The next morning, when the sky was just growing light, Tang Xiaoqi had already risen. He changed into clean green disciple robes, carefully tucked that green token into his bosom, took several deep breaths of the crisp air, suppressed the excitement and trace of trepidation in his heart, and headed toward the Scripture Pavilion located deep in the back mountain of Qingxu Temple.
The Scripture Pavilion wasn't a single isolated tower but a complex of ancient buildings built against the mountain, hidden among green pines and emerald cypresses. The outer area was the Transmission Hall open to all outer court disciples, but the lower level Xiaoqi was going to today was located deeper within, requiring passage through an invisible spiritual power restriction.
Guarding the entrance to the lower level was an elder with completely white hair and beard and a withered face. He sat cross-legged on a prayer mat with his eyes closed, his aura seeming to blend with the surrounding stone walls. Xiaoqi couldn't even sense the slightest spiritual power fluctuation within him, but his intuition told him that this Scripture Guardian Elder's cultivation was unfathomably deep.
Xiaoqi dared not be slighting. He stepped forward a few paces, respectfully took out the green token, and presented it with both hands: "Disciple Tang Xiaoqi, by order of the sect, has come to the Scripture Pavilion's lower level to select a technique."
The Scripture Guardian Elder didn't even raise his eyelids. Only that token flew up from Xiaoqi's hand by itself, landing in his withered palm. After a moment, the token slightly glowed, and only then did the old man slowly open one eye slit. His turbid gaze swept over Xiaoqi, his voice hoarse like rubbing sandstone: "One hour. No noise, no damage, no hiding. When the time comes, exit on your own."
As his words fell, the seemingly ordinary wooden door behind him noiselessly slid open, revealing a stone staircase extending downward with dim lighting.
"Many thanks, Elder." Xiaoqi bowed again, steadied his mind, and stepped inside.
Just as he crossed the threshold, the jade pendant in his bosom seemed to heat up extremely faintly—if he hadn't been mentally tense, he almost wouldn't have noticed it.
The stone stairs extended downward for about several dozen steps before his vision opened up. This was a spacious underground stone chamber. The vaulted ceiling was inlaid with night pearls emitting soft white light, illuminating the chamber as bright as day. The air carried the distinct clean scent of aged books and spiritual wood, refreshing the mind.
Unlike the dazzling array and jade slips piled high like mountains in the Transmission Hall, the Scripture Pavilion's lower level was much more simply arranged. Rows of bookshelves made from unknown spiritual wood stood neatly arranged, holding not jade slips but volumes of old and new books, scrolls, and even some animal hides and bone tablets of various materials. Each book and scroll was wrapped in faint spiritual light, obviously set with protective restrictions.
The number of texts here was far fewer than in the Transmission Hall, but Xiaoqi could sense that each one emitted a more ancient, profound aura. He seemed to be in an ocean of knowledge, where every drop of water contained the wisdom and true meaning of the Dao from predecessors.
Pressure—invisible pressure surged from all directions. He knew he only had one hour and had to make his choice quickly.
He first walked toward the area marked "Main Cultivation Techniques." The books on the shelves weren't numerous—only twenty or thirty types—but each one represented the inheritance essence of a certain lineage of Qingxu Temple.
"Geng Metal Splitting Qi Art"—sharp and revealing, focusing on attack and killing, the spiritual power cultivated extremely sharp.
"Mysterious Water True Explanation"—continuous and thick, skilled at defense and prolonged combat.
"Departing Fire Burning Heaven Art"—violent and intense, with great power, but with extremely high requirements for the cultivator's temperament and physical body.
"Thick Earth Carrying Things Art"—steady as a mountain, defense unparalleled, but relatively slow progress.
Xiaoqi browsed through them one by one, quickly weighing in his mind. These techniques were undoubtedly much more profound than the common goods like the "Qi Drawing Art" he was currently cultivating. Reaching a high level in any one of them would be enough to establish oneself in the cultivation world. But he always felt something was missing. These techniques had distinct attributes and powerful effects, yet seemed to have some estrangement from the warm, gentle power of the jade pendant within him, as well as that purification technique leaning toward "purification" and "protection."
He unconsciously touched his chest. At this moment, the jade pendant again transmitted an extremely faint sensation of heat, very soft, as if only stirred by this place's dense spiritual energy and Dao resonance. But this feeling vaguely pointed toward an inconspicuous corner of the technique area.
Xiaoqi's heart moved, following that indistinct guidance toward it. In that corner's bookshelf, only a few texts were placed, appearing quite old, even somewhat broken. One of them had a pale green cover, the material neither silk nor paper, with three characters written in ancient seal script—"Everlasting Spring Art."
He reached out to touch that layer of protective spiritual light. A gentle stream of information flowed into his mind: "Everlasting Spring Art"—wood-attribute auxiliary technique, no significant offensive effects, skilled at nourishing the physical body, gently nurturing the spirit and soul, prolonging life. Spiritual power is balanced and peaceful, rich in life force, with good compatibility with other attribute techniques. However, cultivation progress is extremely slow. Not for those without great perseverance and opportunity.
The information was simple, even carrying a hint of "dissuasion." No powerful attack power, slow cultivation—this didn't seem like the best choice for a core disciple anxious to improve strength.
However, when Xiaoqi's fingers touched that layer of spiritual light, the jade pendant on his chest transmitted a clear and continuous warmth, as if urging him—it was this one! At the same time, that cool sensation from the purification technique within him also seemed to vaguely resonate with the "balanced and peaceful" and "rich in life force" described in the "Everlasting Spring Art."
