The Martial Path.

The widely accepted designation used to denote a Warrior’s sacred calling to pursue the Dao, but one which failed to convey the grand scale of such an undertaking. While others bestowed upon him the title of ‘Great Teacher’, Min Gyu dared not claim he understood so much as even one-one-thousandth of what the Dao offered, much less comprehend a single facet of the Path in its entirety. How could one claim mastery over the infinite variations contained in even a single Movement of the Forms, or the boundless prospects of Chi? An impossible endeavour for a mere mortal, but just because a task was impossible did not mean there was no value in trying. That was what it meant to be a Martial Warrior, to strive against impossible odds in their quest to rise above all humanity and ascend to the next level of existence, for that was what True Divinity entailed.

This particular end goal never entered into Min Gyu’s sights however, not until learning how far his old friend-written-rival had progressed along his Path. Zhang Jun Bao disappeared from the public eye years before Min Gyu’s fated duel with the Butcher of Kun Lun, only to re-emerge more than half a century later as Seneschal to Shen ZhenWu, and according to the boy, the Solitary Sword stood no further than a half-step from Divinity. Knowing this rekindled Min Gyu’s craving for advancement and reignited his love for the Dao, which in recent years had become more of an academic pursuit than an actual goal to pursue and achieve. At some point, he’d accepted his fate as a crippled old grouch and gave up on being anything more than a Mentor and guardian, content to rest on his laurels and become a better Teacher and Mentor instead of pursuing the heights he once strove for as the Sanguine Tempest.

Even though he had less than a decade of life left to him, Min Gyu hoped he had time enough yet to approach within a half-step to Divinity, if not cross over that final hurdle entirely. Despite the enormity of the goal he’d set for himself, he felt as if he’d never been more prepared to succeed, for these last few years had done more to broaden his horizons than all the years before them combined, and Min Gyu had young Rain’s boundless curiosity to thank for it. The boy’s refusal to accept anything less than a full and complete answer seemed both ignorant and laughable at first, for the secrets of Heaven were ineffable and all-encompassing, else they would not be the secrets of Heaven. Such matters were not for the likes of mere mortals to comprehend in their entirety, yet Min Gyu could not help but be infected by the boy’s tireless quest for answers no one else could provide, an ailment that seized his heart and mind and refused to leave him be.

Nowhere was this drive more evident than in the boy’s rambling mess of a primer. If one read Falling Rain’s notes on the Martial Path in hopes of uncovering the secrets to his meteoric rise to power in order to reproduce his speedy progress, then they would only find disappointment, failure, and frustration at the end of their literary journey. There was no sagely wisdom or ultimate training method revealed within young Rain’s Inspired writings, for his primer did little more than lay out his own thoughts and methods in a way few could truly understand through reading alone, not in the way young Rain understood those same truths he revealed. No, the primer itself was nothing more than a reaffirmation of his personal Path, and utterly useless to anyone looking for hints on how to progress, but the true value in his writings was that they offered a rare glimpse at Falling Rain’s thought process and perspective, which in Min Gyu’s eyes was a priceless treasure worth killing for.

In the boy’s own words, “Insight is good and all, but comprehension better. While Insight will guide your steps further along the Path, proper comprehension can send you sprinting past your peers and headlong towards the Peak.” A fanciful turn of phrase from a man who did little else but push himself to sprint, though even if young Rain were only capable of walking along the Martial Path, he would still surpass his peers through volume of hard work alone. It’d become something of a grim joke to pretend like the boy’s comas were the Mother’s way of forcing him to rest, because the boy never stopped working unless rendered absolutely insensible. In fact, if his account were to be believed, even a full on coma was not enough to render young Rain idle, for the last time this happened, he continued to work tirelessly within the Void to affect the world around him through severed Natal Souls and other, less obvious means, ones even the boy himself had yet to wholly pick up on.

That was likely happening again here, given how the animals took the time each day to quietly greet him, but Min Gyu was content to leave the boy be to work his miracles as needed. It almost felt wrong, moving ahead with the offensive without Falling Rain leading from the front, but time waits for no man as an army in the field was a drawn sword and bent bow. His absence was sorely felt, but reclaiming the Western Province would be a long and arduous affair, so there was still plenty of time for young Rain to recover and rejoin them. At the moment, he was resting safely in fortified Meng Sha with the Medical Saint to watch over him while Min Gyu accompanied Nian Zu and the bulk of Central’s forces in besieging Shi Bei to secure a landlocked foothold in the West.

