Taboo

As one of the top righteous sects of the Northern Territory, The Eternal Palace was really a massive place, it was as big as a small modern city.

Thankfully, there were various small teleportation arrays, with which Liu Ruyan was quickly able to reach the sect's warehouse.

 The building was massive, even from a distance one could make out that a large number of different items were stored there.

"Hello, I am the handyman discipline Liu Ruyan, I came to get a free set of martial arts and cultivation techniques that all new people who join the sect are entitled to."

-Liu Ruyan bowed her head and spoke respectfully.

"Hmm, let me check!"

An old elder with somewhat sunken skin, who was in charge of the reception answered nonchalantly.

From below his desk, he took out a big register. Then, he slowly started unfurling the pages as if finding the details of the speaker.

 "Hmmm, let me see...…Liu Ruyan, here is the name, age almost 20 years old, with no special physique, no cultivation roots, joined the sect two years back in a special recruitment for handymen, yet to even break through Qi gathering first stage, yet to visit the sect warehouse for her free cultivation technique and martial art."

The old elder sneered inwardly, thinking what a useless disciple came.

Such talentless people can only be those lowly handymen whose monthly tasks are just to keep the sect clean and do other dirty jobs the regular disciples refused to perform, the so-called cannon fodder.

 From his pocket, he took out a token and threw it to Liu Ruyan.

 "With this token, you should be able to visit the first floor, there you can choose anything you want."

-After speaking, the elder closed his eyes, not bothering to explain anything more.

Liu Ruyan didn't waste any time and entered the main building, the entire warehouse was covered with a special formation, the second Liu Ruyan stepped in, with the token in her hand, she was automatically transported to the first floor.

There she saw countless techniques with different fancy names piled on many shelves.

Like an excited kitten who found milk, she hurriedly ran over and started looking through everything.

But soon her eyes were filled with disappointment.

 "I should have guessed it, nothing good can be found in free stuff on the first floor. Only those higher floors available to regular outer and inner sect disciples should be filled with mouth-watering techniques."

 "Most of the low-quality techniques here are way too simple. The thing is even if you practise them, it will take a considerable time, plus your future path will be locked."

 "Like If I practice this 'Tiger fist' or 'Mighty Steps' as my main technique, I won't be able to change my technique mid-way and be struck till I cultivate anew abandoning my previous cultivation."

 "The problem is these low-quality techniques can only be practised till the late Qi gathering stage, after that, there is simply no follow-up!"

"So basically you are gonna be stuck at the Qi Gathering stage if you practice any of the low-quality stuff present here."

Liu Ruyan was frustrated, clearly, nothing good was available.

In desperation, she checked the entire room in the hope of finding anything better, but soon her hopes were dashed with cold water.

Just when she was about to give up and choose one of these useless techniques, a shabby corner which she seemed to have overlooked caught her attention.

With hesitant steps, she marched forward.

 There was a big stone tablet with the heading - Research Podium, pasted on the wall beside this new place.

 Liu Ruyan hastily wiped the dust and started reading the text on the stone tablet.

 [The Research podium- Hundreds and thousands of years ago, there were many evil and unscrupulous sects running wild on this continent. ]

[At that time to protect humanity, the righteous sects joined hands and fought to death against those evil sects. In the end, those unholy sects were destroyed and peace was restored in the continent.]

[Many techniques practised by those evil sects were taken by the righteous sects and kept in their respective warehouses for research purposes. As you know the higher one cultivates, the higher inspiration and dedication one needs and as one faces big bottlenecks, some new information might provide a new idea, all the techniques here are solely for research purposes.]

[If any disciple of the sect is seen practising these taboos, he/she will be skinned alive and their soul shall be burned in the eternal fire and never be allowed to reincarnate.]

Liu Ruyan took long deep breaths, the information contained in the stone tablet was too detailed, not to forget the strict punishment if anyone was found practising these evil arts.

But isn't it a common thing that the more you try to suppress something the more attractive it seems?

"It's okay, I am only going to read things here."

Making up her mind, Liu Ruyan started ruffling through things arranged in the Research Podium.

Soon she was surprised, everything here seemed to be tailor-made for her.

Her biggest drawback is that she neither has any cultivation physique nor any cultivation roots, and luckily to practise the stuff here you need neither of those.

The most important thing was that with the token that the old elder gave to her, she could only open restriction of one set of techniques and martial arts on the first floor, but on the Research podium, there was basically no such restriction.

There one could read as much as one wants, after all, knowing the gruesome requirements and harsh punishments, who in right mind would defy the rules.

Liu Ruyan took a fancy to four big jade slips which seemed the most eye-catching.

Like a vivid reader, she immediately started reading them aloud.

[The Way To The Underworld! - This technique pollutes your mind and your soul is damned eternally to hell after your death. It requires the blood of countless living beings.]

[The more blood you absorb, the stronger your physique becomes. When you have absorbed the blood of millions of living beings, you may even be able to shatter those mighty immortals into oblivion with a single punch. Requirement- The practitioner must have no cultivation roots to learn this successfully.]