Xiaoqi froze. What he needed was a main cultivation technique that could quickly improve combat power, but this "Everlasting Spring Art"... auxiliary? Nourishing? Life force?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. His master wanted him to solidify his foundation—the Everlasting Spring Art's spiritual power was peaceful, exactly the superior choice for solidifying foundations. The jade pendant's sensing had never been wrong, whether discovering the abandoned medicine garden or the guidance in the secret realm. The purification technique's power leaned toward "protection" and "purification" rather than pure destruction, which seemed to share similar philosophical ground with the Everlasting Spring Art's "life force." Moreover, good compatibility meant that if he had opportunities for other chances in the future, there would be no conflicts...
Slow progress? Xiaoqi clenched his fist. He had the jade pendant's assistance, the purification technique for protection, and even that magical frying pan that could help him cultivate fire-attribute spiritual power—he might not be unable to compensate for this defect. More importantly, he vaguely felt that this "Everlasting Spring Art" might better nourish the jade pendant, even... help with completely mastering the source of purification in the future?
One hour was limited, not allowing him to hesitate overlong. Intuition and the jade pendant's guidance made him decide.
He no longer hesitated, circulating spiritual power to break through that layer of protective spiritual light, taking down that seemingly ordinary "Everlasting Spring Art." The book was warm to the touch, as if carrying the temperature of life.
With the main cultivation technique selected, he still needed to choose one spell or miscellaneous art. He wasn't lacking in attack spells with the basic sword technique and purification technique (though he couldn't use it often), and defense also needed strengthening. But his gaze swept over, finally stopping on the bookshelf marked "Miscellaneous Arts · Artifact Refining."
He thought of that frying pan that had accompanied him for so long, exceptionally sturdy and even able to shake demon beasts' spirits. This pan was no ordinary object. If he could understand some artifact refining knowledge, perhaps he could better utilize it, even... explore its mysteries?
He walked before the artifact refining bookshelf. The texts here were even fewer, mostly abstruse and difficult to understand. He quickly browsed—most were about material identification, basic formations, fire control techniques, and such. Just as he was preparing to randomly select a basic artifact refining outline, his peripheral vision caught a thin, dust-covered volume on the bottom shelf. The pages were yellowed, the cover without a single word.
As if possessed, Xiaoqi bent down to pick it up. Brushing off the dust and opening the first page, he saw words written in a scrawling hand: "Miscellaneous Discussions on Artifact Refining—On the Hypothesis of 'Heart-Refining.'"
Heart-refining? Xiaoqi had never heard this term. He continued reading. The book didn't record specific artifact refining methods but rather was a conjecture proposed by a brilliant yet considered unorthodox artifact refiner: believing that true divine weapons aren't merely cast with external fire and materials, but require the artifact refiner to long nourish them with their own mind and spirit, essence and blood, and even Dao resonance, making the magical artifact and master's minds connect as one—this is "heart-refining." The book even boldly speculated that certain spiritual divine artifacts from ancient times might have originated this way.
This completely subverted Xiaoqi's understanding of artifact refining! This "heart-refining" method sounded profoundly mysterious, more like a fantasy. But for some reason, Xiaoqi thought of the subtle connection between himself and that frying pan, of the feeling when he tried to nourish it with spiritual power.
"It's this one!" Xiaoqi almost without hesitation took down this unasked-for miscellaneous discussion. He had a premonition that this book might be more useful to him than a powerful attack spell.
Just then, the Scripture Guardian Elder's hoarse voice seemed to sound directly in his mind: "Time is up."
Xiaoqi took a deep breath, holding the "Everlasting Spring Art" and that unnamed artifact refining discussion, turning to walk up the stone stairs.
When he stepped out that wooden door again, feeling the outside sunlight and fresh breeze, he felt as if a lifetime had passed. The Scripture Guardian Elder still sat cross-legged with closed eyes, as if he had never moved. Xiaoqi placed both texts on the stone platform before the old man.
The Scripture Guardian Elder's eyelids lifted slightly, his gaze sweeping over the "Everlasting Spring Art" without a ripple. But when seeing that unnamed discussion, a trace of extremely faint surprise seemed to flash through his turbid eyes, then quickly returned to stillness. He waved his hand, and the protective spiritual light on both texts lit up again.
"The 'Everlasting Spring Art' requires five hundred contribution points to exchange. A copy can be made; the original cannot be taken away. The miscellaneous discussion... fifty contribution points, can be taken away." The old man said hoarsely.
Xiaoqi hurriedly took out his contribution point jade token and paid five hundred fifty points. Light flashed, and the number on the jade token became two thousand four hundred fifty. At the same time, a brand new jade slip recording the complete contents of the "Everlasting Spring Art" and the original unnamed discussion landed in his hands.
Holding both texts, Xiaoqi bowed again to the Scripture Guardian Elder before turning to leave.
Walking on the road back to his little courtyard, the sunlight was bright, birds sang and flowers were fragrant. Xiaoqi looked at the jade slip and discussion in his hand, his heart filled with expectation and determination.
"Everlasting Spring Art"—life without end, solidifying foundations, nourishing the origin.
"Heart-refining" discussion—taking a different path, exploring the way of artifacts.
This might not be the most mainstream, most powerful choice, but Xiaoqi believed this was definitely the choice most suitable for him, most able to help him walk his own path.
A new journey had begun.