The rhythm of war was different from what he remembered, but not because he’d been away for so long. No, young Rain almost single-handedly composed a new tune for them to dance to, and the Enemy had yet to acclimate to the unfamiliar steps. The catapults unleashed their deadly payloads overhead as Min Gyu sipped his tea in plain sight just in front of the creaking war machines, seated beneath a temporary awning put together by his students to shelter him from the sweltering sun. Most Peak Experts under Nian Zu’s command were Concealed and hidden away, which was generally good practice given the Enemy’s favoured tactics of ambush and assassination, but Min Gyu wanted to be seen by all, Imperial and Defiled alike. The greatest weapon in war was not the sword, sabre, spear, or even one of Rain’s Runic Cannons, for all else was irrelevant without morale. Even the greatest army in the world would crumble without a fight if the soldiers wholeheartedly believed there was no chance of victory in sight, so while Nian Zu and Liu Xuande busied themselves setting traps, arranging formations, and devising stratagems, Min Gyu took it upon himself to bolster the morale of the troops.

With all the rush and excitement to get here, one mustn’t forget that most of the soldiers present had found themselves thrust into new and unfamiliar roles in a setting so foreign it might as well be outside the Empire. The Imperial Army was not in the habit of besieging its own cities, to say nothing of fighting the Enemy out in the field rather than from behind sturdy stone walls, so many soldiers were understandably nervous here on the first day of the Imperial offensive. The fact that they were massively outnumbered didn’t help matters one whit, as every soldier knew that taking a fortified position was a hard and bloody affair, with the attackers’ usual advantages being time and weight of numbers, but the Imperials had neither of those here. The Defiled forces were so numerous they couldn’t even all fit behind the walls of Shi Bei, with massive tribal encampments sprawling out on both sides of the city and stretching back as far as the eye could see, and the Imperials had a strict deadline to take the city before they were overrun by Enemy reinforcements.

Though their camps stretched out as far as the eye could see, the Enemy were not all that tightly packed together. The same could be said of the defenders hiding behind the city walls, walls which had seen better days before Nian Zu blew a hole through one and let his catapults have free reign at the others. A countermeasure against the artillery no doubt, dispersing the Defiled forces to limit the damage done with each volley. Their ammunition was finite given the Western Province’s lacking supply of natural stone, so it would appear as if the Enemy had settled on minimizing losses rather than countering the catapults in any meaningful way. The Enemy seemed content to weather the barrages rather than march out on the Imperial camp, which made sense considering doing so would make them prime targets for the Runic Cannons. The wonder weapons had yet to take the field, and even Min Gyu wasn’t sure if the cannons were here or with another army, a clever move meant to make the Enemy think twice before committing to a battle in the field. If the Defiled were to set out in great numbers, they would quickly be bombarded by cannon-fire and whittled down to size, which meant Nian Zu’s army was sitting pretty here on this sandy ridge. Unfortunately, the average soldier in the Imperial Army was not so far-seeing, as all they knew was what they saw before them, the walls of Shi Bei still standing tall with the Defiled Chosen ready to defend them, as well as a near endless horde of crazed tribesmen eager to cut them down.

There was nothing wrong with fear, but if left unchecked, a plague of panic could easily take root in the hearts of Imperial soldiers and send them running for fairer pastures east at the first sign of adversity. If young Rain were here, he could easily fill the troops with vim and vigour with a rousing speech and spirited Oration, but Min Gyu was never one for speeches or spectacles. Instead, he preferred to let his actions do the talking, which was why he chose to take his tea out on the forward ridge, where the bulk of their ranged weapons of war were situated. The view was one reason he chose this location, but not the only reason. The catapults were manned by commoners, whose feeble senses were unable to perceive the fruits of their labours and denied them the satisfaction of taking in all the carnage below. From this distance, the only commoners to bear witness to the carnage below were the spotters with their looking glasses that helped them measure distance with a single glance, but the men and women worked tirelessly without complaint despite the threat of death and destruction looming so closely overhead. Were they soldiers, this would be a feat hardly worthy of note, but the Irregulars were base commoners with a bare minimum of training. Martial Warriors were trained from a young age to take the fight against the Enemy, and while Imperial soldiers were not always drawn from the cream of the crop, training, camaraderie, and experience went a long way when it came to matters of morale. Soldiers were blessed by the Heavens with the strength to do battle with the Enemy and most had adequate training and experience, but the Irregulars? They were farmers and artisans, labourers and scholars, simple commoners who answered their Legate’s call to arms out of an innate sense of duty and love for their Empire, which made their courage and dedication that much more impressive. It was all good and well to wax poetic about fighting the good fight while running drills and training exercises, but another altogether to muster the courage to stand fast when faced with an army of Defiled. There were millions of the Father’s foul minions gathered about the city below, so Min Gyu would not have faulted anyone if their courage wavered here and now, but to their credit, the Irregulars handled it as well as any other group of soldiers.

