Tian Mo shook his head, refocusing on his purpose. He couldn't let himself be distracted. Gratitude tempered his surprise he'd never been one to covet what wasn't his, especially something so rare and precious. After a lifetime of living without such luxuries, he couldn't bring himself to claim it, no matter how tempting.
Surrounded by demons, each more vile and sinister than the last, the air felt charged with an unsettling energy. The vile qi, heavy and oppressive, hung in the air like a suffocating fog, making his breath catch and his skin prickle with discomfort. It wasn't just the presence of these demonsit was the oppressive weight of their intentions, their minds consumed by thoughts of malice and power.
So he came to the second floor of the Demon Pavilion, where a few disciples were already waliing around selecting there own techniques. They should be all joined a month ago, same as those he was already here, still each had a evil and vile thought about what to do with there technique.
Tian Mo clenched his fists as some even seemed to want to attack each other even him. However they couldn't because Elder Fei Ling while send you immediately to the punishment hall at inner courtyard.
His gaze flicked focusing on different appearances of the discples as he knew before that some demons have different appearance and some didn't have it alot. Some have spikes on there born, lizard skins and tails etc.
He was suprised because, it was also they were way they dressed, it was rich like they had wealth, despite the vile qi. How did they managed to get such things?
Tian Mo ignored them, walking straight to a bookshelf and picked up a martial arts technique. After opening its name was the "Blood Evil Canon", it is found that this technique is cultivated with the essence and blood of cultivators or mortals, and can be cultivated to the third stage of bone forging.
The advantage is that the training speed is fast, but the disadvantage is that the spells can be easily restrained by the most rigid and masculine skills.
Tian Mo frowned he thought about it for a second he felt such method disgusted him, doing that maybe that will chance for now fir now he wary, it is not suitable for him. Also a technique that pushes he cultivationn way passed the origin Awakening.
After that, I found several more books, such as "Yin Shi Da Fa" and "Dark Magic Kung Fu"... Although they look high-end, they are actually foundation grade he learn that there were four grades off skill.
At which, Foundation Grade starting level of martial techniques, forming the base for any cultivator. These are widely practiced and represent the fundamental principles of martial arts. Although he can't get to high being in the outer court he wanted to find the highest.
Before long, Tian Mo Tian face was filled with disappointment. He couldn't find anything suitable, while also not a refining technique, it had mostly attack more.
But when he walked to the next bookshelf, he accidentally saw something. In the corner, he saw a dusty crack in a wall he wondered. Why all the wall around he looked normal the same? There was a even a faint black mist that he could see coming it was like only he could see it. How can no one see this?
Curious, so he looked around see that his coast was clear. He pushed open the wall inisde he saw a dusty black, red book, he convered his nose as it was alot of, scanning the book It seemed quite ordinary, like something from the human realm. Nothing about it seemed the least bit unique.
'This isn't suspicious at all, why hide this one book especially in the outer sect, it has to be special.' Tian Mo thought it had to have been that someone who got it was going to get killed in the sect so he had to hide it.
How long has this been here? Who was the last person to had it? He had multiple questions, one's he won't get answers to.
A deep, unsettling feeling curled in the pit of his stomach, the pull of the book drawing him in like a magnet. His breath caught in his throat, and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
When Tian Mo picked up the book, as he was about to opent it, he heard a voice that made his heart skip a beat.
Tian Mo's fingers brushed the book's aged cover, his grip tightening as he prepared to open it. It felt wrong, like every instinct in his body screamed to leave it alone, but still, his curiosity gnawed at him, urging him.
He only stopped when, a voice pierced the silence, low, chilling tone that froze him in place and sent his heart jumping.
Tian Mo slowly turned around he was worried. What if I wasn't suppose to find this?
"Junior, thank you for trying to help me"
"Elder I Didn't…"
However, he worry disappeared when he heard what the person said, when he turned around, he saw the person was he signed of ease, it was disciple who been bullied a couple hour ago.
"Why did you sneak up behind me?" Tian Mo said a little furstrated.
The disciple bowed, looking sheepish. "Apologies, Junior. I just wanted to thank you." He bowed.
'Well, I really didn't manage to help but atleast I know now that demons can thank each other.'
Tian Mo sighed. "It's fine"
The senior discple glanced at the book in Tian Mo hand. His eyes widened."Senior it seemed like you found a secret technique." his voice is praise, he continued." he looked around all over the pavilion and I never found this, The fact that you picked up that ungrade book shows that you were destined to do so, I'm sure there are many secret regarding it."
Tian Mo grip tighten on the book. "This book…" he looked down at the book,however even with it worthless look he had his suspicious there special about it.
Still he wasn't going to take it because he needed a refining technique.
"Junior, I know what your thinking this rankless book is not special but I found one like that before it taught me a secret technique…it seemed to me like that the rankless nooks are able to be concealed for special reason." The senior discple said quickly.
Tian Mo cuffed his fist. "Thank you senior discples." He said, conflicted if he should take it or not.
