Desolate Era (Book 6 - Book 10)

Ning had no time to waste. He began to frantically start collecting books. Actually, as soon as he entered the room and saw the books and bookshelves, Ning felt quite certain that they should all be complete versions. This was because generally speaking, complete versions of techniques would span up to ten full volumes. Abridged versions, in turn, might take up just a thin book.

“…and this. And this!” Ning was frantically collecting books.

A short while later, the entire room was completely empty. The final person to arrive, young master Youngflame, was only able to collect a few books.

“These are all full versions.” Ning and the others began to look through the books they had acquired.

“Eh? Just Earth-ranked techniques?”

“This one is Mortal-ranked?”

“These ‘secret arts’ are too ordinary.” Ning and the others began to frown as they looked. They were all geniuses, and in the Black-White College, they chose from Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques. However, the books they had found here were all Mortal-ranked and Earth-ranked techniques and secret arts. Although the books were extremely numerous, there wasn’t even a single Heaven-ranked technique.

“My Youngflame clan has plenty of this sort of crap. There isn’t even a single useful book here.” Youngflame Nong furrowed his brows, shaking his head.

Ning, however, just laughed. Right. These books were useless to him, but they would be very useful to the Ji clan. The Ji clan had far, far too few techniques and secret arts, and those they had, he had purchased from the Heavenly Treasures Mountain. But how many could he possibly buy, on his own? To accumulate a large number of secret arts and techniques, generally speaking, the only way was to annihilate another large clan and seize their books.

“More than a million techniques and secret arts. Although they aren’t that good, they are enough for Xiantian lifeforms and Zifu Disciples to use,” Ning mused to himself. “In the future, after I find some top-tier Ki Refining techniques, my Ji clan will be able to set up a Dao Repository of its own to pass down to later generations.”

Dao Repositories were the heart of any tribe, sect, or school. Each generation relied on their Dao Repositories to grow strong.

“Immortal Witchriver was a Celestial Immortal; he definitely must have more powerful techniques and divine abilities. But where are they?” Youngflame Nong frowned.

“The most powerful techniques and divine abilities must be stored in extremely well-hidden places. They might not even be in this Dao Repository Palace.”

Ning and the others just pondered briefly, and then… swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! They all scattered in different directions, searching for treasures. Although this Dao Repository Vault didn’t necessarily have any top-tier techniques, secret arts, or divine abilities, perhaps it did!

Swoosh.

Youngflame Nong once more returned to that earlier room. He sat down in the lotus position in front of the stone book, beginning to once more bind the core of this Dao Repository Palace.

“Once I bind it, I’ll be in complete control of this entire Dao Repository Palace. No matter how well-hidden a room is, I’ll know about it,” Youngflame Nong mused to himself. “I need roughly two hours to bind it. Given how well-hidden the top-tier secret arts and divine abilities must be, they might not be able to find them within two hours.”





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Book 10, Chapter 19 - Pentabolt Vajra, Soldiers of the Mind


“The top-tier techniques, divine abilities, and secrets arts. They are going to be mine, all mine!” Xue Hongyi was rapidly checking one room after another, his eyes filled with an endless frenzy. He came from Snowdragon Mountain, which currently didn’t even have a single Loose Immortal; even if it did occasionally produce a Loose Immortal or Earth Immortal throughout its long history, there was no way those figures could compare to a Celestial Immortal like Immortal Witchriver.

The divine abilities and secret arts left behind by a Celestial Immortal would definitely be extraordinary.

When one’s level of power was very close to another’s, the deciding factor were divine abilities and secret arts. This was especially true for geniuses.

….…

“This is a chance. A tremendous chance. I have to find it. With powerful secret arts, in this life, I might be able to overcome the Celestial tribulation.” Adept Vastriver was filled with endless desire as well.

….…

Everyone was searching. Ji Ning, the Whitewater Hound, and Little Qing had separated as well.

“Where is it? Where could it be?” A little azure serpent was slithering forward like a streak of light, occasionally disappearing into thin air and reappearing somewhere else, and at other times moving directly into a room without even pushing the stone door open.

“For me, finding fortunes is as easy as eating rice, but in this Immortal estate, I’ve gotten fewer treasures than even Uncle White.” The Azure Skysnake used her Void Blink technique repeatedly, and even blinked from one end of a hallway to the other to save time, or directly into rooms. She wildly teleported about with abandon, trying to find something.

Whoosh.

Yet another Void Blink. The Azure Skysnake appeared within a new room. “Nothing here eith…” The Azure Skysnake suddenly came to a halt. “Eeee?”

The Azure Skysnake looked about this room in surprise. This was a very ordinary room. It wasn’t very large, and it only held two bookcases and a single table. The bookcase was covered with a few books, while the number of books on the table was even more pitifully low. The total number of books in this entire room was very low.

“That’s all?”

It must be understood that training tomes for Immortal cultivators were extremely massive and complicated; a single set might comprise of dozens of books. For example, when Ji Ning had received the transmission of the [Starseizing Hand] divine ability, it had been directly transferred to his soul, and had taken several months. From this, one could tell how massive the amount of information was.

The Azure Skysnake couldn’t help but transform into an azure-robed maiden. She lowered her head to glance at the books, and as she did, her gaze narrowed.

“Master, master, quick, come quick!!!” Little Qing hurriedly shouted through their spirit-link.

“Wha..? Coming!”

Ji Ning, located in another region, spread out his divine sense, searching through the various corridors. Given that he could mentally sense where Little Qing was located, he quickly found a route to her. As he did, he felt extremely surprised. “Little Qing actually ran to this place? This place really is rather unassuming and out of the way. How long would it have taken to find such a tiny little study?”

Swoosh!

Ning immediately transformed into a streak of smoke, rapidly advancing forward and soon arriving outside the room. He pushed the door open.

“What is it?” Upon entering, Ning saw that the room was completely empty. There was nothing there, aside from Little Qing, who stood there.

“I collected it all,” Little Qing said excitedly. “I didn’t dare leave them here, for fear that others might take them.”

“What techniques did you discover? Why are you so careful?” Ning began to grow excited as well.

Little Qing said in a lowered whisper, “Six types of Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques, totaling more than three hundred volumes. Three types of divine abilities, totalling more than a hundred volumes. One divine will technique, totaling six volumes. All of them are complete!”

Ning’s eyes instantly turned completely round.

Immortal-ranked Ki Refining techniques?

Divine abilities?

A divine will technique?

This… this was truly, truly priceless. Even in the Black-White College, it would number amongst their top-tier materials.