113: Chapter 113 Choosing a Martial Art

The Library Pavilion of the Qixia Sect was located in a secluded valley behind the main Peak, Xiaguang Peak. It was not the magnificent palace Lin Tian had imagined, but a nine-story tower constructed entirely from deep cyan exotic stones that seemed to contain the light of stars.

The tower was ancient and weathered, its surface covered in mottled marks left by the passage of time and mysterious patterns. The spire was hidden within clouds and mist that never dispersed, exuding a silent and heavy dignity.

As soon as Lin Tian approached within a hundred feet of the Library Pavilion, he felt a shiver in his heart. Several cold, sharp Divine Thoughts, as if capable of piercing through illusions, swept silently from different directions of the tower like invisible blades, instantly "seeing" through his entire body and even his Qi Sea and Dantian!

The immense pressure and chilling killing intent contained within those Divine Thoughts made Lin Tian, who had just achieved a Breakthrough to the Fourth Rank and was at his Peak of vitality, unable to stop his hair from standing on end. A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, as if he were being watched in the dark by several prehistoric Vicious Beasts; any slight movement would bring about a thunderous, lethal strike!

"What strong guards! Just their gaze alone gives me a sense of fatal crisis! Inside this Library Pavilion, there are likely several old monsters sitting with unfathomable cultivation at the Peak of 'Dark Energy', or perhaps even those who have touched the threshold of the 'Transcendent' realm!"

Lin Tian was shocked, gaining a more intuitive understanding of the Qixia Sect's foundation. This was by no means comparable to a small place like Heishan City; the important grounds of a major Sect were indeed a dragon's den and a tiger's lair!

He dared not show the slightest negligence, quickly taking out his Zixia Peak Inner Sect Disciple token, holding it high with both hands, and announced loudly: "Zixia Peak Disciple Lin Tian has come to the Library Pavilion to choose a Cultivation Technique!"

A moment later, the heavy, rune-carved bronze door at the base of the tower slid open silently, leaving a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through. The light inside was dim, and a vague figure could be faintly seen.

Lin Tian restrained his aura and stepped inside. Behind the door was not a bookshelf, but a short corridor. At the end stood a stone desk, and sitting behind it was an old man in a gray cloth robe with graying hair and an ordinary face, who was bowing his head as if reading a yellowed ancient book.

The several terrifying Divine Thoughts from before had disappeared, but Lin Tian could feel that the seemingly ordinary old man before him had an aura like a deep pool, even more profound and restrained than those obscure gazes outside, returning to simplicity.

"Token." The old man did not even lift his head, extending a withered hand. Lin Tian hurriedly handed over his token.

The old man took it and tapped his fingertip lightly on the token. The unique cloud patterns of Zixia Peak on the token flickered slightly before dimming. The old man tossed the token back and said indifferently: "Zixia Peak Disciple, you may go to the third floor to select one Entry-Level sword technique of your lineage. You have one hour. You must not damage, hide, or spread the classics within the pavilion; violators will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the Sect. Go."

The voice was flat, yet held an unquestionable dignity.

"This Disciple understands." Lin Tian put away his token but did not leave immediately, instead asking cautiously: "May I ask Elder, since I am a Sect Disciple, is it possible... to go to other floors to select and read Cultivation Techniques from other lineages?"

This was an idea he had before coming here. With the Proficiency System in hand, he could theoretically Cultivate any Cultivation Technique. If he could learn the essence of all seven lineages and master them, their power would be unimaginable! Even if he only grasped the basics, it would greatly enrich his means of dealing with enemies.

The gray-robed old man finally raised his head, revealing a pair of eyes that appeared cloudy but were actually as clear as fire, looking at Lin Tian with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Naturally, you may," the old man said slowly. "Although the seven lineages each have their own emphasis in their Legacy, they all belong to the same Sect. If Disciples are interested in the Cultivation Techniques of other lineages, they may exchange for the right to read them using contribution points or silver. The Sect has no prohibition against this."

Lin Tian was overjoyed.

"However," the old man's tone changed as he raised a finger, "firstly, you are not a Disciple of that lineage. Even if you exchange for a Cultivation Technique, you will not receive personal guidance from that lineage's Elder and must comprehend it yourself."

