C7 Could It be That I Am a Genius?(1)

It was like stepping into a fairyland!

As Zhong Wen gazed upon the landscape before him, verses from Tao Yuanming's poetry about lush grass and scattered petals sprang to mind. Beyond the stone gate, he initially encountered a narrow path just wide enough for one person. As he progressed, the path broadened, leading to an increasingly luminous expanse.

Suddenly, the view opened up to reveal terraced Herb Gardens, ascending like steps into the distance. The spiritual power in the valley was so potent it nearly solidified, wafting gently through the air. Merely standing there, Zhong Wen felt his weariness vanish, replaced by a surge of boundless energy.

At the far end of the Herb Garden stood a series of pavilions, shrouded in a thick mist of spiritual power, exuding an ethereal charm reminiscent of the celestial realms.

Wandering through the Herb Garden, Zhong Wen noticed that, likely due to long neglect, most of the medicinal herbs had withered. However, a few had thrived, growing robustly, with some even taking on human-like shapes.

Approaching the architectural complex, he was greeted by the majestic facade of a building adorned with four large golden characters: "Medicine King Shrine," which glimmered invitingly. A sense of familiarity welled up within him.

Inside the grand hall, twelve Psicrystal Lamps stood on a long table, each holding a Psicrystal. The spiritual power within the Psicrystals seemed depleted, leaving the lamps unlit.

Portraits hung behind the table, their details obscured by the dimness. With only moonlight filtering into the hall, Zhong Wen couldn't discern whether the figures in the paintings were immortals or buddhas, leaving the object of the Vale of Healing's veneration a mystery.

Exiting the main hall through a rear door, he arrived at a slightly smaller building inscribed with the words "Spirit Medicine Pavilion."

Pushing the door open, he was met with rows upon rows of shelves, each filled with drawers meticulously labeled in ancient writing. He leaned in to read the names: "Spiritbloom," "Pleiades Bloom," "Dragon-Breaking Grass," "Blood Essence Herb," "Thousand-year Fleeceflower Root," "Thousand-year Ruby Bloom"...

Zhong Wen reached out to open the drawer labeled "thousand-year fleeceflower root," only to find that the medicinal herbs inside had long since withered and turned to residue. In the inner compartment of the drawer, a Psicrystal rested. Having read the Chronicles of Vale of Healing, Zhong Wen knew that a special rune, designed to preserve the herbs, was etched at the bottom of the compartment. This rune drew upon the Psicrystal above to activate and circulate, thus protecting the herbs.

With the spiritual power in the Psicrystal now depleted, the rune had ceased to function.

Opening several more drawers, Zhong Wen found that all the herbs had deteriorated into dregs. Disappointed, he closed the drawers and left the Pavilion of Spiritual Medicine.

Next, he approached a triangular building with "Psicrystal Vault" inscribed above the entrance.

Zhong Wen's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Based on the information he had gathered over the past two days, the term "Psicrystal" in this world held the same value as "Gold" did in his previous life. In his mind, "Psicrystal Vault" was synonymous with a "Bank Vault."

Stepping into the Psicrystal Vault, Zhong Wen was overwhelmed with emotion, nearly moved to tears. The anxiety that had plagued him since his unexpected death and subsequent arrival in this world was finally alleviated.

He had hit the jackpot!

Gazing upon the Psicrystals piled into a small mountain on the first floor of the vault, emitting a faint glow, Zhong Wen could hardly contain his excitement.

Fumbling through the Psicrystal heap, he simultaneously scolded himself and, in a display reminiscent of a newly wealthy individual, grabbed a handful and tossed it into the air. He watched the Psicrystals clink and scatter as they fell, rolling down the slope of the pile to the floor.

After some time, he left the mound of Psicrystals with reluctance. He picked up a Psicrystal Lamp near the door, removed the spent Psicrystal, and replaced it with a fresh one he picked up from the ground.

The lamp blazed to life, illuminating the entire vault. Now, Zhong Wen could see even more clearly the vast number of Psicrystals on the first floor, which covered an area roughly half the size of a football field, leaving hardly any space to walk.

Gulp!

Zhong Wen swallowed hard, finally turning to ascend the second level of the Psicrystal Vault.

This floor was significantly smaller than the first, devoid of the Psicrystal mounds found below. Instead, rows of shelves were evenly spaced, each holding Psicrystals that were a size smaller than those on the ground floor. Yet, these smaller Psicrystals radiated a light far more intense than their ordinary counterparts.

"Psicrystal Core?" Zhong Wen murmured, deciphering the ancient writing on the shelf.

While Zhong Wen had no concept of what a Psicrystal Core was, he surmised it was something far more valuable than the standard Psicrystals.

He plucked a Psicrystal Core from the shelf and pocketed it before turning to make his way to the third floor.

