Liu Xing sat cross-legged inside his little cave. He breathed evenly, attempting to absorb the qi from the air. The qi felt like cold water, and each time they entered his body, they jolted him, demanding attention, as if they possessed a will to be noticed. As he breathed in and out, his mind cleared and he became more relaxed. The matter of the duel still lingered, but he had already resolved to win, so there was nothing more to consider.

Upon arriving at his cave, he initially considered sleep, but then decided against it. As a cultivator, he required minimal food or rest. His body still pulsed with energy from his recent advancement to the sixth stage. He needed only to refresh his mind, and breathing exercises and cultivation served this purpose.

"It's different from before," he muttered to himself.

Before he received the weapon, his cultivation had lacked tranquility. He had been constantly striving to gather more qi, only to be frustrated by the meager amounts he could accumulate. Now that his progress felt almost certain, his cultivation felt calmer. This newfound calmness allowed him to absorb qi more effectively.

Several hours passed in this manner, and Liu Xing decided it was time to move.

When he opened the cave door, fresh air and a clear night sky greeted him. The moon shone so brightly that the clearing before him was vividly illuminated. Previously, his clearing had resembled a buffalo stampede, with ruined grass and mud splattered everywhere. Now, the ground was firm, and the grass stood tall, dancing in the night wind.

He moved slowly along the path, enjoying the night, the breeze, and the moon. Peace pervaded the air, punctuated by the chorus of insects singing in unison.

As he walked, he focused his mind and looked at the library tower. In addition to ordinary books, the library also contained a huge collection of techniques and cultivation scriptures. His primary goal was to gather information about the location of the Water Nation, general details, native spirit beasts, and the location of the lake with the Lightning Ring that Yan Yu had mentioned. Despite his negative sect point, he also wanted to find a maneuvering technique and a cultivation method that could be used while on the move. Although it was currently beyond his capabilities, it would be beneficial to know his options.

Before long, Liu Xing arrived at the library. It remained open but deserted. A smile touched his lips at the sight of the empty space. An empty library felt more welcoming than a bustling one; it felt as if it belonged solely to him. He entered and strolled between the shelves. With his mind clear, he decided to browse leisurely. When a book piqued his interest, he picked it up, read for a few minutes, and then returned it to its place.

"This library truly is full of bizarre techniques," he commented quietly.

He only read introductory chapters, but even these glimpses revealed the multitude of strange and fascinating techniques he was missing by focusing solely on lightning.

For example, he was currently reading the introductory chapter of the Silver Song Technique. This technique was not activated by qi circulation, but by the use of a flute. It created illusions that affected an opponent's sight and hearing. He picked up another book describing a technique with a grandiose name: Heaven Twisting Technique. He suspected it was merely a marketing ploy. Many techniques boasted impressive names, like Heaven Shattering Fist, yet delivered underwhelming effects. However, the Heaven Twisting Technique was different. It proved to be genuinely impressive. It manipulated the air around an opponent, latching onto anything the air touched and twisting it.The prerequisites to learn this technique were considerable. It demanded not only a high affinity for air but also for spatial techniques.

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Liu Xing also discovered intriguing books on non-cultivation subjects, including herbs, spirit beasts, history, geography, and more.

He chose a geography book and noticed a map in the early chapters. According to the text, there were five continents in this world. The Dark Forest continent occupied the center of the world, dwarfing all other continents in size. Its shape resembled the island of Java, stretching far out to the west and east, with a rather large land mass in the north. Numerous islands surrounded it, with four large islands identified as continents.

This information made Liu Xing question the accuracy of the book and the possible bias of the map's creator. He wanted to cross-reference the map for verification, but decided to postpone that task. Today, his priority was to gather information about the Water Nation and, if time permitted, to explore cultivation methods and techniques suitable for his fighting style.

"Hmm, but maybe I can rethink my approach. Considering the duel with Shen Ye tomorrow, I should first study the technique section, then the cultivation methods for mobile cultivation, and finally the Water Nation."

Nodding to himself, Liu Xing resolved to follow his revised plan. His steps became lighter, and a smile began to form on his lips. He realized his decision might not be solely driven by the impending duel, but also by his desire to discover another compelling technique. The awareness that he could only browse and not purchase the techniques evoked a slight sadness, but he quickly dismissed the feeling.

Soon, he found himself amidst shelves dedicated to lightning techniques. He aimed to find a technique enabling aerial maneuverability, similar to Air Steps, but wanted to begin with lightning-based options. Perhaps a lightning technique superior to Air Steps existed. He browsed the shelves, pausing occasionally to read about a fascinating technique, such as the Dragon Breath Lightning Attack. He found that technique consistently captivating, no matter how often he encountered it.

He also discovered other intriguing techniques that blind enemies with lightning, another to bind them, and even a mundane technique to convert lightning qi into floating fire the size of a torch. He located several more movement techniques, but none surpassed his Lightning Cloak.

Finally, after several hours, Liu Xing found a promising technique. The Floating Lightning Shield Technique. It was derived from the standard Lightning Shield technique.

The Lightning Shield allowed users to conjure a lightning shield from their palms. The Floating Lightning Shield, however, could materialize a small, floating shield anywhere within a half-meter radius of the user. Its primary purpose was to intercept attacks. The introductory chapter emphasized the shield's rapid deployment due to its small size and ease of use, but also lamented its brittleness. It could only reliably intercept attacks with a maximum power equivalent to the seventh level of the Lock Opening realm, rendering it rather weak, even for a Base Grade Technique.

Initially, Liu Xing considered the technique to be potentially fit to his needs. His Lightning Cloak enhanced his speed, but if he intended to maneuver in the air using the shield as a stepping stone, he would need to kick it with considerable force. Could such a brittle shield withstand his kicks? Currently, it might, but after surpassing the seventh stage, even with enhancements from his gun, would it still endure his kicks?

The technique held potential, but he reserved judgment. He decided to continue searching. Perhaps he would discover an even better technique derived from the Floating Lightning Shield. However, now aware that shield techniques could serve as stepping stones, Liu Xing began paying closer attention to this category of techniques.

Shield techniques were surprisingly scarce within the lightning techniques section. This scarcity was understandable, given lightning's inherent instability and unsuitability for forming shields.

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