Strike of Symmetry

As the golden-arcing sunlight scattered down, Shen Long woke up from the natural warmth that the rays of light carried. Today was Daoist Fireblade's birthday, and even nature seemed to be celebrating today's event. Birds were chirping louder in melodious choruses as Shen Long prepared himself for the decadal event.

The palace was extremely lively. No matter their status, age and cultivation level, everyone was brimming with joy as they strolled down the street. The public martial art training grounds were emptier than ever, while the Apothecary Department was flooded with people. People rushed in and out of the department, carrying bags and bags of items.

In the shopping-alley, it was the same scene. Everyone seemed to be purchasing some items, and the grins of the shop owners were larger than ever. In tradition, every disciple would buy some types of gifts for Daoist Fireblade. Even though he would end up neglecting the majority of the pile of presents, everyone would still offer something for him, out of respect.

Everyone in the palace had immense respect for Daoist Fireblade. Despite his cultivation base as a Celestial Immortal, he was famous for his kindness and his monstrous talents. It was almost a common knowledge that Daoist Fireblade was from an uncivilized world. Being the first cultivator from a small planet was no mean feat, and it proved how horrifying his innate comprehension ability was.

Earth was called an uncivilized world for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Earth was ownerless, as it had yet to be bound. An ownerless planet wouldn't allow any cultivator (including the ones who originated from that world) to enter. It would be protected by a layer of glass-like material, formed by the essence of the world, forbidding anything to enter. Hence, it was impossible for anyone to bring in cultivation-manuals to Earth as the world essence would deny their entries.

Secondly, an uncivilized world just simply meant that there were no cultivators present in the world. When Daoist Fireblade grasped a portion of the Dao of Death, he was immediately sent out of the world. This was the similar case for Shen Long. As Shen Long established his Qi (Reaching foundation establishment), he was then classified as a proper cultivator, resulting in the world sending him out.

An uncivilized world could not allow any cultivator to enter unless it was bound to an owner. Daoist Fireblade had actually lied to Shen Long, telling him that he could return home whenever he wished. In reality, Shen Long must bind Earth before he could return. Otherwise, Shen Long would be no different to Daoist Fireblade, unable to return home.

Shen Long had yet to learn the harsh truth as Daoist Fireblade never told him it. This was the reason why Daoist Fireblade offered him many treasures, as well as training Shen Long personally. He felt immense guilt, but his desire to return was even greater. Unless necessary, Daoist Fireblade would never tell Shen Long the truth as he didn't want Shen Long to be discouraged.

(RIP Shen Long)

Meanwhile, Shen Long had just finished his daily morning routine. It was still 8 o'clock, and there was still quite a bit of time before the event started. Making sure he had all the equipment needed to make a compass, he packed his backpack one more time. It would be too embarrassing if Shen Long left the compass at home, and Shen Long definitely wouldn't allow that to happen.

Instead of heading to the training ground, he headed to the restaurant. Shen Long had already dressed into his formal cultivator robes and set his hair, so he was unwilling to make himself dirty - as he didn't want to take another shower and get dressed up again. Feeling surprised, the restaurant, as well, was busier than normal.

He sat down in the corner as he ordered some simple breakfast. Looking around, he could see many familiar faces from basketball. None of them, however, dared to sit next to Shen Long. After all, Shen Long's status was too special. Not only that he was a personal disciple, he was also a basketball legend. Most people didn't dare to approach him despite Shen Long's friendly personality.

As Shen Long continued to enjoy his breakfast, he suddenly felt a tinge of coldness behind him. Behind him stood a muscular man who was staring at Shen Long. Seeing that Challenger emblem that was purposely attached to his robe, Shen Long immediately knew who he was. That, of course, was Zuo Qifeng as he was the only Challenger that Shen Long provoked.

Feeling slightly easy, Shen Long turned his head as he tried to figure out what he should do. He didn't want to back out as that would signify that Shen Long was the inferior one; he didn't want to directly stare at him back as Zuo Qifeng seemed way too intimidating. After a while, he had decided on what he should do.

Shen Long slowly turned his head towards Zuo Qifeng. His face was expressionless and cold. In terms of scariness, Shen Long's face definitely made him seem like a merciless killer. However, that was not the end of what Shen Long did. To seem more dominant, Shen Long winked at him as he blew a kiss towards him.

Shen Long thought that it would be the most effective as it would be the most unexpected. Shen Long was right. Zuo Qifeng did not expect that coming at all. He almost choked on his tea as he saw Shen Long's "flirtatious" move. Shen Long revealed a large grin on his face as he saw how well his plan worked.

Quickly finishing his breakfast, he took his leave as he went back to his residence inn. There was still five hours before the friendly contest would start. Having absolutely nothing to do, Shen Long decided to visit the Library. He knew that meditating for the sword art would be pointless as he needed a spark to push him over that bottleneck.

The library, as always, was a magnificent sight. There were over two million books in the library, and yet they were all in an organized fashion. Split into many floors, Shen Long decided to ask the Guardian as he didn't know where to go.

"Dear Guardian, can you please teleport me to the floor that has information regarding the Dao of Balance? Or any manuals about Speed would work too!" Shen Long said respectfully. After the "drunk" incidence, he was horrified of the Guardian's strength as he had some first-hand experience on that.

"No problem. I will bring you to the Seventh Floor. There are many manuals there that are related to the Dao of Balance. However, there aren't many books that actually describe the different elements. Just read those manuals. I'm sure they'll help you greatly. By the way, the Library today is closing at noon today. You have about three hours left." The Guardian said in her girlish, high-pitched voice.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Long was already on the Seventh Floor. He browsed around as he randomly picked up a manual to read. Since Shen Long was by himself, he didn't have to worry about etiquette. He hummed as he read the manual.

"[Water-Ice-Fire Manual] by Demigod Ru Caoxue

To those who are reading these words, it's likely that I had already passed away. This manual contains my legacy - my secret art - that took me hundreds and hundreds of years to refine. If you manage to master every stance, congratulations. Your power will be close to mine, and you have mastered the art of this technique..."

Shen Long continued to read it, but he found himself extremely bored. The secret art didn't seem powerful at all, and the technique required almost zero knowledge of the Daos. Just by skimming through, Shen Long had already mastered the technique, and he held zero interest towards using it in an actual battle. The only interesting thing about the manual was the crappy title.

"Water-ice-fire manual... What a crap name is this!? Even I can think of a better name than this, and I almost failed my English in school. HAHA." Shen Long chuckled as he re-read the title. He continued to walk around as he hoped to find one that was actually useful.

He also wanted to see if he could recognize any of the names. After all, his Qi cultivation manual shared the same name as the one in a light novel that he read before. His instincts were telling him that there must be something behind these coincidences. Unfortunately, Shen Long was wrong and it was purely a coincidence last time...

He continued to stroll as one manual caught his attention. The manual appeared quite old, and its leather cover was scarred with red marks. Its name interested Shen Long as it was clearly related to the Dao of Balance, not because its name was in one of the light novels he once read.

[Strike of Symmetry]... Shen Long held up the manual in his hand as he began to flip through the pages.