The Lower Peak Library is a large towering structure that contains cultivation manuals and techniques for both inner and outer sect disciples. The first three floors are available for outer sect disciples while the floors above it are reserved to inner sect disciples.

An Elder guards this library. He is the one who oversees those who enters and exits the tower. They can't enter the tower without his permission. To enter the tower, they have to show their plaque and then pay with their sect points.

Today, a few inner sect disciples has entered and gone to the higher floors to learn more techniques. Chong Yun, the Elder guarding the entrance of this tower, finds this normal. It is still early in the morning so the outer sect disciples are busy with their work to acquire sect points. It's only the inner sect disciples who has time to go here, and only a few will come because most inner sect disciples already mastered their preferred techniques.

"Hm?"

It is a surprise for him when he sees an outer sect disciple approaching the tower with a hop on her steps. When she is a few steps away from him, she stops for a moment and then walks properly before she cups her hands in greeting to him.

"Greetings Elder Chong. This one wants to enter the first floor for learning."

He is curious why this outer sect disciple is not among with the others who are doing their daily chores, though he quickly puts that thought on the back of his mind and then presents his palm at her.

"Show me your plaque." The female disciple hands her plaque and he looks at it. 'What... 200,000 points!? What did she do?' Astonishment colors his face at this sight, though seeing the girl waiting for him he grunts for a bit. "Right... how much time are you going to spend?"

"This one wants to stay all day, Elder Chong!"

For a whole day, that will cost a thousand points if she is only going to stay in the first floor. He deducts that amount from her plaque before handing it back to her.

"Thank you, Elder Chong!" She cups her hands again before entering the tower.

He stares at the girl for a moment, still curious how she got that amount of points. He knows the girl is an outer sect disciple, but she is pretty forgettable.

"Zhi Wanyi... huh..." He shakes his head. "She might simply be lucky. Her potential is too low to be interesting."

He quickly dismisses his thoughts about her and resume his guard duty.

----------------------------------------

Shelves that are full of cultivation manuals and books fills the entire room. The place is quiet and peaceful. The only noise within the room originates from the girl who recently enters it.

Zhi Wanyi has a stack of cultivation manuals on her arms as she walks towards one corner of the library. Then she puts a stack a book on the other stocks with a sigh, before sitting on the smooth wooden floor and then taking the topmost book on the nearest stack around her seat.

"It's been so long since I enter this room. I want to learn as much as I can if I want to become the strongest cultivator in this continent!"

She eagerly reads the book in her hand. This one is a book she has been reading since she joined the sect. The book is called the Profound Neutral Breathing Method. A cultivation method that absorbs the Qi around the atmosphere through a special form of breathing. Even when she has a new cultivation method, she wants to finish comprehending this one as she has been reading this for a long while now.

She barely understands what is written on the book in the past. It details the step-by-step process of the breathing form for this method to work along with sketches that shows the proper forms for it. She only understands the images. As for the written archaic text, she is having a hard time translating it in her head.

She was taught by her parents to write and read but that doesn't meant she knew deep sounding words. Even when cultivators acquired boosts from their brain, it was only for memorization. Instinctive knowledge of whatever was written on a cultivation manual wasn't included in that brain boost.

She is slowly learning what it means, but it is a slow effort. Average cultivators can learn this within ten minutes as it is a short manual, but for her it is taking her long due to her basic education and her not being a genius at cultivation.

"Hoh!"

Her eyes lit up as she reads the book. She is expecting not to understand whatever is written on the book again and her trying to translate it within her mind for the usual duration of her stay. Usually, outer sect disciples spends fifty sect points to stay here for a time comparable to an entire usage of an incense stick.

It's not the case anymore when she looks at the texts. She has a sudden insight on each terms written on the book. It's like she has always known what it means when her eyes settles on those texts and process them within her mind.

'Wait... I can understand this because of my Superior Cultivation Method!' She realizes with a gasp.

Most of the knowledge that got implanted in her mind were stuff that were also written on the book. Just a look at the Profound Neutral Breathing Method, it made her realized how inferior it was compared to her current cultivation.

Her current cultivation method makes it easier for her to understand this book even with her lacking knowledge. She can use the Superior Cultivation as a crutch for any info she is missing, using what she knows from Superior Cultivation to fill in the blanks.

It feels like she reaches a breakthrough within her mind, as comprehension strikes in her eyes.

[You learned Profound Neutral Breathing Method!]

Her lips curls upwards, joy filling her heart as she puts the book on her side before pumping her fist in excitement.

"Great! I finally learned it!"

It's been so long. It felt like she had taken an important step to her arduous path to immortality.

She looks upon the many stacks of books she has taken. All of it are techniques that early stage Qi Condensation cultivators will find helpful. She immediately starts taking another one on top of the stack of books besides her and then reading it.

