Devour: Can you also draw entries from clone projection worlds?

[In the first year, you've drawn... The host has been detected to be in the "Cliff of Contemplation" special opportunity instance in the Swordsman world, triggering adaptive attribute settings...]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained the white-label entry "Photographic Memory • Impaired". Entry effect: Significantly enhances short-term memory for textual and pictorial information; long-term memory still requires repeated reinforcement to achieve photographic memory.]

As you look at this new entry, a slight smile involuntarily appears on your lips. It's a white entry, another white entry.

But your view on white entries is different now. Each white entry is a foundation stone, and the more foundation stones there are, the more likely it is to build a skyscraper.

Moreover, even a disability in the ability to "remember everything you see" is far more useful than something like "10% increase in punching power" at this stage.

Because you need to remember so much, whether it's the content on the stone carvings, the sword techniques of various schools, or key plot points from the original story... having a vocabulary entry that can improve your memory is more valuable than anything else.

Moreover, although individual white entries are not strong, their large number makes up for it. Some white entries combined together may not be much worse.

Keep saving, he's not in a hurry at all anyway.

"However, a place like the Cliff of Contemplation can trigger adaptive keyword settings?! I should keep an eye out for some special places in the future; there might be some unexpected surprises."

Having almost mastered the art of stone carving, you begin to turn your attention to something else.

Judging from the current situation, Linghu Chong should not have discovered the cave entrance yet, nor has he encountered Feng Qingyang, but according to the timeline of the original work, it should be about time.

The inheritance of the Dugu Nine Swords can be considered one of the most important events in the world of Swordsman.

Although you don't intend to get involved, since Feng Qingyang probably doesn't think much of you and Linghu Chong doesn't need your help, you want to know exactly when this happened and if there's anything you can do to strategize.

It's not about interfering, but about better managing my time.

If Feng Qingyang settles down on the Cliff of Contemplation, you can no longer go there. Although that old master only has eyes for Linghu Chong, if he suddenly decides to wander around the cliff one day and stumbles upon you secretly learning stone carving, that would be more than just "unexpected trouble."

So you started to consciously pay attention to Linghu Chong's whereabouts. This is not difficult. Linghu Chong is the senior disciple of the Huashan Sect. He is watched wherever he goes.

He went up the Cliff of Repentance on which day, came down on which day, and stayed on the cliff for how long... You can find out this information by just chatting with any of your fellow disciples.

Of course, you won't ask directly; you just need to listen carefully.

Being "ordinary" becomes the biggest advantage at this time. No one will care if an outer disciple is eavesdropping, and no one will be on guard against you.

In the canteen, on the training ground, even in the outhouse, you can hear something whenever people are talking.

You quickly pieced together a rough picture: Linghu Chong has been punished and is now facing the wall on the Cliff of Repentance. Someone brings him food every day, and he doesn't come down by himself.

Yue Lingshan, his junior sister, would occasionally go up to see him, but for some reason, she would always come back with red eyes.

You silently calculated the days in your mind. It was almost time. You decided that before Linghu Chong met Feng Qingyang, you would go to the Cliff of Contemplation one last time to fill in the parts of the stone carvings you hadn't memorized, and then you would stop completely.

You got up very early that day and set off before dawn. When you arrived at the Cliff of Contemplation, it was just getting light. The fog in the valley was very thick, and the visibility was less than ten steps.

You skillfully made your way into the hole, lit the fire tinder, and began patching the leak.

You were so engrossed in memorizing the inscription on the stone that you completely failed to notice a person had appeared in the mist outside the cave!

"Which sect are you from?"

The voice came from the cave entrance; it was old, calm, and carried a hint of barely perceptible wariness.

Your scalp tingled instantly, and your right hand instinctively gripped the hilt of the sword at your waist, but immediately released it.

Do not draw your sword!

Don't use your hands!

Drawing your sword in front of this person is tantamount to suicide!

You slowly turn around and see an old man with a white beard and green robe, looking depressed and with a face as pale as gold paper. He is standing at the entrance of the cave, holding a long sword between his left index and middle fingers, with the tip of the sword pointing to the ground.

"Wei Wen, an outer disciple of the Huashan Sect." You lowered your gaze, trying to keep your voice steady, "Greetings, Senior."

The old man didn't speak immediately. He went into the cave, his gaze sweeping over the stone carvings before settling on you.

"How long have you been looking at these things?"

"Less than a month." You know there's no point in lying to this person, so you answer honestly.

"How much did you watch?"

"Eight or nine out of ten."

The old man was silent for a while, then suddenly laughed. There was no malice in his laughter, but rather a hint of inexplicable emotion.

"An outer disciple of the Huashan Sect secretly came to the Cliff of Contemplation to learn the Demonic Sect's teachings. If your master, Yue Buqun, found out about this, how would he punish you?"

You didn't say anything, but you knew that Yue Buqun, your nominal master and a successor of the Qi Sect, naturally wouldn't want his disciples to value swords over Qi. Perhaps... expulsion from the sect would be the least of his worries.

Aren't you afraid?

"I'm afraid," you said, "but these things are useful, and many of them contain the ultimate sword techniques of my Huashan Sect!"

"Useful? The ultimate sword techniques of the Huashan Sect?" The old man's tone rose slightly. "Then... what use are those heretical and unorthodox methods of the demonic sects?"

You hesitated slightly, but still told the truth, though only part of it: "The sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sects all have flaws. I believe that only by knowing where the flaws are can we know how to fix them. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. This is not a heretical path, but a military strategy."

The air inside the cave seemed to freeze for a moment.

The old man stared at you for a long time, and a hint of surprise slowly surfaced in his frighteningly bright eyes: "What's your name?"

"Wei Wen".

"Wei Wen." The old man repeated the name, as if savoring something. "Do you know who I am?"

You paused for a moment, nodded, and ultimately decided to take the risk. Your "survival" wasn't really that of a "dog," since it was just a projection anyway.

"Yes, Senior Feng Qingyang."

The air inside the cave seemed to freeze for a moment.

The old man's eyes changed. It wasn't wariness or hostility, but something very complex, like someone who had been stranded on a deserted island for decades suddenly seeing a ship drifting towards them at sea.

"You...know my name, know this place...is there anything you don't know?"

You opened your mouth, but didn't know how to answer.

You know a lot. You know that the old man in front of you was a victim of the sword and qi dispute of the Huashan Sect. You know that he disappeared from the martial arts world for decades. You know that he possesses the peerless sword technique of "Dugu Nine Swords". You know that he is waiting for Linghu Chong.

But it seems that none of these things can be said, not even a single word can be uttered.

"I... just happened to hear some rumors." You carefully chose your words, selectively mentioning only a little bit, "The name of Senior Feng is still remembered by some people in the martial arts world."

The old man didn't ask any further questions. He just glanced at you again, then turned and walked out of the cave.

"Don't come again." The old man's voice drifted from the mist. "Seeing too much of this stuff won't do you any good."

You stood there, watching the old man's figure disappear into the mist, and let out a long breath; your back was soaked with cold sweat.