5: Chapter 5: A Decade of Dedication, A Feast for the Eyes at the Book Festival
Time does not stop, and the seasons flow like a river.
To a Cultivator, ten years is but a snap of the fingers.
To a Mortal, however, ten years is enough to frost black hair with white and turn a beautiful face into withered bones.
Outside the Scripture Pavilion of the Heavenly River Sword Sect, the green pine that was once only as thick as a bowl's mouth had now grown into a lush, umbrella-like canopy.
Li Mo still wore those same dusty Servant robes, holding a new broom as he stood beneath the tree sweeping fallen leaves.
His appearance had not changed in the slightest compared to ten years ago.
He remained that fair-featured, seemingly harmless twenty-year-old youth.
This matter caused no ripples in the Servant Quarters.
Spiritual Qi is abundant in the Cultivation World; if a Mortal is free from illness and disaster, it is not strange for their appearance to remain unchanged for a decade or two.
Only Li Mo himself knew exactly what had happened during these ten years.
[Host: Li Mo]
[Current Status: Longevity Body (Tier 1)]
[Books Read: 12,450]
[Affixes Held: 13,200]
[Comprehensive Evaluation: You are a walking humanoid library, a theoretical giant, a monster hidden within the dust.]
Over ten years, Li Mo had been like the most industrious termite, "gnawing" through every single book on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, whether they were Cultivation Techniques, Secret Manuals, travelogues, or cookbooks.
Those seemingly useless white and gray affixes underwent a terrifying qualitative change when their number surpassed the ten-thousand mark.
He had read a thousand agricultural books; the trivial affixes like [Soil Loosening], [Fertilizing], and [Seed Identification] eventually fused into a single purple affix: [Son of the Earth].
As long as his feet stood upon the earth, his Qi recovery speed would increase tenfold, and he could clearly sense the flourishing and withering, the joys and sorrows, of all plants within a ten-mile radius.
He had read all the basic sword theories, and [Sword Arts Mastery] had already evolved into [Clear Sword Heart (Incomplete)].
Even without a sword in hand, a single glance at another's sword moves would allow his mind to automatically deduce a hundred ways to counter them.
"A pity, the first floor is only the foundation after all."
Li Mo sighed softly, sweeping the last fallen leaf into the dustpan.
He could no longer squeeze a single new affix out of the books on the first floor.
His gaze involuntarily drifted toward the stairs leading to the second floor.
A golden Restriction light screen stood there, a forbidden zone for Servants; only an Inner Sect Disciple with an identity jade pendant could enter.
Only there were the true secret inheritances of the Foundation Establishment and even the Golden Core Stage hidden.
"Li Mo! What are you still dawdling for!"
An old but energetic shout rang out.
The one shouting was Old Wang, the "Wang the Skinner" of back then.
Ten years had passed, and this old man had failed to achieve a Breakthrough. His Physical Body was decaying, his back was hunched, and he had long lost his former ferocity. Because of Li Mo's "filial piety" over the decade (which was actually just Li Mo wanting to avoid trouble by taking over his chores), Old Wang now relied on him quite heavily.
"Coming, Uncle Wang."
Li Mo answered and walked over quickly.
Today was a special day.
The Heavenly River Sword Sect's decennial "Book-Drying Festival."
The Scripture Pavilion was built against a mountain and was quite damp. To prevent ancient texts from being damaged by moisture or insects, the Sect would open the Restrictions every ten years to move all the books in the pavilion to the plaza, exposing them to the pure Yang sunlight.
This was the busiest day for the Servants.
But for Li Mo, it was the carnival he had been waiting for for ten whole years!
On this day, he could legally come into contact with the books from the second and even the third floors!
In the plaza, massive drying mats had already been spread out.
Dozens of Servants bustled about, carefully carrying stacks of precious ancient texts.
"Li Mo, you're a veteran and have steady hands. Go and be responsible for moving the Daoist scriptures from the 'Mystic' shelves on the second floor."
Old Wang instructed, "Remember, you are only allowed to move them, not read them! If you crease even a corner of a book, I couldn't afford to pay for it even if I sold you!"
"This lowly one understands."
Li Mo lowered his head deeply to hide the excitement that was almost boiling in his eyes.
He quickly stepped up to the second floor.
As he passed through the Restriction light screen that was normally impassable, his token flickered with a faint light. Li Mo felt as if all thirty-six thousand pores of his body were opening in relief.
The air on the second floor was much fresher than the first, filled with a thick scent of books and the elegant fragrance of spiritual ink.
Li Mo did not waste a second. He went straight to the Mystic shelves, picked up a heavy stack of Daoist scriptures, and turned to leave.
In the eyes of outsiders, he was just a diligent book-moving Servant.
