Molting the Mortal Coil

Unfortunately, the Golden Egg was a rarity. Sage even went to the trouble of checking out the special store room. He had Xuan Bai bring out the contents of at least a dozen storage chests before he gave up. It was in fact merely an Antique shop and the vast majority of its contents were mundane objects of exceptional age and quality. Only a small percentage of them would qualify as Top-grade Mortal Treasures, and just like those weapons he’d seen were all priced far higher than other objects of their grade based on their age and history.

I’ll have to chalk the find up to a lucky find and not a change in my fortunes.

Thankful this wasn’t a casino, Sage regretfully settled his tab. Well, after another half-hour of compliments for Xuan Bai, insults for the Golden Egg, and polite bargaining. In the end, the balance was an even three thousand Spirit Stones. Sage’s savings had dwindled down to twelve hundred Spirit Stones, which made him quite pleased about the ten thousand contribution points he’d earned from the Expedition.

Sage planned to keep the weapons he’d found in order to study later. The same goes for the clothing from two of the closets. One of the rooms was for a woman so he planned on selling all the garments and accessories he found in it. He could keep them for study like the other outfits, but he was far more eager to earn more contribution points. The Contribution Points were worth roughly the same amount as Spirit Stones within the sect. The reason they were valuable was that many of the Sect related processes and expenses could only be purchased with Contribution Points. Most notably skills from the Million Skill Library and renting time in the Sunfire Pagoda.

After his change he had immediately noticed some deficiencies. Firstly, he needed a way to conceal his appearance. Secondly, he was far too weak in combat despite how skilled he was in so many professions. He had barely been able to beat the Twin Ringed Soul Serpent that he later found out was nearly a full Rank lower than he was. Demonic Beasts were usually stronger than Cultivators at the same rank due to their stronger bodies, and the Twin Ringed Soul Serpent’s Twin Soul was a uniquely dangerous feature. Certainly it wasn’t an easy confrontation for anyone, but even so he had many tools at his disposal he wasn’t making proper use of.

Heading to the Tailor’s Hall, Sage had the full wardrobe full of robes, dresses, and all sorts of other ladies garments and accessories put up for appraisal. Things were far less eccentric in the Tailor’s Hall, and Sage had even worked there for some time while he was earning his 1 star rankings as a Tailor and Weaver. Each of the Profession Halls were massive organizations that did the same amount of business as an entire county despite their much smaller amounts of manpower. Sage assumed he’d merely get a quick appraisal done and he’d be out of the door in a few minutes. His assumption was wrong.

It took a few minutes for the Apprentice Tailor that was working as an Appraisal Clerk to fetch a high-ranked Tailor that was also a high-ranked Appraiser. It seems the quality of the garments he’d brought were far higher than he thought. After a flurry of activity and even a couple second opinions, Sage finally got a quote. He couldn’t wear the clothing even if he wanted to, and most clothing required disassembly to study, so he didn’t hesitate.

Sage slithered up to a remarkable nondescript building. It looked much like a normal large home of the common style. Red wood, peaked tile roofs, and elaborate decorative woodwork. Any well off family might have just such a home with a wall and well-maintained grounds around it. The difference was that this building was merely sitting on the side of the road and had the words ‘Million Skill Library’ written on a sign above the entrance. As Sage moved closer he noticed that the red lacquered wood was not actually wood, but a specially treated stone. Stepping into the front entrance he admired a veritable fortress of array formations around him. Beyond the arrays were two huge statues of warriors in full armor. They each held a massive polearm and stood to either side of a set of double doors.

The Million Skill Library was the repository for all the skills and techniques that the Holy Flame Sect had earned over countless generations. Anyone with a Holy Flame Sect Token would be able to pass through the heavily guarded entrance and enter the first level of the Library. Those that didn’t would have to face down hundreds of defensive arrays and the two golems that looked like mere statues. This wasn’t the only security, it was barely the tip of the iceberg. The arrays protecting the outside of the building were ten times more powerful than the ones in the entranceway. Even more terrifying was that the protections for each higher level of the library were at least two or three times stronger than the preceding layers.

The first floor of the library consisted of techniques open to all the Disciples of the Sect divided up into sections based on Profession, Elemental Nature, Weapons, Agility, and other general categories. Anyone in the Sect was free to purchase a copy for their own individual study, but only after swearing upon an Oathstone not to share the technique with anyone else. Each technique scroll is also sealed with a self-destruct trap that activates upon being tampered with. They can only be opened by using a Sect Token, which automatically shatter upon the death of a Cultivator. The second and third floor of the library was smaller and overlooked the first floor by means of a balcony. The skills were divided into the same general sections as the first floor but was different in that each section was separated from the others. Each of these sections required qualifications and clearance to access. For the most part the second floor required a Cultivator to be an official member of a Profession to access techniques for that profession, or an Inner Court Disciple to access the combat and cultivation related techniques. The third floor was similarly divided, but accessible only to Elders, or by special clearance. Elders were free to award techniques for achievement, or handed out to the most gifted or talented Disciples.

There was also another section in the Million Skill Library that very few were ever privy to. The Restricted section was essentially an unknown number of basement lock rooms. These rooms were so secretive that not even the Sect Master knew the contents of all the Restricted Library rooms, nor even how many rooms there were. Sage had heard only this much from rumors, as nobody that had access to a Restricted Library room would even share that fact with other people. He was only here to see whether Peak Master Zhen’s promise to give him access to the Seals was true or not. He had suspicions that it may have been a lie to gain his compliance. Sage approached the Librarian who was an Elder of the Library, a title that put his rank above Elders, Great Elders, and just below the Peak Masters.

“Lang Sheng greets Elder. I would like to access a Restricted Library.”

The Librarian examined him for a moment before nodding and leading him towards the back of the Library. After passing down a long hallway covered in just as many arrays as the entranceway to the Library, the two of them stood in front of a simple looking door. The Librarian pointed at a pedestal off to the side of the door, “Put your Sect Token in the depression.”

After giving these instructions, the Librarian turned and walked away, leaving Sage to his own devices.