The Martial Pagoda

"Why do you ask?" Gu Yufeng inquired, thinking it was an odd question unless there was a problem with Tang Zhi's cultivation.

Tang Zhi shook his head, not wanting to jump to conclusions just yet. He planned on cultivating for a few more days before deciding. If things didn't improve, he would seek advice from Elder Ren.

Tang Zhi jumped off the bed. "Let's go look at some martial techniques," he said, and they both began walking toward the five-story pagoda in the distance.

A few minutes later, they arrived, and upon entry, they were greeted by an elderly man with a long white beard.

"This disciple greets the Elder!" they said in unison.

The Elder examined their unfamiliar faces. "You two must be the new disciples Head Elder Ren brought along," he said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

They nodded and the Elder extended his hand. "I'll need your sect medallions. There's a five sect point fee to enter," he said.

"What!" Gu Yufeng exclaimed, then quickly apologized for his outburst.

Tang Zhi also found it odd to pay an entry fee when techniques themselves were costly. Even if the fee was relatively small, it seemed unnecessary.

"I didn't make the rules, I just follow them," the Elder said calmly, still waiting for them to hand over their medallion.

"Regrettably, we don't possess any sect points at the moment. We've only begun cultivating a week ago and lack the strength required for hunting cosmic beasts or undertaking missions," Tang Zhi explained to the Elder, hoping for a reconsideration.

The Elder deliberated briefly before proposing, "I'll permit your entry if you can answer three questions about our sect. I'm sure you've been diligent in your studies here." He had always valued knowledge alongside cultivation, yet he lamented that many disciples nowadays focused solely on the latter.

Gu Yufeng started to panic, realizing he hadn't read anything about the sect since arriving. He glanced at Tang Zhi, expecting him to be equally anxious, but found the opposite to be true.

Tang Zhi remained calm and nodded to the Elder, indicating he was ready for the questions. Gu Yufeng couldn't help but praise Tang Zhi inwardly.

"When was the sect established?" The Elder inquired, a question easily answered by anyone who had done even a modicum of research about the sect.

"It was established by an individual named Tian Fu three million years ago. Known also as The Moon God, he ascended shortly after founding the sect," Tang Zhi explained, surprising the Elder.

He had anticipated that someone as striking as Tang Zhi would be solely focused on cultivation to captivate women's hearts.

He now understood that probably wasn't the case.

"The next question is: How many Elders are there, and who is the current sect leader?" he asked, posing a slightly more challenging question than the previous one.

"Hey, that's two questions—!" Gu Yufeng quickly fell silent when the Elder shot him a stern glare.

"There are thirty Elders, ten for each area, and two Head Elders overseeing fifteen Elders each. The current sect leader is Liang Jiang." Tang Zhi's response caused the Elder to burst into laughter.

"Haha! Good, good! Last question, what is my name?" he asked with a smile.

He knew this question wasn't difficult at all for Tang Zhi, but he wanted to hear his name said.

Tang Zhi smiled. "Elder Wei, the master of the current sect leader," he answered confidently. After all, Elder Wei was a powerful cultivator with immense knowledge of the cultivation world.

If he could become acquainted with such an individual, it would certainly bring significant benefits for him in the future, especially given the problems he was currently facing in his cultivation.

Elder Wei burst out laughing once again. "You're the first disciple I've been interested in since Liang Jiang! Hand me your medallion."

Tang Zhi handed Elder Wei his medallion, which began to emit a faint glow.

It was against sect rules for Elders to give disciples sect points unless they were earned. Violating this rule would result in expulsion from the sect and the destruction of one's dantian, rendering them crippled.

"I have credited a hundred sect points to your medallion, allowing you free entry for entertaining me," remarked the Elder. Tang Zhi bowed in gratitude, and both he and Gu Yufeng moved to follow, only to be stopped by Elder Wei.

"Stop," he commanded, his tone firm. "I said Tang Zhi could enter, not you," Elder Wei asserted, his voice bearing down heavily on Gu Yufeng.

Tang Zhi felt puzzled about how Elder Wei knew his name without being told, but then recalled that his name was inscribed on the sect medallion.

"What? Elder Wei, please! We answered your questions correctly!" Gu Yufeng pleaded from the floor.

Elder Wei's blood boiled. "We? Tang Zhi did all the work; you just listened! You don't deserve entry unless you pay the fee," he declared, feeling it was disrespectful to Tang Zhi for Gu Yufeng to make such a claim.

"Can another disciple pay for another disciple's fee?" Gu Yufeng asked, a new idea forming in his mind.

Elder Wei understood Gu Yufeng's implication and sighed heavily. "Yes, they can," he conceded through gritted teeth.

Gu Yufeng's face lit up with hope as he turned to Tang Zhi. "Please, I'll repay you tenfold!" he exclaimed, dropping to his knees in a kowtow before him.

Tang Zhi nodded firmly. "I'll hold you to that," he replied, then handed his medallion to Elder Wei. A few seconds later, five sect points were deducted from the hundred.

"You are only allowed to stay on the first floor," Elder Wei declared.

"This disciple understands!" both Gu Yufeng and Tang Zhi affirmed in unison before eagerly entering the first floor of the pagoda.

There were only three bookshelves on this floor, which left Tang Zhi and Gu Yufeng feeling underwhelmed by the limited selection of martial techniques available.

Although each shelf appeared capable of holding up to a hundred martial techniques, they found only three on the shelf labeled "Mental," five on "Defensive," and ten on "Attack."

"This is so disappointing! A sect in the top ten of the Power Charts has such a small amount of martial techniques!" Gu Yufeng exclaimed in disbelief.

Even Tang Zhi found it hard to conceal his disappointment, though he acknowledged it was better than having nothing at all.

He approached the shelf labeled "Mental," selected the closest book, and muttered, "Subtle Mind Shift," under his breath.