A single thought bloomed simultaneously in the minds of every cultivator present: We’ve hit the jackpot!!
The first floor alone held far more than ten thousand techniques! If they could take just a few of these out, it would be worth more than a decade of grueling toil.
A wave of greed rose in the cultivators’ hearts.
Though these cultivators were already salivating over the techniques on the shelves, they were still intimidated by Qin Tang’s earlier display of power and dared not make any rash moves.
Qin Tang seemed oblivious to the strange atmosphere among the cultivators.
He gazed at the rows upon rows of bookshelves, a look of nostalgia in his eyes.
Then, he spoke slowly, “The Dao of the heart lies in focus, in courage, and in perseverance.
“This first trial will test your capacity for focus.
“Here, you will find 36,541 techniques. Over the next three months, you will remain here and copy these techniques.
“After three months, I will evaluate you based on both the quantity and quality of your copies.”
Upon hearing Qin Tang’s words, the cultivators present were overjoyed.
They were being given free access to copy all these techniques?
Just memorizing a few techniques would make this entire venture worthwhile, even if they gained nothing else afterward.
Ignoring the cultivators’ reactions, Qin Tang casually pointed a finger.
Over a hundred sets of desks and chairs rose from the floor of the pavilion.
On each desk were a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone.
“Well then, you may begin. I hope you won’t disappoint me.” Qin Tang produced a gourd of wine from somewhere and took another gulp.
Then he leaned back against the wall and went completely still, as if he had fallen asleep.
With Qin Tang’s permission, the cultivators could no longer restrain themselves.
They rushed to the bookshelves, snatching up the techniques to examine them closely.
A moment later, the pavilion erupted into a cacophony of noise.
“This is...? How is this possible?”
“Golden Blaze Art... a fire attribute technique. It can be cultivated all the way to the Nascent Soul realm?”
“This one, this one, and this one too... they’re all Nascent Soul techniques?”
“Haha, we’ve hit the jackpot! We’ve truly hit the jackpot this time!”
Watching the cultivators descend into a state of near madness, Li Fan couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
He casually picked up a single technique, selected a desk, sat down, and began copying it.
He didn’t bother delving into the technique’s content, instead patiently transcribing it word for word, sentence by sentence.
This was because these techniques were all illusions!
In his previous life, the countless cultivators who had explored this place had already reached a definitive conclusion about the techniques that appeared in this trial.
No matter what method was used to record the techniques during the trial, all records would vanish the moment one left the Cloudwater Palace, as if they had never existed at all.
These alluring tens of thousands of techniques were nothing more than flowers in a mirror, or the moon’s reflection on water, tools designed to tempt the mind.
While a few among the present cultivators might have vaguely suspected the truth, how many could truly resist the temptation to study genuine Nascent Soul techniques in detail?
One or two had even become completely engrossed in the profundities of the techniques, delaying their copying altogether.
Even when reminded by others, they constantly interrupted their transcriptions, glancing back to reread passages.
Those like Li Fan, whose brush flew across the paper, copying without pause, were few and far between.
The paper and ink were seemingly endless.
Soon, Li Fan finished copying the technique in his hand. He returned it to the shelf and selected another.
Li Fan’s utterly detached demeanor caught the attention of some.
After a moment of thoughtful consideration, they too abandoned their initial attempts to memorize the techniques and focused solely on transcribing them.
As for those still utterly lost in the techniques, no one felt particularly inclined to offer them a reminder.
The days went by.
Such endless copying was a monotonous and arduous task. But, tempered by the earlier lessons, no one dared to use techniques to cut corners.
Soon, some began to falter, unable to maintain their pace. They couldn't help but stop to rest.
Some closed their eyes for a brief moment to recover before immediately picking up their brushes again.
Others took a proper, thorough break before rallying their spirits and starting anew.
Li Fan, however, did not rest for a single moment.
There were two or three others who, like Li Fan, seemed tireless.
They appeared to possess exceptional stamina and mental fortitude, likely due to the cultivation techniques they practiced, showing no signs of strain even after long periods without sleep or rest.
Li Fan, on the other hand, was purely and simply gritting his teeth and enduring.
He understood clearly that for this stage, Qin Tang's evaluation wasn't just based on the number of techniques copied or the frequency of errors.
Another crucial criterion was the total duration one spent writing—from the moment the brush was picked up until the moment it was set down.
Just as Qin Tang had said earlier, the test of this stage was “focus.”
Once someone began copying a technique, stopping for any reason meant that their focus had been broken.
Li Fan immersed himself completely, his mind free of distraction, absorbed in the act of transcription.
He forcibly suppressed all feelings of physical and mental fatigue.
He had no idea how much time had passed.
"Whew, now that was a proper good nap!" Qin Tang's voice suddenly rang out beside them.
He stretched lazily, and the paper and brush before Li Fan vanished.
"Time's up. Let's see how you all performed."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Truly getting worse with each passing year." Qin Tang squinted slightly, as if inspecting something, then shook his head repeatedly.
"Eh, wait a moment...
“How interesting."
He shot a glance in Li Fan's direction, a faint smile playing on his lips.
But Qin Tang didn't say anything further, quickly withdrawing his gaze.
"The first trial is now concluded. Everyone may rest tomorrow. The second trial will begin the day after."
He clapped his hands, and Li Fan felt the world shift around him.
In the blink of an eye, he was back inside the tall building where they had previously slept.
Qin Tang's figure did not reappear with them.
The cultivators finally relaxed.
They grew animated, talking excitedly amongst themselves.
"This is truly a massive opportunity. I managed to memorize fifteen techniques while copying. Most were Golden Core techniques, with a few Nascent Soul techniques among them."
"I memorized quite a few myself."
"What's the use of memorizing so many? Let's worry about making it out alive first."
"Don't say that. Given my own capabilities, if nothing unexpected happens, my path will end at Foundation Establishment. To have the fortune of glimpsing the profundities of forming a Nascent Soul... even if I die tomorrow, I would have no regrets!"
"You speak my thoughts exactly, Fellow Daoist."
"Fine words can't persuade a fool hell-bent on dying. Hmph!"
Amidst the arguments, some cultivators began eyeing the belongings left behind by those who had lost their lives that fateful night.
Unfortunately, after searching around, they all wore expressions of disappointment.
Li Fan overheard a cold laugh from someone not far away: "Don't bother. I checked that night. After they were killed by Qin Tang, their storage rings, artifacts, and the like were all gone. Not a single thing remained."
Hearing this, Li Fan shook his head and was about to head back for a proper rest when his gaze inadvertently fell upon one of the corpses.
He froze.