“Why not choose both?” Qi Zhengyan asked in confusion. “Zhen Ding, you have accumulated as many as 690 Virtue Points. It’s entirely feasible to consider redeeming both.”
Meng Qi said solemnly, “I’ve already refined six acupoints related to my Eye Acupoint. I don’t know when the next mission will be, so I must exchange for a ‘Tiancong Pill’ to strive for reaching the Open Acupoint Period before the next mission. Also, I need to complete the set of poisoned needles for the ‘Pear Blossoms in Rain Needles.’ Additionally, I want to exchange for a lightness skill renowned for its speed and a weapon-grade precept blade.”
Speaking of the weapon-grade monastic knife, he gave a bitter smile and lifted the hundred-refined steel-grade monastic knife he wore during patrol. It was now full of holes and completely unusable. Cui Xu, in addition to unlocking his Mind Treasury, had also opened his Qi Treasury, possessing abundant inner energy. Every move he made carried tremendous force. Even though he wielded a sword that wasn’t of weapon-grade quality, my monastic knife was still severely damaged. Had he been wielding a weapon-grade sword, my monastic knife would likely have shattered by now.
Given the “pattern” that adversaries encountered in the Reincarnation Tasks progressively grow stronger, Meng Qi was concerned that the next mission might involve numerous foes wielding weapon-grade swords. In such a scenario, his Precept Blade would require protection with genuine Qi to withstand their attacks, inevitably diminishing his combat effectiveness. Although weapon-grade weapons are not rare in Shaolin, they are not accessible to an unenlightened novice like him—such treasures are reserved for disciples who have successfully navigated the Copper Man Alley and earned the privilege to select one before embarking on their pilgrimage.
From Jiang Zhiwei and others, Meng Qi knew that the classification of weapons and items in this world resembled that of the Six Dao Reincarnation Master. The lowest and most common are the ‘ordinary weapons’ used by commoners, street thugs, and those at the bottom of the martial arts world, which even mediocre blacksmiths can forge. One step above are the ‘hundred-refined weapons,’ commonly used by ordinary martial artists, regular sect disciples, and elite imperial troops. These require skilled blacksmiths to forge and cost dozens to hundreds of taels of silver, making them relatively common.
However, when it comes to “weapon-grade” items, the quantity drops sharply. This is because crafting them requires relatively rare metals and woods, and the blacksmith must possess profound internal energy as well as mastery over earthly flames. As a result, only renowned martial artists, senior members and core disciples of sects, direct-line disciples of major martial schools, scions of noble families, and elite guards have the opportunity to acquire them.
Besides sharpness, each weapon-grade weapon has unique characteristics due to its distinct materials. For example, Jiang Zhiwei’s ‘White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Sword’ can cut through iron like mud.
“Weapon-grade” items aren’t limited to weapons; there are many unusual items, such as rings that can spew flames or bracelets that can freeze people. Meng Qi thought these should be considered as magical artifacts.
Above “weapon-grade” are “treasure weapons,” which can invoke changes in heaven and earth and possess various supernatural abilities, already beyond the realm of the mundane. As for “divine weapons” and “peerless divine weapons,” based on the Six Dao Reincarnation Master’s description, Meng Qi believed they belonged to terrifying objects that contained ‘laws,’ ‘principles,’ and even ‘the Dao.’
“Right, a weapon-grade weapon is very important.” Zhang Yuanshan patted his waist, and his sword rang out as it was unsheathed, surrounded by white mist like a dragon swimming through clouds. “After stabilizing my foundation last time, I finally mastered the ‘Zhenwu Sword Technique.’ My father was so pleased that he gave me his famous sword ‘Teng She Sword,’ which he used in his youth. Without this weapon-grade sword for this task, I would have faced much greater difficulties.”
“Lightness skill, don’t you already have the ‘Shenxing Hundred Changes’?” Jiang Zhiwei asked after thinking for a moment.
Meng Qi had already thought this through: “‘Divine Movement Hundred Transformations’ excels in evasion and transformation. ‘Divine Movement’ is relatively strong compared to other lightness skills at the same level, but once I reach the Aperture Opening stage, its speed and endurance will lag far behind other techniques. At that point, even if I can’t win, I must at least be able to escape.”
