Chapter 17: Knowledge Guard Tower

This was an independent small building hidden in an alleyway.

The building was not large, merely two stories high, with its entrance wide open, but a black curtain at the doorway blocked the sight of passersby, preventing them from peering inside easily.

The building bore no sign and one simply could not tell what it was used for.

Lu Qingshan stood in front of the small building, his gaze flickering slightly.

Since the starting village of his previous life was not in Yuanshan City, he had traversed many alleys in search of this building.

Familiar with the plot of "Nine Heavens," he knew very well that the unremarkable building before him was actually the largest faction that players could come into contact with in the entire Yuanshan City.

Yuanshan Tower, a branch of the Zhishou Tower stationed in Yuanshan City!

Zhishou Tower was the only power among the Human Race that could rival the Seven Great Taoist Sects.

Moreover, Zhishou Tower was also one of the oldest forces of the Human Race, having existed even before the emergence of the Great Xia Imperial Clan.

After the unification of the Human Race by the Great Xia Imperial Clan, Zhishou Tower pledged allegiance to the Imperial Clan and concealed its influence underground.

For twenty thousand years in Chang'an, the shadow of Zhishou Tower gradually faded within the Human Race.

But Lu Qingshan knew that instead of weakening over these twenty thousand years, Zhishou Tower had grown stronger with the full support of the Great Xia Imperial Clan.

The branches of Zhishou Tower were like the Great Xia Commercial Firm, scattered throughout every human city, only Great Xia Commercial Firm was in the open while Zhishou Tower operated in secret.

Zhishou Tower was a faction and alliance that only surfaced during the "Netherworld Demon Shadow" version of the game and formally became open to players.

But in his previous life, there were some fortunate players blessed by luck who, due to various fortuitous encounters, had unlocked the Zhishou Tower faction prematurely.

Because Zhishou Tower was not well-known and acted discreetly, those players who had unlocked the faction had always thought Zhishou Tower was just a minor sect of no significance.

Who would have known, with the arrival of the "Netherworld Demon Shadow" version, Zhishou Tower suddenly became the current version's leader of the Human Race.

Damn, hit the jackpot and drew an SSR!

Soon, players who couldn't suppress their desire to show off shared on player forums their methods for unlocking the Zhishou Tower faction.

Everyone had a different path to unlocking the faction, ranging from the bizarre to the varied, but they all shared one commonality, which was being enemies with Demon Cultivators.

Because Zhishou Tower was established specifically to suppress and eradicate the Demon Race's influence within Great Xia.

...

Lu Qingshan never intended to become a Loose Cultivator.

In the increasingly turbulent and chaotic "Nine Heavens," without the protection of a Sect, choosing to be a Loose Cultivator meant a very high mortality rate.

In the main storyline of each version, the number of Loose Cultivator NPCs who died inexplicably due to the plot was incalculable.

Every time a major version update occurred and Lu Qingshan logged back in to read the update records, he would find a sentence like this in the log: Countless Loose Cultivators became the victims of this disaster...

Moreover, Cultivators in need of rapid growth require a lot of resources.

Techniques, Dao Companions, Wealth, Land!

The four essential elements of Cultivation.

First of all, high-level Cultivation Techniques and Sword Techniques are of great value and are not easily taught; often, even if one has the money, these things are hard to buy.

Therefore, the Cultivation Methods practiced by Loose Cultivators are usually common and their studied Techniques are of average power.

If one could attach themselves to a powerful Sect, simply by accumulating enough Sect contribution points, they could exchange for various high-level Taoist teachings needed for Cultivation.

Dao Companion does not merely refer to a dual cultivation partner, but also includes fellow Sect brothers, Masters; without companionship in learning, one will inevitably have limited knowledge and perspective.

If one could join an Immortal Cultivation Sect, they would not only have fellow Sect brothers to cultivate with but also the guidance and protection of experienced elders, which naturally allows for faster growth than that of Loose Cultivators.

Wealth refers to various Cultivation resources and materials needed by Cultivators, such as Spirit Pills, Magic Artifacts, Spirit Stones, and so on.

Loose Cultivators, for the most part, spend their time looking for Cultivation resources, leaving them without sufficient time to practice Cultivation Methods or study Techniques.

Cultivation Sects, on the other hand, regularly provide disciples with certain training resources for nurturing.

Moreover, many precious Pill Furnaces can be obtained by Sect disciples at an extremely favorable price.

This gap in resources often quickly translates into a difference in strength.

Land refers to the places of Cultivation, as Sects are established upon Spirit Veins, where the concentration of Spiritual Energy far surpasses other places, a veritable feng shui treasure for Cultivation.

In these places, one day of cultivation was equivalent to two days, or even more, in ordinary places.

As for loose cultivators, they roamed the four seas as their home. In today's Cultivation Realm, how many suitable places for cultivation remain undiscovered?

Not to mention finding a geomantic treasure spot to cultivate, many loose cultivators often find themselves in danger when discovered during secluded cultivation, then become targets of murder and robbery. However, within a sect, these problems need never be a concern.

In the Cultivation Realm, ninety-nine percent of cultivators at the pinnacle of power come from famous and large sects. The rarity of powerful cultivators from a loose cultivator background shows the importance of being part of a sect.

Although Lu Qingshan had great confidence in his ability to grow, with chaos on the horizon and his limited power, he would undoubtedly be extremely vulnerable in the troubled times.

He needed the protection of a large force.

Zhi Shou Tower was not the large force he had in mind, but it had an advantage.

Zhi Shou Tower was not a sect but similar to an official organization, so it did not impose many restrictions on the freedom of its members.

The members of Zhi Shou Tower could still join other sects without violating any regulations of the tower.

Without a doubt, Zhi Shou Tower was an excellent secondary lineup.

...

Lu Qingshan lifted the black curtain at the entrance and walked into the small building.

The first floor of the small building was a hall where several wooden supporting columns divided the space into segments. The windows of the small building were tightly closed. Coupled with the dark alley at the back of the building, the entire interior space appeared very dark and somber.

"Who is it, and what do you want?" a somewhat deep male voice asked.

Looking inside, Lu Qingshan saw a brown sandalwood staircase with intricate carvings leading to the second floor, and next to the staircase, there was a counter,

where a middle-aged male cultivator with messy hair and a rough beard, looking rather slovenly, was seated.

The question just now had been posed by this middle-aged male cultivator.

"I'm looking for the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower."

A gleam of sharpness flashed in the eyes of the middle-aged cultivator.

Lu Qingshan subtly felt as if he were being scrutinized.

Lu Qingshan knew that the middle-aged man was scanning him with Divine Sense.

"A mere Qi Refinement second layer cultivator, the Tower Master is not someone you can meet just because you want to."

"Netherworld," Lu Qingshan said succinctly, not offering any further explanation.

The pupils of the middle-aged cultivator contracted, "What have you discovered?!"

"I can only discuss this matter with the Tower Master."

After a brief silence,

the deep voice of the middle-aged cultivator rose again, "Fine, wait here."

Lu Qingshan nodded.

The middle-aged cultivator left the counter and headed straight for the second floor.

Shortly after,

"Come upstairs," called a pleasant female voice from above.

Unexpectedly, the Tower Master of Yuanshan Tower was a female cultivator.

Lu Qingshan found this interesting.

Without hesitation, Lu Qingshan quickly ascended the stairs.

At the top of the staircase, he was met with a very long corridor, flanked by individual rooms on both sides.

"The one at the very end."

The voice was heard, but the person remained unseen.

Lu Qingshan walked unhurriedly to the end of the corridor and pushed open the room's door.

Lu Qingshan was instantly struck by the brightness before him.

Unlike the gloominess of other areas in the building, the room was very well-lit, filled with a nice yet subtle fragrance. Furthermore, inside the room, there was a woman… a very beautiful woman.