Chapter 192 - 96: Returning as Champion, the Shock of Four Seasons Valley

Chapter 192: Chapter 96: Returning as Champion, the Shock of Four Seasons Valley

Her mind in turmoil, Xia He hurried back to the Four Seasons Valley, her pace several times faster than usual. But the one on her mind, Jiang Xuan, had not yet returned.

Winning the championship of the three-school joint exam—and as the undisputed number one, no less—was a huge shock to everyone else.

All at once, many people began actively trying to get close to Jiang Xuan, hoping to curry favor and connect with the newly-risen prodigy.

Lecturer Song Zhou of the Chen Daoist School was among the most eager.

In the past, while he hadn’t exactly given Jiang Xuan the cold shoulder, he had certainly been neglectful. Naturally, he now worried that he had already earned Jiang Xuan’s disapproval.

To make amends and salvage their relationship, Song Zhou made a swift decision. He not only took out half of the resources allocated to the Chen Daoist School by the Shenxiao Sect, but also added some from his own pocket as compensation for Jiang Xuan.

This time, Jiang Xuan accepted without the slightest hesitation. His Cultivation was steadily improving, and he was confident about tackling the upcoming Hundred-Day Exam.

If he could achieve an excellent ranking in the upcoming exam, it would not only be of infinite benefit to his own Dao, but would also bring endless benefits to Lecturer Song. Since it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, he naturally felt no qualms about accepting the resources.

However, just as Song Zhou was about to convert all these resources into Spirit Stones and Cultivation Elixirs, Jiang Xuan spoke up to stop him.

"There’s no need for Spirit Stones and Elixir Pills. I have my own reliable ways of obtaining those. If it’s not too much trouble, Lecturer Song, I’d ask you to exchange all these resources for various Daoist Secret Scriptures and cultivation manuals instead. Those texts will be of greater help to my Cultivation."

"Hm?"

This request from Jiang Xuan made Song Zhou’s expression turn a little strange. He was left somewhat speechless, especially after hearing that Jiang Xuan intended to convert all of the Chen Daoist School’s resources into Dao Scriptures and Daoist Collections, leaving none behind for anything else.

At that moment, the same thought that had once occurred to the Scripture Pavilion’s Elder and Granny Lan now crossed his mind.

’Geniuses often have their eccentricities. I used to think that was just a rumor, but it seems I was too naive.’

Feeling this was a bit unwise, he still tried to gently dissuade him. "Jiang Xuan, it’s a good thing that you love to read. Reading broadens one’s knowledge and understanding. But isn’t buying so many at once a little ill-advised? Why not purchase a portion first, study them until you’ve thoroughly grasped their essence, and then add more later? It wouldn’t be too late."

From a conventional standpoint, Song Zhou was right. Buying too many books at once would only result in them gathering dust, a complete waste of resources. A gradual approach—mastering one book before acquiring the next—was a much more solid path.

But Jiang Xuan was no ordinary person. As the Mystic Daoist Master, so long as his Scripture Pavilion had enough books, he could benefit from the blessing of the Dao Rhyme and Spirituality contained within the texts—even if he hadn’t yet opened them to read—greatly increasing his Comprehension.

Therefore, he insisted on his decision.

"Thank you for your advice, Lecturer Song. But I read very quickly, and I prefer the atmosphere of being surrounded by books. When I’m in such an environment, my heart grows calm, which allows my Cultivation to proceed more smoothly..."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhou heaved a helpless sigh but decided not to press the matter further.

’To have cultivated such combat prowess in just one short month... Jiang Xuan’s Talent is beyond question. He must have a deeper reason for doing this. I’m no peerless prodigy, so I’d best not over-analyze it.’

Without needing to say much more, Jiang Xuan’s demonstrated strength and Talent were enough for Song Zhou to rationalize this unusual behavior on his behalf.

After the matter was settled, Jiang Xuan didn’t leave immediately. He stayed a while longer to go over the catalog of books he already owned with Song Zhou, one by one, to avoid making duplicate purchases and wasting resources.

When they finished their review, Song Zhou was shocked to discover that Jiang Xuan already possessed a library of ten thousand volumes and could recite several hundred Daoist Secret Scriptures from memory.

This astonishing collection of books, combined with his lightning-fast progress in Cultivation, caused an irrepressible thought to surface in Song Zhou’s mind: ’Could immersing oneself in collecting and reading scriptures truly aid one’s Cultivation? Should I... try it myself?’

...

Jiang Xuan, of course, had no idea that he had unintentionally led his lecturer’s entire approach to Cultivation astray.

Just as he returned to the Four Seasons Valley, he ran into his senior sister, Xia He, at the Mountain Gate. But his usually lively and cheerful sister now wore a dazed expression, as if something were weighing on her mind.

This sight made Jiang Xuan raise an eyebrow, and he asked with concern, "Senior Sister, what’s with that look? Did someone bully you?"

"Of course not."

After her reflexive denial, she looked up at Jiang Xuan. She seemed to want to say something but kept stopping herself, forcing the words back down just as they reached her lips.

Her conflicted, absent-minded state only made Jiang Xuan more suspicious.

’With that expression... whatever she’s thinking about must have something to do with me.’

"It does." After a moment’s hesitation, Xia He, with her innocent and lively nature, decided not to overthink it anymore and simply blurted out what was on her mind.

"Yun Shengjie from our Daoist School just got back. He said that in the joint exam between the Chen, Rooster, and Yin Daoist Schools, a peerless prodigy emerged and took first place with absolute power. That person’s name is also Jiang Xuan... Since you have the same name, I was wondering if it could be you..." Having said that, she quickly added, afraid of putting pressure on him, "Of course, don’t feel any pressure! Even if you aren’t number one, you’re still the most outstanding little junior brother in our Four Seasons Valley..."