Sect Allocation

After thanking them, he bid the two Martial Brothers farewell.

As Cheng Buzheng walked toward the tower entrance, he sighed inwardly.

In this world, one can't always do as one wishes... But that Spirit Stone was worth every bit!

He stepped inside the tower.

Cheng Buzheng saw that the space inside was far larger than it had appeared from the outside.

The walls surrounding the first level's iron tower interior were made of a dark, almost black metal, much like the black iron found in the mortal world.

But on closer inspection, he discovered something.

The patterns on the dark metal walls looked like lines of runes, as though they had grown naturally within the metal itself. They gave off a faint glow, and the unusual detail was impossible to notice without looking closely.

Rows of bookshelves stood in orderly disarray, bearing all manner of records: Jade Slips, Beast Skins, jade tablets, books, bamboo slips, metal plates, and a bewildering variety of other forms.

In the southeastern corner, a staircase led to the second level. It was the entrance to the sect's inheritance repository, where countless spells, Spell Techniques, Alchemical Formulas, Artifact Refining Restrictions, Formation Diagrams, and more were stored.

The higher one went in the Sutra Repository Tower, the more precious the cultivation methods and spells became. The highest level held the sect's treasured Spell Techniques. He had no way of knowing what they were, being a mere Qi Refining Level 1 cultivator. He had learned this much from the Cultivation Encyclopedia.

Each level also required the appropriate status to enter. Outer Sect Disciples, for instance, could only access the first and second levels; they were not permitted to set foot on the third.

At present, Cheng Buzheng's status as an Outer Sect Disciple meant he could go no higher than the second level of the Sutra Repository Tower.

The first level of the tower—the place where he now stood—held books that could be read in full for free. But it was essentially a detailed version of the Cultivation Encyclopedia.

Hoping to find a Spell Technique or spell in there was like hoping to find water in the desert—an even slimmer chance. Still, there had been newcomers with heaven-defying luck who had found opportunities on the first level and gone on to enjoy smooth sailing along the Immortal Path.

Most of the books on the first level covered the customs and traditions of various places, the appearances and habits of different Demonic Beasts, illustrations of Spirit Medicines and their growing environments, and the value and uses of various Spirit Mines.

These were exactly the things he was lacking. He knew far too little about the cultivation world.

Cheng Buzheng glanced around but did not start reading. Instead, he followed the aisle between the bookshelves to the staircase in the southeastern corner.

His heavy footsteps thudded on the wooden stairs, echoing through the quiet first and second levels of the library tower.

"Thud, thud."

A short while later.

Cheng Buzheng reached the second level. The first thing he saw was an old man with a head full of white hair, dressed in the sect's standard Black Robe. He sat in a Rocking Chair behind the counter, resting with his eyes closed as he rocked leisurely back and forth.

Cheng Buzheng could not sense the slightest Spirit Pressure from him. He seemed like an ordinary old man, but Cheng Buzheng knew he was no simple elder.

The sect uniform alone told him this man was a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator of his Martial Uncle's generation. He might even be more powerful than Uncle Ding, who had presided over the recruitment.

He didn't dare show the slightest disrespect. Though his Martial Uncle seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, every move Cheng Buzheng made was surely within the man's Divine Sense.

Cheng Buzheng hurried forward a couple of steps, his expression solemn. He bowed respectfully and said,

"This new disciple, Cheng Buzheng, pays his respects to Martial Uncle!"

At that,

the Rocking Chair abruptly stopped swaying. The Martial Uncle lying in it opened his cloudy eyes and looked at Cheng Buzheng, his expression blank.

"New disciples may choose two First-order Low-grade Spells for free. Go ahead."

Cheng Buzheng suddenly felt as if a ferocious beast had its eyes on him. The hairs all over his body stood on end, as though disaster were about to befall him.

After speaking, the Martial Uncle closed his eyes again, and the Rocking Chair resumed its leisurely sway.

Cheng Buzheng bowed respectfully once more, then slowly withdrew.

Keep a low profile, keep a low profile, and keep an even lower profile.

That was the basic principle, the way he had to conduct himself at the beginning of his Immortal Path. Everything he did was for the sake of rising up and pursuing the Great Cause of Longevity.

After Cheng Buzheng had gone some distance, the old man in the Rocking Chair opened his cloudy eyes again and glanced in Cheng Buzheng's direction. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth before he closed his eyes and went back to resting, as though nothing had happened.

Cheng Buzheng noticed that the records on the second level of the library tower were neatly inscribed on Jade Slips, a pleasing sight to behold.

Looking over the rows of bookshelves, Cheng Buzheng walked down the aisles until he reached the spell section.

He picked up a Jade Slip at random. It contained a First-order High-grade Spell, the Fire Flood Dragon Technique. Unfortunately, he could not see the whole thing, only the opening section, which gave a general overview of the spell.

To read the whole thing, he would have to ask the Martial Uncle to remove the restriction.

As he walked through the spell section, Cheng Buzheng picked up one spell Jade Slip after another to examine them: Fireball Technique, Water Arrow Technique, Golden Needle Technique, Sword Qi Technique, Earth Escape Technique, Purple Crystal Bracelet, and Desolate Palace Sword.

Cheng Buzheng saw many powerful spells, but he couldn't afford a single one. Even the cheapest First-order Low-grade Spell cost ten Spirit Stones. A First-order Mid-grade Spell cost fifty, while a First-order High-grade Spell was exorbitant at a full hundred Spirit Stones.

Each spell was more powerful than the last, and each more expensive. His poverty made him want to turn around and leave.

If the sect weren't letting him choose two for free, he couldn't afford a single spell.

Cheng Buzheng gave up on that impractical thought and carefully considered which two spells suited him best.

Of the Desolate Palace Sword and the Purple Crystal Bracelet, the Desolate Palace Sword was immensely powerful. Few spells of the same grade could stand against it, making it an excellent weapon for slaying enemies.

The Purple Crystal Bracelet could refine the essence of spiritual objects and use it to nourish itself. The more essence it devoured, the more powerful it became, until it reached its limit.

Both spells appealed greatly to Cheng Buzheng. After weighing them carefully, he still chose the Purple Crystal Bracelet, a powerful spell that combined offense, defense, and control.

With so few Spirit Stones, it was the best choice. It had no glaring weakness. Though it wasn't as good as focusing on a single specialty, he still had his Small Plate, his golden finger.

The other spell was, of course, the Earth Escape Technique. For the sake of the Great Cause of Longevity, he had to preserve his life. Among low-grade spells, this was undoubtedly a lifesaving tool.

Though the Earth Escape Technique was easy to learn at the beginning, few ever cultivated it to the Minor Accomplishment stage. There was no need to mention the Great Accomplishment or Perfection Realm. The further one cultivated it, the more difficult it became.

Having chosen his spells, he continued browsing the second level. Even though he couldn't afford anything, he still wanted to broaden his horizons. Right now, he was sorely lacking in all kinds of knowledge.

Half a day later.

He had looked through every Jade Slip. There were tens of thousands of them, but since he could only read the opening section of each, he made quick progress. Nor did he need to worry about forgetting what he read; cultivators were nothing like ordinary mortals.

Even now, Cheng Buzheng could recite every novel he had read in his previous life from beginning to end. That was just how monstrous a cultivator's memory was.