In the sort of library a normal person would construct, places for reading and writing were standard. There was no lack of those within Everheart’s Library, but there was a standout feature- a rear courtyard for practicing attacking techniques or sparring. Normally even cultivators would separate those two things by a larger distance, though in this case it was a practical arrangement. It didn’t require anyone to leave the grounds of the Library and go through the line again. Even so, it was simply a large open area that offered no privacy between cultivators. Perhaps that too was by design.

Off in one corner sat Vari. The surroundings weren’t exactly conducive to meditation, with people making use of their energy in uncontrolled fashions, sending shockwaves of sensation even if they weren’t close enough to cause physical harm. She focused on doing exactly the opposite of what she was used to, to no discernible effect. Some part was missing. Perhaps it was a particular target to draw from, perhaps she simply had a false understanding to begin with… maybe her talent just wasn’t enough.

She was interrupted by two large wolves tumbling past her, claws and fangs meeting with sharp stone and burning fire. The two creatures had been peacefully practicing some sort of mental training not long before, but either they had finished or one got bored. Alva had been watching them, but she had her own training to get to. Though the battle looked dangerous, they seemed to be having fun.

Further away, Hoyt was attempting to light a training dummy on fire. Obviously if it were something made of cloth and straw it would burn to ashes in an instant, but even if it were simply made of the stone it appeared to be he should have been able to catch it on fire. Energy channeled through the stone shape, resisting him much like a cultivator might. It wasn’t just a direct barrier, but active change that frustrated his current attempts. What he was training was a sort of clinging fire- he could create a trail of fire that hung in the air, burning anyone he chose that passed through it, but attaching it to someone was more difficult. It was still possible, but as they actively resisted they could free themselves. Hoyt was attempting a particularly nasty technique that burned upper energy directly, the difficulty being he didn’t want to set his own energy on fire. Thus, he was being cautious.

Neither Timothy nor Catarina were in the training yard- no doubt they were at a different stage of their studies, or perhaps they didn’t want to have others see what they were doing.

-----

There was some significant overlap between energy barrier techniques and what Timothy wanted to do, reflecting enemies attacks back upon them. He’d had success with that already, but he could always be better. He had some plans to compare notes with Vari to see if a real person could spark any insights different from the texts he was reading.

Then he sensed something. He barely suppressed his instincts to stab them through the heart. He could only hope he managed to hide his hostility. He sensed no particular reaction from the man, but that didn’t mean much.

It was a member of the Twin Soul Sect, unconcealed. Thoughts rapidly spun through his head. How could one be here? Hadn’t they eradicated them? The answers were rather simple, however. If the promises they had been given were even partly true, then those who died should have reincarnated in the upper realms. And, even if that wasn’t the case… the sect still had a presence in the Trigold Cluster.

And the reason for them to be here was the same as anyone else- drawn in by the promises of wealth and knowledge. That was true even for their own group, in a way. Otherwise they would have not come back. Timothy didn’t know what Catarina might reveal, and whether it would be worth the risks, but it seemed important. And they couldn’t afford to sit around slowly growing stronger when their enemies were already ahead of them.

Timothy kept part of his mind on what the Twin Soul Sect cultivator was looking at, but otherwise pretended to ignore him. Unless he’d revealed his intentions somehow, the man shouldn’t even know that they were enemies. Unless they recognized the One Hundred Stars, of course.

-----

After surveying the general quality of the information available, Catarina realized she wouldn’t be learning much about formations in the first two levels. She could spend years combing through the books to find minor improvements, but they would pale in comparison to the days she had spent with Everheart’s projection, learning about sub-runes woven into what looked to be a single larger whole. The amount of hidden complexity that could be added to anything by that still gave her plenty to absorb for the next century.

She still needed to go deeper for other reasons. There might be valuable techniques- not that the ones in the first two levels were trivial- but more than that she couldn’t find anything that reacted to the formation plate she had. She was almost certain it should be at this location… but how far?

They would have to obtain permission to progress further. That meant ‘donating’ or performing challenges. Hunting down a bounty was also possible, though she didn’t particularly like the idea of being an enforcer for Everheart. Some of them likely deserved retribution, but not necessarily for robbing from Everheart. Though perhaps at some point they could browse through the options and see if there were any they would like to take down for other reasons. That was a bit risky, though, because they were without significant backing. If they made enemies with any large group, it could be trouble. That included the Harmonious Citadel, but it seemed that it was inevitable.

The three she and Timothy had killed should still be a secret, and according to Vari she had only mentioned Alva, but there was no telling if the second group had gathered more information and reported back about their group. The incident occurred far enough from their territory that it might not have gotten back to them, but it wasn’t as if they didn’t kill anyone important. Even by the standards of the upper realms, cultivators at the Integration stage were notable to some extent… though there was a big difference between those at the earliest steps and the late stage.

-----

Vari sat down with Timothy in a vaguely isolated section of the library. The location and their own efforts to conceal their voices with energy meant that at least nobody would casually overhear their cultivation discussions. It was standard practice, as cultivators were secretive with such things especially around those they didn’t trust. For Timothy that was nearly everyone in the Scarlet Midfields. For Vari… she was honestly no longer sure.

