Lin Bai, Nan Lida, and Ye Guxing successively arrived at the entrance of the Martial Skills Pavilion, handing their identity tokens to the guardian elder.
The guardian elder said, "Outer disciples are only allowed to borrow martial skills from the first floor, one at a time, and the borrowing period must not exceed half a month."
"Understood."
Lin Bai, Nan Lida, and Ye Guxing all responded in unison and entered the Martial Skills Pavilion.
Upon entering the Martial Skills Pavilion, Lin Bai parted ways with them.
In the first floor of the Martial Skills Pavilion, Lin Bai scanned each bookshelf.
"Movement techniques!"
"Found it."
After a thorough search, he finally found the movement techniques.
"Fish Swimming Movement Technique, a fifth-grade yellow-level martial skill..."
"Ghostly Movement Technique, a seventh-grade yellow-level martial skill..."
"Whirlwind Movement Technique, a ninth-grade yellow-level martial skill..."
"Why are they all yellow-level martial skills?"
Lin Bai flipped through most of the martial skills, all of which were yellow-level, and he did not see a single mystic-level one.
"The mystic-level martial skills are mostly borrowed by others." At this moment, a woman who was also at the movement technique bookshelf spoke up.
Lin Bai looked at the woman and bowed, "I am Lin Bai, a new disciple."
"Oh, so you are Lin Bai." The woman was delighted upon hearing Lin Bai's name and sized him up.
Lin Bai smiled, "What? Do we know each other?"
The woman smiled, "You might not recognize me, but your name has been ringing in my ears for the past few days. First place in the retest, defeating Zhang Hua on the martial platform! Not bad, this year's new martial artists have a standout."
"When I first joined the Spirit Sword Sect, I was also suppressed by the veteran disciples."
Lin Bai nodded in understanding.
"My name is Li Qingxuan, and I am the leader of the Sword Alliance in the Spirit Sword Sect."
The woman said softly.
"Sword Alliance?"
Lin Bai frowned at Li Qingxuan.
"I know that you new martial artists only know about the Divine Alliance when you join the Spirit Sword Sect. In fact, besides the Divine Alliance, there are other martial alliances within the Spirit Sword Sect, such as our Sword Alliance."
"The Divine Alliance is powerful, so it's natural that you haven't heard of our Sword Alliance."
"The Sword Alliance mainly recruits sword experts. Since you are also a sword practitioner, are you interested in coming to the Sword Alliance for a sparring session sometime?"
As Li Qingxuan spoke, she patted the sword hanging at her waist.
Lin Bai looked down and could feel the cold aura emanating from the sword even through the scabbard.
"Sure, I will definitely come to the Sword Alliance for a sparring session if I have the chance."
Hearing that the Sword Alliance was for sword practitioners, Lin Bai felt a surge of excitement.
Since he had joined the Spirit Sword Sect, Lin Bai naturally hoped to spar with more experts to hone his skills and improve his sword techniques.
Since the Sword Alliance is for sword experts, Lin Bai would definitely visit the Sword Alliance to spar with them if he had the chance.
"I see you are looking at the movement technique bookshelf, so you must be looking for a movement technique. Unfortunately, all the movement techniques have been borrowed by the Divine Alliance disciples."
Li Qingxuan sighed.
Li Qingxuan was also very annoyed by the arrogance of the Divine Alliance martial artists.
"Senior Sister Zhang, what do you mean?" Lin Bai asked curiously.
"Didn't you know? There won't be a single mystic-level martial skill on the entire first floor."
"All the mystic-level martial skills have been borrowed by the Divine Alliance disciples."
"When a Divine Alliance martial artist borrows a martial skill, they will return it after half a month, and at the same time, another Divine Alliance martial artist will borrow it again!"
"So, the Divine Alliance martial artists basically control the Martial Skills Pavilion."
"If you want to obtain a mystic-level martial skill, you must join the Divine Alliance; otherwise, you can only practice these low-level yellow-level martial skills."
Lin Bai nodded in understanding, "So that's how it is. If the Divine Alliance martial artists do this, why doesn't the sect intervene?"
"Intervene with the Divine Alliance? Are you crazy? Do you even know who the leader of the Divine Alliance is?"
"The leader of the Divine Alliance is the Young Sect Master, who will soon become the head of the Spirit Sword Sect. If you oppose him now, you will be opposing the future head of the Spirit Sword Sect!"
"Do you think the elders would risk their future by opposing the head of the sect over such trivial matters?"
Lin Bai chuckled softly.
"Junior Brother Lin Bai, since we met here, let me give you a small gift."
"I happened to borrow a mystic-level movement technique during the gap when a Divine Alliance martial artist returned a skill."
"I am here today to return the skill!"
"Why don't you borrow it directly?"
Li Qingxuan asked with a smile.
"Really? Thank you, Senior Sister Li."
Lin Bai was overjoyed, originally thinking he would leave empty-handed today, but Li Qingxuan managed to borrow a skill during the gap between Divine Alliance martial artists.
"No problem, work hard to improve your cultivation, and you can come to the Sword Alliance for a sparring session in the future."
Li Qingxuan took out a book from her pocket and handed it to Lin Bai.
The cover read "Ultimate Shadow Step, Third-grade Mystic-level."
"A third-grade mystic-level martial skill should be enough."
Lin Bai was very pleased.
"Alright, I'll leave first."
Li Qingxuan handed the martial skill to Lin Bai, chatted for a while, and then parted ways with him.
Lin Bai took the Ultimate Shadow Step to the entrance of the Martial Skills Pavilion and registered it with the guardian elder.
"Ultimate Shadow Step, a mystic-level martial skill?" The guardian elder frowned and looked displeased.
"What's wrong, Elder? Is there a problem?" Lin Bai asked.
"Go and borrow another martial skill. If you borrow this one, you will have big trouble." The guardian elder said earnestly.
"Why? Because of the Divine Alliance?" Lin Bai asked.
"Exactly. Zheng Yuhua from the Divine Alliance has already come to claim it. If the Ultimate Shadow Step is returned, he will be the first to borrow it."
"If you take it now, the Divine Alliance will definitely cause you trouble. Listen to me and borrow another one."
The guardian elder clearly felt helpless, as the Divine Alliance now dominated the Spirit Sword Sect, and even the elders were not taken seriously by them.
"Divine Alliance! Hmph, no, Elder, I have made up my mind. I will take this martial skill!"
"Please register it for me."
Lin Bai said firmly.
"Ah, you young man, well, well, I have warned you. You must be careful."
The guardian elder tried to persuade him, but seeing that Lin Bai was not listening, he sighed and registered the martial skill for Lin Bai.
Just as the registration was completed,
Lin Bai was about to leave with the Ultimate Shadow Step.
As he stepped out of the Martial Skills Pavilion, he saw a group of martial artists walking towards the pavilion with a domineering air.
"Elder, today is the day Li Qingxuan should return the Ultimate Shadow Step. Where is it? I want to borrow it."
The leader of the group, a handsome man, walked up to the guardian elder without any respect, speaking as if he were a master to a servant.
"It has already been borrowed!"
The guardian elder said indifferently.
"Borrowed? Who has the nerve to touch what the Divine Alliance has set its eyes on?"
"Give me the registration book!"
The handsome man reached out to grab it.
A flash of anger crossed the guardian elder's face, but he quickly thought of the leader of the Divine Alliance and suppressed his anger.
"Lin Bai!"
The handsome man was furious.
"Senior Brother Zheng Yuhua, he is Lin Bai! I saw him on the martial platform that day!"
At this moment, a Divine Alliance martial artist who had come with the handsome man pointed at Lin Bai's back.