Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest-Chapter 697 - The Reader in the Scripture Pavilion
Chapter 697 -697 The Reader in the Scripture Pavilion
Below Golden Core, none can be undefeated!
In his second battle with Liang Cen, Wang Chen fully proved that his strength had already reached the pinnacle of his tier.
Liang Cen was not an ordinary Evil Cultivator.
Originally a Silver Badge constable from the Demon-Suppression Division, his cultivation level skyrocketed instead of falling after turning to evil, stepping into the realm of a Half-step Golden Core.
This was the fundamental reason why Guan Shengping harbored no suspicions when Wang Chen was seriously injured in his first battle with Liang Cen.
In the eyes of the Golden Core True Person, it was very normal for Wang Chen to lose to Liang Cen.
...
He just hadn’t expected Wang Chen to “lose” so miserably.
Yet, in reality, when Wang Chen didn’t need to act, once he faced this enemy at the peak of the Purple Mansion tier again, he exhibited utterly overwhelming power!
Actually, even before Wang Chen obtained the External Core, he could have easily defeated Liang Cen.
Having assimilated the External Core, let alone dealing with Liang Cen, even a Golden Core True Person like Guan Shengping could be fooled!
However, Wang Chen, who had quietly returned to Yongle Immortal City, still displayed the demeanor and appearance of someone whose Taoist Foundation was damaged and whose cultivation level had fallen.
As a result, Guan Shengping completely lost interest in Wang Chen and was even too lazy to use his connections to find someone to treat him.
Under the instructions of the Director of the Evil-Suppressing Department, “injured” Wang Chen was quickly reassigned to a new place.
To a very leisurely job.
Manager of the Scripture Pavilion.
His previous two positions, first as a prison guard and then as a constable, were both among the lower echelons within Yongle Immortal City’s system.
Now, Wang Chen had been promoted, becoming a manager—a minor boss!
But what kind of place was the Scripture Pavilion?
The Scripture Pavilion of Yongle Immortal City was situated in the southwest corner of the city, very close to the cliff edge (the rim of the Dragon Turtle’s carapace), and would be the most susceptible to destruction should war break out.
The nine-story Scripture Pavilion had a vast area, but its architectural layout was completely the style of hundreds of years ago, and it was evident from the lack of regular maintenance and repair work that upon entering, Wang Chen could sense an aura of decay and dilapidation.
After presenting the official document from the Patrol and Arrest Bureau, Wang Chen smoothly took over his new position.
His job from now on was to patrol inside the Scripture Pavilion, ensuring that the books were not maliciously damaged or stolen, in addition to maintaining peace and tranquility within the pavilion.
But who would be full enough to cause trouble in the Scripture Pavilion and bring discomfort to themselves and their families?
It should be known that this was not just any Scripture Pavilion—the books and scrolls stored there amounted to thousands, lacking any divine Cultivation Techniques or manuals; they were mostly the experiential diaries, cultivation insights, and life reflections left by predecessors.
Additionally, there were books related to the Taoist Sect and Taoist Skills!
Apart from these, the Scripture Pavilion also housed the archives accumulated over the years by Yongle Immortal City.
In fact, it was akin to a library plus a record bureau from Wang Chen’s previous life!
Wang Chen thought…
That this job was actually quite good.
“Manager Wang, let me take you on a tour of the pavilion,” said a white-bearded old cultivator with a smile, “How about you familiarize yourself with the environment first?”
The old cultivator surnamed Ma looked as if he had been working there for too long, and his life was not satisfying, his smile tinged with resignation, his tone overly intimate.
“Thank you, senior,” replied Wang Chen, offering a salute in gratitude.
Ma laughed it off, waving his hand: “It’s nothing, just a trifle.”
He secretly sighed to himself; a young Purple Mansion cultivator like Wang Chen, as long as he found the opportunity to stand out, would inevitably catch the eye of some major figures from beyond their circle.
And reclaim the glory of yesteryear!
Wang Chen is now of a somewhat advanced age and lacks any background or origins, which likely means he can’t even afford the pills needed to reconstruct his Root Bone.
Furthermore, he works in a place like the Scripture Pavilion. Over time, it’s possible for him to remain in a perpetual state of decline.
And sink into oblivion.
Under the guidance of a cultivator with the surname Ma, Wang Chen started from the great hall on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion and finished on the eighth.
The collections of the Scripture Pavilion, although not including Cultivation Manuals, were also divided into grades and tiers—the most basic and common ones were placed on the first or second floors, with the more substantial volumes located farther up.
As the new Manager, Wang Chen didn’t need to do the physically taxing work of cleaning, sweeping, or repairing and restoring.
All he needed to do was oversee.
He didn’t need to clock in, nor work overtime, and most importantly, there was no need to fight and risk his life in battles. This job was truly easygoing.
Of course, the salary and benefits were incomparable to his previous roles as a prison guard and Patrol and Arrest Officer.
Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.
The Immortal Merit he could earn in a year was pitifully small.
Yet, such a job was still highly sought after in the Immortal City!
Wang Chen had to thank the Patrol and Arrest Bureau for finding him this kind of job to support his family.
As an “Ashes-level librarian,” the cultivator with the surname Ma, who was about to retire and return home, shared decades of work experience and the Scripture Pavilion’s regulations and systems with Wang Chen, without holding anything back.
He thought Wang Chen would be heartbroken, angry, despairing, and full of regret after truly understanding the Scripture Pavilion.
However, Wang Chen listened quietly throughout, accompanying the Ma-surnamed cultivator in the Scripture Pavilion on a “journey” through memories of the past.
Wang Chen felt more and more that this job was perfectly suited to his current self!
In the days that followed, Wang Chen arrived at the Scripture Pavilion on time every day, sitting in his own room, flipping through the volumes and scrolls brought to him.
It is said that the Scripture Pavilion houses hundreds of thousands of books. Although Wang Chen, as a cultivator, is close to reaching the Golden Core, considering the time required to read through these volumes, it would take years to go through them all.
Interestingly, the ninth and highest floor of the Scripture Pavilion is not open to the public. Wang Chen’s previous attempt to visit resulted in a flat rejection!
As days went by, Wang Chen’s “injuries” gradually healed.
But his Cultivation Level had dropped by a full three tiers, plummeting from the eighth tier of the Purple Mansion to the fifth, a loss described as “extremely severe.”
For a cultivator like Wang Chen, once the Cultivation Level has fallen, it’s very difficult to fully recover.
Therefore, Guan Shengping’s assessment of Wang Chen had greatly diminished compared to before!
Nevertheless, Wang Chen had already found joy in his new work.
He would read three books every day, one in the morning and two in the afternoon, roughly the same number of words each day.
Then, in his spare time within the Scripture Pavilion, Wang Chen would quietly refine his External Core.
Although his External Core was already formed and he could control it at will,
the longer and more often he refined it, the higher the affinity between the External Core and Wang Chen would be.
At the same time, Wang Chen didn’t neglect his studies.
Every five days, the Immortal Gates would send a cultivator at the peak of the Purple Mansion to teach and impart Taoist Skills to those within the Scripture Pavilion.
He hadn’t missed a single lesson, much like a country child who had come to the big city to study, working hard and desperately reading books for the sake of a better future.
Although the city was safe, Wang Chen felt an urgency within him.
This sense of urgency was like a whip lashing him fiercely, preventing him from wanting to stop even for a moment.
Today’s efforts might be the key to his future salvation!
——
The first update is here.
