When Li Qing named the martial arts, a hint of surprise appeared on Han Qingsong's face.
He gave Li Qing a strange look, then spoke with a faint, ambiguous smile.
"Fellow Daoist, do you know where those three volumes of martial arts you brought came from?"
Li Qing's heart stirred. He knew there was something suspicious about the origins of these three arts. But the Scripture Tower had branches throughout the Great Tang Dynasty, and the power behind it was just as unfathomable.
A smile appeared beneath his black robe. "I do."
Han Qingsong looked thoughtful. "We have two of the three volumes, but we're missing one: the Blood Fusion Art."
"These three arts are all orthodox inheritances of the Blood Demon Sect. They were derived from the Foundation Establishment section of the Supreme Blood Demon Scripture."
"Practice all three together, and you can cultivate the most orthodox Foundation Establishment method of the Supreme Blood Demon Scripture."
"Within the Blood Demon Sect, the Blood Fusion Art can only be practiced by core disciples among the outer ranks."
"Usually, it's burned after being read. Finding a complete copy is truly beyond my expectations."
"This also fills a gap in the collection of my Scripture Tower."
"As for the other two, the Black Water Profound Yin Art comes from a branch of the Daoist Sect. It can only be considered a peripheral art, and we already have it in our collection."
"The Shadow Transformation Art is classified as a spell. It seems to be an ancient technique, one we don't have in the Scripture Tower."
"I've never heard of the Martial Art. What does it do?"
Han Qingsong looked at Li Qing with mild interest and asked calmly.
Li Qing's expression turned serious. "The Martial Art is a method of training for ordinary people, but it can be cultivated up to the Essence Refining realm. It contains 108 methods for generating force and tempering the body."
"Once mastered, it produces vital essence called qi and blood, which merges into the blood vessels. The body becomes exceptionally agile."
"The two minor arts are Weapon Spirit Connection, which lets you wield any weapon with ease,"
"and Clear Six Senses, which greatly enhances your sight, taste, smell, hearing, touch, and spiritual perception."
A hint of surprise appeared in Han Qingsong's eyes at Li Qing's explanation.
"This Martial Art is rather interesting. Though it only reaches Essence Refining, having two minor arts to support it makes it quite good."
"Of these six volumes, I'll take only three. You can choose three spells or three arts of the Formula level."
As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a thick book appeared in it.
Li Qing stared at the book, momentarily stunned, then showed a hint of inexplicable surprise.
Just a moment ago, Han Qingsong's hands had been empty, and his sleeves didn't look big enough to hold a book two inches thick.
"This is a catalog of Formula-level arts and spells. Take a look."
Li Qing accepted the book and opened it. His eyes lit up.
The first section categorized the entries and laid out the different catalogs.
Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Monsters, Demons, Ghosts, and the Hundred Schools of Thought.
I already have methods for refining the vital essence of the five organs and blood. I need cultivation methods for the skin, flesh, sinews, and membranes; the six viscera and bones; and the brain and marrow.
That should cover just about every direction.
As he read carefully, the names of one martial art and spell after another appeared before his eyes.
Each art and spell came with a brief description: what it cultivated, what the spell did, what minor arts it carried.
Everything was laid out with perfect clarity. As Li Qing leafed through the two-inch-thick book, he silently picked out what he wanted.
A full hour passed. He had read all three hundred-plus pages.
The wondrous variety of arts and spells broadened his horizons and made his heart race. And these were only Foundation Establishment-level arts and spells.
He grew even more eager to learn about the powerful figures at the top of this world's hierarchy.
By now, he had settled on a direction. He looked at Han Qingsong.
"The arts I'd like to choose are the Vajra Art, the Heart Clearing Art, and the Bone Forging Art."
A hint of inexplicable surprise crossed Han Qingsong's face when he heard Li Qing's choices.
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Han Qingsong looked him up and down. Though he couldn't see Li Qing's face, his gaze was strangely intent.
"Fellow Daoist, are you planning to cultivate all of them?"
Li Qing noticed his gaze and smiled.
"How could I? I just want to study the differences between these arts."
"I'd like to know whether vital essence stored in different parts of the body can coexist."
Han Qingsong burst out laughing. "Ha ha ha! Daoist Qin, don't tell me you plan to create your own art."
"Cultivate the vital essence of multiple body parts at once, and master several different innate spells and arts, so you can speed up your cultivation."
A trace of pity showed in Han Qingsong's eyes. He shook his head. "People have tried that before. The results were miserable."
"Let me ask you again: are you sure you want these three arts?"
"Yes. I do."
Han Qingsong nodded. "All right. I'll go fetch them."
"Please wait a moment."
He rose and walked toward the inner hall. Li Qing pondered quietly.
Someone tried it before? But they failed.
That's because you people don't have a cheat. You couldn't do it, but that doesn't mean I can't.
A hint of anticipation gleamed in his eyes. He was eager to find out whether he could fuse the arts together once he had gathered them all.
A short while later, Han Qingsong came out of the inner hall with three pristine volumes in his hand.
He came to stand before Li Qing. "Here are the three volumes you requested."
Li Qing handed Han Qingsong the Blood Fusion Art, the Shadow Transformation Manual, and the Martial Art.
In return, he received his three chosen arts without a hitch.
Han Qingsong took out a strange sheet of paper. A contract was written on it in unusual ink.
"Fellow Daoist, according to the rules of the Scripture Tower, from now on you may not sell the arts you sold us to anyone else."
"But you may teach them to others, as long as it's passed down from master to disciple."
"If you violate this, karma will come knocking."
Li Qing took the contract, looked it over, nodded, and signed the name Qin Erlang.
The contract spontaneously burst into flames and turned to ash. A strange force enveloped him.
Li Qing looked thoughtful. So the name doesn't matter. What matters is that the contract was signed.
Li Qing gathered the three arts, stood, and said to Han Qingsong, "Thank you?"
Then he turned and left.
Han Qingsong watched him go and shook his head slightly.
"Another person who thinks he's exceptional. How many people have ever managed to alter these arts?"
"Weren't they all deduced by peerless figures? I doubt I'll ever see him again."
"Now that the Supreme Blood Demon Scripture is complete, the headquarters will probably give me a handsome reward. Ha ha, what a pleasant surprise!"
Having obtained what he wanted, Li Qing was about to leave.
But suddenly, he stopped. His gaze fell on a street stall.
A pile of books lay there, held down by a stone.
They seemed to be bundled together for sale. A strange aura clung to them, making him feel a sense of danger.
Li Qing was curious. He couldn't understand why five books would make him feel threatened.
Could they be some kind of mysterious books? Curiosity stirred within him.