Royal Library Part 4

As they started to climb the stairs to the highest level, the pressure on their souls increased exponentially. Their Qi was draining at an alarming rate and they were having to restore it again and again which made their progress pretty slow. They finally made it to the highest floor with an hour to spare.

Everyone else had many chances to go through different manuals and pick up techniques that they thought suited them best but Luo and Hua did not have that luxury of time anymore.

Gi Doh commented while looking at Fu Rah, "Just an hour left sect master Fu Rah. What do you think they will pick?"

"Let's wait and see master Gi Doh. If they were able to reach that place, it is upto them to pick what they feel is right for them. I wish I could guide them, but really their battle skills cultivation will have to be by themselves as no one can really help anyone in fortuitous encounters like these."

Panting heavily, Luo and Hua looked at the cultivation manuals that were in pristine conditions and seemed ancient. Hua immediately set out to look for the 'Sword' section of the floor and they found it after a few moments of searching. Luo accompanied him as well.

Hua was not panicking but he sure looked like he would want some time to pick a good technique that would suit his swordsmanship and the music technique that he had picked, i.e. the 3 spherical bells attached to his sword's handle. He was checking for some manuals that were written by a sword master who was in a similar condition as him.

It was obviously taking him time. Luo stopped in his tracks for a moment seemingly looking at a manual but was reaching out to Master Yin in his mind. 'Master Yin, please advise. Hua wants a technique that will employ buth musical and sword elements together and it should be a good technique. Can you help him so that I can go choose something for myself next?'

'Hmmmm, alright, might as well help you and your friend get something good. If we're going to rob them, we should rob them good, don't you think?'

'Ro..rob someone?'

'Yeah..yeah. Don't worry. Since I agreed we will handle it exceptionally.'

Master Yin directed Luo to the end of the sword section. He rushed along as directed and then picked up a cultivation manual as highlighted by Master Yin.

It was titled 'Clap and Thundering slash'. Luo immediately signaled Hua who came rushing in, sighing because of the rpessure his soul was now under at the highest level. "Hua , I think you should take this book. It suits the musical instrument you picked as well. I have a good feeling about this so you shouldn't waste more time and take this book and start comprehending it."

Hua looked perplexed a little but then regained his composure in a few moments and started to go through the illustrations on the manual and the text.

"I don't know how you managed to pick it but it actually does have the elements of both swords and spherical bells attached to them just like I chose. It is the most suitable for me right now. And do you see that the book is stamped by someone named Fu Rang from Zither's abode. The sect name sounds similar to our Ancient Zither abode as well, doesn't it? Anyway, I'll ask you later how you helped me pick this but now we should look for something you would be using. We only have around a quarter hour's time now. We should hurry."

"Don't worry. I have already found something I will take. You should sit down for the rest of the time and recuperate. I will be back in a jiffy." Saying this, Luo disappeared towards the artefacts section where epic cultivation artefacts that were only meant to be refined when in the Qi condensation realm were present.

Master Gi Doh saw what book Hua had picked and stoked his beard a little. "Clap and Thunder sword technique huh. It's a good one. No, actually it can be brought to life if you, sect master, teach him your Clinks of the drunkard foot technique."

'My thoughts immediately after he picked that book were the same master Gi Doh. That book was actually an inheritance from ancient times when the sect was just called Zither's abode and not Ancient Zither abode. It should be one of my ancestor's who wrote it too. I am just surprised that this book is here. And what luck that one of my sect's disciples has picked that book. Although his musical sense is a bit lacking. Hehe"

When Luo was headed to the artefacts section with moment's to spare, Gi Doh was even more surprised. "Sect master, congratulations on getting 2 monsters in your sect. Remind me not to cross your path or go against you in any way, Hahaha."

"Ohh, for master Gi Doh to say such things? What prompted you to say this?"

"Luo has headed to the artefacts section. These are ancient treasures that are also useless. And before you ask, they are useless, because they are so overpowered and have so many restrictions that no one till now has managed to successfully refine them. The ones on the highest floor have the restriction that they must be refined while in the Qi Condensation realm. Not even the emperor Liu Tianyi dared to take an artefact."

"I still don't get why they are not picked. Is it really so hard to refine them?"

"Yes. They are an absolute gamble. No one picks them up especially when on the highest level because no one gambles with the fortuitous chance of getting the access to go to the highest level and picks an artefact that has so many restrictions on it instead of picking the cultivation manuals that are a sure shot.

What makes it an even bigger gamble is that there is a kind of Immortal intent present in the arrays set up for the Royal Library. This intent restricts anyone from entering it twice. No one can enter this library more than once. Do you get the kind of gamble your disciple Luo has taken, now?"

Fu Rah felt shocked. "But , but, they don't know that right? They don't know about the restrictions on the artefacts, they don't know that they can only enter this place twice and all the other restrictions …they don't know it."

"No, when you enter the eighth level or above, you are made to know about these things. It's a weird technique that doesn't communicate with thoughts or voice but just imparts a kind of instinctual feeling about these rules and restrictions."

Luo was headed towards the artefacts section. His master had told him to but it wasn't just that. As he headed towards that section with minutes to spare, a kind of instinct in him became surer and surer that he was headed the right way.

Huge sections containing all sorts of weirdly shaped artefacts, swords, weapons, defense artefacts etc. were present here but as instructed by his master, Luo ignored all of these and headed towards something that was calling him instinctually.

He just had a minute more as he reached the end of the artefacts section. He then saw an artefact that he was sure was for him although he could not tell why. It was an octagonal purple crystal that had many facets inside as well.

'I'll exp-lain later, first pick this up and pour your Qi into it. We don't have much time.' said Master Yin to Luo who followed obediently.

He felt a huge force draining his soul and Qi as if it was all being drained into this crystal.

The time was up but just before he was pulled out he could perceive three people being there in the highest layer. Before he could get a look as to who other than Hua and him were present, they were all flown out of the windows with Qi propelling them back to the reception area.

After getting back on his feet, he dusted his clothes only to see Hua fist bump him suddenly.

"We did it Luo. We went to the highest level. But tell me, did you see.."

"See a third person beside us just before we were kicked out? Yes I did. And also whoever it was, they were not flown back to the reception area like us."

"I know right. Well, I suppose if fate has it we will meet them too. They should be strong like us to have gone to the highest level, no? Perhaps even stronger, only hiding themselves."

While discussing who this mystery person could be, they walked back towards Master Fu rah to show her their rewards.