A testament to their grit and determination, for if they were lacking in either quality, they would never have passed young Rain’s stringent requirements or Liu Xuande’s training. To this end, Min Gyu specifically requested to be stationed with the Irregulars, for he was proud to serve alongside the Irregulars and become the pillar who would hold up the Heavens above them. Let these brave commoners all bear witness to Du Min Gyu scorn of the Enemy threat, for he was a man who feared no foe. Not the deadly Wraiths with their insidious poison nor the tribesmen and Chosen down below, and if the Enemy should so choose to dispatch their Chieftains, Demons, Half-Demons, or worse, well... the Sanguine Tempest had made his name cutting down Experts like cabbages, and Du Min Gyu had only grown more powerful with age.

Alas, the Enemy seemed in no rush to silence the Imperial war machines just yet, not even after a solid hour of bombardment. This left Min Gyu in something of a pickle after he finished his first, second, and third pots of tea in plain sight, as he could hardly step away without good reason. It would be undignified for a man of his status to go relieve his bladder with everyone watching his every move, nor could he simply retire to his tent for a nap as he so earnestly desired. What’s more, even though he put on a show of looking relaxed and laid-back, this was still a battlefield which meant only a fool would let down his guard, and Min Gyu was no fool. Or at least not much of one, but he’d expected to be thick in the fighting by now as the Enemy commander assaulted the Imperial position in a desperate bid to silence the counter-weight catapults. Whoever was in charge across from them had clearly decided on another direction, ignoring Nian Zu’s blatant provocation and invitation to come out from behind their walls before the catapults rendered them into nothing but rubble and dust.

Min Gyu’s prickly predicament was in no way helped when the newly-promoted Exarch Gam decided to take a seat by his side, as the contentious old curmudgeon was never one to be outdone. Ruining Min Gyu’s efforts to appear calm and collected, the half-fox sat with arms crossed and leg bouncing as if possessed by the mother of all itches. Clearly running low on patience and spoiling for a fight, Gam watched the barrage of stones land on the Enemy below with a sour grimace that never softened except when uttering a grunt of admiration for a particularly memorable shot. “I could bring those walls down with a wave of my hand, ye know?” Gam grumbled, and not for the first time. “Sturdy stone stacked on shifting sand; one good shift and it’ll all come crumbling apart.” Min Gyu said nothing in response for he did not want to encourage the man, but regardless of the engagement, Gam continued, “I hate the sand. Why’s that, you ask? It’s just dried dirt, ain’t it, and I love me some dirt, don’t I? Well, you’re wrong, and lemme tell ye why.”

Stifling a sigh and resisting the urge to massage his temples, Min Gyu considered abandoning his dignity to loudly announce his need to piss just to get away, but knowing Gam, the man would follow him to the privy without a care in the world for privacy or consideration. “No one gives dirt the proper respect it deserves,” the half-fox began, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the commotion. “The earth is one thing, but the dirt? Who cares right? I care. For some stupid reason, the first thing everyone thinks of when they hear ‘Blessing of Earth’ is stone. Rock solid stone, so strong and durable, that’s surely the greatest part of the Blessing, right? Wrong again. It’s dirt. That’s where we truly draw our strength from, the dirt, because solid ground is nothing more than loose dirt that’s come together over time.”

Two weeks ago, Min Gyu would have shut his ears to the half-fox’s ramblings and let him drone on until he ran out of things to say, but that was before he found Insight in Chen Hongji’s notes on his Martial Path. Initially, they all desired his notes in hopes of uncovering his secrets regarding Domain Plating, but the humble Brigadier presented them with an even more valuable gift instead. At some point or another, every Martial Warrior in the Empire would be asked a single, simple question, the answer to which would define their Path: Why do you seek strength? There were many reasons for posing this question, and not just simply to uncover a Warrior’s underlying motivations. Beasts were content to fill their bellies and find a safe place to rest their heads, but humans were cursed with wisdom and required more than the bare necessities of life in order to find fulfillment. They needed a cause, a purpose, a motivating force, a reason or justification for existence, because why else would the Mother have given them the ability to question existence itself? Perhaps this was why the Dao came so naturally to most animals, because they were unburdened by these existential doubts, but regardless of the reasons, Martial Warriors who were unable to answer this most basic of questions would eventually find the way forward barred to them. The answer was something of an affirmation of one’s Dao, a reason not just for pursuing the Martial Path, but for life itself, and in answering this question, one laid bare the truth of one’s self for all to see, themselves included, so that they might better come to understand their own personal Dao.

