Chapter Fifty-Three: Gains and Hidden Dangers

Within the Hall of Transmission, a spatial formation seemed to be at work, for the interior was unexpectedly vaster than it appeared from outside. The first floor of the hall was divided into an outer and an inner ring. The outer ring was lined with manuals of cultivation methods, while the inner ring was reserved for secret techniques and spells.

The outer ring itself was further segmented into seven colored zones: zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, alchemy, talisman, and formation. Of these, the sections for talisman and formation contained the fewest manuals—only a handful of shelves.

As for the inner ring, the arrangement of books was far more haphazard. After all, one typically cultivated only a single core method, but could learn many secret arts and spells. Thus, the number and variety of secret techniques far surpassed that of cultivation methods, with such diversity that any attempt at categorization proved futile.

Liang Yan, already in possession of "The Vagabond Technique" and the "Method of Heart Unanchored by Desire," spared not a glance for the outer ring and instead made straight for the inner circle, intent on finding a secret sword art.

Time slipped by, and before long, more than half an hour had passed.

He stood behind a black bookshelf, his expression a mixture of skepticism and disbelief as he flipped through the last few volumes.

Soon, with a crisp snap, he closed the final tome.

“How can it be? In this vast Hall of Transmission, not a single secret art for sword cultivation!”

With the allotted time nearly spent and having gained nothing, anxiety gnawed at him. Yet Liang Yan was not one to hesitate or lose his head. After a brief internal debate, he forced himself to remain calm.

“No matter. I can’t leave empty-handed—I’ll just pick two volumes at random.”

Resolving thus, he retraced his steps to two places he’d already searched, retrieving a book with a gray cover and a yellow bamboo scroll. The covers bore the titles "Dragon-Seeking Formula" and "Thunder-Crafting Technique," respectively.

Carrying the two works to the entrance, he was met by Li San, who glanced at them and asked, “Are you sure of your choices?”

Liang Yan nodded, but could not help but ask, “Senior Brother, is there truly no secret sword art within the Hall of Transmission?”

“Of course there is,” Li San replied. “You just can’t access it.”

“Oh?” Liang Yan’s heart stirred. “Why is that?”

Li San regarded him for a moment, a subtle smile on his lips. “The way of the sword is a great and ancient power. How could such secrets be left on the first floor? At the very least, you’d need to visit the second floor or higher.”

“I see!” Liang Yan exclaimed in sudden understanding. “Then I—”

“Don’t even think about it!” Li San cut him off before he could finish. “The Hall of Transmission has three levels; only the first is open to all disciples. To ascend to the second, one must be an inner disciple or have reached the Foundation Establishment stage. The third floor contains our sect’s most guarded secrets—one can only hope to glimpse it by earning enough contribution points, rendering great service to the sect, or becoming a Guardian Elder.”

Liang Yan sighed inwardly after hearing this, thinking to himself, “It seems the time has not yet come.”

He quickly composed himself and bowed to Li San. “Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. I have made my decision; I’ll take these two secret arts.”

Seeing Liang Yan’s resolve, Li San said no more. He produced two rolls of parchment, transcribed the contents of the chosen techniques, and handed the copies to Liang Yan, saying, “These are duplicates of the two secret arts. You may study them for ten days, after which they will self-destruct. But first, you must swear a heart-demon oath here in the hall: you must never transmit these secrets to others without the sect’s permission, or you will be punished according to the rules.”

Liang Yan did as instructed, swearing the oath, then departed from the mountain with the two copies in hand.

That night, inside the humble hut of the formation-disciples.

Liang Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, surrounded by numerous artifacts, each radiating spiritual energy—clearly not mundane objects.

The recent journey to Yongle Town had been perilous, but ultimately not life-threatening. In fact, after eliminating seven hostile rogue cultivators that plagued the town, he’d managed to acquire a considerable haul of “ill-gotten gains.”

The magical treasures before him were spoils taken from those seven foes.

“Pity that a cultivator at the Qi Refinement stage has such limited spiritual sense,” Liang Yan murmured. “Most can only control one or two treasures at once. Although my ‘Method of Heart Unanchored by Desire’ grants me somewhat stronger awareness, I can only manage three at a time.”

