If I want to make sure that she wants to commit here, then I need to show A Xia that I value her.
Since she’s much more relaxed now, I start with my first transition into training.
“Well, since we’re already here, want to head over to the training yards? I can help you circulate the true necromancy branch of the Omnibus Cultivator Method. And just like the normal part of the OCS, you can always switch to a better method, if you choose.”
I lean in a bit and give her a secret.
“…but you may be surprised. I’m pretty sure this branch will be one of the strongest of this generation. Even more than demonic necromancer cultivators…”
And that’s the true power of this necromancer method, taken from the same place I received my Boundless Healing and rebuilt within the OCS.
It doesn’t need souls, deaths, blood, or anything other than qi, in order to succeed.
Just that, for a necromancer method, makes it available for righteous cultivators to use and combat other necromancer skills and abilities.
There’s only one way forward that I can see. To have her experience the difference herself. Granting her the opportunity to fully harness her abilities, with her current style, before she transfers to the new branch of the method.
“So. Are you ready?”
I can practically see the excitement roll off her as she nods.
“I’m. So. Ready.”
Despite the major things that have been going on in her life, I can tell she truly loves using the necromancer abilities. A lucky case that the person with talent in an area loves what they can do. It’s honestly heartening to see a kid like this enthusiastic to see what they can do and how they can grow.
We both rush over to the training field in the city, which, like many areas in this city, is purposely hidden within alleyway after alleyway. It’s not too far from the city center and we both are cultivators, so we arrive there in only a few minutes.
As we come out to the circular, open area, I notice that the walls and buildings around us are fortified with additional web supports. A clear sign Gong did proper planning for this area, to allow for extended training here, without compromising the cavern structure.
She even has an additional, smaller training zone for intensive training. That one is clearly for people who are going to cause a mess with their abilities.
Luckily for us, we’ll actually be cleaning up messes. Specifically, the dead bodies of insects and creatures that are scattered across the city. Even as we walked here, I had the spiders still tamed by me and not being used by Gong, help collect skeletons from all over the city.
When we arrive, a stream of spiders soon follows behind, holding tiny rats, giant insects, human bodies, and a number of other miscellaneous corpses. Filling the outskirts of the giant training ring.
It’s easy to tell that Da Xia wasn’t expecting this. Her mouth opens in disbelief at the sheer amount of work being put into this. With a grin and a chuckle, I give her my first training order.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Are you going to let them do all the hard work?”
She snaps out of her daze and moves into a sitting, cultivating position as she uses her abilities to control her skeleton rats. Only a moment later, do I feel with my scan, wisps of qi stretching out from her toward her rats. Imbuing them with additional qi, to help them carry heavier things.
Filled with this new source of qi, they practically fly off to grab any corpses that I had the spiders purposefully leave behind for them.
Of course, I’m not going to completely take her chances away and let her be discouraged. After all, this is supposed to be training for her, anyway.
While it may seem like I'm just sitting here, I'm in fact coordinating the spiders, monitoring the progress of the rats, and ensuring Da Xia isn't overexerting herself. Remarkably, despite using hundreds of tiny skeletons concurrently, with a subpar version of the method I wanted to show her, she doesn’t look even slightly overtaxed.
Heck. She may only be utilizing under 25% of her true abilities. Which is a real testament to her talent and intelligence, as it isn’t easy controlling one of those skeletons, let alone hundreds, with as much precision as she does.
Soon enough, the combination of these two forces brings as many corpses as possible here.
An only slightly figurative fortress of bones and flesh is now surrounding the training field.
With the wave of my hand, there are only a few spiders left around us. Leaving only the rats and Da Xia here. I turn toward her with another grin.
“Excellent job. I knew you wouldn’t have any issue with that. But you may find this next part interesting.”
Her eyes perk up, as it’s easy to tell I’m about to make a big ask.
“Now… raise all of them.”
A bead of sweat trickles down her face at the mere thought. She gives a cautious nod and promptly moves into her cultivator sitting position. Unlike before, I see something that I’ve only seen from myself.
A literal wave of qi flows out of her, toward all the bones in the area. Unlike me, who uses my vast stores of qi to accomplish this, she’s using her limited qi, so much more efficiently. Only a small percentage of each unit qi is being used to an animate the skeletons.
Like a production line, I see several lines start forming out of the walls of bones. Lines composed of small creatures, with gradually larger skeleton creatures coming out. First were the insect exoskeletons, then the rats, then small mole like creatures… and it kept going.
Larger and larger, as we got to even dead giant spiders, that weren’t part of the contract and had died for miscellaneous reasons. This seems to be her limit, when using this many creatures.
As she does this, sweat pours down her body like rain. She stretching… hard.
I don’t stop her. Especially because I can just heal her back up. Somehow, I get the feeling that she already is guessing something similar.
But before she reaches her limits, she actually does it. Just under ten thousand skeleton creatures here.
An army of skeletons, staring at us. Ready to fight and follow any command she wishes, depending on the amount of qi she uses.
All raised with (what I estimate to be) within her 15,625 units of qi. And she hasn’t even hit her 75% mark yet.
There is one thing I notice. She didn’t touch a single corpse with flesh still on it.
As I thought… the derivation of the OCS technique she learned by herself can only deal with skeletons. Meaning for her to have all those rat skeletons… she had to strip each of them bare of flesh and organs herself.
…eww.
Nonetheless, I give her the kudos that she’s due.
“Fantastic job, Da Xia! I’ve never seen anyone do what you just did. You worked hard.”
A massive smug and tired grin covers her face as she falls onto her back. Letting out an exhausted breath in happiness.
“…yayyyyyyy.”
All the skeletons follow her lead and flip onto their back, as well.
… she definitely made them do that, since they aren’t connected in that way.
I can’t help but chuckle at her playful side, even when she is that tired.
“You do know that I’m going to make you work even harder, right?”
“…nooooo.”
Looks like the childish side of her is popping out. Which is actually a good sign. It means how I've been acting, using my conversation scan to come off in the right ways, is actually making her more comfortable. Willing to show these little parts of herself.
But even more than that, these are also tests from her. Tests to see who I am.
Because even if she is a child… she is also a genius beyond all others. Her actions now are a meticulously curated part of herself, to see whether her hypothesizes are correct.
Let’s see if I can pass these tests of hers…