Inside the personal training room of Su Qingcheng within the Tiger's Den, the young lady herself could be seen crazily leaping about the room. Trailing her feet were blazing blobs of energy in the shape of flower petals, giving the room a strange ambience that one felt like they were watching cherry blossoms in spring time. Yao Meiyue's body stayed in a corner of the room, watching Su Qingcheng as her leaping height slowly improved over the past week she had already begun to train the Nightblossom Movement "Frog Style." Though Nightflower Tianqi required only Wood, Earth and Metal essence to create, the power of its frog-like leaps came from using Fire essence like a rocket jump and using Water essence to create energy adhesive on one's feet to stick to the walls.
Currently Yao Meiyue had been guiding Su Qingcheng on how to control the usage of Fire essence in order to control the height of her jumping. Using too much could make you overshoot your jump while using too little could make your jump short. Only through arduous training could and experience could one really control this to a fine-tuned level. Though Su Qingcheng had continuously pestered Yao Meiyue on teaching her how to control water adhesion, Yao Meiyue had rebuffed her at all possible junctures. Su Qingcheng eventually realized over time that she was able to harness the energy around her more easily. This was most likely because the Frog Style of the Nightblossom Movement forced her to use all five essences.
Yao Meiyue had explained that the Frog Style was like this to build a foundation for higher levels of movement techniques which would be more specialized. Having a strong mastery of the five elements would allow the user to have a very powerful backing when they become a Geomancer. The mark of a Tianqi Geomancer was being able to use the Tianqi essence around them to modify the environment. For example, a man touching the ground and using Earth Tianqi in order to cause a rock wall to appear before him for protection. These kinds of things may sound simple but required an immense amount of practice to properly control at a level that would prevent the user from accidentally hurting nature or innocent people.
Su Qingcheng eventually realized this after Yao Meiyue constantly lecturing her about the importance of Tianqi control. If Su Qingcheng could develop the habits of a Tianqi Geomancer or even higher leveled users at the lowest level of a Tianqi user, then she would have an incredibly strong foundation allowing her to easily catch up to her peers. Due to the nature of geomancy and utilization of Tianqi, using such methods and habits were not in fact detrimental but were even useful, since people were limited to the Tianqi they could use, it didn't matter whether they bumped into a manual of a high level rank. If they couldn't use the Tianqi essences required by it, they wouldn't damage themselves for trying to learn it simply because it literally would not work. However, for Su Qingcheng, who was a Penta-Essence user, she needed Yao Meiyue's guidance to make sure that learning these habits would help her and not damage her. After all, Yao Meiyue herself could be considered a Penta-Essence user also, so she could guide the kid along the various pitfalls she experienced in the past.
There was no real concept of time in the training room. Despite the various calls for Su Qingcheng to eat, Yao Meiyue would forbid her to leave the room and instead force her to eat fruits that Yao Meiyue had kept along with her cauldron. These fruits looked exotic but were very potent in helping Su Qingcheng absorb the essence in the air more easily. Yao Meiyue called them "Heaven Sieve Fruits," Su Qingcheng ate so many of these Heaven Sieve Fruits that she wondered if Yao Meiyue had an unlimited stock of them like in some video game. She eventually got sick and tired of eating them but by then it had already been half a month of training.
"Master. When can I learn the adhesive now?" Su Qingcheng moaned out helplessly, even flailing like a child.
Well, I think now's a good time as ever. Your control could be considered quite good. It's not the peak mastery level, but definitely beyond initial mastery. As my disciple, I do praise your talent. It's really not just a rumor. Aii. How fierce. Imagine if I had your monstrous talent.
"Stop teasing me"
Yes, yes. Okay, so to create the water adhesive, you have to be able to prick your feet with fire essence first before letting water essence evaporate and coagulate on your feet. The faster you can do this the better, as this is the basic principle behind letting your feet stick to the wall.
Yao Meiyue, being a spiritual body, couldn't demonstrate the entire effect but could show Su Qingcheng how it should look like. As if by magic, Su Qingcheng could see Yao Meiyue's feet being covered in some kind of water solution. It quickly then faded away, leaving some water webbing between her toes.
"I see, that's really cool!"
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The peak level allows you to create water webbing on your feet, making them like an actual frog's feet. This increases the adhesion by a notch, and is also much harder for them to notice. Also, if you're wearing shoes instead of what you're wearing now, you can't make water adhesives in this way. You have to do it the traditional way, or your shoes won't stick to the walls.
