"Yes," the old man nodded. "It is really nasty. I got it when a spirit beast in the form of a sea serpent attacked my son and daughter. To this day, that poison has been lurking in my body, and I am incapable of expelling it. At first, my clan tried hard to find an antidote for the poison. Alas, after years of searching with no success, they began to lose hope and slowed their efforts."

"And then they left you alone in this library," Liu Xing finished for him.

The old man chuckled lightly. "I don't blame them, really. Cultivation-wise, I am a master, yet I'm no different than a mortal. If an enemy attacked this clan, I would die before I could even take a step outside this library. And so, my clan was confused about how to treat me. I am the strongest and yet also the weakest of the clan. Hence, they left me here alone."

"I don't think that's an excuse. This library needs to be cleaned periodically, and while you cannot move from this place, that doesn't mean you've suddenly become useless. You're an old cultivator, and I am sure you have many insights about cultivation. While the poison makes you incapable of moving, it doesn't seem to hinder you from talking."

The old man flashed him a kind, wise smile. The sort that came from someone who had experienced many things in life. "Actually, talking is also killing me. However, you're a special guest, as well as the first person to visit this library in years. I decided that talking to you is worth more than living for several more days. Also, at the start of my exile in this library, I was... bitter about it, and I lashed out and said horrible, horrible things to my family. Honestly, I think I deserve to die alone. My only regret is that I wanted to apologize before I die," his smile brightened, "and luckily, it seems the heavens have smiled upon me, because they sent you here."

Liu Xing looked around the library as he tried to digest the old man Qing Jianqing's words. It must have been lonely, to be left alone inside this library for years. Dust coated so many of the books, and he imagined some would crumble if he tried to open them. He turned and saw the open double doors. People must have passed this room many times, yet no one had decided to come inside and talk to the old man.

"Why didn't you just scream?" Liu Xing said. "This library is close to so many places. I bet if you screamed, your voice would travel far. People would come, including your family, and then you could apologize in person."

The old man was still smiling, but Liu Xing recognized it as a bitter smile.

The old man did not reply to his question, letting Liu Xing imagine the reason for himself. Liu Xing was sure the reason he didn't just scream and apologize was because of the words he had uttered in the past. Perhaps it was shame that made him decide to remain silent and die alone in this place.

"Poison, huh," Liu Xing muttered. He tried to sense the bald old man more thoroughly, and indeed, he could sense a foreign thing that emitted a peculiar sensation in his body. It clung to his organs and qi paths, and it actually reminded him of the moss that had tried to take over his own body. This was different, of course. This poison had no intent, but it suffused thoroughly through him.

"Old man Qing Jianqing. I've decided to be honest with you. While it's true I came to this clan merely to exchange money, the reason I was roaming around and arrived in this room was because I thought one spirit stone was too much for the money I swept away. Hence, I decided to steal some technique to even things out."

The old man covered his mouth as he laughed. "What an interesting idea you have, Senior. This Qing clan is not that prominent, but there are no techniques in this place as cheap as a mere spirit stone."

"I actually intended to pick up some trivial technique or even some esoteric knowledge, like a method to read lips or something else minor. However, now I've decided to get a more valuable technique from you."

"From me? " he rubbed his chin, a persistent smile on his face. "I am indeed dying, and passing my knowledge to another person isn't so bad. This way, my legacy will live on. However, a spirit stone is still too cheap."

Liu Xing knew the old man did not honestly care about the spirit stone. It even seemed he already suspected what Liu Xing would offer in exchange for a technique. However, perhaps it was bitterness or guilt. Whatever the feeling was, it prevented the elder from being hopeful, as if he believed Liu Xing had nothing to offer him, which was not true.

"Old man Qing Jianqing, I don't know what poison resides within you, nor do I have an antidote to cure you. However, I think you know a method to expel that poison, and while I cannot guarantee it, I could offer some insight. After all, I am a cultivator at the Core Splitting realm."

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"Indeed, I know another way for me to fight this poison," he smiled. "As expected from a cultivator at the Core Splitting realm. Your senses are sharp."

Liu Xing continued, "The poison is so persistent because your body is not strong enough to expel it. The solution is simple. You just need to break through to the Core Splitting realm."

The old man chuckled. "I could hardly say that breaking through to the Core Splitting realm is simple. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stayed in this library for years, alone without anyone to banter and chat with."