"There is no time to waste. I have to be diligent if I want to be the strongest!"

She continue reading, spending her entire day sitting on this corner with these cultivation manuals.

----------------------------------------

Few days had passed since she started. She extended her time indefinitely as she found out she couldn't read everything for a single day. Cultivators could forgo sustenance due to their cultivation, and she took advantage of that as she reads more.

She leaves the tower on the fifth day when she finally can't handle the hunger from her stomach. Even if she can survive without eating or drinking, she can only do that for a week at most before she succumbs to her biological needs. If she wants to extend that, she has to increase her cultivation level.

She ignores the stare of the elder guarding the tower as she leaves the tower, and go straight to the cafeteria where she can get meals. The cafeteria is just below the area of the outer disciple halls. They have to take a scenic flight of stairs on the side of the mountain before they arrive near the foot of the mountain so they can arrive on a large vast land full of facilities that caters to them. One of these facilities is the cafeteria.

They call this vast land the Foot Entrance, as it's also where their gate is located. Only outer sect disciples uses these facilities as most inner sect disciples doesn't need any food and other material objects for their cultivation.

The cafeteria is a large two story structure. Many outer sect disciples enters the large open doors of this structure to have their meals. She quickly joins upon the crowd that enters the door.

The interior is bustling with life. Chatters and laughs fills the room as they eat on their tables. There are those who eats alone on the corner, or those who goes to the second floor along with their followers. Outer Sect Disciples working in this establishment moves busily with trays of food on their hands. Their movements are graceful and measured unlike the mortals outside from this sect.

She looks at the wall on the corner where she can see some busily cooking beyond the counter, just above that counter is a large poster that indicates today's meal.

"Oh, so it's pork dumplings paired with salmon rice balls."

She nods happily at that as she walks towards an empty table and take a sit. She simply has to sit here and wait for the meal to arrive. This has been how this cafeteria works. Everyday they change their menu and serve that to every disciple who enters this establishment. If they are staying here, then it means they are here to eat.

She knows just how hard it is to work in the cafeteria. She sometimes works in this establishment for sect points. It's an exhausting work that only gives fifty sect points for a whole day shift.

Other smart disciples will suspect outer sect disciples are being used as servants just by this fact alone. Wanyi doesn't think so. It's slightly harder than working in the farm, but she thinks it's proper for them to struggle like this as they are being given a chance to become cultivators. She can't understand some of her fellow disciples who grumbles under their breathe, thinking they are being insulted due to this kind of work.

"Oh... Sister Wanyi! You're here!"

A familiar voice calls out to her and she looks up. On her side is one of her fellow outer sect disciple. A beauty with long black hair and purple eyes. Just like her, she is wearing a plain white robe and currently she is carrying trays of food on both hands.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Sister Shun. It's been so long." She responds, looking at her with a smile.

This one is Ling Shun. A disciple that lives near her room. They got acquainted with each other on her first week to this sect. Whenever she goes, Ling Shun also comes along to work together with her. It didn't take long before she considers the girl her friend.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you for some time!" The girl puts a tray of food on her table before she takes a seat besides her.

"Oh right... I haven't told you. I got a lot of sect points so I decided to spend it on the library."

"Really? How much did you get?" The girl gasps, surprise at what she is hearing.

"Here."

Without hesitation, she shows Shun her plaque. The girl stares at it for a moment, her eyes widening as she realizes after sensing the spiritual imprint written on the plaque.

"... How did you get a lot of points?" Shun's eyes narrows at the plaque.

"I got this mysterious looking rock on the ground and then I give it to the Elder on the Quest Hall."

Shun furrows her brows at that, unable to believe she is spouting.

"What kind of rock it is?"

"It's a transparent crystal that is the same size as my palm. I don't know what it is actually, so I just give it to the Elder for points. It's more beneficial than just hoarding something I don't have a use for, right?"

"Ah, I see. Smart!" Even as Shun says that, she is sporting a complicated expression. It's like a mix of exasperation and mirth. "Oh right... since you have been gone, I have a hard time in my work. Can you please help me up here?" Shun, as if realizing something, clasps her hands as she leans closer to her with an upturned gaze.

"... Eh, sorry. I haven't rested for a few days now so I will be going to sleep after this."

"Boohoo, my life is so hard. Aren't we Sisters?" She says, fake crying at her.

Wanyi stares at her for a moment. This girl is always like this. She always cries out, saying she is having a hard time. Wanyi always takes care most of their work because she always buys her act.

Today though, Wanyi decides to be firm right now. She really feels tired due to her long time stay on the library.

"Sorry Sister Shun. It will be bad for my body if I don't take a rest."

"Well, if that is so, can't you at least share your blessings to your Sister? Let's say, half of your sect points? Isn't that a good trade?" A mysterious glint shines on her acquaintance's eyes as she leans closer to her face.

