Cultivation Art Obtained

Thin clouds drifted across the sky. Deep within the Martial Suppression Office's rear courtyard, an ancient, unadorned pavilion stood quietly.

Its walls were built of blue bricks, their surfaces carved full of mottled traces by time. Old patterns adorned its upturned eaves, while the plaque bearing the words "Book-Collection Tower" was vigorous and weighty, steeped in the martial aura accumulated over countless years.

This was the important place where the Martial Suppression Office stored its cultivation arts and martial arts.

Lin Qing approached at an unhurried pace, his emotions quietly stirring as well. He had gone to great lengths to enter the Martial Suppression Office precisely because it possessed a vast treasury of cultivation arts and martial arts. Now that his destination stood before him, anticipation naturally welled up within him.

On the stone steps before the Book-Collection Tower, a white-haired old man lay dozing in a chair. He wore a worn gray cloth robe, his beard and hair loose and disheveled. His eyes were lightly shut, and his aura was utterly ordinary. He looked no different from an elderly man in his twilight years, without the slightest pressure of an expert.

Yet Lin Qing did not dare show the slightest contempt. This man was Old Zhang, the guardian of the Book-Collection Tower. He controlled borrowing privileges for the collection and had overseen the Martial Suppression Office for many years. He was undoubtedly a senior martial expert who concealed his true depths.

He restrained his aura, stepped forward half a pace, bowed slightly, and respectfully raised the Martial Suppression Office's black identity plaque with both hands. Then he spoke softly, his tone steady and humble:

"Old Zhang, this junior is Xie Chen, a Banner Officer of the Martial Suppression Office. I joined the Martial Suppression Office yesterday and have come today to select cultivation arts and martial arts. I ask that you inspect my credentials."

Drowsy Old Zhang lifted his eyelids and slowly extended a withered, callused hand to take the identity plaque.

After checking it, he raised his eyes and slowly swept his gaze over Lin Qing from head to toe. Only after confirming that his identity was correct did he slowly speak, his voice hoarse and aged:

"This old man will not waste words repeating the rules. First-Tier cultivation arts and basic martial arts are on the first floor. Second-Tier cultivation arts and Yellow-Tier Low-Grade Martial Arts are on the second floor. Your current authority does not permit you to enter the third floor. Go. You have three hours—choose carefully. The next time you come, you will need merit points. Once the time is up, you must leave on time."

"I will keep it in mind," Lin Qing replied with a bow.

Old Zhang nodded faintly, tossed the identity plaque back into his hand, then lowered his eyelids once more and returned to his nap, no longer concerning himself with outside matters.

Lin Qing put away the plaque and stepped lightly onto the wooden stairs. The old staircase creaked softly beneath his feet. Inside the tower lingered the scent of aged ink and ancient bookwood. It was quiet and solemn, sealed away from all the clamor outside.

Upon reaching the second floor, his view suddenly opened up.

Rows upon rows of tall solid-wood bookshelves stood in neat order. Layer upon layer of thread-bound volumes had been arranged by category, their labels clear and everything in perfect order.

The bookshelves on the left carried restrained, inwardly contained auras. They were all body-tempering methods of the stance-art type, focused on laying a solid foundation and nourishing Qi and blood. The bookshelves on the right concealed sharp edges, containing every sort of combat martial art—saber arts, fist arts, leg arts, movement arts, and more.

Looking at the dazzling sea of countless manuals, Lin Qing could barely suppress his excitement. The Martial Suppression Office had actually granted him a full three hours to choose. Such favorable treatment far exceeded his expectations.

On second thought, Lin Qing instantly understood the reason behind it.

In the Summer Kingdom, before martial artists awakened Divine Sense, their reading speed and memory were no different from those of ordinary people. A Second-Tier cultivation art often ran to dozens of pages. Even if an ordinary martial artist studied it with full concentration, it would take several days before he could perform it in its entirety.

Three hours seemed generous, but in truth, ordinary people could at most skim the general contents before selecting a single manual to borrow according to their own circumstances.

