Chapter 362 - 192: Borrowing Books (Part 1)

Without new and sufficient Low-Tier Cultivation Techniques, Jiang Che couldn’t "farm" the vast number of basic Talents he required.

He was unable to provide the "nutrients" for his Core Talent’s evolution!

Although, with his current Top-Grade Root Bone,

even if he just cultivated normally, his speed was far beyond that of any ordinary genius.

However, his most powerful and core trump card—the path of infinitely evolving his Talents by Stacking Passives—

had now hit a roadblock!

This made Jiang Che feel anxious and frustrated.

He sat in his quiet room, his brow tightly furrowed.

’I must... find more Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts Secret Manuals!’

’But... where can I find them?’

He pondered for a moment and suddenly had an idea.

Once he had a thought, he acted on it.

He immediately rose, left his courtyard, and walked out of the Sect’s main gate.

Profound Sound Sect.

The Sect was situated on a beautiful mountain peak south of Cangzhou Prefecture City.

In stark contrast to the towering, precipitous, and imposing presence of the Cangyun Sect,

this place was far more serene and elegant, a place of natural beauty that nurtured talent.

Its main gate wasn’t carved from a single giant boulder like the Cangyun Sect’s.

Instead, it was an exquisite memorial archway, dozens of feet high and carved entirely from White Jade. It was adorned with auspicious images of Immortals playing zithers and goddesses playing flutes, fully displaying the refined elegance of a music-based sect.

As the mountain breeze swept by, one could faintly hear the melodious notes of a zither from deep within the forest, harmonizing with the gurgle of a stream. The very air seemed to float with a light, elegant fragrance that was utterly refreshing.

After leaving his Sect, Jiang Che had come straight here.

He walked slowly to the reception area at the main gate and presented a formal calling card indicating his status as the Chief Disciple of the Cangyun Sect.

The female disciple guarding the gate took the card. When she saw the words "Chief Jiang Che of Yunhai Courtyard," she first froze. Then, her delicate eyes widened, her face instantly filling with shock and awe.

Jiang Che’s current status was a world apart from what it once was.

This was especially true after the earth-shattering Young Alliance Leader selection tournament. He had risen meteorically as a dark horse and fought the second-ranked expert on the Hidden Dragon List, Qin Wuya, to a draw. That tale had since spread throughout Cangzhou Prefecture, becoming a legend that all young Martial Artists loved to recount.

The person before her was that very legendary figure!

How could the disciple dare to show the slightest neglect? She hurriedly bowed respectfully and welcomed him in. "Chief Jiang, we are honored by your presence. Please forgive me for not greeting you sooner. Please, follow me!"

After crossing several White Jade arch bridges and winding past a bamboo forest that rustled in the wind, Jiang Che saw a familiar figure on a wide Martial Arts Arena.

Xiao Qingge was still dressed in her fiery red martial attire, which made her skin seem as white as snow and gave her a valiant and heroic air.

She was holding her signature large Suona and was saying something to a few of her junior sisters.

"Watch carefully! This is how you use your Strength! Let your Qi follow your will, and your will merge with the sound!" she shouted, then took a deep breath and brought the Suona to her lips.

"DEE!!!"

A high-pitched, piercing note from the Suona suddenly exploded forth!

A visible, crimson sound wave shot out like an arrow released from a bow, viciously slamming into a hard Trial Stone!

With a dull THUD, the Trial Stone—durable enough to withstand a full-power blow from an ordinary Refining Organ Realm Martial Artist—shattered on impact, dissolving into a cloud of dust!

Meanwhile, her junior sisters beside her tried to copy her, channeling sound waves with their Jade Flutes and Pipas, but they could only make another Trial Stone tremble slightly. The difference in their skill was immediately obvious.

When she saw Jiang Che approaching, her eyes lit up. She casually hoisted the heavy Profound Iron Suona onto her shoulder and strode over to meet him, kicking up a gust of wind.

"You kid, you finally decided to come down from that rundown mountain of your Yunhai Courtyard!" She clapped Jiang Che hard on the shoulder with enough force to make an ordinary Refining Organ Realm Martial Artist stumble. "What’s up? Did you finally come to your senses and decide to have me introduce you to some of our pretty junior sisters from the Profound Sound Sect?"

Jiang Che shook his head with a wry smile and cupped his fist. "Senior Sister Xiao, you jest. I’ve come today to ask for a favor."

"Oh?" Xiao Qingge raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "What is it? Let’s hear it. As long as you’re not asking to borrow money, anything is negotiable!"

Jiang Che didn’t beat around the bush. His expression turned serious as he said in a deep voice, "I would like to borrow some of the Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts Secret Manuals from your esteemed Sect’s Scripture Pavilion."

"Qi Blood Realm manuals?" Xiao Qingge froze upon hearing this, her bright eyes filled with astonishment and confusion. "Are you kidding me? A grandmaster at the Peak of the Refining Organ Realm, who’s already started Refining his Spirit, came all this way just to look at stuff that only Entry Level disciples practice?"

She looked Jiang Che up and down, as if trying to read some hidden meaning on his face.

Jiang Che had already prepared his excuse. A profound and mysterious smile appeared on his face as he slowly explained, "On the path of the Martial Dao, a great tower is built from the ground up. I recently had an epiphany and feel that my foundation still has some flaws. Therefore, I wish to draw from the strengths of many schools and achieve a new understanding, to find that sliver of opportunity to reach a higher Realm within the most basic Qi Blood Realm martial arts."

These words were exceedingly profound, filled with the philosophy of the Martial Dao, and they immediately baffled the straightforward Xiao Qingge.

She nodded, only half-understanding. Although she still found it strange, the thought of Jiang Che’s monstrous strength and Comprehension made her think that perhaps this was the difference between a genius and a Mortal.

"Alright, alright, the way you geniuses think is just different from the rest of us." She waved her hand dismissively, then frowned. "However, according to the rules, outsiders are absolutely forbidden from entering our Sect’s Scripture Pavilion. This matter... is a bit difficult."

Jiang Che’s heart tightened.

But then, Xiao Qingge’s eyes darted about before she broke into a wide grin, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth. She nudged Jiang Che with her elbow and lowered her voice. "Of course, it’s impossible for an ordinary person. But, hey, who told you to be a friend of mine, Xiao Qingge! A small matter like this, I’ll take care of it for you!"

She patted her chest, looking like she was taking full responsibility. Then, she raised a finger and wagged it in front of Jiang Che, her tone carrying a hint of slyness. "But let me be clear upfront, I’m not helping for free. First, you’re limited to Qi Blood Realm manuals only. Don’t even think about anything higher! And second... you kid, you remember that you owe me a favor! If I ever run into trouble in the future, you can’t just stand by and do nothing!"

Seeing that the matter was settled, Jiang Che was overjoyed. He immediately nodded solemnly and cupped his fist. "Don’t worry, Senior Sister Xiao! I, Jiang Che, will definitely remember this favor!"

"That’s more like it!"

Xiao Qingge nodded in satisfaction. Then, in her usual impetuous manner, she grabbed Jiang Che and dragged him off to find the Elder in charge of the Scripture Pavilion to handle the formalities.

After some trouble, relying on her status as the Chief Disciple of the Profound Sound Sect and her skills of persuasion and persistence, she finally managed to get Jiang Che a Token that granted him temporary access to the Scripture Pavilion.