Path of Alchemy Mastery-Chapter 337 - 338 A Difficult Choice

Mu Can had long sensed that Xu Liang was a man with secrets; occasionally, hints of hatred would seep through his eyes.

However, Mu Can did not pry further. The two had become teammates purely by chance and if Xu Liang chose not to disclose, Mu Can had no interest in fruitlessly inquiring about such matters.

Everyone has secrets, many of which are untouchable by others. For instance, the secrets Mu Can harbored could drive the entire Three Realms into frenzy. If it became known that he possessed the Reincarnation Pearl and Wang Cai, it was likely someone from the Supreme Interface would descend to hunt him down.

"Shall we split up?" Mu Can suggested after unravelling the secret of finding the Secret Manuals on the bookshelf, as he formulated his own plan.

In this place, with at least ten thousand Secret Manuals, it was an impossible task to sift through each one. Consequently, Mu Can was set on selecting only those Cultivation Techniques that were relatively high-grade.

Nevertheless, according to Mu Can’s thinking, it was certain he wouldn’t acquire the Cultivation Technique he desired in this place. Those that transcended the levels of the Three Realms would undoubtedly require passing the challenge of the Third Layer of Tongshen Mountain first.

Therefore, in Mu Can’s view, the highest grade of Secret Manuals available here would not exceed the scope of the Three Realms. Even so, Mu Can hoped to refine his own Cultivation Technique from this treasure trove.

The first and foremost Cultivation Technique Mu Can possessed was the heritage he received from the Dragon Clan: Mystic Dragon Nine Revolutions, unquestionably a technique surpassing the levels of the Three Realms. Next was the Reverse Dragon Nine Steps, currently Mu Can’s most powerful attack move. Combined with his Cultivation Technique from the Breeze Realm, it was evident that Mu Can’s offensive arsenal would be pitifully scarce without the aid of the Reincarnation Pearl. freeweɓnøvel.com

This was a shortcoming Mu Can was well aware of. But Cultivation Techniques that transcended the Three Realms were not common as cabbages on the streets; they were not so easily obtained. Even within the Immortal Ancient Academy, there were scarce a few such techniques.

"Alright, I’ll try to venture a bit further ahead. The techniques here are too average; I need something a bit stronger," Xu Liang voiced his agreement with Mu Can’s idea. In the vast sea of Secret Manuals, filtering out the low level ones was essential to make a sound selection.

After all, in Mu Can’s eyes, those Secret Manuals shining like the sun were his true targets.

Mu Can marched confidently down the narrow path, his destination clear: the bookshelf at the very end.

Nearly thirty Secret Manuals up there glowed with a golden radiance, illuminating the area like a sun, forcing even Mu Can to infuse his eyes with Spiritual Power to clearly see the contents on that bookshelf.

Xu Liang cast an envious glance at the striding Mu Can, who had reached his limit.

This damned path also had its restrictions. When Xu Liang walked to a certain point, he could no longer progress; whether due to his strength or some other issue remained unknown.

While Mu Can continued forward, he too started to feel bursts of pressure. After careful investigation, he was surprised to discover that the source of this pressure actually lay in the Secret Manuals on the bookshelf. Previously, because of the weaker glows and lower levels of the Secret Manuals, he hadn’t felt it. But as he moved forward, the pressure became increasingly apparent.

"It seems that strength still has some utility here, but I wonder what the Secret Manuals at the end are like," Mu Can determinedly continued, the pressure still within his threshold of endurance.

Xu Liang stopped after covering two-thirds of the path; if he didn’t, he felt he would be crushed by the formidable oppressive force inside.

Mu Can, sizing up the bookshelves beside him, was astonished to discover that upon reaching this point, the color of the Secret Manuals had changed. They weren’t just purely luminescent as they appeared from afar but rather exhibited a rainbow of hues.

Perhaps it was for this reason that all the radiance combined into that dazzling light.

Mu Can paused, stepping beside a bookshelf. The number of Secret Manuals here was nowhere near as high as before; even in Tongshen Mountain, the more advanced the Cultivation Technique Manuals were, the rarer they became.

Nevertheless, as Mu Can arrived here, the difficulty of selecting a Secret Manual multiplied. Not only due to the surging pressure emanating from the Manuals but crucially because where the names of the Cultivation Techniques should be, it now looked entirely blank.

Thus, Mu Can stood before a bookshelf displaying Secret Manuals glowing in a spectrum of colors, utterly devoid of any titles, leaving him to rely solely on intuition for his choice.

Mu Can immediately reached for a red Secret Manual. As he extended his hand, a force greater than before struck, shoving him harshly back to the middle of the path, nearly toppling him to the ground.

It was a recurrent issue—without Lady Luck on his side this time, the first Manual Mu Can touched was one with which he had no compatibility.

"What do I do now?"

Mu Can was unaware that what he faced was a test, not a quest for rewards.

The Scripture Pavilion of Tongshen Mountain’s Second Level test was designed to offer both temptation and opportunity as a significant challenge.

For every person entering the Scripture Pavilion would instinctually select the highest-level Secret Manuals. However, bear in mind that visitors only had three days, and within that time selecting a top-grade Manual—though possibly attainable—there was a great risk of being unable to master it. Should they fail to master it and subsequently fail in combat, the memory of that Manual would be erased, rendering the entire effort fruitless. Not only would they fail the challenge, but they would also squander the chance to choose a Manual.

This was precisely the original intent behind establishing the Scripture Pavilion—selecting individuals with great insight and the ability to make accurate plans and decisions for the ultimate test.

Of course, those who passed the Second Level test but failed at the Third Layer would still retain the memory of the Secret Skills they had learned in the Scripture Pavilion. This was the reason for the legends about Tongshen Mountain that circulated outside.

Now, Mu Can faced such a trial. He could either stop and search for a Manual suited to him to conquer the Second Level, aiming to claim the ultimate reward after passing the Third Level, or he could march onwards, opting solely for the best, whilst conversely facing tremendous risks.