But Lin Qing possessed a one-of-a-kind trump card. With the system in his possession, he only needed to read a manual through once for every movement essential and breathing rhythm within that cultivation art or martial art to be recorded by the system and automatically integrated into his mind.

For others, three hours counted as pressing time. For him, it was enough to record several cultivation arts and martial arts.

Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, Lin Qing headed straight for the cultivation art section on the left.

He was in no hurry to select martial arts. He would settle the cultivation arts first. His fingers brushed over the shelves as he removed one manual after another, rapidly leafing through them and memorizing every word. By now, he had gained a deep understanding of his system, so after recording five cultivation arts, he headed to the martial arts section and continued reading.

Time slowly passed, and the daylight quietly shifted, yet the tower remained silent throughout.

In the blink of an eye, the three-hour limit had arrived.

Lin Qing stopped at the right moment and casually pulled out an exceedingly common Yellow-Tier Low-Grade Martial Art, the Wind-Slashing Saber Art. Its moves were simple, easy to learn, and possessed considerable killing power.

Since he had already recorded the cultivation arts, there was no need to borrow cultivation manuals and draw attention to himself.

Holding the Wind-Slashing Saber Art, Lin Qing slowly descended the stairs and returned to the front of the Book-Collection Tower.

Old Zhang was still lying in his chair. He merely glanced faintly at the single martial art manual in Lin Qing's hand, then waved him away.

Lin Qing saluted in farewell, stepped out of the Book-Collection Tower, and left the Martial Suppression Office.

By then, the setting sun had sunk behind the western mountains, and night had spread across the entire prefectural city. Lights came on one after another along the streets and alleys. The evening breeze was slightly cool, scattering the lingering heat of the day. As he walked along the road home and looked upon the lights of countless households, Lin Qing felt deeply moved.

Back when he was in the county town, resources had been scarce, and every step had been difficult. To seek a path forward in martial arts, he had repeatedly risked entering and leaving the Black Market. Later, in pursuit of higher-tier cultivation arts, he had come alone to the prefectural city and joined the Martial Suppression Office.

He had originally believed that gathering enough Second-Tier cultivation arts would require a long wait and careful planning at every step. Yet in only a few days, he had easily achieved his goal by taking advantage of the Martial Suppression Office's system.

After returning to his small courtyard, he shut the gate tight, cutting off all outside disturbances. Lin Qing sat before the lamp and, by its dim yellow light, carefully read through and recorded the final Wind-Slashing Saber Art from beginning to end.

Once everything was done, a thought stirred in his mind, and he opened the panel.

[Host: Lin Qing]

Realm: Skin-and-Flesh Realm (Time to Breakthrough: 350 days)

Fused Cultivation Arts: Mountain-Suppressing Stance Art, Coiling Dragon Stance Art (Expand)

Recorded Cultivation Arts: Mystic Mountain Mountain-Suppressing Stance (0/500), Thunderbolt Body-Tempering Stance (0/500), Tendon-Strengthening Bone-Fortifying Stance (0/500), Bone-Nourishing Tendon-Tuning Stance (0/500), Origin-Returning Body-Tempering Stance (0/500)

Body Control Rating: Mortal Tier Limit

Recorded Martial Arts: Falling Rock Fist Art (0/100), Cloud-Piercing Sword Art (0/100), Mist-Treading Step (0/100), Sunken Rock Palm Art (0/100), Wind-Slashing Saber Art (0/100)

His gaze swept across the panel as Lin Qing began calculating the resources required for cultivation.

Based on the patterns he had uncovered through long periods of cultivation, each time a cultivation art of the same tier was mastered to completion, the proficiency required for subsequent cultivation arts would decrease layer by layer, while cultivation efficiency steadily improved.

After calculating it all together, raising five Second-Tier cultivation arts from zero to completion would require a total of 1,500 proficiency points.

Fortunately, he still possessed eighty drops of Earthheart Marrow. This was the core capital that would allow him to break through quickly.

