Castle of Black Iron

As same as before, the Secret Knowledge Pavilion was composed of 7 storeys. With 8 sides, the pavilion looked like a pagoda while being sheltered in the picturesque mountain scenery.

It was tranquil in the surroundings except for the rustling sounds of tree leaves swaying in the mountain wind.

The front gate of the Secret Knowledge Pavilion was opened with a screen right inside the gate. After detouring the screen, Zhang Tie arrived at the lobby on the 1st floor. Although the tea tables and stools were still there as orderly as before, the old man who used to drink there disappeared.

Zhang Tie became a bit intense as his heart pounded. He faintly felt as guilty as being a thief when he came to this place in the trouble-reappearance situation.

A staircase behind the lobby led to the 2nd floor, where Zhang Tie had not visited before. Therefore, he wondered what was on the 2nd floor. Previously, when he came here, as long as he told the old man what secret knowledge or battle skill he wanted to exchange with his credit points would the old man draw the rope of the bell beside the tea table and had people sent it downstairs. According to the regulations in Hidden Dragon Palace, all the learners could only learn the secret knowledge in the Mysterious Knowledge Pavilion. There were some tranquil and isolated rooms in the Pavilion. Like those in some libraries, you could learn and bear the contents in the secret knowledge in mind quietly. Besides managing various secret knowledge, the old man could also answer various questions posed by learners here.

The staircase leading upstairs was clean while being paved with a soft and thick carpet. When Zhang Tie went upstairs, he heard no sound at all.

When Zhang Tie came upstairs, he saw many numbered isolated rooms where learners could study in. Nobody was in the isolated rooms either.

Previously, Zhang Tie had only exchanged "Fish-like Diving Skill" here. He always read it in a room on the 1st floor. He had not imagined that there were more than 20 isolated rooms on the 2nd floor which were larger than those on the 1st floor.

Zhang Tie then came to the 3rd floor and found similar isolated rooms. Being different from that on the 1st and 2nd floor, the isolated rooms on the 3rd floor were fewer and larger. They were isolated with copper or iron walls. There were huge crystal columns in each isolated room, enabling the energy field in the isolated room very active. Besides, each isolated room was matched with a training cell which contained iron puppets. Additionally, there were living utilities like bedding and washroom in each isolated room. At the sight of these isolated rooms, Zhang Tie knew that they ought to be prepared for learning more advanced mysterious knowledge.

There were totally 3 isolated rooms on the 4th floor. Compared to the 3rd floor, the furnishings of these isolated rooms were more advanced and firmer than those on the 3rd floor. The floors, walls and steel puppets in these training rooms were made of more advanced alloy. Zhang Tie could see many odd-looking wounds on the steel puppets. Additionally, the isolated rooms on the 4th floor were evenly matched with different labs: one elixir lab, one alchemist's instruments lab and one comprehensive lab.

'After staying in Hidden Dragon Palace for so long, I've not had any chance to experience the quality learning conditions provided for learners upstairs hereby Hidden Dragon Palace.' Zhang Tie felt like crying.

After visiting the 4th floor, Zhang Tie came to the 5th floor.

Zhang Tie saw an alloy door with an interface of a secret key. There was no keyhole on the door; instead, there was an identification interface through which the special clan identification plate could be read. It seemed to pose a high requirement for the access of the visitor. Zhang Tie blinked his eyes as he attempted to push it; however, the door remained still. Zhang Tie blinked his eyes once again. Closely after that, he was driven furious while that bit of guilty sense had long disappeared in his mind.

'F*ck, this father has been here and you tell me I'm not allowed in?'

"Open it..."

Zhang Tie roared while a terrifying, barbarous strength and powerful Iron-blood Battle Qi turned into a groundbreaking kick.

In a split second, the entire Secret Knowledge Pavilion was like blasting while the boom could almost be heard across the Hidden Dragon Palace.

"F*ck, open it..." "Boom..."

"Open it..." "Boom..."

After roaring about 1 minutes along with the blasting booms, the alloy door finally fell down with another louder boom.

"Pah..." Zhang Tie spat a mouth of saliva forcefully towards the alloy door. Closely after that, he stepped on it and entered the 5th floor of the Secret Knowledge Pavilion.

Zhang Tie saw rows of bookshelves in the entire 5th floor while various secret knowledge were lying there orderly.

Watching such a marvelous scene, Zhang Tie felt a bit dazzled as he thought it was unreal.

After taking a deep breath, Zhang Tie came to the nearest bookshelf and drew out a book by slightly quivering hand.

Zhang Tie saw the words "Crescent Battle Qi" on the cover of that book. He turned on a new page casually and found it was made of a silver-plate paper which touched very comfortable. The cultivation method of "Crescent Battle Qi" was written in the book.

After putting it back, Zhang Tie drew out another book "Barbarous Ox Battle Qi"...

