Chapter 11: Primary and Secondary Elements
The next few days found Uzman following the same pattern. He would cultivate until his core was full then try to push its boundaries or condense it. He would then spar with the golem until he ran out of Chi. He improved gradually without noticing the change; lasting longer and longer in the fights until he had a breakthrough.
On the seventh day, he was fighting against the golem when he switched his forms from fire to a mix of earth and fire. He moved fast and hit the golem with an explosive punch using an unfamiliar form that was stronger and faster than earth. The golem fell down dented. Uzman stopped: flustered looking at his fist. He sat down and started meditating on this achievement going through the fight. He realized that the foundational forms had become so ingrained that he did not think about them at all. He noted that he had been using variants of the forms to get an edge in the fight. Instead of earth, he had been using another variant. He stood and started trying out the new forms which now felt natural he wondered why he had not been using them before.
Closing his eyes in a meditative pose, he moved through the foundational forms letting his body develop new variants. His body seemed to have achieved a life of its own. It knew the best way to move after each form to transition to the next. Some of the forms like the earth seemed redundant as he moved through them. Wood was stronger than water, vapor was faster than air though insubstantial. He did not even need to codify the forms and let the body take the lead to improve versatility he understood why they could not be taught as they reflected his meridians, the power of his Chi, and the shape of his body.
Uzman resumed sparring and managed to win most of his fights against the golem. He could anticipate the moves of his opponent and counter precisely transitioning effortlessly from one form to another. After winning five fights in a row he decided to consult with his master.
“I have managed to gather insights and develop transition forms. This has made it possible to defeat the golem several times.’ Well done. You have now moved into the advanced stages of Martial Forms. Once you enter the elemental realm, you will be a force to be reckoned with.’ At advanced levels, you will improve mastery over all forms and they will become second nature.’
'These new forms are based on secondary elements. Earth, fire, air, and water are known as primal, pure, or primary elements. mixing any two of them creates secondary elements. In some cases, a person can thread three elements together creating a tertiary technique. They can take different forms depending on the ratios used to create them. using more fire than air creates a wildfire while using little fire creates vapor. mixing water with earth can give rise to wood or mud. fire and earth can create various types of metal depending on the scale, compression, and ratios of elements. some tertiary elements can also be created such as lightning which uses all four elements in various proportions. The creativity and innovation of a wizard determines the extent of their power. I would suggest you do not dwell on these insights for now as they will be most important at the Third Rank.
‘Now you need to try different types of weapons, to determine the types that work well with your developed patterns. You will use them against the golem in its adept settings. I expect you to transition to the advanced settings at the end of the next week. For the night, Take a meridian opening pill and try to open your sense meridian. It connects your Dantian to your eyes and will help to develop your spirit sense. This will help you to see energy flows and the aura of cultivators. with experience and practice, you will be able to gauge their levels.'
Uzman selected the correct pill from the available pile. He was enjoying the inheritance of an entire clan with the hope of getting strong enough to revive the clan and close the rift thus ushering in an era of relative peace. After ingesting the pill, Uzman sat down in the lotus position and started meditating as the pain washed through him. He had become more resilient and easily withstood the pain.
He looked inward tracing the path of the pill. It connected with his Dantian and then increased in power. Uzman harnessed its power and located the half-open meridian and started channeling Chi through it. He fought to control the energy from spilling to other areas and confined its effects to the sense meridian. Slowly he funneled it through the meridian painstakingly inch by inch. The process was slow and painful, but Uzman had already become inured to the pain. Finally, the meridian opened fully connecting to his eyes. He promptly fell asleep from exhaustion.
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The next day, Uzman woke up covered in a filament of sloth. He dipped himself in the nearby river and scrapped off the dirt. He felt refreshed. He tapped his core and run Chi through the new meridian to assess its effect. Immediately, the world sharpened and came alive in color. He could see the flow of the ambient energy. The trees glistened a healthy brown, rife with earth and wood Chi, while the air was a greenish hue. On a whim, he started cultivating and watched the motes of energy flow his way. Turning inward, he watched with amazement the process of disassembling the Chi to suit his body.
