Chapter 10: The So‑Called

Lin Zhenren said confidently, "That's not permissible; the Grand Void Sect has always upheld the principle of natural Dao, disciples may try, and the sect can help."

But it will not be reckless and damage the spiritual root; at most, during the early Foundation Establishment stage you can add some Thunder Refinement points, after cultivating to the middle of Foundation Establishment you must disperse your cultivation and start over, and after reaching the later stage, disperse again.

As a result, it will be slower than those at the same level who have formed a Golden Core.

Jiang Yu thought to herself, "Is this really called natural Dao?" Nevertheless, the technique does suit her, but forming a Golden Core is far beyond her reach.

Moreover, she thought of the fact that outer sect disciples receive ten spirit stones each month, along with one bottle each of low‑grade Gathering Qi Pill, Returning Qi Pill, and Rejuvenation Pill.

Inner sect disciples receive thirty spirit stones per month and three bottles of medium‑grade pills.

Direct disciples receive fifty spirit stones monthly, which includes three bottles of high‑grade pills plus an additional bottle of premium Concentrated Spirit Pill that aids the spirit.

A low‑grade pill costs three spirit stones per piece, while a high‑grade pill costs twenty spirit stones per piece; low‑grade pills are cheap but have poor efficacy.

She nodded without hesitation and said, "I choose this technique."

"No more deliberation? With your spiritual root, even if you practice only fire or metal techniques, the speed won't be slow."

"But choosing the Thunder‑Fire Technique requires many tasks midway to repay the sect's expenses." Lin Zhenren confirmed again.

Jiang Yu firmly chose it; the technique matches her spiritual root and can be cultivated all the way to Nascent Soul, so she had no intention of changing.

Cultivating only a fire technique is fast, but that only applies during the Refining Qi stage; after Foundation Establishment, one must switch techniques according to the body's condition, which also slows progress.

The key is that a cultivator may need to establish a foundation at any time; if one happens to be in the deep mountains without a prepared Foundation Establishment technique, it becomes a huge problem.

Having said everything, Lin Zhenren saw she did not retreat, so he handed her the identity jade badge and pressed an imprint onto a special scroll.

Jiang Yu glanced; the scroll was densely covered with over a hundred identity imprints dated to different years, indicating many have practiced this technique.

Then Lin Zhenren rose, went to the Second Gate, brushed off a few techniques, and the gate opened.

"You go in yourself; the technique is in the Heaven‑Character No. 4 Shelf."

"Place the jade tablet on your forehead; it will transmit the technique on its own."

"Understood." The moment Jiang Yu stepped through the gate, a burst of white light enveloped her, and as her body lightened and fell, she was already standing before several rows of shelves.

She looked around and saw no one, then projected her spirit sense to locate the Heaven‑Character No. 4 Shelf; after a short time she extracted the Thunder‑Fire Technique and placed it on her forehead.

Lines of text spiraled into the Milan Palace at an incomprehensibly fast speed.

But after Jiang Yu steadied her mind and inspected internally, she let out a long sigh; the technique only extended up to the Foundation Establishment stage.

The sect indeed kept a reserve; if you don't reach the middle‑late stage of Foundation Establishment, you cannot go to the fourth floor to obtain the later techniques.

She was about to return the jade tablet when she suddenly remembered that the Library Tower wouldn't unlock for another half an hour, and Lin Zhenren hadn't demanded that she leave after reading the Thunder‑Fire Technique.

So she clenched the jade tablet, fearing that releasing it would cause her to be transported away.

Jiang Yu fully opened her spirit sense, swiftly scanning the shelves; she sought a technique to forge the spirit.

At that moment, a Golden Core female cultivator descended from the fourth floor outside the gate, saw Lin Zhenren staring at the crystal ball on the table and laughed.

She couldn't help but approach, and saw inside the crystal ball an image of a junior disciple holding a jade tablet searching for a jade tablet.

"Junior Brother Lin, did you tell her that once a Heaven‑Character‑sized jade tablet is returned, the person is instantly transported out?"

"No, I don't know how she discovered it herself." Lin Zhenren watched Jiang Yu chant words as she approached the shelf, but her hand, very proper, did not touch the many jade tablets on the shelf.

"Hey, this little girl is rather interesting.

Is she the junior disciple we're focusing on this time? If you're interested, just take her as a disciple." The female cultivator, hands behind her back, watched together, and suddenly saw Jiang Yu reach out, tentatively pulling out a black jade tablet.

