Chapter 852: Chapter 852: Another Immortal Technique In The Arsenal [2]
After coming back to the first step, Noah followed the rhythm of the steps while following the circulation of qi according to the method.
Unlike the qi sealed using the formation, he could use the little amount of qi he had gathered in his bloodstream using the Nine-Slaughter Blood Meridian Technique.
His movements were slow at first; he was making sure that each foot landed precisely where the ancient cultivator’s had landed centuries or perhaps millennia ago.
Left foot forward, weight shifting. Right foot sweeping wide as his body turned.
First came a sudden stop, then an explosive movement to the side.
The moment the internal and external components aligned, he felt a sudden sense of resonance within him. It felt like two parts of a whole suddenly clicking into place.
The movement technique came alive.
His next step covered three times the distance it should have. The one after that seemed to blur space itself, making it look like he’d teleported rather than stepped.
His body moved with a fluidity that defied normal human limitations. Each motion giving way to the next one.
It was like beading each orb of different hole in a thread to make an art that made sense when you looked at the finished work.
Noah reached the end of the pattern, and this time, instead of stopping or repeating, he took one more step. His actions were not random but an extension of the pattern that felt natural.
He was moving by instinct, letting his instinct guide him. The technique seemed to become more fluid and complete.
He eventually ended up repeating all the steps once he was done without stopping.
And then... it happened.
BOOM!!!
The sound echoed through the entire library like a huge boulder had been thrown off a cliff.
Noah had collided with an invisible barrier placed in the middle of two bookshelves, which seemed to look like an open gate to the next section of the library.
The sudden collision snapped Noah out of his daze. He looked back and saw a faint translucent golden barrier appearing out of nowhere.
Soon the barrier faded, and the space returned to normal.
"What is this barrier?" Noah wondered as he reached out to touch the barrier with his hands. Supervisor Gui had not explained about any barrier like that.
Once he touched the barrier and accessed the formation with his mind, Noah understood its function.
’A restriction based on comprehension level. Only those who have achieved mastery stage in at least one technique from this section can pass through to the next.’
"Heh, even if you are the Black-Haired Demon, you cannot go through the restriction on the section." Hearing the cold snort, Noah looked over his shoulder and realized that it came from a young woman who was leaning against the wall in the far corner of the section with a book in one hand and brushing her hair with the other.
She was striking in appearance, with long auburn hair that fell past her shoulders in elegant waves, sharp amber eyes that held a mixture of arrogance and something else harder to define, and delicate features that would have been beautiful if not for the perpetual sneer on her lips.
She was wearing a deep crimson robe with black trim, clearly of higher quality than most participants’, suggesting she came from some background of wealth or status.
The way she stood with that upside-down book in her hands made it clear she was trying to look cool on purpose and failed miserably.
Noah could see the tension in her frame. He could tell she had been watching him, maybe for a while now.
Although he did not pay attention to his surroundings all the time, Noah was on guard even against the participants despite their weak cultivation.
"What’s wrong?" she continued, her voice dripping with mockery. "The great Ruthless Swordsman finally found something he can’t cut through. How disappointing."
She pushed off from the wall and took a few steps closer, her amber eyes gleaming with what looked like satisfaction.
"I’ve been here for two months already," she said, a haughty smile playing on her lips. "I’ve watched dozens of arrogant fools crash into that barrier thinking brute force would get them through. I guess you are no different from them after all.
She flipped her hair back in a practiced gesture, clearly trying to project superiority.
"Perhaps the Black-Haired Demon isn’t as talented as everyone claims. Perhaps you’re just—"
Noah turned around and walked away.
He didn’t acknowledge her words. Didn’t respond to her taunts. Didn’t even look at her again.
He simply walked past her as if she didn’t exist, moving toward a different section of bookshelves with the same unhurried pace he always maintained.
The young woman’s mouth dropped open mid-sentence.
"Wait—I wasn’t finished talking!" she called after him, her haughty tone cracking slightly.
Noah walked behind a bookshelf without slowing down.
"How dare you—!" She stomped her foot against the stone floor, the sharp sound echoing through the library. "I was speaking to you!"
She rushed forward, trying to chase after him, her crimson robes billowing behind her.
But when she rounded the bookshelf where he’d disappeared, Noah was nowhere to be seen.
The section stretched out before her, row upon row of shelves creating a maze of passages, and she’d vanished into them like a ghost.
"Argh!" The woman groaned in frustration, stamping her foot again. She looked around frantically, hoping to catch sight of him, but the library remained stubbornly empty of his presence.
She slumped against the nearest shelf, her expression shifting from anger to something more complicated.
’Why couldn’t I just... say the words I wanted to speak? ’ she thought, cursing herself internally. ’When I saw him, I unknowingly blurted those words. What is wrong with me? I wanted to praise him for his efforts before. His movement techniques looked so elegant.’
Hugging her knees, she whispered to herself, "I wonder if I will be able to meet him again."
The longing in her voice trailed off and faded into the bookshelves, but there was no one to listen to them.
