Liu Xing walked towards the stern-looking librarian, a man who appeared to be in his fifties, distinguished by a few strands of white hair and a bushy mustache. As Liu Xing reached the desk, the librarian glanced at his soiled clothes and sneered. "What is a beggar doing in my library?"

Liu Xing examined his appearance. He was admittedly dirty and somewhat smelly, but hardly a beggar. He decided against arguing.

"Greetings, senior. I am not a beggar. I am Liu Xing," he stated, clasping his fist in his palm respectfully. "I am here to exchange my sect points for these two techniques." Liu Xing placed the Lightning Cloak and Exploding Fist technique scrolls on the table.

Upon seeing the chosen techniques, the clerk sneered again. "Garbage techniques for a garbage disciple. How fitting."

Liu Xing maintained a neutral expression. He was a Lock Opening fifth stage cultivator. He suspected the clerk was an early Core Splitting realm cultivator. In terms of potential, he believed his own to be greater than the older disciple. He still had room to grow, while the clerk seemed resigned to being a librarian and content to berate junior disciples. The clerk's comment about "garbage techniques" stemmed from the fact that both were only Base Grade. Techniques in this world were divided into three grades: Base, Earth, and Heaven. Liu Xing suspected grades beyond Heaven existed, but for now, he focused on these three.

"You require 215 points to acquire these techniques," the clerk stated, chin raised, as if certain Liu Xing could not afford them.

Liu Xing produced his token—a crescent moon shaped slab of wood—and silently handed it to the clerk. The older disciple checked the points, deducted the required amount, and sneered again, seeming to resent Liu Xing for being able to afford the techniques. Liu Xing retrieved the two techniques from the table, thanked the older disciple, and hurriedly left the library. In his experience, people like that old disciple were petty and could become trouble in the future, so he better avoid him at all cost.

As he walked toward his cave, he sighed, "Years of saving, gone in an evening."

Over the past two years, he had worked diligently each month and estimated that he had finished at least fifty or sixty missions. Despite such effort, he could only afford two techniques. "Whatever, I'll just accumulate more points from now on."

Attempting to cheer himself up, Liu Xing began to read the Lightning Cloak technique as he walked. The technique's cycling method was easy to remember. Half of it was identical to the activation of the Lightning Palm. He predicted that he could master it within a week through normal practice. The Exploding Fist was wholly different so he decided to master the Lightning Cloak first before tackling this technique.

He walked deeper into the sect grounds. A mountain loomed ahead, its cliffs dotted with both natural and man-made caves. This area was less popular due to its distance from the sect's center and the thinner qi in the air. However, Liu Xing cherished the fresh air, the chirping birds, and the serenity of the place. Following the dirt path, he soon reached a small clearing and his cave. The cave had doors--old and moss-covered--but doors nonetheless. He touched the door and sent a pulse of qi. Usually, it would glow green and open. But today, a reddish light appeared instead of green.

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"What?" He tried to open the door repeatedly, but the door remained locked. A moment later, a small yet firm voice came from behind the door.

"Go away."

Liu Xing blinked, wondering if he had misheard. He looked around and confirmed that this was indeed his personal cave. He had not come to the wrong place, so how could there be someone inside his cave? Then, an understanding dawned on him. It seemed that while he had been training, someone had taken over his cave. He knocked on the door until it rattled. This was unacceptable!

"You need to go away! This is my house!" Liu Xing shouted.

"Go away," the voice repeated, small yet stern. He now recognized it as a girl's voice.

"Look, I think you've made a mistake. This cave is occupied. Didn't you see the clothes and the simple little bed inside? Those are mine!"

Liu Xing knocked desperately. This cave was his sanctuary. The floor, walls, bed, and small desk within had witnessed his life here. Whether in despair after being beaten or wondering if he would ever see his friends again, this cave was his refuge. It was where Nui had given him the gun, his link to the past. He tried to calm himself. The girl inside must be a new disciple; otherwise, she would already have assigned quarters.

"Sister, can we talk? This is my cave, and I believe you can find a better place. For instance, the dorms. They are closer to the library and training grounds and have denser qi. If you are talented, you could even earn a private house. This place is not ideal. Only those considered trash live here."

Liu Xing felt a pang of bitterness saying the last sentence, considering he lived here. But the thought quickly faded. He had once lived here to avoid bullies, but now he chose it because of its personal significance.

Silence fell for a few moments. Then, her voice sounded again. "Find another place."

Liu Xing refused to accept that. "This place is mine."

"Not anymore. This place is now mine."

The door opened. Inside, Liu Xing saw a girl sitting in a lotus position. She possessed piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light, silky black hair, and flawless pearly skin. For an instant, he noticed a glowing blue light beneath his bed, desk, and chest of clothes. Then, they were hurled toward him. He jumped aside and watched his belongings land heavily on the ground, the chest spilling clothes and one leg of his small desk snapping.

Turning back to the girl, he realized she was the new disciple he had seen before training. She was breathtakingly beautiful, yet incredibly rude and dismissive, perhaps even a bully. Her captivating appearance suddenly held no appeal. His lips thinned into a line, emotions churning in his stomach. "Even with my belongings outside, the cave is still mine. You need to leave."

The girl stood, her electric blue eyes locking onto his. For a moment, he felt intimidated, but he held his ground.

"You are wasting my time," the girl stated.

As she spoke, dozens of ice crystals materialized in the air. The crystals, each as big as a palm and with sharp edges, hung suspended between them. Seeing this, Liu Xing understood that this conflict would be resolved with violence. He estimated she was at the Lock Opening fifth stage. If she was not exceptionally gifted, Liu Xing believed he had a good chance of defeating her and reclaiming his cave.

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