"What is this training slip?" Ignoring the price, Yang Ze asked, tossing the so-called 'Training slip' in his hand. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't figure out how it worked. He considered placing it on his forehead again, but the man's next actions halted him.
"Shoo, shoo." The old man waved his hand as if shooing away a dog. His expression made it clear he wasn't in the mood to answer Yang Ze's question. Yang Ze's face darkened with frustration. He tossed the training slip back, stood up, and walked away. This wasn't the only place selling these things, and he refused to believe he wouldn't find more information elsewhere.
He wandered around aimlessly for a while. Most of the people sitting in the open market were disciples of the Moonlit Sect. The majority of the vendors were selling these so-called training slips, which only deepened Yang Ze's curiosity. Aside from those, there were all sorts of strange items—talismans he knew nothing about, countless pills, materials, and ores. He had to admit, visiting this market had truly opened his eyes to the world of cultivation.
If there was one thing that left him feeling helpless, it was how uncooperative the vendors were. A few got excited when he picked up their items, but as soon as he asked about the training slip and talisman, they quickly told him to move and not interrupt their business. To them, he was just a clueless newcomer. Wasting their time on him was the last thing they wanted to do.
"These people..." After being chased away by the ninth vendor, Yang Ze finally gave up on asking around. He cursed Chen Bo for leaving him here alone and running off to who knows where. Just as he was wondering how to learn more about these things, he suddenly felt someone pat him on the shoulder from behind.
"Looks like you're new to the Sect." A young boy, no older than fourteen, spoke with a voice that still held a hint of immaturity.
"Do you need help?" As he spoke, his eyes quickly scanned Yang Ze's robe. "For a price, of course."
"How much?" Yang Ze wasn't in the mood to haggle. He preferred these kinds of transactions where both parties got what they wanted. It would save him the time and effort of figuring it all out on his own.
"Umm..." Now it was the boy's turn to feel awkward. Before joining the sect, he had been a street hustler, barely scraping by day to day. He had thought his life would change after joining, but that wasn't the case. Aside from not worrying about food, he still had to earn everything himself. This forced him back into his old habits of scraping together what he could. Normally, disciples received a starting guide with detailed basic knowledge upon joining the sect. He wasn't sure why the boy in front of him hadn't received one, but it didn't stop him from trying to make some money.
"How about it?" Yang Ze thought for a moment, reached into his robe, pulled out a spirit stone, and tossed it to the boy.
"Umm." The boy caught the spirit stone absentmindedly, furrowing his brows. To him, gold and silver were far more useful than spirit stones.
"Forget it." Shaking his head, he pocketed the stone. Money was money, after all. Though it would take some effort, he could always trade the spirit stone for gold or silver.
"What do you want to know?" Now that he had received his payment, the boy's voice was even more amiable, so much so that an outsider might mistake him for Yang Ze's long-lost relative.
"What is this training slip?" Ignoring the boy's overreaction, Yang Ze pointed to the tree bark in the stall and asked his question.
"Oh, that?" The boy took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding in detail.
"It's a specialty of our Fourth Peak."
Noticing Yang Ze's furrowed brows, the boy continued to explain.
"Our Moonlit Sect has eight peaks, and each one has its own specialty. Take the first peak, for example—it excels in Blacksmithing. The second peak specializes in Puppetry."
"The third peak is known for its expertise in pill refining."
"And then there's our fourth peak, which is proficient in Jade slips."
"As long as one can think, they can carve it into the jade slips. This is the motto of our peak. The training slips you see are the most basic type. The creator etches their skills and techniques into a dummy, allowing others to practice and hone their abilities. The more powerful and numerous the skills, the higher the cost."
"I see." Yang Ze finally understood the purpose of the training slip. After a moment of thought, he asked again.
"What about the other peaks?"
"Oh, them? The fifth peak is focused on formations, and the sixth peak is the Beast Taming peak." The boy paused for a moment before continuing. "As for the seventh and eighth peaks, rumor has it that only the most talented and outstanding members of the sect are eligible to join them. Why? No one knows."
As Yang Ze listened, his shock grew. He had always known that he had never been in contact with the true world of cultivation, but it was only now that he realized just how severely lacking he was. Compared to the people here, he was truly a country bumpkin. If he hadn't come here, he would still be in the dark about all the countless things that existed in this world.
Formations, puppets, pills, jade slips—the more he listened, the more excited he became. For most people, mastering even one craft might take a lifetime. But for him... If he could add points to these skills, wouldn't he soar straight to the top? The more he thought about it, the more excited Yang Ze grew. The only thing troubling him was whether he could gain experience to master these skills. Besides, he still wanted to find more techniques to progress further in the Innate realm. He could still vividly remember the strength the old man had displayed a few days ago.
