The Next Day
After finishing his cultivation, Lin Fan headed for the Scripture Pavilion.
Along the way, he attracted the attention of many disciples.
However, after walking for a while, he realized—he didn't actually know where the Scripture Pavilion was.
After all, outer sect disciples weren't qualified to access it. Only inner sect disciples had the right to enter the Scripture Pavilion.
And Lin Fan had only recently become Elder Yun San's disciple. He had never been there before and naturally had no idea where it was.
So when he saw some disciples chatting idly by the roadside, he walked over and patted one of them on the shoulder.
That disciple was in high spirits while talking and didn't pay Lin Fan any mind.
So Lin Fan patted his shoulder again.
"Hey, what's your problem? Are you—" The disciple turned around mid-sentence, but when he saw who it was, the words stuck in his throat.
Lin Fan was now the disciple of the Grand Elder of the sect—someone utterly untouchable to them. They could only treat him with the utmost respect.
The curse that had been about to escape his lips was forcibly swallowed back.
The other disciples quickly bowed respectfully to Lin Fan.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Lin!"
Lin Fan merely nodded faintly.
"S-Senior Brother Lin…" The disciple looked at Lin Fan with terror. "I didn't know it was you…"
"No problem," Lin Fan said indifferently, then asked, "Which way to the Scripture Pavilion?"
"I'll take you there right away, Senior Brother Lin!" the disciple replied with a fawning grin and eagerly took the lead.
After Lin Fan walked away, the group of disciples collectively sighed in relief.
"Say, who exactly is this Lin Fan? Even the Grand Elder took him as a disciple."
"How would we know? We'd best not gossip about important figures."
"True that. It's not our place to comment."
Following that disciple, Lin Fan passed through a grove of purple bamboo and arrived in front of the Scripture Pavilion.
The Scripture Pavilion had five floors in total.
Its roof was covered in jade-green tiles, and its supporting beams were made of Xingchen Wood—far stronger than steel.
The entire structure appeared towering and majestic, with the green tiles shimmering under sunlight, casting an air of mystery over the pavilion.
Only inner sect disciples were allowed access to the first floor. Core disciples could enter the second. The third was reserved for elders. As for the fourth and fifth floors, only the Sect Master or the Grand Elder could enter.
However, Lin Fan had special privileges granted by Yun San—he could access all but the top two floors.
When Lin Fan arrived at the entrance, the disciple guarding the door immediately greeted him with respect: "Senior Brother Lin, allow me to guide you."
The disciple who had led him here was stunned to see this. "He can go in without a permit?"
Ordinary disciples needed to register every time and have their master's approval before entering.
But considering Lin Fan's status, it wasn't so surprising after all.
Inside the Scripture Pavilion
Under the guard disciple's guidance, Lin Fan walked through two corridors and entered the interior of the pavilion.
The first floor housed low- to mid-grade Yellow-rank martial and cultivation techniques.
The second floor held high-grade Yellow-rank and low-grade Mystic-rank techniques.
In this world, martial and cultivation techniques were divided into four main tiers: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, Yellow
Each tier was further subdivided into: High, Mid, and Low grades.
Low Yellow-rank was the lowest; the higher, the better.
Heaven-rank techniques were the rarest and were said to be possessed only by ancient noble families and powerful sects.
Lin Fan walked to the end of a corridor, gently pushed open a door, and entered.
Inside were rows upon rows of martial techniques and cultivation manuals—this was only the first floor.
He walked over to the Yellow-rank mid-grade section, searching for something suitable.
Staring at the rows of techniques, Lin Fan thought, I don't have a solid foundation. A Yellow mid-grade technique should be about right. Start simple.
He picked up a manual and began flipping through it.
"Seven Star Palm"
After reading for a while, he closed it.
He didn't need a palm technique right now—it wasn't a priority.
Then he picked up another one.
"Scorching Sun Sword Technique"
Though it fit his needs, it was only Yellow-rank low-grade—not good enough.
"Flowing Cloud Leg"
"Buddha Radiance Kick"
"Eight Strike Fist"
….
After browsing for half an hour, he still hadn't found a suitable technique.
At that moment, a dusty manual in the corner caught his eye. Its cover was rust-red like old iron, coated in dust.
He crouched down, picked it up, and brushed it clean with his hand.
Opening it, he began to read.
"Dragon Abyss Wave-Breaking Sword"
It had four forms:
First Sword: Strike from above—when the enemy least expects it!
Second Sword: In a blink—sword energy like the wind!
Third Sword: Shatter mountains, cut rivers—like a deep-sea dragon!
Each form was explained in detail—how to practice it, how to pair it with inner energy, complete with illustrations.
The annotations showed how to synchronize it with Dou Qi to unleash its full power.
Incredibly beginner-friendly.
After a short while, Lin Fan closed the manual.
"You'll do! Dragon Abyss Sword Technique!"
Now that Yun San had given him a sword, this technique was a perfect match.
Yellow-rank mid-grade was also sufficient for him at the moment.
"Now I just need a movement technique."
He moved to another section to browse.
"Ghost Fiend Steps"
He shook his head. Too flashy.
"Steps Amid the Clouds"
Not practical in real combat.
"Phantom Trace Steps"
He picked up this technique wrapped in a blue book cover.
"Hm? This one's perfect. Useful in both real fights and general movement."
"Phantom Steps"
First Stage: Wind beneath your feet—move in a flash, like a shadow.
Second Stage: Only an afterimage remains—your true form unseen, swift as the breeze.
Third Stage: Arrive like a shadow, leave like the wind—vanishing without a trace.
This technique had no extra notes—just those brief lines.
"Isn't this a bit barebones? Not even a single annotation?" Lin Fan stared blankly at the few lines.
But from the phrasing, it seemed to have potential.
After browsing a few other manuals, he still chose "Phantom Steps."
Having selected his two techniques, Lin Fan didn't linger and returned to his residence.
Now that the techniques were chosen, it was time to train.
After all, he was already slated to participate in the sect competition—he had to make good use of his time.
He then took out the Dragon Abyss Wave-Breaking Sword Manual.