C29 Inscription

"So many martial arts techniques?" Chu Yan paused mid-step.

He was aware that the Southern Yuan Kingdom's royal family had only three such techniques to their name, yet here in the Lin Family's collection, even if each compartment held just one technique, there were nearly a hundred in total—a staggering amount.

"Of course not," Feng Ru chuckled. "Over the years, the Lin Family has preserved a total of thirty-seven martial arts techniques. The rest are books, all gathered by members of the Lin Family."

"Still, thirty-seven is quite a collection," Chu Yan mused to himself.

With time on his side, Chu Yan wasn't in a hurry to make his selection and strolled around the first floor.

As Feng Ru had mentioned, there were precisely thirty-seven compartments containing martial arts techniques, one in each, complete with annotations detailing the type of technique, its origins, and other relevant information.

The remaining compartments were filled with numerous books. Naturally, these couldn't be limited to one per compartment; often, dozens of volumes were packed into a single space.

Noticing Chu Yan's calm demeanor, Feng Ru's curiosity was piqued. "Which type of martial arts technique are you considering?"

"I'll see what weapons are available first, then choose a technique," Chu Yan shared his approach.

He hadn't been aimlessly wandering from the start; he had a plan and a clear objective in mind.

"For weapons, let's head up to the second floor," Feng Ru suggested, leading the way.

The layout of the Martial Skill Pavilion's second floor was similar to the first, but unlike the tranquil atmosphere below, this level bustled with members of the Lin Clan.

Feng Ru quickly whispered an explanation that these clan members were tasked with maintaining the weapons and that they could be disregarded.

Chu Yan nodded and proceeded.

He was well-informed that weapons ranging from first to third rank were considered inferior, fourth to sixth rank were deemed intermediate, and seventh to ninth rank were superior.

Since Lin Chongtian had given him the option to choose a lower-grade weapon, his choices were confined to the first three ranks.

There was a vast array of weapons to choose from, but Chu Yan had already set his sights on one in particular—a triplex long spear.

The spear was named Silver Scale, and it lived up to its moniker. Its shaft gleamed as if plated with silver, and it seemed to be enveloped in a layer of delicate scales. The scales were enchanting; a direct gaze revealed a spear bathed in silvery-white, yet from another angle, it appeared utterly black, devoid of any sheen. Mastering this trait could undoubtedly yield a tactical surprise during combat.

Chu Yan's preference for the Silver Scale Spear stemmed from his familiarity with a similar weapon, the Dragon-Breaking Spear, which he had wielded previously. Spears were his weapon of choice, though the Silver Scale Spear ranked slightly below his old armament.

Having selected the spear, Chu Yan's focus naturally shifted to spear-related martial skills. Yet, he didn't rush to the first floor to make his selection. Instead, he wandered toward the display of medium-grade weapons. It was an opportunity to broaden his horizons, after all. These weapons were fewer in number and higher in grade than their lower-grade counterparts.

Feng Ru confided to Chu Yan that the Lin Family possessed even higher-grade weapons, stored on the third floor of the Martial Skill Pavilion, a place off-limits to most.

Acknowledging this with a nod, Chu Yan's attention was captured by a dark red sword before him. Its name, he learned, was the Fire Ripple Sword. It wasn't just the sword's rarity that drew him in; as he approached, Chu Yan felt waves of heat emanating from the blade, specifically from the intricate red lines etched upon it. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as though flames were coursing through the lines, the heat intensifying with proximity.

A flicker of surprise crossed Chu Yan's eyes as he cast a questioning glance at Feng Ru, who was eyeing the Fire Ripple Sword with a trace of envy. Wetting his lips, Feng Ru spoke, "Those are Inscriptions."

"Are these the red lines you're talking about?" Chu Yan inquired.

"Exactly, those fine lines are inscriptions etched by an Inscription Master," Feng Ru explained. "Only weapons of a medium grade or higher can be engraved with such inscriptions. There's a variety of inscriptions, like the one on the Fire Ripple Sword, which allows it to emit heat akin to flames. Others can increase the speed of a weapon's swing or even produce bolts of lightning."

"So, the purpose of an inscription is to enhance a weapon's abilities?" Chu Yan asked, eyeing the Fire Ripple Sword.

"In essence, yes. However, the intricacies of inscriptions are too complex for me to fully explain. If you're truly interested, the Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce in Qingyang Town has an Inscription Master on site. Families with the means often equip their promising young members with inscribed weapons. After all, having an inscription makes a world of difference for weapons of the same grade. For instance, this Fire Ripple Sword is a sixth-grade weapon. Against a common weapon of the same grade, its inscriptions could be activated to full power, potentially melting the opposing weapon!"

"That's incredible!" Chu Yan's eyes widened as he nodded. "The Wan Hai Chamber of Commerce—I'll remember that. Thanks, Big Brother Feng."

"You've heard of it?" Feng Ru was taken aback before exclaiming, "Brother Chu, I feel compelled to warn you: it's fine to be curious about inscriptions, but if you're considering delving into them, take my advice—it's best to steer clear."

"Why?" Chu Yan looked at Feng Ru, puzzled. "Is it dangerous?"

"Not exactly," Feng Ru replied with a wry smile. "Let me put it this way, Brother Chu: for every thousand warriors, maybe one will attune to the spiritual energy of the world and ascend to the Pulse Condensation Period to become a cultivator. But do you know how many warriors it takes before one becomes an Inscription Master?"

"Ten thousand?" Chu Yan guessed, his brow furrowed. The odds were low, yet not entirely discouraging.

Feng Ru simply shook his head.

"A hundred thousand?" Chu Yan reiterated, sensing that the odds were indeed quite slim.

"It's far more than that—it's over a million!" Feng Ru whispered, as if afraid of alarming Chu Yan. "I only heard the Old Master mention it once. And out of that million, only a fraction become Inscription Apprentices. To qualify as an Inscription Master, you must reach the Pulse Condensation Stage, and then you're competing with one in a million at that level!"

With that perspective, the probability was extraordinarily low.

"To become an Inscription Master, you need to practice, don't you? Brother Chu, you must realize that the materials for engraving inscriptions are exorbitantly expensive. It's like a bottomless pit, and saying that you're burning through Spirit Money is no exaggeration. And that's not all; innate talent is essential. Take our Lin Family—we could throw all our resources into it and still not manage to train even an Inscription Apprentice. If there were a way, the Old Master would have found it long ago!"

Feng Ru implored Chu Yan earnestly, "So, Brother Chu, it might be best to let go of this pursuit. Delving into inscriptions is a path of immense effort with little to no return."