According to his notes however, Hongji took matters one step further and bundled his answer up into a singular concept which he then used to anchor his Natal Palace in mind and soul, but while his notes helped Yan do the same, this was not the only thing a concept was good for. Young Rain’s core concept was tied to his inquisitive ways and his burning desire to understand the mysteries of Heaven, because he believed that given enough time and effort, mankind would one day unlock the secrets to controlling the universe itself. Not only did he believe this, he’d made it his sole mission in life to convince others of the same, because while others lived and died by the mantra of ‘might makes right’, young Rain had faith not in strength or power, but the intelligence of humanity as a whole. Time and time again, he insisted that discussing the Dao and his Path could only be beneficial in the long term for many minds make light work, which was contrary to widely accepted beliefs, but rather than accept things as they were, he set out to convince the world that he was right and they were wrong.

Not by sharing the secrets of his Martial Path, for he had yet to truly comprehend them and lacked the confidence to convince others to his cause. Instead, he proved to everyone what the collective minds of humanity could accomplish by releasing a book detailing all manner of inventions and ideas, and in doing so, set the world hurtling down a new course of progress and innovation.

It wasn’t until Akanai pointed it out that Min Gyu came to realize just how far-sighted young Rain truly was, for the boy also preferred to let his actions speak for him. When he first gifted Shen ZhenWu his book of inventions, people all around the Empire dismissed it out of hand and only saw value in the Runic Shields presented alongside the book, but now, more than two years later, the world was finally beginning to understand just how valuable the information contained within those pages truly were. Cast iron, pulp paper, clear glass, resilient rubber, durable concrete, and so much more, the world was changing at a rapid pace and fast leaving the entrenched nobility behind. A vast number of fortunes had been made and lost since the inaugural Imperial Grand Conference, by Rain and so many others, but now, there were new ideas and creations coming out of the woodwork that had nothing to do with the boy’s book and everything to do with the concept that drove him to create the book in the first place.

And in doing so, young Rain convinced Akanai, Min Gyu, and so many others that perhaps he was right after all, that there was a benefit to discussing the Dao with one’s peers. Ever the leader, Akanai was the first to share her Insights on the Dao, and many others soon followed suit, Min Gyu included. After Chen Hongji became the newest member to join their little Dao collective, his notes proved to be a great benefit to all, and Min Gyu sought permission to share a snippet of those notes with little Yan, which enabled her to overcome the hurdle that had denied her for so long, Natal Palace Formation. When the dust settled and he’d had some time to think, Min Gyu came to realize that a Martial Warrior’s concept, or more specifically a Dao Concept, was key to understanding not just their motivations for pursuing the Dao, but their unique perspective as well. All this time, the world believed that each must walk their own Path, but only because as a collective whole, they lacked the ability to see things from the perspective of another Warrior and discern what Insights were unique to them and what could be applied universally. Only now, Min Gyu believed that understanding a Martial Warrior’s Dao Concept was like being given a glimpse of the world from their perspective. By no means was this a perfect impression of the world through someone else’s eyes, nor was it useful in any direct manner, but any Warrior would understand the value of understanding the Dao from a different perspective. By identifying one’s Concept and sharing it with the world at large, they could create an index of Concepts for struggling Martial Warriors to compare and contrast against, so that they might take inspiration from another Concept or see where their own Concepts were lacking. This was similar to how the Imperial Army encouraged its Officers to share their experiences along the Martial Path, but with a renewed focus on the parts that actually mattered.

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And now, the eccentric, elderly Gam was sharing his Dao Concept with Min Gyu, and he would be a fool not to listen.

Despite the clear gains to be harvested, his conscience would not allow him to take advantage of his friends, so Min Gyu cleared his throat to create an opening for himself to Send, “Are you sure you wish to speak of this out loud? Or at all? Your observations regarding your Blessing and Dao are invaluable indeed, but you might end up divulging more than you intend to and revealing some critical flaw or weakness for your enemies and rivals to exploit.”

“Bah.” Patting his chest with a confidence Min Gyu envied, Gam smiled and declared, “I have no flaws, for I had the greatest Mentor anyone could ask for.” Namely his mother, whom he clearly loved and idolized despite her... cool reception to his filial affection. Then again, most Ancestral Beasts were quick to strangle their demi-human children in the crib, so the fact that Mama Gam raised not one, but five of her children without assistance was telling indeed. Or was it six children? Min Gyu still wasn’t sure if the Gam beside him counted as Gam the First or Gam Prime, and he didn’t know how to ask.

