Spiritflow Codex

After Cultivation for several more days, Chen Zhuo finally stabilized his Qi Sea completely and breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, he needed to think about strengthening himself and changing his cultivation technique.

The Everlasting Spring Art was profound, but it was only meant to lay a foundation.

If Chen Zhuo wanted to advance further, he naturally needed a stronger technique.

So, naturally, he thought of the Immortal Estate's Spell Repository.

The Immortal Estate's Spell Repository's official name was the "Spiritflow Codex," though hardly anyone called it that. Everyone simply called it the Spell Repository. It contained tens of millions of cultivation techniques from across the Five Domains and Nine Heavens, with new ones added every day.

That was because anyone who submitted a cultivation technique or Spell Art not yet certified by the Spell Repository would, once it was verified, automatically receive a reward of Spirit Coin.

Many scholarly cultivators spent their days studying minor variations on spells to earn Spirit Coin from the Spell Repository.

That was part of what tempted Chen Zhuo.

The "Spiritflow Codex" was not, after all, a system controlled by people.

Strictly speaking, the Spell Repository was something like Immortal Artificial Intelligence.

Over the past fifteen thousand years, several deceased Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords had transferred their Divine Sense into it before passing away, becoming "cyber" life-forms that oversaw everything.

This did not grant those Heavenly Lords eternal life. It was more like preserving the legacy of their Divine Sense, without their original subjective emotions.

As one Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lord and Nascent Soul True Lord after another passed away, the Spell Repository grew ever more intelligent and advanced. The Immortal Estate controlled only part of it and could not manipulate it completely. Even if one Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lord tried to force his way in, he could not overcome the Divine Sense left behind by several Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords and dozens of Nascent Soul True Lords.

"I'm at Qi Refining Fourth Layer now, so I've met the threshold for the Spell Repository's intelligent recommendations. For just a hundred Spirit Coins, it'll recommend cultivation techniques for me based on every aspect of my condition..."

Chen Zhuo mulled it over.

That was how the Spell Repository worked.

From Middle Qi Refinement onward, once a cultivator had laid a solid foundation, they could visit the Spell Repository at each major realm and spend Spirit Coin to find techniques suited to their constitution.

At the Qi Refinement Realm, it cost a hundred Spirit Coin per consultation.

At the Foundation Establishment Realm, it cost ten thousand Spirit Coin.

At the Golden Core Realm, it cost five hundred thousand Spirit Coin.

All things considered, the Qi Refinement price was relatively good value. It was only a hundred Spirit Coin.

Except...

"I don't even have a hundred Spirit Coin right now..."

Chen Zhuo's mouth twitched. He hesitated.

In fact, Chen Zhuo could submit Soft Water Barrier, Water Thread Bind, and the Cultivation technique practiced by the Sinister Old Man he had taken them from.

Trust it.

Chen Zhuo took a deep breath. After thinking it through, he realized his worries might be unnecessary. Trust the Divine Sense of the deceased Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords!

He had always worried that he could not explain where the techniques came from.

But on closer thought, the Spirit Stone and Talisman Paper had already left plenty of clues.

A few more spells would not make much difference now.

Besides, the Spell Repository was made of cold, emotionless Divine Sense left by several deceased Spirit Transformation and Nascent Soul cultivators. Only Spirit Transformation or Nascent Soul Cultivators could probably access its database. If the Immortal Estate's cultivators at those levels took notice of him...

Well, there was nothing more to say, brother.

Chen Zhuo could only put on a righteous face and declare that he wanted to hand the World-Breaking Pearl over to the Immortal Estate!

His Cave Abode in the market would expire in three days, and his Bronze Token had begun reminding him.

"Three days left..."

Chen Zhuo nodded slightly, then activated the World-Breaking Pearl and returned to the Immortal Estate.

Back from his Cave Abode in Cloudford Market, Chen Zhuo had a clear plan in mind.

He left the Cave Abode and took a bus toward University Town.

Yes, University Town again.

Great Purity City University Town lay in the city's southwestern corner. It covered a vast area and housed seven colleges.

As a result, most public cultivation facilities were located there.

Spirit-gathering rooms and self-service alchemy workshops, for example.

The Spell Repository was no exception.

About twenty minutes later, Chen Zhuo arrived at University Town.

He looked around. Following the road signs, he spotted a silver-white tower rising a hundred zhang into the air.

The Spell Repository's physical branch!

Submitting or buying cultivation techniques could be done directly through a Spirit Message Jade Slip.

But anyone who wanted a "checkup" had to visit in person.

There was no way to conduct one through a Spirit Message Jade Slip.

Chen Zhuo took a deep breath and walked toward the tower.

As he drew near, he saw a long line at the entrance. Most of those waiting were Qi Refinement cultivators, though he occasionally spotted a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or two. Evidently, they were all there to look up techniques or submit new spells.

Chen Zhuo joined the end of the line and waited patiently.

The line moved slowly. Everyone entering the Spell Repository had to have their identity verified and registered.

It took about half an hour before Chen Zhuo's turn came.

"Show me your identification."

The cultivator handling registration at the entrance was a middle-aged man with an expressionless face.

Chen Zhuo could not discern his cultivation level.

But the man was working as a civil servant here.

He was most likely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

So Chen Zhuo hurriedly took out his identity card and handed it over.

The middle-aged cultivator took the card and scanned it. Chen Zhuo's information appeared at once.

"Chen Zhuo. First-year student at Taiqing City Alchemy Vocational and Technical College. Qi Refining Fourth Layer. Acquired Spiritual Root implanted later in life. Spiritual energy sensitivity: 19."

The middle-aged cultivator read the information aloud, then raised his eyes to Chen Zhuo. His voice held the faint, lifeless weariness of a working man. "Go on in. First time here?"

"Yes."

Chen Zhuo nodded.

"There are private rooms. If you don't understand a function, ask the Spell Spirit inside."

After that brief explanation, the middle-aged cultivator returned his identity card and waved him in.

Chen Zhuo took his card and stepped into the Spell Repository.

The moment he entered, he felt a wash of cool air.

The interior was simple enough. A virtual "Spell Spirit" stood in the center to offer guidance, with rooms on either side.

Chen Zhuo found an unoccupied room and pressed his identity card against the entrance as directed by the formation there.

"Beep."

With a soft sound, the room's door opened.

Chen Zhuo stepped inside, and the door closed automatically.

[Please place the recorded cultivation technique here.]

[If you do not have a physical copy, you may upload it through a Divine Sense link.]

After a moment's thought, Chen Zhuo took his transcription of the Azure Abyss Embracing Unity Scripture from his Storage Bag.

He set the transcription down and stepped back.

The screen in the room immediately began scanning the technique.

Soon, the light faded, and a line of text appeared on the screen.

[Detected one water-attribute Qi Refinement cultivation technique. Submitter's designated name: "Azure Abyss Embracing Unity Scripture."]

[Comparing. Please wait.]

[Comparison complete. The Spell Repository contains a large number of similar low-level water-attribute cultivation techniques.]

[This technique belongs to an ancient cultivation school. It is relatively crude overall, with a slow rate of Spiritual Qi intake and circulation. It contains 8 errors that are difficult to correct, 19 errors that can be optimized, and only 1 point worth referencing. Overall value: low.]

[Submission reward: 500 Spirit Coins.]