Even Long Chen couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment as he stepped into the vast expanse of the Scripture Pavilion. Before him, endless bookshelves stretched into the distance, brimming with ancient tomes.3

The first academy’s Scripture Pavilion was at least ten times larger than the head academy’s. The shelves held a staggering array of ancient books, jade tablets, beast hides, and bone carvings, all containing the wisdom of countless eras. There was no end in sight to this sea of knowledge.3

This place didn’t just contain texts on alchemy—it spanned every topic imaginable. Moreover, they were meticulously organized,0

“Metal.”5

Bai Shishi saw a marker on the first set of bookshelves and...3