Children of the Version Gathered, but the Era Was Misaligned

Zang Xin coughed lightly and said:

"I know of a method that might help you improve. I'll take you to try it tomorrow. Let's put that topic aside for now and talk about you joining the Tang Sect."

As he said this, his expression turned serious.

"You may not know this, but the assessment just now wasn't merely testing your strength. It was also determining the benefits you would receive upon joining the Tang Sect."

"As the times have changed, the Tang Sect's benefits for newcomers have continually changed as well. But one benefit has never changed."

"That is the Tang Sect Six Absolutes."

Zang Xin spread his hands and said:

"The Mysterious Heaven Technique, Crane Control, Dragon Capture, Purple Demon Eyes, Mysterious Jade Hands, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, and Hundred Explanations of Hidden Weapons. These six special arts were the foundation upon which the Tang Sect was originally built. Even after all these years, they can still greatly enhance a Soul Master."

"Normally, disciples who have just joined the Tang Sect can only receive one basic Tang Sect art, the Mysterious Heaven Technique. But your situation is special. Since you passed the ultimate assessment, after learning all six Tang Sect arts, you can also learn one additional technique unique to the Tang Sect."

Just as Zang Xin had said, the more Hall of Heroes assessments one passed, the greater the benefits one received upon entering the Tang Sect.

If one failed to pass even a single stage, one could only learn the Mysterious Heaven Technique.

Passing the intermediate assessment allowed one to learn one additional art beyond the Mysterious Heaven Technique.

The advanced assessment granted two, while the ultimate assessment granted three. The further one progressed, the more generous the rewards became. Therefore, Bai Chen, who had passed the ultimate assessment, was qualified to learn seven arts.

Zang Xin tapped the wall, and the screen from before appeared again. After typing a few times on the keyboard, one icon after another appeared on the screen.

"These are all the arts you can choose from. Pick one that interests you."

Given Bai Chen's talent, even if he wanted to learn them all, Zang Xin would not have been reluctant.

However, in his view, skill lay in mastery rather than quantity. Trying to swallow too much only led to indigestion. Bai Chen was still only a child and had plenty of time ahead of him. For now, he only needed to master the techniques already in his hands.

As for the other techniques, it would not be too late to learn them after Bai Chen had mastered these seven arts.

Bai Chen quickly scanned the icons on the screen. Before long, his eyes lit up as he found what he wanted.

He raised a hand and pointed at the icon.

"Senior Zang Xin, I want this one."

"Hm?"

Seeing what he had chosen, Zang Xin could not help freezing for a moment.

"This one? Are you sure?"

Beneath the icon Bai Chen was pointing at, five large words were written: "Medicine Scripture and Poison Scripture."

"Yes, this one."

Bai Chen nodded firmly.

"This..."

Zang Xin immediately revealed a troubled expression.

It was not that he thought Bai Chen had chosen some important technique. On the contrary, he felt that Bai Chen had gotten the short end of the stick by choosing it.

He could not help warning him:

"Child, although pharmaceutics is indeed one of the Tang Sect's strongest fields, this technique is actually not very useful for Soul Masters. I do not recommend that you learn it."

As he spoke, he pointed to a hammer icon on the screen and said eagerly:

"Actually, I recommend that you learn this Chaotic Splitting Wind Hammer Technique. It is a hammer technique belonging to the Clear Sky Sect, once the number one sect in the world. Aren't you a blacksmith? This hammer technique should be very helpful for your forging."

Just as Zang Xin had said, the Medicine Scripture and Poison Scripture were not especially useful in this era.

Although these two arts could effectively counter poison-type Soul Masters, the proportion of poison-type Soul Masters was simply too low. It was completely not worth specially learning such knowledge just for them.

Rather than painstakingly learn how to detoxify poison, it was better to crush all techniques with sheer force.

As for poison-making techniques... ever since the Tang Sect's core industry had shifted from hidden weapons to Soul Guide Devices, they had rarely played a crucial role.

