"In the Spirit Waking realm, the order in which you develop the 3 aspects does not matter. The reason most cultivate spiritual techniques first and divine sense last is simply due to the difficulty. Also, while having a large qi storage will make you more powerful, it is not necessary for advancing through the stages."
Yin Hui nodded. While he may not be able to increase his qi amounts without consuming others, he could still overcome opponents with greater capacities as long as he was efficient.
"You already possess a martial skill, so all you need to reach the first aspect is a spell. Martial skills mostly utilize the body, while spells are based on your comprehension and mental abilities. They share the same concept of manipulating qi, but how it is used between the two differs. Since your martial skill is offense oriented, I have chosen 3 beginner level spells that are more utility-based to complement it." Yu Mingxi continued.
"First is the one you've already seen, Living Earth. Using this skill you can manipulate the earth around you into many shapes and forms. Out of the 3 it is the most versatile."
"The second is called Blinding Light. If used properly you can disorient a large group of opponents with a flash of bright light. This spell is useful should you find yourself surrounded and need to escape. It can also provide a good opportunity to get in a decisive attack during a duel. Compared to the other two this is the most situational."
"The third is Beast Subjugation. This spell allows you to extend your will upon animals and control them. However, you will need to develop your spiritual sense before you are able to practice it. Being the final spell, this one is the most difficult."
Yin Hui thought about the 3 spells Yu Mingxi offered. Each spell was extremely useful, with various purposes fitting many different situations.
In addition to practicing the Wind Bullet, Yu Mingxi gave Yin Hui the method of using the Living Earth Spell. Having already seen it in use once, along with Yu Mingxi's tips Yin Hui grasped the fundamentals of the spell very quickly. Satisfied, Yu Mingxi left Yin Hui to practice on his own, returning back to check on Yu Zhuwa.
After about 6 hours of practice, Yin Hui could form the dome that Yu Mingxi used to trap him. Whenever he was tired or low on spirit energy, Yin Hui would sit down a meditate. He found out that absorbing spiritual energy from his surroundings not only restored his internal qi storages, but relieved him of his fatigue as well.
Content with his progress on the Living Earth spell, he began to practice the Wind Bullet. Qi swirled around Yin Hui's fists as he assumed the stance of the Wind Bullet. When he first used it, one Wind Bullet took 10 minutes of condensing before it could be fired. As he practiced, the time it took to charge was cut in half. Yin Hui also experimented with using different amounts of air too. Although it took a whole 30 minutes, he was able to condense a palm sized amount of air into a full Wind Bullet.
Yin Hui hypothesized what the complete mastery of the Wind Bullet would be like.
"When the Wind Bullet has reached full mastery, I could probably take down a fully grown tree with ease! Also, by that point there should be no charge time regardless of the amount of air. At peak potential, I could probably condense a single breath of air into a lethal weapon in an instant!"
At sunset, Yu Mingxi returned to check up on Yin Hui. She noticed that there were large holes in various trees as well as huge displacements of dirt. There was even a dome that was identical to the one she used to trap Yin Hui two days prior.
Yu Mingxi found Yin Hui meditating on the ground. He was covered in sweat and dirt from all the hours of practice. When he opened his eyes, he saw Yu Mingxi standing in front of him.
"Congratulations, you have comprehended the use of qi in terms of martial skills and spells. The mastery of those skills and spells will come with time and dedication. However, you have proven that you understand the usage of qi in this manner. Therefore, you can now officially call yourself a First Aspect Spirit Waking cultivator."
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Yin Hui got up and gave a deep bow once more. Yu Mingxi's tips and her words on the Dao had broadened his horizons. A single day of tutelage had already raised Yin Hui's power exponentially. If he practiced for a couple more weeks, he could not imagine how much stronger he would become.
"Not only am I happy about your progress. I am also happy that you seem to have motivated Xiao Yu as well. When I mentioned your progress to him, he began to cultivate more diligently. This one day alone was the equivalent of a week at his usual pace." Yu Mingxi had a wide smile on her face. Seeing her pupils advance so quickly gave her a deep feeling of satisfaction.