"In martial cultivation, especially with advanced Cultivation Techniques, having a teacher to provide instruction and answer questions can yield twice the result with half the effort, helping you avoid countless detours. Without it, it is like a blind man touching an elephant; progress will be slow, and you may even go astray due to misunderstandings. At best, your progress will stagnate; at worst, you will injure yourself. You must think this through."

Lin Tian nodded; he had already anticipated this. But for him, possessing the Proficiency System, this was not an insurmountable obstacle. As long as he was given the correct oral formulas and diagrams of the Cultivation Technique, and practiced them over and over, success would naturally follow. It might be a bit slow, but it was safe, and his ultimate achievements would not necessarily be low.

"This Disciple understands and is willing to comprehend it on my own," Lin Tian said.

"Secondly," the old man raised a second finger, his smile deepening with a hint of playfulness, "it is expensive."

"Expensive?" Lin Tian was stunned.

"Correct, expensive." The old man nodded and explained unhurriedly, "You are a new Disciple of Zixia Peak. By custom, you may receive one Entry-Level sword technique of Zixia Peak for free; this is a Sect benefit. But besides that, regardless of which other lineage's Cultivation Technique you wish to read, even for the most basic 'Low Grade Cultivation Technique', you must pay the corresponding price—either a massive amount of Sect contribution points or real gold and silver."

Need to buy it with money? Lin Tian's heart stirred. He still had nearly twenty thousand taels of silver given to him by Centurion Shen Lian that he hadn't used yet. He had originally thought it was a huge sum, but now it seemed... it might not last long.

"May I ask Elder, if purchasing with silver, what is the price for one Low Grade Cultivation Technique?" Lin Tian asked tentatively. The old man extended three fingers and waved them in front of Lin Tian.

"Three hundred taels?" Lin Tian guessed. The old man shook his head.

"Three thousand taels?" Lin Tian's voice rose slightly. The old man nodded, his tone flat: "Three thousand taels. In silver. For one Low Grade Cultivation Technique."

"Furthermore, with your current status and authority as a newly promoted Inner Sect Disciple, you can only exchange for Cultivation Techniques of this level. For higher grades, you cannot buy them even if you have the money; you must raise your Disciple Rank or accumulate enough contribution."

"Three thousand taels?!" Lin Tian gasped, his eyes widening. Even with his steady Heart-Nature, he was shocked by this price. Three thousand taels! Just for one most basic "Low Grade Cultivation Technique"! His entire fortune of twenty thousand taels was only enough to buy a little over six! And this was just Entry-Level!

"Think it's expensive?" The old man seemed accustomed to such reactions from new Disciples, stroking his beard and saying unhurriedly, "Kid, do not underestimate this 'Low Grade Cultivation Technique'. What is stored in the Library Pavilion, even if it is Low Grade, is the crystallization of the hard work of the ancestors of our Qixia Sect. They are all offensive arts, movement techniques, or special auxiliary methods that can be cultivated by 'Dark Energy' Martial Artists and can truly unleash the power of Dark Energy!"

"Any one of them falling into the outside world would be enough to cause a bloodbath within the Yun Prefecture, making countless small and medium Families and Loose Cultivators fight tooth and nail for them! Within our Sect, being able to obtain the Legacy for three thousand taels of silver is already the mercy of our ancestors, benefiting their descendants."

Upon hearing this, Lin Tian took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the shock and heartache in his heart. The old man's words were true; the value of a Cultivation Technique that could be used by Dark Energy Martial Artists was indeed difficult to measure with worldly gold and silver. It was just that this price, for someone like him who had "suddenly become rich", was quite a shock.

"It seems... wanting to sweep the Library Pavilion with silver is unrealistic." Lin Tian smiled bitterly in his heart, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. He had originally thought that if the price was right, he might choose a few more that he was interested in. Now it seemed he must calculate carefully and spend every penny where it was most needed.

"Elder, this Disciple will go to the third floor to receive the free sword technique first." Lin Tian steadied himself, deciding to get one thing in his hands first.