Su Qingcheng nodded intently, keeping this in mind. In some situations then, fighting barefoot could actually be more advantageous for her than her opponents. This kind of craftiness in a technique really amazed her. For something called "Frog Style," it was really surprising that it could be this domineering in an actual practical situation. Even for travel, this would be good. After the demonstration, Yao Meiyue observed Su Qingcheng as she attempted to integrate what she learned previously into learning how to create the water adhesive on her feet. After about a week, Su Qingcheng had already displayed grasp on initial mastery. Yao Meiyue was visibly shocked.
You monster. You can stick onto these walls so easily now. I think we can begin the practical training exercise. We will train out in the city. You are to use the Nightblossom Method "Frog Style" to roam around the city and try to avoid being caught. If you are caught, escape immediately. Make sure nobody knows who you are.
"Ninja training?" Su Qingcheng wondered out loud.
What is this 'ninja' you speak of?
"Nothing…"
The next day.
A youth could be seen swiftly dashing and leaping across the rooftops. The youth was wearing a dark cloak covering her entire body. Naturally this youth was Su Qingcheng, who had thus far escaped the notice of everybody down below. She passed through the Tang Gu City buildings and pagodas, eventually circling into the Tang Gu Market. This was done within the span of a couple of hours. Eventually, Su Qingcheng stopped moving – she had used the water adhesive to stick herself to the side of a tall pagoda wall. Peering down the Tang Gu Market, the cloaked Su Qingcheng smiled as she held onto a railing for support. Her feet clasped tightly to the wall. After a moment, a ringing sensation filled into Su Qingcheng's mind.
Startled, Su Qingcheng almost fell off the pagoda. Peering down, she saw the tall woman from the last time she was here in the Tang Gu Market. The very tall, imposing Tianqi Emperor was staring at her right in the two eyes. Her imposing aura threatened to knock Su Qingcheng off her footing. Not good! She looks like she wants to pull you in! Hold tight! Su Qingcheng swallowed her saliva as she loosened her grip on the wall and felt a powerful suction force pulling her off the wall. As Su Qingcheng was sent careening into the arms of the powerful lady, the bystanders on the ground saw this incredibly bizarre scene unfold before them with crazy eyes.
As Su Qingcheng peered at the face of the woman, she could hear Yao Meiyue's voice ringing in her ear again. Tianqi Emperor…! Su Qingcheng gulped as she soon crashed into the body of the Tianqi Emperor, who looked down at Qingcheng as if she were a clown.
"Looking for someone, kid?"
"Euh… No…!" Su Qingcheng audibly swallowed her saliva and looked around. "T, training. Field training. M, m, movement technique." She stammered, unable to handle the pressure of a godlike existence such as this Tianqi Emperor.
"Not bad, kid. You could jump around all over the place like a frog. That kind of movement technique is pretty rare," the lady laughed. "You have some skill after all, for a young lady once called Su clan trash…"
Su Qingcheng glared at the woman, trying feebly to resist. She looked very pathetic beneath the eyes of the bystanders. She looked down on the ground afterwards, gritting her teeth and bearing the humiliation. The flame essence soon began to swell around her feet. Su Qingcheng quickly stood up and leapt back a distance away from the Tianqi Emperor, leaving a trail of beautiful red flower petals made of energy. The Emperor then blinked curiously at Su Qingcheng. A flame of passion suddenly welled up in her eyes.
"Kid, you really didn't disappoint me. It's only been half a month since we last met but you can already do this. For a little monster like you, I can give you the privilege of knowing my name. My name is Hu Linglei! Tianqi Emperor, Fourth Rank!"
The woman known as Hu Linglei made her bold declaration in front of the whole market, which erupted into murmurs and private conversations. It should be said that Tianqi Emperors are godlike experiences which were as rare as diamonds in the rough or needles in a haystack. Yet this Hu Linglei was here, and a four rank one at that. Staring in disbelief at her, though still on her knees due to Hu Linglei's immense pressure, she gradually resisted by churning the Nightflower Tianqi in her body, and then stared straight at her in a mixture of reverence and admiration upon being noticed properly by this woman who could overturn this entire city in a breath's time.
"Senior Hu Linglei, I, Su Qingcheng, pays her respects to you! Senior, this young, reckless me wishes to seek pointers!"
Suddenly the market erupted in loud laughter. Nightflower Tianqi will help you to last. This will be a good training for you also. This old me will impart some tricks to you.
Hu Linglei waved her arms and the entire place went to silence. "Shut up. This junior wants to be taught this lesson of her own free will. Why do you all mock her? Do you dare to come up to me like that? I could crush your faces with a finger. Yet this young lady dares to come up and resist me, all just for the chance to spar with me. Idiots! …Come on. Su Qingcheng. Let's see what this old me can teach you today."
Staring at the back of this majestic existence, Su Qingcheng excitedly nodded as she trailed along behind Hu Linglei, who appeared to be going somewhere…