Second-Tier cultivation arts still maintained the rhythm of one complete performance per incense stick of time. Although Earthheart Marrow's multiplier had fallen to four times, its duration remained two hours.

In other words, after consuming one drop of Earthheart Marrow and continuously practicing cultivation arts during the two hours covered by its effects, he could reliably gain 32 proficiency points.

Eighty drops of Earthheart Marrow could provide a total of 2,560 points, far exceeding the 1,500 points needed to cultivate all the Second-Tier cultivation arts.

Now that the cultivation arts were in hand, he only needed to cultivate step by step for his strength to steadily grow.

Having sorted out all his plans, Lin Qing put away the panel and stopped dwelling on complicated trivialities. The night was deep. After washing up simply, he lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and rested to conserve his strength.

The next morning, dawn had only just broken, and the morning light was faint.

Lin Qing awoke on time, full of energy and without the slightest trace of sluggishness. He took out a crystal-clear, warm drop of Earthheart Marrow and swallowed it. His mind immediately became clear, and the fourfold cultivation boost activated at once.

He came to the open space in the courtyard and began practicing a brand-new Second-Tier Stance Art.

An ordinary First-Tier Martial Artist had a weak body and insufficient Qi and blood. If he forcibly cultivated a Second-Tier cultivation art, he would endure immense pressure on his tendons and bones, as well as a heavy burden on his Qi and blood. Only certain geniuses in the later stages of First Tier could barely withstand the tempering intensity of a Second-Tier cultivation art.

But such shackles were as good as nonexistent to Lin Qing. His physical strength had already far surpassed that of martial artists at the same tier.

He cultivated tirelessly without interruption for the entire morning. By the time the Earthheart Marrow's effects faded, his proficiency had settled steadily at 32 points, matching his calculations without the slightest discrepancy. Everything was under control.

In the afternoon, Lin Qing paused his cultivation.

His stored dried Second-Tier ferocious beast meat had been completely exhausted. Ferocious beast meat was an essential supply for nourishing the body, replenishing Qi and blood, and maintaining high-intensity cultivation. Its supply absolutely could not be cut off and had to be replenished as soon as possible.

Unlike the county town, legitimate shops in the prefectural city sold Second-Tier ferocious beast meat. There was no need to risk entering the Black Market; transactions were open, aboveboard, safe, and reliable.

But when he went to a shop and learned the price, his brows drew tightly together, and the pressure in his heart surged.

Azure Sun County was close to Azure Sun Mountain, so prices were naturally low. But here in the prefectural city, one jin of Second-Tier ferocious beast meat cost as much as fifteen taels of silver.

After several expenditures, he now had less than two hundred taels of silver on him, enough to sustain only a dozen or so days of cultivation expenses.

The problem of cultivation arts had only just been solved when the predicament of financial shortage came crashing down again. Wealth, companions, methods, and land—the ancients had truly not deceived him. An empty purse would ultimately restrict the pace of advancement on the martial path.

For a time, Lin Qing once again sank into the vexing worry of money.

However, things soon took a turn for the better.

Several days passed in a hurry. According to the Martial Suppression Office's rotation arrangements, Lin Qing went out to patrol the streets with Shen Lie and the others that afternoon.

The group walked slowly along the streets and alleys, chatting to pass the boredom of their patrol. Just then, a panicked and disheveled figure came racing wildly from the mouth of an alley.

The newcomer wore servant's clothing. His face was deathly pale, sweat drenched his body, his steps staggered, and terror covered his face. He rushed straight before the group, dropped to his knees with a thud, and cried out in a trembling voice:

"My lords of the Martial Suppression Office! Something terrible has happened! The Wang Lineage's eldest young master is dead!"

The sudden murder case instantly shattered the peace of the streets and alleys. A murder case had abruptly erupted within a great household.

No one knew that this unexpected calamity would become the perfect turning point for Lin Qing to escape his predicament and reverse his circumstances.