Xia Chen didn't miss a single Cultivation Technique on the third and fourth floors, collecting them all.
Afterward, he arrived at the fifth floor.
The fifth floor was spacious, but it only held a hundred Cultivation Techniques.
Xia Chen continued to follow the same method. He could feel that the time required to collect Cultivation Techniques varied between different floors.
For example, on the first floor, most could be collected in two or three seconds, while on the fifth floor, it took at least one or two minutes.
Xia Chen waited patiently. On this floor, he discovered that there were Cultivation Techniques for a thousand-person military formation.
These could mobilize the power of the entire army to bolster oneself.
There were ten in total, specially placed in one area.
Another area held Buddhist Daoist Magic, while a different corner displayed some Confucian calligraphy and paintings. Each calligraphy scroll and painting contained a special Dao Rhyme, imbued with vast True Qi.
This was greatly beneficial to scholars who followed the Confucian Dao.
"Engrave!"
Xia Chen walked up to these calligraphies and paintings and immediately began to engrave them!
Watching the progress bar on the panel, Xia Chen smiled.
Finally, after collecting and engraving all the Cultivation Techniques on the fifth floor, Xia Chen picked up a Body Refining Cultivation Technique called "Crimson Sun Body Tempering Art" and began to pretend to read it.
But at the same time, he said inwardly,
"Begin deduction and infusion!"
【System is deducing!】
Five minutes later, new text appeared on the panel.
【Infusing the Profound Truth of "Crimson Sun Body Tempering Art"!】
【Progress: 5%】
【Progress: 35%】
【Progress: 78%】
...
The entire transmission process lasted three minutes. Xia Chen felt his skin become scorching hot, as if his flesh and bones were being tempered by lava. Every piece of flesh felt as if it was being hammered by a divine craftsman, knocking out Impurities.
In Xia Chen's eyes, a great sun rose. The Profound Truth of Shouyang Demon-Piercing Blade he had previously comprehended fused with the Profound Truth of Crimson Sun Body Tempering.
Every drop of blood became thick, containing the most potent Yin and Yang Qi!
The entire fifth-floor space became scorching hot, as if it had entered the height of summer.
Xia Chen himself was like a piece of steel freshly forged from a high-temperature furnace.
Xia Hong and Xia Huang, the two clan elders, instantly appeared on the fifth floor, their gazes solemn as they watched Xia Chen's transformation.
"Did he comprehend the Crimson Sun Body Tempering Art?"
"He comprehended the Profound Truth of Crimson Sun so quickly?"
Both of them exclaimed at the same time!
Their eyes flashed with disbelief.
They knew about the Crimson Sun Body Tempering Art Cultivation Technique. It was greatly beneficial for martial artists' cultivation, and even had some effect on those in the Fourth Realm.
That was why it was placed on the fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
The entire Scripture Pavilion was within their perception. Originally, when they saw Xia Chen casually browsing the Cultivation Techniques, they didn't pay much attention.
But how did he suddenly comprehend the Crimson Sun Body Tempering Art?
Both of their heads were filled with question marks!
Xia Chen slowly opened his eyes. The great sun in his eyes slowly receded, and the surging Qi and blood from his pores also slowly converged. His skin was no longer crimson.
"Fourth Grandpa, Sixth Grandpa, why are you here!"
Xia Chen asked, feigning curiosity. He naturally knew that such an important Scripture Pavilion, which was the very Foundation of the Marquis's Mansion, would definitely be guarded.
"How did you comprehend the Crimson Sun Body Tempering Art so quickly?"
Xia Hong, being impatient, was the first to ask.
"I don't know either. I was just looking at it, and then I suddenly had an epiphany!"
Xia Chen scratched his head, looking naive and adorable. This innocent expression was like an advanced version of Xia Wen.
Xia Hong's face full of questions was suddenly blocked, leaving him speechless.
Don't know?
Suddenly had an epiphany?
Is it that simple?
Xia Huang didn't speak. He stepped forward and grabbed Xia Chen's hand, a surge of True Qi flowing into Xia Chen's body to investigate.
He suspected that this grandson had a problem.
