Methods to Improve Aptitude

The second floor is different; only officially registered members of the Demon Suppression Division can enter after accumulating merits.

On the third floor, one needs special permission like Su Ye, or enough accumulated merits.

Stepping over the high threshold, a dazzling array of books filled his vision. Two clerks dressed in official attire by the door merely glanced at him and made no move to speak.

Su Ye walked between the bookshelves on either side. Figures moved about occasionally. He saw a young man holding several ledgers, a look of indecision on his face.

A young man of similar age standing beside him spoke, "Luo Que, didn't Captain say that the Mystic Ice True Skill suits you very well? Why are you still hesitating?"

"Brother Lin is right, I was being greedy."

The young man slowly put the ledgers back on the shelf, took one out, registered it, and quickly left with his companion.

Su Ye merely glanced at them and didn't stop, turning directly towards the second floor.

As he walked, he vaguely sensed several hidden gazes sweeping over him from time to time. He figured these must be guards, as this was a heavily guarded area of the Demon Suppression Division, and it wouldn't be normal if there weren't any.

The second floor was noticeably more spacious. It was quiet all around, with no one in sight. Su Ye browsed the bookshelves, casually picked up a scroll of Cultivation Techniques, and flipped it open.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he had recorded all the Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills needed for the Meridian Mirror. He casually picked up another book and turned to head for the third floor.

At the entrance to the third floor, an invisible barrier blocked Su Ye's path. Without needing any guidance, he directly took out the Black Iron Token from his bosom. With a soft "pop," the invisible barrier dissipated.

The third floor of the Scripture Pavilion was very spacious, unlike the first and second floors which were lined with bookshelves. Only a narrow passageway for two people to pass was left.

The first thing that caught his eye was a massive purple sandalwood table, about five to six meters wide and over ten meters long. Dozens of yellowed ancient books were neatly arranged on it.

Looking around, Su Ye walked forward and casually picked up a book in front of him.

On the cover, five ancient characters were clearly written: "Great Sun Golden Body Skill."

According to the book's description, this was a Body Tempering Martial Art. To cultivate this skill, one needed to perform the Great Sun Seal under the midday sun, visualize the power of pure yang, and guide it to all parts of the body.

One also had to continuously strike various strange poses for two hours to achieve the effect of tempering the body.

The hardships involved were beyond description, and before cultivation, a special secret medicine was required as an auxiliary.

For example, Golden Gang Powder: take five Vajra Vines, two Blood Sun Fruits, one qian of Golden Lingzhi, and two qian of Pure Yang Pepper. Grind them into powder, add a small amount of water, and simmer over a low heat for an hour.

Apply it to the entire body; the medicinal effect would last for one hour. This was the entire process for cultivating this skill.

[Great Sun Golden Body Skill · Mystic Grade Middle Rank] has been recorded.

"No wonder no one takes the path of body refining."

Su Ye recognized the few herbs before him and knew their value. Just one cultivation session would cost at least a hundred taels of silver. However, this was related to the rank of the cultivation technique.

Regardless of their rank, Body Tempering Martial Arts all had corresponding secret medicines to support them. If it weren't for the system panel, Su Ye wouldn't have been able to cultivate the Dragon Tiger Vajra Skill at all; even getting started would have been a pipe dream.

At that time, Meng Daniu only gave him the content of the skill, not the accompanying secret medicine. External cultivation was only for the poor citizens to strengthen their bodies.

Scions of noble families or Martial Artists with internal cultivation legacies didn't need to suffer so much. After being tempered in the Body Tempering Realm, they could continuously absorb the power of heaven and earth to strengthen their internal True Qi.

Those from affluent families could even take elixirs to speed up this process, which not only had no hidden dangers but also progressed faster than external cultivators. Most importantly, body refining did not increase lifespan, which was the fundamental reason.

Su Ye picked up the Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills on the table and began to browse them one by one.

[Mountain Sea Condensing True Scroll · Mystic Grade High Rank] has been recorded.

[Demon Slaying Seven Kill Blade · Mystic Grade High Rank] has been recorded.

