Chapter 185: The One in White

“After martial contests, is it time for literary battles now…?”

The girl with silvery-blue eyes swept her gaze around the room, which was filled with countless ancient books scattered across the shelves like stars in the night sky. A cheerful smile crept onto her lips.

“Perfect! I love reading. What tricks do you have up your sleeve?”

With that, the girl didn’t rush to wander around the library; instead, she plopped down on the nearest chair and grabbed a hefty book that was close at hand, giving it a cursory glance.

“‘Record of Geomancy Ecological Studies’… What is this nonsense?”

As the saying goes, haste makes waste. Since the God had set up this situation, it wouldn’t be as simple as demolishing the library to clear the challenge. Sylvester’s plans also wouldn’t come to fruition in a day. Being overly hasty would only complicate matters further.

With this in mind, Vilyric casually opened the book in her hands, eager to see what it contained.

“Oh…?”

To her surprise, the author of this book was quite skilled. His research on the circulation of geomancy magic was nearly unparalleled, allowing him to predict its changing trends and even manipulate the geomantic flow to alter weather or cause magic to rampage, easily obliterating an entire city’s life!

What was recorded in the book was his lifelong insights and reflections, and after reading just a few pages, Vilyric felt she had gained a lot, unable to resist getting deeply immersed in it.

It wasn’t until she finished the last page and closed the heavy tome, which was thicker than a dictionary, that she snapped back to reality, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“Oh dear, I lost track of time…”

Not knowing how long had passed, Vilyric, being a member of the Divine race, wouldn’t easily tire and didn’t have the same hard requirements for food and sleep as others. She loved reading, and it was entirely normal for her to read for hours on end when she found a book that caught her interest.

In the outside world, she could at least gauge the time by observing light changes, but in this dark, sealed library where no sun or moon shone, it was difficult to tell how much time had gone by unless she actively pulled up some largely useless system panel.

“Though I doubt it matters much, looks like I should really change this bad habit…”

“Why not enjoy the bookish delights? Isn’t it a joy to be a young lady immersed in books? What’s wrong with that?”

Just as she finished speaking, a boy in white stepped out from a corner, gently echoing the girl’s self-deprecating humor, and took a seat across from Vilyric with a smile.

He looked around fifteen or sixteen, exuding elegance and possessing a scholarly demeanor. His black hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, and he wore a feathered crown while holding a folding fan, looking quite harmless.

However, with the surrounding area engulfed in spiritual points (sp), Vilyric understood that there had been no other creatures in the library until she had finished reading and made a sound. This boy had apparently materialized out of thin air after that.

Most likely, this guy wasn’t exactly normal.

“You’re the examiner for the second stage? How can I pass?”

The Priestess got straight to the point with her question, but the boy merely continued to smile as he replied.

“Not at all~ Not at all~ I’m not an examiner at all, nor do I dare to speak of assessments. Since the young lady could break through the Twelve Palaces to come here, you must have great powers. I’m sure you could easily wipe me out with a snap of your fingers. I fully understand all of this. I merely wish to discuss some literary knowledge with you.”

“…?”

Wait… Why does this guy sound so pompous? He has to twist his words for just a couple of sentences, and even the translation tool can’t render it into plain language. I have to say, that’s some kind of skill…

But then again, everything has its pros and cons. Vilyric couldn’t expect everyone to perfectly match her personality standards, so she stayed silent and simply nodded lightly.

“Fine, what do I need to do specifically? Just to be clear, I don’t have all day to waste here. If you plan to discuss for several days and nights, I won’t be able to keep up with you.”

The boy lightly shook his folding fan and chuckled.

“Hehe, the young lady is indeed impatient; one should cultivate oneself more… Well then, listen closely.”

The boy shook his head helplessly, gently opened his fan, and seemed to peruse something written on it before pausing for a moment and gently saying.

“Qian belongs to cold, Kun belongs to fiery, Kan and Li represent water and fire. If this mingling place experiences torrents and continuous snow, what could it be? What’s the solution?”

“Uh?”

Instinctively raising an eyebrow, Vilyric studied the boy’s scholarly face for a moment, but he remained smiling, patiently waiting for her answer.

Finally, Vilyric spoke up, but she didn’t immediately provide an answer; instead, she grinned slightly and said, “You… is this an easy question?”

Instantly, the boy’s smile broadened.

“Ah, young lady, you are mistaken. I pose the question, you respond, and all the content is indeed within the grand library’s volumes. What’s not possible?”

“Hmph, underestimating me, huh?”

Annoyed, the Priestess scrunched her nose and, without wasting any more time, promptly declared.

“Qian is cold, Kun is fiery, Qian moves south, continuous snow fills the skies; Kan represents water, Li represents fire, Kan moves west, torrential rain descends; this is the reason.”

She spoke quickly and, without pausing, continued.

“The geomancy lines are the veins of the earth. One must comb through the geomantic channels to connect with their energy. Qian moving south must be due to a blockage in Kun’s energy, while Kan moving west is because of Li’s obstructed flow. Clear the channels of both, and calamity shall be resolved, resulting in smooth energy, without dampness or cold… how about that?”

The boy covered his face with the fan and then burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahahaha! Marvelous! Truly marvelous! Young lady, you are exceptional indeed! After just a brief glance, you possess such an impressive memory. I truly admire you!”

“Humph…”

Indeed, the question the boy had just asked was precisely what Vilyric had read a moment ago in the book, “Record of Geomancy Ecological Studies.” Moreover, the scenario he described perfectly matched what was currently happening in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons, so she had paid extra attention to that content and remembered it well.

Plus, given the Divine race’s already incredible physical prowess and what the boy said about having nearly photographic memory, it was a piece of cake for her to give the correct answer.

   

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