Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) clicked into the "Demon Race - Beast Hall" module and selected the top sticky message on the forum to view. It detailed the various categories and layout of the Beast Hall, such as the public canteen, the library, and the cultivation rooms.
After a brief perusal, Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) exited and re-entered the previous level, "Demon Race," finally locating the "Skill Tower."
She had initially thought cultivation skills would be in the "library," but upon reading the description, she realized that place housed other books. Cultivation manuals were specifically stored in the "Skill Tower." Moreover, the "Skill Tower" was shared by two halls, which explained why she hadn't found it in the Beast Hall earlier.
Having been here for so long, she had only relied on the instincts of a white rabbit demon for her cultivation. Since she was now in a professional academy, she decided to see if there were any more suitable cultivation methods. After all, personal strength was the only tool for freely traversing the world!
With a decisive spirit that belied her adorable appearance, she acted swiftly. Following the directions on her jade token, Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) soon arrived at the "Skill Tower."
Looking in through the windows from the outside, the interior of the "Skill Tower" was a hazy expanse, making it impossible to discern its size. However, in the time Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) stood outside the door, she had already seen several demons enter, though only one had emerged so far.
Without further hesitation, Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) emulated the other demons, straightening her back and stepping inside.
Upon entering, she felt the surrounding spiritual energy was much denser than outside. Looking up, she saw nothing but countless manuals on bookshelves, with no other beings in sight, as if she were the only one in this space.
Suddenly, a three-dimensional surround sound echoed, "Little demon, what cultivation skill are you looking for?"
Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) looked around but couldn't locate the source of the voice. Nevertheless, she respectfully cupped her fists and bowed towards the front, saying, "Greetings, senior. I don't know what skill to look for myself. Do you have any recommendations?" She was genuinely clueless in this area!
The voice clearly paused for a moment, then continued, "Then I'll recommend one randomly based on your strength!" The surrounding bookshelves began to shift, rearranging themselves back and forth, left and right, until only three manuals were left in front of her. From left to right, they were titled "Dan Ce," "Ti Xiu," and "Gui Yuan."
From their names, Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) surmised that the first two were likely for alchemy and external body cultivation. However, the third, "Gui Yuan," gave no indication of its purpose from its name alone. Driven by curiosity, her hand reached out towards this manual.
The moment she grasped it, she felt another powerful force attempting to snatch it away. The same voice spoke again, "Little demon, I gave you the wrong one. Give it back!"
But Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) did not let go, for she felt an intangible power emanating from the manual, helping her resist the force from the voice.
"Oh? Could it be that you are the fated one?" The voice also detected something amiss. It applied even more strength, yet still couldn't retrieve the manual. "Very well, it seems it has chosen you. Then you shall learn this skill!" With that, the other two manuals vanished from their spots. The bookshelves began to move again, and soon all the manuals were hidden within the hazy mist, becoming indistinguishable.
"Is it that casual?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) asked, holding the "Gui Yuan" manual, somewhat bewildered. "Senior, may I browse the other two before making a decision?"
"No! Cultivation manuals and you demons are a matter of mutual selection. Since you have both chosen each other just now, it means this is the most suitable for you," the voice replied.
"Alright! Thank you, senior! May I know your name?"
"Just call me Bookworm!"
Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) inwardly found the name rather informal, but she politely asked, "Senior Bookworm, can I start cultivating now?"
"Cultivation must be done in the cultivation rooms. You absolutely cannot cultivate here, as it will damage my books!" the Bookworm demon stated sternly.
"Thank you for the information, senior. Then... goodbye!"
"Mm!"
As the Bookworm demon's voice faded, the scenery around Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) shifted again. Looking back, she saw that the entrance she had come through had reappeared.
She placed the manual into her芥子空间 (Jiezi Space) and stepped out of the "Skill Tower," intending to head to the "cultivation room." However, Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) now noticed two very similar-looking demons not far away staring at her with dumbfounded expressions. One of them was a familiar demon she had seen waiting by the entrance with her earlier.
"Greetings, fellow cultivators. Is there something unusual about me?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) looked herself over but found nothing out of the ordinary, so she proactively approached and asked.
"No, no, no! We're just too surprised!" The demon on the left shook its head. A white token on it bore the inscription "Flying Beasts Hall, Zheng Yingyi."
The one on the right was the familiar demon she had waited with earlier; he was Zheng Yingyi's younger brother, named Zheng Ying'er. They were both demons who had cultivated from the Zheng clan's eagle tribe and were twins. Zheng Ying'er looked at her token and directly asked, "Fellow Daoist Bai, have you finished selecting your manual and come out?"
"Yes! Is there a problem?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) asked, confused.
"Your speed is too astonishing! My brother said you haven't been in there for even the time it takes an incense stick to burn!" Zheng Yingyi exclaimed.
"Uh... do other demons usually take a long time?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) asked, not understanding.
"Of course! This is about choosing the cultivation skill for your entire life, isn't it? How can you know which is the best and most suitable for you without careful selection?" Zheng Ying'er thought this Bai Qiushui was too rash.
"Fellow Daoist Zheng, may I ask how you choose when you go in?" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) began to doubt if her method was wrong.
"We go in and flip through them one by one, pick them up and examine them! And I heard there are several floors inside, and I don't know exactly how many manuals there are, but there are a lot," Zheng Yingyi explained. "However, we consulted our elders in the sect, so my brother and I brought provisions and agreed to go in together to look out for each other."
Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) knew where her problem lay. Because the Bookworm senior had spoken to her upon entering, she hadn't browsed through the manuals herself. The Bookworm senior had helped her choose. She didn't know why others didn't have the Bookworm senior's guidance, but at this moment, she didn't want to reveal her differences. So, she could only give a dry laugh and reply, "I didn't consult anyone else, so I just picked one casually."
"Then you've lost out. If this manual isn't suitable for you, you can only wait ten years before entering the Skill Tower again. The rules here state that each demon can only enter the Skill Tower and take one manual every ten years," Zheng Ying'er informed her.
"Okay, thank you both, Fellow Daoists Zheng, for letting me know. Otherwise, I would truly be in the dark!" Bai Qiushui (Xiao Wenqiang) quickly thanked the helpful eagle demons and then asked, "May I add you both as friends? It would be convenient for us to exchange information in the future."