Naoli & It's Stages

Zhao Luo and the Old man were still sitting in front of each other. The eight apparitions dissipated while the old man was telling Zhao Luo about the first stage of Naoli which was controlling.

The question of Zhao Luo was answered in a form of a lecture by the old man.

Zhao Luo was quite satisfied while listening to this old man's rambling which was still ongoing.

"The second stage of Naoli is 'Summoning'. A person who has already succeeded in controlling his thought can summon it after assembling it in his mind."

The old man spoke to Zhao Luo and then went quiet for a second.

The old man closed his eyes and in an instant, an apparition of that old man appeared between Zhao Luo and the old man.

'Hmmm'

Zhao Luo was wondering what the old man would do when he went quiet but this was out of his expectation. Unlike how Zhao Luo does it, the apparition summoned by the old man was an instantaneous action.

"This is how you do it perfectly"

Said the apparition of the old man. The old man was still quiet. Zhao Luo was further intrigued.

As Zhao Luo almost did the same thing for over a year so he knew how hard it was to summon a thought as an apparition but he didn't know that what he had accomplished would take others more than a century. Others being in question were the geniuses that the old man had mentioned.

'Nod'

Zhao Luo gestured at the old man by moving his neck up and down. The old man waved his hand and his apparition disappeared.

"The third stage is 'Binding'. Binding is simply keeping the summoned thought in your mind as an apparition. But for as long as you want. The summoned thought which is like an apparition should stay in this mind space for as long as you want."

The old man looked at Zhao Luo and smiled.

"You have already achieved the third stage. Even though you haven't mastered it but you have indeed stepped on this stage. Achieving the state of binding at your age without any guidance is already an unparalleled record young man. So be Proud of yourself."

The old man complimented Zhao Luo again. After hearing this compliment again, the old man's position became even grander in the mind of Zhao Luo.

Zhao Luo knew that it was finally the time to learn the last stage of this 'Naoli'. The thing he had been waiting for was finally coming.

Finally, he will know how to use these apparitions.

"What is the fourth stage of Naoli? How do I use my apparitions?"

Zhao Luo went ahead and asked the old man about the fourth stage which the old man would be telling him even if he didn't ask just to kill his curiosity.

The old man looked as if he had paused. Instead of answering the questioning Zhao Luo, went ahead and questioned him instead.

"Do you have a master?"

Zhao Luo was taken back by the old man's question.

"I don't know why you are asking about a master old man but I never had a master."

Zhao Luo answered while thinking.

'Why is he even asking me that?'

"Good. You are ready to learn the Fourth stage of Naoli."

The old man told the confused Zhao Luo.

"What does having a master has anything to do with the fourth stage of Naoli?"

Zhao Luo was wondering so why not just question the old man directly.

"I will be your master. As you achieved the third stage by yourself so I only explained what you have already accomplished. But this is different. If I am to impart you my knowledge to help you in advancing to the fourth stage then you will have to become my student."

The old man stated his condition to Zhao Luo.

"Master, what are you talking about?"

Zhao Luo questioned as if he didn't understand anything.

"Hahaha, indeed worth teaching."

The old was quite pleased with Zhao Luo being shameless.

"The fourth stage of Naoli is 'assimilation'.You controlled your thoughts. Then summoned them. Bound them to your mental space. Now you have to use them to increase your powers."

The old man lectured Zhao Luo.

"Old man, that is what I have asked you. How do I use them? How?"

Zhao Luo was getting annoyed by the old man not getting to the point.

"Oh Ho, is that how you talk to your master?"

The old man scolded Zhao Luo and made a disappointing face.

"Master"

Zhao Luo said.

"I was talking to myself, kindly continue, Hehe."

Zhao Luo recovered very quickly. As they say, students always follow in their teacher's footsteps.

Zhao Luo was already picking the old man's habits starting with his awfully 'not cute' laugh.

"That's better."

The old man said.

"But there is something we have to do before I teach you the fourth stage."

The old man continued.

"You will have to kowtow to me three times. This will make you my eternal student and bound our fates. Then my teachings will become your learnings and one day these same teachings will become your teachings and somebody else will be learning them. So tell me your name first."

The old man told Zhao Luo.

'This situation feels like one from an old school martial arts movie.'

Zhao Luo matched his situation to one of the movies he had seen where the student has to bow down showing respect to the teacher before the teacher can start imparting his teachings onto him.

But during all this, since the old man had appeared in front of him till now, Zhao Luo realized that he forgot to ask the old man about his identity.

Zhao Luo freaked out and asked the old man.

"Old man, Who are you?"

Zhao Luo was feeling a wave of embarrassment while asking that question.

He thought,

'Shit, Why didn't I ask him when he first appeared here?'

While the old man was still quiet, Zhao Luo was going to take back his question and tell him that the old man didn't have to answer his question.