Chapter 339 - 298: Mid-Level Scholar

Chapter 339: Chapter 298: Mid-Level Scholar

The Artifact Spirit Avatar paused.

"That... is possible."

"But if you do it this way, it’s not very cost-effective. You should think this through."

"You’ll need to spend an extra seven thousand Wenqu Points to become a Mid-Level Scholar."

"But if you choose to get the scriptures and repair them, not only would you spend seven thousand Wenqu Points, but you would also get seven Foundation Establishment Scriptures."

Jiang Xu was taken aback.

"Why do I still have to spend Wenqu Points even if I choose to repair the scriptures?!"

The Artifact Spirit Avatar was speechless.

"Come on, those scriptures are precious too, you know. They might have a few flaws, but we can’t just give them away for free!"

"Can I choose whichever seven Foundation Establishment Scriptures I want?"

"No, you can’t. You can choose the general category, like Cultivation Technique, Magic, or Secret Technique, and you can also select the attribute. But the specific scriptures you receive will be random."

Jiang Xu pursed his lips. ’So I can’t even choose them myself.’

’It’s probably to make it more difficult.’

He weighed the pros and cons of both options in his mind.

’Exchanging for the scriptures means I could learn something new.’

’But they’re all flawed.’

’And to fix them, the price would be my Limit-Breaking Points.’

Jiang Xu opened his panel to check his current number of Limit-Breaking Points and was shocked by what he saw.

[Limit-Breaking Points]: 239.8

Almost 240 Limit-Breaking Points.

’That many?’

Jiang Xu calculated that this was enough to perfect over twenty Qi Cultivation Techniques.

It was even enough to perfect two Foundation Establishment Techniques.

However, this didn’t put Jiang Xu at ease.

’After all, I want to repair a Golden Core Technique.’

’I have no idea how flawed that Golden Core Technique is.’

’If it’s riddled with errors, I’m afraid this many Limit-Breaking Points won’t be nearly enough.’

’Besides, a Golden Core Technique will definitely require far more Limit-Breaking Points.’

Limit-Breaking Points could only be accumulated bit by bit over time.

It took four days to accumulate a single point.

To get seven Foundation Establishment Scriptures with an unknown number of flaws, Jiang Xu had no idea how many Limit-Breaking Points he would have to spend.

The key was, if this were the old Jiang Xu, who had few Foundation Establishment Techniques, he would have likely agreed to the repair option.

But the current Jiang Xu had a whole pile of Magic that he hadn’t finished learning.

There was simply no need to acquire anything new.

Even if he got them, Jiang Xu had no extra time for Cultivation.

"I’ve made my decision, Senior."

"I want to spend the seven thousand Wenqu Points to directly upgrade myself to a Mid-Level Scholar."

Seeing Jiang Xu’s resolve, the Artifact Spirit Avatar didn’t press the matter further.

Suddenly, the Jade Token flashed faintly. A phantasmal figure gradually materialized, taking the form of an old man with white hair but a youthful complexion.

The old man’s face was kind and wise, his eyes holding the profound depth of ages and the serene detachment of one who has seen all the world has to offer.

He wore a simple, elegant cyan robe with a verdant Wood Grain Jade Pendant hanging from his waist, which seemed to resonate with the glowing Jade Token in his hand.

The old man gazed at Jiang Xu, his eyes twinkling with a gentle light.

He gently raised his hand, aiming the Jade Token he was clutching at Jiang Xu. His fingertips twitched as if he were performing some kind of Secret Technique.

With the old man’s movement, the light from the Jade Token grew even more brilliant.

An invisible force surged from the Jade Token, like silken threads, and silently coiled around Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu felt a flood of information pour into his mind: the basic rules of the Wenqu Pavilion, how to look up scriptures, and the conditions for advancing to higher floors.

At the same time, his surroundings changed once more.

"You have obtained the status of Mid-Level Scholar. Your floor in the Wenqu Pavilion has been moved directly to the sixty-ninth."

Jiang Xu stood on the sixty-ninth floor, and his eyes lit up at the sight before him.

The entire floor was exceptionally spacious.

A massive, circular reading area occupied the center, surrounded by rows of bookshelves that soared toward the ceiling.

These bookshelves weren’t made of wood but were polished from a rare ore called "Star Meteorite," their surfaces gleaming with a cold, metallic luster.

On the shelves, scriptures were neatly arranged, their covers engraved with various Runes. Each and every book was sealed.

In the center of the reading area floated a giant crystal ball. A multicolored luminescence flowed within it, as deep and captivating as a sea of stars.

