"Aw, man..this is going to be one hell of a battle."

"Who do you think will win?"

"I dunno, man. Both Wu and Jiao are our friends. We can't support one and not the other. I guess we'll be rooting for them both?"

"Yeah, let's cheer for both of them," Lian Rou agreed as she broke into Tong Xue and Ban Zhang's conversation. I pretended not to hear them, and focused on speaking to Zhu Jiao, who had just emerged from the infirmary.

"How are you feeling, man?"

"I've felt worse." Zhu Jiao considered his next words for a moment, and then shrugged. "But I've felt better as well."

I grinned back. "If you're able to complain, then it means you're fine."

"Of course. Who do you think I am?" Zhu Jiao slapped his chest for emphasis. "I'll definitely be ready for the final in two days' time."

Right. I couldn't forget about that. It still felt surreal, and I could hardly believe what was happening. I didn't expect to make it all the way to the final, but now that I was here, I wanted to win. I had come this far, after all. There was a slight hope building in my chest, and I couldn't help but desire that feeling of becoming a champion.

However, my opponent was none other than one of my best friends, Zhu Jiao. There could only be one winner. I doubted the outcome of the final would affect our friendship, but for one of us to prevail, the other had to fall. And having come this far as well, I doubted Zhu Jiao would take well to losing. I definitely didn't.

"Thanks for defeating Bai Ning Xue and taking revenge for me."

Tang Qi Hong wasn't thinking that far ahead. She was beaming cheerfully, happy that her nemesis and self-proclaimed rival had finally been defeated. No doubt Bai Ning Xue's pride had been taken down a peg, and she would be less..cold and unemotional in future. The myth of her invincibility had also been shattered.

Additionally, there was another cause for celebration.

"Congratulations," I told an embarrassed Zhu Jiao, who laughed and scratched his head. "You're finally officially dating Bai Ning Xue, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah." Zhu Jiao glanced down, his face red. "I still can't believe it. It doesn't feel real, you know? I mean, I've been working toward this goal for so long, and now..she's finally my girlfriend. After all this time..!"

He clenched his trembling fist and bowed over, his face scrunched up.

"I..I can't contain my excitement any longer! I want to run around the campus shouting in joy and celebrate! WOOHOO!"

"OI!" Ban Zhang snapped at him. "I understand that you're delighted and I know how you feel, but we're still in school! And close to the infirmary! Get your feelings under control!"

"Sorry, sorry."

Even as Zhu Jiao apologized, he was still wearing that silly grin on his face. I couldn't help but smile and chuckle as well.

"You deserve it, man. Heavens know you've worked the hardest."

"Yeah. And now.." he turned to face me seriously, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We've one final match, don't we? Don't hold back, bro. we're going all out against each other – promise me that. I don't want you restraining yourself just because we're friends."

"You know me," I replied with a grin. "I'm not going to hold back just because we're friends. I respect you too much for that."

"Good." Zhu Jiao nodded and his grip tightened. "I've always wanted to fight you at your true strength. Whoever wins, no hard feelings for the other party, all right? We'll congratulate the winner, no matter who it is. And no ditching the celebration party afterward, okay?"

"Yeah. If there's free food, I'll definitely be there."

Zhu Jiao laughed. "Yeah, you're as stingy as ever. It's a promise then!"

"Now that you mention it.." Tong Xue was looking thoughtful and he turned to the rest. "Jiao is right. We ought to organize a celebration party after the final. No matter who wins, he's one of us, so that calls for a party!"

"Yeah!"

"I'm in!"

"Good idea."

Tang Qi Hong, Lian Rou and Ban Zhang agreed without hesitation. Zhu Jiao and I exchanged smiles, and then turned away.

"Well, we had best start getting ready for the final then."

"Yeah. I don't want any regrets." Zhu Jiao held up a fist, and I bumped it after staring at it for a few seconds. Sorry, but I wasn't familiar with these sort of hand gestures. It seemed the sort of thing that only popular kids did. And I was old.

Mentally, anyway.

After a few words, we parted and did whatever we could.

*

"Hmm, I wonder if this will be relevant."

Instead of returning to the dormitory, I had headed to the library to do some research on the Golden Kirin Sect. Tang Qi Hong had mentioned reading about the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique somewhere as well as the history of the Golden Kirin Sect, and I believed her. Mostly because I read a book that talked about them as well.

Yeah, it was shortly after Jiao met his master, Qi Lin. I was curious about what sort of sect the Golden Kirin Sect was, and so I went to look for information regarding them. Not to mention, I overheard their conversation..

However, he was my final opponent in the tournament, and especially after watching his match against Bai Ning Xue, I knew just how tough he would be. If even Bai Ning Xue couldn't defeat him with her Man and Sword as One technique, which was said to be the ultimate power, then I wondered how I was going to beat him.

