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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
In the Azure Cloud Sect's Scripture Repository, I stood in the middle of the shelves, gazing at the myriad of Taoist texts, feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start.
It was just like when I was in the school library, walking from one end to the other, spending hours searching for seven or eight books, and being satisfied if I managed to read even half of one.
Each row of shelves was labeled with bookmarks; some were about the history of Taoism, others listed famous Taoists, while some contained strange tales and accounts of sacred lands.
The entire first floor of the Scripture Repository had only one shelf marked with "Introductory Cultivation Methods." I looked toward the second floor, preparing to ascend, but the Scruffy Old Daoist at the entrance said, "Before you become an Outer Sect Disciple, you can only borrow from the first floor. That's the rule."
The Scruffy Old Daoist was quite polite; it wasn't that I lacked the qualifications to step into the second floor. I could only glance at the last shelf containing Cultivation Methods. Titles like "Taizu Longquan," "Daoist Canon Secrets," "Azure Cloud Sect Basic Swordsmanship," "Wind Spirit Technique," and "Fireball Technique" were all basic methods that didn't interest me. Perhaps the Azure Cloud Sect's sword techniques might be somewhat useful, but learning a fireball technique would only allow me to create a spark. With my Entry-Level Realm Dao Qi strength, it was likely that any fireball would extinguish before it could reach anyone.
However, considering how the Old Scholar spoke highly of Futu Ridge's abilities and how Dao Fire symbolized a Taoist's prowess, I pulled out the book on Fireball Technique and flipped through it. Secretly, I began to channel the essence of Martial Dao Classic to observe the foundational cultivation method's operational trajectory.
"What do you need this Fireball Technique for?" a sudden voice interrupted me from behind; it was none other than the Scruffy Old Daoist. "Even elite Outer Sect Disciples need at least a year to master this Fireball Technique. Do you think conjuring fire out of thin air is an easy trick to learn? You don't plan on setting my Scripture Repository ablaze, do you?"
"Senior..."
Ignoring my embarrassment, the Scruffy Old Daoist shoved the Fireball Technique back onto the shelf and handed me "Wind Spirit Technique," saying, "This book is easy to grasp; practice for half a month and you'll see significant results. It will enhance your agility so that when you fight others, at least you can run fast enough to save your life. How much time do you have left to compete with Outer Sect Disciples?"
I replied, "Senior, I'm just asking someone from the Miscellaneous Room to help me contact the Outer Sect for a challenge against an Outer Sect Disciple. The specific arrangements are still unclear."
The Scruffy Old Daoist pointed at me and said, "You! Even with Old Man's good intentions to help you, you're treating your life like a joke!"
His attitude warmed my heart; after all, he was showing concern for me. However, he then sighed with an air of indifference: "But perhaps it's for the best—die early and be reborn into a wealthy family to avoid suffering."
The Scruffy Old Daoist shook his head and turned away from me, heading over to a bamboo lounge chair by the door to bask in the sun.
I looked at the bookshelf and slightly opened my palm. A ball of azure flame appeared in my hand, beautiful like a clear lotus pond in summer.
I introduced the Wind Spirit Technique that the Scruffy Old Daoist taught me, and I also contemplated the profound insights from the Martial Dao Classic. Following its guidance, the meridians and acupoints in my body were broken through by Dao Qi, allowing me to fully operate the Wind Spirit Technique. With a sudden push from my feet, I unexpectedly glided five meters away and accidentally crashed into a bookshelf, nearly toppling it over.
My heart raced with excitement. The Tao Te Ching is a timeless classic by Laozi Li Er, and this Martial Dao Classic was truly remarkable, enabling me to master two cultivation methods in such a short time. Although they were merely basic cultivation methods, if this continued, wouldn't I be able to learn one just by reading it?
I then searched the bookshelf for another cultivation method called the Mountain Split Technique. By applying the insights from the Martial Dao Classic, I realized this was exactly what I wanted. Once practiced, it could exponentially increase one's strength. The force of a punch could injure, and at its peak, one could split mountains with a single strike. As I quietly absorbed the essence of the Mountain Split Technique through the Martial Dao Classic, I clearly felt that its difficulty was significantly higher than the previous two methods. By the time I finished my contemplation, dusk had fallen, and the Outer Sect Disciples upstairs began to descend one after another. Upon seeing my Daoist robe, they looked at me with disdain.
Clenching my fists, I noticed faint yellowish stains appearing on them before vanishing in an instant. At that moment, I felt utterly exhausted, as if my body had been drained of energy, and my head throbbed slightly. It seemed that the Martial Dao Classic was not omnipotent; its fragmented teachings could only allow me to grasp some relatively simple cultivation methods, and there was a limit to how many I could comprehend at once. Otherwise, exceeding my physical capacity would overwhelm my mind.
As I exited the Scripture Repository, I bowed respectfully to the Scruffy Old Daoist, sincerely grateful for his assistance today.
The Scruffy Old Daoist shook his head and refused to spare me even a glance, as if I were already dead in his eyes.
When I reached the Training Arena, a group of youths surrounded me as soon as they saw me approach. The boy whom I had kicked in the groin and who had received a black eye pointed at me and exclaimed, "That's him!"
They rolled up their sleeves in preparation for a fight. The leader of this group was none other than Fat Boy, with whom I had clashed when I first entered the sect; my gun had been snatched from his bodyguard.