The senior disciples, mouth opened wide, he was taken back. "Junior your leaving already." He called out.
"Yeah...this all I need"
"Hmm…Junior beside that book, what other things are you looking for...how about a weapon." The senior discple said walking around Tian Mo rubbing his hand together.
Tian Mo scanned up the third floor. "I was looking for a refiningtechnique, but I can look for a weapon."
"Oh,let's go to the third floor…besides the techniques do you know why you can't you refine more qi."
"Hmm senior brother, enlighten me why?" He said.
While, walking the senior discple spoke about, martial talent it is simply the measure of the speed and ease with which their body could absorb primal energies. The faster they could absorb primal energies, the higher their martial talent would be.
With that in mind Tian Mo questioned. How high is his martial talent?
Cultivation was one of the most important factors of strength. For a peak first realm Origin Awakening cultivator going against a third realm Core Foundation, it wasn't just one's comprehensive battle prowess would be suppressed through, there whole being, able to do nothing unless a high combat prowess or martial talent.
In the end, one's cultivation was the most essential factor in one's combat strength. This was because it directly correlated to how much qi a cultivator held within them.
Intruded he wanted to know the grade, which were, There people with no talent, Foundation Grade, Pillar grade,Ascendant Grade and Ark Relic Grade.
No talent, were ordinary individuals that are unable to cultivate, A 30 year old martial artist was in the prime of their youth.
"It had to be known that a normal medium third-grade martial artist, if they started cultivating at the age of 12, and were not supported by any special top-quality pills, then they would be able to reach the early Bone Forging stage by the time they were 30 years old!" The senior discple said errierly.
Tian Mo shivered at the thought of having such a low grade, he would have not get revenge properly taken a long time or never dying before a chance.
I have to find out my martial talent?
Tian Mo gave a slow nod, slipping the book into his robes. "Thank you."
The discple knew alot of about the sect, he joined the sect after a rival faction destroyed his village, killing his parents and leaving him powerless. Determined to never be weak again, he trained relentlessly and caught the attention of bullies after his low talent.
On the third floor there were a array of weapon, although he never used one or practiced before had to now. If he was to survive any attacks, by the disciples who looked to kill him.
Before the second floor Tian Mo, learn that the senior name was Fang Hao, he joined the sect a month ago like other, his martial talent was, so he was easily bullied by stronger discples.
"Junior, look around for a weapon of your choice." The senior discple signaled.
Tian Mo placed the book into his robe, walking around they were so many types of weapon that he overwhelmed, by the choices despite his blood heating, to use one. Picking up a sword, finger scanning its sharpness.
He thrust forward, the sword glided like air in his grip. Its light, flexible frame responded to his movements with ease, but the moment the blade wavered, it betrayed its frailty. The steel buckled mid-swing, bending back so sharply it nearly lashed at him instead.
On the side, Fang Hao chuckled ge had already seen mutiple people tried that sword same thing happened, some even gotten hurt. Tian Mo avoided eye contect while placing down the sword, then moving on a couple wea0ons later mace was to heavy, a spear his body wasn't that comfortable with a it.
Gradually, when he was about to stop looking, he spotted a unique looking thing, he carefully picked a flute, a one inch black and green, carved of intricate symbols. Its design was unassuming, yet it radiated an almost imperceptible aura.
'This look normal again, yet it feel like it's carved by a master with care.' He thought.
He didn't know why, he felt tempted to take, he felt skeptical cause, why would it be on the weapons floor. He knew there were some item that can qi. This shouldn't be one right?
"Xun Min, what do you have there?" Feng Hao asked.
Tian Mo eyebrow rose. "It's a flute...I wonder why it's on the weapon floor."
"Well, brother anthing can be a weapon with qi" Feng Hao said his eyes scanned the flute he continued before Tian Mo can question why. "I suggest you keep it."
Tian Mo was torn between if it's really useful or not, he shakly placed it into his robe, he believed Feng Hao despite knowing the truth, that can bring a storm.
"Alright, senior let's go" he said.
Feng Hao nodded then they both began to descend door the stairs, he noticed that there was barely any discples anymore.
Tian Mo glanced over his shoulder and saw one of the disciples on third floor widem smirk. The sensation of unease bloomed. He clutched his robe tightly, his mind racing. Did I just become their target?
He wondered where these disciples waiting for him, but he felt like it was that they heard about him and came here. On his way Feng Hao looked calm seemed he didn't know what was happening.
Nothing happen, he was easily able to check on the pavilion with the flute and book from Elder Fei Ling, he looked at him suspiciously, still he never questioned about the upgraded book, he thought that Tian Mo was a idiot, I real he just didn't know yet.
Arriving outside the pavilion he was about to tell Feng Hao, later until he heard a voice freezing him.
"Xun Min your still alive!"
When Tian Mo looked up his heart sank, he saw the voice is one of his classmates, specifically the one who warned him.