"You seem great today, Xiao Ning," Old Zhou said, glancing over at him. Compared to the dead-fish aura Ning had been giving off just a few days ago, he looked almost radiant.

  His complexion was fresh, his eyes lively, and for once, there were no dark circles dragging his face down. If this were a shoujo manga, sparkles would be glittering around him.

  "Yes," Ning replied with a small smile. "I decided to take it slow from now on."

  After months of pushing himself to the brink, sleeping for a full eight hours had done wonders.

  "That's good," Old Zhou chuckled, clearly relieved. "You were working too hard these past few days. Now, though… your temperament seems different."

  "Temperament?" Ning tilted his head, amused.

  It was said that one's appearance reflects the heart; perhaps the brighter spirit truly showed on his face.

  In truth, Ning had also noticed the change.

  It was said that between life and death lay great terror, and for those who crossed that threshold, great bounty awaited.

  After confronting his inner demons, his thoughts were clearer, his focus sharper. There was a new steadiness in his mind, like a lake finally settling after a storm.

  They said that defeating one's inner demons, or resolving mental blockades, strengthened the Dao Heart, the so-called heart of perseverance toward immortality.

  Whether that was true or not, Ning wasn't sure. But his morning spell practice had indeed gone much smoothly than before.

  Even so, although confronting inner demons had such benefits, he had no desire to experience it again anytime soon. The mental intrusion had been terrifying enough.

  "Old Zhou," Ning said suddenly, "I'll return your spirit stones soon, so just hold off for a while."

  "Eh? There's no rush," Old Zhou waved a hand. "Besides, I don't even know if I should take them, considering you taught me that qi control exercise."

  Ning had taught him a simple but effective spiritual circulation method, a way to train his control. Old Zhou had been diligently practicing it ever since, hoping to refine his spellwork and perhaps even qualify for a Spiritual Farmer Certificate.

  With such a title, he could remain within the sect as an official cultivator-farmer. That meant stability, resources, and, most importantly, safety. As for his grand dream of marrying ten wives, well, that didn't conflict with the plan either.

  "It's just a random exercise," Ning said with a faint smile. "I'll return your stones, and I won't hear a 'no' about it."

  Before Old Zhou could argue, Ning turned and left.

  Old Zhou had helped him plenty over the past year. Returning the favor was the least Ning could do.

  'Alas,' Ning thought as he walked, 'Time to start settling my debts.'

  Let's see… 100 from Wei Zhusang, 100 from Lang Rulang, 80 from Zhang Feng, and another 80 from Old Zhou, a total of 360 spirit stones.

  For the Ning of a year ago, that sum would have been unimaginable.

  But now? With his current farming skill and a four-acre plot under his name, it was manageable. This coming harvest alone, he expected to earn around 120 to 130 spirit stones. Two harvests would be enough to repay everything, and if he reached mid-stage Qi Condensation by then, his income might even double.

  Of course, he still had to account for cultivation expenses, so the timing wasn't perfectly accurate.

  Lost in thought, Ning soon arrived at the Scripture Pavilion.

  The Pavilion stood in the eastern quarter of the outer sect, a towering structure of dark wood and pale stone, its roof tiles carved with runic seals that shimmered faintly under the sunlight.

  Most of the major divisions of the outer sect were arranged along the four directions: the Alchemy Hall to the west, the Combat Grounds to the north, the Beast-Taming Yards to the south, and the Mission Hall at the center, the beating heart of all sect activity.

  Upon entering the pavilion, Ning's eyes fell upon an elderly man seated lazily behind the wooden counter. His robes were wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and his demeanor anything but bright.

  'Probably an op character,' Ning judged instantly.

  An old man this sloppy, stationed in one of the sect's most important places? He couldn't not be important.

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  Approaching the counter, Ning respectfully bowed, hands cupped in deference as he introduced himself.

  "Excuse me, Elder. I am a new disciple, and was instructed to come to the martial arts pavilion to borrow a manual," Ning said earnestly, handing over his bronze token.

  The elder stroked his chin, squinting as if mulling something over, then lazily gestured toward one of the colossal bookshelves.

  "Alright, go to the second floor to pick a technique," he drawled. "Since you're new, I'll explain. The first floor is for general reading, books for all outer sect disciples. The second floor holds techniques, spells, and martial arts suitable for the Qi Condensation stage. Third floor's for Foundation Building and above." His words slurred faintly; his breath carried the distinct aroma of alcohol.

  "Thank you, Elder." Ning bowed politely.

  "Yeah, yeah… also, you're forbidden from passing on anything you learn from these manuals to outsiders. If you do, punishment will follow," the elder added, waving him off. "You've got about three hours upstairs to choose, so don't dawdle."

  "Understood." Ning nodded and quickly moved deeper inside.

  The first floor was lined with countless shelves and scroll racks, but Ning barely glanced at them, heading straight for the stairs.

  ...

  "It seems the newbies have finished their first year. I saw a lot of them here this past week," one disciple commented, glancing at Ning.

  "Yeah, it makes me nostalgic. I remember how confused I was back then; the library was too big, and there were too many martial arts, but we could only choose one. Ironic, isn't it?"

  "Haha, I know, right? When I first came, I was overwhelmed. It took me three days just to pick a martial art that suited me."

  "Three days? That's fast! It took me a whole week to find something called the Heaven Bursting Fist Technique. When I finally got it, I realized it was just a basic fist art. I almost slammed it to the floor out of frustration."

  "Three days? A week? You're lucky. I heard there was a disciple who took the Sun Flower Technique."

  "Sun Flower Technique?"

  "It is one of the most powerful techniques in the sect, but to practice it, one has to cut their *root*. The disciple was lured in by the promise of one of the strongest martial arts, only to find the prerequisite for this technique on the last page."

  For a while, no one spoke. Truly, that was pitiful.

  "So, did the disciple learn that art?" Someone couldn't help but ask.

  "That's the part that surprised me the most when I first heard it. That disciple did it, and even managed to reach Foundation Building."

  Once again, everyone was silent. But their face showed respect. How unimaginable ones dao heart must be to do such a thing.

  ...

  Meanwhile, Ning continued his own browsing, ignoring titles like Heavenly Body Art, Hundred Tribulation Physique, and the like, until he finally came across the one.

  [Jade Skin and Icy Meridians]

  Temper the body like jade, hard yet pure. Channel icy currents through the meridians, not to harm but to refine. Refine the flesh, temper the meridians, and attain a body of jade and frost.

  It can be practiced up to the Foundation Building stage.

  Price: 5,000 spirit stones.

  "Finally found it," Ning murmured.

  Before coming to the Scripture Pavilion, he had already discussed with Fang Zhu, Wei Zhusang, and others with connections. After much comparison, this technique stood out.

  It strengthened the meridians far beyond ordinary methods, could be practiced throughout the Qi Condensation stage, and, most conveniently, the required resources could be cultivated right on his own farm.

  All of that made it far more suitable than those brute-force techniques focused on blood and muscle enhancement.

  "Welp! That took a while," he muttered, stretching. "Since I've still got time, let's check out a few martial arts."

  For the next several minutes, Ning wandered between shelves, glancing at scrolls and manuals, broadening his horizons, until his eyes landed on a peculiar title.

  The Turtle Breathing Art.

  ...

  Thanks for reading~