131. Nature and Barnachea Blood Arts
*Sip
Sigh!
Clay started another batch of hot tea. He estimates he had been coop up for almost six days straight. The joy and happiness of being able to read the entire book during the first few hours was immense but the bliss was slowly turned into disappointment.
If there is good news, it is that he was able to read it now than waste almost a third of his lifespan. There is no telling if he will wreck havoc to the sect if this devastating disappointment came to him fifty years later.
Shortly after reading the foreword from the author, he already knew that the content is regarding their discovery of an advanced civilization and how to reconstruct the teleportation portal. Carving the inscriptions does have some similarities in their pill concoction but there is not a part that further elaborates the actual pill refinement involving Dao. The pill technique was only used as partial reference with respect to laying the foundation of the formation and it is the portion of the book which he had already read.
Nevertheless, he still read it and memorized the important aspects and re-read it over multiple times for any hidden context but it was no use as the contents and the objective is clear from the beginning and consistent all throughout.
Clay has a rudimentary knowledge about Formations and he is confident he can follow the instructions left by Ma Akh given enough practice and resources but even if he does successfully build a teleportation portal, it still does not relate to successful refinement of a pill using Dao.
If there is something worth noting within the book, then it is indeed the existence of this Galactic Alliance called Tri-Empire of Navarum. Similar to his past life, planets can be conquered by other powerful civilization but this time, this planet’s affiliation is yet to be determined.
Accordingly, Navarum stands for three empires. They are Nazarak Federation, Valmoor Allied Territories and lastly Rumevar Circle of Magi. The first two excels in Spiritual Qi cultivation while Rumevar is dedicated to Mana practice.
The discovery is still in its infancy stage but Ma Akh and their group as scholars have evidences suggesting that whichever galactic portal is activated will determine which empire this planet will have permanent affiliation with. They have a theory that if they will find all three galactic portals and activate them all at once that this planet will have all affiliation with all three empires.
It is indeed a waste that their studies had been halted and destroyed due to the invasion.
However to Clay, it will not make a difference which empire obtains jurisdiction on this planet as long as he gets to attend classes offered by their technology.
*Sip
Clay emptied his cup. The information is indeed valuable but it is far too early for him to investigate that. His problem now is finding a way to concoct flawless breakthrough pills, be it evolving his Essence Flame or completely replace it with a better one.
He wanted to take a break and give the books one final round of reading. As he stood and stretched his body, he suddenly remembered the branch sect where he first displayed his real abilities. That place where Ma Akh and his lover Luman settled is now called Seven Colonies of Makluman and he believes that descendant of these two couple established Crescent Moon Sect.
“Such a lovely story it would make a great film.”
Clay muttered out loud thinking he was alone in the room but a voice caught him by surprise.
“Great film what? Are you done yet?”
Clay almost jumped in surprise. The Isolation Formation hid Fara’s aura that her sudden presence scared him he almost released and activated his Dao to its full power.
“I’ll give it one final reading then I will…” Clay turned around but upon seeing Fara holding a plate and taking a bite from his favorite grilled fish, wrinkles started to form on his forehead. “That’s my fish.”
“Some old man insisted I bring these to you.”
“That’s my fish.”
“It tastes like sweat.” Fara said as she handed the plate together with a basket of grilled fish she just took out from her spatial ring. “I’m supposed to return three days ago and I don’t have the luxury to spend any more spiritual stones to power the Isolation Formation.”
“So you stayed so you could have a bite of my fish?”
“You stayed here in this village not knowing what is beautiful? No wonder you don’t know how to a entertain a beauty. Hmmmp!”
Clay observed Fara as she flicked her hair and moved towards the door.
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“Come and I’ll teach you how to entertain a goddess.”
The door was left open and it was then Clay realized it was already dark. Since he wanted to take a break, whatever Fara wants him to see should not take long.
“Goddess my arse. You don’t even a boyfriend.” If Clay were to focus on Fara’s matured curvature and overall proportion, she is indeed considered a goddess but Clay does not find it sexually appealing and it felt more like a little sister.
Clay left the books lying on the table and stepped outside then activated his wings and followed Fara’s trail.
He is heading towards a valley where village aquaculture and water source is located. While floating in the air, he easily spotted where Fara stopped and landed on top of a huge rock not far from her.
“Just in time. It’s about to begin.”
Clay is beginning to wonder what exactly does Fara wanted him to see. While mid air earlier, he did notice some of the villagers scattered around as if they are expecting something. He finds it weird that the villagers came in pairs like they are all couples going for a movie.
The other thing he noticed is the number of Mammoth Fireflies that gathered within the valley. It looks like these insects have gathered in thousands but he finds it unusual that they are not lighting up their bodies like a burnt light bulb.