But on his System interface, the information flow was cascading like a waterfall!
[Contact with book "Taishang Induction Chapter (Annotated Edition)"... Reading progress 100%... Extracted Affix: Dao Rhyme Body (Blue)]
[Contact with book "True Explanation of Five Elements Techniques"... Reading progress 100%... Extracted Affix: Five Elements Affinity (Blue)]
[Contact with book "Introduction to Talismans: Lightning Volume"... Reading progress 100%... Extracted Affix: Palm Lightning (Beginner)]
Indeed, with his Mental Energy skyrocketing, he no longer needed to flip through the pages.
The moment his fingertips touched the spine of a book, his Divine Sense would sweep over it, and the entire content of the book would be instantly branded into his sea of Soul.
This was the divine skill he had gained in exchange for ten years of hard study—[Quantum Speed Reading (Pseudo)].
These hundred-plus steps from the second floor to the plaza had already become, beneath his feet, the path to heaven leading to the ultimate peak.
He moved back and forth trip after trip, tireless.
He didn't even notice when sweat soaked his back.
Other Servants would rest after a few trips and complain about the dull work, but only Li Mo had a fanatical glint in his eyes. What he held in his arms were not books, but clearly the most beautiful treasures in the world.
"This kid is quite honest."
An Enforcement Hall Deacon supervising from a distance saw this and nodded slightly. "He's good material for labor. A pity he has no Spiritual Root."
Just as Li Mo was on his eighteenth trip, there was an extremely subtle pause in his movements.
This time, he was holding an Incomplete Manual that had fallen from the third floor.
Because its exterior was tattered and it looked unremarkable mixed in with the second-floor Daoist scriptures, it had been assigned to him.
Yet the moment this book touched his hands, the [Longevity Body] within him actually produced a hunger-like yearning.
That feeling was like a person who had been starving for three days suddenly smelling the aroma of roasted meat.
Li Mo's expression remained unchanged, but his fingers gripped the book's spine tightly as his Divine Sense violently pierced into it.
Book Title: "Wither-Flourish Art (Incomplete)".
This was not a technique of the Righteous Path!
Li Mo's breathing stopped short.
The Heavenly River Sword Sect was a famous righteous Sect; how could they store a Demonic Technique so full of the aura of deathly silence?
As the content was read, his heartbeat began to spiral out of control.
Although this "Wither-Flourish Art" was incomplete, its underlying concept was terrifyingly high.
Its core essence was "one year, one wither, one flourish." By simulating the withering and rebirth of plants, one could purify spiritual power and gain an ultimate burst of strength.
For ordinary Cultivators, practicing this method required consuming a massive amount of Lifespan. It was an evil art akin to drinking poison to quench thirst; practicing it meant certain death.
But for Li Mo, who possessed infinite Lifespan...
This was practically a Divine-Grade cheat tailored specifically for him!
"Consuming Lifespan? The thing I lack least is Lifespan! Even if I burn ten thousand years, it's just a drop in the bucket for me!"
[Ding!]
[Completely read "Wither-Flourish Art (Incomplete)", extracted special affix: Withered Wood Meets Spring (Purple)]
[Affix Effect: You can actively burn Lifespan to instantly heal fatal-level injuries or increase spiritual power output tenfold for a short time. Cost: Each use deducts a minimum of ten years of Lifespan.]
[Detected that the host possesses the trait [Eternal Youth], the cost has been waived.]
Waived!
These two words bloomed with ten thousand feet of golden light in Li Mo's mind.
He forcibly suppressed the urge to howl at the sky, letting his boiling blood return to a state of calm.
Ten years.
He finally had a life-saving trump card in the truest sense!
With this, he was a monster that couldn't be killed and could go berserk at any time!
He nonchalantly placed the "Wither-Flourish Art" in the most remote corner of the drying mat, turned around, and prepared to continue "restocking."
Just then, a withered hand pressed onto his shoulder without any warning.
"Young man, that's not how you move books."
The voice was old and raspy, but it made Li Mo's head buzz.
Every hair on his body stood on end instantly!
The alarm of [Anti-Reconnaissance Instinct] roared frantically in the depths of his Soul!
He hadn't sensed anyone approaching at all!
Li Mo turned his head stiffly, and what met his eyes was a face covered in liver spots.
It was an Elder dressed in gray cloth robes, looking dozens of years older than even Old Wang. He leaned on an unremarkable fire poker, and a pair of cloudy eyes were staring at him with a faint smile.
"Greetings... Senior."
Li Mo immediately bowed in greeting, his heart pounding wildly.
Who was this old man?
He had been in the Scripture Pavilion for ten whole years and had never seen this person!
"Hoho, no need to be nervous."
