Chương 18: It’s Perfect for Me!

Xiao Xuan woke up and stretched his arms wide across the soft silk mattress. He popped his neck, letting out a satisfied sigh. The sky outside was still dark. He sat in the lotus position and spent the early morning clearing the pathway to his second dantian star. It was much faster this time using the drill method. After a hot bath to wash away the expelled impurities, he dressed in the crisp blue robes of the main family and headed to the dining hall. Everyone was already seated around the rosewood table.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of roasted spirit-boar and steaming dumplings.

"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother. Good morning, darling, and Luoyao," Xiao Xuan greeted politely as he sat down. To his surprise, Patriarch Su Zhongtian looked up from his food with a rare smile.

"You did well yesterday, Xiao Xuan. You maintained the clan's dignity under pressure. I am impressed."

"Thank you, Father," Xiao Xuan replied.

"You were amazing!" Su Luoyao cheered loudly from across the table, her chopsticks waving enthusiastically in the air.

"Did you see the faces of those branch elders? They looked like they had swallowed live toads! I almost died laughing!"

"Luoyao, mind your manners at the table," Liang Shufen snapped softly, though her usual fiery glare lacked its typical venom. The Matriarch gracefully set down her teacup, her sharp eyes drifting over to Xiao Xuan. She spoke with a mild, pragmatic tone.

"That is good. You managed to survive the screening and secure your access to the Treasury. But be mindful today, Xiao Xuan."

"The Clan Treasury is vast and confusing. Choose something that you can actually use. Do not let your pride push you into chasing after the highest-tier scrolls just for the sake of showing off. A high-tier martial art is useless if your foundation cannot support it." He smiled.

"I understand, Mother."

"Luoyao, help him out inside the treasury," Su Luoyang said to her sister.

"Alright, Sister," Su Luoyao replied cheerfully.

"Won't you be there, Luoyang?" Xiao Xuan asked.

"No," she replied.

"She's already mastered the outer vault," added Su Luoyao.

"Oh," Xiao Xuan nodded. After breakfast, Su Luoyao immediately clamped onto his wrist.

"Come on! Move your legs!" Su Luoyao demanded, dragging him down the stone corridor.

"Wait, wait, wait! Luoyao, slow down!" Xiao Xuan yelped, stumbling as his soft leather boots slipped against the polished floorboards.

"I'm coming! You don't have to drag me! I just ate!"

"We are going to be late!" she shot back, not slowing her pace in the slightest. Her ponytail whipped through the air as she expertly navigated the twists and turns of the estate. After a breathless, five-minute sprint across the estate grounds, they finally arrived at the heavily fortified courtyard that housed the Su Clan Treasury. The structure itself was intimidating, a towering pagoda forged entirely from dark obsidian and reinforced spirit-wood, radiating an ancient aura.

Heavy runic formations pulsed faintly along the stone walls, glowing with a subdued, golden light. Hundreds of young clan members, the victorious survivors of yesterday's brutal screening, were already gathered in the courtyard. They stood in small groups, whispering and strategising about which section to rush to and scrolls to choose. A tall, armored figure walked through the sea of disciples, his presence demanding immediate respect. It was Commander Su Ming. Su Ming stopped a few feet away.

His sharp, martial gaze locked onto Xiao Xuan.

"Young Master Xiao," Su Ming greeted. Xiao Xuan returned the gesture, clasping his hands and offering a polite nod.

"Commander Su." The heavy, iron-reinforced doors of the Treasury ground open with a deafening rumble. An elderly man with a long, flowing white beard and gray robes stepped out onto the elevated porch. He was the Chief Treasury Elder, and a dense pressure rolled off his frail body.

"Silence!" the Elder commanded, his voice amplified by Qi. The courtyard instantly fell dead quiet.

"You have all earned the right to step into the sacred halls of our ancestors," the Elder announced, his eyes sweeping over the crowd like a hawk evaluating mice.

"The rules are absolute. You are permitted to enter the Outer Treasury. You may browse for exactly one hour. You may select exactly one scroll. Once you cross the barrier to exit, your choice is finalized. Anyone caught attempting to steal, fighting lethally, or sneaking into restricted areas will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the clan. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Elder!" the hundreds of youths roared in unison.

"The gates are open. Enter!" The crowd surged forward like a tidal wave. Xiao Xuan intentionally hung back, letting the hyperactive disciples rush in first, closely followed by an equally eager Su Luoyao. When Xiao Xuan finally stepped over the heavy stone threshold, the sheer scale of the treasury left him momentarily speechless. The interior was impossibly vast, seemingly larger on the inside than the outside.

Towering racks of ancient, polished dark wood stretched endlessly into the distance, rising dozens of feet into the air. Thousands of scrolls rested on the shelves. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. They weren't just dusty old parchments; they were actively glowing. Bound in silk, bamboo, and exotic beast leathers, the scrolls pulsed with faint auras of red, blue, green, and gold, representing their elemental affinities and grades.

"Listen to me," Su Luoyao said, leaning in close over the noise of the bustling disciples. She pointed toward a heavily guarded set of double doors at the far end of the hall.

"There are far greater treasures in the Inner Chambers behind those doors, but today we are strictly only allowed to choose one from here in the outer hall." Xiao Xuan nodded, his eyes scanning the room. He could already see the chaos unfolding. Disciples were scrambling over each other, reaching for the brightest scrolls. Some scrolls were encased in translucent, shimmering spheres of energy barriers.

He watched as a young branch family member eagerly grabbed a glowing red scroll, only for the barrier to blast him away, tumbling backward onto the floor. A few aisles down, two burly youths were already shoving each other, arguing over a glowing green bamboo slip.

"Right," Su Luoyao said, cracking her knuckles. She grabbed Xiao Xuan's sleeve and dragged him away from the entrance crowd, leading him deep into the maze of wooden racks.

"This section here holds the mid-to-low grade techniques. These scrolls are far better suited for your current… unique situation. Pick something you like. I am going to head over to the Qi Da Shi (Qi Grandmaster) section to find something for myself." She paused, her eyes narrowing as she glared at a group of older disciples lingering nearby.

"If anyone gives you trouble, just yell. I will come back and whip them until they forget their own names."

"Thanks, Luoyao," Xiao Xuan chuckled, giving her a grateful nod.

"I'll be fine." Once she dashed off, Xiao Xuan let out a long breath and turned his attention to the imposing wall of scrolls before him. He slowly walked down the aisle, his eyes scanning the titles etched onto the wooden tags hanging from the shelves. He reached out and picked up a scroll radiating a blistering, angry heat. Fire Fist - Mid-Grade Mortal Martial Art Description: Channels violent fire Qi into the knuckles to create explosive impact. Xiao Xuan grimaced and placed it right back on the shelf.

He moved a few steps down and picked up a heavy, thick scroll made of actual stone tablets tied together. Lion's Roar - Low-Grade Spiritual Art Description: Compresses Qi in the vocal cords to unleash a devastating sonic wave that shatters eardrums and disrupts enemy focus. Absolutely not, Xiao Xuan thought. He spent the next twenty minutes carefully analyzing over a dozen different techniques. Seven Path Breathing Technique, Iron Skin Refinement, Sweeping Gale Kick…

they were all flashy, resource-heavy, and reliant on having a massive reservoir of Qi. After forty-five minutes of fruitless searching, Xiao Xuan was standing in the middle of aisle seven, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"Did you find something good?" a bright voice called out. Xiao Xuan turned to see Su Luoyao jogging toward him, a smug grin plastered on her face. She was tightly clutching a thick, dark purple scroll wrapped in silver chains.

"I take it you had better luck?" Xiao Xuan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" she squealed excitedly, holding the scroll up like a prized trophy.

"Shadow Viper Whip! It's a high-grade technique. I wasn't able to even touch the barrier on this thing last year, but now that my cultivation is in the Qi Da Shi (Qi Grandmaster) rank, I shattered the lock easily! I can finally use it!"

"Congratulations," Xiao Xuan said with a smile.

"That sounds terrifying for anyone who makes you mad."

"Right?" she giggled, before her expression turned serious. She looked at Xiao Xuan's empty hands.

"Wait. What did you choose?" Xiao Xuan sighed, gesturing to the huge racks of glowing scrolls around him.

