"Bow down to you? With your crappy talent, Old Qin?"
The library was bustling, and after hearing what Qin Yang said, Xia He couldn't help but burst out laughing on the spot.
He laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world, doubling over and clutching his stomach as he squatted on the ground.
His outburst drew stares from many of the people passing by.
"What? You don't believe me?"
Qin Yang wasn't bothered, just waving his hand in resignation.
"Haha, you've got to be kidding, Old Qin. It's one thing to mess with your friends, but don't start fooling yourself."
Xia He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, still laughing as he got back on his feet.
"I didn't know you were such a jokester. When did you get so funny?"
As he spoke, Xia He looked Qin Yang up and down, clearly not believing a word he said.
After all, everyone already had a default image of the Sword Dao expert in their minds.
That of an old master with a transcendent, sage-like aura.
But as for Qin Yang's current appearance...
Well, aside from being ridiculously handsome...
He was just a librarian who hadn't even passed his probation.
Where was the slightest hint of a reclusive master?
You'd have an easier time believing he was Qin Shi Huang than the Sword Dao expert!
Xia He shook his head, patting his chest to catch his breath. He nudged Qin Yang's shoulder and said,
"Stop daydreaming. This Sword Dao powerhouse is definitely an outsider. There's no way it could be someone from here in the Jianghai City District."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Qin Yang grew confused. "Why does everyone assume it's a new Sword Dao powerhouse? Why couldn't it be an expert from right here in Jianghai City?"
However, the moment he finished speaking...
Xia He, who was right beside him, rolled his eyes and gave him a look of utter contempt.
"What are you thinking, Old Qin? Do you think Innate Experts are a dime a dozen? How could they be everywhere?
Xia He explained irritably, "Jianghai City is considered a major city in this country, right? But we only have three Innate Experts!"
"Only three?"
Qin Yang was surprised to hear that.
The number was far lower than he had expected.
'A city as big as Jianghai is only guarded by three Innate Realm powerhouses!?'
'If a Beast Tide were to attack the city in the future, wouldn't the entire city be in grave danger?'
'Once a Beast Tide breaks out, it's no joke!'
'The Innate Powerhouses would be completely outnumbered. If they get trapped and attacked from all sides, it'd be all over!'
"That's right. Although there are only three, every one of them is a top figure in their field!"
Xia He's eyes lit up as he continued, his voice filled with envy,
"Our library's Hall Master is one. The Chief Commander of the Star Martial Police Bureau, who defends against the Star Beasts, is the second. But neither of these titans is a Sword Dao powerhouse.
Only the dean of the Jianghai Martial Arts Academy is a Sword Dao powerhouse... but he's already said himself that even he can't achieve One Sword Breaks the Peak.
So, after a bit of deduction, it's a no-brainer that this mysterious Sword Dao powerhouse has to be an outsider!"
With that, Xia He waved a dismissive hand. "And another thing, Old Qin, stop daydreaming and get to work. If you're late clocking in, you won't even pass your probation, let alone fantasize about being some Sword Dao expert."
His words...
...seemed to hit a sore spot for Qin Yang.
'If I lost my library job, it would be a huge pain to get access to Cultivation Method Manuals in the future.'
'If I lost a job this good...'
'Where would I ever find another one?'
'At least until I create a new Star Force Technique, I can't lose this gig!'
With this in mind, Qin Yang stopped the idle chatter with Xia He.
The two of them immediately headed for the first floor of the library.
.....
Library, First Floor.
The air was filled with the scent of old books, and the atmosphere was serene and silent. People sat reading various manuals, and the only sound was the faint rustle of turning pages.
After arriving on the first floor, Xia He and Qin Yang went their separate ways to clock in.
Then, they headed to their respective posts to start the workday.
This was finally a moment for Qin Yang to be by himself.
'Not bad, not bad. This is the perfect time to innovate a new Cultivation Technique.'