The Elder let go of his hand, but his gaze swept seemingly casually over the "Wither-Flourish Art" in the corner before returning to Li Mo.
"This old man just saw that when you move books, your fingers are always stroking the spines. Your eyes don't look at the path, but instead stay fixed on the volumes. Why, do you recognize these words?"
A layer of fine cold sweat broke out on Li Mo's back.
Careless!
He had been too excited just now, and those subtle movements had ultimately revealed a flaw.
"Replying to Senior, this lowly one... this lowly one was lucky enough to learn a few words."
Li Mo's brain spun at high speed as he immediately concocted a half-true, half-false answer.
"My family was poor when I was young, so I eavesdropped outside a private school for a few days. I can't understand the words in these books either, I just... I just think they're pretty. I was happy in my heart, so I couldn't help but touch them a few more times."
"Oh? You just think they're pretty?"
The Elder spoke with a half-smile, those cloudy old eyes seemingly able to pierce through the human heart.
"Then why don't you tell me, what's so good about this tattered book?"
The one he pointed to was precisely that "Wither-Flourish Art".
Killing intent!
Li Mo felt a lethal scrutiny.
This question was a test, and even more so, a trial!
If he didn't answer well, today would be the day he died!
Li Mo gritted his teeth, looked up, and squeezed a simple and honest, yet somewhat dazed smile onto his face as he scratched his head.
"This lowly one can't explain it clearly either... I just felt the words in this book were written all crooked. They look... they look like crops that have died from a drought in the fields, yet also like tender sprouts that have just popped out in early spring. It's quite interesting."
Withered crops.
Sprouting tender shoots.
Once these words were spoken, they perfectly interpreted the two characters for "Wither-Flourish" while remaining entirely within the simplest perspective of a farm boy.
Upon hearing this, a terrifyingly sharp glint burst from the Elder's cloudy eyes, only to be instantly retracted.
"Withered crops, sprouting tender grass... Haha, good! A 'quite interesting' indeed!"
The Elder suddenly laughed out loud. The laughter was raspy, yet it carried an indescribable sense of gratification.
He took a deep look at Li Mo, fished out a black token that was neither metal nor wood from his robes, and casually tossed it into Li Mo's arms.
"Since you are a lover of books, then see a few more."
"From now on, the cleaning of the second floor also belongs to you."
As his voice fell, the Elder leaned on that fire poker and wobbled his way into the depths of the Scripture Pavilion, vanishing in an instant.
Li Mo held the cold token, frozen in place.
There were no patterns on the token, only an ancient character for "Guardian" engraved on it.
Manager Wang in the distance saw this scene, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He came running over, crawling and scrambling, staring at the token in Li Mo's hand with a trembling voice.
"Li... Li Mo, that person just now... that was the Grand Elder who guards the pavilion! He actually gave the 'Pass Token' to you?"
Grand Elder?
Li Mo's heart shook violently, and a wave of wild joy subsequently swept through his entire body.
A Pass Token!
This meant that from now on, he could enter and exit the second floor openly and honestly!
He no longer had to act like a thief!
"Thank you for your appreciation, Elder!"
Li Mo bowed deeply in the direction where the Elder had disappeared.
He didn't know exactly what that Elder had seen, but for now, it was a blessing, not a curse.
Just as Li Mo was about to put away the token and continue moving books, he suddenly felt a familiar tugging at his pant leg.
He looked down.
Ten years had passed, and Squeak, whose size hadn't changed at all, was hiding in the shadow by his feet. Its two paws were gesturing frantically, its face full of anxiety.
"Squeak! Squeak Squeak!" (Stop moving books! Come with me quickly! Something big has happened!)
Li Mo's brow furrowed slightly. He crouched down under the guise of organizing a stack of books and lowered his voice: "What's wrong? Did you dig up something ominous again?"
Squeak shook its head desperately, one paw pointing toward the crowd at the edge of the plaza, while the other paw pointed toward the sky.
Li Mo followed its guidance and looked over.
At the other end of the plaza, a group of richly dressed Inner Sect Disciples were gathered together, arguing heatedly about something.
And in the center of the crowd, a girl dressed in white with a cold, elegant temperament was bowing her head, her shoulders shaking slightly.
She was crying.
Li Mo's gaze instantly froze.
He recognized that girl.
It was precisely the Sect Master's daughter—Luo Qinghan—who had accidentally intruded into the Scripture Pavilion ten years ago and been casually given some pointers by him.
"What happened to her?"
An ominous premonition crept into Li Mo's heart.
His [Reading the Room] affix clearly captured the emotional storm over there despite the distance: anger, humiliation, and... a despair so thick it wouldn't dissipate.
More importantly, above Luo Qinghan's head, Li Mo saw an ominous black affix slowly condensing into shape—
[Death Calamity Approaching].