Hell, no. I'm definitely not going to use Heaven and Earth Formula.

Even though we promised not to hold back, the Heaven and Earth Formula didn't count. For one thing, it wasn't a technique I learned for the competition. It was a technique for killing, and unless it was a life-and-death emergency, there was no way I would use it against my friend. It was precisely because Zhu Jiao was my friend that I would take extra measures not to kill him.

I wasn't some bloodthirsty villain who killed everyone who got in my way, after all.

Still, this feels strange.

Normally, protagonists of a wuxia or xianxia story would encounter villainous, psychotic characters in the tournament so that they had a justifiable excuse to beat the opponent up and humiliate him in front of everyone. Just like in Eternal Reverence or Peerless Martial God. Tournament arc? Yeah, let's just throw in a list of random characters the readers couldn't even remember the names of, and line them up so that the protagonist could beat them up one by one and boost his ego. Oh, and let's make these random characters as arrogant, unlikeable and annoying as possible, so that the readers could cheer the protagonist on as he beat them up and humiliated them in front of everyone while basking in the praise of the audience.

That was why Li Fu Chen just breezed through every tournament he participated in and always got first place without fail. Who were his rivals or supporting characters? Can't remember them? That was because there were none. If they weren't heroines who would fall in love with Li Fu Chen and become part of his harem, they were just poor bastards who exist solely so that Li Fu Chen could crush them one-sidedly and get praised for stomping supposedly "talented" and "genius" opponents. And..they cease to matter after the tournament arc.

And you know what the best part was? After they got stomped by Li Fu Chen in a tournament, after they got hyped and made out to be some five star bone frame or unprecedented geniuses or prodigies or talents that everyone praised to heaven, it turned out that after the tournament they were merely small fries in the world outside their sect. and they ended up having to depend on Li Fu Chen to protect them, after realizing how they were weak and trash when compared to the talents and prodigies of other sects.

Of course, that didn't apply to Li Fu Chen, who ended up crushing these poor "geniuses" of other sects with little more effort than it took to lift his finger. Honestly, the power levels in that story were utterly ridiculous.

"Sh!"

The librarian glared at me, and I suddenly realized that I had been ranting and rambling under my breath the whole time I was in the library. Sorry.

Well, it's not as if I can write a better story.

Most readers would prefer to read Peerless Martial God, Against the Gods, Eternal Reference, Martial God Asura and I Shall Seal The Heavens than this trashy martial arts story that featured a weak, underpowered protagonist like me, who was unable to crush my opponents convincingly and one-sidedly. I heard that most readers prefer God Mode Mary Sue protagonists.

Too bad, I guess? I'm sorry for not being talented or powerful enough. I mean, if you really wanted to read those, then please go ahead and read the list of stories I mentioned above. I'm sure there were even more than in that list. The better ones tended to be Tian Can Tu Dou's stories like Battle Through the Heavens, Wu Dong Qian Kun and The Great Ruler. Or maybe even Spirit Realm. I mean, I just went through an entire arc that seemed completely ripped off Spirit Realm. The one where I entered the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.

".."

The librarian was glaring at me intently now, and I quickly ducked behind a bookshelf. Exhaling wearily, I scanned through the books in hopes of finding the text regarding the Golden Kirin Sect and its history. As the Golden Kirin Sect had been exterminated a couple of centuries ago, there wasn't much contemporary material on them.

If I wanted to read up on them, I had to go through the historical archives. That was fine with me. I love history.

"Let's see..here it is!"

Moving my fingers through the row of books, I paused and smiled when I finally found the book I was looking for. A History of the lost Golden Kirin Sect. pulling the book out, I then brought it to the disgruntled librarian and borrowed it.

"Ah, it's been a while."

The librarian jumped when a familiar voice spoke up behind her. An old man strolled out from the office and waved at me.

"Oh..! Good evening, Uncle Du Shu Guan."

I bowed my head politely, recognizing him as the old librarian I met when I first stepped into the library to borrow the Shadow Steps martial arts scroll all those years ago. I had seen him quite a few times over the years, but after purchasing the Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship and the whole debacle with the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, I had been going to the library a lot less. It couldn't be helped – I had to learn some spirit armament smithing techniques in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and I no longer stayed in the academy's dormitory.

"Good to see that you're doing well." He caught sight of the book on the Golden Kirin Sect that I borrowed and then smiled in approval. "I see that you're researching on your opponent in the final."

"Eh?" I was startled at his accurate guess. "How did you know?"

Uncle Du Shu Guan laughed. "Even though I'm just a librarian, it doesn't mean I don't keep up on current affairs..especially those that directly occur in the academy. Of course I'll be keeping tabs on the school tournament. It's my job."

