Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

After leaving the Gathering Spirit Hall, Lu Zaian immediately headed to the Spirit Medicine Valley Scripture Pavilion.

As long as you are an outer disciple, you can choose a mid-grade first-level cultivation technique or spell from the Scripture Pavilion when you enter the sect.

For the past month, Lu Zaian has been busy planting the Three Mysteries Flower and hasn't had a chance to go there.

Now that the Three Mysterious Flowers have been harvested, I should come and take a look.

After all, it is the scripture library of a Foundation Establishment sect, so it must have a rich collection.

Lu Zaian's current main cultivation technique is still the first-tier low-grade "Water Flow Technique," and he doesn't dare to easily flaunt his wealth to buy advanced cultivation techniques in Black Rock Market.

Now we've finally found a chance to get something for free.

The Sutra Repository is located deep in the eastern part of the Valley of Spiritual Herbs. It is built of huge bluestone blocks and has seven floors. Its appearance is simple and elegant, revealing the traces of time.

The doors and windows feature exquisite wood carvings depicting various flowers, birds, insects, and fish, with each layer arranged in a staggered and harmonious manner, blending seamlessly with the surrounding natural environment.

It was the end of the month, and some disciples had painstakingly collected enough contribution points to come to the Scripture Pavilion to exchange for cultivation techniques.

In front of the library, there was a rocking chair, and a humanoid creature was lying on it sunbathing.

Lu Zai'an looked closely and saw that it was an old man.

The old man had no arms, and his left leg had disappeared from the knee. Of his four limbs, only his right leg remained intact.

The old man's face was extremely aged, his cheeks were sunken and he was skin and bones. At this moment, he closed his eyes and looked as if he was enjoying the sunshine.

"Excuse me, Elder Qi. I am Lu Zaian, an outer disciple, here to select a cultivation technique from the Scripture Pavilion!"

Lu Zaian came to the rocking chair and respectfully bowed.

Even Elder Xiao did not know the full name of the old man in front of him. It seemed that he had always looked like this, guarding the Scripture Pavilion.

Few people know why Elder Qi looks like this, nor do they know what level of enlightenment Elder Qi has reached.

But one thing is certain: Old Qi is no ordinary person.

Even though no one has ever seen Elder Qi display his skills, he has instructed many disciples in martial arts techniques.

No matter what kind of magic or cultivation technique it was, as long as it was in the Scripture Pavilion, Elder Qi seemed to know a thing or two about it and was very willing to guide his disciples.

As long as someone humbly seeks guidance, Master Qi always smiles and nods in agreement.

This is the image of Elder Qi in the minds of most people in Lingyao Valley.

Upon hearing Lu Zaian's voice, Old Qi, who was lying in the rocking chair, opened his slightly narrowed old eyes and glanced at Lu Zaian, his invisible aura sweeping over Lu Zaian and his token.

A hoarse voice sounded.

"Heh, a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator at such a young age? That's rare."

Lu Zaian felt a chill, thinking he would have to explain, but Old Qi closed his eyes and continued to enjoy the sunshine.

"Go in, but come out within an hour, limited to the first two floors only."

"Yes!" Lu Zaian quickly bowed and stepped into the Sutra Repository.

After Lu Zaian entered, Old Qi, who was in the rocking chair, reopened his eyes, slightly turned over, and settled into a comfortable side-lying position, murmuring to himself:

"Strange, at this age, one should have exhausted their potential and their vital energy should have already declined, so why can I sense such abundant life force?"

.........

Inside the Sutra Repository, on the first floor.

The light here is dim, and there is an old, worn atmosphere.

Dozens of tall bookshelves were neatly arranged.

Each bookshelf was filled with densely packed cultivation techniques, existing in various forms:

Some are shaped like jade slips, emitting a faint glow;

Some are made of ancient animal hides, covered with mysterious runes;

Others are thick books, their pages already yellowed.

Lu Zaian casually picked up a book and wrote down the cultivation method.

"Blue Silver Wood Control Technique, a first-tier low-grade wood-attribute cultivation method. It can cultivate a wood-elemental magic ring, which can control most low-grade wood-elemental spiritual herbs, and can entangle and kill enemies."