When they returned to the residence, Yu Mingxi prepared a feast in honor of Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa's hard work. A table of food that could've fed 6 people was completely devoured by the two boys. After dinner, Yu Zhuwa and Yin Hui both immediately went to sleep. Both of them exhausted from cultivating so much.
The next day was very similar to the last. At first light, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa would cultivate for the entire day. When the sun fell, they would return to rest. The routine of cultivating and resting repeated itself until 2 whole weeks had passed.
Under Yu Mingxi's instruction, Yin Hui and Yu Zhuwa made astounding progress within the last 2 weeks. Yu Zhuwa had completely passed the blood stage of Impurity Cleansing and began to work on his organs. Once he completed it, he would be at the peak of the Impurity Cleansing realm!
Yin Hui on the other hand, worked on perfecting the two spells Yu Mingxi had given him, as well as the Wind Bullet. After a week, he had become quite proficient with the Living Earth spell. When he first started, using the spell would require deep concentration, as well as hand movements to help guide the earth. Now, a simple gesture and a thought was all he needed to mould the earth they way he wanted.
The Wind Bullet also improved. If there was a large amount of air present, Yin Hui could fire it at moderate power with only 30 seconds of charge. Even if there was only a breath of air he could still use the Wind Bullet, but it would require 5 minutes of charge.
Believing Yin Hui was proficient enough with the Living Earth spell, Yu Mingxi began to teach him the Blinding Light spell. Like the Wind Bullet, Blinding Light involved condensing qi. However, there was a twist. Not only did the qi have to be condensed, but it also needed to be converted into light. Normally, this transmutation would only be possible using the true qi of a Spirit Manifestation cultivator. To get pass this, Yu Mingxi taught Yin Hui to use the light from the sun as a substitute. This meant that the spell could only be used during the day, but the positives more than outweighed the negatives. For a Spirit Waking cultivator to be able to use a Spirit Manifestation level spell was an enormous advantage on its own, especially against others of the same realm.
Back in the training field, Yin Hui was demonstrating his use of the Blinding Light spell to Yu Mingxi. To use the spell, the qi needed to be condensed evenly around the body. Afterwards, the qi would be converted into pure light energy that is released all at once. In Yin Hui's case, he would use his spiritual qi to absorb the light from the sun instead.
Yin Hui's body glowed with a thin white as he channeled the rays of the sun around his body. As he condensed more light, the glow intensified. In one huge burst he released all the energy around him at once. Yin Hui's body turned completely white as if he were transformed into a bright light.
Yu Mingxi, who stood right in front of him was completely unaffected. She stared directly into the light, studying the technique for any flaws. When the light dissipated, Yin Hui was once again visible.
"Not bad, but it still needs work. The intensity you emitted right there would only blind those who are directly around you. Anyone 10 meters away would be completely unaffected." Yu Mingxi criticized.
Yin Hui let out a faint smile. The spell wasn't perfect, but he had grasped the basics and just needed more practice.
"Practice this on your own when you have time. It has already been two weeks, so I would like to move on to the flight aspect of Spirit Waking. Before the Tang return, I am hoping you will have already developed your spiritual sense. While your qi storages are lacking, you are talented. I am sure you will be able to comprehend it in the short time we have." Yu Mingxi said with a smile.
"I am ready for the next lesson." Yin Hui said confidently.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inside the Tang Clan's main palace, Tang Jiao and a fully healed Tang Li knelt before a golden throne. A man wearing extravagant gold robes slowly paced between the two with his hands behind his back. The man looked to be in his mid-sixties, his long hair almost completely white with the exception of a few black strands. On his face was a large diagonal scar that went from his forehead to the bottom of his face, cutting through his left eye. The old man had a strict and serious expression, as if he had never known joy in his entire life.
This man was Tang Jiao and Tang Li's father, the Clan Head of the Tang Clan and the ruler of the entire province.