Ignorant to these somewhat rude thoughts, Gam grinned and clapped Min Gyu’s shoulder so hard it left a bruise. “Besides, even if there is a flaw, you’ll point it out soon enough, and then I can get on fixing it right quick, so why shouldn’t I share my thoughts with you? I’m not one for writing or thinking my words through, so just sit there and try not to piss your pants before I’ve said my piece in full. Now where was I before you so rudely interrupted? Right, dirt coming together.” Reaching down to pick up a handful of sand, he let the loose grains flow out of his hand where it was promptly brought away by the breeze. “That’s where the earth’s true strength comes from, not being hard and solid like stone, but from unity, like dirt. These loose grains of sand are nothing even when heaped up into a mountain, easily scattered across the province by wind and boots alike, but dirt? Get enough of it together in one place and it becomes more than just dirt. It becomes firm and immovable, durable and unshakable, and that’s before accounting for other forces in play like ground shifts and gravity and what not.”

“Strength not through sturdiness and durability, but unity and cohesion.” Min Gyu could see how it made sense from a certain perspective, for even if one had the strength to blow apart a mountain of dirt, what remained would still be a mound at the very least, unless one had enough strength to destroy it entirely. “What are these... ground shifts?”

“The earth beneath your feet ain’t as stable as you think,” Gam replied, stamping his boot hard before glowering at the offending sand beneath his feet. “Well, solid earth at least. It shifts back and forth, expands and contracts, usually so slowly and steadily most never take notice.” Waving a hand, Gam continued, “Look, everything I know on the subject, I learned from Mama or the earth itself though, so you’ll have to look elsewhere for a more thorough explanation, but long story short, even the biggest landmass is still an island in the ocean, so try and think of the earth like a giant ship on the sea. Calm most of the time, except when it isn’t. Course there are other things, like mountains connected to the sea floor, and if you dig deep enough, you’ll eventually hit molten lava, but that’s neither here nor there.”

“Fair enough.” Which was to say Min Gyu sort of understood, but didn’t really, and acknowledged that understanding this particular facet of Gam’s Dao was unnecessary for now. That was one area young Rain needed to improve on, his ability to let things lie and come back to them later. Give the boy a mystery and he’d pick at it for days and weeks without end, like a child with an itchy scab.

“If it wasn’t for the unity of dirt,” Gam continued, kicking at the sand once again as if it personally offended him, “We’d have nothing but ocean to live on, you know? Aside from the odd mountain or sand pile, which isn’t much at all in the grand scheme of things. That’s why I hate sand. It’s nothing like dirt, loose, divided, and incapable of sustaining life.” Gesturing at the walls below, Gam added, “Or supporting structures all that well. They would’ve had to dig deep to set a foundation for those heavy stone walls, and I can tell from here they didn’t dig nowhere deep enough. The right force in the right place and those stones’ll come crumbling down and then some, to say nothing of the shoddy buildings inside that sorry excuse for a city. Could have it done right quick, if the Colonel General would only let me off his leash.”

It irked Min Gyu to hear Gam refer to Nian Zu by rank, because there were precious few others who warranted the same respect. Akanai for one, yet despite holding the same rank as her, Min Gyu never rated more than a lowly ‘you’, which was one of Gam’s more flattering terms of endearment. “For good reason,” Min Gyu said, spouting some nonsense about conserving strength out loud while Sending, “If we bring down the walls and buildings both, the Defiled won’t have any reason to stand still while we bombard them. It’s boring and slow going, but every Defiled we kill with the catapults is one less we have to meet with spear and sword.”

“Fair enough.” This time it was Gam’s turn to utter the conciliatory statement, and he blissfully fell silent after, leaving Min Gyu free to enjoy the satisfying creaks and thumps of the catapults while musing over what the half-fox had shared. Again, young Rain’s wisdom proved true as it was not the similarities which proved to be of use, but rather the differences, for they stood out like a sore thumb and showed Min Gyu exactly where the distinction lay between his Dao and Gam’s. If the Blessing of Earth was all about unity and cohesion, then the Blessing of Air was almost the complete opposite. Air did not gather and coalesce, but rather rushed away to be as far as physically possible from any other air in the vicinity. What was a vacuum but more room for air to stretch and expand? Though he’d known this all along, he’d never truly been able to put it into words until after hearing Gam’s experiences, a truth that he was always aware of, but never truly identified until now, and it gave him a fresh perspective of a problem that had plagued him for so long.

It all started with young Rain and his pervasive idea, but to be fair, the boy did warn Min Gyu before sharing. It seemed so simple at first, to take the power of a howling gale and compress it down into the palm of his hand, so that the full force of his fury could be unleashed against his foes without wasting any effort whatsoever. The sheer destructive possibilities had him instantly captivated, as this was a skill he could easily adjust the strength of to match his opponents. A common Warrior? Then not much power was needed at all, for they lacked a Domain to blunt his Elemental attack, but against a sizable Demon of considerable defence? Why, Min Gyu could empty his Core into one attack to guarantee a kill against so dangerous a foe.