But he circulated it through Xia Chen's Meridians and found no issues. Instead, he felt that Xia Chen's physique was incredibly robust, and his Foundation was exceptionally deep.
"His bone structure is indeed ordinary, not suitable for martial arts, but his Foundation is very deep!"
Xia Huang's face was full of questions, feeling that it was a bit bizarre.
"With so many Cultivation Techniques, why did you choose this one? Also, what were you doing earlier?"
Xia Hong asked the questions in his heart. Xia Chen's previous actions were too puzzling.
"I heard that ancient sages extensively studied many scriptures, integrating the Profound Truth of myriad schools to create astonishing Daoist Magic. Therefore, I overestimated myself and wanted to emulate the ancients!"
Xia Chen rubbed his hands, saying with some embarrassment.
"As for why I chose this one, I felt that this Cultivation Technique was somewhat similar to the Shouyang Demon-Piercing Blade I had previously comprehended. I had an epiphany, so I chose this one."
Xia Huang chuckled, then burst into hearty laughter.
"You little rascal, you even want to emulate the sages?"
He laughed. It had been many years since he had heard something so amusing, but he quickly realized that such unrestrained laughter might discourage the child, so he quickly added a warning.
"How old are you? How much experience can you have? And your Realm is too low. Extensive study of many scriptures is too early for you. What you need now is to focus on one path. Even if you have outstanding talent, at most, choose an auxiliary path. Don't learn too many Cultivation Techniques, otherwise, it will be harmful to your Realm, state of mind, and so on!"
Xia Chen nodded repeatedly.
"Although your martial Dao talent is not good, your Comprehension Ability is outstanding. Perhaps in the future, you might still achieve something."
Xia Hong encouraged him.
"Yes!"
Xia Chen chatted with Xia Hong and Xia Huang for a while longer. The two elders patiently explained various cultivation precautions one by one, and only then did Xia Chen take his leave.
Watching Xia Chen's retreating figure as he left the Scripture Pavilion, Xia Hong sighed.
"It's a pity for this child. His Comprehension Ability is a Prodigy, but he has a crippled physique. How unfair is Heaven!"
"Why didn't we let this child follow the Confucian Dao back then? Didn't I hear that he used to follow Old Third, Xia Han, when he was little?
Why didn't they let him continue? With such astonishing Comprehension Ability, if he followed the Confucian Dao to cultivate vast righteous Qi, our Xia family might be able to produce a great Confucian!"
Xia Huang also spoke with a pained expression. He was truly heartbroken that such a promising future had been delayed.
Their Xia family, for 600 years, had mostly been crude martial artists. In the imperial court, they were often looked down upon and suppressed by those literati. If Xia Chen became a great Confucian, perhaps their Xia family would produce a literary lineage in the future.
Making their Yin and Yang balanced.
Xia Hong was silent, but finally, he slowly spoke.
"I heard... that back then, Old Second sent a letter from the Eastern Wilderness Battlefield to Old Third, saying that his child should practice martial arts. Even if he had a crippled physique, even if his blood splattered on the battlefield in the future, he should hold a blade in his hands, not a brush..."
A long silence fell over the Scripture Pavilion.
After a long while, a voice finally sounded again.
"Alas, Old Second, Xia Yuan, is a good man and a good general. He is intelligent and talented, and he didn't disgrace our Marquis's Mansion. But... only in terms of being a father, he was somewhat lacking!"
Xia Huang shook his head, recalling Xia Yuan's attitude towards Xia Chen that he had once heard about, sighing endlessly!
...
【"When the Heavenly Emperor was young, his parents rarely showed him affection or care. The Heavenly Emperor was alone and grew up solitary within the clan.
None of the clan elders thought highly of the Heavenly Emperor's martial arts talent, yet the Heavenly Emperor was resolute and unyielding from a young age, persistent and diligent in his studies, extensively reading many scriptures, and possessing extraordinary Comprehension Ability.
One day, the Heavenly Emperor was in the Scripture Pavilion, and in a short while, he comprehended a Cultivation Technique. When the clan elders heard of it, they were all shocked!"
— "Xia History", Volume One, Annals of Emperor Taizu】
