Choosing cultivation methods

Before long, it was Ming Hao and his companion's turn.

Looking at the prices on the menu, Ming Hao was a little dumbfounded. Even the cheapest set meal, with ordinary, lowest-tier spirit beast meat and spirit porridge, cost one lower-grade spirit stone, and the portions were small.

An inner disciple's monthly stipend was only a hundred lower-grade spirit stones, plus two pills and a hundred sect contribution points.

Yet an ordinary breakfast cost one lower-grade spirit stone. How could that not leave him speechless? He was rich-very rich-but his money hadn't blown in on the wind.

Whether because of the pill Ming Hao had given him yesterday or because he wanted to build a closer relationship, Fatty Zhang insisted on treating him.

He gritted his teeth and said, "One five-stone set meal and one one-stone set meal, please."

The dining hall auntie's serving hand didn't tremble, either. She gave them the full portions and soon handed over the two meals.

Ming Hao picked a table by the window and sat down.

Fatty Zhang pushed the meal worth five lower-grade spirit stones toward Ming Hao, then began digging into his own one-stone meal.

Fatty Zhang's meal had only a bowl of spirit porridge, three meat buns, a small plate of spirit beast meat, and one spirit beast egg.

Ming Hao's had a bowl of spirit porridge, six meat buns, meat from two spirit beast legs, five spirit beast eggs, and two cups of spirit beast milk.

It was clearly several levels more luxurious.

Seeing the pained look on Fatty Zhang's face, Ming Hao divided his food in half and pushed a share toward Senior Brother Zhang.

"Have some more, Senior Brother Zhang. I have a small appetite. I can't finish all this."

Ming Hao spoke with consideration.

"Junior Brother Ming Hao, how could I accept that? I said I was treating you."

Fatty Zhang looked a little embarrassed. He didn't want things to be this way, either. He wanted good food and drink, too, but that bastard who deserved a thousand cuts had stolen this month's spirit stones again.

He had only managed to pay for this morning's food by going to borrow from a friend late last night. Exactly six stones, no more and no less. His friend couldn't spare any more, having also been robbed, though he was a tiny bit better off!

"Don't stand on ceremony, Senior Brother. It'll get cold if you don't eat."

"Sorry you had to see me like this, Junior Brother." With that, he began taking huge bites, as though he hadn't eaten in decades.

The Hall of Cultivation Method was packed with a jostling sea of people.

Many newly admitted disciples like Ming Hao had come to choose cultivation methods, making today's crowd dozens of times larger than usual!

Ming Hao gazed at the Hall of Cultivation Method towering into the clouds, then at the long line stretching ahead, and sighed. "A great power really is a great power. Everything is so grand and magnificent!"

"Junior Brother Ming Hao, get in line and go inside first. I'll wait here.

"Remember, on your first visit, you can choose any three cultivation methods that suit you from the first through sixth floors. Ideally, choose all three on the sixth floor. The methods there are the best."

Fatty Zhang spoke with a composed expression.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother. I'll remember."

Ming Hao replied, then turned and joined the line.

"Hand over your token for registration," the registration elder said in a deep voice without looking up.

Ming Hao respectfully presented his token with both hands.

The elder swept it with his spiritual power, obtained the information, and returned the token before continuing:

"You may only choose three cultivation methods from the sixth floor or below. Go inside."

"Thank you, Elder."

Inside the Hall of Cultivation Method lay a world of its own, vast and seemingly boundless. All kinds of cultivation methods and martial techniques were packed densely throughout, and quite a few disciples were browsing them.

Ming Hao didn't linger and headed straight to the sixth floor.

The sixth floor was much smaller than the first and held only a third as many cultivation methods, but it was still a dazzling ocean of books.

After taking a careful look, Ming Hao found that every shelf was labeled by the type of cultivation method it held, such as sword arts, body refining, and spells. This allowed people to find suitable methods quickly and saved considerable time.

Ming Hao went to the spell section and casually opened a cultivation manual. Water Control Technique: a sixth-grade cultivation method suitable for those with water spiritual roots. It allowed the user to control water and shape it into various forms for battle...

Fire Dragon Art, a sixth-grade cultivation method...

Ice River World, a sixth-grade cultivation method. This method was incomplete, and its actual grade was unknown. Once mastered to perfection, it could freeze everything within sight...

Ming Hao's hand paused. This one's good. Even incomplete, with only the latter half, it still has the power of a sixth-grade cultivation method. Wouldn't the complete version be incredible?!