"Is it you?!" Fat Boy looked at me in astonishment. "How did you suddenly become so young?"
"Zhang Zhao, who is this person?" asked another boy beside him.
Fat Boy replied, "Do you remember that foolish uncle I told you about when I first joined? He offered a sword to an elder and then seemed to be assigned to fetch water or dung—this is that guy! Last month someone even asked me about him. But who would have thought he has become so much younger?"
"I heard from the leader of the Water Storage Room that he has a fondness for Dragon Yang; he can't possibly have been nourished by it?" another boy laughed heartily.
The group erupted into laughter. Zhang Zhao frowned and said, "My bodyguard lost contact after leaving the sect; now seeing you suddenly so youthful makes me wonder if you're some kind of demon that absorbs Yang Qi."
"If he doesn't absorb Yang Qi, how could he look so young? Haha!" The laughter continued.
Suddenly, I felt a gust of wind behind me and instinctively threw a punch backward. The person attempting to ambush me was none other than the boy I had previously beaten up. My punch landed squarely on his other eye; he fell to the ground clutching his face in agony as both eyes turned black and blue.
"Hit him!" Zhang Zhao commanded as he saw the young man knocked down by my punch, ordering everyone to surround me.
"Stop!" A stern voice rang out. The group of young men turned to see a tall, handsome youth standing on a white jade railing not far away. His complexion was fair, and his prominent brow gave him an air of melancholy.
Upon seeing him, the boys quickly bowed and said, "Brother Shaoyu."
The young man nodded and looked at me, asking, "Are you Yang Hao from the Water Storage Room?"
I replied, "I am indeed Yang Hao. May I ask how you know my name, Senior Brother?"
He said, "My name is Qi Shaoyu. You challenged an Outer Sect Disciple to gain entry into the Outer Sect, and the person drawn was me."
At this statement, the crowd erupted in chatter.
"What does he think he is? A mere water carrier from the Water Storage Room wants to enter the Outer Sect? What do we think the Outer Sect is?"
"Exactly! Zhang Zhao just said he’s a newcomer who has only been here for two months. We are all at the mid to late stages of Entry-Level Realm. How could he possibly compete? He dares to challenge Brother Shaoyu of the Purple Qi Coming from the East Realm? Brother Shaoyu is one of the top one hundred experts in the Outer Sect. He has a gentle personality and avoids conflict, which is why he hasn’t fought against those ruthless individuals in the arena. His true strength is likely even more terrifying!"
"Brother Shaoyu entered the sect three years ago and is already a master of the Purple Qi Coming from the East Realm. He broke through his bottleneck in just one year. If he wanted to, he could easily make it into the top ten. Being in the Outer Sect Top Ten grants access to Foundation Pills, and once one establishes their foundation successfully, they can enter the Inner Sect and become a core disciple of Qingyun Peak!"
"But this Yang Hao really drew the short straw by facing one of the top one hundred experts in the Outer Sect. I've only been in the Outer Sect for three years myself; I wonder what punishment those Migrant Workers face when they fail their challenges against Outer Sect Disciples?"
I looked at Qi Shaoyu and said, "So it turns out I was unfortunate enough to draw Brother Shaoyu. I hope you will go easy on me."
Qi Shaoyu replied, "It seems you are not aware of Azure Cloud Sect's rules regarding laborers challenging Outer Sect Disciples."
I admitted, "I truly do not know. Please enlighten me, Brother Shaoyu."
He explained, "When challenging an Outer Sect Disciple, the Challenger's life or death is not my responsibility. Just to be clear: I can kill you, but you cannot kill me. Although you lack that ability, I have no intention of killing you."
I said, "In that case, please ask Brother Shaoyu to inform the Outer Sect Steward to redraw the lots."
Qi Shaoyu replied, "There is also a rule that no matter who the Challenger draws, they cannot redraw. If you encounter an Outer Sect Disciple that you cannot defeat or an enemy of yours, you can choose to forfeit your life. As a punishment for being overconfident, you will not be allowed to challenge the Outer Sect again for ten years. I, Qi Shaoyu, ranked within the top one hundred among eight thousand Outer Sect Disciples a year ago and have not accepted any challenges since. I do not wish to make an exception for you, and since the laborers must accept challenges from Outer Sect Disciples, I want you to forfeit your challenge."
"Oh, I see..." I hesitated for a moment and then said, "I wonder if Senior Brother wants me to forfeit now or during the competition?"
Qi Shaoyu frowned slightly and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
I replied, "If I have to forfeit now and it counts, I would like to think it over. After all, this is my only chance to enter the Outer Sect. If forfeiting now doesn't count and I have to forfeit again during the competition, then my verbal promise to you would be meaningless, wouldn't it?"
"Are you really thinking about challenging Brother Shaoyu just to test your luck?" a young man asked mockingly.
Another young man chimed in, "How would you know if you don't try? Many famous people have done the same. Brother Shaoyu, why don't you compete with us so we can see what else this Yang Dajun has besides brute strength?"
A group of people burst into laughter.
Qi Shaoyu said, "After three days, it will be here. By then, the Outer Sect Disciples and the Manager of the Outer Sect will come; perhaps Elder Hong will also attend. I do not want to make an exception by taking action myself. Defeating a laborer would be an insult to me. If I must fight, I will take your life within three strikes. You are older than me; think carefully."
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Shaoyu." I cupped my fists in respect towards Qi Shaoyu and turned to leave the crowd.
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