Realm of Beings (2)

Shout-out to Jose Cintron

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"Grandmaster," Bibi Dong bowed slightly.

"Master," Ja Sun and Ah Yin gave a bow, too.

Closing the book, Qian Daoliu silently observed the trio before nodding.

"You finally cleansed yourself without any external help, good," he smiled at Bibi Dong and she nodded calmly. He then looked at Ja Sun and Ah Yin. A ponderous light in his eyes.

"Have the two of you been sparring daily?"

"Yes, master," the duo replied simultaneously.

"Hmm. Dong'er, what are both of their results until now?" Qian Daoliu gave an incomprehensible smile as Bibi Dong started to list out the notable achievements including the effect of her training right from the start. Qian Daoliu calmly heard everything and then looked at the two of them.

"When I said that we will spar, it meant that the both of you will attack me. I will only strike the regions where you lack. If you attack me with mental energy, I will point out your weaknesses in that regard, martial techniques, and spirit abilities, too. For a spirit master, just obtaining skills isn't enough as you know by now. But familiarizing with it, too.

Ah Yin, Bibi Dong, Both of you need to watch Ka-ul carefully this time. Observe everything."

Though frowning, both of them nodded while Ja Sun stepped up under Qian Daoliu's gaze. For a moment, Ja Sun closed his eyes while his heartfelt bitter momentarily.

He was losing big bucks here! By adding a mission regarding Qian Daoliu... Ja Sun couldn't imagine what he had received. However, he sighed deeply. Events like these are out of his hand. What he has to focus on is the S-ranked mission in sight.

"Come, attack me."

Qian Daoliu invited.

Although respectful and cautious of Daoliu's experience, Ja Sun himself had his own combat system which he was extremely familiar with. The process of getting familiar with his own Spirit Ability was still underway, however.

Ja Sun's first spirit ring emerged silently. He had achieved the finer control of 30% by using the spirit skill in his regular routine. Ja Sun acutely knew that he would have needed two more weeks before achieving this but his skills came from Bright Goddess Butterfly and there was a living Bright Goddess Butterfly inside of him. Spirit Souls give spirit masters their everything. That is why, Ja Sun's familiarity with Bright Goddess' skills could rise immensely if he knew which direction to take.

Seeing the extreme stable currents of light over his limbs, praise flickered in Qian Daoliu's eyes.

Unlike before, at 30%, the currents of light covering his fists didn't move constantly. Instead, it looked like a thin barrier enveloping his limbs.

"Don't keep me waiting, child," Daoliu exhaled softly and Ja Sun moved. While using Storm Steps, none of his spirit energy leaked but the use of Gentle Tactics expended spirit energy. Ja Sun didn't care about this. Skills that use spirit energy, why wouldn't he fuel them? It was just that controlling the silver burst would be a little harder then.

Qian Daoliu moved simultaneously. Unlike Ja Sun, whose figure flashed around, Qian Daoliu was light stepped. He accurately evaded Ja Sun's strike while calculating the distance of the shock force from his fist traveling to. His grey hair had been trimmed to reach the nape of his neck and the straight hair wouldn't move too frantically despite Daoliu's agile movements.

"Combat technique and movement techniques are good. I will give bring a few of the forgotten techniques collecting dust in the Hall later. Your experience is fine, too," Daoliu appraised.

There weren't many things he could point out in the combat system displayed by Ja Sun. But there a great number of small things he could point out in his control that would fuse into a single lack of ability— Self.

"You are suppressing the flow of your spirit energy, making it stagnant. Though easier, this method will harm you in the future. Keep it flowing, or do you not trust your ability to control fluid spirit energy?" Daoliu chuckled.

Scoffing, Ja Sun narrowed his eyes. Would he not understand this? He had read too many skill manuals. In the past, he had read and experienced too many techniques, most of them related to internal qi. How would he not understand the concept of flow?

But he won't display too much of his genius and experience at once. This was the advice he gave to Ah Yin, and this was the advice he lived by. Slowly reveal them layer by layer until every shocking achievement is taken for granted. As the senior of Spirit Hall, even if Qian Daoliu might only be happy for Ja Sun's intellect and capabilities, Ja Sun himself held a shadow in his heart against the true might of the spirit hall. That is why he never revealed the flow in front of Bibi Dong either.

"Flow?" Ja Sun frowned and as his spirit energy resumed its flow, he deliberately let spirit energy seep out his fists and legs.

Stopping, Ja Sun gazed at his arms with a frown.