[Floating Light Fleeting Shadow · Mystic Grade High Rank] has been recorded.

[Marrow Cleansing Meridian Stripping · Mystic Grade High Rank] has been obtained.

[Bone Changing Spirit Forging Skill · Mystic Grade High Rank] has been obtained.

"This is..."

His hand paused as he flipped through the books. These Martial Skills could cleanse meridians and strip marrow, transforming one's physique.

Take [Marrow Cleansing Meridian Stripping] for example. If this skill were cultivated to completion, the meridians would expand by more than double, and the bone marrow's blood-producing capacity would increase by over eighty percent.

His thoughts raced, and Su Ye found all the books on the table with such keywords. Including the previous two, he found a total of five.

Unconsciously, a smile spread across Su Ye's face. If these five Cultivation Techniques were raised to completion, he would at least be considered a martial arts prodigy.

Just as Su Ye was secretly rejoicing, someone in the shadows shook their head repeatedly.

"Impulsive, can't achieve greatness."

Suddenly, another voice rang out, "Brother Chu, why be so harsh?"

"This child is still young and is likely entering the Scripture Pavilion for the first time. Seeing so many Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills, it's natural for him to be a little eager."

"Weren't we the same when we were young?"

Without mentioning those in the shadows, Su Ye picked up the [Mountain Sea Condensing True Scroll] and quickly left the Scripture Pavilion.

On the first floor, he handed the two ancient books in his hands to a young woman dressed as a clerk. After registering them, he hurried back to his residence.

He opened the courtyard gate and closed it behind him. The room was just as it was when he left. After a simple wash and changing into new clothes, he sat cross-legged on the wooden couch.

"Stuck at the sixth level of Meridian Opening for so long," he mused. "When will my realm improve?"

As the system panel appeared, rows of Cultivation Techniques came into view. The last line of small text caught Su Ye's attention.

[Note: Completed Cultivation Techniques can be hidden by the host at will. They can be reopened later.]

Gazing at the dense martial arts information on the panel, Su Ye didn't hesitate and immediately chose the hide function.

After activating the hide function, the panel displayed the following.

Host: Su Ye

Realm: Meridian Opening Layer 6

Cultivation Methods:
[Body Tempering Initial Understanding · Mortal Grade High Rank] - Beginner
[Mountain Sea Condensing True Scroll · Mystic Grade High Rank] - Not Started
[Great Sun Golden Body Art · Mystic Grade Middle Rank] - Not Started
[True Dragon Treasure Body · Mystic Grade High Rank] - Not Started
[Marrow Cleansing Meridian Stripping · Mystic Grade High Rank] - Not Started
[Bone Changing Spirit Forging Skill · Mystic Grade High Rank] - Not Started

Martial Skills:
[Meteor Hammer Technique · Mortal Grade High Rank] - Not Started
[Blood Fiend Heaven Intercepting Palm · Mystic Grade] - Beginner
[Demon Slaying Seven Kill Blade · Mystic Grade High Rank] - Not Started
[Vast Sea True Intent Fist · Mystic Grade Middle Rank] - Not Started
[Dragon Capturing Hand · Mystic Grade Middle Rank] - Not Started...

Movement Techniques:
[Floating Light Fleeting Shadow · Mystic Grade High Rank] - Not Started
[Treading Snow Without a Trace · Mystic Grade Low Rank] - Not Started...

Assistance Points: 8653

"Much cleaner."

His gaze then fell upon the martial arts that could enhance his foundation. He had never encountered such miraculous martial arts before. Now that he had ample Assistance Points, why not give it a try and see how effective it was?

Enhancing [Marrow Cleansing Meridian Stripping · Mystic Grade High Rank] requires 400 Assistance Points.

Confirm?

Su Ye did not hesitate.

Confirm.

As the words fell, Su Ye's mind felt hazy. When he came to his senses, he realized that his meridians had unknowingly widened by twenty percent and had also become much tougher than before.

Don't underestimate this twenty percent widening of the meridians; an extra ten percent burst of power in a battle could often determine the outcome of a fight.

[Marrow Cleansing Meridian Stripping · Mystic Grade High Rank] - Beginner