With the sect contribution, Zhao Ya was finally able to enter the second floor of the Library.
When he handed the sect contribution token to the guard in front of the second-floor entrance, the guard swiftly registered it and noted the current time.
"Remember, the secret manuals inside can only be perused, not copied, and must not be taken out privately. Any violation will be severely punished," the guard admonished.
"Understood," Zhao Ya nodded in agreement.
"Go ahead, two sect contribution points are deducted every hour starting now, so time is precious and cannot be wasted," the guard reminded.
The sect contribution token needed to be temporarily held by the guard, and Zhao Ya stepped up the stairs and pushed the door open to enter the second floor.
Before him was a vast collection of books, no smaller in scale than the first floor.
Zhao Ya dared not delay and went straight to the area with fist techniques, then selected a book from the shelf and began to read it eagerly.
While Zhao Ya was diligently studying on the second floor of the Library, in a secret chamber at the top level of the Library, Elder Guan Xuejiang and Guo Luming were drinking and chatting.
"Hehehe." Guan Xuejiang laughed as he drank.
Guo Luming looked helpless, "Can you stop laughing like that? It’s making me shiver."
"I’m just happy, you have no idea how thrilled I was when I heard Xia Jiye was forced to apologize to Zhao Ya in public," Guan Xuejiang said with a grin, then tilted his neck back and drank another large bowl.
But Guo Luming’s concern was elsewhere; he said somewhat heartbrokenly, "You should drink sparingly, this is a 20-year-old brew I’ve saved up, and I can’t keep up with your gulping like that."
"Oh, brother, why are you so stingy? I’m happy today. Can’t I drink a few more cups?" Guan Xuejiang said.
Guo Luming no longer advised him.
He actually knew that the reason Guan Xuejiang was so excited was entirely due to his previous repression.
Despite his prestigious position as the Grand Elder of the Azure Dragon Temple, after the split battle, many old members of the Azure Dragon Temple either died or retired, greatly diminishing even the power of the Grand Elder.
Not to mention other matters, even the Martial Arts Hall was dominated by a group of elders so tightly that a needle couldn’t be inserted, nor water poured, and Guan Xuejiang couldn’t intervene even if he wanted to, leaving them to run wild.
Of course, you could forcibly replace the Instructor Elder, but the problem is that there are only a few people qualified to be Instructor Elder, and these people have long become a cohesive alliance. Replacing one would be no different.
Guan Xuejiang had previously considered having someone principled like Qin Jianji become the Instructor Elder, but it was met with collective resistance and ultimately left unresolved.
Even though Guo Luming had always been hiding in the Library, he was acutely aware of these matters.
This is why Guan Xuejiang insisted on eliminating entrenched interests before, because the internal conflict within the Azure Dragon Temple had become quite serious, and if no solution was found, another split battle might erupt any day.
Guan Xuejiang naturally understood why his brother was silent, and they both deeply felt the current state of the Azure Dragon Temple, having personally experienced the chaos of those years.
"Brother, I’ve been thinking all these years, and it’s only recently that I had an epiphany. I used to think our Azure Dragon Temple’s decline began with the split battle, but now I don’t see it that way," Guan Xuejiang sighed.
"Oh? Then how do you see it?" Guo Luming asked.
"I believe the split battle was only the outcome, not the cause. Long before that, the internal conflicts of the sect had already intensified to an irreconcilable level, so the occurrence of the split battle was unavoidable."
Guo Luming remained silent.
Guan Xuejiang drank another cup of wine, "Leaving other matters aside, the contention between the Inner and Outer Sect back then already showed signs. In fact, there were many outstanding talents in the Outer Sect, but due to unfair rules, we lost most, such as Lu Dingtai who taught Zhao Ya the Great Vajra Fist."
"I checked afterward and found that although this man didn’t have a high realm, he showed extremely high talent in cultivating fist techniques. Such talent should have been the focus of the sect’s training, but due to neglect and disregard, he ultimately left."
"That’s because the Azure Dragon Temple was too powerful at the time, to the point where even when these Outer Disciples left, they believed it was due to their lack of skill and talent, rather than dissatisfaction. Otherwise, it would have stirred a lot of resentment and discouraged talented people like Zhao Ya from joining. Don’t you agree, Brother?"
Guo Luming grimaced but did not respond.
"Sometimes I really envy you because, Brother, you understand everything, comprehend everything, yet you choose to bury yourself in the Library as the Tower Guardian Elder, unlike me, who was forced onto the stage as the Grand Elder, yet achieve nothing," Guan Xuejiang sighed again.
Guo Luming finally spoke, "Actually, the situation on the North Canglong side is no better, even worse. After all, the elders who rebelled back then did it for interests, and such individuals quickly grow into new interest groups, becoming hard to challenge."
Guan Xuejiang nodded, "I know, but that doesn’t mean we of the Southern Canglong should not strive. In fact, ever since I told you about clearing entrenched interests, I’ve been thinking about how to start. The problem is, it’s a tangled web; tug one thread and the whole mess moves, making it difficult to find a good entry point."