This is the one. He marked it. Later, he could simply ask the registration elder for a copied jade slip.

Ming Hao turned to choose two more manuals from the next shelf, never expecting a voluptuous woman to be standing behind him, browsing cultivation methods. One careless movement sent him crashing straight into her.

Seeing Ying Ming Hao's face wedged between her twin peaks, Lin Qinqin froze for several seconds before letting out a piercing cry.

She stumbled back several steps, finally stopping when she crashed against a bookshelf. Several maidservants nearby heard her cry and rushed over.

"Miss, what happened?" Two maidservants helped her up, one on either side.

Ying Ming Hao was a little dazed himself. They had been too close, and he had collided with her the instant he turned around, leaving him no time to react.

Still, they really were big and soft. Sweet-smelling, tender, and pillowy.

At that thought, Ming Hao stealthily touched his face, then brought his hand to his nose and sniffed...

Seeing her maidservants help her up, Ying Ming Hao hurried forward and cupped his hands. "Fairy sister, are you all right? I'm sorry. I was so absorbed in choosing cultivation methods that I didn't notice you and bumped into you.

"Fairy sister, you're so broad-hearted, with the grace of an orchid and the beauty of a heavenly immortal... surely someone as magnanimous as you will forgive me, right?"

After speaking, he even rolled his adorable eyes innocently.

Lin Qinqin looked at Ming Hao before her. He was only twelve or thirteen, fair and tender-looking, and a little over 1.6 meters tall, barely reaching her shoulders.

She was tall herself, over 1.8 meters, and her crystal high heels made her look even taller, towering over most men. For a moment, she couldn't bring herself to get angry.

Besides, she was partly at fault, too. With Ming Hao speaking so sweetly, she found it even harder to lose her temper.

She could only say awkwardly, "I'm fine, little brother. You weren't hurt, were you?"

"As long as you're all right, fairy sister. Something soft and pillowy happened to cushion me, so I wasn't hurt."

Whether intentionally or deliberately, Ming Hao kept casting faintly discernible glances at Lin Qinqin's chest...

Lin Qinqin's face rapidly flushed at his words. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed where his gaze kept straying and felt both annoyed and terribly bashful.

She stamped her foot and quickly fled with her two maidservants...

Watching their retreating figures, Ming Hao let out a smug laugh...

Whether Lin Qinqin heard him or not, her steps quickened considerably, and she vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

Ming Hao continued browsing and soon found another suitable cultivation method.

Ethereal Movement Technique, a sixth-grade cultivation method, latter half. Its effectiveness doubled when used together with the Misty Immortal Art. At higher levels of mastery, the practitioner moved as though accompanied by the wind...

Tathagata Divine Palm, a sixth-grade cultivation method, incomplete. This was a Buddhist Sect cultivation method and was extremely difficult to practice...

Before long, Ming Hao had finished choosing his cultivation methods and returned to the registration desk.

"Ice River World, Ethereal Movement Technique, Tathagata Divine Palm. Boy, are you sure you want these three? Once you choose, you can't change them."

"Both Ice River World and Tathagata Divine Palm are incomplete cultivation methods. They also require their corresponding cultivation methods to bring out their full power, and they're extremely difficult to practice. Countless proud sons of heaven have spent decades on them without ever reaching major mastery..."

The registration elder conscientiously tried to dissuade him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Elder. I'll take these three. There's no need to change them. Sorry for the trouble, but please register them for me."

Ming Hao cupped his hands slightly as he spoke.

"Fine, fine. Kind words can't turn back a ghost bent on seeking death."

With that, he began registering them. Space rippled faintly, and three cultivation jade slips appeared before them.

"Each jade slip can only be used by one person to learn its contents. Afterward, it will dissipate."

"Thank you, Elder."

Ming Hao took the three cultivation methods, put them into his storage space, then turned and left.

Outside the Hall of Cultivation Method, Senior Brother Zhang saw Ming Hao emerge so quickly. Back when he had chosen his own methods, he had spent days finding suitable ones.

Afraid that Ming Hao had been dazzled by the selection and chosen at random, he hurried forward and said:

"Junior Brother Ming Hao, why did you come out so quickly? Were you overwhelmed by the selection and unable to find anything suitable?!"

"Don't worry, Senior Brother. I've already found suitable ones."

"Don't boast, Junior Brother. You were inside for less than an hour..."

Fatty Zhang chattered endlessly along the way, seeming even more concerned than when he had gone in to make his own choices.