The Copy Mage

Chapter 40: Cultivation Method Choosing Part 1

All the students under Ivan had jade slips within their hands and happy expressions, apart from Damian who held an old and black covered book.

"Come over here to gain the full access to the skill" called out the librarian.

The Jade Slips that were left within the library only provided a short description of the skill and its first few pages, and to gain full access to it, it must be done so by the librarian who had mysteriously locked the jade slips and what could be seen to those he didn't allow.

One by one, all the students went to the librarian who using their identification, that was imbued with their blood, gave them access to the jade slips and made it so that other's couldn't use or access the manual.

Damian, who was the last student to return, was at the end of the queue and after a few minutes reached the front counter.

"What skill have you chosen boy" enquired the librarian curiously.

Damian embarrassedly placed the shabby book on the counter, shocking the librarian and the students who hadn't seen his choice of skill.

The students who were jealous and envious or had a grudge towards Damian began to laugh and ridicule him like the other students he didn't know did.

"From the top of the class to choosing the worst skill", "Even I could write a better skill than that", a lot of the students continued to hurl all kinds of ridiculing statements at Damian.

"You all better shut your traps" warned Milo as he stepped up along with Cole, Matilda and Julia.

Causing the students to be slightly intimidated by the top students and lowered their heads.

"What made you choose this book," asked the librarian curiously who had a sudden change in demeanour and became energetic.

"Instinct" replied Damian, who didn't have a valid reason for his choice.

"You really are a weird kid" mumbled the librarian to himself.

"Just to inform you, child, that book has been there since the dawn of the academy and has never been chosen by anybody, Mainly because the principle and founder of the academy had never been able to use it after finding it and it seemed to be empty" narrated the librarian.

"If you ever manage to find anything within it or about it, make sure to come and show me" whispered the librarian to Damian, giving him an interested smile.

"Now all of you get in a line and follow me to where you will have the opportunity to gain a cultivation method" ordered the librarian with a dominant tone and aura.

"There are many types of cultivation methods, but the main are types are External / Body Refining Methods, Internal / Energy Refining Methods, and finally Breathing Methods" narrated the librarian as he led them deep into the library.

"There are infinite possibilities for types of cultivation, but for what we have access to, those are the main three types. A cultivation method, unlike a skill manual, would be used to train a part or entire body following a specific method that may grant additional ability's or properties to the user that grant them a massive advantage. Or may just be a higher quality method that allows the user to be able to strengthen themselves quicker or better compared to others.

Cultivation Methods are ranked in the same way as Skill Methods, Soul Spirits, Talent and everything else in the cultivation world. Most methods are useable to all and don't have any elemental specialisation and are extremely rare.

However, in comparison to the methods that have an elemental specialisation, they are weak and have minimal effects that only increase the overall strength of the user's body or energy without granting them any ability or enhancing their elemental affinity and knowledge" explained the librarian.

His voice seemed quiet, yet managed to reach even those at the back of the queue perfectly, without the need to shout or project his voice.

All the students who had previously underestimated him were in awe, meanwhile, Damian was digesting all the information that the librarian had just given them, remembering every word with ease.

Damian had thought it was normal as it occurred unconsciously, but he had noticed that ever since integrating with Utsusu, memorising anything was easy.

{It's just a mere positive side effect of gaining me as your Soul Spirit} stated Utsusu, affirming his guess, but also halting his wide imagination from coming to a wild conclusion.

"We have arrived" announced the librarian as they reached what seemed to be the centre of the library and were met with an enormous door that was large enough to fit in 10 people walking side by side.

"Before you enter I must inform you of a few rules. The cultivation methods are placed within the room in order of grade. The closer you get to the end the higher ranked the cultivation methods are" stated the librarian.

"And you have your choice of any of the methods within the academy" added the librarian, making all the students jump up in excitement, apart from Damian, his friends and a few others who were in life enough to know that nothing was easy in life.

"However, you only have an hour within the room and the further into the room you go, the stronger the pressure the room places on you will become," informed them the librarian, making them all become less excited.

"The pressure is resisted by your will, talent and determination. The way the room functions is that it gives advantages to those that it deems worthy, but still gives equal opportunity to those that are determined with strong will power" added the librarian once again, giving the students hope again.

"There are a few jade slips for most of the methods that the elders of the academy were capable of copying. However, methods were much longer and more difficult to copy and engrave into a jade slip. At the end of the room, there are also original versions of methods that aren't copied and you may find all kinds of different methods produced by many seniors." depicted the librarian.

"Do not waste this opportunity and try your best as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and is extremely unlikely to be opened to any of you again" declared the librarian.

All the students began to steel their wills and clench their fists, excited and determined to gain a powerful cultivation method to go along with the skill they chose, as they all stared at the domineering entrance before them with great anticipation.

They all knew that without a cultivation method they were merely a headless chicken in the world of cultivation and were blindly strengthening their body or energy reserves without a method to follow.

It was extremely difficult to succeed in increasing your strength without a method: however, even if one managed to do so, they would still be weak and disadvantages compared to those that had cultivation methods.

Which showed them exactly how valuable the methods were and how privileged they were by the academy because they had Soul Spirits.

"You may enter" allowed the librarian as the large entrance began to slowly open making a loud creak.