Then the 3rd book "Fiery Fire Battle Qi"...

...

Zhang Tie rapidly passed by those shelves one after another and saw many classifications: Battle Qis——Battle Skills——Elixirs——Runes——Alchemists' Instruments——Comprehensive——Odd Skills——Others——

In the shelf "Comprehensive", Zhang Tie caught sight of the "Iron-blood Fist" that he cultivated...

In the shelf "Odd Skills", Zhang Tie saw the preliminary, medium and senior "Fish-like Diving Skill".

In the shelf "Others", Zhang Tie saw many books such as "100 Questions about Ancestral Bloodline Learning" and "Secret Knowledge in Taixia Country". Although they weren't any mysterious knowledge, they were more expensive than average books of cultivation.

In the shelf "Elixirs", Zhang Tie saw books such as "Brochure for Apprentice Pharmacist", "Herbs Classic", "ABC of Mysterious Medicine", "Deciphering of Human Genes", "Method of Elixir Manufacture", etc..

Among the two items "Runes" and "Alchemist's Instruments", Zhang Tie saw many mysterious knowledge such as "Basic Runes", "Runes Advancement", "Heavens and Ground Corresponding Skill", "Sounds Imitation Skill", "Minerals Identification Skill", "Metallurgical Method", "Forging Method" and "Flames for Mineral Extraction", etc..

The battle skills were further divided into more categories, including various weapons, fist positions, finger attacking skills, feet movements and cultivation mysterious knowledge...

In all the 5 storeys, there were thousands of mysterious books. Zhang Tie felt like entering a dreamland just by looking at so many names.

Many of the mysterious books here were about battle qi, battle skills and various professional basics that were available to people below LV 9. If he was still in Hidden Dragon Palace, he needed to use a lot of clan contribution points to exchange for any of these mysterious books. However, all of them were freely available to Zhang Tie now.

'How fast does the happiness come!' Zhang Tie's heart raced.

After taking a round on the 5th floor, Zhang Tie rushed to the 6th floor.

On the 6th floor, his heart pounded more heavily.

If the 5th floor was a library, the 6th floor would be an exhibition hall for crystal treasures.

There were all square crystal cabinets which were arranged orderly on the 6th floor. Each crystal cabinet was displaying some sandalwood cases with soft velvet cloths inside. There were mysterious crystal books in different shapes being wrapped with metal on the soft velvet cloths, large or small. Those who had no knowledge about mysterious books would take those mysterious crystal books as ornaments, which were actually advanced mysterious books which could not be cultivated until reaching LV 10.

With a glance, Zhang Tie estimated that there were about 200-300 pieces of mysterious crystal books on the 6th floor. All the deep deposits of Huaiyuan Palace's were displayed here.

Names were written on the sandalwood cases which contained mysterious crystal books for the sake of identification. Zhang Tie took a round on the 6th floor rapidly. After that, he almost cried as the "Robust Ox Skill" which took him great efforts was right here; it was placed in a trivial corner. "Meteor Shower Sword" was even placed ahead of the "Robust Ox Skill". Zhang Tie took the 2 mysterious crystal books out of the cabinets and injected his spiritual energy inside them. He found their contents were as same as that in his own books.

Recalling how many troubles had he experienced when he sought for "Robust Ox Skill", Zhang Tie patted his forehead forcefully, 'Zhang Tie! Zhang Tie! You should have thought about this before! How stupid you are. You've already come to the trouble-reappearance situation for so many times. You have even discovered good items in Wildwolf Valley in the trouble-reappearance situation. How could you forget so many mysterious books in Hidden Dragon Island? How stupid you are! You should not blame others...'

In the most remarkable location in the middle of the cabinets on the 6th floor, Zhang Tie caught sight of "Breaking Sun Sutra". Being different from that which he refused to take from Lan Yunxi, this one was a 60% mysterious book which only contained contents from LV 10 to LV 15. Zhang Tie speculated that this was a trick of Huaiyuan Palace. It was used to encourage clan students and prevent the entire version of "Breaking Sun Sutra" from being exposed to the public. Across Huaiyuan Palace, only a few people could master the entire version of "Breaking Sun Sutra". Even in Hidden Dragon Palace, clan students could not learn the "Breaking Sun Sutra" without gaining enormous clan contribution points. If not real clan elites, nobody was qualified to touch it.

'What's on the 7th floor?' Zhang Tie took a look there and found it was a people's residence. The faint aroma of tea water on the 7th floor had already indicated who was living there——the old man who guarded this Mysterious Knowledge Pavilion.

After returning to the 6th floor, Zhang Tie had been bothered by a happy problem, 'With so many mysterious books and such a top cultivation condition that numerous people were dreaming about, which mysterious book should I choose to cultivate so as to improve my battle force? It's impossible for me to digest all of them, neither do I have so much time or vigor to do that. So which one is more useful to me?'