Chapter 338 - 298: Mid-Level Scholar

Chapter 338: Chapter 298: Mid-Level Scholar

Just as Jiang Xu pulled his hand back, he suddenly realized something.

’This Cultivation Technique’s name doesn’t seem very reputable!’

Jiang Xu looked closely.

The tome’s cover was a deep, dark green, its edges adorned with golden cloud patterns. In the center, three large words were boldly inscribed: Mistress Heart Scripture.

The calligraphy was graceful and fluid, yet it exuded an indescribable allure.

The cover also depicted a woman of exquisite grace, her robes fluttering and her eyes full of tender affection. She looked as if she might leap from the tome at any moment, setting one’s imagination racing.

Jiang Xu’s curiosity was piqued.

He was very curious.

’Purely out of curiosity.’

Jiang Xu was dying to know what was inside.

’What kind of bizarre Cultivation Technique would bear such a unique name?’

’Is it just a gimmick, or does it contain a genuine Secret Technique? Could it even advance my Cultivation?’

But when he remembered he only had 16,300 Wenqu Points, he suppressed his desire.

’This has to be a spending trap!’

’A spending trap, pure and simple!’

’I can’t let it fool me!’

’Junior Level Scholar still isn’t enough. I need to at least become a Mid-Level Scholar to obtain even a flawed Golden Core Technique.’

Jiang Xu asked tentatively:

"Since a Foundation Establishment Scripture is worth ten Qi Cultivation Scriptures, then a Golden Core Scripture should be worth ten Foundation Establishment Scriptures, right?"

The Artifact Spirit Avatar confirmed it.

"Yes, but one of your four Foundation Establishment Scriptures has already been counted, so only three of them are now valid. A Golden Core Scripture is worth ten, so you still need to submit seven more Foundation Establishment Scriptures to reach Middle Grade Scholar."

’Seven more Foundation Establishment Scriptures.’

’Where was he supposed to get those?’

He was troubled for a moment.

As Jiang Xu was pondering, the Artifact Spirit Avatar spoke up at just the right moment:

"I’ve observed your enthusiasm for repairing scriptures. You could offset the requirement for the remaining seven Foundation Establishment Scriptures by repairing flawed ones instead."

"That’s possible too?!"

’I thought I had to pick one path. I had no idea I could mix and match.’

Jiang Xu was overjoyed.

’If I’d known this was an option, I wouldn’t have been worried at all.’

"One more thing."

"If you repair a scripture for a purpose other than raising your access level, you will be refunded double the Wenqu Points you spent to acquire it."

"For example, if you spend one thousand Wenqu Points on a flawed Foundation Establishment Scripture and then fix it, you will receive two thousand Wenqu Points."

’So this is another way to earn Wenqu Points.’

’But I won’t get any points if I use the repair to raise my access level.’

After hearing the Artifact Spirit Avatar’s explanation, Jiang Xu was puzzled by one thing.

"Senior Artifact Spirit, being as powerful as you are, why don’t you just fix all the problematic scriptures yourself, instead of needing us to do it?"

The Artifact Spirit Avatar chuckled lightly.

"Ultimately, the Wenqu Pavilion is just a Scripture Pavilion, meant to collect the myriad scriptures of the world, and I am merely its Artifact Spirit."

"I cannot tamper with human creations. This is an iron-clad rule set by the Artifact Refiner who created the Wenqu Pavilion."

"Even though I can see every flaw in every scripture, I am forbidden from changing them."

Hearing these words, Jiang Xu was stunned.

’So this was the Artifact Refiner’s doing.’

’Why have such a rule?’

’Wouldn’t it be faster and more accurate to let the Artifact Spirit do the corrections?’

’Making humans correct the scriptures and creating this whole system of Literary Masters... Isn’t that just putting the cart before the horse? It seems totally unnecessary.’

Jiang Xu couldn’t wrap his head around it.

’If it were up to me, I’d hand everything over to the Artifact Spirit, kick back, and let it do all the work.’

’It’s just like with computers or even artificial intelligence from my past life.’

...

Through the fog of his thoughts, Jiang Xu felt he was grasping something crucial.

’Artificial intelligence? Artifact Spirit?’

He sucked in a sharp breath.

’In my past life, the Three Laws of Robotics were created to prevent robots from harming human beings.’

’The First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.’

’The Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.’

’The Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.’

’And in this world...’

’Perhaps the Artifact Refiner who created the Wenqu Pavilion placed numerous restrictions on the Artifact Spirit to prevent it from influencing humanity.’

’Forbidding the Artifact Spirit from altering the scriptures was likely just one of those restrictions.’

’The reason for not letting the Artifact Spirit alter the scriptures... was very likely to protect humanity.’

’After all, a being from another race is bound to have a different heart. Who’s to say this Artifact Spirit wouldn’t deliberately tamper with certain Cultivation Techniques and cause harm to the Cultivators who practice them?’

’Furthermore, if the Artifact Spirit did everything, Cultivators would inevitably become overly dependent on it.’

’Once that became the norm, it would affect the entire community of Cultivators, causing them to lose the ability to learn and just wait around to be spoon-fed.’

’But as it is now, the Wenqu Pavilion is a platform where you have to obtain all scriptures through your own efforts.’

’Having Cultivators revise the flawed scriptures also gives a batch of talented individuals a chance to shine.’

’Brilliant!’

Jiang Xu had only pondered the model for a moment, yet he had already reached such a conclusion.

’The Artifact Refiner who created the Wenqu Pavilion had probably considered things in far greater depth than I ever could.’

’It was surely a decision made after considering all the angles.’

There was just one more thing Jiang Xu wanted to ask.

"Senior Artifact Spirit, since I can mix and match, can I use some of my Wenqu Points to count toward the scripture requirement as well?"