Spirits

Gareth got off the stage once again, since he could no longer gather the strength to fight back. His talent was unsealed the moment he did so, and his body which was aching so badly got the much needed relief.

There was only one month left till the time for the event. He wasn't worried about the new disciples. His true concern were the older disciples who were just a step short of their first completion. They would be his true opponents. He might not be able to beat them with just his raw power, not with the mastery they would have over their techniques.

This was the reason he focused on only one technique right now. Even though the Valiant Heart technique was an attack type technique, the way it worked was to use crushing attacks to suppress the opponent's every move. If used well, it could limit the opponent's speed, overwhelm their defense and subdue their attacks. This however required very high mastery.

He was truly stressed out by this. His mastery had been improving, but he was still far off from achieving anything that powerful. Even though he could fight the dummy without losing as quickly as before, he was still far from being able to tie with it, with no hope of defeating it in sight.

How to improve his combat efficiency had been taking up too much of his thought lately. He had sometimes slept in the library poring over the books, as he tried to find a reasonable method that would give much improvement in such a short period.

He was pacing round the stage when a brilliant idea sparked into existence in his head.

How could he have forgotten, he thought, as he pulled his hairs.

World weaving!

That was it. This was a method that could work. He just had to find methods that could increase his mastery with techniques.

He set off to the library immediately.

He wondered why he hadn't thought of this earlier. That no longer mattered though.

The sect library also had a section for world weaving. It was in an out of the way corner, probably the reason he never discovered it before.

He had to weave his way through the endless rows of towering shelves, before he found that section he was searching for. A room with a plaque that read 'World Weaving' in a bold font. With how large the library was, this room would only take up a small portion. It didn't look like there would be much for him to read. He pushed open one of the plain double doors.

The sight before him, however, froze him on the spot. He had to turn around to look at the other end of the aisle he was in, then turn back to peer into the room.

Far to the left side, there were towering bookshelves that stretched into the distance. The right side was also the same. His eyes could barely catch an indistinct sight of what was at the end of the room, through the rows of towering shelves at the center. What he could only tell was that there were still more shelves.

This was beyond anything he had ever seen before or imagined. How could such a small room be this large. He had no doubt that this 'room' was far larger than the whole library he just came from. How was this possible? World weaving?

It appeared there were many things he was not aware of. He calmed himself. The reason he was here wasn't to learn about world weaving. He had a target, and he wouldn't be dazzled by the size of this large collection.

The first few shelves were on books dealing with the fundamentals of world weaving. He noted that. He would be coming for these books later.

First, he had to find what he needed. A method to increase his mastery of his techniques and improve his combat effectiveness.

He was walking down the aisle between the rows of towering shelves when he saw another person. It was someone he never expected to see.

"Senior Sister Lunara!" Gareth was so surprised, her name left his lips before he could catch himself.

This young lady who had addressed them at their Induction Ceremony, and who had declared that event.

He calmed himself. It appeared that the shock he received from seeing this place for the first time hadn't worn off, and with the fact he met someone he hadn't expected to meet. It caused that outburst.

"Apologies, Senior Sister. I didn't expect to see you here."

Lunara was sitting on a chair, the table before her had some books placed on it. There was a gentle smile on her lips as she nodded at him, saying nothing about the earlier outburst.

"Gareth it is, right?"

Gareth nodded. As the one who was responsible for his future headache, the least she could do was remember his name.

"Are you also interested in world weaving?"

Gareth was not.

"I am only curious about world weaving. The reason I am actually here is because I am searching for something."

"Oh." She wanted to continue, but a humming sound stopped her.

She turned to the direction of the humming. Gareth also turned towards the sound.

And then he got another shock. There was a petite woman about two feet tall flying towards them, the wings on her back humming. She was carrying in her small arms a large tome she held to her chest.

"Finally found it!" she puffed as she landed on the table before Lunara, dropping the book there.

Her wings that looked like a cicada's, were still humming as she hovered above the table.

Gareth felt this day was a truly bizarre one for him. He was in shock as he stared at this being. His eyes unable to move away from her hovering figure.

"Hey!" the hovering woman snapped at him. "Stop staring."

Gareth snapped out of it. At this rate, he was almost scratching his head. His conduct today had been too... ahem, it was just the shocks he had been receiving.

"Ahem." Lunara gave a light cough. "Gareth, this is my spirit partner. Her name is Melanie."

"Spirit partner?" Gareth was confused at first, then it hit him.

"Spirit Realm." He said. This woman hovering above that table was not a creature of the Living Being Realm. She was from another realm entirely, almost another world compared to theirs. The Spirit Realm.

Although he spent most of his time in the library, reading books about cultivation and techniques. He also read books that explained the way the world was. He was no longer as ignorant about the world as he once was. Reading books like these was also one of Jasmine's pastime. Sometimes, when they met in the library, she would share such books with him.

"Of course, I am a spirit from the Spirit Realm."

"How?" His question was directed at Lunara.

She was not surprised that he was interested.

"Anyone can contract a spirit, so far they have achieved their initial completion. That is what is said anyway." She shook her head.

Gareth was patient as she continued.

"The truth is that the more talented you are, the easier it is for a spirit to hear your summon and get into a contract with you. Most contract usually occur after the initial completion. I got into a contract with Melanie after I achieved my secondary completion in the Awakening Realm."

Gareth sneaked a glance at the hovering woman.

"What is the benefit of having a spirit partner?"

"They are your loyal partners who can fight together with you. The greatest benefit, however, is that you can cultivate twice as fast with half the effort. The cultivation speed of the both of you would increase."

"Really?"

"Alright, cut it." Melanie said. "If that is all in your head. You might not find a spirit willing to answer your summon."

Lunara nodded.

"She is right. There are many things that determine if a spirit will answer your summon. Your mind must be aligned with the spirit. Something like having the same goals or disposition. That is the most important part.

"Your cultivations must also be in the same realm. The same with your talents and age. There are properly other requirements as well." Lunara told him.

He nodded. He looked around this place once again. The towering bookshelves all around.

"Senior Sister, what is this place?"

"Oh here. This is a whole library dedicated to everything the sect has on world weaving. This place is connected to every library in the sect."

"So you are in the inner sect right now."

"You could say that. But we are actually in another location in the sect. I just came to this section of the library that is why you can see me."

Gareth looked towards the distance. Those shelves in the distance.

"Don't think about it, you can't reach there. This place we are in is the section reserved for the outer court disciples. If you down a little further, you will find your way blocked."

'So that was how it was.' Gareth thought.

"You said earlier that you were searching for something."

"That is right, senior sister. I am looking for world weaving methods I can use to increase my combat efficiency in a short period."

"Indeed, there are world weaving methods that can help with that. I know which books could help you."

She gave him a list of books and where they were located.

"Thank you, senior sister."

"It is nothing. I wish you good luck."