Chapter 7: Choosing Techniques at the Technique Depository

Lin Xiao stood in his room, dazed, for several minutes.

Old Geng's words kept echoing through his mind.

It seemed that his talent — or perhaps the fact that he had condensed Sword Intent — had piqued the old man's interest.

Sure enough, geniuses always received preferential treatment and privileges.

This was probably Old Geng's way of investing in him.

As someone who had grown up in the modern world, Lin Xiao had a pretty clear read on the situation.

He gave a small nod.

He had no intention of turning down this much-needed investment.

He had even developed a degree of goodwill toward Old Geng.

In truth, after absorbing over a thousand strands of Sword Qi and witnessing the memories of over a thousand Sword Demon Sect disciples, he had developed a peculiar feeling toward the sect.

It had been a subtle, gradual influence on him.

Sword Demon Sect was a Demon Sect — that much was true.

But it was by no means the kind of evil faction that committed every manner of atrocity.

In this world of fantasy cultivation, were the orthodox sects truly righteous, and were the Demon Sects truly villainous?

Lin Xiao could say with confidence: absolutely not.

Sometimes, the actions of so-called righteous cultivators were far more despicable.

Without any further hesitation, Lin Xiao tilted his head back and swallowed the Origin Restoration Pill.

In a fleeting moment, the pill dissolved into a surge of pure, roiling energy that coursed through every limb and bone in his body.

It rapidly nourished him from head to toe.

Lin Xiao sat down immediately and circulated his cultivation technique, consolidating his current realm.

It took only a single night.

By the time he was done, Lin Xiao had fully stabilized the first stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

Such efficiency was truly the envy of others.

* * *

The sky had barely begun to lighten when Lin Xiao stepped out the door.

There was actually something that had been nagging at him.

Last night, when Old Geng had evaluated him, he had said that Lin Xiao's Sword Intent had some flaws.

What did that mean exactly?

Did Sword Intent condensed from a thousand strands of Sword Qi count as flawed?

And what constituted a flaw? What constituted perfection?

He had witnessed over a thousand sets of memories, yet every one of those people had been an ordinary disciple of Sword Demon Sect — not a single one had reached the level of comprehending Sword Intent.

So when it came to Sword Intent, Lin Xiao was completely in the dark. He understood nothing about it.

It seemed he would have to wait until after the Outer Sect Trial to ask Old Geng about it.

Lin Xiao spread his stride and broke into a swift run.

Covering several hundred meters in one breath, he felt a rush of exhilaration.

And this was without having trained in any movement technique whatsoever...

If he found a suitable movement technique, he could probably be several times faster.

Steering clear of other people, Lin Xiao made his way to the first Sword Tomb he planned to visit after his Breakthrough.

Touch the sword. Witness the memory. Comprehend the sword art. Draw the Sword Qi.

The sequence was second nature to him by now.

Having reached the Spirit Gathering Realm, the whole process was noticeably faster as well.

But in the next moment, Lin Xiao's expression shifted slightly.

He noticed something was off.

The moment the Sword Qi entered his body, it was forcibly seized and absorbed by his own Sword Intent.

Hm?!

It could do that?

What was this Sword Intent trying to do? It seemed to be craving Sword Qi intensely.

Puzzled, Lin Xiao moved on to the next Sword Tomb.

He drew the Sword Qi.

Without any surprise, the Sword Qi was absorbed by the Sword Intent once again.

Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly.

It seemed... as though the Sword Intent had grown just a tiny bit stronger.

If that was the case, then he would let it absorb to its heart's content.

He was curious just how much Sword Qi it could take in.

And so, for several consecutive days, Lin Xiao moved continuously among the outer Sword Tombs, drawing Sword Qi one after another.

Ten strands.

One hundred strands.

Two hundred strands.

The Sword Intent had absorbed a full two hundred strands before it neared saturation.

The reason for saturation wasn't that the Sword Intent itself could no longer absorb more.

