After returning to his small courtyard, Zhaang Ye first devoured a hearty meal before climbing into bed and sleeping like a log. He slept for a full day and night. When he awoke, he felt an indescribable energy coursing through him, and his mind was exceptionally clear.
Zhaang Ye picked up a book and discovered his memory had become much stronger. He could now recall the gist of anything after reading it just once. What made him even happier was that his Computation Power and understanding had also improved significantly. He found he could quickly grasp the root of various martial arts problems after only a moment of thought.
'It seems my brain underwent some kind of wonderful transformation after the memory fusion. It's become much more powerful,' Zhaang Ye thought, overjoyed. 'Before, my aptitude was poor, and my mind was slow. My aptitude is still low, but my understanding and Computation Power are far beyond what they once were. As long as I can learn and memorize things faster than others, I'll be able to walk the path of the strong eventually, even with my poor aptitude!'
Once his excitement subsided, Zhaang Ye suddenly remembered something. 'Now that I've advanced to the Martial Arts Second Layer, it's time I visited the family's Library Pavilion to find a few Martial Arts to cultivate.'
The Cultivation Technique Zhaang Ye currently practiced came from a book titled Martial Arts Enlightenment. As its name suggested, Martial Arts Enlightenment recorded only the most fundamental knowledge, such as "Basic Inner Power," "Basic Body Technique," "Basic Fist Technique," "Basic Palm Technique," "Basic Swordsmanship," "Basic Saber Technique," and "Martial Arts Common Sense." The content was richly illustrated, making it easy to understand even for an ordinary person with no exposure to Martial Arts.
The Zhaang Family stipulated that only those who cultivated their Basic Inner Power to the Martial Arts Second Layer were qualified to visit the family's Library Pavilion and choose a suitable Martial Art. Zhaang Ye had been stuck at the Martial Arts First Layer and was thus unable to obtain a Martial Art. Now that he had advanced to the Martial Arts Second Layer, it was the perfect time to acquire one.
「Zhaang Family, Library Pavilion.」
The Library Pavilion was one of the Zhaang Family's most mysterious locations, housing a treasured collection of various Martial Arts Secret Manuals. The Library Pavilion was semi-exclusive, open only to family disciples who had reached the Second Layer Heaven of Martial Arts. Every Martial Artist who achieved this level had the right to enter the pavilion for free once. To enter again, they were required to pay a fee.
Zhaang Ye strode toward the Library Pavilion. Just as he was about to enter, a boy of twelve or thirteen with an arrogant expression, dressed in green robes, walked out. Upon seeing him, Zhaang Ye's brow furrowed slightly.
This green-robed boy was Zhaang Dashu, Zhaang Ye's half-brother. Zhaang Dashu ran with the same crowd as Zhaang Fang and had always been at odds with Zhaang Ye. Zhaang Dashu was at the Mid-stage Second Layer of Martial Arts, and relying on his strength, he had given Zhaang Ye trouble on many occasions. Because of this, Zhaang Ye had absolutely no goodwill toward his half-brother.
"Hm? Zhaang Ye?" Zhaang Dashu said, slightly surprised to see him. "This is the family's Library Pavilion. You need the strength of the Martial Arts Second Layer to be qualified to enter. Zhaang Ye, what's a piece of trash like you doing here?"
The Desolate Continent was a place where the strong preyed on the weak; it was never considered excessive for the powerful to address the weak however they pleased. Zhaang Dashu saw nothing wrong with calling Zhaang Ye "trash." In fact, he had always called him that.
Zhaang Ye gave Zhaang Dashu a cool glance and, without a word, walked directly into the Library Pavilion.
"You..."
Ordinarily, seeing such a nonchalant attitude from Zhaang Ye would have sent Zhaang Dashu into a fury. He would have blocked Zhaang Ye's path to bully and humiliate him. But now, Zhaang Ye's every movement seemed to carry a subtle, profound aura, making him seem to merge with the Library Pavilion itself. He exuded an imposing presence that couldn't be trifled with, and for a moment, Zhaang Dashu didn't dare to act rashly.
