After his basketball session, he immediately rushed back to resume his cultivation. Not after long as he started cultivating his Qi Energy again, he could feel the Qi beneath his vessels slowly strengthening. Although it was slightly painful, Shen Long enjoyed this feeling of his Qi exerting pressure onto his skin. It made him feel a sense of achievement, as this sensation was unique to breakthroughs.
As he continued, this tingling sensation slowly disappeared as his body had already fused with the "upgraded" Qi. Although his Qi pool barely expanded, he could tell that the quality of his Qi was much greater now. This was because Shen Long was now in Middle Saint Realm. In each cultivation level, it could be divided further into three stages: Early, Mid and Late.
These small stages depended on the quality of the Qi, but not one's battle prowess. However, having stronger, better Qi would grant you many benefits within a fight. Not only that the cultivator with a better Qi would have greater stamina, his attacks and defense would also be drastically strengthened. Hence, a cultivator in a higher "stage" of the same realm would typically crush cultivators in the lower.
Shen Long could now materialise his Qi, after his breakthrough. He immediately tried to exert some of his Qi as he clasped his hands together, attempting to force his Qi outwards. Shen Long was quite surprised after succeeding while his sweat continued to drop from his face. Shen Long's Qi was mostly transparent, though you could see wisps of grey-white smokes, which obviously was his Qi.
The colour of one's Qi directly correlated to one's cultivation level. Actually, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would be able to exert their Qi, but its colour would be so faint that it would be completely invisible. Qi of Saints like Shen Long would appear white, and even light-red once they reached Late Saint Realm. The colour of the Qi also followed the colour order of the rainbow.
(Just in case you guys don't know the colour sequence of a rainbow, it is:
Red --> Orange --> Yellow --> Green --> Blue --> Indigo --> Violet
*I'm sure most of you guys know it, but just in case...)
As it was still four o'clock after Shen Long finished his cultivation session, he still had time to visit the treasury, to pick up his first weapon. The treasury was surrounded by blue robed cultivators, as well as many others. There was an enormous hall in front of the ancient building - the treasury.
There were many little stores in the hall, each selling very unique items for spirit stones. However, there were a few cultivators who held up a sign saying "trade only" as treasures were more important than money to them.
Shen Long was very impressed at the design of the building. The treasury was actually a pagoda, as it was tiered with multiple eaves. There was a total of twenty-five floors; each one was specialised for a certain weapon or purpose. After reading the board outside the hall, he walked up the stairs to the 17th floor - The Floor of Sword.
As he walked in the room, he saw the Guardian again. Shen Long was slightly surprised as he didn't expect the librarian and the guardian of the treasury to be the same person. However, the Guardian, this time, didn't come out and greet him. Shen Long was slightly guilty of that as he remembered about the night where he got kicked out ruthlessly by the Guardian. He felt bad for breaking the rules, even though he claimed that he wasn't drunk at all.
"Dear Guardian, I'm here to receive my first sword. You told me to only visit the treasury after reaching the Fifth Level of the Moonlight Script. Here I am! Please choose a suitable weapon for me to use! I am sorry about what happened in the library last time. However, I just want to say that I really wasn't drunk that day! But, I would still formally apologize as it's still my fault." Shen Long respectfully said while bowing to the Guardian.
"Who told you to come here? Kid, this is the first time we've met. Stop trying to pretend that you've known for me a long time. This trick won't work on this old man here. You think I will give you a better sword just because of your bullshit? I'm sorry, kid. But I ain't dumb. I have been here for the past five thousand..." The Guardian said while staring at him condescendingly.
Shen Long was caught offguard but the voice of the Guardian, as well as what he said. Just as he finally got used to the Guardian of the library's voice, he heard this guy, in front of him, with the exact same face with a proper, deep voice. Totally unlike the one in the library. Shen Long examined the Guardian's features again, and he was sure that the Library guy and this guy in front of him was exactly the same.
