Chapter 669: Another Sword Art

The next day, Max made his way to the Empire Library, a vast structure standing at the heart of the Great Ruler Empire’s genius district. Despite its grand, ancient design—pillars of white stone, glimmering roofs shaped like a soaring phoenix—the Empire Library was not reserved for only the elites.

It was one of the few common zones accessible to all genius members of the Great Ruler Empire, be they from the 1-star, 2-star, or 3-star sectors.

Within its endless halls and floating platforms were millions of books, records and data crystals—collections of every known technique, art, cultivation path, and historical record found across the Middle Domain.

From sword arts to runes formation, from ancient war tactics to interdimensional travel theories—this place held it all. But Max wasn’t here to read or broaden his knowledge. Not today. He had come for the reward that had been promised to him.

When he was pulled out of the final round of the recruitment assessment, he had made one thing clear—he wanted the first place rewards. After all, if he had competed, no one could’ve taken that spot from him anyway.

Initially, the five elders were reluctant. They weren’t ready to hand out elite resources so freely. But Lyra had spoken on his behalf. With a single statement, she shut down their hesitation—"If we’re taking him out for his own protection, then we should reward him like he already won."

And that was the end of it. They unanimously agreed, and now Max stood at the front steps of the library to claim his due: one technique of his choosing, one treasure, one skill, and a chance to enter the legendary Conceptual Cave.

Max stepped inside the Empire Library with calm confidence, his mind already made up about what he was looking for. A sword technique. Not just any technique, but one that could serve as his foundation when he couldn’t—or chose not to—use the Sky Shattering Invincible Sword Art.

That particular sword art, while incomparably powerful, was also complex beyond belief. Max would need a long time to break it down fully and reconstruct it in a way that aligned with his Concept of Severing Sword.

He couldn’t afford to wait. He needed something practical, usable now, something he could grow with until the Sky Shattering Art was fully his.

He also remembered the other sword art he’d obtained back in the Inheritance Hall of the Citadel—but he hadn’t even touched it yet. Right now, he needed to practice and polish his sword intent through repetition and variety, something only multiple techniques could offer.

He walked slowly through the great marble-floored halls of the Empire Library, passing quiet rows of tables where other cultivators read in total silence. The air felt heavy, ancient, as if time moved slower in this place. Every footstep echoed softly through the chamber.

Then, after climbing a wide staircase and passing beneath an archway engraved with glowing runes, Max entered the deeper, restricted section of the library. This was where the Empire stored its massive collection of techniques and skills.

A vast hall opened before him—walls lined with floating jade slips, glowing shelves that stretched toward the high ceiling, and endless platforms layered on top of each other like a spiraling tower. This was the Technique Repository.

A holographic interface appeared as Max stepped inside, glowing softly with welcome. "Please choose a category," it read.

He selected the sword category and was instantly bombarded with hundreds of thousands of results—sword techniques from every corner of the Middle Domain, categorized by element, style, form, intent, and realm requirement.

Max began browsing. He spent minutes combing through the database, picking up sword arts and skimming their essence. Some were elegant, dancing like wind; others were brutal, designed to kill in one strike.

He saw fire sword arts that exploded on impact, ice sword techniques that froze the opponent’s blood with a graze, space sword arts that could tear rifts open.

But what caught his attention most were the lightning sword techniques. There was something about the sharpness, the speed, the raw power of lightning that fit perfectly with his aggressive battle style and his Concept of Severing Sword.

Eventually, his eyes landed on a technique that resonated with him the moment he read its name—"Heaven-Piercing Thunderclap Sword."

It was a Legendary Rank sword technique focused on high-speed slashes infused with lightning essence. The technique condensed lightning at the edge of the sword and unleashed strikes faster than sound, producing thunderclaps with each swing.

It had nine forms in total, with each form being sharper, faster, and more devastating than the last. It wasn’t overwhelming in size or complexity, but in terms of practicality, it was perfect.

Max selected it without hesitation.

’This will do... for now,’ he thought to himself, gripping the technique book that stored the technique as he turned away, already planning how he would train it, refine it, and eventually use it as a stepping stone to temper his sword intent further.

There was a clear reason why Max chose the lightning elemental sword art among the countless techniques stored in the Empire Library. It wasn’t just a random decision made on a whim—it was part of a deliberate plan he had built in his mind.

Right now, he already possessed two sword techniques. One was the Severing Flow Sword Art, a basic but refined technique that aligned well with his Concept of Severing Sword. It wasn’t particularly powerful on its own, but its harmony with his concept made it a stable foundation and an excellent tool for tempering his sword intent.

The second was Void Severance Slash, a technique that was anything but ordinary. It was space-elemental, and its true potential could only be drawn out when used by someone who comprehended both concept of sword and the concept of space—something Max had been working on tirelessly.

And then there was the Crimson Burial Sword Art, the flame-elemental sword technique he had obtained from the Inheritance Hall of the Citadel. Though Max hadn’t begun practicing it yet, he could already tell it would require deep understanding of both the flame element and sword concept to fully master.

With three sword arts under his belt—each aligned with different elements and requiring dual concept synergy—it became apparent to him that his arsenal lacked only one crucial piece: a lightning-element sword art.

Lightning was one of his core elements, and yet he had no sword technique that truly drew upon its strength and nature.

It felt like a hole in his toolkit, an imbalance in his elemental mastery. That’s why he had chosen the Heaven-Piercing Thunderclap Sword without hesitation. It completed the circle.

With this, he would have sword arts for flame, space, pure concept, and lightning—allowing him to switch between techniques depending on the battlefield, opponent, and elemental advantage. It was a decision not based on power alone, but on foresight, balance, and tactical growth.

"Time to choose a skill," Max muttered to himself, his eyes drifting across the glowing shelves of the Empire Library’s skill repository. Unlike techniques, which dominated the minds and hearts of most experts in the Middle Domain, skills were viewed with a strange sort of indifference—especially by the experts.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay