Chapter 26 Inside the Dao Repository Hall

The morning sun had just risen, its winter light shining over the entire Black-White College.

Whoosh.

Riding a leaf boat, Ji Ning was flying through the air. Soon he saw below him a majestic hall, one that was no less important than the Black-White Diagram within the college—the Dao Repository Hall! Disciples of the Black-White College came here to learn top-tier techniques, divine abilities, and spells.

“Tsk tsk.” A burly man in ornate armor sat by a stone table, holding an exquisite wine cup and savoring the liquor.

Ji Ning descended.

“Greetings, Uncle-Master,” Ji Ning said respectfully.

“Mm.” The burly man glanced at Ji Ning. “You’re the new disciple, Ji Ning?”

“Yes,” Ji Ning replied.

This burly man was the hall guardian, typically a Dao-companion at the Primordial Soul level.

“Here are six thousand Black-White Pills.” The burly man flipped his hand, producing a black jade bottle, and tossed it over.

Ji Ning caught it and sent his elemental energy inside. The bottle was densely packed with pills, each black and white.

“This is a hundred catties of liquid elemental essence. Third-generation disciples receive a quota of a hundred catties every ten years.” The burly man tossed another jade bottle to Ji Ning. “Alright, you’ve received your Black-White Pills and liquid essence. You may enter.”

Two jade bottles—one black, one emerald green.

They held six thousand Black-White Pills and a hundred catties of condensed liquid elemental essence, respectively.

“As expected of the Black-White College,” Ji Ning marveled. “A third-generation disciple like me, just newly joined, gets a hundred catties every ten years. That’s a thousand catties in a century! An ordinary Earth-ranked magic treasure costs about a hundred catties of liquid essence, while a typical Heaven-ranked treasure costs ten thousand catties.”

A third-generation disciple’s century-long quota of liquid essence from the Black-White College was enough to exchange for a Heaven-ranked magic treasure. Of course, no one would be foolish enough to hoard it; liquid essence was used to enhance strength, to avoid wasting time absorbing natural energy.

“Thank you, Uncle-Master.” Ji Ning immediately stepped into the Dao Repository Hall.

…

The Dao Repository Hall had three floors.

As soon as Ji Ning entered the first floor, he felt as if he had stepped into a sea of books. Row upon row of massive bookshelves held countless books. With a single glance, Ji Ning could tell there were over a million volumes. On the side of the largest bookshelf against the wall was a huge character—'Dharma'!

“Dharma!” Ji Ning murmured to himself. “The Dao Repository Hall has three floors. The first is for Dharma, the second for Arts, and the third for Miscellany.”

Dharma referred to cultivation methods, such as Qi Refining and Divine Body Refining techniques.

Arts referred to immortal and demonic secret arts—special techniques of application, such as divine abilities for gods, sword arts for sword immortals, forbidden arts for desperate use, escape arts… all techniques of application fell under Arts.

Miscellany covered everything not in the first two categories, such as puppetry, formations, insect breeding, magic treasure forging, alchemy, poison use…

“Master said I must exchange for the first volume of 'Three-Foot Sword' and a Celestial-ranked Qi Refining method.” Ji Ning hesitated no longer and immediately began searching the first floor of the Dao Repository Hall.

Qi Refining methods were divided into four ranks: Celestial, Heaven, Earth, and Mortal.

Celestial-ranked methods could cultivate one all the way to the Celestial Immortal level.

“Directly pointing to Celestial Immortal?” Ji Ning sighed inwardly. “Although Celestial-ranked Qi Refining methods lead to Celestial Immortal, in the history of the Black-White College, only one Celestial Immortal has emerged. Even a figure as extraordinary as the Northern Traveler Immortal failed to become a Celestial Immortal. The path to Celestial Immortal is indeed fraught with tribulations, as Judge Cui said.”

Ji Ning searched carefully.

Soon, at the deepest part of the first floor, he found a black wooden table on which twenty-eight golden books were laid out in a row. The side of the table was carved with a character—'Celestial'!

“Celestial-ranked Qi Refining methods?” Ji Ning picked up a golden book. The method was called the 'Galan Flying Heaven Sutra'. This golden book was only a summary; after all, Celestial-ranked Qi Refining methods were the foundation of a sect and could never be casually leaked.

“The first volume of the 'Galan Flying Heaven Sutra' costs fifteen hundred Black-White Pills.” Ji Ning was taken aback.

Turning around, he saw a tall bookshelf nearby filled with 'Earth-ranked Qi Refining methods', complete copies, not summaries.

“So cheap, only a hundred Black-White Pills,” Ji Ning muttered.

“Senior Brother Ji Ning.” A voice suddenly sounded.

Ji Ning turned to see the white-robed youth, Junior Brother Mu Zishuo, who had just entered. Mu Zishuo said excitedly, “Senior Brother Ji Ning, there are so many cultivation methods here!”

“With such an ancient sect, how could there not be many methods?” Ji Ning replied.

Then the two brothers each went back to selecting their own cultivation methods.

…

Half an hour later.

“This is it.” Ji Ning picked up a golden book, the Celestial-ranked Qi Refining method 'Water Source Annotation'. The first volume cost fifteen hundred Black-White Pills. The Qi Refining method he had cultivated since childhood was 'Water Element Art', so after opening his Zifu, it was naturally more suitable to use a water-attributed method.

“Adding the required 'Three-Foot Sword' first volume, that’s a total of thirty-five hundred Black-White Pills. I have twenty-five hundred left.” Ji Ning pondered.

He also needed to exchange for a method for Uncle Bai.

He also needed to exchange for a divine ability.

He also needed to obtain the continuation of the 'Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens'.

“Uncle Bai is at the early Zifu stage and urgently needs a method. He is also water-attributed, so 'Water Source Annotation' suits him.” Ji Ning thought.

Although he had only selected one copy of 'Water Source Annotation', if he wanted Uncle Bai to cultivate it, he would have to pay another fifteen hundred Black-White Pills. If he didn’t pay, it would be considered stealing a Celestial-ranked method, a grave offense. The punishment from the Heavenly Dao Blood Oath alone would likely cause Ji Ning’s soul to scatter.

“Only a thousand Black-White Pills left.” Ji Ning felt that the pills were far from enough.

He didn’t realize that no one else would pay such a price for a spirit beast.

…

A moment later, on the first floor of the Dao Repository Hall, Ji Ning found the section for Divine Body Refining techniques. He also found the continuation of the foremost Divine Body Refining method, the 'Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens'—the second volume.

The second volume of the Crimsonbright Diagram also had nine levels, from the tenth to the eighteenth.

Corresponding to the Wanxiang, Primordial Soul, and Return to Void stages.

Once one reached the eighteenth level of the Crimsonbright Diagram, they would face the tribulation. If they passed, they would become a God!

As for Qi Refining, passing the tribulation would make one a Celestial Immortal!

Celestial Immortals and Gods were two entirely different paths.

“A hundred Black-White Pills? That’s cheap.” Ji Ning sighed in relief at the price. “Although it can be cultivated all the way to the tribulation, it only costs a hundred pills. No wonder it’s the easiest method to obtain.”

The foremost Divine Body Refining method was also the easiest to obtain.

Likewise, it was also the most difficult method.

…

Carrying a copy of 'Water Source Annotation' and the second volume of the 'Crimsonbright Diagram of the Nine Heavens', Ji Ning left the first floor and ascended to the second.

The second floor of the Dao Repository Hall also had rows of bookshelves.

“Arts!” Ji Ning took a deep breath.

Arts were immortal and demonic secret arts.

Techniques for applying the Dao—divine abilities, sword arts, spells, forbidden arts, escape arts, and so on—all fell under Arts.

“Divine abilities.” Ji Ning immediately headed for the shelves containing divine abilities.

Divine abilities…

They were extremely rare. Even his mother’s Yuchi tribe possessed only one divine ability, the 'Windwing Evasion Art'.

“So few.”

“So expensive!”

Ji Ning finally found the table for divine abilities. On the entire table were only five summaries. That is, in all the endless years of the Black-White College, only five divine abilities had been acquired! They were even rarer than Celestial-ranked Qi Refining methods!

They were 'Heavenly Earth Transformation', 'Thunderclap Divine Eye', 'Ten Thousand Venom Stingers', 'Three Heads and Six Arms', and 'Blazing Heart Eye'.

“Three Heads and Six Arms?” Ji Ning’s eyes lit up. The Heavenly Earth Transformation was the most common divine ability, generally found in top sects and tribes. As for the other three—Thunderclap Divine Eye, Ten Thousand Venom Stingers, and Blazing Heart Eye—he had never heard of them. Only 'Three Heads and Six Arms' was familiar.

Whether in his past life or this one, Ji Ning had heard of 'Three Heads and Six Arms'. It was a divine ability often used by legendary great powers.

“Three Heads and Six Arms may seem ordinary, but in reality, the later the stage, the greater its effect,” Ji Ning thought. Humans only had two arms. Even if they used divine power or elemental energy to form extra arms, those couldn’t compare to real arms.

But with Three Heads and Six Arms…

Once this divine ability was activated, one truly gained four extra arms and two extra heads. The extra arms could exert the same power as the real ones, making it as if three 'Ji Nings' were attacking one opponent! With dual swords, one’s power could already stack; with six swords attacking together, the increase in strength was naturally even more exaggerated.

…

After reviewing the five divine abilities, Ji Ning coveted each one.

Three Heads and Six Arms was famous for good reason. The first volume alone cost three thousand Black-White Pills.

Heavenly Earth Transformation, the most common divine ability, was also formidable when cultivated to a high level. Its first volume cost five hundred Black-White Pills.

Ten Thousand Venom Stingers was a killing technique. Its first volume cost a full five thousand Black-White Pills.

Thunderclap Divine Eye, first volume, cost two thousand Black-White Pills.

Blazing Heart Eye, first volume, cost five thousand Black-White Pills.

“This is too…” Ji Ning could only grit his teeth and take the summary of 'Heavenly Earth Transformation' in hand. As for the other four divine abilities, there was no way to get them now. Their exchange requirements far exceeded those of Celestial-ranked Qi Refining methods. But then again, they were divine abilities, incomparably precious.

…

Carrying several summaries, Ji Ning continued searching the second floor for more specialized 'Arts'.

He searched for a long time.

“Found it.” Ji Ning finally spotted a table with three golden books. The table held only these three, suggesting they were no less important than the divine abilities.

Ji Ning picked up one of the golden books. On the cover were three characters—'Soul-Shattering Art'!

This was exactly the technique Ji Ning had been seeking—a method for attacking with the soul, an extremely rare secret art.

…