Chapter 138: Level Three of the Library
At the moment, there were approximately 15 disciples present. More than half of them were seated around the tables, while the remaining were scattered in the corners, searching for books.
At the rear of level three, there was a small counter available for disciples to make copies of the books they desired to borrow from the Library.
There was no time restriction for staying in the Library, which meant that most of the disciples who reached level three would read a couple of books and only borrow technical ones. Yet, the Library was rarely crowded. The cost of 100 merit points to access it was too expensive, even for Senior Initiates.
Liam didn't look around much. Like everyone else, he had to use his time well and make the most of this opportunity.
His goal there was simple. Find a book on magical beasts to learn about the Silver-Winged Leopard, a book on general knowledge for Spirit Masters, a book on continental geopolitics, and a book on combat techniques.
Martial arts techniques would be hard to find in the libraries of the Spirit Masters sects. Liam set his sights on Spirit's command techniques, methods of beast suppression, and against Spirit Masters.
He soon started looking for the books.
{Dragons and Their Descendants}
Curious, Liam opened the book and read the preface.
{... Dragons are infernal creatures, wielders of evil and synonymous with death. Their surreal physical strength and disproportionate size make them perilous. As if their physical strength isn't enough, they are endowed with extraordinary magical powers.
The famous winged reptiles have unfathomable vitality, and some believe they are immortal. Their high intelligence makes them as more dangerous than humans, and gives them the ability to communicate in well-structured, easy-to-understand languages, just as demons can.
Because of their impressive abilities, Spirit Masters have coveted Dragon powers for as long as they can remember. However, forcing a Dragon to become a Spirit is neither easy nor workable for the vast majority of Spirit Masters. In this second volume of the story of Dragons, Wyverns, Basilisks, Hydras, and Quetzalcoatls, we talk about more about the fantastic world of the beasts' rulers...}
Liam finished the preface with a wink, unable to resist the urge to read the 200-page book to the end. But before he did, he continued his search for a book regarding the Silver-Winged Leopards.
As interesting as Dragons were, they were almost a legend where Liam's predecessor came from. They hadn't appeared in that part of the continent for so long that few really believed they existed.
{The 15 Most Dangerous Felines of Twin Land}
Seeing an interesting title on the shelf of books about beasts, Liam read the preface and smiled, getting another book that could help him.
Then he went to the geopolitics shelf and picked out a 300-page book that talked about continental states, their sovereign families, sects within those territories, and large organizations. Of course, this book also contained information on agricultural potential, animal husbandry, mining, in short, relevant economic data.
Such knowledge wouldn't change Liam's life inside the Demon Gate much, but it might be important for the escape he so desired.
{The Roads of Twin Land}
Over 45 minutes after arriving at the level three, he had five books with him, one of which he would make a copy of to take with him from the Library, and the others he intended to read now.
Aware that he should prioritize what might be important in the short term, he read the Silver-Winged Leopard section first, leaving the Dragon book next and the geopolitics book last.
{The 15 Most Dangerous Felines of Twin Land}
{Silver-Winged Leopards}
{They are beasts that carry the feline lineage, and as such they have characteristics in common with other close breeds: they are quick in their movements; have extremely precise vision; have fast reflexes; have sharp claws capable of cutting through the thick scales of crocodiles; and have powerful jaws with sharp teeth capable of piercing skulls...}
{They are slender, muscular beasts covered in golden fur with black spots that resemble constellations. Their wings are broad and covered with silver feathers that gleam in the sunlight and can temporarily blind inattentive enemies.
Among the characteristics that Spirit Masters remember most about this kind of beast are its deep blue eyes, which can see the world around it clearly, even in dark environments...}
{These are beasts that live in thick, mountainous forests where the mana is denser. Because they are classified as Ancestor-grade, High-level creatures, it is not uncommon to find them near special areas with unusually powerful herbs and plants.
Their nests are usually in tall trees or caves…}
After reading the part of the bestiary in his hands about the general description, appearance, and habitat of the Silver-Winged Leopards, Liam read about the creatures' behaviors, powers, abilities, and curiosities.
The book {The 15 Most Dangerous Felines of Twin Land} was very encyclopedic. Written by a famous Beast Tamer from the fifth realm who had collected reports from over 3,000 cultivators and gathered over 100 years of research, the book even mentioned unusual but possible peculiarities.
As Liam had already learned, the cultivators of this world used scientific methods that no scientist on Earth would consider bad or wrong.
By the end of the ten pages on the Silver-Winged Leopards, he understood why there was a great possibility of a clash between the various faction leaders in City Thirteen over this beast. It was simply too valuable to third realm cultivators, a creature that could give its Spirit Master flight, camouflage, hypnotic roar, super speed, and other abilities.
Hell, even Liam himself sighed when he thought about how incredible it would be to have such a Spirit!
'The faction leader is a 4-Star Spirit Earth cultivator. With a Spirit of this caliber, he'll probably surpass several of his peers and reach the second place in the rank in no time.' Liam thought silently as he put down the book {The 15 Most Dangerous Felines of Twin Land}.
'The hunt for this beast will be a defining moment. If we can defeat our enemies and Robert absorb such a Spirit, I probably won't have any problems in City Thirteen until I get to the inner wing of the sect.'
Liam didn't think too much about the possibilities in front of him and opened the other book that had caught his attention.
{Dragons and Their Descendants} spoke in detail about the abilities of Dragons and their closest relatives in the beasts' realm. There were reports of sightings of the creatures, magical areas on the continent to avoid, and places to go if you wanted to defy death.
There was no single way to fight a Dragon. The consensus was that if you encountered one, and it was interested in you, your only chance of survival was to flee. Fighting and winning a Dragon's Spirit was as difficult as winning the lottery. As far as the author of the book and their extensive research had gone, there wasn't a single Dragon's Spirit holder on the continent.
If there was such a person, it would be an eighth realm monster who was probably a few millennia old and had never shown their Spirit to people who were still alive after seeing such a thing.
Fortunately, there were close relatives of Dragons, and they were easier to find. They were also quite special, though not as special as Dragons. Hydras and Basilisks were the most common, while Wyverns and Quetzalcoatls were more unusual. But there were reports of people with these creatures as their Spirits, people who were famous or still alive at the time of the book's publication!
'Impressive!' Liam looked down at the open book in his hands, having just read the characteristics of the Dragons' relatives and some names of powerful individuals who had them as their Spirits.