The Hall of Books, as one of the most renowned and widely recognized Opportunity treasures within the Azure Dragon Immortal Abode.
Han Xuanji arrived at Asked Peak, gazing into the distance.
A majestic and ancient grand building, exuding an aura of vast knowledge and profound Dao, shimmered faintly amidst swirling clouds and mist.
The building was ten stories high, its flying eaves and upturned corners pointing directly to the sky, every tile seemingly imprinted with ancient runes.
Legend has it that each floor within contained a massive Legacy of Cultivation Techniques, with their grades increasing progressively with each level, and the legendary tenth floor might even enshrine the supreme Immortal Rank Immortal Art personally passed down by the Azure Dragon Emperor.
However, reaching the tenth floor was extremely difficult.
The Hall of Books' rules were simple yet stringent: comprehend a designated Cultivation Technique of that floor and Cultivate it to a certain Realm to qualify for an upstairs token, allowing entry to the next higher floor.
These rules essentially eliminated the possibility of shortcuts, purely testing a Cultivator's Comprehension Ability and Aptitude.
Of course, the Hall of Books would also provide three choices, with roughly similar difficulty, and would adapt to the Cultivator's characteristics, avoiding the awkward scenario of having a fire-element Cultivator Cultivate water-element Spells.
Han Xuanji stepped into the first floor, where the space was vast, and the walls and Jade Pillars were engraved with countless diagrams and texts of basic Spell Arts.
The Spiritual Qi concentration here far exceeded other places, comparable to an Immortal Cave.
Even Han Xuanji's meticulously crafted Cultivation Immortal Cave was inferior to this place.
"As expected of an Immortal's method."
Han Xuanji nodded slightly.
The Azure Dragon Emperor was a recognized Reincarnation of an Immortal, and definitely not an ordinary Immortal; the Immortal Abode he meticulously crafted was far beyond the comprehension of mortal Cultivators.
On the first floor, besides Han Xuanji, there were only two people sitting cross-legged, apparently having just arrived not long ago.
Next to the staircase stood a luminous white Jade Stele, with Spiritual Light flowing on it, clearly displaying the number of people on each floor.
"First Floor: Three people"
"Second Floor: Nine people"
"Third Floor: Twenty-five people"
"Fourth Floor: Three people"
Forty people entered the Hall of Books.
One year had passed.
The fastest had already reached the fourth floor, while most were stuck on the third floor.
The higher one went, the more profound and abstruse the Cultivation Techniques became; even just achieving Minor Achievement was not an overnight task.
In reality, many people came here not aiming to reach the top, but rather to use this treasure land to comprehend one or two powerful Divine Abilities or Spells, which was already a great Opportunity.
As Han Xuanji stepped into the Hall of Books, a blurry-faced spiritual entity, condensed by the Immortal Abode's rules, silently appeared before him and presented three faintly glowing Jade Slips.
His Divine Sense swept over them:
"Profound Strength," a Profound Rank Medium Grade secret art, for tempering the Physical Body, activating potential, and focusing on explosive, fierce power.
"Flowing Light Steps," a Profound Rank Medium Grade movement technique, emphasizing explosive speed and short-distance evasion and transformation.
"Rock Spirit Art," a Profound Rank Low Grade Spell, a defensive Spell that condenses earth spirit power to form armor.
"Starting with Profound Rank Cultivation Techniques, requiring mastery to the 'Minor Achievement' Realm, each has its own characteristics."
Han Xuanji pondered for a moment and then casually chose "Profound Strength."
However, he did not comprehend the Jade Slip.
"System, how is the Dao here?"
Han Xuanji muttered in his mind.
"This place is a four-star sign-in location."
"Four stars!"
Han Xuanji's heart stirred; this was only the second four-star sign-in location he had encountered.
Unlike the Lake Heart Pavilion, this place allowed for repeated sign-ins.
One should know that the previous three-star Demon Sealing Land yielded a High Grade Immortal Artifact.
This place, as a regular four-star sign-in location, must have many unimaginable rewards.
"System, sign in!"
"Sign-in successful!"
"Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in at the Azure Dragon Immortal Abode · Hall of Books, obtaining the entry 'Dao Heart of Inquiry'."
"Dao Heart of Inquiry: When the heart is sincere, the spirit is responsive; the Dao itself shines. You possess a Dao Heart of Inquiry that is utterly sincere, flawless, and as firm as a rock. All difficulties on the path of cultivation will not shake you in the slightest. Your comprehension of the Great Dao Laws is enhanced. For you, cultivation is no longer an insurmountable chasm, but a traversable path."
Immediately.
An indescribable feeling surged from Han Xuanji's sea of consciousness.
This was not a direct increase in power, but a deep spiritual transformation.
Past moments of confusion in cultivation, and hesitation about the path ahead, vanished at this moment.
They were replaced by an unprecedented clarity and determination.
"Dao Heart of Inquiry... a Dao Heart?"
Han Xuanji's mind stirred, feeling that something inexplicable had been added to him.
The Dao Heart is profound, formless and intangible, yet it determines how far a Cultivator can go.
How many Prodigies have fallen, not due to insufficient talent, but because their Dao Heart was clouded, or they were trapped by an Inner Demon Tribulation, or indulged in power and desire, or succumbed to setbacks, ultimately leading to a shattered Dao Heart.
Some also turned into demons in an instant, doomed to eternal damnation.
And possessing this "Dao Heart of Inquiry" was undoubtedly a guiding light on this long path of cultivation.
Some people are born with obsessions, seemingly stubborn, but their Dao Heart is stable, allowing them to Cultivate to a Realm unimaginable to others.
Han Xuanji was clear about his own understanding.
Cultivation itself is a path with no end in sight.
Longevity is the goal, and freedom is the pursuit.
"The Dao is boundless, why overthink it? Cultivating quickly is the right path."
Han Xuanji's thoughts were much clearer now.
He used to wonder whether to hide his identity or whether to act immediately if the Sect was in trouble; now, he was much purer, focusing solely on the Dao and following his true heart in everything.
Time flew by, days passed one by one.
In a blink of an eye, three years had passed.
Cultivators moved in and out of the Hall of Books.
Some arrived with anticipation, fell into deep thought after choosing a Cultivation Technique, while others found no enlightenment, felt hopeless, and left with dejected expressions, choosing to try their luck in other parts of the Immortal Abode.
On the Jade Stele at the staircase, the floor distribution also changed from time to time; the number of people on the fifth floor occasionally increased by one or two, but the sixth floor remained empty.
On this day, several figures entered the first floor of the Hall of Books.
It was the Blue-Clothed Cultivator and others who had witnessed Han Xuanji walking on water by the Weak Water Lake.
After the setback at Weak Water Lake, they did not give up, but instead traveled to various places in the Immortal Abode, gaining considerable rewards.
Today, they arrived at this Hall of Books, seeking new Opportunities.
"Oh?"
The Blue-Clothed Cultivator's gaze swept across the first floor, and when he saw the figure sitting cross-legged with closed eyes in the corner, his pupils suddenly constricted, and his footsteps involuntarily halted.
"It's him!"
A Sword Cultivator with a sword on his back also recognized him, his face full of astonishment,
"I remember he was the one who obtained the Immortal Rank Opportunity at Weak Water Lake, right?"
"I didn't expect him to come too."
"Given his high Comprehension Ability, it's normal for him to be here, but he just arrived, right?"
Someone whispered a guess.
"I think so. With his Comprehension Ability, he might even reach the tenth floor of the Hall of Books."
"Yes, after all, he's the ruthless person who reached the center of the lake in just one year..."
Their discussion quickly alarmed a short-haired black-clothed Cultivator on the first floor.
He said disdainfully:
"Him? He's been here for over a month at least, and still stuck on the first floor... The tenth floor, indeed..."
Hearing this, the others looked at each other, filled with great confusion.
Given the terrifying Comprehension Ability he displayed at Weak Water Lake, how could he still be lingering on the first floor of the Hall of Books?
"Could it be... he's comprehending something even more profound?"
The Blue-Clothed Cultivator looked at Han Xuanji's unperturbed figure, and many conjectures arose in his mind.
"Or, is there some hidden mystery on this first floor?"
Han Xuanji naturally sensed their arrival, but his heart was as still as water, unmoved.
He wondered what these people were imagining...
"System, sign in."
"Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in at the Azure Dragon Immortal Abode · Hall of Books, obtaining the Cultivation Technique "Grand Beginning Immortal Formula""