"Ah-ha. I get it. He's trying to trick me. Ha. Ha. How old is he man!?? He's like five thousand years old and yet he's trying to prank me? Lucky, I'm not dumb enough to follow your stupid trap. You want to play along? Let's go then! Who's scared of who huh?!" Shen Long thought to himself as he was 100.5% sure that these two guys had identical faces.
"Oh Guardian. You trying to prank me? Nice one!! So which one is your real voice huh? This excessive manly one? Or the extremely girly voice? Wow, you have been a great actor. I actually thought that voice of yours was your actual one. HAHAHAHA. Well it makes sense. With your masculine features, there's no way that girly voice would be your actual voice. Good one man. You got me. Nice." Shen Long chatted casually as he put on his smirking face, the one that most people would want to punch.
"Your sister. Pranking you? You really think I'm that bored? Kid, you have got some guts. You really want to mess with me? Even if you are a personal disciple of Fireblade's, I can still punish you and bust your ass. Since my mood is pretty good today, if you apologize immediately, I will let you off just this time." The Guardian spoke harshly and coldly.
"You still want to prank me? I never knew that your personality is like a child's! Fine! I guess you only show this side of you to your friends. I guess we are friends now? Hahaha. Well, I guess we can be friends despite our age difference. Man, why did you kick me out of the library last time??? Or, was that a prank as well!?? Hahaha! Nice one! You got me again. Damn. You good." Shen Long continued to joke around as he waited for his response.
The Guardian's eyebrow raised as he was kind of speechless after hearing Shen Long.
"You. You... Arggghhh. It seems like no one had told you anything about the different Guardians here. You probably have no friends, do you? Since you don't know anything, I won't punish you for your ignorance. But this is your LAST opportunity before I kick you of here. Listen. Every Guardian in the palace would have the same appearance. Have you not noticed anything strange when you spoke to the Library guy before? How would a cultivator from his whatever clan look like this - a gigantic monster-looking creature? Our appearance are all masked by Fireblade, so that when intruders come, they won't know what to expect."
"You do not need to know my name neither. You can just call me Guardian, like everybody else here does. Now, you're finally done with your non-stop chattering, let's just choose your weapon and get out of this place. You're lucky my mood is quite good today, otherwise your ass would have been wipped already. And, did you just call the Library guy's voice girly and strange!??" The Guardian stared at Shen Long as he finished speaking.
Sweat started dripping crazily from Shen Long's forehead.
"Ehm.. Hahaha... I didn't mean girly and weird... Huh? Did I say that just now? I think you must have misheard me... I just said it was.... em... stylish and weir... I mean unique! Yea. Stylish and unique! That's not bad at all! Actually I think it's really cool. At least he can be easily recognized by us! Haha!" Shen Long attempted to laugh it off as he inwardly cursed at himself for what he had said.
"Don't worry, young man. You're right. That guy's voice is weird as hell. He did it for no reason as well, according to the other Guardian here. He just likes his voice being like that. For no reason. Even his wife doesn't understand it... Now, let's just come get your sword." The Guardian said as he approved Shen Long's first impression of the Library Guardian's voice. Shen Long felt relieved immediately as he followed the Guardian.
"As a personal disciple, you will be given the top quality swords. Since there are three swords remaining, you can choose any of these three; but you won't be able to change it later on. So, decide carefully." The Guardian said as three swords appeared on the desk in front of them.
Shen Long's eyes glittered as he was fascinated by these swords in front of him. After staring at them for a while, he seemed to have came to a conclusion and opened his mouth.
"Dear Senior... Hm... Can you explain the different properties of each sword? I really... I really can't tell. Haha... Haha... " Shen Long embarrassingly said as he looked up to the Guardian like an innocent toddler.
The Guardian rolled his eyes upon hearing his request.
"Bloody hell... Do you not know anything!?!????? How are you even here!? How are you a personal disciple with THAT intelligence of yours? Oh no... Fireblade must have some mental problems..."