Qin Yang was very pleased with the current atmosphere.
He glanced around and saw that no one was paying him any mind.
Following the memory in his mind, he walked toward the bookshelf that held the basic Star Force Techniques.
Before long, he found the Cultivation Techniques he needed.
The manuals were tucked away in a far corner. Since no one had picked them up in a long time, their covers were coated in a thick layer of dust.
'These two Cultivation Techniques are too flawed; they're practically useless. Innate Realm powerhouses wouldn't give them a second glance, and Postnatal Realm Cultivators can't use them because they haven't reached the required Realm.'
'But in the end, that just works out for me.'
Qin Yang blew on the cover to clear away the dust and couldn't help but gloat inwardly.
He opened the manual, his eyes scanning ten lines at a glance.
Thanks to the boost from his heaven-defying Comprehension, his memory was drastically enhanced.
He only needed to give the pages a quick scan to commit the entire text to memory, word for word.
A moment later, Qin Yang had committed the contents of both basic Star Force Techniques to heart.
'Alright, time to try deducing.'
Qin Yang searched through his memory.
The flaws in these two basic Star Force Techniques were immense; that must be why no one had ever tried to merge them.
After a moment's thought, Qin Yang found an inconspicuous corner and began his daily ritual of slacking off.
Leaning back on a long bench, he closed his eyes to rest.
His consciousness plunged directly into the Enlightenment Space.
Inside the Enlightenment Space, the characters of the two Star Force Techniques broke apart, one by one. They formed an ocean of text inside his mind, endlessly floating and surging.
'Everything I have today, I earned through my own effort.'
'Enlightenment Space, begin deduction!'
With a mere thought from Qin Yang...
The next moment.
The countless words of the Cultivation Techniques were scrambled and then reassembled. As if alive, they rearranged themselves, automatically deleting redundant characters and generating new ones to fill the gaps.
BOOM!
It was a moment of sudden, profound enlightenment.
In that instant, Qin Yang understood everything.
A moment later, a brand-new basic Star Force Technique took its final form in his mind.
'It's done!'
A look of delight crossed Qin Yang's face. He hadn't expected it to be so fast.
'This efficiency is just insane!'
As he examined the Star Force Technique in his memory, Qin Yang realized the new technique still needed a name.
'In the future, I'll definitely create even more Star Force Techniques. So, let's call this one... the Star Spell!'
Qin Yang was overjoyed after creating the Star Spell.
But since it was only a fusion of two basic Star Force Techniques, it was still far from perfect.
'When I fuse even more Star Force Techniques in the future, merging all methods into a single technique—that will be the true Star Spell!'
...
The workday passed quickly.
Qin Yang had barely been slacking off for long when the lunch break arrived.
Clocking out the moment his shift ended was an ironclad rule for him.
Qin Yang promptly punched his card and headed to the cafeteria with Xia He to get food.
"I hear that Bloodthirsty Demon has been claiming more victims lately. Now everyone in Jianghai City is on edge. Old Qin, you need to be careful when you're out and about."
Xia He said in the cafeteria, his words muffled as he chewed his food.
"Telling me to be careful?"
Qin Yang popped a piece of braised pork knuckle into his mouth, asking in confusion.
"You're a good-looking kid, all fair-skinned and delicate. You're exactly the type those Demons go for."
Xia He shook his head and sighed. "You're so weak, Old Qin. Even the shockwaves from a battle between Innate Realm powerhouses could kill you.
I don't have that many friends, and you're one of them, Old Qin. If you ever run into real trouble, just run. Don't even think twice."
"Yeah, this world is too dangerous."
Qin Yang understood Xia He's good intentions and didn't argue the point.
He just sighed to himself. 'When the sky falls, there will always be someone taller to hold it up. I have no desire to eliminate evil for the masses, let alone harbor the heart of a great hero, serving my country and its people.
I just want to be an ordinary person and live a peaceful life. That's all.'