Although agile attack-type Soul Masters had previously learned the Poison Scripture, made poisons, and coated their weapons with them, achieving some success that way—it was clearly not a path suited to Bai Chen.

His Evil Explosion Technique was far more potent than poison.

Yet Bai Chen still said firmly:

"Please, I want to learn this."

"You..."

Zang Xin wanted to say something else, but suddenly felt a hand press down on his shoulder.

When he turned around, Zhen Hua was smiling at him.

"Alright, since the child is interested in this technique, just let him learn it. It's not as if it's something bad. You can't discourage a child's enthusiasm for learning."

"...You're right."

Zang Xin fell silent for a moment before finally sighing and nodding.

Bai Chen immediately breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Thank you, Vice Sect Master."

Zang Xin waved his hand.

"No need to thank me. This is what you earned by passing the assessment. If you want to thank someone, thank yourself for successfully passing the ultimate assessment."

He turned around and operated the keyboard again. A small cabinet suddenly popped out from the wall. He took out something resembling a phone and handed it to Bai Chen.

"Here. It contains all of the Tang Sect's research results in medicine and toxicology. Do not try to learn everything. Study selectively. And do not let outsiders see it, understood?"

"Understood!"

Bai Chen accepted it, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

With this, another small goal had been achieved.

He had specifically asked Zang Xin for the Medicine Scripture not because he wanted to enter the medical field, but because he wanted to use the knowledge within the Medicine Scripture and Poison Scripture to resolve the poison plaguing Dugu Bo's family.

The development of the times was not only reflected in the field of Soul Guide Devices. Medicine had advanced just as dramatically.

Spirit Ascension Platform

Twenty thousand years ago, poison-type Soul Masters still had to consider poison's effects on themselves during cultivation. But in this era, that problem had long vanished.

Bai Chen intended to use techniques from twenty thousand years in the future to cure the poison within Dugu Bo.

Was he doing this to obtain the Icefire Yin Yang Well? Yes and no.

First of all, Bai Chen did not need Dugu Bo's consent at all if he wanted the Icefire Yin Yang Well.

One had to understand that the Icefire Yin Yang Well had formed because of the corpses of the Water-Fire Dragon Kings. Strictly speaking, it was a legacy of the Dragon Clan.

As for a Dragon Clan legacy, Dugu Bo, a human who could not even identify all the herbs, did not truly count as its owner.

If the two Dragon Souls sleeping beneath the spring of the Icefire Yin Yang Well had to choose an owner, they would undoubtedly choose the Silver Dragon King, half of the Dragon God, rather than Dugu Bo.

Therefore, as long as Bai Chen told the Silver Dragon King about the Icefire Yin Yang Well, Dugu Bo would be unable to keep it, whether in terms of strength or standing.

Even if the Silver Dragon King took everything from the Icefire Yin Yang Well, Dugu Bo would have nothing to say—and no strength with which to say it.

Thus, Bai Chen was not learning the Medicine Scripture in order to make a deal with Dugu Bo.

If he had to put it into words, this was actually a form of compensation and self-satisfaction.

It was only natural for the Silver Dragon King to take the Icefire Yin Yang Well, but would that not be an undeserved disaster for Dugu Bo?

As someone who stood to benefit, Bai Chen found it difficult to claim he had a clear conscience if he merely watched from the sidelines.

He hoped that when he died, he could leave with a smile and without regrets.

Therefore, he wanted to give Dugu Bo some compensation.

As for whether that compensation could truly offset Dugu Bo's losses... he did not really care. This was merely an act of self-satisfaction. As long as his conscience was clear, that was enough. He could not be bothered with the rest.

After handing the Medicine Scripture and Poison Scripture to Bai Chen, the purpose of their trip had been fully accomplished, and the group left this Tang Sect base.

On the way back to Bai Chen's home, Zang Xin used his soul power to teach Bai Chen the circulation method of the Mysterious Heaven Technique.

