He took a deep breath, forcing down his shock, but what surged up even stronger was an intense craving.

Having witnessed the true scale of things, he finally understood what a vast amount of resources he would need to support his future path.

Li Wen didn’t immediately try to buy anything, instead silently taking in the grandeur of the immense marketplace and his own insignificance in comparison.

After wandering around for a good while, Li Wen’s initial shock gradually subsided, giving way to a calmer, more rational mindset.

He didn’t linger any longer. With a thought, he exited this grand marketplace world, and his figure reappeared in the pure-white initial space.

The guiding AI was still waiting patiently off to the side.

"Next, let’s go see the world of Cultivation Techniques," Li Wen said, his voice calm and steady.

The marketplace had vastly broadened his horizons, but he understood that a strong foundation always depended on one’s own Cultivation Techniques and skills.

"Certainly. Please enter the dark, swirling portal to your right, the one exuding the aura of ancient scrolls."

Li Wen stepped into the deep vortex shrouded by the illusory image of a scroll.

Light and shadow shifted, and the scene before him changed once more, but it was completely different from the bustling grandeur of the marketplace.

He appeared in an extremely quiet space.

The space was not as vast and boundless as the marketplace; it was more like being under the dome of a giant, circular reading room.

The light was a soft, warm yellow that calmed the mind. Beneath his feet was a floor of thick, polished wood.

The air was filled with the faint scent of old ink from ancient books, mingled with an indescribable aura of accumulated wisdom.

As far as the eye could see, countless giant bookshelves stood in the space.

These bookshelves were like Heaven-Reaching Towers, stretching from the ground to the unseen depths of the dome, densely packed with books, jade slips, leather scrolls, orbs of light and energy, and even some strangely shaped crystals.

The materials of the books varied; there were bamboo slips, silk scrolls, golden pages, and even more "books" that seemed to be a form of condensed energy.

Every bookshelf and book was enveloped in a faint, protective halo, as if silently testifying to its extraordinary and precious nature.

The structure of the space was clear and simple, divided into several large sections.

Looking up, one could see the names of the areas marked by huge, glowing signs:

[Classics Section]—The books on these shelves seemed to contain a surging sense of qi, blood, and power.

[Technique Inheritance Section]—The aura in this area was the sharpest and most imposing, especially in the saber and sword areas, where an invisible sharpness seemed to drift between the shelves.

[Specialized Zone for True Comprehension of the Intent Realm/Soul Realm (S-Rank and Above Access Required)].

This section was cordoned off by a visibly more powerful curtain of light, and from a distance, one could only make out more profound and arcane runes flowing within.

There were noticeably fewer members walking about the library, and each one had a steady gait and a profound aura. Many of them faintly emanated a powerful presence or unique energy fluctuations.

Some stood before a bookshelf with their eyes closed in perception, while others used special identity plaques to touch the halos, allowing them to look up information, browse summaries, and even pay points to purchase access and obtain cultivation methods.

Though the space was silent, an invisible force—born from an ultimate respect and craving for knowledge—flowed through it.

Treading softly, Li Wen began his exploration.

He first walked towards the [Technique Inheritance Section], his gaze directly locking onto the giant bookshelf for the Bladesmanship category.

Each tome on the shelf was like a unique work of art:

A jade slip titled *Nine Wave-Breaking Slashes*, emanating the powerful essence of surging waves. The description stated it contained a preliminary guide to water intent. Exchange price: 10 million Core Cultivation Points.

A metal book with a cover that looked like burning flames, *Burning Flame Saber Skill*. Exchange price: 5 million Core Cultivation Points.

An orb of energy suspended in arcs of purple lightning, *Thunder Shocking Blade Intent Diagram (Basic Volume)*. Exchange price: 3 million Core Cultivation Points.

And this was just the basic section. Li Wen looked up toward the higher levels, where the halos around the tomes were clearly deeper and more powerful; some of the names were even blurry and indistinct.

