Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Sugar-Coated Cannonballs
Although it was a compulsory conscription, the Defense Area did indeed offer some sweeteners.
Wang Chen brought home equipment that included a Cloud Light Mana Robe, a Goose-quill Ritual Saber, three Evil-Repelling Talismans, an Armor and Horse Talisman, a Flying Flame Talisman, a bottle of Qi Recovery Pills, and a bottle of Healing Pills.
And three books!
The robe and the ritual saber were both low-tier first-rank standardized magic artifacts.
Although he only had the right to use them, they had to be returned to the Defense Area after the night patrol tasks were completed.
But having two magic artifacts with him undoubtedly enhanced his strength by a lot.
As for the talismans and pills, there’s no need to say more, they could all be used to save his life at critical moments.
The three books were quite interesting, respectively titled “Catalogue of Monster Oddities,” “Treatise on Evil Wraiths,” and “Night Watch Discourse.”
“Catalogue of Monster Oddities” and “Treatise on Evil Wraiths” were both thick volumes, illustrating hundreds of common monsters and evil beings in detail, and expounded on their characteristics.
Wang Chen spent an afternoon committing the contents of these two books to memory.
Because during the night patrol tasks, he could very well encounter the monster beasts or evil wraiths recorded in the books.
Knowing both your enemies and yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; even if you can’t defeat them, you can still run or call for help.
If one didn’t even know what the enemy was, how could one respond adequately?
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Thus, Wang Chen believed these two books were very valuable.
After promoting to the fourth tier of Qi Cultivation, Wang Chen’s Divine Soul reached a level of 3+8 points, which was the strongest among the four major attributes.
Besides having an extraordinarily keen Perception, his reaction time and memory also far exceeded that of an ordinary person.
It was not difficult for him to memorize this knowledge.
With the help of “Catalogue of Monster Oddities” and “Treatise on Evil Wraiths,” Wang Chen also got a glimpse of the profound heritage of the Cloud Sun Sect.
The printing and binding of these two books were very exquisite.
The content was detailed, the illustrations vivid, and they were easy to understand.
Without a group of people dedicated to collecting, researching, and compiling related materials, these books would certainly not exist.
Wang Chen believed.
In the Scripture Pavilion of the Cloud Sun Sect, there must be even richer and more detailed books of the same kind.
Knowledge is indeed power!
As for “Night Watch Discourse,” it was a manual for night watchmen.
It spelt out clearly what a night watchman should and shouldn’t do!
The content of this book was much less.
But Wang Chen felt it was even more important than “Catalogue of Monster Oddities” and “Treatise on Evil Wraiths.”
For that, he spent a whole night carefully studying and memorizing it.
It felt like going back to the days of preparing for college entrance exams in his previous life.
Only, if he botched his studies then, at worst he wouldn’t get into university, but not getting through these three books…
He might very well lose his life!
Besides the equipment, pills, talismans, and books, Wang Chen also got to pick two mid-tier spells for Qi Cultivation for free.
Two spell seeds with the Magic Seal Spell were added to his Sea of Consciousness.
The Fire Crow Technique and the Spirit Light Shield Armor!
The Fire Crow Technique belonged to Fire Aspect spells.
Among the many mid-tier spells, it was known for its long attack range, strong killing power, and versatility.
The caster could conjure one or multiple fire crows to strike the enemy, which, upon hitting the target, would produce a flame explosion effect, possessing considerable killing power against both evil wraiths and monster beasts.
Many cultivators whose elemental affinity was mainly fire would learn the Fire Crow Technique.
When used in actual combat, it could cause a considerable headache for the opponent.
But this spell also required a higher demand from the caster.
As for the Spirit Light Shield Armor, it was a body protection spell that mid-tier Qi Cultivation cultivators must learn!
The Fire Crow Technique and Spirit Light Shield Armor had considerable value, and if one were to obtain them through normal means by exchanging sect contribution points at the Dharma Transmission Hall, it would cost at least two to three hundred Merit Points.