Thus, though he had many treasures, he could not wield them all. Adhering to a principle of quality over quantity, he carefully selected three: the octagonal compass from the mysterious “Number One,” Feng Kun’s red wooden box, and the obsidian shield from “Number Two.”

The octagonal compass, origin of the most enigmatic foe, had already proven invaluable in detecting danger within the haunted mine. For this reason, Liang Yan had borrowed the "Dragon-Seeking Formula" from the Hall of Transmission, which, though devoted to geomancy, contained detailed usage notes for various compass-type artifacts—knowledge he sorely needed.

The red wooden box, meanwhile, housed a set of flying needles called the Scarlet Pine Needles. Feng Kun’s storage pouch had also yielded a manual, "Scarlet Pine Needle Formula," detailing their refinement and control.

According to the manual, the Scarlet Pine Needles were crafted from the divine Scarlet Pine of the cultivation world, imbued with fiery power at their tips, capable of explosive force—ideal for ambush. Had Liang Yan not subdued the twin ghosts with the "Spirit-Commanding Method" and caught them off guard, Feng Kun’s use of the needles might have spelled disaster.

The final item, the obsidian shield, was a defensive artifact whose strength Liang Yan had already witnessed. This shield required no special rituals—merely erasing the previous owner’s spiritual mark and infusing it with his own spiritual power would suffice.

Satisfied with his choices, Liang Yan stowed the remaining treasures in his storage pouch, intending to trade them for spirit stones at future gatherings.

He then drew out a purple-gold glass lamp—the Buddhist treasure he had intercepted during the chaos sown by the Blood Berserker. As it appeared, the room was bathed in golden light and Liang Yan felt a sense of solemnity and awe settle upon him.

“Of all I gained in Yongle Town, this lamp is surely the greatest prize,” Liang Yan murmured, gazing at the treasure. “It can suppress the Blood Berserker and is at least of the magical artifact class. Pity I lack the cultivation to wield it for now—perhaps in the future.” With a regretful sigh, he returned it to his pouch.

Having sorted all his possessions, Liang Yan counted his spirit stones. Including those previously owned, the sect’s recent reward, and his share of spoils with Tang Diexian, he now possessed over a thousand—a considerable fortune at his stage.

At the thought of Tang Diexian, a wave of melancholy washed over him. He had expected to see her soon after waking, yet an entire day had passed without a glimpse.

“Perhaps she has other matters,” he thought wryly. “To her, I am but a lowly junior from the labor division.”

He gave a self-deprecating smile—then, suddenly, his brow twitched. Was it an illusion? He sensed the red light cluster lurking within his body stir faintly.

He dared not be careless. Entering meditation, he inspected himself with spiritual sense and was alarmed by what he found.

The golden barrier encasing the red light cluster had thinned noticeably, and the cluster itself had shifted upward, edging toward the perimeter of the Twin Fish Duality Array.

“This is troublesome,” Liang Yan muttered. “Though there’s no immediate danger, this hidden threat could erupt in time.”

After a moment’s thought, he drew out a parchment on which the "Thunder-Crafting Technique" was recorded.

His reasons for choosing this art were well considered. The Blood Berserker’s cultivation was rooted in the sinister arts of the blood path, and thunder magic was renowned as their bane. Thus, Liang Yan had selected this technique with the hope of countering the red light within him.

Moreover, his "Vagabond Technique" was preeminent among body refinement methods, its "Eight Aspects" containing supreme secrets of physical cultivation. The "Method of Heart Unanchored by Desire," on the other hand, was a Confucian art for nourishing spirit and qi, its strength lying in “commanding spirits and dispelling illusions.” Neither, however, specialized in spellcraft or magical attacks.

At his current stage, he could easily be outmatched by enemies skilled in long-range spell assaults. Acquiring the thunder-crafting art would help redress this weakness, adding an unpredictable weapon to his arsenal.

According to the book’s preface, the technique had four stages: Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, Integration, and Enlightenment. Even at the first, one could emit thunderous energy from the fingertips—a forceful attack for the Qi Refinement stage. At the highest, one could summon divine thunder and refine it as one’s own.

Steadying his heart, Liang Yan began cultivation of the "Thunder-Crafting Technique" within his humble hut…