Although Bai Chen had difficulty cultivating normally, the Mysterious Heaven Technique did more than accelerate cultivation. It could also improve the quality of one's soul power. Learning it would bring only benefits.

This suited Bai Chen perfectly.

He truly did not have much use for the Mysterious Heaven Technique in this era, but his counterparts in the other two eras were different.

Even though the Douluo III Era's Mysterious Heaven Technique had been weakened, it was still one of the continent's finest cultivation methods. It was better than the cultivation method taught by the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect.

Of course, if he had the chance, he still needed to find a way to obtain the complete Mysterious Heaven Technique. However, that would require him to find a way through Tang San of the Douluo I Era.

After taking Bai Chen home, Zang Xin stayed behind and instructed him for another two hours. Only after teaching him the other Tang Sect Six Absolutes did he leave.

At least during the early stages, these arts were still very useful. A spiritual power cultivation method like Purple Demon Eyes would not become obsolete even in the later stages.

Early the next morning, Bai Chen woke up before dawn, pulled open the curtains, and looked outside.

As a flash of purple light passed through the depths of his eyes, he let out a long breath and felt his spiritual power increase by an almost imperceptible amount.

The most convenient thing about Purple Demon Eyes was that it did not consume much time.

One only needed to set aside a short period each day to cultivate it, and spiritual power could rapidly improve. It was truly useful.

As though it had been waiting for that exact moment, the doorbell rang just as he finished cultivating Purple Demon Eyes.

Bai Chen walked out through the front door and, as expected, saw Zang Xin waiting outside.

"Oh, it seems you've been cultivating diligently."

Zang Xin smiled and greeted him.

He had seen Bai Chen cultivating Purple Demon Eyes by the window, and that was undoubtedly a good start.

Bai Chen stepped in front of him and asked curiously:

"Senior Zang Xin, where are we going today?"

"You'll know when we get there."

Zang Xin gave a mysterious smile and led Bai Chen into the car.

As they drew closer and closer to their destination, Bai Chen gradually came to a realization.

He could not help asking:

"Senior, are we going to the Spirit Pagoda?"

"That's right."

Without turning his head, Zang Xin asked:

"Have you heard of the Spirit Ascension Platform?"

Bai Chen's heart stirred, but his expression remained calm.

"My father mentioned it before."

"That makes things easy."

Zang Xin said cheerfully:

"Your Martial Soul requires slaughter. Conveniently, the Spirit Ascension Platform needs you to slaughter the Soul Beasts within it as well. Try entering it today. If it works, I'll handle all of your future cultivation. Don't worry—the Tang Sect will cover all the Spirit Ascension Platform fees. You can enter as many times as you want."

"..."

Bai Chen fell silent.

Enter as many times as he wanted... this was precisely why he had excluded the Spirit Pagoda when choosing an organization.

The Spirit Pagoda's core advantages could all be obtained with money. That amount of money might indeed be difficult for ordinary people to afford, but which top-tier major faction in this world lacked money?

Just like now, the moment Bai Chen had a need, Zang Xin directly told him that he could enter as many times as he wished, with the Tang Sect covering every expense.

But the Spirit Ascension Platform... thinking about it carefully, this really was a blind spot.

Bai Chen narrowed his eyes and began to ponder carefully.

Because he had subconsciously regarded the Spirit Ascension Platform as a place used only to raise a Soul Spirit's age, he had instinctively overlooked its other uses. But now that he considered it, this place might indeed contain the greatest number of "Soul Beasts" on the entire continent.

Of course, the Soul Beasts inside the Spirit Ascension Platform definitely could not compare to real Soul Beasts. But for Bai Chen, as long as they could steadily improve his cultivation, that was enough.

After all, while the Soul Beasts in the Spirit Ascension Platform were inferior in quality to real Soul Beasts, their numbers were enormous. Moreover, slaughtering there posed no danger to his life.

Even if he died inside, his real body would not be harmed in any way. That was the Spirit Ascension Platform's advantage, and also why Zang Xin had chosen this place instead of the Abyss.