The descriptions now included phrases like ’involves aspects of the essence of Blade Intent,’ ’requires a foundation of Soul Power,’ and ’to be used with specific visualization diagrams.’ The point requirements also leaped into the millions, tens of millions, and even hundreds of millions!

At the same time, an information plaque next to the bookshelf clearly stated: "All tomes in this section must be exchanged using Core Cultivation Points (some top-tier tomes require additional clearance verification)."

As he continued to walk through the area, he noticed that besides directly purchasing the tomes, there was also a dedicated section offering "Mentor Guidance" services.

On a massive light screen, the virtual visages and codenames of many mentors were displayed, along with their areas of expertise and coaching fees:

"Blade Scar · Karol (Five-Star Certification): Specializes in fast attacks, Gale System Bladesmanship.

Basic Guidance: 20,000 Core Cultivation Points/hour. Preliminary Guidance at the Force Realm level: 80,000 Core Cultivation Points/hour."

"Bedrock · Zheng (Grandmaster Level Certification): Specializes in defense, power-type saber force. Expertise in structuring saber force.

Basic Guidance: 30,000 Core Cultivation Points/hour. In-depth analysis of fusing defensive saber force with intent: 150,000 Core Cultivation Points/hour."

...

There was also a list of even High Tier mentors, marked as "Peak of the Intent Realm" or even "Soul Realm," whose prices had skyrocketed to hundreds of thousands or even millions of points per hour.

Furthermore, their service descriptions emphasized that "guidance includes personal insights and some secret techniques, requiring the signing of a confidentiality agreement."

Li Wen carefully browsed the information on bladesmanship legacies and mentors, and a clear path began to form in his mind.

The Core Cultivation Points provided by the Fire Hall were the very key needed to unlock the gates to the realm of the truly powerful.

Whether it was obtaining high-level legacies that pointed directly to the intent realm, or hiring Grandmaster Level figures for personal guidance and correction, none of it could be done without a massive investment of resources.

He didn’t rush to make any exchanges or appointments, instead silently making a mental note of several paths that seemed exceptionally valuable.

’There’s still plenty of time today. I need to go explore more of the core functional areas...’

Leaving the initial space, Li Wen explored the core functional areas one by one, such as the Infinite Arena.

The Infinite Arena was like being on a vast battlefield in starry space, with countless platforms floating in the void. Matchmaking information for different tiers refreshed like a waterfall on a light screen.

Footage of experts locked in combat played out in succession on the public light screens; the roiling energy fluctuations were enough to make one’s blood race, even through the virtual space.

The Infinite Arena was created by a virtual company and was provided as a paid service to all of humanity, so the people inside at this moment were not just members of the Fire Hall, but also included people from other factions.

By the time he finished touring the main areas, it was already noon.

With a flicker of his will, Li Wen’s consciousness withdrew from the phantasmagorical virtual world.

The scene before his eyes blurred and then refocused. He was back in his own quiet, luxurious, private Martial Arts Room on the fourteenth floor of the Fire Hall.

The photosensitive glass windows automatically adjusted the lighting in the room, leaving only a perfectly comfortable, soft glow.

He picked up the special tablet placed next to the virtual pod, which was connected in real-time to the Fire Hall’s private network.

Opening the internal delivery system, Li Wen deftly navigated to the dining section.

A standard "High-Energy Nutrient Lunch Set" was priced at 100 Fire Hall Points.

But when Li Wen confirmed the order, the payment screen showed "Level Privilege Discount Applied," and in the end, only 70 points were deducted.

This caught his attention. The discount came from the member level corresponding to his A-level contract. He swiped the tablet screen and opened his personal information page:

Name: Li Wen (ID: 202507170800)

Level: V4

Fire Hall Points Balance: 4,999,930

Core Cultivation Points Balance: 60,000,000

Permissions: Holder of the Bluestone Branch Hall A-Rank Seed Contract (Details >>)

...

The sixty million Core Cultivation Points were indeed sitting quietly in his account.

He had also come to clearly understand the Fire Hall’s ranking system while looking up information.

A Fire Hall member’s level was not just a symbol of status; it was also directly tied to tangible benefits and permissions.