At the heights of those eighty-one flights of stairs, the man who appeared was garbed in a long-sleeved, tight-fitting robe of a scholar, and his body was average despite a ravenous appetite existing perpetually in his gaze. While his appearance was far from outstanding, the air about him granted one a sense of freshness and amicability.
Seeing him appear here today was one of the things that Wei Wuyin could have never guessed in his lifetime, so the light of surprise effusing from his silver eyes was as genuine as humanly possible.
"Old man?"
"Wei Wuyin!"
The two exchanged looks across a distance. Liu Suyin was taken aback by this interaction, giving the newcomer a brief look before recognizing his status based on his robes and emblem of a full azure moon on his upper-left torso. But considering that Wei Wuyin had never been to the World Between the Fold, she was a little surprised that they would recognize each other. Unless this status was recent, and he was a member of that group?
The old man smiled. So this was the one he was personally instructed to show the greatest care to! How unexpected. "Come up; these logs of metal and power won't halt you." After saying those words, the small jar filled with nuts emanating an earthy glow was stuffed inside his mouth once again, followed by loud chewing.
Wei Wuyin's eyes brightened. This was the old man from over a decade ago, the Ascended being that he met alongside a mysterious young woman from the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region! The humble eater of strange things! He had never gotten his name, but there was a silently forming bud of friendship between them. A type of natural affinity.
In a way, besides Wang Yutian, who was disguising himself as an automaton lacking intelligence and individuality, the old man was his first true exposure to those outside of his birthplace of a starfield, and into the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region.
Wei Wuyin didn't hesitate in the slightest at the open invitation. He stepped on the stairs and began his ascent. Liu Suyin gave him a look and followed immediately after. She originally found that being with Wei Wuyin felt like a heavy, exhausting chore, but after their days of conversation on the Skyship, she was desiring more.
If the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region's elite masters knew that she, the Vice-Sect Master of the Void Voyage Sect, wanted to tether to a mortal youth almost five times younger than her to pick his brain, there would be quite a lot of exclamations of disbelief and surprise.
Wei Wuyin climbed the eighty-one flights of stairs with quickness, arriving before the two Earthly Saint guards and the old man stuffing his face using some type of pecan-like food. It gave off a sweet smell.
The old man saw Wei Wuyin's interest, pushing his jar towards Wei Wuyin as an offering gesture. Wei Wuyin, just like before, didn't hesitate to grab a handful. The vigorous earthly energies within were incredibly powerful. Despite getting a mere handful, the weight of these nuts could destabilize the orbit of a tiny-sized planet should it drop on its surface.
However, Wei Wuyin's arm contained absurd degrees of strength, and with ease, he ate the pecan-like nuts one at a time. It was indeed sweet, earthy, and nutty in flavor. Rich earthly energy began to circulate through his body as it reached his stomach, effusing out these energies constantly. "Good stuff," Wei Wuyin remarked genuinely. Just a single nut could equate to a seventh-grade Earth Essence Pill. Where did this man find such high-quality natural foods?
"Good stuff indeed," the old man nodded approvingly with a chuckle. The two shared a gaze, then popped a few more and chomped down in a mutually enjoyed state bearing faint smiles.
"Azure Librarian." Liu Suyin called out, causing their states to slowly withdraw. The old man gave Liu Suyin a look. With a cough, he put the jar away with a flick of his wrist to who knows where and bowed slightly.
He respectfully said, "Greetings, Endless Envoy Liu." Wei Wuyin finished what little stock he had gotten from the old man, and gave him a raised brow. The tone in that voice of his might sound respectful, but it felt extremely perfunctory. The more he learned and saw about the World Between the Fold and its three Cities, the more he felt that Liu Suyin's Vice-Sect Master status was insignificant. Very few citizens gave her anything more than the faintest of glances, as if she was wholly irrelevant.
Also, what was this Endless Envoy? Did this mean she was here as an Envoy of the City of Endless? Not as a Vice-Sect Master? Intrigued, Wei Wuyin watched Liu Suyin who was entirely unbothered by the title.
"Did you recently take up this post?" Liu Suyin asked out of curiosity.
The old man lifted himself and nodded, "Keen eye, Envoy. I took this post seven years ago after succeeding my Third Ascension; I must apologize if I still look a little unsettled and green here and there, please forgive any offense I may cause." After explaining this, he turned and said with a directing gesture: "Please."
Liu Suyin nodded, walking into the building while Wei Wuyin quietly followed her inside. The old man followed immediately after, and the doors wooshed into a loud closing.
Wei Wuyin immediately realized why the old man was called a Librarian! This building with three towers, noble and gorgeous, was a library! There was a large opening at the entrance, followed by a wooden desk. But beyond that, doorways and twisting side stairs painted mystical feelings into one's heart leading to the unknown, with the background of shelves of books, scrolls, and faintly glowing jades carefully and beautifully placed with every turn of his head.
Awed would be an understatement for Wei Wuyin's feelings. The walls, desks, and shelves of books, scrolls, and jades had a wooden design of reddish-brown. It resembled the old libraries of Red Dove City, Wei Wuyin's birthplace, and brought him nostalgic memories.
There were lines of azure here and there, adding to the allure, not tainting the colors at all. These lines seemed to direct to various available paths, like a guiding hand through doors, across shelves, and more. At certain intervals, across the upper walls and wooden floors, there were silver, gold, or black characters painted on those azure lines.
"Amazing!" Wei Wuyin earnestly remarked. A space of knowledge was always the most interesting to the ignorant. To someone who had his own personal library, filled with all sorts of books, scrolls, and spiritual jades, some of which he wrote and annotated himself, including a lover of novels of myths and immortals, stories of legend and heroisms, annals detailing great villains and mysterious histories, Wei Wuyin couldn't help but feel strangely at peace here.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The old man strode next to Wei Wuyin with a chuckle of pride. "The Sacred Library!" He introduced himself proudly. As if the name had invoked some magical existence, an awe-inspiring aura was unleashed from every area of the library, whooshing towards them and causing their robes to flutter without wind.
Wei Wuyin's eyes opened wide. This…was good bait, Liu Yinlan!
Soon, the aura subsided and the old man swiftly arrived at the other side of the desk with a bright smile. "How may I assist you today?" Like a diligent clerk of the vast halls of books and written word, the old man acted the part perfectly.
Wei Wuyin glanced at Liu Suyin, who explained: "The Sacred Library houses the various cultivation methods, spells, arts, histories, and a variety of topics that extends from the dawn of the Sealed Regions and goes beyond them—to the outside world that we ensure isn't threatened. You're free to peruse within your accessible area for three months. I'll then take you to another area in the city, only allowed by Destined after they've completed their three trials."
"Three months?" Wei Wuyin's eyes brightened considerably. However, a realization soon occurred to him, giving the old man a look. "I've never learned your name before, a regret of mine. "
The old man was a little surprised. He thought his moniker as Higheater was rather well-known amongst the Aeternal Sky Starfield. Did this boy never inquire about him after arriving at the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region? Slightly amused, the old man introduced himself properly: Higheater is my ascended title, but my name is Chi Yongyuan."
Chi Yongyuan? Quite befitting!
"I'm the 327th Azure Moon Librarian of the Sacred Library, you can call me Azure Librarian Higheater or simply Brother Chi."
Wei Wuyin slightly grinned, "Big Brother Chi it is. I'm entrusting you to direct me to the…best areas of the library." A strange light flickered within his eyes, and as if Chi Yongyuan understood, those eyes of his similarly flickered with the same light, and a bond of mutual understanding formed.
"Of course, of course."