“What you do with your shield isn’t quite the same as my barriers,” Vari explained. Her techniques all originated in the upper realms, or at least had been there for some time. Timothy’s might have been from a lower realm, but they weren’t necessarily worse. Just different, and requiring some adjustment for proper functionality with upper energy. “It retains more flexibility instead of being rigid.”

“That means when faced with overwhelming power I can soften the blow rather than having my defenses shattered,” Timothy explained. “It does slightly limit the maximum strength attack I can receive, but I find it worthwhile.”

Vari nodded. That all made sense. The origins of their techniques were quite different, but there was still advice they could share. Mostly on Timothy’s end, since despite being younger and from a lower realm he had more practical experience. He’d been in several actual wars, while Vari had semi-regularly gone on missions defeating bandits or exploring. The shelter of the Harmonious Citadel had allowed her to grow in safety, but perhaps not as much as she might have achieved otherwise. Or she could have died. It was still possible in such an environment, of course, but more rare.

The exchange eventually devolved into Vari seeking advice, since she rarely had anything useful to offer in return. “I know you don’t study this kind of technique,” Vari said, “And it’s new to me, but several things in this manual I haven’t been able to get any success out of at all.”

“Let me see, energy draining techniques? Which ones?”

“The first one is sort of functional, but the second and third just… seem like dead ends.”

“Maybe they are,” Timothy pointed out. “They could just be bad.”

“But… they’re in Everheart’s Library.”

“So?” Timothy asked.

“He literally threw away a technique manual as we watched!” Vari exclaimed. “He checks these things. They should work, right?”

“Just because he has certain standards does not mean everything that makes it into the library is a good technique. For example, he could allow mediocrity. Perhaps only the first technique in that book needs to function and he couldn’t be bothered to dismantle it. Or maybe there’s still something to learn from them, even if they’re failed techniques.” Timothy shrugged, “It could be any of those, or maybe he leaves them as traps for people who can’t tell they’re not good.”

“Oh,” Vari deflated, “So I’ve just been wasting my time?”

“It’s just a few days,” Timothy pointed out. “And you figured out they don’t work already. So see if there’s anything you can glean from them and move on. No technique is going to be flawless anyway. Not a core cultivation technique, offensive, defensive, or auxiliary. They’re always being refined from older versions.”

“Yeah!” Vari nodded, a bit more confident. “That’s right. I just have to figure out what’s good. Hey, guiding light thing, can you show me to any copies of the Holy Harmony Technique, and the Glorious Harmony Technique?”

The light had not been present, and then it was. “No.”

“... what do you mean no?” Vari asked.

“No indicates a negative response, meaning that I cannot.”

“But why?” Vari asked. “Do I need access to a deeper level.”

“No.”

“Do you not have any?”

“No.”

“Does that mean you do have some?”

“No.”

“Can you provide another response?”

“No.”

“... I think I broke it.”

“That’s… odd,” Timothy said. “Can you… start over?”

“Hello,” the light blinked. “I am here to guide you throughout the library. Please state your request.”

“Do I just ask again?” Vari tilted her head.

“You have not asked anything,” the light responded neutrally.

“Try phrasing it differently,” Timothy suggested.

“Okay, uh… are there copies of either the Holy Harmony Technique or the Glorious Harmony Technique here?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“No.”

Vari put her face in her palms. “Let’s start over. Is there a reason that people would be forbidden from finding techniques related to the Harmonious Citadel?”

“The answer to that question is only available to members of the Harmonious Citadel.”

“I’m… I practice one of their techniques,” Vari said. “And I have my whole life.”

“Are those words meant to indicate that you are a member of the Harmonious Citadel?”

“Yes?” Vari couldn’t keep her voice straight. She wasn’t sure if this thing could detect lies but… she hadn’t technically lied. She wanted to indicate that without saying it because even lying to say she was part of them still felt wrong.

“Very well. The same or similar request has been made fifty-seven times recently, twice by yourself. Full reason for denial: ‘No. Stop asking about that you [expletives removed] cronies. You can’t have her stuff back.’ End of official statement. Would you like me to direct you to your sectmates?”

“No that’s okay,” Vari said. “In fact, don’t tell them that I’m here. Or lead them to me if they ask.”

“Affirmative. Can I assist you in other ways?”

“Is there any way to request access except through you?”

“You can speak to the librarian projection,” the light declared. “Would you like me to assess the probability of a favorable interaction?”

“No that’s… I think I’d rather not know.” Vari frowned. Was Everheart working with the Harmonious Citadel somehow? It felt like that at first, but now it seemed antagonistic. Then there was that statue. A statue of a spear saint she’d never seen nor heard of. She hadn’t believed it to be real at the time but now… maybe it was. “What do you think?” she asked Timothy.

“I think interacting with Everheart is a bad idea,” Timothy said. “But if it’s important enough to you… it might be your only option.”

“... I can’t know how important it is until I have the information,” Vari shook her head. “But I can’t just stay like this. I’ll have to… look into other options on my own.” Talking to Everheart would be her last resort. Surely she could find something on her own.