North District.
Bubai ascended the staircase to knowledge, each step echoing a crisp tap even under his worn shoes, until he stood before the imposing, ivory double doors.
Behind these doors is the favorite place of authors. If his life was a story, this would be the magical medium chosen for info dumping...
“Hey, hopefully this place will be as magical as I imagined...”
Bubai's hand made contact with the cool surface and exerted some measure of strength before he managed to coax the heavy doors to yield, revealing a slender gap.
Stepping into the room beyond, Bubai immediately found himself enveloped in the grandeur of an entrance hall.
The space was bathed in the gentle glow emanating from luminous stones scattered across the ceiling like constellations.
On either side of the entrance, regal staircases ascended to a second-floor mezzanine, guarded by an ornate indoor railing.
Flanking the hall were four corridors, two extending forward into the depths of the building, with one on each side leading left and right.
In the heart of the space, positioned between the two forward corridors, sat an ornate, obscure glass desk – its clean surface remained bare, save for a golden hourglass, its grains of sand leisurely making their descent.
Behind the desk hosted an elderly lady in a wooden rocking chair. Her face, etched with the lines of time, rested peacefully with eyes closed, and her head gently bobbed as if lost in a slumber-induced rhythm.
Oh my, this was a truly uncommon sight within the grounds of the dual cultivation sect.
During his tour and while wandering through the sect, he had seen plenty of young and mature beauties, but he rarely encountered any middle-aged women, let alone elderly ones.
In fact, it was rather intuitive that there was no elderly amongst the female population in the sect.
Considering the peculiarities of a dual cultivation sect, such scarcity seemed “normal”.
Yet, here she was... an elderly lady out of the norm. Bubai wasn’t sure if there were any other elderly woman in the sect, but...
Since this old woman managed to survive and thrive here till this age, she was definitely not simple.
While a hint of surprise flitted across his mind, Bubai still maintained a composed expression.
Scanning the vicinity, he observed a notable absence of books strewn about, defying the typical expectation of a library setting.
Well, they were probably housed down those corridors and upstairs.
Although the temptation to explore on his own tugged at him, caution prevailed.
Knowledge was priceless. Only a fool would believe it is left unprotected.
In this world of cultivation, unknown restrictions could lurk at any location, and it was wiser to tread carefully, especially within the confines of an important sect location such as this one.
Approaching the desk, Bubai stopped before it, a veil of quiet anticipation enveloping him.
Drawing from his extensive novel-reading experience, he understood the importance of approaching such situations with utmost respect.
Rather than risk offending a powerful figure by prematurely disturbing their rest, he was fully prepared to wait patiently, even if it meant dedicating an entire day to this respectful posture...
After what felt like an eternity, the old lady finally began to rouse from her slumber. Her beady eyes squinted open, surveying Bubai with a discerning gaze. “Hum, yes, yes, what a patient young man. I haven’t seen you around before. A new disciple?”
“Disciple Mo Bubai greets elder sister,” Bubai bowed slightly to pay his respects.
“Fufu, what a sweet mouth.” The elderly woman let out a soft laugh, raising one of her wrinkled, frail hand to delicately pat the bun atop her glossy, silver gray hair. “But this old lady knows herself, there is no need for sophistry. Young Bubai, you can call me Shu Po Po.”
Bubai nodded, a warm smile playing on his lips as he addressed her with a sweetness befitting the moment. “Shu Po Po.”
“Good. Good. It’s always good to see a fresh face around here. If there are any specific book or information you are looking for, feel free to ask me. There’s no stone in this pavilion this old lady doesn’t know.”
“Then, junior Bubai will not be polite.” Bubai allowed himself a moment of contemplation, sifting through his thoughts to carefully organize his words.
“Yes, yes, ask away, young Bubai. Though this old lady is endorsed by the sands of time, my memory is still not faulty.” Granny Shu, her face donning a gentle smile, closed her eyes and sat back, relaxing in the rhythmic motion of her rocking chair as she waited.
Bubai thought about it for a bit longer...
Soon, he determined his objectives for the day, “Shu Po Po, I would like to ask where the Foundation Establishment knowledge is located.”