"I see." I nodded, not sure if I should be amazed. Now that I thought about it, it was only natural that a librarian continued to read up on current affairs.

"This will be a tough match," Uncle Du Shu Guan mused as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The Golden Kirin Sect's martial arts have been thought to be lost for almost two centuries. Your opponent may be trying to restore them, and I heard he has attained great success in doing so. However, so much of it remains unknown.."

"Zhu Jiao is an intelliegent and talented person," I declared, somewhat proudly. Uncle Du Shu Guan chuckled, as if bemused by why I was praising my opponent.

"Ah, yes..the two of you are friends, if I recall correctly.."

He nodded, his eyes taking on a faraway gaze behind those large-rimmed glasses of his.

"Youth..I so envy you guys." his smile spread across his ancient face. "I still remember when the both of you came together to borrow martial arts scrolls from this library. When you were only just beginning to learn martial arts, after just enrolling in the middle school section. It has been a really long time, and you both have come so far. I never thought those two kids would have become the finalists in the school tournament in such a short time."

If Uncle Du Shu Guan noticed my slip, he gave no sign of it and instead nodded. He seemed to be completely taken in by the nostalgia.

"A long time indeed. I've been here for decades, and I've seen many students come and go. Most of them have faded away from my memoy, but for some reason, when I saw the two of you, I thought you were a peculiar pair."

"Eh?" I tilted my head to the left as I stared at Uncle Du Shu Guan. He chuckled and raised a wizened hand.

"Oh, don't misunderstand me. I was just curious. I had heard about your circumstances, that the both of you were categorized as One Star Constitution cultivators. Zhu Jiao's case was mysterious, having been someone who was a former Five Star Constitution cultivator who lost his talent. Nonetheless, I was intrigued. Despite such a debilitating setback and even being rejected by all the sects who came to recruit from the academy, both of you refused to give up and stubbornly remained in the academy, and even strove to learn martial arts on your own, relying only on the academy resources and yourselves. And it was the both of you who have come the furthest. Truly, your fates have exceeded beyond even my wildest imagination."

I bowed my head slightly, not sure how to respond to that.

"I remember cheering for the both of you, moved by your indomitable spirit and wanting to help you in any way I can."

"You helped us a lot," I assured him, recalling that very first day. "Your advice regarding the martial arts manuals saved me."

"Nah." Uncle Du Shu Guan waved his hand. "I give that standard warning to everyone, regardless of who they are. It wouldn't do if a promising student gets swallowed up by the martial arts scrolls even before they begin to embark on their journey to be a martial artist."

I grinned, remembering that he said the exact same thing back then as well.

"That wasn't all. You helped me a lot by recommending all the different encyclopedias and history books."

"Ah, yes. I've never met a more avid student of history than you. You might have made a fine scholar." Uncle Du Shu Guan nodded as he pushed up his large-rimmed glasses, which were beginning to slide down.

"I probably would," I agreed, remembering my previous life. I had been a graduate student before the accident, having majored in history and literature. And if I didn't get mowed down by the infamous Truck-kun, I would probably have graduated with a PhD in Asian history and literature by now. Alas, the Heavens had a different fate planned for me.

That doesn't mean I'm going to obediently go along with whatever they have planned for me, I thought defiantly. One day, I'll overturn my fate and challenge the heavens themselves!

Unfortunately, I wasn't Meng Hao, and I didn't have a magic mirror. Speaking of which, he never sealed the heavens in the end, did he?

"Anyway, thanks again! It was nice seeing you"

"Same, same." Uncle Du Shu Guan nodded fondly. "I'll cheer for both of you. The both of you have done well to come this far, and whatever the result of the match, I can say for sure that both of you deserve to win."

"Thank you."

I hesitated, and then bowed. There was no point pointing out the irony that in the end, the both of us got stronger not because of the resources in the library, but because of fateful encounters. From my knowledge, unlike me, Zhu Jiao had stopped coming to the library after meeting his master. He was able to restore the Golden Kirin Sect martial arts not by piecing together the meager resources the academy possessed, but because he directly received lessons from the last sect leader and master of the Golden Kirin Sect.

As for me, I benefited a lot from the library resources. Sure, I might have been taught for a couple of weeks from Master, but those lessons were limited and the period of time I spent learning under him was too short for me to actually master anything of significance. I had to rely on the library a lot more to piece together the lost arts of Heaven and Earth Formula. Not to mention, in order to develop my own fighting style, I had to borrow martial arts manual like Shadow Steps or purchase a scroll like Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship in order to come up with proper combat techniques to apply Heaven and Earth Formula to.

That would have been impossible without the library or academy resources.

