81: Chapter 81 The "Mute Button" in the Library Pavilion, and the Princess's Summer Homework

Mid-autumn cicadas are usually the noisiest. But within a hundred yards of the Heavenly River Sword Sect's Scripture Pavilion, let alone the chirping of cicadas, even the rustle of wind through the leaves seemed to be gently cut off by an invisible giant hand.

Dead silence. An absolute dead silence akin to a "vacuum."

Li Mo lay on the rocking chair on the second floor, fiddling with two walnuts in his hand, looking relaxed. Ever since the "Eerie Tide" broke out three days ago—nearly turning the Heavenly River Sword Sect into a "madhouse"—he had found the wailing and howling outside too noisy. After casually slapping a temporary entry, [Silence Zone (Forced Version)], onto the Scripture Pavilion, the world finally became peaceful.

The effect of this entry was simple and crude: within the range of the Scripture Pavilion, noise was prohibited; violators were muted, and their spiritual energy would fall silent.

As a result, that overbearing "Eerie Mother" who tried to rush into the Scripture Pavilion to devour the book souls found that it couldn't make a sound from its throat the moment it stepped through the door and opened its bloody maw. Even its earth-shattering ghostly Qi was forcibly "muted," turning into mere air. Then, it was swatted into dust by Chu Linger, who was sweeping the floor, with a look of utter disgust.

"Master, those old men outside are all saying that a Confucian Saint with the power of 'Words Follow Law' lives in our Scripture Pavilion." Chu Linger sat on the windowsill, dangling her legs boredly. Three months had passed, and the imperial air of entitlement on her had long since been replaced by the fragrance of books (and Killing Intent). Only at this moment, a lingering irritability showed between her brows.

She had hit a Bottleneck. Since practicing that modified version of the Blood Transformation Demonic Art, her cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds, but recently she had been stuck at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. No matter how much she read, she just couldn't break through that final barrier.

"Words Follow Law? They're overthinking it." Li Mo didn't even lift his eyelids. "I just installed a 'mute button' here."

He glanced at Chu Linger. On the System panel, a deep purple negative status hung over the girl's head: [Cognitive Barrier (Reading Oneself Stupid)]. Symptoms: theoretical knowledge overload, zero practical experience. It was like a landlubber who had memorized all swimming theories but would sink the moment they hit the water.

"Linger." Li Mo suddenly sat up, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes that were always half-asleep. "Want to achieve a Breakthrough?"

Chu Linger's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously. "Yes! I want to, even in my dreams!" Staying in this Scripture Pavilion for a long time was safe, but she felt like a sword kept in a brocade box, about to rust.

"Since you want to, then pack your things." Li Mo pulled out a pre-prepared bundle from his robes and tossed it over. "Go down the mountain."

"Down the mountain?!" Chu Linger caught the bundle, her small face turning pale. "You... you're driving me away? The pursuers from the Great Zhou Dynasty are still outside..."

"I'm not driving you away; I'm giving you summer homework." Li Mo interrupted her melodrama and pointed at the bundle. "Your theory score is already full; what you lack now are 'application problems.' You can't train a max-level account by hiding in the starting village forever."

"But..." Chu Linger was still a bit hesitant. "The State Preceptor of Great Zhou, Sima Changfeng, is still looking for me. What if..."

"What are you afraid of? As your Master... cough, as the Administrator, would I let you go empty-handed?" Li Mo smiled mysteriously and pulled out a book as thick as a brick from his sleeve. This wasn't one of the original books from the Scripture Pavilion. This was a powerful weapon he had spent a whole month tailoring for Chu Linger, fusing "Basic Formations," "Principles of Gravity," "High-Level Illusions," and certain "nightmarish" memories from his past life.

The cover was a bleak grayish-white, with eight large characters written on it that made even Li Mo's liver tremble: five-year simulation, Three-Year Cultivation

"This is..." Chu Linger took the book, feeling a weight in her hands as a numbing, oppressive aura rushed at her. In this book, there seemed to be countless vengeful spirits known as "examinees" sealed within.

"This is a... conceptual-level Karma Law Magic Treasure," Li Mo talked nonsense with a straight face. "Once this book is sacrificed, all enemies within ten yards will be forcibly pulled into the 'Examination Hall Domain.'" "In the Domain, cultivation is void, and Magic Treasures fail. To escape, one must solve problems."

"Solve problems?" Chu Linger was bewildered.

"Correct." Li Mo pointed to the pages. "For example, this one: 'Calculation of Sword Flight Parabola under Abnormal Gravitational Acceleration.' If the enemy can't answer it, they will be directly slammed into the ground by the rules of gravity, unable to be peeled off." "Or this one: 'Movement Techniques after Disappearance of Friction.' If they answer wrong, they'll slide three thousand miles with one step until their legs break."

Chu Linger was dumbfounded. Although she didn't understand what "gravitational acceleration" meant, she was deeply shocked. How was this a Magic Treasure? This was simply an instrument of torture!

"Remember." Li Mo's smile faded, and his tone became serious. "Do not use this book unless absolutely necessary. Because it not only tortures the enemy but also the user. If you can't solve the problems yourself, the backlash... will make you lose your hair."

Chu Linger swallowed hard and solemnly tucked this "torture device" into her robes, keeping it close. With this thing, she suddenly felt that those pursuers from the Great Zhou Dynasty weren't so scary anymore. After all, who could beat a book that makes people "solve problems"?

"Alright, go on." Li Mo waved his hand as if shooing away a fly. "Don't go through the front gate; there's a dog hole in the back mountain that Squeak has already dug out for you. Remember, don't say you're from the Heavenly River Sword Sect. If you get into trouble... just give them the State Preceptor of Great Zhou's name."

Chu Linger: "..." She took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Li Mo. Although this man was lazy, sharp-tongued, and liked to set traps for people, she knew that by going this time, an invisible shield had been added to her. It was the path to heaven that this man had paved for her through countless days and nights of "reading."

"I'm off!" The young girl shouldered her pack, gripped her sword, and disappeared into the shadows of the back mountain like a nimble swallow.

Watching her departing figure, Li Mo lay back in his rocking chair and picked up his teacup. "Squeak." On the rafters, the Treasure-Seeking Rat, which had grown a size fatter, poked its head out. "Go, follow her." Li Mo blew on his tea, his eyes becoming as deep as an abyss. "Keep a distance of ten miles. As long as it's not some old monster at the Nascent Soul Stage taking action, let her handle it herself. But if some shameless old fogey really tries to bully the weak..."

Li Mo put down his teacup and lightly tapped the table with his finger. "Then throw that Principles and Simple Construction of Nuclear Fission Reactors to her."

Squeak trembled all over, gave a salute, turned into a streak of gray light, and zipped out.

The Scripture Pavilion returned to its dead silence. Li Mo looked at the churning sea of clouds outside the window, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Summer vacation has begun." "I hope this Cultivation World... is prepared for the beating of 'exam-oriented education'."