For a moment, Yang Ze felt lost, unsure of which direction to take. There were so many options that he didn't know where to begin.
"Do you know where I can buy information about jade slips?" Since the Fourth Peak specialized in jade slips, Yang Ze decided to start there. He wanted to understand how they were made and how far he could push their use.
"Sure, here it is." The moment Yang Ze asked, the boy pulled out a thin book from his robe and tossed it to him. "Every disciple who joins our Fourth Peak gets this book for free."
"Um." Yang Ze was left stunned. He had been prepared to pay a hefty price for it, but he hadn't expected it to be so easy. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Holding the book in his hand, he resisted the urge to open it immediately and carefully tucked it into his robe.
"What about martial arts and secret techniques? Do you have those for sale as well?" Yang Ze was curious to see if he could find a few more techniques.
The Seaheart Art he practiced ended upon reaching the Innate realm. Aside from the Seaheart Art, the only other techniques he had were Willow Steps and Black Tiger Kills—both of which were perfected. While the power of these two skills was overwhelming, he still felt the need for more. Take his battle with the Innate powerhouse, for example. He had an attack skill and a movement skill, but if he had a defensive skill to match the other two, he wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.
The more he thought about it, the firmer his decision became to acquire more skills.
"There are..." The boy furrowed his brows and thought for a moment before nodding. "The techniques and martial skills are easily available in the permanent shops." He pointed to the wooden stores in the distance and continued, "The people you see here only sell things with immediate effects."
"Besides... the market is at its peak on the fifteenth of every month. The people here are just a handful who have nothing else to do. Most disciples usually roam outside on tasks and then sell their items here on the fifteenth."
Listening to the boy, Yang Ze nodded in understanding. No wonder the market had seemed surprisingly empty when he arrived. It seemed he had come at the wrong time.
Glancing at the buildings in the distance, he thought for a moment before deciding to check them out as well. Since he was already here, he might as well explore everywhere.
...
"Greetings." As soon as Yang Ze and the boy entered the building, a pleasant voice greeted them. A woman in her mid-twenties smiled at them warmly. The boy's eyes were fixed on her, while Yang Ze scanned the surroundings.
The shop was much larger than he had expected. There were rows upon rows of various items, and a few people walked around, browsing.
"What are you looking for?" The woman addressed Yang Ze, completely ignoring the boy who seemed mesmerized by her beauty. She was used to such attention. Noticing how the boy had been following Yang Ze, she knew exactly who to focus on.
"I'm looking for martial skills, secret techniques... anything."
The woman nodded as she listened, then asked them to wait as she went to retrieve something. Moments later, she returned with a thin wooden slip.
"Everything we have, you can find it inside."
Yang Ze took the slip in his hands, which resembled a practice slip. He hesitated for a moment before placing it on his forehead.
"This is!?" When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in an empty open space, with twenty or so books floating in front of him. Each book was accompanied by a small line of text, displaying its information.
He checked the nearest book.
[Shadow Steps: A movement skill that requires practice in a dark environment. Divided into three realms. Cost - 200 Gold]
"Umm!?" Yang Ze was taken aback by the high price of 200 gold, but what really shocked him was the absurd requirement to practice in a dark environment.
He moved on to the next technique.
[Iron Fist: An attack skill that turns your fists into metal. Requires constant tempering of the fists in extreme heat. Cost - 300 Gold]
The more Yang Ze looked at the so-called skills, the more his frown deepened. Each skill had strict requirements for practice. As for the effects... they weren't bad, but they weren't that impressive either.
What Yang Ze didn't fully realize was that his only techniques came from the Yang Family. Even those were among the best skills — the kind that Yang Yuanzhen had exchanged with the Xuanwu Sect in hopes of advancing to the Innate realm. How could such powerful techniques compare to the lowly skills being sold in the market?
"Nothing?" After going through twelve of the books, Yang Ze was left speechless. For a moment, he even wondered if he had wandered into a shop in the city by mistake. These skills seemed almost useless to him, especially since he was looking for a defensive skill.
After going through the rest of the books, Yang Ze exited the space, shook his head, and left the shop under the resentful gaze of the beautiful lady.
"Don't worry, we'll definitely find something suitable for you." The boy, who had taken his money, smacked his lips and patted his chest to reassure him. Now that he had been paid, he was determined to fulfill his duty as a guide.
It wasn't until they visited the sixth shop that Yang Ze finally found a skill that seemed suitable for him.
[White Tortoise Art: A defensive skill that requires the tortoise's beast blood to practice. The higher the realm, the more precious tortoise blood is needed. Divided into five realms. When perfected, it can withstand attacks from Innate powerhouses. Cost - 1000 Gold]