Chapter 34: An Enhanced Environment

Lin Fan stood outside the Outer Sect Library, the weight of his 1030 Contribution Points feeling both substantial and, after Browse the Intermediate Knowledge Pavilion, slightly inadequate for uncovering deeper secrets. He had unlocked access, proven his capability, but the path to truly restricted knowledge or higher sect status still required significant progression – either more CP, higher cultivation, or likely both.

He mulled over his options. He had over 4000 System Points beckoning him towards the lottery's instant gratification. He could return to the Contribution Hall and continue the grind towards an even higher CP threshold. He could retreat to his hut and delve into the alchemy manual or the library slips he could access.

Or, he could experience one of the tangible benefits his 1000 CP had already unlocked: the Enhanced Qi Training Room. Consolidating his fifth layer foundation after the recent battles and pushing closer to the next bottleneck felt like a productive, logical step. It would also give him a benchmark to compare sect resources against his own system-provided advantages.

Decision made. He turned and headed back towards the sprawling Outer Sect Training Grounds, seeking the administration building the librarian had mentioned.

It was a more solid, official-looking structure than the open arenas and puppet sheds, built of dressed stone and housing offices for the deacons and supervisors managing the Training Grounds. Inside, a specific counter was marked 'Facility Booking & Records'.

Lin Fan approached the disciple on duty, a focused-looking youth diligently updating records. "I wish to book a session in an Enhanced Qi Training Room," Lin Fan stated, presenting his disciple token.

The disciple took the token, scanned it with a small sect device, and nodded. "Disciple Lin Fan. Qualification confirmed," he said, his tone professional. He likely saw the 1000+ CP status and the recent 'Excellent' combat rating. "Standard session is twelve hours. The fee is one hundred Contribution Points. Do you wish to book now?"

"Yes," Lin Fan confirmed.

The disciple made the necessary entries. "100 Contribution Points deducted." Lin Fan felt the update on his token. Current CP: 1030 - 100 = 930 CP. "Room Seven in the lower level facility is available. This access talisman will grant you entry for the next twelve hours." He handed Lin Fan a small jade talisman etched with glowing runes.

Lin Fan accepted the talisman and followed the directions provided, heading to a stairway leading down beneath the administration building. The lower level was quieter, cooler, lined with numbered, heavy stone doors. He found Room Seven and pressed the jade talisman against a designated indentation beside it. The runes on the door flared briefly, and it swung silently inward.

He stepped inside, and the door sealed shut behind him. The room was small, perhaps three meters square, austere, and constructed entirely from smooth, grey stone that felt cool to the touch. Faint lines, glowing with a soft white light, were etched into the floor, walls, and ceiling, forming segments of a complex Spirit Gathering Array. The air inside felt noticeably different – thicker, purer, humming with a gentle but persistent concentration of spiritual energy far exceeding the ambient levels outside or even in his own hut.

It wasn't the overwhelming torrent of a High-Grade Spirit Stone, nor the focused potency of a Pure Qi Pill. It was more like breathing highly oxygenated air compared to normal air – a constant, enriched supply that made cultivation inherently more efficient.

Lin Fan sat cross-legged in the center of the room, directly over a nexus point in the array lines on the floor. He closed his eyes and activated the Nine Cycles Refining Art.

Immediately, he felt the difference. The surrounding spiritual energy flowed into his meridians eagerly, almost without needing to be actively drawn. The Nine Cycles spun smoothly, absorbing and refining this enriched Qi at a rate perhaps five or six times faster than cultivating with ambient Outer Sect energy alone. Impurities were minimal, making the refinement process quicker and putting less strain on his meridians.

He compared it mentally. This was significantly better than standard cultivation, excellent for steady progress, consolidating one's foundation, or perhaps gaining insights during quieter cultivation. However, for sheer speed and forcing breakthroughs, devouring High-Grade Spirit Stones remained magnitudes more potent, albeit more demanding and potentially less stable if not controlled perfectly.

This room is valuable, Lin Fan concluded. Especially for disciples without access to high-grade resources. 100 CP for twelve hours... a steep price for most Outer Disciples, but the benefit is tangible. It reinforced the value of the Contribution Points he had earned.

He pushed comparisons aside and focused wholly on cultivation. For the next several hours, he immersed himself in the process, guiding the enriched Qi through the Nine Cycles, tempering his Dantian, strengthening his meridians, and pushing his fifth layer cultivation base towards its peak. The stability of the energy flow also made it easier to contemplate the finer points of his techniques – the energy pathways of Wind Step, the Qi compression needed for Wind Blade, the subtle reinforcement patterns of Iron Skin.

During a brief pause in his Qi circulation, his mind drifted to the alchemy manual. He recalled the importance of stable fire control via Qi. An environment like this room, he mused, with its stable, easily drawn energy, would likely be far better for maintaining precise heat control in a furnace than the fluctuating ambient energy outside. Another potential use for these rooms, if the sect allowed basic alchemy within them.

He refocused, continuing his cultivation. Hours melted away. He felt his Qi growing denser, purer, the bottleneck leading to the sixth layer becoming clearer, more defined in his perception. He wasn't actively trying to break through – consolidation was the goal – but the progress was undeniable.

When the twelve-hour session neared its end, the gentle hum of the array subtly faded, signaling the depletion of the timed access granted by his talisman. Lin Fan slowly concluded his cultivation cycle, opening his eyes. He felt refreshed, invigorated, his foundation more solid than ever, standing firmly at the peak of the fifth layer. The jump to the sixth layer felt significantly closer now, perhaps achievable with one dedicated push using High-Grade stones when he chose to.

He stood up, stretched, and bowed slightly to the room – a gesture of acknowledgement for the resources provided. He exited, the heavy stone door sealing behind him, leaving the enriched environment for the normal air of the corridor. He returned the access talisman to the booking counter upstairs, receiving a simple nod from the clerk.

Stepping back out into the Outer Sect grounds – likely late evening or night now – Lin Fan felt the tangible results of spending his Contribution Points. The Enhanced Training Room was a definite step up from standard sect facilities. He still had 930 CP left, and over 4000 SP.

The cultivation session had solidified his base and brought him closer to the next layer. The question remained: what next? Continue grinding CP towards a higher goal? Spend his substantial SP reserve on the lottery, hoping for a breakthrough skill or item? Or perhaps dedicate some time now to truly studying the alchemy manual or the library's intermediate knowledge slips?

Each path held potential. His power was growing, his resources (both sect-based and system-based) expanding. He looked up, past the Outer Sect buildings, towards the distant, mist-shrouded Inner Sect peaks, a familiar determination hardening his gaze. The next step needed careful consideration.