At the entrance to the Scripture Repository.
It was still the same two patrolling disciples from last time. When they faced Li Qingyun, their expressions remained lofty.
"Junior Brother Li, the one who loves meditating, you're back!"
They teased him with soft laughter.
Over the past two days, word had suddenly spread through the back mountain that this newly arrived idle guest disciple was merely a disowned bastard son of Marquis Qinghe's Estate, here at the Daoist temple to live out his final days—not to "gild himself."
They had also heard that Li Qingyun spent all day sitting in meditation like a blockhead, foolish and dull.
Some had even given him the nickname "the meditation idiot." Wasn't that vividly apt?
Li Qingyun smiled modestly, as though he had not sensed their frivolous mockery at all. He merely nodded, paid the ten taels of gold entrance fee, and walked inside.
Now, he could tell with a single glance that these two gatekeeping patrolling disciples were only at the second layer of Qi Refining!
Why should he waste his temper on them?
In one or two months, they would stand as far apart as clouds and mud.
The familiar first floor held categorized shelves of castrated scripture editions, essentials of low-grade spells, and the like.
The old Daoist guarding the repository was still sprawled in his wicker chair, snoring away with drool hanging from his mouth, utterly unconcerned with his appearance.
Li Qingyun first went to the shelves for everyday utility spells. There were several dozen slim booklets laid out there, but when he picked up one on the Cleanse Technique, he was left somewhat speechless.
Once he opened the front and back covers, the book contained only two pages, light as a feather.
Such little content, yet it still had to be bound into a separate booklet.
The Dust Avoidance Technique, Water Purification Technique, Telekinesis Technique, Grain Abstinence Technique, Tracking Technique, and the rest were much the same as the Cleanse Technique. At most they had three to five pages, at least one or two, and every one was bound separately.
"Lingbao Temple's exploitation of us idle guest disciples truly reaches into every last detail! One comprehensive collection of everyday utility spells could have settled it all, yet they had to split them into dozens of separate volumes. Their desire to make money is plain for all to see..."
Still, he merely smiled faintly and sat cross-legged before the shelves.
With a light sweep of his hand, one slim booklet after another flew down as if plucked by an invisible hand. In the blink of an eye, they had piled into a stack three feet high before him.
He first picked up the Cleanse Technique. His consciousness instantly entered the space within his mind, where the mysterious Daoist effigy sat silently in meditation within the dark void of his sea of consciousness, eyes lowered and gaze cast down.
On the dark wall behind the effigy were three rippling, faintly luminous marks: the Thunder Seal Technique, Qi Concealment Art, and Illusionary Spirit Technique.
Of them, the ripple of the Thunder Seal Technique was the deepest. Li Qingyun felt that this spell was beginning to surpass its original level of transformation.
"Cleanse Technique! Cleanse Technique!"
He opened the thin booklet and continuously recited and visualized it at the same time.
In merely two breaths, an insignificant Daoist spell mark appeared on the dark wall behind the mysterious Daoist effigy.
Li Qingyun looked at it and immediately knew that the Cleanse Technique had successfully left its trace.
It was simply that this minor spell was too "humble." On the dark wall, it amounted to only that tiny point. Especially before the thunder-intent ripple, it was like a single firefly.
His heart filled with delight, Li Qingyun naturally did not care. His hand immediately switched to the next booklet, the Dust Avoidance Technique.
Again, in two breaths, the Dust Avoidance Technique left a small point on the dark wall.
The Water Purification Technique, Tracking Technique, Odor Avoidance Technique, Fragrance Generation Technique, Grain Abstinence Technique, and the rest passed through his hands one booklet after another, each held to the rhythm of a two-breath interval. Before long, he had gone through them all.
In less than half an hour, he had "collected stamps" from every everyday utility spell here.
Why would freeloading cost any money?
The underlying principles of these minor spells were actually extremely simple, which was why Li Qingyun could freeload them with ease.
With another light wave of his hand, the dozens of thin booklets each returned home, leaving behind not a single cloud.
