I have a composite mirror

Chapter 112 Before the Secret Treasury

The wheels rolled over the bluestone pavement, making a dull sound.

This is a horse-drawn carriage that is entirely black.

The chariot was not pulled by ordinary horses, but by two "Cloud-Treading Steeds" with scales on their hooves.

The driver was none other than Liu Wenyuan, the master of Tingtao Pavilion.

The fact that a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could personally act as a coachman speaks volumes about the importance of the person sitting inside the carriage.

The carriage curtains were drawn low, shutting out the noise from outside.

Gu Shenyan sat upright on the left, closing his eyes to rest.

Han Sushuang sat on the right, holding a sword in her arms, her expression aloof.

The poor boy named Zhang Qiao huddled in a corner, looking somewhat uneasy.

"Once you pass that checkpoint, you'll be in the core area of ​​the provincial government."

""

Liu Wenyuan's voice came from outside the car, but his emotions were unreadable.

"The Xuanzheng Division and the city defense army will guard the area together. No matter what happens later, do not easily probe out with your divine sense."

"Those who violate this rule will be executed without exception."

The moment those four words were uttered, the temperature inside the car seemed to drop several degrees.

Zhang Qiao shuddered and lowered his head even further.

Gu Shenyan opened his eyes and glanced out through the gap in the carriage curtain.

With just one glance, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Along both sides of the street, there was a guard in heavy armor every ten steps.

Several auras, no weaker than those of the Foundation Establishment stage, could be faintly emanated from the shadows.

This is the heart of the entire province.

It is also a sacred place in the hearts of all talisman masters—the Provincial Government Talisman Treasury.

Fifteen minutes later.

The carriage slowly came to a stop.

"arrive."

Liu Wenyuan lifted the carriage curtain.

The three got off the bus one by one.

What came into view was not a magnificent palace.

Instead, it was a three-story, bluish-gray pavilion.

It stands alone in the center of a wide open square.

The outer walls of the pavilion were covered with withered vines.

It looks unremarkable, even somewhat dilapidated.

But Gu Shenyan's pupils suddenly contracted.

[Alert: High-energy array force field detected.]

[Energy Level: Extremely Dangerous.]

[Recommendation: Remain silent and do not test the waters.]

In his view, this pavilion was nothing like a dilapidated house.

It was clearly a lurking behemoth.

Countless lines of spiritual energy, invisible to the naked eye, flowed slowly within the wall like blood vessels.

Each pulse exudes a chilling pressure.

"This...this is the Secret Treasury?"

Zhang Qiao swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly.

"Don't use your eyes to see, use your heart to feel."

Liu Wenyuan said calmly.

"This place contains rare talismanic texts collected over the past thousand years from across the entire province."

"It is also the foundation that we, even at the cost of our lives, are determined to protect."

Just then.

The tightly closed cabinet door creaked open.

A musty smell wafted over.

It was the unique smell of old book paper, mixed with a subtle, calming fragrance.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

It was an old woman with a full head of white hair.

She was wearing a faded gray robe and was leaning on a cane made of some kind of wood.

The wrinkles on his face were so deep they could trap a fly.

His eyelids were drooping, as if he hadn't woken up yet.

But the moment she stepped out, Liu Wenyuan immediately bowed in respect.

His attitude was extremely respectful.

"This junior, Liu Wenyuan, has been ordered to bring three juniors here for an inspection."

The old woman did not respond immediately.

Her cloudy gaze slowly swept over the three of them.

Gu Shenyan felt a sudden tightness all over his body.

It was as if all my secrets were laid bare under that gaze.

This feeling was ten times more terrifying than when facing Cao Wenjing.

Golden Core stage?

No, perhaps even higher.

"From Tingtao Pavilion?"

The old woman finally spoke, her voice hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.

"That's right," Liu Wenyuan said respectfully.

"Well, since we have a letter of recommendation, let's follow the rules."

The old woman stepped aside to make way for her.

"Only one day."

"One floor only"

Liu Wenyuan turned around and nodded to Gu Shenyan and the other two.

Go ahead, cherish this opportunity.

