Chapter 20: The Systematic Legacy of Systematic Evil Spirit Masters
"Forget it. I can see you're literate. If this still doesn't work, I'll get you a library card and let you go read at the library..."
Zhang Peng covered his face, feeling completely speechless at the results of his own teaching.
"Library card? Library?" Chen Ming's mouth fell open in disbelief. He simply could not imagine such a thing existing inside the Holy Spirit Cult.
"You find that strange?" Zhang Peng calmed himself and explained, "The core profound truths and cultivation insights of Spirit Masters are indeed mostly passed down through master Disciple legacies, but that doesn't mean all knowledge has to be taught through a master Disciple relationship."
"Branch Halls do not have places like libraries. At most, the Elders of each Branch Hall teach a bit of basic knowledge. And those branch Elders are usually not so kindhearted. But here at Headquarters, there really is a library established for low level Spirit Masters to learn basic common knowledge."
"The library records all kinds of basic knowledge that outside Spirit Masters commonly possess, along with encyclopedias of Spirit Beasts. At the same time, it also contains additional foundational knowledge and various kinds of information that people with Martial Souls like ours need to understand."
"It certainly isn't profound enough, but it is comprehensive and foundational. For low level Spirit Masters, it is the kind of knowledge that can completely change their fate."
"Most Evil Spirit Masters are self taught. After being recruited into the Holy Spirit Cult, it is impossible for everyone to be assigned a teacher for guidance, so this library has become an important institution within the Holy Spirit Cult."
"Because Spirit Masters on the continent deliberately monopolize information, and in particular intentionally suppress and blur knowledge related to people like us, Spirit Masters who enter the Holy Spirit Cult often have all kinds of unexpected deficiencies in their foundations."
"The higher a Spirit Master's cultivation rises, the more profound their reserve of knowledge must become. Do not think that Evil Spirit Masters do not need to study. Without studying, even if your talent is excellent, as long as it is not absurdly Heaven Defying, you will be nothing more than cannon fodder sooner or later."
"For example, when using blood, what kind of blood is best, what kind of ritual has the highest conversion efficiency, what kind of ritual should use what kind of blood, what needs to be noted when blood is used as a material, and what needs to be added to the blood to keep the ritual stable..."
Zhang Peng used his own daily cultivation as an example.
"Even if you are using blood for a blood sacrifice, you still have to consider cost effectiveness. The more sinister and specialized the method, the more it demands dedicated cultivation and corresponding knowledge."
"As for knowledge related to discovery, manipulation, and control within the Holy Spirit Cult, none of that can be found in the outside world. Compared to the classics preserved within the Cult, the understanding that outside Spirit Masters have of Spirits is very shallow. For instance, if you want to enslave the Spirit of a Spirit Beast for battle, how to preserve it, how to control it, how to maintain it, how to strengthen it... all of those are major fields of study."
Hearing this, and seeing Chen Ming's jaw nearly hit the ground, Zhang Peng patted him on the shoulder with feeling.
"At low ranks, you can advance quickly by relying on the traits and talent of your Martial Soul. But the higher your rank becomes, the more things you must pay attention to. External factors, internal factors, cultivation... every kind of problem requires knowledge, profound knowledge, and knowledge that has already been verified as correct."
"Why does the Holy Spirit Cult have so many high level Evil Spirit Masters? Is it only because our talent is good? No. It is because the Holy Spirit Cult possesses comprehensive and detailed experience related to every aspect of cultivation, all kinds of tailored secret methods, and a complete, systematic environment."
"In fact, many Evil Spirit Masters train themselves to death, cripple themselves, or go mad. The cultivation of an Evil Spirit Master is like walking a tightrope blindfolded. The farther and faster you go, the more dangerous it becomes. The knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit Cult allow Evil Spirit Masters to avoid and reduce backlash as much as possible."
"Although it is not actually out of kindness, the Holy Spirit Cult is indeed the only place that can protect people like us, and the only power that can allow us to learn and grow..."
"All kinds of high level knowledge targeted at specific Martial Souls are held in the hands of the various Elders and Consecrated Elders. Secret methods are also things that require a certain status and a certain amount of sacrifice to obtain."
"A suitable teacher represents a complete legacy of knowledge. It can save you a great deal of time and prevent you from taking many wrong turns. That is also why I originally handed you over to Hate Douluo."
"My power is greater than Hate Douluo's, but his experience, techniques, secret methods, and environment are all more suitable for your Abomination Martial Soul than mine. There is knowledge you will need in the future that even I have not studied..."
"Come with me. I will get you a library card, and then you can go read. Do not worry, the library inside the Holy Spirit Cult is an absolute safe zone. The stronger an Evil Spirit Master is, the less they dare act recklessly there. There is also a dedicated lodging area inside, along with safe food and water."
"Master... this... is the Holy Cult doing charity?" Hearing Zhang Peng's explanation, Chen Ming blinked in disbelief. He simply could not imagine such a thing existing within the Holy Spirit Cult, the greatest power of Evil Spirit Masters.
"Of course not. The library is not free. Reading books costs money. Either you hand over gold coins, materials, or various rare items to the Cult, or you go complete missions to exchange for merit. There are regulations on what books an ordinary Spirit Master can borrow and for how long. The knowledge is not sealed away, but it is certainly not free either."
"It is just that the strong within the Cult receive discounts. Spirit Masters who have rendered great service to the Cult can have part of their reading fees waived every month for 3 generations. The greater the merit, the greater the waiver."
"The descendants of Spirit Saint level Spirit Masters read at half price, while the descendants of those above Spirit Douluo read for free. Furthermore, descendants and Disciples can also be temporarily fostered inside the library, which is another form of protection for successors."
"I am a Titled Douluo and a Consecrated Elder of the Holy Cult. Letting you read there will not cost a single coin. With a library card, you can read whatever you want. Though in truth, most of the knowledge in the library only reaches the level of Spirit Ancestor at most. It is just very comprehensive."
Zhang Peng calmly stated the part he had not mentioned earlier.
"Inside the Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters, Evil Spirit Masters under the age of 12 must take a small exam every 3 months and a major exam every year from the time their Martial Soul is awakened. Resources and knowledge are distributed according to the results of those exams. At the age of 12, there is a final examination. The outstanding ones are cultivated as seeds, and most of the Saints and Holy Maidens of previous generations were selected through that exam."
"If someone can achieve a high ranking in the small exams and major exams, they will also be granted the privilege of browsing certain books in the library for free, as well as temporary residence inside."
"Evil Spirit Masters over the age of 15 have 1 exam every year, but the assessment is not based solely on progress and strength. Performance is also evaluated. Those whose performance scores and overall ratings are too low will be punished, and in severe cases they will be expelled from the Holy Spirit Cult Headquarters and exiled to serve in Branch Halls."
"The Holy Spirit Cult is the best place for Evil Spirit Masters to survive, but the Cult does not support idlers."
These rigorous rules felt to Chen Ming like something that should not exist in an underground hidden cult. But after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was not actually that outrageous.
After all, there were not many naturally gifted Evil Spirit Master talents to begin with, and a large portion of them would be filtered out along the way. If the Holy Spirit Cult did not cultivate its people internally at all, then it could never have developed to its current height, a force even slightly stronger than Shrek, the strongest power on the surface of the continent.
Internal elimination and slaughter were indispensable parts of an Evil Spirit Master organization, but the cultivation of talent was also a necessary part of every large scale power.
Only when ruthless internal elimination and stable channels of upward advancement existed side by side could the Holy Spirit Cult continue to develop and grow stronger.
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