"Don't worry. Only a matter of time," Daoliu stopped.

He then looked at Ah Yin and gestured for her to step forward.

"I will explain matters more clearly after sizing both of you up."

Ja Sun stepped back and Bibi Dong's gaze lasted on him for a moment. She seemed to have understood something and without the mask covering her expression, the slightly upset look was unconcealed. Then again, Bibi Dong wouldn't hide her feelings from Qian Daoliu in the first place.

Ah Yin's first spirit ring developed the basis of her combat. Even without her domain, she can create blades of blue silver kings around her. After her martial soul evolved to Blue Silver Goddess, what her first spirit skill— Growth— created wasn't a simple weed known as Blue Silver Grass but its more powerful variation: Blue Silver King. In resistance, tenacity, and maneuverability, Blue Silver King was many times better than blue silver grass.

All these long, lush, and thick blades of the blue silver king were under Ah Yin's control and alongside her martial soul, Blue Silver Goddess, she can use these blades of blue silver kings with her spirit ability.

So, instead of an ordinary spirit master that had the weakest first spirit ring and would gain stronger and better abilities later, Ah Yin was the opposite. Her combat system was developed by a yellow spirit ring as a foundation.

The fifth: black, second: yellow, spirit rings flared simultaneously once she created the bed of blue silver. Alongside her own Blue Silver Goddess stretching out in thick vines, twirling around to form dangerous weapons under the effect of her second spirit skill: Flexible Tenacity that made them far more difficult to destroy, the external blades of grass grown from Growth gave a sharp blue glimmer.

All of this was practically achieved within a few breaths with complete ease. Displaying her full ability of control while using various spirit abilities simultaneously, the fifth spirit ring: Enrichment, raised the quality of the Blue Silver Kings by another level, making them extremely close to the quality of Blue Silver Emperor save for the innate domain and she lashed out instantly. Violent tendrils of Blue Silver Emperor's moved around her, defending and striking at Qian Daoliu with ease.

In reality, compared to Bibi Dong and Hu Lana, Ah Yin could be considered the most simple control-type spirit master. After all, aside from the manipulation of the vines, all her spirit skills basically strengthened this very ability. She was like a self-supporter and a controller.

But this allowed Ah Yin to wholeheartedly control the vines themselves.

Do not fear the man who practiced a thousand techniques.

Fear the woman who controlled the same vine tens of thousands of times.

Ah Yin's ability in controlling Vine was simple and complete. She could move using the grass, defend using the grass, and attack using the grass. Everyone could see that.

Bibi Dong's poison couldn't easily corrode her attacks either which was naturally because of the unreasonable vitality of Ah Yin's martial soul.

But Ah Yin's original weakness still remained.

"You have potent mental energy but lack the ability to use it. Making you open to mental attacks like charm and illusions," Qian Daoliu's voice was quite deep and Ah Yin fell into a daze before her expression changed and she hurriedly glided back. Yes, glide. The grass under her feet literally pulled her away like she was surfing over it.

"Both of you were originally like this before you entered the Spirit Hall. Even if there is any additional improvement besides all these, then the credit is rightfully Bibi Dong's and not mine," Qian Daoliu sat on the rock once again while gesturing in front of him.

"The three of you, sit down."

Taking a seat in front of Qian Daoliu, Bibi Dong actually revealed competitiveness to sit right in front of Daoliu. She just reappeared on the ground already in the seating position. Gazing at each other speechlessly, both of them sat next to Bibi Dong. Ah Yin to her right and Ja Sun to her left.

"Dong'er is it really a good show of teacher?" Daoliu chuckled as Bibi Dong revealed a slightly resentful expression after being pointed out.

"Well, I can understand why you seemed to have not taken a shine on Ka-ul's new practice. I was like you, too. Unable to understand it.

This is something Xunji knows but even he hasn't been able to master it completely. In fact, this would be the next part of the training routine set by that boy. I am a little frustrated with him so I will direct the three of you together."

Speaking till here, Daoliu raised his index and middle finger, saying:

"The three of you need to understand that, in theory, Spirit Abilities are a branch of a greater path. Think, Spirit Beasts have spirit energy like humans but they can achieve wonderful effects. Many sages in the past believed that humans innately should be able to cultivate as such. But maybe it is because of our low lifespan that we can never harness our true potential and that gave the rise to the path of absorbing spirit rings.

If we cannot cultivate for as long as tens of thousands of years, then we might as well rob from those who can achieve this feat.

But, over the years, it has been revealed that extremely fine control of spirit energy, mind you, I am not talking about the Heart Separation Control that the three of you are currently practicing but a state even finer than that, can bring unique advantages to oneself.

This realm of fine control is divided into two realms. The first realm is known as the Self.

Mull over this matter and ask questions that you have until now."

Bibi Dong already knew of the two flanking her practicing Heart Separation Control. In fact, any experienced spirit master is already unknowingly on this path. With a little direction, they will be able to wield this, too.

Seeing the pondering expression flickering over their faces, Qian Daoliu waited calmly.

"How is it different from Heart Separation Control?" Ah Yin questioned. Seeing that the question posed so late was already about the topic he was going to discuss, Daoliu didn't wait any longer.

"As I revealed, this realm of control can be defined as a state of an individual. Consider this: Between two spirit masters, one who can weave his spirit energy in thin silky texture and the one who weaves it in thick woolen texture, who can effectively practice Heart Separation Control?

This is a rhetorical question," Daoliu smiled once he saw the urge of answering this easy of a question in all of their expressions.

"Although there have been texts about this realm, the words are too vague to describe this realm, much less the higher one. To step on this path, one merely needs knowledge that and one another thing.

A spirit skill that constantly consumes spirit energy. Ka-ul, the first two spirit rings of yours have this ability. Dong'er, your fourth ability is the same. And Ah Yin, almost all of your abilities are of this type. Take this week to try it. The method to train this realm is by controlling the spirit energy to such an extent that not a single wisps escape. But the essence is to keep the spirit energy flowing. In this manner, the spirit energy used by such techniques cannot be higher than the initial release."

"Master, what about the higher realm?" Ja Sun inquired.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Qian Daoliu chuckled.

"I would, master."

"Again, that was a rhetorical question," Qian Daoliu's lips twitched and he took out two silver rings from his storage tool and let them float in front of Ja Sun and Ah Yin.

"Unlike other storage tools, these two are bound by your blood. It is hard to make these rings so the space within is small but you can store your other storage essence tool within this. Aside from you, nobody will be able to break into the space unless you die.

Take them, and drop your blood on it later on."

As Ja Sun and Ah Yin took the ring, Daoliu smiled, "Heart Separation Control is considered a branch of this realm. Focus on this, and your ability to divide tasks will grow simultaneously. Dong'er, I have passed the direction to you, now, whether to teach it to your students or not depends on you.

Be good, you three."

With that, Daoliu seemed to fade away in front of them.

Meanwhile, Ja Sun looked towards Ah Yin through Bibi Dong.

"Want to bet who can reach it quicker?"

"Why not just give me your money now?" Ah Yin smiled.

"You backed out of payment last time. Remember that I will take everything," Ja Sun stated with a sharp expression.

"Fine by me," Ah Yin remained cool and collected.

Suddenly, they both flinched and looked at Bibi Dong who had a frown but she continued to look at the rock.

"Teacher... would you like to bet, too?"

Ah Yin inquired.

Blinking, Bibi Dong smiled.

"I would like to. I never had those with similar status around me. Considering that the two of you are Grandmaster's disciples, I can have much more open conversations with you in private for what I have learned will eventually be taught to the two of you.

If possible, do include me in such activities."

The ruthless Ah Yin and Ja Sun's gaze glinted.

What was this?

A fat and ripe sheep ready to be harvested!

"Teacher... you weren't this open before..." Ja Sun slowly stood up.

"It was because of my circumstances. No point in hiding things from you but when I obtained an innate domain, my behavior was severely affected which needed a round of spiritual and meditative cleansing. The Bibi Dong you knew was different and temporary."

She stood with a smile and Ah Yin's gaze brightened momentarily. It was true, this Bibi Dong was different.

"I see, teacher. Then you promise to part with your entire wealth after the loss of bet?" Ja Sun inquired again.

Bibi Dong gave a brilliant smile that took the duo's breath away.

"First, when alone, do not call me teacher. Bibi Dong, Bibi, Dong Dong, all of this is fine. Dong'er is what Grandmaster and Master call me with. Second, I will be the one to rob the two of you blind," her expression instantly changed as she gave a smirk. All the naivety vanished in an instance and all that left was mocking calculation, "It was cute how easily you thought that I can be fooled. But prepare your purses for me. I'll reach that realm in no time."

The change was quick and shocking.

Bibi Dong began moving towards the fortress and with unmoved smiles, the duo followed.

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