The topmost level was even more diminutive, barely more than a room, with its area half that of the second floor. At its center stood a square table, roughly a meter in both width and length, upon which rested a wooden box.

With the excitement of a gamer about to open a treasure chest after defeating a boss, Zhong Wen approached the table. The rune lock on the wooden box had long since failed, allowing him to open it with ease.

Inside, he discovered a milky-white orb the size of a ping-pong ball, its surface emitting a faint, soft glow. It wasn't blinding, but it exuded a soothing aura.

An absolute treasure!

Zhong Wen concluded swiftly in his mind.

Without a moment's hesitation, he pocketed the orb and descended the stairs, eager to delve further into the mysteries of this ancient sect.

Upon leaving the ground floor of the Psicrystal Vault, he cast one last, longing look at the miniature mountain of Psicrystals.

Realizing the hour was growing late, and in order to make it back to Whispering Blossoms before daybreak, Zhong Wen reluctantly bypassed attractions like the Alchemy Pavilion and the Enchanted Artifact Pavilion, heading straight for the Library.

The Library of the Vale of Healing, befitting of a sect of its elevated status, was incomparable to Whispering Blossoms. As he pushed open the door, he was greeted by the rich scent of books. Row upon row of bookshelves were laden with an array of meticulously categorized and neatly arranged books.

Zhong Wen carried the Psicrystal Lamp, scanning the labels on the bookshelves: "Panaceas," "Pill Concocting," "Diagnosis," "Medical Theory," "Herbal Theory," "Treatment," "Acupuncture," "Runes"...

The deeper he ventured, the more disheartened he became. The vast collection of the Vale of Healing was predominantly focused on herbal healing, and he had yet to stumble upon any formidable cultivation methods or forbidden tomes.

Just as he was on the brink of abandoning hope, he finally stumbled upon a secluded shelf labeled "Cultivation Methods and Arcane Techniques."

Overcome with elation, Zhong Wen hurriedly approached with his Psicrystal Lamp in tow.

This... is this it?

The sight of the shelf's meager offerings sent his emotions on a tumultuous ride.

To his astonishment, the entire "Cultivation Method and Arcane Technique" section contained a mere two lonely books!

How could such a renowned sect offer so little?

Zhong Wen nearly let loose a tirade of expletives.

Eventually regaining his composure, he adopted a 'better than nothing' attitude and reached for one of the books. The sight of the five characters in ancient writing on the cover soothed his frustration somewhat.

'Art of Eternal Breath.'

Closing his eyes, the "Sanctum of Scrolls" materialized in his mind, and a familiar prompt appeared:

"Discovered 'Cultivation Method' book: 'Art of Eternal Breath.' Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

Without hesitation, Zhong Wen chose "Yes," and soon a new entry for 'Art of Eternal Breath' appeared in the "Cultivation Method" section of his mental bookshelf, neatly classified under the "diamond" tier.

He returned the 'Art of Eternal Breath' to its place in the library and picked up the adjacent book.

"Discovered 'Arcane Technique' book: 'Zephyr Walk.' Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

"Yes!"

Another volume materialized in the "diamond" tier of the "Arcane Technique" category within Zhong Wen's mind.

Glancing at the vast array of other books, Zhong Wen felt a pang of reluctance to leave with so little. Knowing he couldn't possibly catalog them all, he dashed over to the "Panaceas and Pill Concocting" section and, without scrutinizing the titles, began to sweep his hand across the books, touching each one in turn.

"Detected 'Panacea Class' book, 'Identification of Panaceas, Volume One'. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

"Detected 'Panacea Class' book, 'Identification of Panaceas, Volume Two'. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

"Detected 'Panacea Class' book, 'Detailed Explanation of Panacea Cultivation, Volume One'. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

"Detected 'Panacea Class' book, 'Detailed Explanation of Panacea Cultivation, Volume Two'. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

...

"Found 'Alchemy Class' book, 'Basics of Alchemy, Volume One'. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

"Found 'Alchemy Class' book, 'Basics of Alchemy, Volume Two'. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

"Found 'Alchemy Class' book, 'Advanced Alchemy Techniques, Volume One'. Would you like to add it to your collection? Yes/No."

...

"Phew!"

Just organizing these two categories of books had consumed a great deal of Zhong Wen's time and effort. It was quite a task to catalog them all into the 'Sanctum of Scrolls'. Lu Li wiped the sweat from his forehead with a relieved hand.

Once he finished reading these books, he hoped to find some common ground with the distant goddess, Yin Ning'er!

He was in high spirits, not because he harbored any ill intentions towards Yin Ning'er, but because he wanted to stay at the Whispering Blossoms for a while. He believed that fostering good relationships with the disciples there was essential.

As for any other secret desires he might have, those were not for outsiders to know.