"Yes."

The three responded in unison, and then stepped towards the deep door.

Just as I stepped across the threshold.

The sunlight behind them was completely blocked.

The room was dimly lit, with only the ever-burning lamps on the walls emitting a yellowish glow.

A solemn, deathly silence filled the air.

"stop."

The old woman's voice echoed softly behind them.

The three of them paused.

The old woman had somehow appeared beside them.

"Now that you've entered this place, you have to abide by the rules."

She stretched out her withered, twig-like fingers and gently tapped the air.

hum!

Three pale gray streaks of light instantly disappeared into the three people's foreheads.

Gu Shenyan felt as if a shackle had been placed in his mind.

[Alert: Soul-binding restriction implanted.]

[Analysis: This restriction serves both surveillance and disciplinary functions.]

Should we attempt to crack it?

"No," Gu Shenyan immediately rejected in his mind.

What a joke.

Trying to pull any tricks under the nose of this unfathomable old woman is tantamount to courting death.

"This is the God-Locking Seal."

"7

The old woman said coldly.

"During your stay in the cabinet, you are not allowed to touch any physical objects."

"The ancient books must not be copied by any means, such as rubbing or memory crystals."

"No loud noises or whispering."

"If you have any questions, you can come to the door and ask me. Each person is limited to three times."

As she said this, a sharp glint flashed in her cloudy eyes.

"If there is a violation, the ban will be triggered."

"In mild cases, the soul is damaged; in severe cases—"

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Becoming an idiot is the least of your worries.

"Also, since we're here to learn, let's each go our own way."

The old woman waved her hand, as if shooing away flies.

"There are enough books here for you to read for a lifetime, so don't waste your time gathering together."

"spread."

At a command.

The three of them dared not be negligent.

They glanced at each other and then each chose a direction.

Han Sushuang had a clear goal and headed straight for the "Golden Fire Talisman Area" on the left.

A faint heat emanated from there, indicating that many high-level fire talisman diagrams were stored there.

Zhang Qiao hesitated for a moment, then walked towards the "Basic Theory Area" on the right.

He comes from a poor family and his foundation is unstable, so this is the safest choice.

Gu Shenyan stood still and took a deep breath.

The scene before me was truly breathtaking.

The bookshelves, towering ten feet high, resembled the ribs of a giant, stretching row upon row to the horizon.

In each compartment, there is either a jade slip or a scroll of animal hide.

This is an ocean of knowledge.

It is also a treasure trove that countless talisman masters dream of.

"One day —"

Gu Shenyan murmured softly.

For ordinary people, memorizing the contents of three to five classic texts in one day is already the limit.

But he is different.

"System, activate auxiliary cultivation mode."

[Command confirmed.]

[Loading "Overclocking Memory" module]

[Initiating "Environmental Scan and Information Classification" function]

In Gu Shenyan's eyes, a light blue data stream began to flood the screen.

He didn't rush to flip through the book.

Instead, he closed his eyes and suppressed his spiritual awareness to the lowest level, spreading it out gently like a thin mist.

Even that terrifying old woman probably wouldn't be able to detect this system-optimized "passive scanning."

A few breaths later.

A detailed 3D map took shape in his mind.

The bookshelves are categorized, their locations are marked, and even the condition of the books is noted.

"First and foremost, it's the Pavilion Master's request."

Gu Shenyan silently recited in his heart.

Liu Wenyuan asked him to check the borrowing records of the "Ancient Teleportation Array".

This shows that there were definitely signs of human intervention in that accident back then.

"Secondly, there's my background."

Senior Brother Chen An once mentioned the "Ancient Water Palace".

The merman bloodline within him also requires a more advanced water-based technique to guide it.

Gu Shenyan opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on an area in the northwest corner.

That's where the light is dimmest and the dust is thickest.

The signboard bears four large ancient seal script characters:

Random thoughts from a foreign land.

It includes descriptions of local customs and products from Southeast Asia, the northern deserts, and the deep sea.

"Let's go there first."

Gu Shenyan moved his feet and silently disappeared into the shadows.

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