Memory Influence, Merit Exchange

He took out the file and opened it to find several entries recorded within.

"Taifeng Year 17, Jade City resident Bai Qifeng, talking in his sleep at midnight... dazed during the day, died after undergoing an Anomaly seven days later."

"Investigation revealed this person accidentally witnessed a Demon Extermination Hall officer slaughtering an Anomaly."

"Verdict: The image of the Anomaly was imprinted in his memory, leading to a mental breakdown and eventual transformation into the Anomaly he had witnessed."

Seeing the contents recorded in the file, his expression shifted uncertainly.

"Can ordinary people not look at Anomalies?"

Elder Huang nodded slightly. "Correct. Ordinary people lack the essence and energy to protect their bodies, leaving them with no resistance when facing an Anomaly."

"The roots of these Anomalies all originate from various different emotions and mental states."

"They are, in essence, intangible existences."

"Of course, that is merely one explanation."

"Mortal minds are fragile; once they come into contact with such emotions and mental states..."

"Their minds are assimilated by those emotions and spirits, eventually causing mutations within the infinite essence and energy inside their bodies."

"That is why we must perform memory wipes on mortals; we are cleansing the mental information within their memories."

Li Qing could not help but look shocked. "The world is truly dangerous, at least for those ordinary people."

"It is not just ordinary people; even cultivators are equally in danger."

"The more powerful a cultivator is, the more dangerous they actually are, because sometimes they might not even realize they have already begun to mutate."

"The ultimate result is an unimaginable catastrophe."

The two chatted idly as Li Qing carefully studied the file in his hands.

It contained many detailed accounts.

For instance, it described some of the strange behaviors the man exhibited after being infected.

Just as he was reading with great interest, Wen Taiquan came to find him again.

"I knew you'd be hiding here again."

Looking at Wen Taiquan, Li Qing raised his head and asked, "Something up?"

"Your merit points have been processed. Let's go, we're heading to the Mission Hall."

Li Qing's eyes lit up, and he immediately followed. "Let's go!"

In less than a quarter of an hour, Li Qing successfully received 15 merit points.

He looked at Wen Taiquan and asked, "Where can I exchange these for spells?"

Wen Taiquan glanced at him. "Come on, I'll take you there."

They wound their way through the Demon Extermination Hall and soon arrived at a corner.

Built in this corner was a black hall, with a plaque hanging above the entrance—Treasury Hall.

The two walked inside. It was rather strange; the interior of the hall had black walls erected on three sides.

The space was barely ten feet square, with a single table placed there.

Sitting behind the table was an old man of about seventy.

He appeared to be a cultivator as well. As for his cultivation level, Li Qing could not discern it.

Wen Taiquan said, "This place contains all the cultivation techniques, spells, and supplies, though there are only catalogs here."

"Once items are selected, they are transported from a special location."

"This is to prevent these items from being lost should the Demon Extermination Hall face a crisis."

Hearing this, Li Qing sighed inwardly. It seems my dream of picking up a bargain has failed.

He had originally thought this place would be like something out of a novel, with a library of scriptures.

He had hoped to go in, pick whatever he wanted, and secretly pilfer all the texts.

Now it seemed there was no chance at all; the security measures were incredibly tight.

This place was essentially empty. All supplies had to be delivered from a specialized location.

It maximized security, but it also made it impossible for him to get his hands on anything.

Wen Taiquan brought Li Qing before the old man.

With a smile on his face, he said, "Elder Fang, this is my friend. He wants to exchange for some cultivation supplies."

Elder Fang nodded and pulled out a massive catalog book, placing it in front of Li Qing.

Li Qing took the catalog and flipped through it carefully, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.

It contained various sections.

Cultivation, Spells, Spiritual Herbs, Materials, Magical Artifacts, Esoteric Arts, and more.

This was like a comprehensive encyclopedia index, recording at least a vast majority of the cultivation world.

At this moment, all the information from this index had appeared on the Jade Tablet.

There were no hidden secrets within the index, so the information on the Jade Tablet remained unchanged.

A faint trace of joy appeared on his face, I can study this properly once I go back.

"I need those cultivation techniques."

He flipped through the technique section rapidly; each technique had a brief introduction.

For instance, which specific organ it primarily cultivated, or what kind of essence it condensed.

Or perhaps the specific method of circulation it employed, and which organs were involved.

In the blink of an eye, a quarter of an hour passed, and he had seen at least 300 different Foundation Establishment techniques.

Among them, over 200 were techniques for cultivating organs, and about 100 were methods for circulating essence.

His heart stirred slightly, What I need right now are cultivation methods that specialize in organs to complete the Humanity's Overview Technique.

Taking a slight breath, he selected the three most suitable techniques.

Six Viscera Spirit-Swallowing Technique, Painted Skin Transformation Technique, and Jade Bone Technique.

"I want these three techniques."

Wen Taiquan frowned as he looked at Li Qing's choices.

"Brother Qin, are you thinking of cultivating multiple techniques?"

"This is an extremely dangerous endeavor; every sect possesses its own unique heritage."

"Unless they are from the same lineage, the cultivation methods of disparate sects will inevitably clash violently."

"If things go wrong, it will lead to alienation."

"I know, I don't want these techniques for the sake of cultivation."

"There are other reasons."

Upon hearing this, Wen Taiquan nodded slightly, "As long as you know, that is good."

"Do not be foolish; once you cultivate more than three conflicting techniques, there is almost a 100% chance of alienation."

"Unless one possesses great wisdom to fuse all techniques into one and achieve a certain miraculous balance, it is impossible to avoid alienation."

"But such figures appear once in a millennium; at the very least, I have never seen a True Person like that."

Wen Taiquan said earnestly.

Li Qing nodded and turned his gaze toward Elder Fang.

"May I ask when I can obtain these three techniques?"

Elder Fang took a look, "Come and collect them tomorrow morning."

"Very well!"

The next day, early in the morning, Li Qing arrived at the Treasury Hall.

Elder Fang looked at the impatient Li Qing, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.

"Are you in such a rush?"

"Hahaha, I am indeed a bit unable to wait."

As he spoke, he produced a pot of Pear Blossom Brew.

"I passed by the Yellow Flower Pavilion and bought a pot on the way; I wonder if you like it, Elder Fang."

Elder Fang's eyes lit up, "Hahaha, young man, you are truly thoughtful; you know the way of the world."

As he spoke, he had already brought out the three cultivation manuals and placed them on the table.

He took the Pear Blossom Brew from Li Qing and began to sniff the fragrance of the wine, already intoxicated.

Li Qing picked up the three techniques, and the Jade Tablet began to change.