What soul cultivation can do

"Most cultivators grow the power of their souls as they cultivate allowing them to fend off attacks like those subconsciously but the more you train your soul arts the sharper and more devastating such attacks can become." He was nodding silently as ideas ran through his head. He wanted to engage in a fight at that very moment to test them all out but that opportunity would soon come.

Picking up on his thoughts she continued, "The rest depends on your ingenuity. For example your can retreat in a fight slightly while giving the illusion that your retreated further than you have. This might disorient your opponent leaving them open to a momentary chance which can decide the outcome of a fight."

While there were fewer fights in the next round they took longer since the opponents were either more powerful or had more combat experience. This allowed Lingyun more time to practice. The next fights he would have would be crucial and this was the last time he would have to be out of focus as he had to watch how his next opponents fought in order to place higher on the ranking. he wouldn't miss out on the rewards.

It was a surprise to him however when Song was the next opponent he was paired with. They talked as they both walked up to the platform. Lingyun knew he would win but he still had to show courtesy to his friend.

"Show me what you meant with your statement, " Song said as they climbed the steps to the platform.

"Will you be alright, Senior brother?" he asked out of genuine concern.

"I can only grow and know the capabilities by experiencing it first hand," a determined look was on his face. That he would accept the challenge and consequences was no longer in doubt.

"You might get injured, badly," he said as they reached the top and begun to separate, "Start the chant for the cultivation technique as I showed you and stand ready. As soon as the fight is over you need to go back to your quarters and start cultivating. Tell me when you can't take any more."

When they were standing opposite each other, Song said, "I am ready." he had wanted to send a transmission but his determination made it into a shout."

To those watching the fight the two of them just stood there looking at each other but it was a different story entirely to Song. He stood on the same field where his music had taken them back as their mansion. Everything seemed so real to him. The grass the wind the tree.

A voice resounded from everywhere and nowhere, I will increase the intensity over time, "He could tell it was Lingyun but he sounded so cold and distant. Clouds begun to appear in the sky and the light begun to fade. Thunder flashed once then twice then rain begun to pour and night settled in.

The abruptness of it shocked him but was suddenly in a large room hiding behind a screen. He was holding onto something warm. He looked down and saw his sister. This wasn't real. He wasn't here but he could not escape. A set of footsteps sounded outside as the door slid open and quiet footsteps came to where they were. It was their mother. Her face had a gash that scarred it.

Yes, their home was being raided and their father had died and their mother had sent them to safety while she held off one of the raiders. They had long curved swords and on their chests were emblems that showed a large red eye with a sword running though it. He had never seen the emblem before but he remembered it as if from a distant memory.

His mother came to hide next to them behind the screen as more steps accompanied the sound of thunder outside. He closed his eyes as lightning flashed illuminating the room for a brief moment. It allowed him to see that her mother only had one arm as the other one ended in a bloody stump at the elbow.

The door slammed open as it fell to a loud kick. One large man entered followed by two more.

"Hiding like rats," he said as he looked at the three of them. His mother was in front of them as shielding them.

"One arm is not enough for this." the man said as he touched a rough bloody scar behind the rip of his clothes on his chest. he raised his sword and it fell in a mighty blow. He heard a loud scream before he realized that it was his own and he shouted, "Enough!"

In the arena people watched as Lingyun and Song stared at each other. No one knew what was happening when barely a minute had passed and Song fell to his knees clutching at his head. Sweat beaded from his face in the strain and then he had shouted, "Enough!" His body sagged and it took a moment before he was able to compose himself.

He stood up and cupped his fist, "It was enlightening." his voice shook in anger.

"I am sorry senior brother," Lingyun said returning the gesture. He had misunderstood that the anger was directed at him.

"You have reminded me something I had all but forgotten," he begun, "What my goal is and to whom I should direct my anger." With that he walked off. He did not go towards his seat but to them room he had used the night before. As he stared at him Lingyun realized that he was angry at the men in his vision. Lingyun had directed the attack towards Song's fears and the rest had played out like so.

He walked back to his seat and his friends were looking at him oddly. Lian in particular was angry and confused. She had guessed what had happened but was confused why it had to happen.

"Don't worry, he asked me to." he begun, "He'll be fine, his determination only grows stronger. As for the rest, that's his story to tell." She was no longer angry but confusion and worry painted her face as she stood up to go to the platform. To her credit the identity of the opponent didn't faze her. It was Yuze.

In a solitary room beneath the arena Song sat in meditation. His head was pounding like bells for war each growing louder than the last. The chant of the soul cultivation technique Lingyun had given him was whispered softly and it was like rain on dry land. It felt as if there were was a spare in his head. The more he chanted the larger it grew. However it was like it was held in place by a metal shield around it which prevented it from becoming larger.

The attack from earlier had made a crack in the shield which was why his head was pounding. He allowed himself to exist in the calmness of it all. He was the sphere not the shield. The spare grew larger and begun to put upon the shield. The crack widened and he felt as if his head would explode but he was calm. The pain was not him for he was the sphere not the shield.

Lian had faced Yuze as best as she could but had long eventually. What surprised her was how long she had lasted. One minute she had lasted. She mostly danced around his attacks and her clothes were torn where his long saber had cut but her skin was untouched by his attacks. She had eventually resigned only when she could no longer keep it up and earned a respectful nod from him as he walked down from the platform.

The senior elders were not paying attention to the fight. They were too busy discussing the previous fight. Lingman and Lingfeng were nodding at something the Martriach had said. While many didn't know what had happened she did. The three of them had inspected the manuals that Elder Sun had provided. Some were distributed to the disciple while others were left with for the elders.

One that had caught her eye was the Soul Cultivation Mantra which had begun using despite the little time she had with all the activities in the clan. It was only within the last month that she had broken through the first realm. As an elder her soul had grown the more she cultivated but she had not known she could unlock its power until she read this manual.

As her current cultivation had hit a wall she had decided to grow her strength in this was which was surprisingly not painless. When she had it was as if a whole new world had been open to her and she realized the capabilities that lay within the soul.

It was the display by Lingyun that had showed her that there was more she could do however and knew that this was another aspect that with careful guidance those in the clan could increase their strength. Her eyes shone. It seemed a discussion with the boy and his friends was inevitable.