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Lu Yang had long heard of the technique crafted by the eldest senior sister, a creation so renowned that the Seek Tao Sect had dedicated a special area just for its placement.
Alas, the techniques on the first floor of the scripture library were too elementary, and he had never had the chance to peruse them until today.
Finally, he saw them.
"I knew it! Even the most talented disciples of the Seek Tao Sect couldn't just whip up a technique of this caliber," the Immortal Fairy realized, having thought the sect's geniuses were exaggerated to such an extent that the "Lunar Body Technique" almost rivaled her own creations.
"That's not quite right, the eldest senior sister is also a disciple of our Seek Tao Sect," Lu Yang emphasized.
While the most outstanding Dai Bufan and Ji Hongwen were still chasing after the elders' pace, the eldest senior sister of their generation had already left the elders far behind.
Such was the gap.
The bookshelf before him was filled with a dazzling array of techniques, all modified by the eldest senior sister based on existing ones, or written directly by her.
"Heh, what's the matter, scared by the number of techniques Yun Zhi has written?" An aged laugh echoed in Lu Yang's ears.
Turning his head, Lu Yang spotted a hunched old man standing beside him, seemingly unremarkable.
"May I ask who you are…?"
"Just a rather idle old man, now guarding the scripture library to pass the time. You can call me Old Tao."
Lu Yang dared not address him as Old Tao outright; he secretly guessed that the man was either of the elder generation or even his grandmaster's generation, considering the special nature of the scripture library, the latter seemed more likely.
"Is there something you wish to impart, Elder Tao?"
"It's not so much imparting, with Yun Zhi teaching you, what could an old man like me possibly offer? It's just that seeing you here reminds me of Yun Zhi when she was little."
"Yun Zhi when she was little?" Lu Yang's interest was piqued, even putting aside his eagerness to study the techniques.
The Immortal Fairy even sprang up from her bed, eagerly awaiting Old Tao's story.
"When Yun Zhi was first brought into the sect by your master, she was only this tall," Old Tao gestured at his chest, his own body hunched and short, and back then, Yun Zhi only came up to his chest.
"She was quiet and icy, it was unclear whether it was her natural disposition or because of her life in the secret realm."
"But after she came to the scripture library, her expressions became noticeably more animated."
"That girl was too young then, not yet of age to cultivate. Your master allowed her to browse the library freely, to lay a foundation."
"She was single-mindedly engrossed in the techniques, frowning as she read."
"At that time, I found the girl quite adorable, so I approached her and asked if there was something she didn't understand, telling her she could ask me and I would help."
"She looked unhappy, pouting and saying the techniques were poorly written. I asked her what was wrong with them, and she shook her head like a rattle, unable to specify, but insisted they were poorly written."
"Sure, these techniques had flaws, but they were not something a little girl could discern."
"I laughed it off, thinking she found the techniques too abstruse and was just being stubborn because she couldn't understand them."
"Who would have thought, in such a short time, that girl would grow to a level unreachable by anyone, developing her own profound insights into techniques," Old Tao mused, never having imagined that the little girl would reach such heights in cultivation.
"Cultivate well, and perhaps one day you too could surpass Yun Zhi!" Old Tao patted Lu Yang's shoulder, entrusting him with a heavy responsibility.
"Work hard!"
Lu Yang was invigorated and began studying the techniques written by the eldest senior sister.
"The 'Heaven-Scorching Blood Burning Technique,' a technique hidden in an ancient cave heaven. Cultivators often possess lifespans far beyond ordinary humans, seeking immortality through cultivation. Yet, this technique does the opposite, breaking through realms by burning lifespan for rapid cultivation progress. In critical moments, it can even burn lifespan temporarily to boost combat power."
"The mission hall stipulates that each disciple must complete two tasks each year."
"To fulfill her tasks, the eldest senior sister claimed to have visited an ancient cave heaven and discovered the 'Heaven-Scorching Blood Burning Technique,' when in fact, she had created it herself. With incomplete information, she only knew it was a technique that exchanged lifespan for combat power. In her version, the burning of one's own lifespan was transformed into burning someone else's."
"In battle, by forcibly burning the opponent's lifespan, one could grant them immense power while accelerating their aging. Before they could even utilize their newfound strength, they would age to death."
"The 'Chaos Heaven Transformation Scripture,' the core technique of the Qingming Sect, never to be shared. When mastered, one can exhale chaos mist, which cannot be dispersed, and neither sight nor divine sense can penetrate it. The cultivator can move freely within the mist, ambushing any foe within."
"The eldest senior sister claimed to have visited the Qingming Sect to learn and obtained their core technique, 'Chaos Heaven Transformation Scripture,' submitting her own version to the mission hall. Once mastered, it creates a chaos domain, suppressing all paths, rendering all techniques ineffective within, and instilling a sense of hopelessness in all beings, with a slim chance of cultivating a chaos body."
"The Qingming Sect has now replaced their core technique with the eldest senior sister's version."
The more Lu Yang read, the more his scalp tingled, doubting he could ever surpass the eldest senior sister.
However, the good news was that these techniques were not written during her Golden Elixir phase, so Lu Yang still had a chance.
Lu Yang stopped worrying about the outside world and immersed himself in various techniques—those of his eldest senior sister, the senior sect members, and those circulating in the market…
He pondered the intentions behind each step written by the authors, engrossed to the point of forgetting everything else.
Half a month flew by, and as Lu Yang emerged from the sea of techniques, he suddenly remembered he was there to continue writing techniques.
"Time to write!"
Lu Yang scratched the back of his head, feeling full of knowledge after reading so many techniques and believing he had much to offer in this field. Yet, when he picked up the pen to write, he realized he didn't know how to begin.
"Didn't I feel like I learned everything while reading?"
Lu Yang began writing with determination, the Immortal Fairy watching silently, not uttering a word.
Any interruption now would only hinder Lu Yang.
After much contemplation, he finally had an idea and began to extend his own technique.
"Just like this!"
His thoughts flowed like a fountain, his writing swift and powerful.
The half-month of studying techniques was not in vain; he felt he had integrated them and was innovating on that foundation, with endless ideas pouring onto the paper.
"Yes, this is how it should be written!"
He now only wished he could write faster to keep up with his thoughts.
Two days passed, and the Golden Elixir chapter of the "Clear Heart, Insightful Nature Technique" was complete. He revised and refined it, choosing his words with precision.
"Done at last!"
He immediately left the scripture library and headed to Heaven's Gate Peak to submit the final draft to the eldest senior sister.
She read it carefully, nodding slightly in approval:
"Not bad, this time only eighty percent needs my slight adjustments."