Only it turned out that things were easier said than done, for all of his efforts to Visualize his Intent and contain the howling gale fell far short of the mark, resulting in lacklustre explosions that were little more than sudden, harmless puffs of wind rather than the unstoppable tempests he’d envisioned. Air did not take well to compression, and the more pressure he exerted on the Air itself, the more it slipped through his fingers. Now though... Now, Gam’s explanation regarding earth, dirt, and sand had opened up new avenues of thought to consider, ones Min Gyu never even knew existed much less thought to explore. Bending over in his chair, he reached down and took a fistful of sand before righting himself once more. Letting the sand trickle out just like Gam had earlier, Min Gyu watched it flow and blow away while Insight drifted on the outer edges of his perception, teasing him with its tantalizing closeness. He was on the right track, this much he knew, the answer so close he could taste it, but he had no words to put to this feeling because that was all it was. A feeling. Intuition. A gut instinct.

Young Rain placed much emphasis on Visualization and Intent as a means to control Chi, eventually condensing the subject down to a simple matter of Will, but what about other types of sensations? Min Gyu himself used Visualization and Intent to direct his Wind Blades, but he also relied much on instinct and intuition to accomplish feats he could not wholly explain, such as his ability to detect Concealed individuals using sweeping gusts of wind. His efforts did not paint a picture of the surroundings in his mind, for he was unable to track the wind so precisely. Instead, he relied on the properties of Chi and his unique, unnamed talent that allowed him to retain control of Chi as it passed through another living creature’s Domain to alert him to any unseen presences in the area. That was the what, but he had no words to explain the how, and yet it worked all the same. An effort of Will, which meant Will was not solely comprised of Visualization and Intent, for human beings had other senses to perceive by. Yan herself rarely utilized Visualization, if ever at all, and instead learned quickest when she was allowed to perceive the movement of wind in the physical word, which she primarily studied using her battle-fan like the Air Blessed Warriors of old. This truth became all the more apparent when Min Gyu reviewed Gam’s explanation of dirt and realized that the half-fox favoured using tactile descriptions like firm and immovable, durable and unshakable, to express his views. Did this mean that one could use palpable, physical sensations to direct Chi? Most certainly, for Min Gyu himself did so on almost a daily basis in the form of Lightening, not by visualizing himself being lighter, but conceiving himself as such through the perceived physical sensation of lightness.

The boy of course did Lightening differently, imagining it as currents of Chi buoying him up into the air, which was more of an External use of Chi than Internal. Perhaps his difficulties understanding the Dao in its entirety stemmed from his over-reliance on Visualization and his inability to recognize other denominations of Will. More proof of this lay in how Hongji eschewed Visualization altogether in every facet of his Path, not just the Natal Palace alone. When utilizing his Ethereal Palm, he did not envision his Chi and Domain forming a palm, he simply attacked with his body, and his Chi carried the force beyond his physical frame. Hence the name, for there was no palm of Chi to be seen, because it was ethereal, wholly lacking in form and substance yet capable of exerting force all the same. It was more similar to an intangible ripple of force than a straightforward attack of Chi, like one of Sarnai’s deadly shards of Chi or Min Gyu’s Wind Blades, which came as a great surprise to everyone involved. That being said, the Ethereal Palm was largely based on principles of Reverberation, and while it required some measure of Domain Plating to make use of, it was not as much as they all suspected before reading Hongji’s notes, which was disappointing to say the least.

But all this was relevant now, this much Min Gyu knew in his heart, pieces of a puzzle coming together to form a complete picture, but of what, he was not yet sure. Still watching the sand fall from his fingers, he let his mind drift where it would while remaining wholly rooted on the task at hand, focusing on nothing in hopes of finding an answer to the questions that plagued him.

Gam’s rant about the differences between dirt and sand brought up a good point, for Min Gyu had never understood why the Blessing by Earth and Air was considered Sand. In his eyes, sand was just loose dirt, but now that Gam had pointed out the distinctions, Min Gyu was able to pinpoint the influence of Air in the combination at hand. Sand was not cohesive, and while nowhere near as free as Air, it too sought to find freedom wherever it could. Sand was not stable, because it resisted against any and all constraints, shifting aside from pressure and going wherever the wind could carry it. That was why Earth and Air was Sand, and while he still harboured some doubts, at least now it all somewhat fit together.

So if sand flowed like... well, sand, and air flowed like the wind, how could he contain it under pressure?

No, no, this was the wrong question to ask, for Chi was neither sand nor air, even if it was Sand Chi or Air Chi. Chi was simply Chi, regardless of the properties it took on, so the real question was, how could he contain Chi?