Jiang Zhiwei had a good relationship with Meng Qi, so she didn’t hesitate to give her honest opinion: “Actually, I suggest you prioritize a technique that can improve your innate talent. Such techniques are rare, a matter of chance rather than planning. Moreover, the earlier you improve your innate talent, the more solid your foundation for future growth will be, the broader your path, and the greater your achievements. If you do it later, it won’t be as effective as it is now.”
“As for lightness skills renowned for speed and techniques similar to the ‘Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Method,’ you should choose one between them because they both belong to life-saving techniques. With limited Virtue Points, duplicating them would be too wasteful.”
“If you successfully unlock your potential this time, the exhaustion from using the ‘Anan’s Breaking the Precepts Blade Technique’ will be greatly alleviated. Combined with the ‘Rain-Soaked Pear Blossom Needles,’ your ability to engage in life-or-death combat won’t be lacking. As for techniques similar to the ‘Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Method,’ you can wait until the next mission to redeem them.”
Most techniques referred to as ‘Divine Techniques’ improve innate talent while enhancing cultivation. There’s no such thing as being permanently inferior due to initial talent deficiencies. However, many Divine Techniques have certain talent requirements at each stage. Perhaps you’ll need to work harder than others to cultivate and improve yourself before progressing to the next stage, which will cost considerable time.
Thus, sects tend to select disciples with exceptional innate talent as direct successors to inherit the core techniques first. They then observe and choose diligent disciples, imparting knowledge only after these disciples have attained certain achievements.
Moreover, techniques that improve innate talent as auxiliary cultivation methods provide additional enhancement, making them extremely valuable to those aspiring martial artists. However, similarly, such techniques are rare, and each one is costly.
“I agree. Techniques that directly improve innate talent are considered Marvelous Techniques, which many people dream of acquiring.” When Zhang Yuanshan said this, his voice carried a hint of sighing. “Among similar techniques, the most famous and effective one is your Shaolin’s ‘Yi Jin Jing.’ Not only does it improve innate talent, but it also enhances the quality of the main cultivation technique and reduces cultivation difficulty, truly a marvel of nature. However, its first volume alone costs ten thousand Virtue Points. Zhen Ding, which one are you planning to redeem? Such techniques are both rare and expensive.”
He seemed to have long been interested in similar techniques.
Meng Qi had an advantage: he was already familiar with many ‘strange’ martial techniques listed by the Six Dao Reincarnation Master and had a clear idea in mind, so there was no need to spend time searching through them slowly.
In a situation where external techniques and below were as numerous as stars in the sky, this was a significant advantage. After all, the time spent in the Reincarnation Space was limited, and hasty choices often led to mistakes.
Hearing Zhang Yuanshan’s question, Meng Qi smiled and said, “Zhiwei, Senior Zhang, Senior Qi, I’ve decided to put off redeeming techniques similar to the ‘Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Method’ for now and instead redeem the ‘Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter’ from the ‘Nine Yin Manual.'”
Actually, he had considered choosing the ‘Absorbing Star Method,’ the ‘Devouring Skill Method,’ or other demonic martial techniques that could quickly enhance power by absorbing others’ essence and inner strength. However, some of these techniques were cruel and painful to learn, enough to make one go mad just thinking about them. Others were purely harmful without any benefit, and some had significant hidden dangers. Techniques with manageable drawbacks were expensive. Moreover, Meng Qi was currently in the Shaolin Temple, making it inconvenient for him to cultivate such techniques, so he eventually gave up.
“The ‘Nine Yin Manual’?”
“The ‘Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter’?”
Zhang Yuanshan, Jiang Zhiwei, Qi Zhengyan, and others were all surprised, clearly having never heard of them before, and began flipping through their records based on the first character to search for the technique.
“Can it really strengthen muscles and bones and improve innate talent for just 300 Virtue Points?” Zhang Yuanshan exclaimed in astonishment, a rare reaction for his usually calm demeanor.
A technique that improves innate talent for merely 300 Virtue Points? Whether it was Jiang Zhiwei, Qi Zhengyan, or Fu Zhenzhen, they all looked at Meng Qi with astonished and bewildered eyes. How did he find such an affordable yet effective technique?
