Despite Fang Xing's seemingly fair suggestion, Chu Ci was so angry her teeth began to ache. Fang Xing, however, no longer paid any attention to her and simply returned his desk and stool to his storage sack before swaggering off to the front of a Scripture Cave. The words "Cave of Senses" were written on a sign next to it, and once Fang Xing flipped out a formation-countering talisman so its aura could be felt, the cave entrance opened up and allowed him to enter. Once inside, Fang Xing could see that the snowy walls within were carved with dozens of shelves, eached adorned with shining jade scrolls containing the texts of spells and techniques.
"Oh wow, there's so many…." Fang Xing's eyes glimmered with interest as he drew closer to read, but a person's shadow suddenly appeared against him. The little princess Chu Ci had also followed him inside and stood at the entrance of the cave. She stared at him like a ghost, her gaze giving off a chilling sensation.
"Dammit girl, why are you following me like some debt collector? It's not like I owe you anything…" Fang Xing muttered to himself in dissatisfaction before deciding to continue reading without paying her any more attention.
After quickly flipping through, he understood. This Scripture Cave was filled with spells that would teach someone how to nourish and improve their spirit sense, or how to change their spirit sense into skills such as "Spirit Sense Healing" or "Ice Form Spirit Sense".
Next to each jade scroll was a purple talisman to guard it. If someone were to place their palm over the purple talisman, they'd be able to feel the introduction of the jade scroll and what kind of contents lay within. Those who entered the Scripture Cave would be able to choose scrolls suitable for them to study, but everyone had to do so through exchanging Black Ice Orders: one order for one scroll, and the decision couldn't be changed once made.
As it so happened, even though the five Golden Cores had given all the young elites such a grand opportunity and had presented them with all the various techniques and skills they'd accumulated throughout their lives, these scrolls still couldn't just be taken away by anyone at will. The elites only had access to skills based upon their performance within the trial grounds, with each different formation-countering talisman allowing them access to different Scripture Caves.
Furthermore, once someone had entered a cave, they'd only be able to choose one scroll, and they'd have to also instill some of their Qi into the purple talisman guarding it to vow they would use this scroll only for themselves and never pass it on to anyone else. Many of the scrolls within these caves were secret techniques and spells exclusive to the Golden Cores' direct pupils and clansmen, after all—there would be quite a storm if they were openly shared.
Simply put, these five Golden Cores were planning to use these spells and techniques to raise the battle prowess of these young elites within a short period of time, but that didn't mean these elites had the right to pass any of it on to others.
After flipping through a few, Fang Xing didn't settle on a single scroll. After going through their introductions, he simply felt they weren't very useful to him.
The Melodic Ice Palace specialized in using sound, and so the requirements they placed on their disciples' spirit sense was rather high. Most of the manuals here were primarily to help a Spirit Stage cultivator grow and improve upon their spirit sense, allowing a cultivator to have more control over their spells after study. It also meant their spirit sense would be more powerful after forming their foundation, but Fang Xing had already formed his foundation and ordinary techniques that helped improve spirit sense were of no use to him.
The only skill that could possibly be of use would perhaps be the "Deity's Mysterious Sound Technique", which could help nurt
ure the spirit sense of a Foundation Stage cultivator as well as turn the sense into various types of attacks. This was a skill that needed the direct approval of the old man Hu Qin to learn, however, which involved passing old man Hu Qin's personal test and meeting his requirements.
Wherever Fang Xing walked, Princess Chu Ci's eyes followed, causing Fang Xing to feel extremely uncomfortable. The Scripture Cave was actually quite small, so he couldn't hide even if he wanted to. He didn't want to respond to her at first, but he hadn't been able to hold it in any longer and finally cursed in response, "Dammit girl, why the hell are you following me?"
Princess Chu Ci bit her lip and angrily replied, "You've insulted me and I'm angry!"
"Come come come, I'll let you touch me then so we'll be even!"
Chu Ci was so angry she became blue in the face. "Who'd want to touch you?"
"Then tell me what you want?" Fang Xing asked while shrugging his shoulders.
Chu Ci continued to bite her lip. "I haven't thought it through yet!"
Fang Xing let out a sigh. "Then come and find me after you think it through?"
Chu Ci's answer was abnormally blunt and simple: "No!"
Fang Xing could only rub at his forehead. "What, are you going to follow me forever until you think it through?"
Although she was caught off guard, Chu Ci stubbornly answered, "Yes!"
"Whatever…" Fang Xing sighed. With that, he folded both of his hands against his back and turned to walk towards the cave entrance. By the time he'd reached it, however, he realized there weren't any others inside and an evil idea formed within his mind. He suddenly turned around and pressed Princess Chu Ci up against the cave wall while his two small hands swam up and down her body. Whether it was somewhere he could touch or somewhere he could not, he felt up everything while Princess Chu Ci was so afraid as to be frozen stiff against the icy walls. In that moment, she was so surprised and stiff from shock she couldn't even fend for herself.
"Haha, you wanted to follow me, right? Then follow me as much as you like…." When Fang Xing saw her shocked appearance, his boldness grew even larger and he suddenly leaned forward to press his lips against hers for a full-on kiss. Once he felt he'd gotten his fill, Fang Xing let out a loud laugh and fled from the Scripture Cave in a flash.
As for Princess Chu Ci, she leaned up against the stone walls still in shock. It took her a very long time before she realized just what had happened.
"AHHHHH!"
Although a high-pitched shriek suddenly began to echo off the walls within the Scripture Cave, the formation blocked off the sound, preventing those outside from hearing it whatsoever.
