"Who created this?" Lin Mu wondered aloud.
"Someone with a dislike for teeth," Xukong replied.
Lin Mu chuckled and continued browsing. None of the techniques suited his current cultivation path. Several directly conflicted with the Tyrant Bull Marrow Secrets. Others would interfere with the Three Aperture Invoking Technique.
Lin Mu still studied them as every cultivation technique contained ideas. Even a technique he could never practice might contain a principle that could be useful elsewhere. Lin Mu gradually became increasingly impressed by the Wild Peak’s collection.
The number of High Grade body cultivation techniques was astonishing. Hundreds of thousands of them filled the shelves. Some were ancient and others had been created by Wild Peak cultivators.
Several had been acquired from destroyed sects or ancient ruins.
Lin Mu looked around. "There aren’t any restrictions."
He had already touched dozens of High Grade techniques. His disciple token had never reacted. No formation stopped him. No elder appeared. He could read whatever he wanted.
’If this were anywhere else, these manuals would be hidden behind hundreds of arrays,’ Lin Mu thought.
A High Grade body cultivation technique could bee the foundation of a powerful clan. Some smaller sects might possess only one and even major sects usually restricted access.
Disciples needed merit points, elder remendations, or contribution records. Sometimes they needed to swear oaths. Here, the manuals simply sat on shelves. Any Wild Peak disciple could walk inside and read them.
"And yet they’re just kept here for anyone to take a look," Lin Mu muttered.
"Consider where you are," Xukong replied.
Lin Mu nodded.
The Heavenly Stream Guardian Sect controlled an entire world. This world was their headquarters. There were no rival sects nearby. There were no enemy kingdoms. Every teleportation array was monitored and every major spatial passage was controlled.
Stealing a technique and escaping would be incredibly difficult.
More importantly, Lin Mu suspected the sect simply possessed so many techniques that they did not care about restricting the High Grade ones.
"Only a sect like this could do it." Lin Mu moved toward the next section.
According to the central array, this area contained Top Grade body cultivation techniques. Lin Mu’s interest immediately increased. He approached the first shelf as a stone tablet rested upon it.
Lin Mu reached forward but then his fingers stopped and an invisible barrier appeared.
Lin Mu blinked. "Huh?"
He tried again but the barrier remained.
"They actually have a restriction." Lin Mu was genuinely surprised.
After seeing hundreds of thousands of High Grade techniques available freely, he had almost expected the Top Grade techniques to be equally accessible. Lin Mu took out his disciple token as the formation reacted.
A wave of information entered his mind.
It was incredibly brief as only four words appeared.
’Show your worth.’
Lin Mu stared at the stone tablet.
"...That’s all?"
No explanation followed. No merit point requirement. No cultivation realm requirement. No elder remendation. No list of missions. Just nothing.
"Show your worth," Lin Mu repeated.
Xukong chuckled. "That certainly sounds appropriate for the Wild Peak."
Lin Mu looked around as there had to be a method. Perhaps the barrier judged strength. Perhaps it recorded achievements. Maybe the disciples needed to defeat someone?
Considering the Wild Peak, Lin Mu wouldn’t be surprised if the requirement involved punching a mountain until the formation became satisfied.
Lin Mu placed his hand against the invisible barrier again. "How exactly am I supposed to show my worth?"
The formation remained silent and Lin Mu waited but nothing happened.
He narrowed his eyes. "Do I punch it?"
For the first time since entering the library, Lin Mu suddenly understood why the Wild Peak had built the entire place inside a mountain.
With disciples like these, even their library probably expected to be attacked.
Lin Mu stared at the invisible barrier for a few more moments before slowly withdrawing his hand. The thought of punching it had genuinely crossed his mind, especially considering the kind of place the Wild Peak was, but after a little consideration, he decided against it.
There was no telling what kind of formation had been built into the barrier, and while Lin Mu doubted a simple punch would seriously endanger him, the same could not be said for his disguise.
If the formation reacted strangely to his strength or somehow detected something unusual about his body, he would have a far greater problem on his hands.
"I should ask someone first," Lin Mu muttered. "There are enough disciples outside. At least one of them should know how this works."
"Probably," Xukong replied. "Though considering what you have seen of the Wild Peak so far, there is also a chance that each disciple has a different explanation."
Lin Mu imagined asking ten Wild Peak disciples how to unlock the restricted techniques and receiving ten pletely different answers.
One might tell him to punch the barrier. Another might tell him to wrestle an Immortal Beast. A third might suggest eating an entire mountain of meat, while someone else would probably claim that screaming at the formation for three days had worked for them.
"...I’ll still ask," Lin Mu decided.
He gave the restricted section one final glance before turning away.
His curiosity about the Top Grade techniques had certainly increased, though. The Wild Peak had freely placed countless High Grade body cultivation techniques within the library and allowed every disciple to read them without any apparent restriction.
The fact that the Top Grade techniques were protected meant the sect considered them significantly more valuable. There was also another possibility... They might be dangerous. Body cultivation techniques were already notorious for carrying greater physical risks than ordinary Qi cultivation techniques.
A mistake while circulating Qi could damage the meridians or Dantian, though there were usually ways to stop before the damage became permanent. Body cultivation techniques often demanded that the practitioner deliberately damage their own flesh, bones, organs, or blood before rebuilding them into a stronger state.
A Top Grade technique could take those requirements to an entirely different level.
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