Lu Zaian put it down with disdain. It was a low-grade first-level item. What was this entanglement?

It sounds rubbish, I wouldn't consider it.

Although Lu Zaian has dual spiritual roots of water and wood, he started by cultivating water-based techniques, so he naturally considered continuing to cultivate water-based techniques to facilitate switching and connecting the past and the future.

They continued walking inside and selected several more cultivation techniques.

"The Purification Net is a low-grade first-tier water-based spell. It uses pure magical power to weave a net that can cleanse, annihilate, and purify."

"Kun Yuan Power, a first-tier low-grade secret technique. Normally, it can compress and condense mana into a special Kun Yuan and store it in the dantian. In times of crisis, once it is unleashed, it can release an effect comparable to 25% of mana."

Lu Zaian shook his head again, saying that they were all low-grade first-level cultivation techniques and secret arts, and none of them were suitable for him.

"Looks like we'll have to go check out the second floor."

Go up to the second floor, and the layout is similar to that of the first floor.

The number of bookshelves has been reduced from dozens to about twenty.

"The Flower Dance Sword Manual is a mid-grade first-tier martial art. When a sword is drawn, it is like a hundred flowers blooming and dancing slowly in the wind. It has the power to bewitch and create illusions. It focuses on the moves and not on power, and is more of a support technique."

"The 'Light-Swept Movement Technique' is a mid-grade first-tier movement technique. It allows the user to move with the speed and agility of a dragon, concealing themselves within the light and shadow to seize the initiative and strike first despite being the one who attacks later!"

Lu Zaian picked up the jade slip containing the "Light-Swept Steps" and showed some interest.

Movement is a crucial element in combat.

If you can keep dodging enemy attacks, your survival rate will be greatly increased.

Unfortunately, cultivators possess a wide variety of magical treasures, many of which are quite bizarre.

While movement techniques are useful against magical weapons like swords, spears, and halberds, they are still difficult to dodge attacks such as sonic attacks, net attacks, and large seal attacks.

Moreover, compared to short-range dodging and weaving in battle, Lu Zaian still prefers long-range flying techniques like the "Burning Blood Escape".

If you can't win, run away; the best strategy among the Thirty-Six Stratagems is to flee.

After putting down "The Light-Swept Body Steps", Lu Zaian then saw some body-refining techniques.

After a cursory glance, I didn't give it a second thought.

With the top-tier second-order body-refining technique, "Nine Fiends Demon Body," in hand, even if it was an incomplete version, Lu Zaian would not look down on these mid-grade first-order body-refining techniques.

Although the conditions for achieving these body-refining techniques are not as demanding as those for the "Nine Fiends Demon Body," some of them even only require absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to strengthen the physical body...

After another half day of picking and choosing, almost an hour had passed before we knew it.

Lu Zaian walked almost all the way up the second-floor bookshelves, carrying several scrolls of cultivation manuals in his hands.

"Tsk, there are a few good ones, I want them all, but unfortunately I can only choose one."

Lu Zaian was very tempted by the powerful spells and defensive techniques he saw, and wished he could learn them all.

Of course it is impossible.

After comparing them all, Lu Zaian reluctantly put back the several jade slips and books in his hands, leaving only a light blue jade slip.

"Let's choose this one."

"The Source of Azure Waves, a mid-grade first-level water-based cultivation technique. The highest good is like water, which has no constant form, nourishes all things without contention, and wins without contention. Its power is as still as a calm lake and as turbulent as a surging wave, and has the effect of nourishing the meridians and dantian."

This water-based technique excels in its gentle and mild nature, allowing for seamless integration with one's own "Water Element Technique".

Moreover, this exercise has the effect of nourishing the meridians and dantian, which is a good bonus in the long run.

The only drawback might be that it doesn't have any powerful spells or moves.

However, Lu Zaian did not insist.

After all, most water-based cultivation techniques have nourishing, purifying, and healing effects, making them perfect for consolidating one's cultivation foundation.