Scripture Repository Second Floor! Dragon Elephant Skill!

In the following days, Su Haoran's name spread throughout Prajna Temple.

All disciples, regardless of how long they had been admitted, bowed respectfully when they saw him, calling him "Senior Brother" with awe in their eyes.

Su Haoran, however, was not burdened by these empty titles. Besides his daily necessary cultivation, he focused on consolidating his martial arts.

After achieving Perfection in Iron Cloth Shirt, his physical strength and defense reached an entirely new level. Every movement he made contained immense power.

One day, Elder Hui Jue personally came to see him.

His injuries had mostly healed with the help of the Abbot and medicinal pills, though his complexion was still a bit pale. Seeing Su Haoran, a look of heartfelt gratitude and closeness appeared on his face.

"Haoran, come with me," Elder Hui Jue said with a gentle smile. "The Abbot has decreed that you are permitted to enter the second floor of the Scripture Repository to select a secret manual."

"Thank you, Elder," Su Haoran nodded calmly.

The two walked side-by-side, arriving at Prajna Temple's vital location—the Scripture Repository.

It was an ancient, imposing pagoda with nine stories. Its body was constructed from an unknown giant wood, emitting a faint scent of sandalwood.

Two elders from the Arhat Hall sat cross-legged before the pagoda, their auras deep and profound, clearly powerful guardians of this place.

Upon seeing Elder Hui Jue and Su Haoran, the two elders merely opened their eyes, nodded, and let them pass.

Stepping into the first floor of the Scripture Repository, a rich scent of books washed over them.

Rows upon rows of massive bookshelves were filled with various medical texts, Buddhist scriptures, and miscellaneous records, an ocean of knowledge.

Elder Hui Jue did not linger, directly leading Su Haoran up the stairs to the second floor.

"The first floor mainly stores Buddhist doctrines and common martial arts. The true secret manuals are mostly on the second floor."

As they stepped onto the second floor, the scene opened up before them.

The space here was even more expansive than the first floor, with rows of bookshelves made of ironwood arranged neatly.

The shelves were densely packed with numerous martial arts secret manuals, each wrapped in fine brocade, appearing extremely precious.

"Taming Tiger Fist," "Vajra Palm," "Cloud Piercing Steps"...

The dazzling array of techniques covered almost all aspects, including fist, palm, finger, leg, movement, and weapon arts.

The air seemed to be filled with a sharp aura formed by the convergence of countless martial arts techniques.

Elder Hui Jue looked at the mountains and seas of secret manuals before him with a hint of pride on his face. He then turned to Su Haoran and said earnestly, "Haoran, every single one here is the culmination of the efforts of generations of eminent monks from our Prajna Temple. Any one of them, if released into the martial world, would be enough to cause a bloody storm."

He paused, pointing to several areas. "Your foundation is in external hardening techniques. I suggest you choose a powerful fist technique or a domineering leg technique to maximize your physical advantages. For example, this 'Great Vajra Fist' is incomparably fierce and complements your Iron Cloth Shirt perfectly. Or perhaps this 'Seven Star Steps'; although not a top-tier movement technique, it excels in flexibility and changeability, which can compensate for the speed shortcomings of a body-hardening martial artist."

Elder Hui Jue was sincerely considering Su Haoran's best interests, pointing out several techniques that were most suitable for him and possessed considerable power.

However, Su Haoran's gaze did not linger on those techniques whose extraordinary nature was evident just from their names. His eyes slowly swept across the entire second floor, finally settling on a bookshelf in the farthest corner.

On that bookshelf, only one secret manual lay alone.

It was an extremely thick volume, its cover made of a dark red beast hide. There were no ornate gilded characters, only three ancient, heavy characters that seemed to have been branded onto it with a hot iron—

"Dragon Elephant Skill"!

Unlike the exquisite nature of other secret manuals, it appeared rough and primitive, lying there quietly like a slumbering primordial beast.

"Elder, I'd like to see that one," Su Haoran said, pointing.

Elder Hui Jue followed his finger, and his expression changed drastically.

"Dragon Elephant Skill?" he blurted out, his tone more serious than ever. "Listen to my advice, you cannot choose this technique!"

"Why?" Su Haoran asked with great interest.

Elder Hui Jue quickly walked over to him, lowered his voice, and said with a grave expression, "This 'Dragon Elephant Skill' is an extremely ancient body-tempering technique. In terms of grade, it surpasses all the secret manuals on this second floor. It is our temple's Sect-Guarding Ultimate Skill!"

A Sect-Guarding Ultimate Skill? But there's a third floor, and many levels above that?

Su Haoran felt a bit confused but did not voice his question.

Perhaps sensing Su Haoran's doubt, Elder Hui Jue looked around and said in a low voice, "There aren't that many martial arts secret manuals. The upper floors are all scriptures. It's this second floor that is isolated, with the strictest defenses!"

"Legend has it that if the 'Dragon Elephant Skill' is cultivated to its extreme, one can possess the immense strength of a dragon and elephant, capable of uprooting mountains, with an indestructible body!"

"Isn't that perfect?" Su Haoran's eyes lit up.

"Perfect, my foot!" Elder Hui Jue gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Legends are just legends! The requirements for cultivating this technique are unbelievably harsh! First, it requires a massive amount of resources! The resources consumed in cultivating it are more than ten times that of ordinary techniques!"

"Second, it requires supreme talent! Not ordinary talent, but a body-tempering prodigy found once in a million! In the past hundred years, our Prajna Temple has had no shortage of exceptionally talented disciples attempt it, including those with outstanding talent, but without exception, they all failed! They spent ten, twenty years, and in the end, couldn't even break through the second level, wasting their most precious cultivation time, and eventually dying of regret!"

"This technique is a bottomless pit, a trap for geniuses!" Elder Hui Jue said. "It is placed here to warn future generations not to aim too high! Haoran, you are a rare genius of our temple, with boundless potential. You must not ruin your future!"

Elder Hui Jue's words were heartfelt, filled with care and concern for the younger generation.

Any ordinary disciple, upon hearing this, would likely have immediately abandoned the idea.

However, after hearing it, a smile appeared on Su Haoran's face.

He walked to the bookshelf in the corner, reached out, and gently stroked the dark red beast-hide volume.

A strange sensation flowed from his fingertips, as if this technique, which had been dormant for a hundred years, was slowly awakening.

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder," Su Haoran turned around, his gaze clear and resolute. "But my mind is made up."

"You..." Elder Hui Jue was both anxious and angry. "Why are you so stubborn!"

"Elder," Su Haoran's smile held a powerful confidence, "ordinary techniques might make me a master. But my ambition goes beyond that."

He looked at Elder Hui Jue, speaking each word deliberately. "Just because others can't succeed doesn't mean I can't. This technique might be a trap for others, but for me..."

"It's the most suitable!"

Vast resources? He possessed the 'Raw Talent' aptitude, making his cultivation efficiency far surpass ordinary people, thus consuming less!

Peak talent? With the 'Breath Concealment Art', he could achieve mastery overnight. What other talent could be greater than his?

More importantly, Su Haoran believed that as he broke through various martial arts techniques, his Comprehension would only grow stronger!

This 'Dragon Elephant Skill' was practically tailor-made for him!

Seeing the confident look in Su Haoran's eyes, Elder Hui Jue opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Perhaps... he really could create a miracle?

After a long silence, Elder Hui Jue sighed deeply, his expression complex. "So be it. This is the path you've chosen. I hope you won't regret it later."