Chapter 1414: The Forest of Techniques

"Here?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned, filled with disbelief.

If the other party had said it was stored in some hall or sealed in some place, he would have found it normal, but inside the statue of Saint Kui...

How could this be?

Saint Kui was an ancient sage, a direct disciple of the ancient sage Bu Shang, a grand-disciple of Master Teacher Kong, and the first head of the Saint Son Hall. He had long harbored a deep hatred for the alien spirit race, wishing to annihilate them completely.

The ruthless man, as one of the strongest of that race, even in death, his skeleton must contain special power, unacceptable to the human race. Not sealed, not hidden, but placed inside his own statue...

Even he found it hard to understand.

Most crucially... having fused with the ruthless man's skeleton, the statue before him not only lacked a murderous aura but instead gave a gentle and refined feeling. How was that achieved?

"Could you have sensed it wrong?"

He couldn't help asking inwardly.

It wasn't that he didn't trust him, but this possibility was simply too remote.

After all, Saint Kui couldn't have possessed the Library of Heaven's Path, let alone the Book of Heaven's Path, to suppress the ruthless man's power so that even a Nine-Star Master Teacher couldn't detect it, and the Eye of Insight couldn't see through it.

"Before fusing with the head, I might have sensed it wrong, but now... absolutely not!"

The ruthless man's tone was full of certainty.

Without fusing with the head, his memory was incomplete, and he couldn't be sure. But now, he was one hundred percent certain that his sternum was definitely inside the statue before him, without any hesitation.

"This..."

Seeing him so certain, Zhang Xuan frowned. "Let me take a look!"

His Eye of Insight stirred as he carefully looked over.

After a moment, he shook his head.

Even the successive hall masters hadn't noticed anything, and his Eye of Insight was at an even lower level, so naturally he couldn't detect anything either.

He reached out his hand and gently touched the corner of the stone statue's robe.

Whoosh!

A book appeared in his mind.

"Stone carving in the inner courtyard of the Saint Son Hall, personally crafted by Saint Kui, made from celadon stone fused with the ancient sage's will and the ruthless man's sternum, used to suppress the inner courtyard space and stabilize spiritual energy..."

The book detailed the statue's origin and content.

"So it really is inside..."

Zhang Xuan frowned even more deeply.

The Library of Heaven's Path wouldn't be wrong, indicating that the ruthless man's ribs were indeed inside this statue.

Fusing the skeleton of a powerful alien spirit to stabilize the inner courtyard space, yet without any trace of alien spirit aura... he still couldn't figure it out.

"Master Teacher Zhang..."

Seeing him distracted, Master Teacher Zhan called out.

"Oh, I was just stunned by Saint Kui's bearing. Please forgive my distraction."

Zhang Xuan quickly clasped his fists.

Neither the ruthless man nor the skeleton could be mentioned; he had to clarify this matter first.

"No matter. The first time I saw Saint Kui's statue, I was also stunned for a long time, feeling as if a teacher stood before me imparting knowledge."

Master Teacher Zhan didn't notice anything unusual and nodded with feeling.

"Mm."

Responding, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze as an idea struck him: "Since this skeleton was placed inside the stone statue by Saint Kui and suppressed by the sage, it means it can't give birth to a new consciousness..."

Previously, the heart, finger bones, and head had all developed their own consciousness. Now, this skeleton, enclosed within the statue, should not have developed its own consciousness, making it much simpler for the ruthless man to devour.

However, correspondingly, it was also more troublesome.

To devour it, he would have to destroy the statue, and destroying the statue could cause the entire inner courtyard to collapse.

Neither outcome was something he wanted to see.

"By the way, Master Teacher Zhan, does the inner courtyard have a place like a technique hall? I've reached the half-step domain realm but haven't learned any domain realm techniques."

"The inner courtyard has no such place, but it does have the Forest of Techniques, which contains the legacies left by countless predecessors. All new inner courtyard students enter it. What they obtain depends on their fortune and luck."

Master Teacher Zhan smiled lightly.

"Forest of Techniques?"

"Yes. The techniques collected in the inner courtyard are mostly at the Saint realm late stage or peak level, but each student has a different constitution, so suitable techniques vary. Some techniques, when you cultivate them, can bring you to the peak and make you invincible at the same level, but if others cultivate them, they might suffer qi deviation. Education is not replication, not printing from a plate. Therefore, techniques are not about being more powerful, but about being suitable."

Master Teacher Zhan explained. "The Forest of Techniques is precisely a place for such selection. Every student entering the inner courtyard has one chance to choose, given one day to search. Once chosen, it cannot be changed."

"I see."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Techniques are like professions; some suit some people, others suit others. They require selection, not rigid灌输.

Master Teacher Kong advocated teaching according to aptitude, which requires teachers to adjust their teaching methods according to each individual, not force-feeding.

"If Master Teacher Zhang wishes to learn, I can take you there."

Seeing he understood, Master Teacher Zhan said.

"Thank you."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Having arrived at the inner courtyard and learned the location of the ruthless man's skeleton, the more important task now was to quickly improve his strength.

Since Luo Ruoxin was confined by the Luo family, she definitely wasn't here. Rather than wasting effort searching, it was better to quickly enhance his power to resolve this matter.

"Please follow me."

Master Teacher Zhan led the way.

Before long, they arrived at a place filled with stone tablets, looking from afar like a cemetery.

"This is the Forest of Techniques. Each stone tablet represents a technique. Circulate the power in your body and walk slowly forward. When you reach the end, the technique suitable for you will automatically emerge. Unsuitable techniques cannot be forcibly practiced no matter how many methods you have or how strong you are. Doing so would instead affect your strength, causing more harm than good."

Master Teacher Zhan reminded him.

"Automatically emerge?"

Zhang Xuan was curious.

He had never heard of a technique emerging on its own.

Previously, all techniques were recorded in books and had to be actively learned.

"Yes. The Forest of Techniques not only leaves behind techniques but also the will of predecessors and their understanding of the techniques. When you walk through it, these wills will sense whether your constitution and the techniques you are cultivating are compatible. If conditions are not met, even if you try to forcibly learn, you won't be able to understand or remember the content. This is also to prevent later students from being overly ambitious and biting off more than they can chew."

Master Teacher Zhan continued.

Although the other party was an Eight-Star Master Teacher, he was still too young, so he couldn't help but remind him repeatedly.

Knowing that this was a common trait among all teachers—he often said the same to his students—Zhang Xuan smiled and nodded.

"I'll go in and take a look..."

Understanding what the Forest of Techniques was, he no longer hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his foot and walked inside.