There are several options to select from. I tried picking the sword, and a list of techniques appeared with a simple description on the side. There are more than a hundred techniques for the blade only. Techniques also appear depending on what kind of sword it is.

These are some examples of sword techniques:

Silveredge Trust:

This is a technique allowing the practitioner to charge towards a designated direction. This attack deals with destructive damage with a single trust. The sword will produce a silver glow that will explode on impact.

Thorned Roses:

This is a technique allowing the practitioner to perform a fantastic sword technique within an area. That may strike enemies up to three times, dealing slashing damage and slowing enemies.

Phantom Execution:

After a short period of charging, the practitioner performs an executioner's strike in a forward direction. He is invincible throughout the process, dealing cuts and slashes with utmost speed.

Wow, these techniques sound cool and flashy; however, upon closer examination. Most of these techniques are one strike techniques that are almost too easy to block and predict. No wonder these techniques have a red grade.

"What's taking you so long? You're supposed to be done already!" An irritating voice distracts me from my web surfing.

"Okay, okay, give me 5 minutes. I need to think carefully about what technique to pick."

Okay, let's see what techniques are there for daggers. It took me a few more seconds because there are also variations of the dagger. After three minutes, I choose the top 3, which I think are the best.

Repressing Dagger:

A technique, if mastered, allows the practitioner to throw a dagger. It's a dagger throwing skill with extreme precision to wound the enemy's vital parts. It can also be used for any ordinary daggers but with lesser damage.

Specter Strike:

This is a technique allowing the dagger wielder to teleport to any direction within a ten-meter radius. After each use, there is a ten-minute cool-down period before it can be used again.

Concealed Dagger:

This technique allows the practitioner to fade into the shadows allowing the dagger wielder to become invisible quickly. This enables the dagger wielder to strike his enemy from behind. Maintaining invisible takes intense concentration.

I choose these three because the first one allows me to attack from afar, reducing the chance of me being hurt. While the latter two techniques are for escape or sneak attacks. Yes, I choose the techniques that increase my chance of survival.

Now it's time to choose the best of these three. "Hurry up! What's taking you so long?"

Stop pressuring me girl, this choice is essential for my survival.

Okay, let's see. Throwing daggers is cool, but it has the least guarantee of safety so let's scratch that one. What's left is teleportation and invisibility. Both are great, but each has huge weaknesses/limitations. Teleporting short distances with a long period of cool down. Compared to invisibility for a brief period, and requires tremendous concentration.

Basing on the greater chance of scape, invisibility is more likely to have an edge. Okay, cloaked dagger it is.

After picking the technique, a series of directions and images of the location where specific techniques could be found, pop into my mind. We follow the guidelines provided and find a rack full of bamboo scrolls.

Damn, these scrolls look ancient.

Lou Yi is in a hurry, so I ask her to help me find the right scroll. Finally, we see the bamboo scroll labeled "Cloaked Dagger" and run out of the Golden Pavilion.

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"Wait! We need to notify Elder Song first." Lou Yi stops running and follow me inside Elder Song's office.

We found Elder Song still reading his ancient scrolls. "Elder, I'm already done picking a technique," I announced while I place the bamboo scroll on his desk.

"Okay, give me your jade slip." I took out my jade slip and hand it to him.

"You have 3 days to commit it into memory since the technique is written on a bamboo scroll. If it was on a jade slip, you would only have one day. Don't be late in returning it."

Elder Song set aside the scroll he was reading; he picks up the scroll I picked and inspect it. Then he receives my jade slip, holds it for a few seconds, and hands it back while talking. It went so fast, I was barely able to register what he was saying.

I only have 3 days to memorize? If I knew, I could have picked a technique recorded on a jade slip. Damn, I messed up.

"Come on, hurry up!" Damn, she's so pushy.