The answer was simple, something Martial Warrior should know and was capable of, for they gathered and collected Chi in their Cores.

And just like that, Min Gyu had his answer. Brushing the last of the sand away, he extended his hand and placed it palm up in front of him with fingers slightly curled as if cupping a large bowl. Then, he Visualized his Domain bubbling out from his palm to create a sphere with which to contain Chi, but it was not as easy as expected. His Domain was not responding in the way he hoped, unwilling to shape itself according to his Will for reasons unknown. Recalling Hongji’s notes regarding the Ethereal Palm, Min Gyu abandoned Visualization in favour of a more tactile sensation. Reaffirming his identity to become One with the Self, Min Gyu condensed his Domain as closely to his skin as possible before setting the wind to circling within the palm of his hand, a task so familiar he could do it in his sleep. Sand and grit swirled about to show him the movement of Air, but he closed his eyes to focus on the feel of the Air instead as it brushed across his skin and fingers with impunity. How would this feeling change if contained within an orb? The moving air would... flatten, and spread out more, brushing the sides of his palms and edges of its boundaries instead of only the centre, and he felt the wind shift in his hand to match the sensation he conceived in mind.

Opening his eyes, he watched the sand swirl about with the orb he’d created, his Domain trapping the wind within to create a miniature vortex churning about. Keeping Visualization, Intent, and Tactility in mind, he conceptualized the sensation of curling his fingers without actually moving them to compress the orb even further. This was Hongji’s secret trick to Domain Plating, to treat the Domain as part of one’s physical body, but Min Gyu’s attempt fell apart before his eyes. Why? A lack of familiarity with the process, that was the issue, as it introduced a hint of doubt into the mix which unravelled his focused Will.

But he learned from this failure, and all that was left to do was try again.

And again. And again, and again.

Annoyed with his repeated lack of success, he asked Gam to keep an eye on the surroundings, but the request was not needed as the half-fox had already taken vigil around him, standing with staff in hand beneath the burning sun so that anyone aiming to get to Min Gyu would have to move through him first. Though they didn’t always get along, this more than anything showed that they were true comrades in arms, and Min Gyu was warmed by his friend’s consideration. With his safety well assured, he devoted his full attention to the task at hand and eliminated all other distractions. The thumping catapults, the screaming stones, the wailing Defiled, the cheering Imperials, the heat, the thirst, the pressing bladder and more, all of it disappeared until only Min Gyu’s palm, Wind Chi, and Domain remained.

On his one-hundredth and eighteenth try, he succeeded in creating a compressed ‘bubble’ of Domain in the palm of his hand that would compress no further, one which held for less than a heartbeat before the forces of his moving Air Chi tore it apart. Grinning at his success, temporary as it was, Min Gyu continued with his trial and error for he still had plenty of Chi to spare. Replicating his previous success with the next try, he watched as the vortex swirled within the grape sized orb, and he felt it straining against the walls of his Domain in an effort to be free once more. Unable to resist touching it, it gave off the sensation of poking an inflated water-skin, one that had been squeezed until it was taut and bursting at the seams, only in this case, his Domain took the place of the water-skin. Focusing his intent with deliberate care, he curled his fingers even more to condense the orb of Domain further, only for it to break and unravel with an unimpressive, barely audible pop.

Not quite the powerful attack he thought it would be, which was understandable as he’d not put much Air Chi into the working. Hardly even enough to stir someone’s hair, so he set about doing the same thing, but with more power. Fifty-seven failures later, Min Gyu discovered that there was a limit to the amount of pressure he could contain within a grape-sized orb of Domain. His best efforts created an orb that might well cause a few bruises if exploded against skin, but used so little Chi that it was almost negligible. More Chi was not the answer, for he lacked the fine control needed to force more power into the attack without having it unravelling apart, so he drew from Gam’s parable regarding dirt and mountains to conceive the idea of compressing a single orb Wind Chi and layering a second orb over-top it.

Seventy-eight tries later, he finally had a two layered bubble of contained Wind Chi. When it popped, it did so with enough pressure to send a minor puff of sand scattering about, which made Gam turn to regard him with one raised brow, but Min Gyu only spared him a passing grin. That was likely powerful enough to kill a man, but he wanted to see how far he could push things as he added a third layer over top the second, then a fourth, fifth, and sixth. Upon reaching seven layers many hours later, Min Gyu reached the conceivable limits of what he could accomplish for now, as he could feel how unstable the working in the palm of his hand had become. Surely the power contained within this pseudo-Core was enough to kill a Demon at least, but he lacked an opponent to test it with. He’d used slightly more Chi than what it cost him to create a single Wind Blade, but the pressure and power emanating from the working was substantially higher, which made sense as this was essentially a saber-length Wind Blade compressed into an area no bigger than a plum. To go even further and match the massive explosions he’d envisioned, he would need much more fine control of his Chi and Domain, and he was reminded of how young Rain once compared the Medical Saint’s Healing process to weaving an intricate tapestry with ten-thousand needles at a time. In comparison, this working was more akin to embroidering a sock in Min Gyu’s eyes, not that he’d ever held a needle and thread himself, but suffice it to say that his abilities fell short of what he hoped to accomplish.