Rather, it was that Lin Xiao's comprehension of sword arts was too limited, and that was what prevented the Sword Intent from advancing further.

Continuing to absorb Sword Qi here would only increase the quantity, not improve the quality of the Sword Intent.

After all, the surrounding Sword Tombs all belonged to ordinary inner and outer sect disciples of Sword Demon Sect.

Their insights were limited.

The true masters' sword graves were not located in the outer reaches of Pyre Heaven Sword Tomb.

And he had no way of accessing the deeper areas for now.

It seemed he would have to rely on his own efforts.

Having come to that conclusion, Lin Xiao continued to move among the Sword Tombs, sweeping and tending to them one by one.

The number on his Tomb Guardian Token kept climbing.

After tending to over a dozen Sword Tombs, his monthly guardian duties were complete.

Next, he needed to replenish the Sword Qi within his body and then apply for permission to leave.

Lin Xiao filled himself with one strand of Sword Intent and nine hundred strands of Sword Qi — that was his limit.

The Sword Intent alone occupied the space of nearly a hundred strands of Sword Qi.

Exit pass in hand, Lin Xiao left Pyre Heaven Sword Tomb once again.

This drew another round of envious stares from the newer Tomb Guardians.

Last month, every single one of them had failed to complete their guardian duties.

That had cut their income from two Low-Grade Spirit Stones down to just one.

And yet here was this lone wolf, only two days into the new month, and he had already finished his monthly quota??

This guy was unbelievably capable!

They felt the gap between themselves and Lin Xiao growing wider and wider — a gap they could no longer hope to close.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao did not head straight to the Demonic Beast Forest to train.

Instead, he went first to the Technique Depository.

He intended to cash in on Old Geng's investment and find a couple of suitable techniques and martial arts for himself.

After all, right now he only knew one basic breathing method.

He was sorely lacking in every other area.

He arrived at the entrance of the Technique Depository.

A white-haired old man was leaning against the doorframe, half-asleep, looking thoroughly listless.

Lin Xiao walked up to him and bowed respectfully before speaking. "Senior, I'd like to go inside and select some techniques and martial arts."

He wasn't about to underestimate someone like this.

Would a place like the Technique Depository really be left in the care of an ordinary old man?!

Absolutely not.

This white-haired elder was very likely one of those hidden-master types — a sweeping monk in disguise.

"Oh?! A Servant Disciple at the first stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm — haha, young man, you're quite the interesting one."

"Hand me your tokens!"

The white-haired old man glanced at Lin Xiao and said with a smile.

Lin Xiao was briefly taken aback, then respectfully held out both tokens Old Geng had given him with both hands.

He had seen through Lin Xiao's cultivation level with just a single glance.

Without a doubt, a hidden master.

"Go on in. Remember, you can only browse the first floor — don't go up to the... Hm?! Wait, a Sword Pavilion Token?! Who gave you this!!"

The moment the white-haired old man got a clear look at the token, a chilling gleam flashed through his eyes and he snapped to full alertness in an instant.

"Old Geng gave it to me," Lin Xiao answered honestly.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What is that old fossil up to now? Hmm, alright, I see. In that case, go straight to the third floor of the Technique Depository." With that, the white-haired old man leaned back against the doorframe and resumed his feigned slumber.

"The third floor?! Understood. Thank you, Senior." Lin Xiao offered his thanks and stepped inside the Technique Depository.

The Technique Depository of Sword Demon Sect had four floors in total.

The first floor housed ordinary Human Grade techniques and martial arts.

The second floor housed ordinary Earth Grade techniques and martial arts.

The third floor housed a selection of more significant Human Grade and Earth Grade techniques and martial arts.

As for what lay on the fourth floor, Lin Xiao had no idea.

Among the vast sea of memories in his mind, not a single person had ever set foot on the fourth floor.

As Lin Xiao entered the Technique Depository and climbed the stairs, the white-haired old man at the entrance cracked one eye open ever so slightly.

"A Nameless Sword Physique, is it? What a shame — his aptitude is far too ordinary."