“Hum, yes,” Granny Shu's head bobbed, seemingly anticipating his decisions, “That is what most young ones like you come here for after joining the inner sect. Hmm… for a general overview of the available methods, you can look in room 3 of Section C.”
Bubai nodded, committing the location to memory.
Granny Shu opened one of her eyes slightly and reminded, “Just use your token to enter. Feel free to read these. Once you find one you are interested in, you can come let this old lady know and this old lady will retrieve the full version for you. Remember young Bubai, until you can accumulate more contribution points, you can only choose one, so choose wisely.”
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Bubai cupped his fists in a respectful salute. “Bubai thanks Shu Po Po for her advice and assistance.”
“Hum, go on now, young Bubai. Take your time, you may stay as long as you want as this place is open all night.” Satisfied, Granny Shu closed her eyes once more, returning to the silent sway of her rocking chair.
Bubai silently bid farewell with another courteous salute, his gaze sweeping across the layout of four corridors.
Section C, labeled discreetly, beckoned from the right corridor situated behind Granny Shu's desk.
With deliberately hushed steps, Bubai made his way towards the designated passage.
Yet, an odd feeling enveloped him as he traversed the hall. His keen ears, attuned to the subtlest sounds, detected the faint echoes of his own soft footsteps, resonating through the space.
What struck Bubai as peculiar, however, was the conspicuous absence of any creaking emanating from Granny Shu's rocking chair...
Despite the strangeness, he chose not to dwell on the matter.
The mysterious demeanor of the old lady cautioned him against unnecessary probing. Though seemingly kind, Granny Shu wasn't someone he could approach proactively.
Ask when necessary. As for other relationships, it was better to let things take its natural course.
Heading down the corridor, Bubai's eyes scanned the doors that lined both sides. Each room stood at a respectable distance from the other, sealed by doors akin to the one safeguarding his own tower.
Spotting Room 3, Bubai focused on the key slot by its entrance.
Removing his inner sect token from his waist, he carefully inserted it into the slot.
The door immediately responded with a rumble, slowly opening…
The widening gap immediately revealed the white marble-like bookshelves lining the room.
Yet, these shelves lacked the expected collection of books, a stark contrast to the conventional, modern libraries of his previous life. Instead, they hosted small, evenly spaced stands, each cradling a green jade slip and an accompanying scroll.
Retrieving his token, Bubai crossed the threshold, entering the room defined by medium-sized dimensions.
Glancing around, Bubai couldn't resist a muttered commentary, “Are all these Foundation Establishment methods collected by the sect? As I suspected… the foundation of a big sect is deep.”
Bubai then turned his focus to the end of the aisles, strolling over, “Well, let’s start searching from this end.”
Arriving at aisle one, Bubai zeroed in on the label of the first stand, discovering the technique's name, “Sun Furnace Snake Art…”
Picking up the scroll and partially unrolling it, Bubai delved into the general description…
“Sun Furnace Snake Art, the higher-graded version of the Sun Furnace Carp Method. If a furnace harbored ambitions to subvert their owner, this would be the ideal cultivation method to choose! Escape the plundering of your owner and even establish a Yin Yang Fire foundation!”
“After establishing a foundation, this method allowed cultivators to plunder not only cultivation but also vitality and blood essence. There is also potential for rapid growth and ease of recovery...”
“A Yin Yang Fire foundation heightens the cultivator’s affinity with spells and techniques rooted in the attributes of fire. The balance of Yin and Yang naturally enhanced the effects of dual cultivation techniques…”
“Techniques with high compatibility...”
Towards the end, there were extra commentaries regarding the method, with one particularly standing out: “This is a well-established cultivation method of the Sun Furnace Sect and it has a follow-up method that has the possibility of breaking through to Golden Core!”
Bubai stared at the fully unrolled scroll… but there were no more explicit details regarding the Golden Core method.
As expected... It was just a hint to whet the reader’s appetite, tempting them to choose this method.
Alas, for him, this method was tasteless, especially when he suspected that there was most likely a higher-tier version. The implication was clear – the user of this method still couldn't evade the risk of being plundered.