After Chu Ci followed Fang Xing inside the Scripture Cave, the Yin Servants An and Qiao began to quietly whisper to each other. "The princess followed that little livestock inside. Is Her Highness going to be fine?" Considering the boy had even held Princess Chu Ci hostage earlier, Yin Servant An had been concerned the boy might do something to the princess inside the cave, but—in a moment of his carelessness—the princess had directly rushed inside the cave before they could stop her. As servants, they naturally didn't have any formation-countering talismans to enter themselves, so they could only wait outside in a panic while unable to follow inside to protect her.
"It should be fine. This is a very important place; no matter how bold that brat is, he wouldn't dare to do anything bad to the princess within the Scripture Cave!" Servant Qiao responded, trying to calm Servant An. He suddenly paused however, and murderous intent flashed across his eyes before he continued, "But for this little brat to dare take the princess hostage to threaten us, he is clearly seeking death. We should consider how to sort this little brat out!"
Servant An was a little surprised. "This little brat's crimes are enough for him to be put to death a million times over. If we were outside the Snowy Mountain, I would definitely let him taste the power of my Soul Search, but wouldn't we be breaking the rules if we were to kill him within the Snowy Mountain?"
Servant Qiao's face darkened before he firmly responded, "Do you really think His Highness won't find out about what happened today? Heh, if His Highness found out someone was able to take the princess hostage in front of us with nothing done in response, what kind of punishment do you think we'll receive?"
A trace of concern began to appear in Servant An's eyes. "But if we were to break the rules, wouldn't that also be bad?"
Servant Qiao coldly replied, "Yes, of course! His Highness is incredibly strict with the rules, and also someone who knows them well. If we were to commit murder within the Snowy Mountain, His Highness would definitely give us a heavy punishment, but… heh, if we don't kill that little brat who dared to take the princess hostage, it wouldn't be a matter of being punished or not. Xiao An'zi, do you want to experience what it's like to have your body destroyed and your soul shattered into ash?"
Servant An's gaze immediately changed to extreme fear and he slightly shook his head.
Servant Qiao sneered. "His Highness follows the rules, and so it falls upon us to break the rules on his behalf when necessary. I already asked around, and it seems that little brat used to be a servant of the Myriad Beasts Sect, but he fell into great luck and became a disciple of the Wanluo Court. However, it seems he was recruited just to sweep the floors; it doesn't seem as though he's actually important, and so there wouldn't be too much of a problem even if we did kill him…."
Servant An's gaze became cold and harsh. "Where should we do it, then?"
"There's a hundred or so miles between the Scripture Caves and the Wanluo Court. Let's do it while he's returning, so it'll be far from places like these and it won't be considered intentionally breaking the rules of the Snowy Mountain…."
"Even if we decide to kill him, there's still one more problem. When I sent the Whip of Intent out towards him earlier, the little brat was able to easily deal with it, and the princess hadn't had any chance of defending herself against him despite being Spirit Stage tier eight. It seems clear from this the little brat does have some methods that make him more difficult to deal with than an ordinary Spirit Stage cultivator. We cannot be careless. We should make sure it's all carefully planned out first…."
"We're in Foundation Stage. Even if the little brat does have a few methods, how could he stop us from killing him?" Servant Qiao said with a disdainful snort. He paused for some time before adding, "But yes, being careful is important. You go and make some arrangements, I'll wait for him here to keep him from slipping away…."
Once the two Yin Servants finished their discussion, one of them rode away on a cloud while the other coldly glared at the entrance of the Scripture Cave.
Meanwhile, Fang Xing had fallen upon the excuse of "Since you were the one who wanted to follow me around no matter what, I might as well get as much from it as I can" and had bullied Princess Chu Ci quite thoroughly before leaving. When he dashed out of the cave, he looked around and noticed there was one fewer Yin Servant, and the one remaining was staring at him without good intentions. Fang Xing returned the gaze with a vicious glare and turned to walk into another Scripture Cave while cursing "Damn eunuch" under his breath.
After a long time had passed, an angry and flush-faced Princess Chu Ci finally came out of the first Scripture Cave. After looking around and finding Fang Xing nowhere to be seen, she immediately turned to Servant Qiao and loudly asked, "Where is that bastard? Did he flee?"
Surprised, Servant Qiao pointed at the other Scripture Cave. "He went inside the Sword Doctrine Cave!"
Princess Chu Ci stared in that direction with hatred bubbling up deep from within, but she didn't have any formation-countering talismans that would let her enter so she could only wait outside and stew.
When Servant Qiao saw this, however, he felt it would be problematic for her to remain here. It would be better if he dirtied his hands and broke the rules himself; the princess was a disciple of the Snowy Mountain, and things could get quite problematic if she remained here and was later implicated in what was going to happen. Besides, this little brat was so brazen that he'd take the princess hostage in the first place, so Servant Qiao truly didn't want her to wait here and decided to send the princess away first. "Princess, His Highness has been waiting for Your Highness at Mount Apprehension," he declared with a smile.
"Isn't it still early, though?" Princess Chu Ci asked, surprised.
"His Highness is trying to help Princess increase cultivation levels. It is best Your Highness departs a little earlier!"
Chu Ci bit her lip while giving a hateful glare towards the Sword Doctrine Cave. "After my brother helps me increase my cultivation level and gives me an Ancient tool, I'll make sure to have you humiliated…" she began to mutter to herself. "I'm going to… I'm going to… I'm going to split your bottom into pieces…."
Servant Qiao clearly heard what she said, but he simply thought to himself, 'Your Highness, you likely won't get the opportunity to do so….'