The First Summoner - Chapter 15

All kinds of books filled the shelves.

Some contained cultivation techniques and battle arts. Others covered the continent’s geography, culture, and history.

The technique manuals were clearly the most frequently read.

Compared with them, the books introducing the culture and geography of Guiyuan Continent looked almost new.

Shen Yan began with the records of the continent itself.

She possessed the original owner’s memories, but they were far from enough. She needed to master the basic knowledge of Guiyuan Continent as quickly as possible.

The continent was divided into five great regions: east, south, west, north, and central.

She was now on the frontier of the Western Region.

Also known as the Pingze Western Region, it was the weakest of the five overall.

Many powers existed within Pingze: sects, academies, kingdoms, alliances, mercenary corps, auction houses, and more.

Its kingdoms were divided into nine tiers.

Nanxiao Kingdom belonged to the eighth tier and was considered weak.

There were countless academies in Pingze, but the Western Region Academy stood above them all.

That was where her brother, Shen Huai, studied.

Shen Huai was not merely a cultivation prodigy. He was also a genius Summoner.

At thirteen, he had summoned from another world the legendary divine beast Vermilion Bird. The feat immediately drew the Western Region Academy’s attention, and they brought him back to study there.

At the same age, his cultivation had already reached the third level of the Mystic-rank realm.

That placed him several minor levels above even the current Shen Xue.

But the most brutal comparison was between Shen Huai and Shen Yan.

They were twins.

The elder sister had been both simple-minded and useless, while the younger brother was a prodigy among prodigies.

Shen Yan thought back to the original owner’s memories of her brother.

Shen Huai had never despised his sister for being a good-for-nothing. He was simply quiet and reserved.

The twins rarely saw each other, because Shen Tianhao often took him away for training. Each trip lasted at least half a month, and sometimes several months.

Shen Yan lowered her eyes to the words on the page.

She had to establish herself in the Shen family.

Then she would personally avenge the original owner.

She read for several hours without stopping.

By then, she had nearly finished every book on the library’s first floor.

The other Shen disciples watched her turn pages at astonishing speed, their expressions strange.

She looked serious, but at that pace, how could she be doing anything except skimming without understanding?

“I have no idea what the family head was thinking, letting her study here. We work ourselves to death completing tasks just to earn a few precious minutes in the library…”

“Shen Yan must have begged the Young Master to bend the rules for her.”

“Of course. He dotes on her even more than the Eldest Young Miss.”

“Well, the Eldest Young Miss is only his adopted daughter. Of course he’s biased. I feel terrible for her. She’s so talented, and so kindhearted too…”

As they spoke, the disciples’ looks toward Shen Yan filled with growing disgust.

They wished Shen Yan were the adopted daughter and Shen Xue the true eldest young lady of the family.

Shen Yan finished the last page and closed the book.

Her icy gaze swept over them.

“Do you want your mouths torn open?”

Their expressions changed, and they fell silent at once.

Only after Shen Yan climbed to the second floor did they react.

Humiliation crossed their faces.

They had just been frightened by a good-for-nothing?

No. Of course not.

They only feared the Young Master behind her.

They comforted themselves with the thought.

On the second floor, Shen Yan began searching for cultivation techniques and battle arts.

Before long, one manual caught her attention.

*Meteor Flame Fist.*

It was a Yellow-rank technique, the lowest grade.

“Meteor Flame Fist?”

Since the technique used fire, it should suit her current circumstances.

She already possessed a fire ability. If she combined it with this unusual battle art, perhaps she could unleash a far more powerful attack.

She was about to open the manual when she sensed the man inside her spatial domain awaken.

Her hand paused.

His lazy voice sounded directly in her mind, roughened by a trace of hoarseness.

“Come inside.”

“Why?”

“Help me with something. In return, I’ll give you information about the Blood-Devouring Pearl.”

At the words *Blood-Devouring Pearl*, Shen Yan’s gaze shifted.

“Now?” she asked softly.

“Mm.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“There is no time.”

She had no choice but to agree.

To enter her spatial domain, her entire body had to disappear from the outside world.

Doing that here was extremely risky.

She had already sensed at least two mysterious experts secretly guarding the library. If they discovered the existence of her spatial domain, she would be in serious trouble.

But information about the Blood-Devouring Pearl was too important to miss.

“Hurry.” Feng Xingyao’s voice grew even rougher.

Impatience colored it, along with pain he could not entirely conceal.

Shen Yan frowned.

Then she moved swiftly but without drawing attention, heading for an isolated corner between the shelves.

The moment the hidden gazes left her, she entered the spatial domain.

The bewitchingly handsome man had already pushed himself upright on the chaise.

His exposed skin held an unnatural flush beneath its pallor. Ink-black hair and red robes lay tangled around him.

His deep, icy eyes fixed on Shen Yan.

One finger crooked.

An invisible force seized her and dragged her in front of him.

It happened so fast that she nearly stumbled to her knees. She caught herself with one hand against the ground rather than kneel before him.

Displeasure entered her face as she looked up.

His handsome features loomed close, and his warm breath washed over her, making her heart jolt.

He abruptly caught her wrist.

“What are you trying to do?” Shen Yan frowned, fixing him with an icy stare.

Feng Xingyao said, “Lend me your hand. Help me pull out the sealing chains.”

“Those are safe for me to touch?” Her guard rose instantly. “You aren’t planning to sacrifice me to break your seal, are you?”

Ninefold had warned her yesterday that touching the chains by force would kill her.

She tried to pull her hand back.

Feng Xingyao only dragged her closer.

To anyone watching, it might have looked as though he held her in his arms.

He arched a brow.

Like a devil toying with the mortal world, he leaned slowly toward her and smiled with wicked amusement.

“They won’t take your life, but you will pay a price. When you remove a sealing chain, it will corrode your flesh.”

His smile deepened.

“Information about the Blood-Devouring Pearl does not come easily. I’ll give you three seconds to decide.”