Chapter 341: A Torrent of Inspiration

Lu Yang had long heard of the techniques composed by the Eldest Senior Sister, for which the Seeking Path Sect had specially carved out a dedicated zone just to house them.

However, because the techniques on the first floor of the Scripture Repository were far too basic, he had never found the opportunity to glimpse them until now.

Today, he finally laid eyes upon them.

"I knew it, no matter how much of a genius a disciple of your Seeking Path Sect might be, they couldn't just casually compose a technique of this magnitude," the Immortal Fairy murmured in sudden realization, having previously believed the sect's geniuses were so exaggeratedly gifted that the "Lunar Dharma Body Art" almost rivaled her own creations.

"You say that, but the Eldest Senior Sister is also a disciple of our Seeking Path Sect," Lu Yang emphasized.

While the most exceptional disciples of their generation, Senior Brothers Dai Bufan and Ji Hongwen, were still scrambling to catch up to the elders, the Eldest Senior Sister had already left those same elders far behind in the dust.

Such was the gap between them.

The bookshelves before him displayed a dazzling array of techniques, all of which the Eldest Senior Sister had either modified from existing foundations or composed entirely from scratch.

"Heh, what's wrong? Startled by the sheer volume of techniques Yunzhi has written?" A voice, weathered by the passage of time, echoed softly beside Lu Yang's ear.

Lu Yang turned his head to find a stooped, elderly man standing beside him, looking thoroughly unremarkable in every way.

"May I ask who you are..."

"Just a leisure-loving old fellow who keeps watch over the Scripture Repository to pass the time nowadays. You can just call me Old Tao."

How could Lu Yang dare to actually address him as Old Tao? He secretly guessed that the man belonged either to the generation of the elders or the grand-masters; considering the unique nature of the Scripture Repository, the latter seemed far more likely.

"May I ask what guidance Elder Tao has for me?"

"Hardly guidance. With Yunzhi instructing you, what could an old man like me possibly teach? I simply saw you standing here and caught myself remembering Yunzhi when she was a child."

"Yunzhi as a child?" Lu Yang's curiosity was instantly piqued, completely eclipsing his desire to study the techniques for the moment.

The Immortal Fairy even bounded straight up from the bed, waiting with unbridled enthusiasm for Elder Tao to spin his tale.

"When Yunzhi was first brought into the sect by your master, she wasn't very tall—about this high, I suppose." Elder Tao gestured toward his chest; his frame was hunched and naturally diminutive, meaning the young Yunzhi back then had barely reached his chest.

"She was quiet and icy cold, though whether she was born that way or it was due to her life within the hidden realm, I cannot say."

"Yet, the moment she stepped into the Scripture Repository, her expression grew visibly animated."

"The girl was still too young then, not yet at the age to begin cultivation, so your master let her wander freely through the Scripture Repository just to build a foundation."

"That girl put her entire mind into reading the techniques, her brow furrowing deeper with every line she scanned."

"Seeing how delicate and lovely she was back then, I walked over and asked if there was anything she failed to understand, telling her she could ask me and I would provide the answers."

"Displeasure was written all over her face as she pouted, claiming these techniques were poorly written. When I asked her where the flaws lay, she shook her head like a rattle, admitting she couldn't tell but simply felt they were poorly constructed."

"While these techniques certainly possessed flaws, they were far from something a little girl could discern."

"I merely laughed it off, paying it no mind, assuming the girl found them too abstruse to comprehend and was simply being stubborn about her shortcomings."

"Who could have guessed that after only this much time, that girl would grow to a height no one could hope to overtake, possessing a unique insight into cultivation methods that is entirely her own." Elder Tao sighed with profound emotion, unable to fathom how that little girl from the past could have ascended to such astronomical heights.

"Cultivate diligently, and perhaps you too will see a day when you surpass Yunzhi!" Elder Tao patted Lu Yang on the shoulder, entrusting him with heavy expectations.

"I will strive!"

Lu Yang felt a surge of resolve and began to study the techniques composed by the Eldest Senior Sister.

