Chapter 112: Chapter 92: Armory

Chen Qing’s gaze swept over the crowd, and he quickly found Luo Xinyi, who stood out like a crane among chickens.

She was currently surrounded by several young, handsome junior brothers, a rare and radiant smile on her face as she shared some amusing story, causing them to burst into laughter.

The junior brothers had fair skin and exquisite clothes; they were clearly in Luo Xinyi’s good graces.

Without hesitating, Chen Qing walked straight through the crowd to Luo Xinyi. He ignored the slightly displeased looks from the junior brothers whose conversation he had interrupted and cupped his hands. “Senior Sister Luo, my apologies for the interruption.”

Interrupted mid-conversation, Luo Xinyi’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. “Oh, it’s you, Junior Brother Chen. What is it?”

“Senior Sister, I have ignited my Fire Seed and reached Great Success in the Transmutation Force Realm. I am here to request the first layer of the Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique’s Heart Method.”

Chen Qing’s tone was calm, neither servile nor arrogant.

“Oh?”

Luo Xinyi was somewhat surprised. She looked Chen Qing up and down a few times.

She remembered this junior brother had a mediocre Root Bone and a humble background. Their master had only reluctantly accepted him because of his generous offerings.

’How long has it been?’

’He’s already ignited his Fire Seed and reached Great Success in Transmutation Force Realm?’

’While not an earth-shattering pace, it’s much faster than I predicted. It’s nothing like what someone with a Four Forms Root Bone should be able to achieve.’

After a moment of thought, she said, “Hm, not bad. Maintain this drive and keep up the good work.”

She paused for a moment. “The subsequent parts of the Heart Method are all stored in the Sect’s Tingchao Armory. You can use your Wooden Token to go there and copy it yourself. Remember that you must register with the Stewards inside to receive the Heart Method. That’s the rule. In the future, if you want any other Cultivation Techniques or Martial Arts, you’ll need to go there and follow the proper procedures.”

“The Tingchao Armory?”

Chen Qing committed the name to memory and cupped his hands again. “Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. I understand.”

He’d been worried about his lack of knowledge regarding the Wutai Sect’s inner workings. This was a perfect opportunity to visit the Tingchao Armory. While he was there, he could also look into the Infinite Demon Sect.

Luo Xinyi nodded, her gaze already returning to the junior brothers who were surrounding her with eager smiles. Her interest in their conversation had clearly returned.

She waved her hand dismissively, indicating that Chen Qing could leave.

Chen Qing gave a final salute by cupping his hands, then left the Cyan Wood Institute and headed for the Tingchao Armory.

The Tingchao Armory was located on Lake Heart Island in the middle of Dingbo Lake. It was considered a Holy Land within the Wutai Sect.

Amid the vast, misty waves, Lake Heart Island looked like a pearl set upon a jade plate.

At the ferry dock leading to the island, specially-made, black-canopied skiffs were moored. Disciples could row themselves across.

As the boat glided across the water, Chen Qing gazed at the island, which slowly grew clearer in the distance.

The island had a peculiar shape. It wasn’t a natural, towering mountain peak; its edges were steep and covered with moss and hardy aquatic plants.

The architecture on the island was ancient and imposing, mostly constructed from massive, dark stones. The upturned eaves and complex brackets exuded a sense of majesty weathered by time.

The highest point was occupied by a structure resembling an ancient pagoda—the Tingchao Armory.

Adjacent to it were several smaller but equally impressive halls, as well as the Law Enforcement Hall and the Treasure Tower.

The Law Enforcement Hall, needless to say, was the department responsible for the Wutai Sect’s internal discipline and punishments.

The Treasure Tower, which housed the Wutai Sect’s most valuable treasures, was even more precious.

The security on the island was visibly tighter. The disciples moving about had profound auras, and there was no shortage of experts at the Embracing Pill Force Realm—a rare sight in other parts of the Wutai Sect.

’This place truly stands apart from the Five Institutes,’ Chen Qing thought. ’It is the true heart of the Sect.’

After disembarking on the island, Chen Qing composed his Heart and Spirit and followed the signs and guards’ directions straight toward the imposing tower: the Tingchao Armory.

The Armory’s entrance was not extravagant; two massive bronze doors stood half-open.

Two Stewards stood at the entrance. They inspected Chen Qing’s Wooden Token before permitting him to cross the threshold.

The Steward on the left said flatly, “It costs one hundred taels of silver for one hour inside the Armory. The Cultivation Techniques must be Imprinted to be opened, but you may freely browse the miscellaneous notes, secret records, and other manuals.”

’One hundred taels of silver for a single hour!?’

Chen Qing cupped his hands. “I understand.”

Everyone in the Jianghu knew that the place housing a Sect’s Martial Arts inheritance was its very lifeblood, more important than a mountain.

Three Elders were said to guard the Tingchao Armory. Their strength was rumored to be unfathomable; they were the Stabilizing Needle protecting this place.

Chen Qing steadied himself and began to survey the interior of the Tingchao Armory.

The Armory had four floors in total. The Fourth Layer was a restricted area, inaccessible without the Sect Leader Token.

The first floor was vast, with rows of heavy ironwood shelves lined up neatly. They were filled with a large number of Booklets, bamboo slips, and Parchment Scrolls, all sorted by category.

The air was filled with the scent of old paper, ink, and the faint aroma of moth-repelling herbs.

A cursory glance revealed they were mostly primers on Martial Arts, books of common knowledge, and local chronicles, such as Basic Boxing Theory, Meridian Atlas, Hundred Weapons Chart, and Yunlin Prefecture Chronicles. There were also common External Hard Skills like Iron Palm, Fierce Bull Force, and Twelve-Road Tan Tui.

Many disciples in Outer Courtyard attire were browsing and copying texts here. Most of them were at the Manifest Force or Dark Force Realm.

He ascended the stairs to the second floor.

There were noticeably fewer books here, but their quality was higher.

The shelves were now made of a more valuable wood, Sandalwood.

The book covers were more exquisite as well, with most titles hot-stamped in gold foil. Chen Qing saw titles like Golden Bell Shield, Essence of Iron Cloth Shirt, Tendon-Separating Bone-Dislocating Hand, Five Tigers Breaking Gate Saber Manual, and Wind Chasing Step.

These were all complete sets of well-known Mid to Lower Grade Martial Arts from the Jianghu, each one sufficient to form the foundation of a small- to medium-sized clan or faction.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Qing stepped onto the staircase leading to the third floor.

The layout of the third floor was different from the ones below. It was divided into five distinct sections, corresponding to the Geng Metal, Cyan Wood, Gui Water, Li Fire, and Kun Earth Institutes.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep