The martial student in charge of the techniques turned to one of the white-robed men guarding the floor. Suddenly, their eyes widened briefly before they looked at the kid in surprise.
"Do you need my assistance?" Gail asked, shifting the conversation to why the beggar was on this floor.
"Yes," Apollo nodded. "It's about the techniques."
"Oh? Please tell me, I'll do my best to help!" Gail said.
"It's nothing serious. I just want to learn strong and flashy techniques, but I couldn't find any good ones on the second floor, so I came here," Apollo explained. "Do you have any suggestions?"
"You want something strong and flashy?" Gail repeated. She turned around and glanced at the techniques floating on the circular platform. "I think all the techniques on this floor are flashy and strong."
"Hmm," Apollo put a hand under his chin. He had become picky with techniques and didn't want to waste time constantly improving one just to match his strength. "What about something unique? A technique that no one, or only a few people, have learned?"
Apollo decided to look for something really strong, unique, and well-suited to him. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about whether the technique could keep up with his strength or if he would have to constantly improve it.
"Unique techniques? Then the fourth floor will meet your criteria," Gail said. "The techniques upstairs are much stronger and more unique, but they're very hard to cultivate. All the Senior Martial Students have learned at least one technique from the fourth floor, and they're the only ones who've managed it. Excluding the Elders and previous Seniors, of course."
Hearing this, Apollo's eyes lit up. "Then let's check it out."
"Alright," Gail nodded, but as they were about to leave, the martial student behind the reception desk stopped them.
"Hm?" Apollo and Gail turned to look.
"We made a mistake," the receptionist said, handing the book to Gail. "Your mission points are enough for you to learn this."
"Really?!" Gail brightened up.
"Yes," the martial student nodded, smiling at her while glancing at the kid beside her. "But you already know the rules—you can only learn the technique inside the training room and must return the book when you're done."
"I know, thank you!" Gail took the book, her eyes shining with excitement.
"That's great," Apollo smiled. "Let's go."
The two of them left, with the martial student watching their backs.
That was close. I mustn't offend the Personal Disciple, the martial student thought, letting out a sigh of relief. If he hadn't received a mental message from one of the white-robed men, he would surely have been punished for being rude to the Headmaster's Personal Disciple.
Apollo and Gail walked side by side toward their destination and soon arrived at the fourth floor.
The fourth floor had a door guarded by two figures wearing black-and-white armor, standing on either side.
The floor's décor was simple. Staring at the guards, Apollo couldn't help but mutter, "Using Qi Condensation guards… the techniques inside must be really valuable."
Gail nodded. "But before, the guards were only at the 4th-Step Qi Condensation Stage. The school had no choice but to replace them with stronger ones; they couldn't afford to lose more techniques."
"Some of the techniques were stolen?" Apollo asked, surprised. This was the first time he'd heard about it.
"Yes," Gail confirmed. "A lot of martial students managed to get hold of these stolen techniques. During the last advancement, the Headmasters tricked them into using the stolen techniques. From what I know, they were suspended."
Apollo recalled the suspicious events that happened during the examination and realized this explained a lot.
So that's why, during the first test, some individuals were actively causing trouble. Apollo had already suspected something was off, but now it was clear what had transpired. Some of the battles back then were strange, with students suddenly gaining power or strength at the last moment. White-robed men had appeared to capture certain cultivators.
"Is this school the only victim?" Apollo asked, his expression turning serious. He suddenly felt suspicious about this new information, and his gut told him he might have stumbled upon something that could help with his mission.
"No," Gail shook her head. "Other martial schools were also infiltrated. The Fire Shrine, the Sword and Shield, and even smaller schools had their techniques stolen."
Apollo frowned. A mass theft? Why? But given the scale of the operation, whoever was behind this had to be organized. And with an organized effort came an organizer.
He didn't need to think too hard to suspect the mastermind. The fatso mayor must be involved, Apollo thought. Even if Klown wasn't the mastermind, Apollo was ready to blame him. He was already set on stepping on someone—why not step harder?
This news was a key piece of the puzzle Apollo needed to complete his mission.
"Have they caught the thieves?" Apollo asked.
"I don't know," Gail replied with a bitter smile. She noticed Mr. Beggar's growing interest in the topic. "But I can investigate for you."
"No need. You're already busy with cultivation and the restaurant," Apollo said, shaking his head. "You've done more than enough just by accompanying me. Should we head inside?"
"I'll stay here and wait for you," Gail said, glancing at the guards in the distance. "I don't have the authority to enter."
"I see," Apollo nodded. "Then I'll go in. You don't have to wait for me if you get bored."
"Don't worry, I won't," Gail said as the beggar walked toward the door. She was curious if he could enter, and if he could, his status must be equal to that of the Seniors.
As Apollo approached the giant door, he could feel a condensed energy leaking out from it. It wasn't Qi but something different—a soothing sensation that calmed his mind and helped him think clearly.
He stopped a few feet from the guards. "Can I enter?" he asked, and as soon as the words left his mouth, one of the guards raised his hand and pushed the giant door open.
Seeing this, Apollo let out a sigh. The guards know my identity, but the martial student behind the counter didn't. If he'd known in advance, he wouldn't have talked big and embarrassed himself.