Chapter 273 - 138: Luo Feng’s Shock: Zhang Su is Actually Upper Third-Grade Gang Power?

Moreover, the Guiyuan Sect would provide him with a substantial amount of silver each month, supporting his cultivation at the Upper Sect with the full might of their resources.

This was no empty promise.

While the Guiyuan Sect wasn’t particularly wealthy, they could still manage to support Zhang Su’s cultivation at the Upper Sect by pooling their entire sect’s resources.

At least for the time being, Zhang Su didn’t need to worry about silver.

With this in mind, Zhang Su got up and headed straight for the Martial Arts Hall.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and strode quickly along the bluestone path.

The Martial Arts Hall was a three-story pavilion located on the eastern side of the mountainside.

The pavilion looked quite old.

A plaque bearing the three words "Martial Arts Hall" hung above the entrance.

Soon, Zhang Su arrived at the Martial Arts Hall.

The Martial Arts Hall was a bustling place.

It wasn’t exactly packed to the gills, but disciples were constantly coming and going.

Named Disciples in gray robes and Official Disciples in blue or green robes streamed in and out without end.

Inside the Martial Arts Hall were Instructors and a collection of Martial Arts Secret Manuals.

The Instructors sat in the main hall behind desks, upon which lay registers, ink, and brushes.

Disciples seeking guidance on their Martial Arts would register with an Instructor, pay a fee, and then head to a Quiet Chamber.

The Martial Arts Secret Manuals were arranged neatly on shelves, row after row.

Zhang Su went over to the bookshelves and began his search.

He was looking for something that covered the fundamentals of cultivation.

For example, how to generate Inner Strength.

Although his Pure Yang Nine Combinations Divine Skill could directly generate Inner Strength through Nine Unification, allowing him to break through to the Postnatal Realm, Meng Shouzhen had told him not to perform the Nine Unification just yet.

’There must be some hidden reason for that.’

’The Sect Leader wouldn’t have said that without a good reason.’

’There had to be a reason.’

Zhang Su needed to find the answer on Mixed Element Peak.

He walked slowly along the shelves, his gaze sweeping over one secret manual after another.

After passing a few rows of shelves, Zhang Su suddenly stopped.

His gaze landed on a thick book.

The book had a deep blue cover, with four words written on it.

Compendium of Gang Force.

Zhang Su read the description. The book detailed the various types of Gang Force.

It also touched upon the matter of generating Inner Strength.

Zhang Su’s eyes lit up.

’This is exactly the kind of fundamental text I was looking for.’

However, the price to borrow it was far from cheap.

Zhang Su glanced at the price tag and frowned.

’Are you kidding me? Ten thousand silver...’

’A single book costs ten thousand silver?’

’And I can only read it here in the Martial Arts Hall.’

It couldn’t be taken out or copied; it could only be read in one of the Martial Arts Hall’s Quiet Chambers.

Ten thousand silver was enough to support an Ordinary Disciple of the Guiyuan Sect for several years.

In Haojin City, that amount could buy a sizable courtyard home.

But now, all it got him was the right to read a single copy of *Compendium of Gang Force*.

Zhang Su sighed to himself.

’Things in the Upper Sect really are absurdly expensive.’

’No wonder all those Named Disciples are living so frugally.’

’It’s not that they’re poor; it’s that everything in the Upper Sect is too expensive.’

’Oh well. I’ll just borrow it and see what it says.’

Gritting his teeth, Zhang Su went to find the Martial Arts Hall’s Steward and paid to read the book.

The Steward was a stern-faced, middle-aged man of about forty, dressed in a gray robe.

He took the silver, counted it, and made an entry in a register.

"Go to Quiet Chamber Three."

The Steward said flatly, pointing down a corridor.

The Martial Arts Hall had Quiet Chambers available for use.

They cost one hundred silver per hour.

Once a book was borrowed, it was mandatory to read it inside a Quiet Chamber.

This was the rule, meant to prevent the contents of the secret manuals from being leaked.

Zhang Su entered Quiet Chamber Three.

This Quiet Chamber was very small, one of the most basic types.

It contained only a low table, an oil lamp, and a few meditation cushions on the floor.

The Martial Arts Hall also offered larger Quiet Chambers for practicing Martial Arts, but they were more expensive.

Zhang Su sat cross-legged in the Quiet Chamber and opened the *Compendium of Gang Force*.

The book was thick and felt heavy in his hands.

It primarily described the various kinds of Gang Force.

From Ninth-Grade to First-Grade Gang Force, each type was described in detail.

As Zhang Su read through it, he gradually began to understand.

Back at the Guiyuan Sect, he had never been exposed to this kind of information.

For example, the quality of one’s Gang Force determined not only the difficulty of generating Inner Strength, but also its overall power.

The Guiyuan Sect had never taught him that.

The Upper Sect, however, categorized Gang Force in meticulous detail.

From Ninth-Grade Gang Force all the way to First-Grade Gang Force.

Ninth, Eighth, and Seventh-Grade were known as the Lower Three-Grade of Gangjin.

With this type of Gang Force, cultivating Inner Strength was an extravagant hope; it was completely up to luck.

Some Martial Artists could cultivate for a lifetime, developing an incredibly profound Gang Force, yet still be unable to generate any Inner Strength.

It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but because the quality of their Gang Force was simply too poor.

Sixth, Fifth, and Fourth-Grade were known as the Middle Third-Grade Gangjin.

This type of Gang Force offered a high chance of cultivating Inner Strength, but the resulting Inner Strength would be mediocre in power.

Third, Second, and First-Grade Gang Force were known as the Upper Third-Grade Gang Power.

This type of Gang Force was guaranteed to produce Inner Strength. Moreover, the resulting Inner Strength would have unique characteristics, immense power, and endless applications.

Zhang Su continued reading.

The *Compendium of Gang Force* also listed many specific types of Gang Force. The variety was vast, but each one came with a detailed description.

Zhang Su scanned the pages carefully.

Soon, his eyes lit up. He had found Pure Yang Gang Power.

"The Pure Yang Nine Combinations Divine Skill cultivates Pure Yang Gang Power, a Third-Grade Gang Force belonging to the Upper Third-Grade Gang Power. It is guaranteed to generate Inner Strength, and this Inner Strength will be of the Pure Yang attribute, possessing extraordinary power..."

Zhang Su read the detailed entry on Pure Yang Gang Power.

’Upper Third-Grade Gang Power? No wonder the Nine Unification can generate Inner Strength and lead directly to the Postnatal Realm...’

Zhang Su was lost in thought.

He had only known that the Pure Yang Nine Combinations Divine Skill was powerful and that it was the Guiyuan Sect’s Supreme Secret Transmission.