Martial Arts Classics in the Library

The Misty Cloud Sect was similar to most sects in the cultivation world. The disciples of the sect needed to complete various missions to obtain sect contribution points in exchange for cultivation resources.

According to a popular saying in the cultivation world, there was no gain without effort. This was the balance of karma.

In Zhang Li's eyes, this was all an excuse. 'Karma my a**.'

The exchange of contribution points for cultivation resources was just a reasonable excuse to exploit low-level cultivators.

The world of cultivation was structured like a pyramid. The high-level members of sects with advanced cultivation and elders with long lifespans accepted the support of countless low-level junior disciples with peace of mind.

Obviously, strength was everything in the world of cultivation. Senior experts had bigger fists, so they had the final say.

The Misty Cloud Sect's contribution points could be exchanged for cultivation manuals, medicinal pills, and magic tools.

Many things were prohibited from being sold in the market.

In this way, the purity of the cultivation was guaranteed as it was passed down, and the transcendence of the cultivation sect was preserved.

"You want to exchange spirit stones for contribution points?" Behind the counter, an old man with unkempt hair stood up and left with the storage bag and jade tablet.

"You will receive 18,360 contribution points for 183,600 spirit stones, Disciple Du Jiang."

The old man glanced at Zhang Li after he returned the empty storage pouch and jade tablet.

"Who's preparing to establish a sect?"

Zhang Li did not know how to reply. He just kept the items and turned toward the library not far away.

"Du Jiang... Du Jiang..." The old man's eyes moved around slightly as he looked at Zhang Li's back. "Isn't it one of the six names that Senior Brother Zhu Wu asked me to pay attention to?"

He looked around before he stretched out his hand, which held a yellow talisman. The talisman soon turned into the faint shadow of a crane and spread its wings. It flew out of the Foreign Affairs Hall and headed toward the back of Misty Cloud Mountain.

That was where the elites and higher-ups of the sect lived.

Meanwhile, Zhang Li arrived at the sect's library where cultivation manuals were stored. He took out his identity card and allowed the cultivators on duty to check it at the door before he walked in.

The library was considered an important place in the sect. The identification process alone consisted of three checkpoints.

Zhang Li finally breathed a sigh of relief once he entered the ancient three-story pavilion.

"Outer court disciples can only loan the books on the first floor of the library," a 50-year-old man standing behind a green wooden table said indifferently.

Zhang Li nodded and looked at the rows of bookshelves on the first floor.

[Cultivation techniques.]

[Spell books.]

[The secret records of cultivation.]

[Alchemy.]

[Refinement techniques.]

...

They were divided into different categories and were all-encompassing.

This was the foundation of a large sect.

How could sects that did not have any Gold Core experts collect so many legacy cultivation methods?

In the world of cultivation, there were traveling cultivators who only practiced two or three cultivation techniques in their entire lives.

In Zhang Li's opinion, it was really difficult for cultivators without the support of an organization to go far.

This was also the reason why he had never left the sect and become a rogue cultivator.

Based on his calculations, he would probably not live for more than 100 years if he became a traveling cultivator. His secret cheat ability would be discovered, and he would die without a burial place.

Each "book" on the bookshelves only had two or three thin pages.

[Ice Path Technique.

[Cultivate ice-cold True Essence into the body and fuse it with spirit energy into the energy center. The True Essence is filled with coldness and can be condensed into the Ice Path Technique. It can be used to complement the Ice Arrow Technique and the Cold Light Technique.

[This technique can be cultivated to Level 6 of the Spirit Refinement Realm. Later on, one can cultivate the Ice Path Technique, Ice Frost Art, Cold Wind Force, and other ice techniques.

[This booklet can be exchanged for three mission contribution points. The cultivation technique cannot be taught to outsiders.]

[Foundation of the Infernal Path

[A fire-type technique that can be cultivated to Level 3 of the Spirit Refinement Realm by condensing a fire-type True Essence. It is suitable for early-stage Spirit Refinement disciples who also practice artifact refinement and alchemy.

[This cultivation booklet can be exchanged for one mission contribution point. It comes with a fire control technique.]

[Azure Sun Sword Technique

[This is a basic sword technique in the Daoist sect. It is also the first of the Three Yang Sword Techniques, namely the Azure Sun, the Red Sun, and the Scorching Sun.

[This sword technique has a total of six moves. When it condenses a beam of azure light, it can turn into a three-inch azure light sword, and it will be invincible.

[The cultivation of swordsmanship requires talent. If one is unable to achieve it in three years, one should not force it.

[This booklet can be exchanged for five mission contribution points. The technique cannot be taught to outsiders.]

...

Zhang Li had been in the Misty Cloud Sect for three years. Aside from the basic Quiet Cloud Mist Technique that the outer court disciples cultivated, he had also cultivated two more spells, a movement technique, and a shallow sword technique.

The sword technique and the spell techniques did not require spirit stones.

The vast majority of the outer court disciples in the sect were on a tight schedule. How could they still exchange their contribution points for cultivation techniques?

However, today was different.

The rich needed to act like it.

Zhang Li did not hesitate. He picked up all the booklets that he could see on the bookshelf.

They covered cultivation techniques, cultivation paths, swordsmanship, pill refinement, artifact refinement, and other related knowledge.

...

It was a thick stack.

As he turned around, he spotted a dusty booklet in the corner.

"Mortal martial arts?"

