Chapter 21: Where Is the Old Man Hiding?

Acting on his thoughts, Li Xun began wandering around the fifth floor, searching for another disciple to test his theory about the system's possible bug.

Before long, he spotted a tall, thin junior brother standing in the corner, holding two cultivation techniques and looking troubled, as if he couldn't decide which one to choose.

Li Xun's eyes brightened when he noticed a faint white glow surrounding the junior brother. 

Although the glow was weak, it confirmed that Li Xun's theory was correct!

Almost immediately, the system chimed in:

[Ding! Congratulations, master! A white-grade investable person has been found. Investing in the Guiyuan technique will earn you ten mid-grade spirit stones!]

"Guiyuan technique?" Li Xun muttered as he scanned the surroundings, quickly locating the Guiyuan technique and taking it in his hands. 

He walked confidently toward the junior brother.

A few minutes later, in another area on the fifth floor:

[Ding! Congratulations, master! A white-grade investable person has been found. Investing in the Divine Water technique will earn you one Tongling Pill!]

Fifteen minutes later, on the sixth floor of the library:

[Ding! Congratulations, host! A white-grade investable person has been found. Investing in the Raging Sea Palm technique will earn you one Cloud Piercing Spear (mid-grade magical treasure)!]

After nearly an hour of this, Li Xun finally stopped. 

He had invested in nine people and gained considerable rewards, though he was slightly disappointed that none of the investments had directly improved his cultivation. 

If he could gain twenty years of cultivation again, like he had with Lu Changhe, he could almost be ready to become a core disciple.

"Today, I came too early," Li Xun reflected, glancing at the sun just beginning to rise. 

Many disciples were likely just starting their day. 

If he had known about the system's exploit earlier, he would have come when the library was most crowded.

"Alas, my time in the library is almost up," Li Xun sighed softly. 

Each disciple was allowed only one hour in the library to select a technique before being thrown out by the elder if they stayed too long.

"Still, it's not a total loss. Now that I know the library has this exploit, I can always come back after accumulating more contribution points." With a plan in mind, Li Xun decided not to waste any more time and headed toward a nearby bookshelf.

Earlier, on the sixth floor, while investing in other disciples, Li Xun had already spotted the martial technique for the halberd technique he wanted. 

Since he had plenty of time then, he hadn't transferred the technique's content to his identity token.

Now, standing before the bookshelf, Li Xun reached out and grabbed the technique:

Star Crushing Halberd Technique!

This was a lower-grade Xuan technique with eight forms in total. 

While Li Xun wasn't sure if the technique could literally crush stars, it certainly had the power to shatter mountains.

After transferring the technique's content to his identity token, Li Xun headed out of the library. 

At the entrance, the purple-clad elder who had greeted him earlier scanned Li Xun's identity token with his divine sense. 

Confirming that everything was in order, the elder allowed Li Xun to pass without incident.

On his way back to his courtyard, Li Xun noticed someone pacing back and forth in front of his gate—a fellow disciple dressed in the outer sect's uniform. 

It was none other than Ye Han!

"How did he find me?" Li Xun wondered, puzzled.

"Senior Brother Li!" Ye Han called out, his face lighting up with joy as he spotted Li Xun. He hurried over, exclaiming, "I've been waiting for you, Senior Brother!"

"It's been a while, Junior Brother Ye," Li Xun responded with a smile, then asked, "How's your recovery?"

"Thanks to your Blood Qi Pill, Senior Brother, not only have I fully recovered, but I've also broken through to the fourth level of the Body Refinement stage!" Ye Han said excitedly.

The Blood Qi Pill was indeed a precious medicine for Body Refinement cultivators, as it not only healed injuries but also strengthened their blood and qi.

"It seems you were destined to survive and thrive," Li Xun praised, then asked curiously, "But what brings you here today, Junior Brother?"

"To be honest, Senior Brother, ever since you helped me, I've been thinking about how to repay you. Today, I've come to return part of that debt," Ye Han said earnestly, without beating around the bush. 

He pulled a book from his robe.

The book was new, still faintly exuding the scent of fresh ink, as if it had just been written.

"This is a high-grade Xuan martial technique called the Golden Body Technique. Once mastered, it grants unparalleled physical defense, making even Qi Condensation or Spirit Meridian experts unable to harm you."

"You want to give this to me?" Li Xun asked, squinting slightly as he scrutinized Ye Han. 

He also noticed that Ye Han wasn't wearing any storage ring.

But how had Ye Han, a mere outer sect disciple at the bottom of the Body Refinement stage, come into possession of such a rare technique? 

The only plausible explanation was that Ye Han had a hidden benefactor—a mysterious old man.

But where was this old man hiding? Li Xun couldn't be sure just yet.

"Exactly. Please, Senior Brother, don't refuse!" Ye Han urged, holding out the Golden Body Technique.

Li Xun glanced at Ye Han, then at the technique in his hand. 

His expression remained calm, but inwardly, he was overjoyed.

This was a windfall!

Whether the technique came from Ye Han himself or from his mysterious benefactor, it was exactly what Li Xun needed—a powerful defensive technique to complement his Star Crushing Halberd Technique.

With the Golden Body Technique, Li Xun could focus entirely on offense, confident that his defense would be nearly impenetrable.

Everyone knew that Halberd techniques emphasized relentless, overwhelming force. 

If an opponent landed a hit, it might not matter—but if Li Xun landed a hit, it could be fatal.

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