Lin Zhenren shook his head: "She and many promising young cultivators have been reviewed by members of the Mysterious Heaven and Spiritual Ruins sects during the trials."

"Those who are not selected by the four major sects are immediately taken by our sect as direct disciples; it's not appropriate."

The female cultivator snorted coldly, "She deliberately said it in public, plainly stating: 'Do you want to treasure the people I eliminate?'"

"Look, you know it's a scheme, yet you still step right onto it."

"For the sake of so‑called 'face', you suppress good seedlings."

"Senior Sister Hu, the grand exam every three years naturally lets good seedlings stand out.

Moreover, the joint recruitment by the sects already has other motives." Lin Zhenren said without embarrassment.

"Allow these disciples to enter the inner gate and take a master based on their abilities, to avoid any later incompetent disciple causing the four major sects to laugh."

"This is also the tacit understanding among the smaller sects."

The female cultivator surnamed Hu neither confirmed nor denied, pointing at the crystal ball and saying, "Huh, the technique she's taking—does it require the high spirit‑sense intensity of the Primordial Star Technique?"

Among the black jade tablets, Jiang Yu saw one that glittered with starlight and tried to take it.

As soon as her spirit sense penetrated, myriad starlights shone down, making the entire Milan Palace feel refreshingly clear, and a day's fatigue vanished instantly.

Unfortunately the text inside was blurry, "Elder, may the disciple replicate this jade tablet?"

Jiang Yu had no intention of stealing a teacher; she withdrew her spirit sense, looked up toward the outside, and asked, believing that every of her actions was being observed.

"Senior Sister, I'll go in and help her lift the restriction." Lin Zhenren agreed with concrete action.

But when he entered and said, "Being able to obtain this Forging God Technique is also your destiny, but it requires fifty merit points."

Jiang Yu was startled; merit points are not spirit stones, they are the contribution value the sect awards based on a disciple's tasks.

She had just joined the sect and had virtually no contribution.

But if you were to price it in spirit stones, one merit point equals one hundred low‑grade spirit stones, i. e., one medium‑grade spirit stone.

"Elder, can I pay with spirit stones? Can I borrow from the sect?" She didn't know when she'd next have a chance to reach the third floor; if possible, she decided to borrow.

If not, she could only search for the Forging God Technique on the first floor.

Lin Zhenren nodded, "In a moment I'll give you a receipt; tomorrow you can apply at the Inner Affairs Hall for a loan of fifty medium‑grade spirit stones, with a five‑year repayment term and an annual interest of two medium‑grade spirit stones."

Jiang Yu calculated the four‑percent annual interest; she was familiar with it—a student loan.

She hadn't expected Lin Zhenren to personally lift the restriction, pull a blank jade tablet from the top of the shelf, and replicate it.

Then he had her compare the contents, imprinting her spirit sense onto the replicated jade tablet, saying, "This tablet can only be read by you; anyone else who opens it will self‑destruct."

Unfortunately, when descending, Jiang Yu could only carry the receipt; she would need to bring spirit stones tomorrow to claim the jade tablet.

On the way back to the valley, Lu Ruochan cautiously asked, "Junior Sister Jiang, you won't be coming tomorrow, right?"

In two days I'll have to go to the Transmission Hall for class, so I should get familiar with the routes, the classrooms and such.

She doesn't need to change her cultivation method, nor does she want to spend the whole day sitting in the Library reading.

The others in the valley heard that Jiang Yu was lingering in the Library; the newcomers would run over, look for an hour or two and then leave, but she couldn't.

Threatened by Lu Chenxia, whenever Jiang Yu isn't being watched she can be free; otherwise Lu Chenxia will stop instructing her in the family sword method.

"Come, I want to look for the sword technique again." With that single sentence, Jiang Yu, upon seeing Lu Ruochan droop her head, felt the burden of her loan inexplicably ease.

Xiao Wugui transmitted to her, "I have spiritual stones, why do you need to borrow?"

"Yours is yours."

"If you borrow from me, you should also pay interest; why let others profit?"

"Hmm, that makes sense. But I've already spent over a thousand spiritual stones; I can't keep carelessly showing off wealth."

"And it's just a fake wealth." If someone with ill intent discovers it, she's spent dozens of mid‑grade spiritual stones here and there, which is unsafe.