“It was just a fortunate coincidence; I stumbled upon it by chance,” Meng Qi could only say this.
The ‘Nine Yin Manual’ consists of two volumes, costing a total of 900 Virtue Points, with the ‘Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter’ accounting for one-third of that, clearly demonstrating its value.
“Although the improvement effect is limited, it’s still quite good. Little monk, you’re truly blessed by the Buddha to have discovered this technique,” Jiang Zhiwei smiled, clasped her hands together, and jokingly teased him.
Zhang Yuanshan pondered for a moment and said, “Zhen Ding, to be honest, I’ll also redeem this technique when the time comes.”
His innate talent wasn’t bad, surpassing many others, but his position was high, and his family had great expectations for him. Compared to Yang Tai and Yang He nearby, and the Yao brothers, his talent seemed less impressive. Therefore, he had always been seeking ways to improve his innate talent. Previously, he had paid close attention to similar techniques and even considered asking the Six Dao Reincarnation Master to directly enhance his innate talent if there was no other way.
“If the ‘Primordial Unity Skill’ itself didn’t have a good effect on improving innate talent and my Virtue Points weren’t limited, I would also want to redeem it,” Qi Zhengyan honestly admitted.
Meng Qi burst into laughter, “Since everyone values it so highly, it proves I’ve chosen correctly. I’ll redeem it right away.”
“Which lightness skill renowned for speed are you planning to redeem?” Jiang Zhiwei asked curiously. The little monk always managed to pick techniques that few had heard of but seemed quite good.
Meng Qi chuckled and pointed at the jade scroll in front of him, saying, “‘Catching Wind and Grasping Shadows,’ the first move of the ‘Wind God Legs,’ is the essential entry-level technique focusing on lightness skills and bodily movements, costing only ninety Virtue Points. However, to fully utilize its advantages, one must reach the External Manifestation Realm.”
When he mentioned the price of ninety, Meng Qi really wanted to say, “For just ninety-nine, you can take ‘Catching Wind and Grasping Shadows’ home.”
The ‘Wind God Legs’ originate from ‘Storm and Clouds,’ harnessing the power of the wind to achieve speeds as fast as a shooting star. As for the other techniques within this skill, Meng Qi had no intention of contemplating them, as his current focus needed to be on his blade techniques and the Golden Bell Shield, along with the two supplementary skills—’Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter’ and ‘Shape-Shifting Method.’ Apart from their use in evasion, palm techniques and leg techniques were not his priority for the time being.
Jiang Zhiwei carefully read the description and nodded slightly, saying, “It’s not bad. The required Virtue Points are relatively low. Hehe, you always manage to pick good ones.”
Compared to techniques that improve innate talent, leg techniques and lightness skills like this were considered common types in the eyes of Jiang Zhiwei and others, so they didn’t pay much attention to them.
“The ‘Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter’ costs 300 Virtue Points, the ‘Tiancong Pill’ costs 110 Virtue Points, the ‘Pear Blossoms in Rain Needles’ cost 50 Virtue Points, and the ‘Wind God Legs’ cost 90 Virtue Points. Zhen Ding, you still have 140 Virtue Points left to choose a weapon-grade戒刀. If it’s not enough, I can lend you the remaining after my redemption,” Zhang Yuanshan generously offered. “I currently don’t lack in medicines and only need to redeem the ‘Muscle and Bone Strengthening Chapter,’ which will leave me with 30 Virtue Points.”
Jiang Zhiwei interjected, “I estimate I’ll open my nose orifice in the next task, so I don’t need to consider the ‘Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing Pill’ for now. Redeeming the ‘Merciless Section’ of the ‘Holy Spirit Sword Technique’ this time will suffice, leaving me with 20 Virtue Points.”
“My ‘Tu Kunlun’ hasn’t been fully mastered yet, so I don’t need to redeem the fourth-layer ‘Blue Snow’ crystal for now. However, I also plan to exchange for a demon-suppressing weapon-grade longsword. We were at a major disadvantage in this mission,” Qi Zhengyan said gloomily. “Additionally, I need pills to aid my cultivation during the Open Aperture Period.”
Meng Qi smiled and nodded, “Then let’s go redeem the other items first, and then Qi Senior and I will choose our ‘weapons.'”
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