Below the crystal ball were several comfortable reading desks, each furnished with exquisite inkstones, brushes, and other scholarly implements.

There were even cattail cushions and meditation beds nearby for Cultivators to meditate in peace.

’I can’t believe the facilities get this advanced on the higher floors!’

Jiang Xu looked at the old man standing beside him.

He understood that this old man was the true form of the Artifact Spirit.

’Or rather, it’s still just an Artifact Spirit Avatar.’

’Changing from a Jade Token into this form is probably meant to make Cultivators feel important.’

’It’s to motivate them to increase their clearance level.’

The Artifact Spirit Avatar gently tossed the Jade Token in its hand.

The Jade Token immediately flew in front of Jiang Xu.

He took the Jade Token.

The information Jiang Xu had just received also explained the function of the Jade Token.

He could use it to perform precise searches of the book collections on his floor and all floors below it.

The Jade Token synchronized with the Wenqu Pavilion in real time, constantly updating its information on the collection.

If the Wenqu Pavilion didn’t currently have a scripture Jiang Xu needed...

...he could register the type of scripture he was looking for with the Jade Token.

The Jade Token would then automatically scan for newly acquired scriptures.

If it found one that matched his request, it would notify him immediately.

There were many other functions as well.

It was also worth noting that the Jade Token of a Mid-Level Scholar could be taken outside the Wenqu Pavilion.

On Wenqu Island, the Jade Token could be used to prove one’s identity as a Mid-Level Scholar, which afforded a great deal of convenience.

On Wenqu Island, the Literary Masters didn’t belong to the Seven Stars Association, nor were they subordinate to the Wenqu Pavilion.

The Wenqu Pavilion was simply a place akin to a Scripture Pavilion.

However, all Literary Masters received the protection of Wen Sheng, and they didn’t have to pay anything for it.

The higher a Literary Master’s rank, the greater the protection they received.

This seemed to be a responsibility bestowed by the Artifact Spirit upon gaining Wen Sheng’s authority.

Since Wen Sheng was also the Island Master of Wenqu Island, the Seven Stars Association also provided protection for Literary Masters.

With his status as a Middle Grade Scholar, Jiang Xu could even ask Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Seven Stars Association for help.

Other Literary Masters, upon learning of his status, would also likely offer their help voluntarily.

The influence of this Jade Token extended far beyond Wenqu Island itself.

On the other islands scattered around Wenqu Island, Jiang Xu could also enjoy VIP treatment by virtue of his status as a Mid-Level Scholar.

The administrators of those islands were well aware of the clout carried by a Mid-Level Scholar from the Wenqu Pavilion.

They understood that such individuals were not only knowledgeable and possessed deep Cultivation, but more importantly, they held a high status on Wenqu Island—higher even than the Island Masters of the surrounding isles.

Thus, they generally wouldn’t restrict the movements of Literary Masters.

Jiang Xu needed only to present his Jade Token to easily bypass regional restrictions and move freely between these islands.

Not even Xiao Jin Island was an exception.

Jiang Xu hadn’t expected to solve the problem of how to get onto Xiao Jin Island right here.

But all of that was secondary.

The most important thing now was to obtain a Golden Core Technique.

Jiang Xu’s Cultivation had been stagnant for far too long.

"Senior, I should be able to exchange for a Golden Core Technique now, right?"

The Artifact Spirit Avatar nodded.

"As a Mid-Level Scholar, you now have sufficient clearance."

Jiang Xu’s heart leaped with joy, but just as he was about to speak, the Artifact Spirit Avatar continued.

"Unfortunately, while your clearance is sufficient, your Wenqu Points are not. You’re short by seven hundred points."

’Not enough Wenqu Points?’

Jiang Xu checked his Wenqu Points.

He had 16,300 points, and he’d spent 7,000 to get the Mid-Level Scholar clearance.

That left him with 9,300 points.

Jiang Xu was momentarily speechless.

’Damn it!’

’I was so close!’

But Jiang Xu had already turned in all the scriptures he had.

The method of exchanging unrecorded scriptures for Wenqu Points was no longer an option.

The only options left were to repair scriptures or take on quests posted by the Wenqu Pavilion.

Jiang Xu immersed his consciousness into the Jade Token, and a massive amount of information flooded his mind.

This information detailed the quests available from the Wenqu Pavilion.

Anyone could post a quest, as long as they had Wenqu Points to offer.

It didn’t matter if they were a Literary Master or not.

As a result, the quests in the Wenqu Pavilion were incredibly diverse, covering every corner of the Cultivation Realm.

They were also categorized by difficulty.