'Right... Sister Shun is so weak that she always cries whenever we are working. I think I have to help her out this once. I still have a lot of points anyway.' Not seeing anything wrong with Shun's proposition, Wanyi transfers half of her sect points to her.

She manipulates Qi with her fingers and then push some of the spiritual imprint within the plaque. The stored Qi which indicates the amount of sect points within it has been reduced and then pushes that imprint into the girl's plaque which she eagerly presents to her.

"... Wow, you didn't struggle controlling your Qi. Have you mastered the Qi Manipulation Technique?"

"Something like that." Wanyi says with a shrug. Then she turns to her meal, taking the chopstick that is among the tray of food. "Well then, I'm sorry again but I have to eat now."

The girl quickly stands up and then shakes her hand with an awkward smile.

"It's fine. With your help, I can quit work earlier than I am expecting. See you later, Sister Wanyi!"

After that, Shun leaves her quickly. Wanyi simply shrugs before she starts her meal.

She is unaware just how rude Shun has been to her since she talks to her. Her mind is more focused on the food, and the skills she learns from the library which she is planning to fuse after her sleep.

----------------------------------------

At the back of the kitchen, Ling Shun smiles maliciously as she looks at her plaque filled with sect points.

"Hehe, it's a good thing that lowly villager is so stupid. This is recompense for leaving me alone to suffer this humiliation!" She muttered under her breath.

Ling Shun is one of those people who finds these kind of work humiliating. She is the daughter of the Village Chief in another village far from where Wanyi originated. She was raised like a princess by her father, and felt she was entitled to everything.

When she got accepted as a disciple, she thought she would be the same as those immortals she heard from the villagers. Then she found out she would be force to struggle with tasks she saw as mundane masked as important objectives by this sect.

She felt humiliated. She doesn't want this. She only wanted to be strong and be superior amongst the others.

'I'll pay this humiliation back a hundredfold! After I rise into the Elder ranks, I'll make sure those bastards fall!' She thought darkly as she thought of the Outer Sect Elders of this sect.

She will do everything it takes to rise to the top so she won't have to, as she quotes it, suffer like this anymore.

----------------------------------------

After a long rest, Wanyi wakes up early in the morning.

"Okay, it's time to combine my new techniques!" She looks at her status with renewed vigor.

[STATUS]

(General)

Name: Zhi Wanyi

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Potential: F-

Attribute: None

Bloodline: None

(Realm)

Cultivation: Middle Grade 1st Stage Qi Condensation

Body: Mortal

Mind: Mortal

Soul: Mortal

(Methods)

[Tier 1] Profound Neutral Breathing (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 3] Superior Cultivation (Earth Grade)

(Techniques)

[Tier 1] Flowing Fist (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 1] Quick Slash (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 1] Shallow Strike (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 1] Viper Thrust (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 1] Willow Steps (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 1] Winding Kick (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 2] Profound Heavenly Movement (Mystic Grade)

(Arts)

[Tier 1] Fire Release (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 1] Wind Armor (Initiate Grade)

[Tier 1] Icicle Fall (Initiate Grade)

Techniques and arts that will usually take her longer to comprehend becomes easier for her. She learns them quickly by using the info she got from Profound Heavenly Movement to fill in the blanks.

She plans to relearn the Basic Qi Manipulation Art but she realizes it is impossible after she reads the manual for it repeatedly. She realizes that techniques she already knows and simply use as material for her fusion can't be relearned anymore.

She didn't think too much about it and just diligently learn as much as she can until she can't handle her hunger.

With excitement filling her heart, she starts the process of fusing all of her abilities into each other. She doesn't want to fuse the Profound Neutral Breathing with her Superior Cultivation. She wants to combine it with something better.

She uses the Wind Armor, a starter daoist spell that covers the body with Wind Qi, with Profound Neutral Breathing.

[You learned Incomplete Zixian Breathing Method!]

Knowledge fills her mind about this new method. It's a method of breathing that sucks in Qi around her through her mouth or nose. It's a cultivation method suitable for those who has wind attribute.

Next, she combines the Willow Steps and Winding Kick with Willow Steps as the supplementary. Then she uses Viper Thrust as a supplementary on Quick Slash, Shallow Strike on Flowing Fist, and Fire Release on Icicle Fall.

[You learned Vanishing Footwork!]

[You learned Blink Slash!]

[You learned Sixteen Soft Palms!]

[You learned Nether Fire!]

The Vanishing Footwork is a series of footwork that confounds the senses. It can be used as a movement technique or a combat technique through kicking.

Blink Slash is a sword technique that lets her instantly moves from one area to another. Anyone she passes through will be cut by her sword intent.

Sixteen Soft Palms is a palm technique that lets her hit the vital parts of her foe sixteen times in a single breath. It's a powerful technique that can disable cultivators equal to her realm.

