Learning and Earning Sect Contribution Points

Elder of Teaching Skills Ji Yun had considered Lin Lin's situation thoroughly. From combat techniques and movement arts to internal cultivation, protective arts, and life-risking techniques, he had offered sound advice.

"For swordplay, Cold Plum Swordplay; for movement, Azure Lotus Sway; for protection, Immovable as a Mountain; for internal cultivation, Hundred Flowers True Qi; and for a life-risking technique, Hundred Flowers Wither. These are all Superior Martial Arts. If you cultivate all of them to mastery, then even across the entire martial world, you could be considered an accomplished expert."

"Among these martial arts, you can learn the internal cultivation, life-risking technique, and movement art from your parents. As for the swordplay and protective art, you can use the reward slots from this promotion to Elite Disciple to learn them."

"I've only just become an Elite Disciple, yet I can already acquire every martial art I want. That truly is a fine thing. From here on, I can rely on this complete Superior Martial Arts System to advance rapidly without my progress being bottlenecked by a lack of martial arts."

Lin Lin silently considered this to himself.

In the martial world, many martial artists spent their entire lives remaining at the second- or Third-Rate level.

It was not because they lacked talent, nor because they did not work hard. A major reason was that they had no suitable martial arts to learn.

To become an expert, one's own talent and diligence, as well as sufficient martial arts resources, were all indispensable.

Besides his own talent and hard work, Lin Lin's status as a Hundred Flowers Valley disciple had also provided him with tremendous help in reaching this point.

And the benefits brought by that status would continue to play a role in the future.

"Learning one Superior Martial Art requires ten thousand Sect Contribution Points. Of the five Superior Martial Arts I'm learning, three come from my parents, so altogether I only need to owe thirty-five thousand Sect Contribution Points. The time needed to repay them will be greatly reduced, sparing me a great deal of running around."

"Elder of Teaching Skills must have considered that as well. He is familiar with my parents, so he surely knows what martial arts they excel in."

Ji Yun had not only helped Lin Lin select martial arts suitable for his cultivation, but had even considered how he could save Sect Contribution Points.

Lin Lin remembered this kindness in his heart.

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder. This disciple wishes to learn Cold Plum Swordplay and Immovable as a Mountain from you. As for the other three Superior Martial Arts, this disciple plans to return home and learn them from the elders of my family. Please record all the Sect Contribution Points I owe in full, Elder. This disciple will certainly repay them as quickly as possible."

Having finished his deliberation, Lin Lin bowed to Ji Yun in thanks.

"You are teachable."

Seeing that Lin Lin had accepted his advice, Ji Yun spoke with a smile.

Then, he raised a hand and used force through the air to draw over two jade books stored in the loft behind the Skill Transmission Hall.

The jade books bore strange patterns and diagrams of the human body.

They were secret manuals written in the Hundred Flowers Valley cipher. Without mastery of that cipher, one could not understand the manuals. Outsiders would likely mistake them for meaningless scribbles.

Fortunately, the cipher was part of Hundred Flowers Valley's basic curriculum. Lin Lin had at least already advanced to Elite Disciple, so he would not be unable to read them.

"These are the manuals recording Cold Plum Swordplay and Immovable as a Mountain. According to sect rules, these manuals may not be taken out of the Skill Transmission Hall. Read through them several times and commit them to memory. Then this old man will answer your questions. Afterward, you may practice on your own."

"From today onward, if you wish to review the manuals or have any questions about the martial arts you are cultivating, you may come to the Skill Transmission Hall during the teaching hours on every fifth day of the month and attend this old man's lessons."

Every fifth day meant the fifth, fifteenth, and twenty-fifth of each month.

The Elder of Teaching Skills would lecture in the Skill Transmission Hall on those days. The sect's Elite Disciples and True Inheritor Disciples could all come and listen.

As he spoke, Ji Yun gestured for Lin Lin to sit beside him.

Lin Lin did as instructed, sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion beside Ji Yun. Then he saw Ji Yun hand him the jade books.

Taking the jade books, Lin Lin quickly entered a focused state and began memorizing their contents.

Ji Yun required Lin Lin to memorize the manuals and gain an initial grasp of them today, while forbidding him from taking the originals away to use as a reference during cultivation. The demand seemed somewhat unreasonable.

But Hundred Flowers Valley's Official Disciples were all individuals with excellent innate talent and comprehension. In particular, those Hundred Flowers Valley disciples who could successfully advance to Elite Disciple were standouts even among this group of martial arts prodigies.

Ji Yun's demand would be difficult for ordinary people.

But for Hundred Flowers Valley disciples qualified to learn Superior Martial Arts, it was merely standard practice.

Lin Lin was the same. After reading through the manuals several times and gaining a basic understanding of them,

he drew upon his past experience cultivating swordplay and protective arts, rapidly working to comprehend the two manuals. Whenever questions arose, he asked the Elder of Teaching Skills Ji Yun beside him.

With this unfathomably skilled senior present, coupled with Lin Lin's already decent comprehension and the tremendous growth of his Mental Strength attribute over the past half year, which had also improved his learning ability,

Lin Lin's understanding of the two Superior Martial Arts advanced swiftly.

As the sky outside gradually brightened, Lin Lin had already learned Cold Plum Swordplay. By the time the bell marking the end of Morning Martial Arts Practice rang out, he had theoretically learned both Superior Martial Arts in full, a fact acknowledged by the Elder of Teaching Skills.

All that remained was practical training, to thoroughly master these two Superior Martial Arts.

"Thank you, Elder."

Lin Lin emerged from his focused study, respectfully returned the jade books with both hands, and offered his thanks.

"Not bad. Now you only need to practice diligently."

Ji Yun spoke with a smile.

As an old senior who enjoyed teaching others, nothing was more satisfying than instructing a gifted junior.

It not only fulfilled his desire to teach, but also spared him the frustration of difficult instruction. It was simply wonderful.

His only regret was that even in Hundred Flowers Valley, where geniuses gathered, juniors like Lin Lin—true martial arts prodigies—were few in number, leaving Ji Yun unable to indulge his love of teaching to his heart's content.

Lin Lin understood that the other man intended to see him off, so he rose and took his leave.

"This disciple has already delayed Elder for a long time. I shall take my leave now and come again another day to seek your guidance."

After speaking humbly and waiting for Ji Yun to nod, Lin Lin finally turned and departed.

"Before cultivating the newly acquired Superior Martial Arts, there is still one matter I need to handle. I need to find some work and earn Sect Contribution Points."

"According to the sect rules I learned before, although owed Sect Contribution Points do not accrue interest, one must repay at least one-tenth of the amount owed each year. If I slack off and make no effort to repay what I owe, Hundred Flowers Valley's Law Enforcement Disciples will invite me for tea."

"Compared to the prison cells of the Hall of Law Enforcement, the punishment of facing the wall in Yin Wind Gorge is child's play."

As he walked out, Lin Lin pondered this to himself.