Well, at least there was something to be gained from all this, for his success with creating a pseudo-Core meant he was one step closer to understanding Domain Plating since that was surely what he’d used here. That was good enough for today, for he could hardly expend all his mental efforts on experimentation. Separating the pseudo-Core from the palm of his hand with little more than a thought, he took a moment to extend his Spiritual Senses and explore the working in his hand. Another facet of the Dao he didn’t entirely understand, this Spiritual Sense, but he knew there were senses beyond the physical for even if he closed his eyes and ignored the sensations emanating from his hand, he could feel the presence of his Chi working and the immense pressure it was under. It was there in his mind, as clear as day and loud as a gong, yet he lacked the ability to describe the sensation of its presence, the same way he could never understand how he knew where his Spiritual Weapon was at all times, or how he used his Air Chi to sweep for Concealed individuals. He just knew, and that was the end of his understanding on the topic.

No matter though. He would understand how to better use his Spiritual Sense with more practice and familiarity. One step at a time, walk before you can run, all things Min Gyu knew well enough, but even though his new familiarity with Panacea and the Medical Saint’s medicinal baths left him feeling half his age, he only had a precious few years left to him now, perhaps even less considering he was lost in his thoughts while sitting outside of Concealment at the forefront of battle. Huffing a small sigh of regret, Min Gyu flicked his hand and idly ‘tossed’ the pseudo Core towards the Enemy lines, the same way he would cast out a Scrying. Even though today’s efforts could not be considered much of a success, he’d learned much from his attempts and would build on these lessons in the morning when -

The skies shook and thunder roared as Min Gyu leapt to his feet, for if the cannons were already in play, then something must have gone disastrously wrong. Instead, he was greeted with more or less the same sight he last remembered, with the Enemy forces still milling about the city walls while the Imperial soldiers held the high ground and loosed stones from afar. There were no Peak Experts or Runic Cannons to be seen, so Min Gyu turned to ask Gam what the noise was all about and found the half-fox staring at him in open disbelief. “What in the High Heavens was that?” Gam asked, and Min Gyu could only raise an eyebrow in turn, for he had no idea what the man was on about. “Your little... orb of Wind Chi! It just shot out and exploded.” As Gam pointed at the Enemy lines, Min Gyu spotted a handful of shocked Defiled atop the wall who were getting back up on their feet, looking as confused and bewildered as he felt. Upon closer inspection, he spotted a fairly sizable gouge in the stone wall just in front of them, perhaps fifty centimetres across, and maybe a fist deep. Nowhere near as impressive as what Nian Zu displayed with his Shooting Star, but if that had hit a person instead...

Unable to hold it in any longer, Min Gyu’s laughter echoed out across the battlefield as he gaze upon the damage he’d wrought. While this fell woefully short of the massive scale of destruction he’d envisioned, he could easily loose hundreds of those pseudo-Core Wind bombs in a single day. In fact, with his current speed of creation, there was a good chance he could passively refill his Core faster than he could expend it, which was because the creation process was agonizingly slow and surprisingly cheap in terms of Chi. The first would improve with practice and familiarity, and unlike young Rain, Min Gyu knew when to celebrate his successes, and he could not wait to share this with his friends.

Luckily, he had one on hand to listen to him boast standing right here. “Oh that?” he exclaimed, after far too long a pause to get his laughter under control. “Just a new skill I’ve been working on, hardly anything to make a commotion about.” Throwing his arm around Gam’s shoulder, he excitedly described the whole process from start to finish through Sending and took in his friend’s jealous glares with pride and satisfaction.

It was good to have a friend-written-rival once again, but that didn’t meant Min Gyu had forgotten all about his old ones. Through Solitary Sword Zhang Jun Bao had taken the lead to become a half-step Divinity, after today’s success, Min Gyu was confident that he would soon be hot on the heels of his old rival with a little help from his friends, family, and talented Grandson-in-Law. After fifty years of idle struggle, Min Gyu was finally poised to go beyond and rise above his former staggering heights, a sensation he never thought he could enjoy again.

And damn if it didn’t feel good...

Chapter Meme