Chapter 501 - 173: The "River-Crossing" Martial Art, the Grand Competition Begins

Besides, during their casual conversations, Sun Ningxiang had told him more than once to just ask if he was ever short on silver coins for his cultivation.

His master had run a Martial Arts Hall in Yuhe County for decades and had also established many other businesses. As a Peak of Transformation expert at the apex of Yuhe County, his master must have amassed a considerable fortune.

When Senior Sister Ning Xiang came to the Xuanzhen Sect, their master had probably given her a great deal of money.

Yang Jing made a mental note to go find his senior sister that afternoon and ask.

If his senior sister didn’t have enough silver coins either, he would just have to try and pool some together from Lin Ziheng, Liu Rou, and Zhang Hengyi.

With that thought, Yang Jing stopped worrying. He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing for a moment, then rose and practiced the Mountain-Breaking Seal for half an hour.

As the wind from his fists howled, he felt the flow of his Inner Qi grow increasingly fluid. The Inner Qi from his two martial arts complemented each other, subtly enhancing the power of the Mountain-Breaking Seal.

If the two streams of Inner Qi were to merge, the power would be even more astonishing.

Before long, his time in the Level C Training Room was up.

Yang Jing retracted his fists and restrained his Inner Qi. He wiped the sweat from his temples, pushed open the heavy stone door, and walked out at a leisurely pace.

....

「That afternoon.」

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the ground.

On the Main Peak, Yang Jing left the Steward Main Hall and headed straight for the Talent Pavilion.

It was a classical six-story wooden pavilion with flying eaves, upturned corners, carved beams, and painted rafters.

Above the main entrance of the pavilion hung a black plaque with golden calligraphy. The name ’Talent Pavilion’ was written in flowing, dragon-like strokes, exuding a vigorous and ancient aura.

The window lattices were carved with lifelike depictions of various martial arts stances. Even from a distance, one could feel the structure’s profound martial arts heritage.

Yang Jing looked up at the Talent Pavilion, which stood on the mountainside of the Main Peak, and touched his chest.

Tucked against his skin was his smooth-textured Sect Token.

A short while ago, he had redeemed one hundred fifty thousand Sect Contribution Points at the Steward Main Hall.

Combined with the sixteen thousand-some points he already had, his Sect Token now held nearly one hundred seventy thousand Sect Contribution Points.

As Yang Jing’s fingertips traced the smooth Sect Token on his chest, his mind drifted back to when he had gone to Yunxi Peak to borrow money from Senior Sister Ning Xiang.

That afternoon, after finding Senior Sister Ning Xiang, he had barely started to speak. The moment he said, "Senior Sister, I need some money..."

Before he could even explain why, Sun Ningxiang had turned and entered the main house. She returned with a thick stack of silver notes from a small, carved box—a full one hundred fifty thousand taels.

She pressed the silver notes into his hand, her eyes crinkling in a smile. "Take these for now. If it’s not enough, I’ll write a letter and have my dad send some more."

Looking at the heavy stack of silver notes in his hand, he hadn’t known whether to laugh or cry. A warm feeling surged through his heart.

Of course, he hadn’t taken all one hundred fifty thousand taels from Senior Sister Ning Xiang. He only took one hundred thousand taels from the stack.

One hundred thousand taels of silver, plus the silver coins he already had, would convert to a considerable number of Sect Contribution Points—more than enough for him to select a Mid-grade True Skill to his liking.

Senior Sister Ning Xiang had tried to press the remaining fifty thousand taels on him, but he refused, promising to repay her as soon as possible.

He hadn’t wasted a moment after leaving Yunxi Peak, immediately rushing to the Main Peak.

Yang Jing took a deep breath, pushing aside the distracting thoughts swirling in his mind, and walked toward the main entrance of the Talent Pavilion.

As soon as he stepped through the heavy nanmu wood doors, the faint scent of ink mixed with the musty smell of old scrolls washed over him.

Yang Jing first greeted the middle-aged Steward sitting behind a desk near the entrance. He remembered the Steward’s name was Chen Shuquan and that he was quite amiable.

The man recognized Yang Jing as well. After all, Si Jiawen had personally brought him to the Talent Pavilion before to receive the follow-up Cultivation Technique for the Mountain-Breaking Seal.

Chen Shuquan gave Yang Jing a brief nod and a smile in acknowledgment before returning to the register in his hands.

Yang Jing’s gaze swept across the first floor of the Talent Pavilion. It was lined with towering bookshelves packed with countless martial arts manuals.

Disciples moved between the shelves. This floor was the most crowded, filled mostly with outer sect disciples from the various branches, all clad in green robes.

Most of them were browsing basic Inner Strength Martial Arts manuals. People occasionally spoke in hushed tones, but the atmosphere was still quite lively.

Yang Jing didn’t linger on the first floor. His goal was clear. He headed for the wooden staircase to the second floor, his footsteps echoing softly in the quiet pavilion.

The martial arts on the second floor were mostly Low-grade True Skills, which were not his target either. Without stopping, he continued straight up to the third floor.

The third floor was noticeably quieter than the first two. There were far fewer people as well, with only seven or eight individuals scattered among the bookshelves.

Some stood alone, their fingertips gliding across book spines as they searched for a suitable martial art.

Others gathered in small groups of two or three, conversing quietly in the corners.

Yang Jing paid the other disciples no mind and walked directly to the rows of shelves labeled "Body Techniques" to begin his search.

The martial arts on this floor were all Middle-Grade True Skill Level. He needed to find a Mid-grade True Skill Body Technique that was compatible with the principles of the Raging Waves Kick.

Yang Jing ran his finger slowly across rows of yellowed spines, pulling out manuals one by one to carefully read the descriptions on their title pages.

As the pages turned, the ancient scent of ink wafted to his nose. While he browsed, he couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. ’The Xuanzhen Sect truly lives up to its name as a major sect of Jintai Prefecture. If any one of these martial arts were to find its way into the outside world, it would be enough to cause a bloodbath as people fought over it.’