Next, Li Qingyun came before the shelves containing movement techniques.
There were only five or six slim booklets there.
Cloud Treading Art, Wind Riding Art, Star Net Steps...
Li Qingyun gave them a rough read first and discovered that movement technique essentials were far more complex and profound than everyday utility spells.
He sat cross-legged and made a brief attempt, but the dark wall showed no response whatsoever.
"If I want to freeload, there isn't enough time!"
His mental power and comprehension were not yet strong enough. For him to casually meditate for a while and leave a ripple mark in the mysterious Daoist effigy's space was still unrealistic.
So he carefully compared them and finally chose the Wind Riding Art and Star Net Steps.
The Wind Riding Art leaned toward traveling and flight. Of course, once mastered to a profound realm, one's movement technique would also carry the intent of wind, becoming much faster.
When Lu Liqian had shown off before him last time, this was precisely the Wind Riding Art she had cultivated.
The Star Net Steps Li Qingyun had chosen, meanwhile, focused on dodging and shifting during spell battles.
Both movement technique manuals were quite good. Their only regret was that the versions placed on the first floor of the Scripture Repository were still castrated editions, with the more exquisite stages cut away.
But that did not affect the mysterious Daoist effigy in his mind in the slightest. So long as a ripple mark emerged, he could continuously study it, and it would naturally fill in the gaps—perhaps even "evolve" into something more mysterious, just like the Thunder Seal Technique.
"I can be considered to have made a small fortune now. The two movement techniques together only cost ten spirit stones."
Li Qingyun smiled faintly, took the two booklets, and finally came before the shelf containing the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art, his main cultivation method.
He sat in meditation again and attempted to freeload it. When that failed, he decisively picked up the manuals from the fourth layer of Qi Refining through the ninth layer of Qi Refining and walked toward the snoring old Daoist guarding the repository.
Fortunately, this visit to the Scripture Repository did not bring about any supernatural incident like the Maple Mountain Grudge Book.
"Senior, I want to copy these manuals. How many spirit stones will it cost altogether?"
The old Daoist suddenly jerked awake, rubbed his eyes, and rose from his seat with extreme reluctance. Full of waking irritation, he shot Li Qingyun a glare.
"You brat again! Huh, have you struck it rich, brat? You want to copy so many manuals!"
Seeing the stack of cultivation methods in Li Qingyun's hands, the old Daoist perked up somewhat. He clicked his tongue in amazement and did not hide the envy on his face.
Li Qingyun smiled. "How could I have struck it rich? This time, I've emptied out my entire household. The Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art is especially difficult to cultivate. I feel that if I could study the complete set, it might help with cultivating the earlier layers..."
The old Daoist looked at the small bundle on Li Qingyun's arm and joked, "At Lingbao Temple, money makes the man. If you can produce spirit stones, you can say whatever you like."
"Mm, forty spirit stones altogether. No credit."
Li Qingyun did not waste words. He handed over the small bundle, which contained thirty spirit stones and two gold ingots, worth exactly the right amount.
The gold ingots naturally came from Qin Qing's Hundred Treasures Pouch collection.
"Brat, you've only just entered the Dao through Qi Refining, so don't get carried away. Cultivate movement techniques later. Raise your mana first..."
The old Daoist happily put away the payment, then handed Li Qingyun brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, even giving him a rather kind reminder.
Yet this well-meant reminder also exposed the old Daoist's true depth. He was no hidden master sweeping the floors, merely an aged and declining elder of Lingbao Temple. His displayed cultivation at the fifth layer of Qi Refining was his true level.
Li Qingyun sat at the desk and began writing furiously, his handwriting somewhat scrawled.
Copying was no easy task. It took time and effort, and he had no time to write with perfect neatness. So long as he himself could read it, that was enough.
At this moment, he felt rather resentful. Were there no jade talismans or jade slips or the like? The sort where one simply pressed it to the forehead and the transmission of the method was complete?
Half an hour later, he rubbed his slightly sore arm and walked out of the Scripture Repository.
Before you continue