Now Wang Chen had acquired them without spending a single Merit Point or Spirit Stone.
It was precisely because of this.
He became even more vigilant.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
The Immortal Gates weren’t running a charity, and they definitely wouldn’t offer benefits to Outer Sect disciples for free.
The more the Defense Area offered, the more dangerous the work proved to be!
Wang Chen had already smelled the sweet allure of temptation.
Therefore, in the following days,
he no longer practiced the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Right Method and Vajra Fist relentlessly, nor did he continue studying “Basic Talismanic Script Deciphering”.
Aside from the daily cultivation of the Five Elements Skill and tending to the Spirit Fields, he devoted most of his time to the Spirit Light Shield Armor.
He was determined to master the basics within three days!
Wang Chen was well aware that his 3-point Root Bone and Comprehension were the greatest obstacles in learning and mastering cultivation techniques and spells.
And since Spirit Light Shield Armor was a mid-tier Qi Cultivation spell,
the difficulty of starting was bound to be high.
Therefore, despite the pressing situation, he didn’t rush for quick success but patiently immersed himself in the perception of the spell essence.
At the same time, Wang Chen reluctantly emptied his Storage Bag and went to Cloud Mountain City to buy a packet of Cloud Mist Spiritual Tea.
Then he knocked on the door of Old Master Sun, the Village Chief, to consult with this elder cultivator.
Truth be told, Wang Chen could’ve gone to the Dharma Transmission Hall.
And sought guidance from the Dharma Transmission Elder.
But such a small token as a packet of Cloud Mist Spiritual Tea wouldn’t even warrant a second glance from them.
After learning about Wang Chen’s purpose, Old Master Sun stroked his long white beard and laughed, “For such a trivial matter, you should’ve come directly to me, no need for any gifts!”
Wang Chen replied respectfully, “It’s only right to pay my respects to you, elder.”
Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure; this old man had consumed more salt than the amount of rice he had eaten.
Being able to live safely past ninety years old and still looking hale and hearty, he must be very skilled in cautious cultivation.
Wang Chen believed that the elder would definitely provide him with the right guidance.
“Hmm.”
Old Master Sun was very pleased with Wang Chen’s attitude, “Alright then, ask me anything you want, I am also proficient in Spirit Light Shield Armor.”
Wang Chen immediately explained all the problems he had encountered.
Despite appearing old and frail,
Old Master Sun’s mind was still agile; he was knowledgeable and exhaustive in responding to Wang Chen’s inquiries.
Moreover, he shared many of his own experiences in cultivating Spirit Light Shield Armor.
It was an eye-opening moment for Wang Chen!
He felt it was indeed a wise decision to consult Old Master Sun.
The elder’s experience in cultivation was incredibly rich.
Finally, Wang Chen asked, “Old Master Sun, do you also know about the Fire Crow Technique?”
Old Master Sun shook his head, “My element primarily aligns with water.”
Water overcomes fire, and cultivators with a water aspect typically do not practice fire aspect spells.
The elder was half amused, half helpless, “Don’t treat me like a Dharma Transmission Elder, though!”
Wang Chen chuckled—he had indeed planned to glean some free experience.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all.
Nevertheless, Wang Chen’s visit was still very fruitful.
He even managed to score a meal from the old gentleman.
That very night, once Wang Chen returned home, he went straight to the quiet room.
In the quiet room, he cleared his mind and activated the mana in his Dantian to flow throughout his body.
With all five fingers executing the spell signs, Wang Chen, feeling a hint of Spiritual Light, suddenly thrust his right palm forward.
“Shield!”
Along with a deep shout, pure mana surged from his palm, condensing into a glittering shield right before his hand.
Spirit Light Shield Armor (Beginner): 0/100
Success!
In just two days’ time, Wang Chen had mastered the casting method for the Spirit Light Shield Armor.
He added this spell to his list of skills.
And he still had one more day to improve his proficiency with the Spirit Light Shield Armor.
To use the spell even more skillfully for his protection!
Here comes the second update, begging for votes.