Nether Fire enables her to create flames that can freeze people. Anything hit by the bluish flames will be frozen solid.

These alone will already make a normal cultivator into inner sect disciples. Wanyi isn't like that. She wants to combine them more as much as she can because she thinks she will get better skills by combining skills with the same or higher tier than it.

So she continue with her combination.

Without hesitation, she uses the Incomplete Zixian Breathing Method with her Superior Cultivation.

[You learned a new cultivation method! Would you like to name it?]

"Hoh! It's another unnamed cultivation method!" She claps her hand in excitement, before focusing for a bit.

The knowledge she got from it is a cultivation method the same as the Superior Cultivation one but with something added to it which is the part where she can now connect to the skies and gather pure Qi around the atmosphere with her breathing, doubling the efficiency of gathering Qi to her roots and meridians.

"Good! I will call this the Second Superior Cultivation!"

A lot of facepalms will happen if someone hears this. Sadly, no one is here to criticize her so there is nothing that can be done.

She combines her four other techniques and arts with each other. Blink Slash as supplementary for Vanishing Footwork, and then Nether Fire as supplementary for Sixteen Soft Palms.

[You learned Phantasmal Dream Blade!]

[You learned Immortal Killing Finger!]

She sucks in air with a shudder as the knowledge about these abilities settles within her mind and body.

Phantasmal Dream Blade. A strong technique that turns every movement she does into vicious Blade Qi. Her steps can cut air, and everyone she passes will be slice into ribbons. It's a vicious technique that can cut even the skies.

The Immortal Killing Finger is a palm technique that can kill anyone with a single touch of her finger. If she masters it, she can even kill an immortal with it.

"I can combine more!"

Not satisfied with just that, she combines the Profound Heavenly Movement with the Immortal Killing Finger. She uses the Profound Heavenly Movement as supplementary for the Immortal Killing Finger.

[You learned Thousand Killing Ashura!]

She sucks in a breath with her eyes wide in both terror and amazement as she sees a vision of herself, poking the mountain and causing it to crumble into smithereens. Overwhelming Death Qi fills each of her movement, causing the heavens to weep itself as she reaps lives both animate and inanimate with her hands.

She didn't notice it. Blood is trickling from her nose and her face is becoming paler. The knowledge she got is more than what her low level can handle. Even if the System gives her the full extent of this ability, protection against information overload is not included in it. It's an immortal technique that suddenly got shove in her brain. If not for the System's guarantee, she will die instantly before she even comprehends a sliver of this technique.

The only thing that happens to her is her body wobbling as she briefly loses consciousness due to the overload, and then her body jolting into wakefulness when her head hits the table besides her when her body falls to the floor.

".... Huh..." She is still feeling dizzy at the ability shown to her that she doesn't notice a guest coming to her. Her ears are ringing, and she looks besides her with her blurry vision.

She only see a figure approaching her in a panic, and touching her. Talking to her about something she can't fully understand. She noticed that the person is holding her plaque. She says the first thing that comes to mind while still feeling delirious.

----------------------------------------

Chong Yun's curiosity got the better of him that he asked about that 1st Stage Qi Condensation Disciple until he got pointed to the right direction. He learned about how she got that much point, and decided to meet her.

'Luck is also a factor to become an immortal. Such disciple should be nurtured!' He is planning to talk to her, and then hopefully take her as his disciple when he got to her room.

"Young Zhi, this Elder wants to talk to you about something."

Being an Elder, there is no need for him to knock on an outer sect disciple's door. He simply announces his presence and waits for a moment. He frowns when no one responds to him. He knows she is inside as he can sense her Qi signature within.

"Tsk... Young people these days..." He thinks he is being disrespected at being ignored. He opens the doors himself to chastise the girl about the order of things when he stops after he enters.

He sees Zhi Wanyi on the ground. Bleeding with her nose and ears. A large bruise is on her head. Her body is incredibly pale while she looks at the ceiling with a far off look as if she is in shock.

He quickly rushes to her side.

"Young Zhi! What happened? Who did this to you?" He looked around, using his divine senses to locate any intruder hiding somewhere from this building. "Hm?" He notices the plaque of the girl just besides her, and the spiritual imprint from it.

He takes it and gasps when he sees that half of the spiritual imprint it is gone. He still recalls how much she has that yesterday, so for it to suddenly have half of it. He assumes there must be a conspiracy.

"Young Zhi, tell me who did this to you?" He said as the girl turns to him.

Her eyes simply stares straight from nowhere, before she speaks weakly.

"... Ling Shun..." After that, she loses consciousness.

Hearing that, anger fills his heart.

"Shameless! Bullying your fellow disciples for greed! I will enact justice right now!"

Before that though, the Elder carries the young disciple in his arms and leaves the dorm quickly. Wanyi needs medical treatment first before he starts hunting for this Ling Shun person.