Tall shelves were arranged everywhere, from floor to ceiling throughout the enormous first floor, each one packed with books, scrolls, and other storage media containing historical records, and accumulated knowledge from centuries ago.
At a desk near the entrance sat a middle-aged woman who wore the formal robes of academy administrative staff.
Levi approached the woman and spoke.
"Good afternoon,"
"Good afternoon. How may the archives assist you today?"
"I’m here to select my reward techniques from the trial examination," Levi explained.
"One Earth-Tier meditation technique and one Earth-Tier combat technique."
The clerk nodded without a single change in expression. "Of course. I’ll need to verify your identity and authorization first. Please place your hand on this scanner."
Levi placed his right hand palm-down on the circle as instructed, and immediately felt a gentle pulse of energy flow up his arm
After a moment, the device chimed softly and projected a holographic display that showed Levi’s student record, confirming his identity.
The clerk studied the information carefully before nodding her head.
"Everything appears to be in order, Student Levi Borne."
"Your authorized access includes the fifth floor archive where our Earth-Tier techniques are stored. Please be aware that this is a restricted area with significant security measures in place. The security Matrix will verify your identity when you enter, and any attempt to access techniques beyond your authorization level or to damage or steal materials will result in immediate defensive response that could kill you."
She paused to make sure Levi understood that it was really serious. Then she continued softly.
"However, assuming you follow the proper procedures and only access materials you’re authorized for, you have nothing to worry about."
"I understand," Levi acknowledged. "Thank you for the information."
The clerk gestured toward the side where two elevators could be seen.
"The elevators will take you directly to the fifth floor. Once you’ve made your selections, bring the manuals you’ve chosen back to this desk for final processing before you leave. The complete versions of the techniques will be delivered to your residence within an hour of your selection, as we don’t permit the original books to leave the archives building for security reasons."
Levi nodded his head and thanked her again before making his way to the elevators and stepped into it.
The elevator moved softly as it arrived in the fifth floor.
When the doors opened, Levi stepped out into a hallway and arrived a very large door.
He placed his hand on the scanner by the side of the door and the door opened as he entered.
"That easy?"
"What if someone hack the scanner, wouldn’t they be able to walk away with any technique they wished?"
But then Levi remembered that the manuals here aren’t the true techniques. It was no worker the security was a bit lax.
The fifth floor archive was different from that of the first floor. The walls are painted pure white.
The manuals were stored in crystal cases that lined the walls and stood in organized rows throughout the floor.
Each case was clearly labeled with the technique’s name, category, and tier level, making it relatively easy to browse and locate specific types of methods.
Levi began his search by heading to the section dedicated to meditation techniques, which occupied the entire western wall of the fifth floor.
He walked slowly along the rows of crystal cases, reading the labels carefully and occasionally stopping to examine techniques that seemed potentially interesting or compatible with his cultivation path.
There were dozens of different Earth-Tier meditation methods meant for various elements and Astra souls to increase their cultivation speed.
"Gale Revenant Scripture "
(Companion to air; distinct in ferocity.) Wind is inhaled until the lungs rupture and reform as storm cores. absorbing energy at a faster pace.
"Magma Cataclysm Scripture – "
Practitioners swallow volcanic glass and circulate it until the dantian becomes a magma chamber.
"Crimson Sovereign Scripture ", "Infernal Phoenix Scripture", "Eight Winds of Sky-Shackling Throne"
He spent nearly an hour examining different meditation techniques, but they either conflict with his water soul nature or completely doesn’t match or they match but would give no effect.
Levi pulled out approximately thirty different meditation manuals from their crystal cases, reading and comparing.
He was beginning to feel slightly frustrated he noticed another case from the corner of his eyes.
Levi carefully opened the crystal case and withdrew the manual it contained, his heart rate accelerating slightly with anticipation as he read the title embossed on the cover in flowing script that seemed to shimmer with faint blue light.
"Oceanic Soul Scripture – Four Phases of the Eternal Tide"
The title alone suggested this was a water-element astral soil type meditation technique. Levi opened to the first page and began reading through the introductory description of the method, and he was incredibly excited.
The Oceanic Soul Scripture was structured around four distinct phases or stages of cultivation.
Phase One: Ripple Mind – Calms the spirit and harmonizes one’s soul with the flow of water. Only in stillness can clarity be found.
Phase Two: Flowing Veins – Circulates energy smoothly through every meridian, cleansing impurities and strengthening the foundation.
Phase Three: Deep Sea Core – Purifies and condenses spiritual energy, deepening its quality and thickening the essence within one’s core.
Phase Four: Oceanic Sovereign – Multiplies all previous effects tenfold. The practitioner gains complete command over the water element — able to shift its form to mist, liquid, or ice at will.
Warning: The Oceanic Soul Scripture is unofficially classified as a fragment of a Sky-Tier technique. Students should not expect rapid cultivation progress if they choose this method, as it prioritizes quality and long-term potential over immediate power gains.
Levi pondered carefully about the manual.
The technique was admittedly extremely difficult, with a high failure rate even among talented students. It would probably slow his cultivation speed compared to easier methods that allowed faster progression through the early realms. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have chosen this technique.
Bur he possess the 10,000x system, he wasn’t afraid his cultivation would be too slow. Instead, he was scared his cultivation would be too fast.