God-rank and Saint-rank cultivation techniques—let alone Hong Tian Academy—were treasures that even peerless, top-tier sects might not possess. And even if they did, such techniques would be hidden as supreme inheritances, utterly unreachable to ordinary people.
If Zhang Xuan could truly create such a cultivation method himself, his future cultivation speed would undoubtedly be terrifying—progressing twice as fast with half the effort.
"I don't have the Fourth Layer cultivation method yet. I'll head to the teachers' section of the Compendium Pavilion and take a look."
The academy's Hong Tian Nine Layer Formula required each layer's cultivation method to be accessed separately. Zhang Xuan had only ever seen the Third Layer; the Fourth Layer was something he had never even touched.
He left his residence. By the time he stepped outside, night had already fallen.
The moon hung high in the sky, its pale light spilling across the ground like scattered silver. The paths were dim yet tranquil. Beneath the trees, lovers who had tasted forbidden sweetness whispered softly to one another, their figures pressed close in the quiet night.
Zhang Xuan had no interest in such scenes. He quickened his pace, and before long, a towering building appeared before him.
The Compendium Pavilion.
One of the most important locations in the entire academy.
The pavilion was divided into two main sections—one for students, one for teachers—and housed countless cultivation techniques, martial skills, and manuals accumulated over generations.
"Elder Mo."
Before reaching the entrance, Zhang Xuan bowed to the elderly man seated nearby.
Elder Mo was one of the Compendium Pavilion's guardians. No one knew exactly what realm he had reached. It was said he ranked among the strongest figures the academy could deploy, yet he had not acted for many years.
"You've come," Elder Mo said, stroking his sparse beard as his gaze swept over Zhang Xuan. "You've broken through to the Martial Artist Fourth Layer?"
"By luck," Zhang Xuan replied honestly.
"Good. Very good," Elder Mo nodded in satisfaction. "Cultivation thrives on fresh blood. The academy needs more young teachers like you. The Fourth Layer techniques are on the fourth row of shelves. Go find them yourself."
"Yes."
Zhang Xuan didn't linger. He stepped into the pavilion.
As he watched Zhang Xuan's retreating figure, Elder Mo shook his head with a sigh.
"The child is a good one… it's just that his talent is lacking. His cultivation speed is far too slow."
Most cultivators could break through the Third Layer in two years. Zhang Xuan had taken over three.
The difference in talent was obvious.
"Still, now that he's reached the Fourth Layer, he can at least be considered a passable teacher. Hopefully his performance in the next Teacher Qualification Examination won't be too embarrassing…"
Murmuring to himself, Elder Mo closed his eyes again.
What he didn't know was that Zhang Xuan had already entered the pavilion.
Though the Compendium Pavilion of Hong Tian Academy was massive and well-organized—no worse than the library Zhang Xuan worked at in his previous life—it was utterly incomparable to the Library of Heaven's Path within his mind.
The two weren't even on the same level.
Zhang Xuan quickly arrived at the cultivation technique section and located the fourth row of shelves.
Sure enough, the Fourth Layer cultivation method of the Hong Tian Nine Layer Formula was there.
He pulled it out and flipped through it casually.
Hū—
The Library of Heaven's Path stirred. A corresponding book appeared instantly in his mind.
Opening it, Zhang Xuan saw page after page of densely packed flaws—more than a thousand, just like the Third Layer.
"There are other Fourth Layer techniques here too. Might as well look at them all."
Having already experienced the breakthrough once, Zhang Xuan no longer panicked at the sight of flaws. Instead, his gaze swept across the entire shelf.
The fourth row was crammed with cultivation techniques—countless manuals, annotations left by predecessors, and explanatory notes. Thousands of pages in total.
For ordinary cultivators, reading even one of these carefully could strain the eyes and confuse the mind. Different theories contradicted one another; choosing incorrectly could easily lead to qi deviation.
Zhang Xuan was different.
With the Library of Heaven's Path, he didn't need to judge right or wrong himself.
Without hesitation, he grabbed one book after another, flipping through them rapidly.
Hū!
Each time, a corresponding volume appeared in his mind.
He didn't stop.
He wasn't selecting—he was collecting.
Hua la la—
The sound of pages flipping echoed through the pavilion.
"Unsteady temperament. Impatient and unrealistic."
Hearing the noise, Elder Mo frowned.
If one cultivated the Hong Tian Nine Layer Formula, one should focus on mastering it thoroughly. Carefully copying the Fourth Layer method and returning to cultivate diligently was the proper path.
Reading too many techniques without sufficient foundation only led to confusion.
Thirty years ago, a genius teacher had attempted to absorb the strengths of countless techniques to create his own path. In the end, overwhelmed by conflicting knowledge, he suffered severe qi deviation and went mad.
Biting off more than one could chew was a fatal flaw in cultivation.
Zhang Xuan had taken over three years just to break through the Third Layer—his talent was mediocre at best. Instead of cultivating steadily, he was flipping through books like a showman.
Pure bravado.
Elder Mo's initial goodwill evaporated.
"This is nothing but empty posturing."
When Elder Mo saw that Zhang Xuan wasn't even reading carefully—merely flipping pages at random—his brows knit even tighter.
This wasn't learning.
It was farce.
"Such frivolity… how can someone like this be a teacher?" Elder Mo snorted coldly. "The academy's standards truly are declining."
With a shake of his head, he closed his eyes and paid Zhang Xuan no further attention.
Meanwhile—
"Done."
Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.
He flipped through each book in one or two breaths. In just over half an hour, he had gone through every Fourth Layer technique on the shelf. Within the Library of Heaven's Path, several thousand corresponding books now floated quietly.
"I should head back and sort through these."
Satisfied, Zhang Xuan turned to leave.
"You didn't copy anything?" Elder Mo opened his eyes again, surprised.
Even if Zhang Xuan had merely been showing off, he should have at least transcribed one technique. Yet he had come empty-handed—and was leaving the same way.
Was this a joke?
"I just took a casual look," Zhang Xuan said with a polite smile, bowing slightly before turning to leave.
"A casual look?" Elder Mo's expression darkened. "Frivolous! Utterly frivolous! Cultivation techniques are the foundation of a cultivator's life—how can they be treated so lightly?"
It seemed the academy truly needed to reform its teaching standards.
Returning to his residence, Zhang Xuan immediately began transcribing.
He first corrected the Fourth Layer of the Hong Tian Nine Layer Formula, then moved on to other techniques.
One after another.
After several books, he rubbed his forehead.
"Thousands of techniques… this is still troublesome."
Even with the Library of Heaven's Path, manually sorting through so many records was no simple task.
Just as he considered speeding things up, his Sea of Consciousness trembled violently.
The thousands of books within the Library of Heaven's Path suddenly shattered—like glass breaking under pressure—and began to merge.
Buzz—!
A clear vibration rang out.
All the fragments fused together, forming a single book.
The book had no title.
Zhang Xuan opened it—and his face flushed red with excitement.
"All the correct portions… combined into one?"
This book contained nothing but the flawless paths extracted from thousands of techniques.
Not a single error remained.
"This… there isn't even one flaw."
The cultivation method recorded within was neither the Hong Tian Nine Layer Formula nor any known technique. It was something entirely new—something that had never existed before.
Since it was formed by the Library of Heaven's Path, created from the most perfect principles—
Zhang Xuan smiled.
"Then I'll call it… Heaven's Path Divine Art."
Buzz!
As if responding to his thoughts, the blank title page shimmered. Four majestic characters slowly appeared upon it.
Heaven's Path Divine Art.