish Qi outside the window. She didn't stand as close as usual; she just stood quietly, her red gauze dress reflecting the golden light, making her appear less enchanting and more serene.

"Junior Martial Brother," her voice carried a rare hint of exhaustion and hoarseness, "Do you think we will die here?"

Lin Xuan turned his head and could see the perfect contour of her profile, her long eyelashes slightly lowered, casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelids. This demoness, who had always been confident and seductive, now showed a hint of vulnerability.

"No." Lin Xuan's answer was brief and definite. He still had the System, the frost silence immortal sword, and the unfinished Dao; how could he perish here?

Qu Feiyan turned her head, her seductive eyes gazing deeply at him. She suddenly smiled sweetly; the smile lacked the intentional seduction of the past and held a hint of purity: "Sometimes I truly envy Junior Sister Su, to receive such trust and protection from you."

As soon as her voice fell, another cold voice rang out: "Instead of speaking these useless words, it would be better to hurry up and search for a chance at life."

Su Wanqing walked over, holding several newly engraved Jade Slips. Her clear, cold eyes swept over Qu Feiyan before landing on Lin Xuan: "I found scattered records about the 'Grand Beginning Pure Divine Light.' It seems to be a supreme purification Divine Ability, but the requirements for the Cultivator are extremely high, and the Legacy has long been severed. Additionally, one Jade Slip mentioned that the Immortal Palace has a backup void passage, but the entrance and activation method are unknown."

She handed the Jade Slips to Lin Xuan, her movements natural, as if merely reporting the situation. However, the posture she took while standing next to Lin Xuan subtly carried a sense of declaration.

Qu Feiyan looked at Su Wanqing's eyes—cold yet containing a hint of imperceptible concern—then looked at Lin Xuan calmly accepting the Jade Slips. A flash of unnoticed gloom crossed her seductive eyes, which was immediately covered by her customary smile.

Just then, a surprised shout came from the depths of the Scripture Pavilion: "Come look quickly! I think I found something!"

The trio's spirits lifted, and they immediately followed the sound.

In a remote corner of the Scripture Pavilion, Gongsun Yu was leaning over a low bookshelf, laboriously dragging out a dust-covered bronze box. The box was ancient in style, bearing no Talismans, yet it was exceptionally heavy.

"This box... my Divine Sense can't penetrate it, and it feels so heavy!" Gongsun Yu said excitedly. "Hidden in such an inconspicuous spot, it must be strange!"

Lin Xuan stepped forward and took the bronze box. It felt heavy in his hands; even with his Physical Body strength, it felt substantial. He tried to open it, but the lid didn't budge. When he used his Divine Sense to probe it, he was indeed blocked by an invisible barrier.

"Let me try." Qu Feiyan once again used her probing secret technique, and a pink halo enveloped the bronze box. Moments later, surprise appeared in her eyes: "The Seal on this box... is very peculiar. It doesn't rely on spiritual power or Divine Sense. It seems... related to Bloodline or some specific type of Qi?"

She looked at Lin Xuan: "Junior Martial Brother, try mixing a trace of Qi-Blood Power with your spiritual power and injecting it into the groove on the side of the box."

Lin Xuan did as instructed, forcing out a drop of blood containing a faint golden luster from his fingertip. Mixed with pure spiritual power, he dripped it into an inconspicuous plum blossom-shaped groove on the side of the box.

"Click."

With a soft sound, the lid automatically sprang open a crack.

A spiritual power fluctuation, even more ancient, purer, and even carrying a trace of primordial aura, diffused out from the gap!

The four held their breath, their gazes fixed intently on the bronze box.

What could be inside? Was it the hope of escape, or... an even greater crisis?

Outside the Scripture Pavilion, the roar of the Devilish Qi grew more ferocious. The golden light barrier was already like a candle flickering in the wind.