Chapter 53

About the size of a palm, the token was decorated with carvings of a phoenix and a dragon dancing around the character ‘Li’. On the underside was a traditional-looking structure engraved with the words ‘Secret Knowledge’.

“The Token of Secret Knowledge!” As a disciple of the clan, Li Changsheng knew instantly what it was and how it was used.

The Treasury, The Demon Garden, and the Building of Secret Knowledge were important structures of the Li Clan, each providing their respective services. Taken at face value, the Treasury was where the clan kept their treasures, the Demon Garden was where they reared young demons, and the Building of Secret Knowledge was where they kept their secret texts.

With the Token of Secret Knowledge in hand, one could then enter the Building of Secret Knowledge and choose to learn either a secret skill or a demon taming tactic.

Without hesitation, Li Changsheng began his walk to the Building of Secret Knowledge.

The Building of Secret Knowledge sat facing the south with its back to the north, and was built with a double eaved East Asian hip-and-gable roof of double-layered brick and wood. Realistic sculptures of a black dragon and a fire phoenix stood proudly outside, giving the Building dignified vibes.

Due to its importance to the clan, the Building of Secret Knowledge was protected by both energy seals and two clan elders on rotation shifts. As such, even if a Level 4 demon tamer would be hard-pressed to break in.

Entering the Building of Secret Knowledge, Li Changsheng handed his Token of Secret Knowledge to the clan elder present.

“To be rewarded this Token of Secret Knowledge, you must have contributed much to our clan. Very well! As per our clan’s rules, you are allowed to choose either a method of secret skill or a demon taming tactic to learn from the options you will find inside.”

The clan elder’s smile widened after verifying the legitimacy of his Token and continued, “The first floor holds books that will teach you the secret method to strengthen your foundations and other fundamental tactics of demon taming, of which I do not suppose would interest you. The second floor is where the essence of this Building lies. That is where methods to secret skills and other demon taming tactics that the clan hold dear can be found. Alright then, follow me to the second floor!”

Li Changsheng had no complaints. Following behind the clan elder, he arrived at the base of the stairs.

Before the stairs appeared an ochre-colored screen. It was another energy seal made to hold people without the Token of Secret Knowledge off from entering the Building.

Next to the stairs was a stone platform with an indent around the size of a palm. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that it had the same shape as the Token of Secret Knowledge.

Without waiting, the clan elder placed the Token into the notch.

Vrr~

Ripples appeared as the energy seal vibrated and retreated to its sides, leaving a doorway in the middle just big enough for one person to walk through.

“In you go!”

Having said his farewells, the clan elder sauntered away and showed no intention of keeping watch on Li Changsheng.

Without hesitating, Li Changsheng ascended to the second floor.

Completely enclosed, the second floor had no windows at all, not even a gap. Yet it was brighter than the first floor. That was due to the luminous pearls embedded into the second-floor cantilever. The pearls glimmered brightly, giving the entire floor an exquisite look.

The second floor was more spacious than the first. Every other step was a stone podium with a piece of jade lying on it.

Other than the podiums, there was a bookshelf in the room as well. Though it only housed a few books in it.

Every piece of jade on the stone podiums were actually methods of secret skills. Unlike demon taming tactics, they were more obscure and therefore difficult to self-learn through books. Thus, as they could only be learned through mental inheritance, the methods behind each secret skill were imprinted into their own piece of jade.

As for the books on the shelves, they were all demon taming tactics.

Right off the bat, Li Changsheng approached the bookshelf.

Demon pets were crucial to demon tamers and so in comparison to learning secret skills, it was more important to learn demon taming tactics.

The bookshelf was far from full. In fact, only two dividers were filled, amounting to perhaps no more than twenty tactics in total.

While the Li Clan had over centuries of history, they did not have too much to share.

Randomly picking a book from the shelf, Li Changsheng began to flip through.

In his hands was a low-difficulty demon taming tactic, which, for some unknown reason, only its summary could be read. It gave Li Changsheng no access to its actual information.

“Should’ve known!” Li Changsheng shook his head. He was not surprised. To prevent people from cramming all the secrets into their minds, the demon taming tactics were all energy-sealed. One could only read its summary, everything else was sealed off.

Li Changsheng put the tactic book down after reading its content page, then he took another one from the shelf and repeated the procedure.

What disappointed Li Changsheng in the end was that the books before him were all low-difficulty demon taming tactics.

Despite the low-difficulty, these tactics were all different. Some resulted in better cultivating effects, while some taught to better cultivate and thus strengthen or purify one’s omniscience. There was even a demon taming tactic that promised special effects, increasing a demon tamer’s affinity levels, and therefore increasing the success rate of binding contracts.

“The clan must have moderate-difficulty demon taming tactics, for how else did the clan head become a Level 4 demon tamer? Question is, where’d they put it?” Li Changsheng frowned. Moderate-difficulty demon taming tactics were the root of this clan, so it could very well be that only the clan head and clan elders could cultivate it.

“Oh well then. I’ll deal with that after I’ve gone through all these methods of secret skills!” Li Changsheng shook his head and walked to the closest stone podium.

The stone podium was not huge per se, around the size of stone slabs. Other than the piece of jade on it, there was also a line of words—the introductions to its method of secret skill.

Mental Parasite: A low-difficulty special skill. By concentrating one’s omniscience into seedlings, and planting them into their opponents, it allows the demon tamer to sense the direction of their opponents within a certain radius. The higher level the demon tamer, the wider the radius.

Li Changsheng moved onto the next slab of stone, and read the instructions of that method of special skill.

Besides the Mental Parasite, there was the Mental Torment, Mental Assault, Telekinesis, Mental Scare, Invisible Wall, Mental Trick, and so on…

Without taking too much time, Li Changsheng had already memorized all the introductions of the supposed secret skills before him.

These were mostly low-difficulty methods with perhaps a few of moderate-difficulty mixed in between. There was nothing of any higher difficulties.

Li Changsheng eyed the methods of secret skills, every skill had different effects. It did not matter which secret skill he chose, for they would also increase his battle strength and ability to survive.

Alas, he could only choose either one method of secret skill or one demon taming tactic to learn as he only had one Token of Secret Knowledge.

Without further hesitation, Li Changsheng narrowed down his choices and began to choose between the moderate-difficulty methods of secret skills since there were no moderate-difficulty demon taming tactics available.

Grafting: The relocation of objects with one’s omniscience to deceive one’s opponent. Caution: Object depends on the demon tamer’s level; Level 1 demon tamers can only move objects up to 20kg.

Mental Haste: Demon tamer’s omniscience depends on their demon pet. Demon tamer is exempted from air resistance, while at the same time also increases the speed of the demon pet. Caution: The amount of increment depends on the demon tamer’s level.

Eye of Marvel: Increased sensitivity of a demon tamer to their surroundings, allowing the demon tamer to sense opponents who are hiding in the dark. Caution: Effect depends on the strength of both demon tamer and their opponent.

Compelled Healing: Compels the wound to heal to prevent further blood loss and stabilize injury. Caution: Can only be maintained for a certain amount of time. The amount of time depends on the demon tamer’s level.

As those four methods of secret skills were all extraordinary in their own ways, Li Changsheng found it hard to make a decision on the spot, caught between a rock and a hard place.

“I’ll eliminate the methods I don’t need as much first!” Li Changsheng shook his head, ready to employ the process of elimination to rid himself of options that may not be as useful to him as others.