Liu Xing dragged his chair a little closer to the old man and then straightened his back. "How about it? I'll offer you some insight about breaking through to the Core Splitting realm, and in exchange, you give me a technique or some useful insight. This way, everything will be even."

It was a win-win situation. This way, he wouldn't suffer any loss from his dealings with this clan, and even the elder would benefit. However, it didn't mean he could solve the old man's poison problem. In the end, all he was doing was offering insight for a breakthrough. Whether the old man succeeded or not was up to him. Liu Xing could not deny there were risks. Perhaps the poison would flare up when the old man tried to break through, or perhaps the bottleneck he faced was mental, not physical, making a breakthrough impossible without correcting his mindset.

The old man rubbed his chin. "It is a tempting offer, but also a risky one."

"There's no gain without risk," Liu Xing said. Then he sighed.

The truth was that, although he had offered the old man a way out in exchange for a technique to make his spirit stone worthwhile, offering him a way out of his condition was not a calculated move. The old man was friendly and quick to chuckle, creating the impression that he was content. However, he had said otherwise. Liu Xing saw profound sadness and a lifetime of regret in him. It was like watching a man drown in sorrow, yet he was too shy to ask for help. It was pitiful, and because of that, Liu Xing wanted to help.

"How about this," Liu Xing continued. "I'll give you my insight first. If you decide it's not worth it, just say so. Then, I'll leave this clan without taking anything else, or any more of your time."

"How generous," the old man said, a smile plastered on his lips. Yet Liu Xing could sense the hope and anxiety mixed within that smile.

"To tell you the truth, my breakthrough to the Core Splitting realm was surprisingly easy. The harder part was forming the second core. It happened in the middle of a battle. My body felt as if it was being crushed, and the cores were trying to collide with each other. It was a mess. I'm grateful I succeeded and killed my opponent."

"You had a breakthrough in the middle of a fight?" The old man's eyes widened. "Impossible! Something like that must be done while meditating. There's no way that's true."

Liu Xing smiled. "It's up to you whether you believe me or not, but it's true. My advancement from the sixth to the seventh stage of the Lock Opening realm also happened while I was battling an army of abominations made of humans and spirit beasts. My advancement from the Lock Opening realm to the Core Splitting realm actually began while I was in the air; I slammed into the ground already in a state of meditation."

Qing Jianqing leaned closer to him, like a child captivated by a story who didn't want to miss a single word.

"To break through, I just sent more and more of my qi toward my cultivation. It was in the form of a lightning ball, and it was tied by silver chains. How about you, old man?"

"My cultivation is in the form of a ball of swirling water. It is still tied by seven heavenly currents that form great water chains. If you could dive into my consciousness, you would be awed by the sight." He puffed his chest, as if proud of it. "However, because it is so grand, I have difficulty breaking those chains. If I break them, they will lash out and destroy my cultivation."

Liu Xing nodded. He knew people had different imagery for their cultivation, but it usually involved something being chained or caged. He tried to imagine the old man's state of consciousness. The space itself was pitch-black, and in the center of it, a blue ball of water tried to spin, but massive chains made from water surrounded it completely, preventing it from moving freely.

"Let me continue the story of my breakthrough," Liu Xing said. The old man nodded, and he went on. "It was simple, actually. There are several ways to handle the things that bind our cultivation, and I chose the better way."

The old man raised his eyebrows. "There are several ways to handle the chains?"

"Yes," Liu Xing nodded.

The old man was silent for a moment. "The world is indeed vast. Go on, Senior. I think it's a bit late, but I admit I am interested in breaking through to the next realm. That way, I can expel the poison and live a bit longer."

"That's the spirit," Liu Xing smiled. "Alright. As I said, I chose the best way because I didn't want to waste anything. The chains that bound my cultivation were, in the end, made from my own qi. They were a part of me. So, I ordered my ball of lightning to swallow the chains whole."

The old man's eyes suddenly widened so much they looked as if they might pop. He jumped from his chair as if struck by lightning, and his hands and body trembled like a newborn fawn. "S-senior, you said the chains... your cultivation swallowed them whole? How is that possible? How?"

Before Liu Xing could answer, however, the old man sat down again. His hands clenched and loosened several times, and his eyes darted left and right. Liu Xing could imagine the cogs in his brain beginning to spin, faster and faster with each passing moment. It seemed the knowledge about breaking through to the Core Splitting realm was limited in this city, but that didn't mean the old man was clueless. Right now, Liu Xing was sure the old man had already realized that such a method was indeed possible.

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