"The 'Heaven-Burning Blood-Kindling Art,' a technique hidden within an ancient cavern-heaven. Cultivators naturally possess lifespans far exceeding those of mortals, pursuing cultivation for longevity, yet this technique does the exact opposite, burning away one's lifespan to break through realms and achieve rapid growth in cultivation. In critical moments, it can temporarily incinerate lifespan to violently boost combat power."

"The Mission Hall dictates that every disciple must complete two missions each year."

"In order to complete her quota, the Eldest Senior Sister falsely claimed she had explored an ancient cavern-heaven and discovered this 'Heaven-Burning Blood-Kindling Art,' when in truth, she had created it entirely on her own. Because her knowledge was incomplete, knowing only that it was a technique that sacrificed lifespan for combat power, the version she penned turned the burning of one's own lifespan into the burning of another's."

"In battle, it forcibly incinerates the enemy's lifespan, granting them immense power while accelerating their aging; before the opponent can even utilize that strength, they wither away into death from old age."

"The 'Chaotic Heaven-Transforming Scripture,' the foundational technique of the Primordial Dark Sect, never shared with outsiders. When cultivated to mastery, one can exhale chaotic mist that cannot be dispersed, blinding both sight and divine sense; the cultivator can move freely within the mist to ambush their foes."

"The Eldest Senior Sister falsely claimed she had traveled to the Primordial Dark Sect to learn, mastering their sacred scripture, and subsequently handed her own written version of the 'Chaotic Heaven-Transforming Scripture' over to the Mission Hall. When this version is cultivated to mastery, it forms a Chaotic Domain that suppresses all paths, rendering all laws null within its bounds, leaving no living creature with the will to resist, and even granting a sliver of a chance to forge a Chaotic Dao Body."

"Presently, the Primordial Dark Sect has already replaced their own sacred scripture with the Eldest Senior Sister's version."

The more Lu Yang read, the more his scalp tingled with dread; the notion that he could ever surpass the Eldest Senior Sister was an utter delusion.

The only silver lining was that these techniques had not been written during her Golden Core stage, meaning Lu Yang still stood a chance.

Lu Yang cast aside all external thoughts, gradually immersing himself in the vast sea of techniques—those of the Eldest Senior Sister, those of the sect elders, and those circulating through the mortal markets...

He sought to divine the mindset of the authors, the intent behind each specific step, becoming so utterly entranced that he forgot everything else.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month slipped away. Lu Yang finally awoke from the myriad techniques, suddenly remembering that his purpose here was to continue writing his own.

"Time to begin!"

Lu Yang scratched the back of his head; having consumed so many manuals, his mind was brimming with knowledge, and he felt he was poised for greatness in the art of composing techniques. Yet, the moment he lifted his brush to write, he found himself utterly at a loss.

"I clearly felt I had mastered everything while reading them, didn't I?"

Lu Yang bit the bullet and began to write, while the Immortal Fairy watched from the side without uttering a single word.

To offer guidance now would only do Lu Yang a disservice.

After half a day of agonizing contemplation, a spark finally ignited, and he set his brush to paper to continue his technique.

"Just like this!"

His literary inspiration surged like a torrential spring, his brush flying across the parchment like slithering dragons and startled snakes.

The half-month spent reading had not been in vain; he felt as though he had thoroughly synthesized the knowledge, innovating upon it as a river of ceaseless concepts manifested onto the page.

"Yes, the next part should be written like this!"

He now only resented that his hand was too slow to keep pace with the rapid mutations of his thoughts.

Two days passed, and the Golden Core chapter of the "Clear Mind Insight Sutra" was completed. He then pruned and polished it, rendering the text more concise and the terminology more precise.

"It is finished!"

He immediately departed from the Scripture Repository and hurried toward Heavenly Gate Peak, presenting the completed manuscript to the Eldest Senior Sister.

The Eldest Senior Sister leafed through it earnestly, nodding slightly as she offered her praise:

"Not bad. This time, only eighty percent of the content requires my slight modification."

(End of Chapter)