"Hmm, go ahead. Third floor, east bookshelf, Zixia Peak area. After you have chosen, come here to register, and I will make a copy for you; the original volume must remain in the pavilion." The old man waved his hand, lowered his head again to look at the ancient book in his hands, and ignored Lin Tian further.

Lin Tian followed the spiraling stone stairs to the third floor of the Library Pavilion. This floor had a vast space, with rows of tall rosewood bookshelves arranged neatly, upon which were placed countless books, Jade Slips, and animal skins of various materials, both new and old, categorized by type.

The air held a faint scent of ink and aged paper, and even more, an invisible Dao Charm belonging to the mental imprints left behind by countless predecessor Martial Artists, causing one's mind to unconsciously calm down.

He quickly found the area marked "Zixia Peak". The Cultivation Techniques on the bookshelf were dazzling, but most were covered in a layer of faint Restriction light. Only the outermost few rows had weaker Restrictions, marked with labels such as "Basic", "Entry-Level", and "Free".

Lin Tian browsed carefully. Zixia Peak focused on the Sword Dao, and the free Cultivation Techniques here were mostly sword basics, insights on sword wielding, and several optional Entry-Level sword techniques. He finally selected a sword manual titled "Xiaguang Sword Technique (Basic Volume)".

This sword technique emphasized using Dark Energy to stimulate Sword Qi. When first mastered, a single sword strike could trigger a ray of Sword Qi glow as brilliant as the morning mist or evening glow, swift and sharp, while also having the effect of confusing the vision.

According to the introduction of the sword manual, if one could practice it to "Minor Achievement", a single sword strike could divide into three rays of glow; at "Major Achievement", the glow could reach six rays, with illusion and reality coexisting, making it impossible to defend against; if one could reach the realm of "Perfection", one could transform a single strike into nine rays of glow, filling the sky with brilliance, concealing endless killing intent within the splendor, having few rivals among the same Rank.

"Xiaguang Sword Technique... it vaguely aligns with the Fundamental Diagram of Zixia Peak, the 'Illustration of Purple Qi Coming from the East', both taking the meaning of 'mist' and 'light'. Presumably, cultivating it will yield twice the result with half the effort." Lin Tian was quite satisfied. This sword technique was just right for his current situation of having just entered the Dark Energy realm and needing a powerful offensive method.

He took the sword manual back to the first floor and handed it to the gray-robed old man for registration. The old man checked it to ensure it was correct, took out a blank Jade Slip, and copied the full content of the "Xiaguang Sword Technique (Basic Volume)" into it. He then placed the original volume back into a specially made wooden box, traced a few times with his fingers, and placed a Restriction on it.

"Take it. The Jade Slip can be read repeatedly, but three days after leaving your body, the information inside will automatically dissipate and it will need to be recopied. Remember this." The old man handed the Jade Slip to Lin Tian.

"Thank you, Elder." Lin Tian took the Jade Slip and put it away carefully. He did not leave immediately but stood in place with a thoughtful look on his face.

"What? Still want to exchange for other Cultivation Techniques?" The old man looked up at him.

Lin Tian nodded and said in a deep voice: "Elder, this Disciple does indeed need to exchange for a movement technique. The movement technique I cultivated before was only at the Bright Energy level; now that I have broken through to Dark Energy, it is no longer applicable. I wonder if there is a Low Grade movement technique in the pavilion suitable for Dark Energy Martial Artists that is within my price range?"

For offense, he had the "Xiaguang Sword Technique" and the "Five Elements" in One that had not yet reached Major Achievement, which were enough for now. Sword techniques could also temporarily substitute for blade techniques. But movement techniques were different; they were the foundation for saving one's life, chasing enemies, and maneuvering in battle, and were indispensable. Especially since he had witnessed the swiftness Junior Sister Zheng Xiaoyun displayed during her "Sinew and Bone Resonation", he knew well the importance of a good movement technique to a Martial Artist.

"Movement technique?" The old man pondered slightly, pressed a certain spot under the stone desk, and a hazy light screen immediately appeared on the surface of the stone desk, listing the names, brief introductions, and prices of dozens of movement technique Cultivation Techniques.