"I didn't find anything yet. None of these techniques really… fit my style."

"What?!" Luoyao gasped, her eyes darting toward the large water clock sitting at the center of the treasury hall.

"We barely have ten minutes left! You can't leave empty-handed!"

"I'm trying, but everything here is about exploding things or turning my skin into metal," Xiao Xuan complained. Luoyao bit her lip, her eyes darting nervously around the aisle. She looked left. She looked right. Ensuring that the patrolling treasury guards were occupied with breaking up a scuffle three aisles away, a dangerous, deeply mischievous light sparked in her eyes.

"Let's do one thing…" she whispered, her voice dropping an octave. Before Xiao Xuan could react, she grabbed his hand and yanked him behind a towering bookshelf, pulling him directly toward the heavily shadowed rear of the hall.

"Luoyao, what are you doing?" Xiao Xuan hissed, stumbling behind her. She didn't answer. She dragged him straight toward the huge, runic double doors that marked the entrance to the restricted Inner Chambers.

"Su Luoyao, wait!" Xiao Xuan's eyes widened in panic as he realized what she was attempting. He dug his heels into the floor.

"Are you crazy?! The Elder explicitly said we can't go in there! They might not punish you because you're the Patriarch's daughter, but they will definitely skin me alive!"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down!" Luoyao shushed him.

"Just trust me! Look, the barrier on the door is slightly weakened because Elder Chen is doing inventory inside. It's fluctuating. I can slip us in for exactly two minutes."

"Luoyao, no—" It was too late. With a surge of her Qi Da Shi (Qi Grandmaster) aura, she pushed her hand against the golden barrier covering the doors. The runic shield rippled like water, creating a temporary, human-sized gap. She shoved Xiao Xuan through the gap and dove in right behind him, the barrier snapping shut seamlessly behind them. Xiao Xuan stumbled into the dim, heavily perfumed air of the Inner Chamber. His heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.

If I die today, I am definitely haunting her forever!

"Here, look for something here! Quick!" Luoyao whispered frantically, pushing him toward a rack made of sparkling white jade.

"We don't have much time!" Xiao Xuan swallowed hard. He couldn't afford to waste this insane risk. He scurried around, quickly inspecting each scroll. Heavenly Void Obliteration, Moon's Descent… the scrolls here didn't just glow; they vibrated with power. His eyes caught sight of a dull, unassuming blue scroll tucked away in a corner of the lowest rack. He bent down to pick it up.

"I found one," Xiao Xuan whispered urgently, standing up.

"Let me see that!" Su Luoyao rushed over, forcefully snatching the blue scroll from his hands to inspect it. She unrolled the first few inches, her eyes scanning the ancient text. Her brow furrowed in utter confusion.

"Wait… what is this?" she muttered, turning the scroll over." Falcon Dash? A low-grade movement technique?" She looked up at him, utterly bewildered.

"Why is a low-grade technique sitting inside the Inner Chamber?"

"I don't know," Xiao Xuan replied, equally confused.

"But I like it. It focuses on footwork and speed. It's perfect for me to run away if I get into trouble." Luoyao stared at the scroll, then at Xiao Xuan, and sighed.

"Hmm. Well, if you really like it, I guess it's okay. Plus, it's labeled as a low-grade technique, the Elders won't suspect you snuck in here to get it."

"Exactly," Xiao Xuan nodded, firmly taking the scroll back and tucking it securely into his robes.

"Now, can we please leave before we become a permanent stain on the floorboards?"

"Right! Let's go!" Timing her movements, Luoyao waited for the fluctuation in the door's barrier. With a quick surge of Qi, she parted the energy field just enough for them to squeeze through, diving back into the crowded chaos of the outer treasury. They blended seamlessly into a group of disciples heading toward the exit just as a deep, resonant gong echoed through the hall.

"Your time is over!" the Elder's booming voice washed over them, carrying a tone of finality.

"Take only your chosen scroll and step through the exit barrier! The gates are closing. I hope everyone has found something of interest." Xiao Xuan walked alongside Su Luoyao, his hand resting casually over his chest where the blue scroll was hidden. His heart was still racing, but a satisfied smile crept onto his face.