"Okay! Let's go!" I grab the bamboo scroll and tuck it into my belt, then we ran to the dining area. Thank goodness we made it time. We get a table for ourselves and started eating.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Missing lunch once in a while won't kill you." I ask with my mouth full. She pauses and looks at me with serious eyes.

"I have been starving for my whole life, so I don't like skipping my meals."

(Why does she make things so dramatic?) Thinking about it, though, I have never been starved. But I know that prolonged hunger is an awful experience. Just imagine having to experience that every day.

"Anyway, what's the technique you chose?" She said, trying to change the topic, noticing the awkward silence.

"It called the Cloaked Dagger. It's a technique that allows me to go invisible for a few minutes." I replied.

"That's a good technique, but I'm sure it hard to master."

How do girls speak with their mouth full but still look graceful?

"It does require extreme concentration. How can you tell?" I can't help but ask, trying not to look too messy while eating.

"Now that you mentioned it, I just remember something. The most powerful red grade techniques are incomplete. To fully master it, you must collect all parts. The red level is the basic foundation of the technique. To advance, you need to learn the orange grade version of the technique and so on until its completion. The number of parts depends on the quality of the technique."

Woah! This shit is getting complicated. My version was far more straightforward than this. Then...

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" I could have used this information to help me decide on a better technique.

"Sorry, It slipped my mind. I considered it unimportant because my technique is different. I told you that it was flawed but not incomplete. It's already a complete technique, so I don't need to collect any other parts."

I wanted to ask more questions, but Lou Yi already stands. "I'm done eating. If you have more questions, go to the library. I'm going to cultivate."

"We have a library?" I asked, but Lou Yi is already gone. She is such a cultivation nerd.

Do we have a library? How come I didn't know about it. How fucked up I was these past few weeks? That I didn't notice these things. I'm going to find it is after the afternoon meditation.

Meditation is another part of cultivation, and this afternoon, I'll be learning my first Qi cultivation technique. We've been meditating for the last few months preparing for Qi cultivation. Qi cultivation requires concentration and meditation. Before Qi cultivation techniques are taught, new members are required to meditate regularly.

The techniques for Qi cultivations are numerous. Yet, not all techniques can be used by everybody. Cultivating Qi is risky. Because the body will absorb spiritual energy in the environment. Spiritual energy is composed of different elemental energy. These are fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. For the body to absorb elemental energy, it must have an affinity to the element.

Later this afternoon, I'll be evaluated on what elemental affinity my body has. The basic cultivation technique given to us allows spiritual energy absorption. But it takes too much time because it converts the spiritual energy into pure energy so the body can absorb it. This technique enables a pure Qi foundation for beginners.

For advanced cultivation, the body needs to absorb the elemental energy the body has an affinity with. Using more advanced technique boosts the speed of Qi cultivation. Because of the direct absorption of elemental energy. I'll explain more later what is the importance of elemental affinity. For now, I'm excited to learn about my new training technique.

After eating, I went to the training yard to see if I can practice. I pulled out the bamboo scroll, unfastened it, and notice right away that something is wrong. The scroll is titled "Bladed Hand Technique." This is not the technique I picked; it was the "Cloaked Dagger Technique." I examined the scroll label and the title again; my eyes are not playing tricks on me. This scroll contains the wrong technique; I think this is a mistake.

I rushed back to the Golden Pavilion to exchange the scroll. Elder Song is still reading his scrolls, and scrolls are still scattered on his desk.

"Elder Song! Elder Song, Uhm... There seems to be a mistake." I exclaimed, trying to catch his attention.

"You don't need to shout; I can hear you fine. What is the problem?" He said dryly.

"It seems you gave me the wrong scroll."

He put down the scroll he was reading and glanced at me. He didn't say anything for a few seconds and went back to his reading.

"Excuse me-"

"Everything happens for a reason; if I did give you the wrong scroll, then it's your karma," he growled, cutting me off.

"This is unfair-" an invisible force blasted me out of the pavilion. It didn't hurt, but I felt like crying. Fucking old fart!!