“What’s going on?” Clay is tempted to spread his divine sense.
“I heard you have quite an interest about Barnachea. What you’re about to see is their Martial Arts Dance.” Fara sat on top of the huge rock with her eyes set at the center of the valley.
When Clay heard, Martial Arts Dance, the first thing that came to his mind is the 4TH to the 7TH portion of the book he just read. There are two variations of this dance and while it looks like a simple form of entertainment, if one were to follow the flow of Qi created and channeled by the choreographers, the real meaning of the dance is revealed.
The dance steps and body movements depicted by Ma Akh on his biography is primarily to show how the inscription patterns of the teleportation portal will be inscribed.
Clay activated his Godly Eyes. One look and he guessed the positions of the choreographers but their count is only 16. Compared to the actual Royal Sword Dance, there are more than 100 dancers depicting the Array Nodes Sections interlocked to form the complete Teleportation Portal.
Upon closer inspection, the spot where the dancers are positioned when looked from above should form a simplified Gathering Formation Diagram and judging from the flow of Qi, the entire place of the water terrace is a Formation itself and this Formation is designed to release a smoke above it that will assist these insects to mate.
*Thud
*Thud
*Thud
Clay deactivated his special eyesight when he heard the sounds of a drum echoed from the center. The water terraces is around 500 radius from the center
“They say that Mammoth Fireflies had been tamed by our ancestors to the point that their reproductive ability had become reliant on our guidance. Every year, these insects will fly up in the air until the spot these types of Formations devised by our ancestors.”
*Thud
*Thud
The sound of the drums is following a beat and every time it makes a sound, the choreographers make their moves followed by random glittering of tiny lights.
“Today is technically their mating season and unlike other insects, their eggs will immediately form and will be dropped into the water. As those eggs develop, they will release a substance that will purify our waters keeping everyone away from harmful poisons that may have had been left by other toxic insects of animals.”
*Thud
*Thud
Even Clay is starting to get enchanted by the grand spectacle. The thousands of fireflies randomly lighting up everywhere is like a fleeting fireworks that even he who has lived four lifetimes cannot help his jaw drop.
As the drums continued to beat, the choreographers performed their martial arts poses and in turn controlled the gaseous substance that emitted by the Formation and more and more fireflies became active and some of them started to glitter in varying colors.
*Wow!
Like a child, Clay basked in one of the most beautiful and exhilarating scenery nature has to offer. Some fireflies would occasionally land on him that it felt like being kissed by an angel however despite the intoxicating grandeur these insect has created, he felt that the scenery is very familiar.
“Is that what I think it is?” Clay stepped forward and activated his wings but before he could levitate, Fara stopped him.
“Get closer and you will disrupt the entire process.”
Clay immediately retracted his wings and carefully observed the gathering of insects at the center.
Right at this moment, all of the fireflies had gone active that the entire valley is almost lit up and slowly the way their bodies are blinking is reaching synchronicity when earlier, they were all randomly blinking.
This is the very same image that is reflected on his Godly eyes every time he refines a pill. Those silver chaotic sparks that looks moving randomly that eventually will be fused at the center of the pill as if they had been guided is the same movement these insects had just done before his very eyes.
Clay suddenly is having an epiphany.
The dance started at the center releasing a smoke at least two hundred meters above the water terrace and triggered a few fireflies to bond together creating a small cluster. This cluster then began to attract the other insects nearby forming a glittering ball similar to how the nucleus of the pill is formed. Then as the cluster begins to grow larger, the choreographers near the center will begin moving as well which in turn attract all other insects increasing the size of the cluster until it forms one massive light bulb.
Even the insects’ eggs that are being released and being distributed by the Formation is similar to the ashes or impurities being expelled when pills are being refined.
“I’ve been doing it all wrong.” Clay muttered to himself. He just saw how the choreographers controlled the amount of smoke being released by the Formation laid on the water terrace and this action which started from the center to the choreographers on the edges guided the way the insects clustered to form a massive ball of light.
Clay would usually connect to the Gathering Formation at the center of the pill and the rest follows but from his observation, the Gathering Formation should be constructed along with the pill coagulation.
As Clay was absorbed in his thoughts, the gigantic ball of cluster fireflies rose further in the air and as it move upwards, the insects on the outer layers begin to detached themselves creating an image of a dissipating firework in slow motion and after a few more seconds, the sound of the drums stopped.
“I thank senior sister for the opportunity of such majestic sight. You may have the books and I apologize I cannot remain to accompany you tonight.” Clay did not look back and activated his wings and levitated.