Jur pointed to a hall to his left, "You should find the two techniques you are looking for on the far end on the top shelf."
William thanked old Jur and walked over with Elder Lin close behind. On the shelves were multiple books depicting Cultivation Techniques, including the two that Jur mentioned. William picked up the first Technique called "Molten Skies" and read the introduction.
"Inspired by the atmosphere of a raging volcano, this technique allows a Cultivator to absorb the Mana of the Fire, Earth, and Wind Elements and convert it to Qi to increase the Cultivation base. If the Cultivator is in a location with dense Mana of any of these Elements, their Cultivation speed will increase appropriately."
'As expected of the Five Elements Sect. Those Techniques sold outside are nothing compared to this, and I'm only on the first floor!' William considered the pros and cons of the Technique, then pulled out the second book titled "Fire Storm".
"Inspired by a Calamity that befell the continent over a hundred years ago, this technique allows a Cultivator to absorb Mana of the Fire, Earth, and Wind Elements and convert it to Qi to increase the Cultivation base. Once enough Mana is absorbed, it may instead be compressed to allow the user to recover their own Mana reserves."
Another good Technique. William weighed his options carefully. He decided to go with "Fire Storm", since he wouldn't really need to worry about Cultivation speed with the help of the System. He could already guess that the Cultivation Talent would speed up his growth once he unlocked it.
He suddenly thought of something, "Elder Lin, if I choose a Cultivation Technique now, won't I be stuck with it forever unless I start over?"
Elder Lin smiled, "A good question. In short, no. If you start with a weaker technique, it may take less Qi to reach the next level in a realm. If you later switch to a stronger technique, you won't have to start over, but the amount of Qi required will increase, which will sometimes cause a Cultivator to regress down a level or two. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the NoveI★Fire.net
This isn't a bad thing however, as a stronger Technique will also make a Cultivator stronger amongst peers in the same realm.
For example, a Qi Refinement 6 Cultivator with a weak Technique would be the weakest Qi Refinement 6, but if he suddenly switched to a stronger Cultivation Technique, he might regress to Qi Refinement 5, but he would be stronger than most Qi Refinement 5 Cultivators unless they had a better technique, and would still be able to fight with Cultivators at Qi Refinement 6 with weak Techniques."
William mostly understood the Elder's explanation, realizing he had asked the System this question before. Damn my goldfish brain.
This world was so complicated sometimes, what with all the countless ways a Cultivator could improve their strength. It was nothing like what William expected from a Cultivation world.
He and Elder Lin returned to the front desk with the Fire Storm Technique, which Jur looked over. He nodded his head and completed the transaction in his notebook.
Elder Lin looked at William. "Now that you've seen the training area and have a Cultivation Technique, it's probably about time your robes and badge arrived at your residence. Would you like me to take you there or do you remember the way?"
"I remember the way back, Elder. Thank you for your guidance." William maintained his respectful tone. He would have gladly accepted the Elder's offer before, but he was becoming hungry.
"In that case, I must inform you that your duties as a disciple do not begin until the first month has passed. In two days you must be at the Lecture Hall, which is the building next to us, for your introductory class with Elder Wen. Do not be late or you will be severely punished."
William thanked Elder Lin for his help and walked to his residence in haste. He didn't want to stand out at the restaurant for not wearing a proper uniform.
He fiddled with his keys at the residence door, then entered the building and inspected the contents. Well...there wasn't much to inspect as each room only contained the bare necessities.
His kitchen contained a refrigerator made out of wood and functioning off an Array using a single Mana stone. The bathroom was made purely of treated wood, rather than tile and didn't have a bathtub. In its place was a drain while a hose hung from the ceiling, acting as a shower head.
William was somewhat disappointed in the building, considering he was part of a famous Sect, but his hunger kept the complaints to a minimum.
The bedroom had nothing but a simple bed and a dresser containing five fresh uniforms and a single badge proving his status as an Outer Core Disciple.
"At least the uniforms are nice." Will mumbled to himself. He put on the disciple robes, finding them quite comfortable and custom fit his size. He reached for his Badge, but the moment his fingers made contact he was overwhelmed with a series of System messages.
-Successfully joined a Sect: +5 Potential Points
-Joined your first Sect: +50 Potential Points
-Joined a Renowned Sect: +100 Potential Points
--Detected that a Cultivation Sect has provided the Host with a Cultivation Technique while the Cultivation Talent is not unlocked. Without the ability to Cultivate, the Host's potential will stagnate. Please wait while the System calculates the Host's performance...
William was pleasantly surprised by the surge of Potential Points. It seemed that the System required him to actually wear the uniform before being acknowledged as a Sect Member.
It made sense when William thought about it. When you get a new job, you don't get paid until you've worked.
He didn't know how long the System would take, so William headed to the nearest restaurant, Wild Clover. The line wasn't very long, so he was seated in a few minutes. The interior had a very clean, traditional feel. Most of the customers were Outer Core Disciples, while a few visitors wore robes of varying styles.
He was approached by an Outer Core Disciple who appeared to be working at the restaurant.
"Hello, welcome to Wild Clover. I am Su Yanyu, is there anything you'd like from our menu?" a girl with a soft and pleasant voice asked.
William hadn't even looked at the menu. In front of him was a small pamphlet the size of William's hand with around a dozen meals to choose from. He looked at the prices and sighed in relief when they were affordable, most only costing a few Gold Coins, or allowing Disciples to pay with Contribution Points as an alternative.
"I'll have the Spirit Deer Venison meal please." William picked something random that sounded appetizing. He hadn't really tried real food in a while. Basic foodstuffs were provided during his mission to Blue Moon City, and he bought basic vegetables for his trip to the Foam Desert.
"The Spirit Deer Venison? No problem, I'll bring it out when it's ready." Su Yanyu nodded with a smile and walked off.
Before he could return his attention to the restaurant, William was interrupted by the System again.
--Calculated the Host's performance to be below average. The Host will be offered a Quest to raise their performance rating to average.
System Quest: The Host has entered a Sect without any talent for Cultivation. To stimulate their potential, the Host must prove their value to the Sect by becoming the number one Outer Core Disciple in less than a month.
Rewards: 1000 Potential Points, Cultivation Talent