'The Second Layer Heaven of Martial Arts! That piece of trash Zhaang Ye actually advanced to the Second Layer Heaven of Martial Arts! How is that possible…' Zhaang Dashu stared at Zhaang Ye's retreating figure, his expression turning grim as his mind raced.
Zhaang Ye entered the Library Pavilion and saw a white-bearded Elder sitting cross-legged on a stone stool. He was silent and motionless, yet he exuded an aura as heavy and immovable as a mountain.
Zhaang Ye bowed to the white-bearded Elder and said in a solemn voice, "I have advanced to the Martial Arts Second Layer and hereby request entry into the Library Pavilion."
Without opening his eyes, the white-bearded Elder flicked his long sleeve, sending a nearby Beast Hide Scroll flying toward Zhaang Ye. "Record your name, your parents' names, and the time of your advancement on there for our records," he said.
Zhaang Ye caught the Beast Hide Scroll, wrote down his information as instructed, then placed the scroll back on the stone table in front of the white-bearded Elder.
The white-bearded Elder opened his eyes, glanced at the Beast Hide Scroll, and gave Zhaang Ye a slight nod. "Your aptitude is rather low," he said. "Ordinarily, you might not have been able to advance even by the age of forty. The fact that you reached the Martial Arts Second Layer at thirteen proves you have excellent willpower and perseverance! According to the Zhaang Family rules, every disciple at the Martial Arts Second Layer may select two suitable Low-Level Martial Skills from the Library Pavilion. You may now enter and find the Martial Arts that suit you. Remember, you only have the time it takes for three incense sticks to burn. When time is up, you must leave the Library, whether you have chosen a suitable Secret Manual or not."
Zhaang Ye bowed to the white-bearded Elder once more, then turned and entered the Library.
Although the Zhaang Family was only a small clan, several hundred years of history meant their Library had accumulated a considerable number of Secret Manuals. Zhaang Ye swept his gaze across the spacious room and saw over a dozen neat rows of bookshelves, all packed with various Martial Arts Secret Manuals. A rough estimate put the number of volumes at no less than a thousand.
Time was limited, so Zhaang Ye wasted no time browsing and immediately began his search for a suitable Martial Art.
Zhaang Ye first sought out a Body Technique. A Body Technique could be used for travel, evasion, and escape; nearly every Martial Artist cultivated one, and Zhaang Ye would be no exception.
After searching for a while, Zhaang Ye finally chose a Secret Manual. It was titled the Jinghong Technique. Cultivated to the Great Success Realm, it granted the user speed as swift as a swan in startled flight. It was considered one of the fastest Body Techniques among all Low-Level Martial Skills.
With a Body Technique chosen, Zhaang Ye next looked for an offensive Martial Art. After searching for a long time, an Incomplete Saber Manual caught his eye.
This Saber Manual was only a little over twenty pages long and recorded only a single saber move. The move was based on the principle of "a gentle breeze on the face; one sees only the breeze, not the saber." It was an exceptionally profound Saber Technique.
"One of the Zhaang Family Elders acquired this Incomplete Saber Manual by chance," the white-bearded Elder, who had approached without Zhaang Ye noticing, explained. "In terms of grade, it should be a Mid-Level Martial Skill, but it was placed in the Low-Level Martial Arts Area because it's incomplete. The manual's name is lost to time. All we know is that this Nameless Saber Manual originally contained three saber moves, and the one our Zhaang Family acquired is the first. To master this Saber Technique, one needs exceptional Comprehension. Without it, you could practice for decades and get nowhere. Zhaang Ye, your Comprehension is quite ordinary. I advise you to give up on this Incomplete Saber Manual."
'Exceptional Comprehension?' The words made Zhaang Ye's heart stir. Since his memory fusion, his Computation Power and understanding had grown much stronger. He could solve problems that once baffled him after only a moment of thought. He just wondered, 'Do Computation Power and understanding count as Comprehension?'
After a moment of reflection, Zhaang Ye said, "Thank you for the warning, Elder. I've made my decision. I'll take this Incomplete Saber Manual."
Seeing Zhaang Ye's resolute expression, the white-bearded Elder slowly shook his head. "Since you've made your choice, I will say no more. Though the saber move in this Incomplete Saber Manual is immensely powerful, very few have ever managed to master it. Let's hope you are the exception."