The booklets in this section recorded the various martial arts that had been passed down in the mortal world.

The spirit energy in the mortal world had been exhausted, and the cultivation of the immortal path had been severed.

Even so, there was always a way out. Countless predecessors had painstakingly opened up a path of martial arts cultivation.

Martial arts cultivated the body's true spirit energy and penetrated the body layer by layer.

It would train his muscles, as well as bones, externally and his breath internally.

The power of martial arts displayed in the mortal world was oppressive and not inferior to the practices of cultivators.

When learned with great success, practitioners could move mountains and rivers.

There were seven realms and 21 levels in martial arts. This consisted of the Body Refinement Realm, Bone Strengthening Realm, Tendon Transformation Realm, Spirit Sensing Realm, Spirit Condensation Realm, Spirit Transformation Realm, and Innate Realm.

The Body Refinement Realm, Bone Strengthening Realm, and Tendon Transformation Realm were mainly external. Once a person's energy, muscles and bones were cultivated to peak condition, one's strength would increase by 1,000 times.

The Spirit Sensing Realm was the dividing line between martial arts experts.

It was equivalent to Level 1 of the Spirit Refinement Realm in the cultivation world.

The Spirit Condensation Realm followed the Spirit Sensing Realm.

Those who had reached this realm were less than one in ten thousand. With the support of true spirit energy, it was not inferior to Level 2 of the Spirit Refinement Realm in immortal cultivation.

Once the Spirit Condensation Realm was perfected, it was time for the Spirit Transformation Realm.

This transformed true spirit energy into evil spirit energy, spirit force from virtual to real, and condensed energy instead of scattering it. Rustling leaves and flying flowers could be used as weapons, and one could cross a void by stepping on air waves.

Experts in this realm were known as martial arts grandmasters, and their combat strength could rival that of a Level 3 Spirit Refinement Realm expert.

The Innate Realm was the peak of martial arts in the mortal world, and martial artists in this realm were known as the great grandmasters. Their combat strength was roughly equivalent to that of a Level 4 Spirit Refinement cultivator.

If they advanced further, they would break through the barriers of heaven and earth in the mortal world and ascend to the cultivation world.

The martial arts manuals in the library had all been left behind by mortal seniors who had ascended.

Zhang Li looked at the bundle of martial arts booklets that only cost one contribution point and smiled.

He was going to guard the mortal world, so they happened to be of use.

Without hesitation, he moved all the dusty booklets over.

"Elder, I would like to exchange my points for these booklets on cultivation methods," Zhang Li respectfully said as he placed the booklets on the green wooden table.

The elders in the library were all individuals with deep backgrounds and profound cultivation.

They also guarded the second and third floors closely.

The old man in green robes glanced at Zhang Li and did not seem to be surprised by his request.

He took the booklets and flipped through them. "That will be a total of 8,630 contribution points."

Zhang Li quickly handed over the jade tablet with his identity.

The old man did not even look at the identity on the jade tablet. He just pressed it against an array disk on the green wooden table.

With a flash, the points in the jade tablet decreased by more than 8,000.

When he returned the jade tablet, the old man had more than 10 Jade Slips in his hand.

"These cultivation booklets have been recorded in the Jade Slips."

"Don't casually put your nose where it doesn't belong," the elder said with a nod.

Just like the people he had met before, this elder obviously saw him as an errand boy.

They were not wrong, though. No outer court disciple could possibly have so many contribution points.

Zhang Li bowed and turned around to leave the library.

Fifteen minutes after he left the library, two disciples in their 30s arrived before the library. They were wearing inner court robes.

They both took out jade tablets with their identity and handed them to the cultivators on duty for inspection.

"Junior Brothers, is Senior Brother Du Jiang still in the library?"

One of the two inner court disciples opened his hand for inspection while he pretended to speak casually.

The cultivator who was carrying out the inspection was taken aback when he heard his question. He shook his head and said, "I didn't see a disciple named Du Jiang visit the library."

Did he not come?

The two inner court disciples looked at each other.

"Hehe, I think you might be mistaken, Senior Brother Zheng. Senior Brother Du Jiang mentioned that he would be coming to the library." The other inner court disciple laughed and patted his companion on the shoulder.

"Yes, I must have remembered wrongly."

The two of them then walked into the library.

They walked around and searched the first and second floors, but they did not spot the person they were looking for.

"Elder, may I know if an inner court disciple named Du Jiang dropped by earlier?" The two of them walked up to the green wooden table and whispered.

The 50-year-old man sitting behind the table looked up with an impatient expression and waved his hand. "Have you forgotten the rules of the library?"

His words made the two inner court disciples freeze.

 "We're disciples of Green House Peak, and we're here under Senior Brother Chen Zhi's orders—" Before the disciple could finish speaking, the elder snorted coldly. He waved his hand, and faint green air currents wrapped around the two of them before throwing them out.

"These two are not allowed to enter the library again for the next ten years."

Outside the library, the cultivators on duty bowed and accepted the order.

The old man looked out the library, and his eyes shone with a deep divine light.

"The huge Misty Cloud Sect is filled with snakes and rats…"

...

Before sunset, Zhang Li had run to the library, the Pill Pavilion, Weapon Refining Hall, Talisman Hall, and Array Hall. He spent all his points before returning to his small courtyard.

The moment he pushed open the door, his entire body trembled as he saw the figure sitting in front of the stone table.