Well, he wasn’t going to be plundered regardless...
With a deft motion, Bubai rolled up the scroll neatly, placing it back onto the shelf.
His attention then shifted to the jade slip and picked it up with some curiosity. Drawing upon a strand of Qi, he channeled it into his hand before directing it into the slip…
When the jade slip initiated, an unexpected fragment of memory unfolded in Bubai's mind.
It depicted a soundless scene of explicit nature, where an aged and wrinkled man engaged in intimate activities with a young and beautiful woman!
Soon, the encounter concluded and the man's aged exterior underwent a visible transformation, rapidly rejuvenating into youth. Meanwhile, the once-beautiful woman was left as a hollow, lifeless shell!
As the visual faded from his mind, Bubai's lips involuntarily twitched.
As expected of a dual cultivation sect... there are no boundaries or limitations even when it came to a sacred pursuit such as learning.
Bubai returned the jade slip to the stand and swept his gaze over the nearby stands, scrutinizing the names with a discernible frown. “This place is not organized alphabetically.”
Merlin's beard... it seems he will have to look through these one by one.
Gazing back at the room, similar in size to a medium living room space, an exasperated sigh leaked from Bubai. “It seems this isn’t something that can be done in one day, even if I skip over some of them.”
Alas, this endeavor was critical for his cultivation. So, he could only resign himself to investing the necessary time.
“Well, let’s make the most of the remaining hours today,” Bubai plunged into a reading frenzy.
Strolling down the aisle, Bubai browsed the assortment of cultivation techniques, focusing on the ones that piqued his interest.
To conserve Qi, he would first consult the scroll to gain a preliminary understanding, and delve into the jade slip to examine the essence of the method only if the content on the scroll confirmed his interest.
In the midst of his exploration, Bubai encountered some cultivation techniques that genuinely intrigued him.
For example, the Sun Furnace Peacock Art, the female version equivalent to the Sun Furnace Snake Art. Perhaps WeiWei now had this method in her hands. Of course, it's unknown whether she would choose to use it over her own mysterious methods.
Aside from this, among the plethora of cultivation techniques, some resonated with familiarity, triggering echoes within Bubai's memories.
“The Shadow Sun Doll Art: Refining humans into flesh puppets, controlling them to do your bidding and fight your enemies. Establish a Yin Yang Metal foundation to enhance the cultivator's ability to control a greater number of puppets and elevate the strength threshold of refinement targets. The limits is that it is difficult to raise the strength of the refined puppet.”
Hei Hua Lou was probably established based off this method.
“The Water of Desires Art: Refine desires into water and drown enemies in desire, melting their desires and blood essence into a part of the cultivator’s strength. Establish a Yin Yang Water foundation to transform the water into a pond or lake under one’s control. Follow-up method can even spawn a sea to wipe enemies.”
Probably the prerequisite of Golden Core Elder Ma’s cultivation method.
Amidst the known and familiar, there were many more interesting methods he didn’t recognize.
But as the awareness of time's passage settled in, Bubai made the decision to depart from the room, despite not being even halfway done.
He didn’t want to miss out on his order of food and starve his women. Plus, there was another important matter that he must ask for… he just hopes it won’t cost too much.
Pausing before the slumbering Granny Shu once more, Bubai shuffled in place hesitantly. Is this old granny really the right person to ask?
But, Granny Shu did claim to possess knowledge of all the techniques housed within these walls. With her knowledge bank, she should know, right?
Within his momentary uncertainty, Granny Shu's eyes fluttered open before he could chicken out. “What’s wrong, young Bubai? Did you find one you want so quickly?”
“Uh no, Shu Po Po…” Bubai stood his ground, seeking the right words.
“Oh, then what is it? There’s no need to hesitate. Just ask away.” Granny Shu had a soft smile, patiently rocking in her chair.
“Er… then, Disciple Bubai will be impolite…” Bubai took a deep breath, summoning his courage before he whispered, “May I ask, is there a contraception technique here?”
The smile on Granny Shu’s face stiffened.