Not to mention, reading all the encyclopedias and history books in the library allowed me to survive this long in this new world. Without reading the encyclopedias on magical beasts and demonic creatures, I might not have been able to assess the strength and weaknesses of the magical beasts I had encounted in Sen Lin Forest during my first year and survived.

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That was why, to me, the library was an indispensable place. Without the library, I would never have been able to survive and progress this far.

Uncle Du Shu Guan seemed to understand my feelings even though I was unable to say them out loud. He placed a wrinkled land on my shoulder and gave a slight, encouraging squeeze.

"It's getting late, and you have a final match coming in two days. You should rest early and start reading that book as soon as possible."

"Understood."

I nodded. The new, younger female librarian, had to chip in.

"The library will be closing in ten minutes," she informed me coolly. But having seen the way Uncle Du Shu Guan treated me, she had let go of her hostility. That didn't mean she was willing to stay overtime, though.

"I'm about to leave," I assured her. Then bowing and cupping my hands formally, I bade Uncle Du Shu Guan farewell and departed from the library.

Returning to my dormitory room, I began to read the book. The history of the Golden Kirin Sect, while fascinating, was irrelevant at the moment and I had read it before anyway. Rather, I flipped past them and got to the important portion of the book.

The techniques of the Golden Kirin Sect.

"Yup, this is the one I read before. I cursorily flipped through it before because I have no intention of learning the Golden Kirin Sect martial arts and had no way of learning anyway. But this is the signature technique of the Golden Kirin Sect, which has been thought to be lost for centuries after the old Martial Arts Alliance exterminated the sect for supposedly going rogue. The legendary Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique.."

Unable to help myself, I flipped back to the historical chronicles of the Golden Kirin Sect and scanned through the text as quickly as I could.

"According to ancient Middle Kiingdom history, before the Martial Arts Alliance's betrayal, the Golden Kirin Sect was considered one of the twelve powers, and one of the five Celestial Guardian Sects. However, following the accusations from the Heavenly Way Sect, they were thought to have descended down the path of the demonic ways and were persecuted. Cornered by the orthodox sects, the survivors of the Golden Kirin Sect were forced to ally with the demonic sects in order to survive. But they were eventually destroyed with a large amount of demonic sects during the Battle of the Crimson Cliff, which also resulted in huge losses in the Martial Arts Alliance and saw the twelve powers reduced to the Eight we have today."

Flipping back to the techniques and cross-referencing the historical details with the martial arts, I connected the dots.

"The Golden Kirin Sect was known for their 5 legendary Golden Kirin martial arts, which was based off the earth element as the center. It was supposed to give them one of the greatest defenses, second only to the Xuan Wu/Black Tortoise Sect. four of these techniques have been catalogued, and while they were incomplete, there are still written records and portions of them semi-created by Wu Ling Academy."

If I wasn't mistaken, Zhu Jiao must have made use of those resources to restore a complete version of the Golden Kirin Sect martial arts. Or at least he put on the appearance of borrowing those resources to conceal the fact that he was learning the original four techniques under Qi Lin, his master who was for all intents and purposes, a vengeful ghost.

"However, the final martial arts technique, the Sacred Beast technique, was completely lost."

Unlike the other four, there were no traces left behind regarding the Sacred Beast technique. All that remained were mentions or eyewitnesses' accounts of watching the technique in action, but nothing approaching the way it was used. With nothing to go on, the technique was classified as lost and couldn't even be semi-created, despite Wu Ling Academy's vast resources and inexhaustible records. That was why they gave up on restoring it.

Until Zhu Jiao appeared and displayed his success in restoring the first four. From then on, he took advantage of the academy's system and pilfered resources from them so that he could strengthen himself as much as possible.

Given Zhu Jiao's straightforward and honest character, I doubted it was something he conceived. His master must have been the one who instructed him to game the system and milk the academy for as much as he could while enticing them with slow and steady but unmistakable results.

"With his master teaching him, and his talent restored after the old ghost stopped sucking qi from him, it would only be a simple matter for someone of Jiao's talent to master the Golden Kirin Sacred Beast technique and 'restore' it in the academy's eyes."

My grip tightened on the book.

"But even after witnessing the technique firsthand, I still have no idea how to counter a martial art as powerful as that."

Without using Heaven and Earth Formula, anyway.

"Can my Heavenly Draconic Meteor Swordsmanship measure up to that? Unlike Bai Ning Xue, I haven't even reached the stage of Man and Sword as One."

Sighing wearily, I stared at the book and hoped I could find something that would help me.

Otherwise the final match would be pretty short and anticlimactic. Even if I didn't care about what everyone thought about me, I didn't want to disappoint Zhu Jiao. I wanted to give him a run for his money and push him all the way.

No..that wasn't true.

I wanted to win.

"I'll definitely find a way," I promised as I read the book, several plans forming in my mind as I considered countless possibilities.