Uzman withdrew different types of weapons and put them on the corner to start his weapon training. He started with a spear; the weapon he was most knowledgeable about. He remembered his grandfather’s lessons. ’Most people like to strap swords and strut about, but the king of weapons is the spear. Wielded by a master it provides reach and offers safety. It is more lethal against animals and humans alike.’
He activated the golem and tried fighting with a spear. The fight was short, painful, and illuminating. When Uzman attacked with a thrust, the golem easily redirected the spear getting ahold of the haft, and spun into a backfist that connected painfully with Uzman’s temple. He had not even lasted 1 full exchange. He realized that he needed strength and speed. Additionally, it was easy for a quick opponent to get inside his defense past the tip of the spear. The next attempt was better, as Uzman adjusted his stance and angled his body. He used a series of quick jabs to keep harrying the golem. He used nimble footwork to attempt sweeps keeping the golem at bay. However, he still could not score a solid hit.
For the rest of the day, Uzman continued testing each weapon against the golem losing each fight. He was not deterred by the outcome, content that he was learning the forms that were applicable. After tiring, he sat down to meditate on the fight after taking a quick meal. Uzman replayed all the fights with the different weapons. He assessed his movements, the way the golem countered, and how the forms impacted the results. He recognized his mistakes and settled on the glaive as his primary weapon. He could use it as a sword, staff, or spear. It provided versatility while the hook on the blade provided an opportunity for disarming opponents, as well as increased damage to opponents. He would also train with a sword as a secondary weapon.
‘I have selected the glaive as my primary weapon.’ ‘Good, that was my weapon of choice even though I had attained the rank of arms master; it is very effective against beasts and can be used in a variety of ways. It requires a lot of practice to master. Continue the training until you can fight effectively against the golem as an adept. Then, go outside the formation and fight against beasts. For it is only through danger that you can learn your limits and transcend them.’
Uzman spent the second-week training weapons against the golem. He concentrated on using the glaive against different weapons wielded by the golem. As his confidence increased, he realized that the glaive mirrored many unarmed combat forms. The thrust resembled a straight punch, the sweep was similar to using legs, and the top slash compared to the use of the ridge of his hand in a neck chop. These principles collated and became a whole fighting style that relied on the forms of the martial path that had become ingrained. Using fire and air was best in most scenarios.
His real progress became noticeable at the beginning of the third week. Uzman had been deep in meditation, trying to condense his Chi. He moved the Chi in decreasing spirals exerting his will to force the spirals smaller. His resilience in fighting the golem and fighting a losing battle had inured him to failure. He relished the challenge of pitting his will against the natural order.
Suddenly the Chi started spinning faster and faster getting a will of its own. It moved as if of its own volition. His Core expanded to its maximum and still continued. Pain lanced through his body as it tried to contain the Chi onslaught from within. Uzman gritted his teeth determined to ride the pain, holding his breathing technique with every fiber of his being. Finally, the Chi relented, acknowledging his mastery, and started to rapidly condense into a viscous liquid. Uzman finally allowed himself the respite of sleep. He had finally moved to late Rank 1.
Uzman woke up a few hours later feeling invigorated. He jumped into the river and bathed removing the impurities that had been expelled by his advancement. he felt lighter on his feet and his senses felt sharper.
Uzman activated the golem and started sparring unarmed. He defeated the adept-set golem soundly. He picked his glaive and armed the golem similarly and started his training routine. However, this time it was different. His advancement had increased his speed and reactions. He easily countered the moves that had hitherto troubled him. In a few exchanges, he blocked a thrust to his chest, twisted his glaive outward, and delivered a rapid sweep that swept the animated golem to the ground. He easily won five more contests and decided that he had outgrown the adept setting.
‘I have advanced and mastered the adept settings using the glaive.’ Uzman informed Master Khalid. ‘Good, though you took more time than I would have liked.’ ‘Advancing to late Rank one will sharpen your skills and enable you to move faster and hit harder.’ This will increase your chances of survival against Rank 2 beasts. To improve your chances, wear light armor and spar at the advanced settings for the rest of the day. Use the night to stabilize your core and tomorrow go forage. It is time for you to test yourself in life or death struggles. Do not return before you have vanquished a Rank 2 beast.