led the herbarium to prevent the ignorant from wasting divine herbs.”

As Tao Ci continued reading, he reflected that the academy was essentially Chaoyang Sect’s library. He relished the academy’s atmosphere; each time he immersed himself in books, he felt an intense sense of security.

The serene environment resonated with an unseen weight of history, pressing down the air, sometimes making it hard to breathe. Yet, just one glance at the rows of books felt like standing alongside countless past masters, each one using their life’s energy to write these works.

Imagining each master painstakingly crafting their works or pulling out their hair in frustration gave him a sense of companionship, akin to standing on a mountaintop with friends, exchanging knowing smiles at shared epiphanies.

To Tao Ci, the academy’s air was brimming with solemnity. History unfolded before his eyes, compelling every visitor to bow their heads in genuine admiration. Each book conveyed sacred knowledge, and when such knowledge accumulated into an academy or library, the oppressive pressure was palpable.

The silence in the academy wasn’t just a reading norm; it was a silent pact between authors and readers across time. Readers respected authors this way, and authors provided readers with inner peace.

Tao Ci believed his three seniors felt the same or unconsciously enjoyed this atmosphere.

“Uncle, tell me more about the herbarium,” Tao said. Third Martial Uncle, momentarily lost in thought, smiled and said, “Since our junior brother wants to know, let this elder share what he knows.”

“The herbarium, as legend has it, was authored by the Medicine God...”

As Third Martial Uncle’s voice resonated, everyone gathered around. Even the aloof Brother Yu lifted his gaze from his book, looking out the window at the birds, savoring this leisurely afternoon.

Chapter Six: The Upper Part of the Herbarium

Each line of the herbarium poem describes a medicinal plant, totaling eleven lines but only ten divine medicines. The first line does not describe a medicine but rather a miracle that surpasses them all—the Nine Divine Tunes, whose appearance remains unknown to the world.

It's uncertain how the Medicine God discovered this substance, but it's said to be the ultimate yin element on the Jiuyang Continent, created to balance the continent’s yang energy. The name "Jiuyang Continent," though coined by the inhabitants, accurately reflects the land's nature.

Practicing yang-type techniques on this continent is highly advantageous, and while yin-type techniques like ice and water are possible, their speed and quality of cultivation are inevitably a grade lower. Thus, for millennia, those who dominate the world mostly practice neutral or yang-type techniques. However, heaven and earth striv

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