CHAPTER 43

Mir went to the second level and to the lecture hall. There, he searched for a lecture about control over energy. He found one interesting called “Energy Concentration and Fast Processing during Battle”. It was written as an advanced course that would spawn on for a hundred days.

It was a one to one lesson between an elder and a disciple and the cost was high. 15 000 points per day. Luckily, Mir had made more than enough profits in the last days to buy himself this course for a few days. He asked for a single day though. He did not need more, probably.

The lecture was scheduled for tomorrow at 3pm and would be 24h long with elder Wu. In the meantime, Mir decided to rest. Something he hadn’t had the chance to do much since coming to this school.

He found a tree on some hillside in the level three. There was a park with some beautiful scenery in this level. It was calm and perfect for a nap. So, he fell and slept. All this struggle was solely for this single moment of bliss. A nap. The true meaning of life…

Once he woke up, it was already time for the lesson to begin. It ended up becoming more than just a nap. Mir ran with all his might towards the school ground to be on time…Or not. He strolled there, slowly waking up and still made it on time. It was 3pm and he entered the building named “Wu’s fighting classroom” in level two. Inside was a simple hall and a single door at the end. Mir stayed in the middle of the room for a few second before screaming:

“Disciple Mir greets Elder Wu!”

He waited for a few seconds before the only door opened and a man as big as the opening exited. He was wearing the elder’s robe. This man had the physics of a man in his mid-twenties. Of course, he was far older than that. Long dark hair unruly coming down his back and fiery dark reddish eyes. He had a dark beard covering his chin and a bit of mustache. He looked at the kid in front of him and smiled brightly before saying:

“Hello kid! So, you’re the one who requested a single day of teachings from me?

-That would be me, elder Wu!

-Good, good! You’re right on time! Let us not waste time and go at it! Come, don’t be shy and follow me!

-Yes, elder Wu!”

Elder Wu opened the door again and walked through it, Mir behind him. They arrived in a vast wasteland. There was nothing. Just earth going through the horizon. Mir was taken aback. Everything had been so luxurious up till now and yet there was nothing here? Was it a joke or some illusion? Elder Wu sensed the questioning gaze and answered the unspoken question:

“Everyone is free to organize their classrooms as they want. I do not need anything flashy. My expertise is in battle, melee mostly. It’s better to have a wide space for what I teach. Everything would be destroyed otherwise. Anyways, welcome, disciple Mir to the lecture “Energy Concentration and Fast Processing during Battle”. You requested for a day of teachings so I’ll be teaching you 24 hours! I’ll not count breaks in that time. Now, before we start, I’d like to know your reasons for choosing this lecture and only a single day, even though I made sure to write that it should be at least hundred days.

-Because I do not have that many points yet and I want to know what I send myself into first.

-A good reason. I looked at your file. Quite impressive. Fifth realm at eight, is it?

-Yes, elder Wu!

-Made your own alliance with a friend from your newly established clan, supported by the Ninth Prince faction and the famous Bolores son. A magnificent start. I wonder why you need to assist to a course as hard as this one and making it your very first lesson here.

-I heard from my friend about his first fight in the Lion Stadium where he fought someone who could concentrate her energy in places and maxed out its use. I thought this course would be teaching how to do that.

-Well, you’re right in a way… What you’re talking about is what we call ‘Energy Point Control’. Before I go into details, do you know the name of his opponent who used it?

-She was called Milly, elder Wu.

-Oh? So, it was Milly! No wonder, no wonder… That girl was talented, indeed. Now, let us start by a true lecture first, then some demo and finally practice.”

As he said that, he took out two big boulders from his space bag and placed them in front of each other. He sat on one and made a gesture for Mir to sit on the second one. Mir sat down cross-legged, trying to imitate elder Wu. Mir hated this position but by now, he got used to it. Elder Wu began:

“This course was supposed to teach about Energy Point Control in battle as you guessed right. But more than that, you decided on the advanced class. It was supposed to focus on Energy Point Control when using skills. And mostly elemental ones at that. Since you do not know the basics, I’d like to start there first, if you do not mind?

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-Please do so, elder.

-*Nod* Then, let me explain about Energy first. You are familiar with it since you are already at the fifth realm but do you know the difference between the energy you absorb and use to breakthrough between the one you use in battle?

-Not much, elder Wu.

-*Nod* Honesty is good, I commend this attitude, kid. The Energy we absorb to cultivate is the energy that exists between Heaven and Earth. You can consider it part of the world and what makes it exist. It is a raw energy that we can absorb but not use as it is. We call it outside energy. Simple, right?

-Yes, elder Wu.

-This outside energy is absorbed inside our core and will revolve around it, in its first layer. Once the first layer is filled, one will be given the chance to breakthrough to a higher realm. If he fails, at least half of that energy will be burnt away and the cultivator will have to absorb more outside energy to have a second chance. If he succeeds, all this energy is converted into the second type of energy: Inner Energy. Are you following me this far?

-Yes, elder Wu.

-*Nod* Inner Energy is energy that belongs to us. With each breakthrough, the quantity we can have goes up. Even if we use some, with time, our core will regenerate it. This is one of the most key role of the core: producing Inner Energy and the reason only those with a core can cultivate. Breaking through enables one to develop his core. Making it bigger and stronger. This results in a bigger quantity of inner energy and in faster regeneration of this energy too. We cultivators use our Inner Energy to fight and use skills.

-I understand, elder.

-Alright. Then, have you ever fought before?

-Once. During the exam.

-Those dummies? You lack battle experience, kid. Go to the lion arena later.

-Yes, elder Wu.

-So, when you fought, how did you use your Energy?

-I channeled it through my body?

-*Nod* Right. That is what most cultivators do. But it is wasteful! ‘Energy Point Control’ is the technique to limit this waste.

-So, it is the Kaizen of energy?

-Oh? You know of the Kaizen technique?

-Uh…No… Just the name.

-That is a good start.”

To Mir, kaizen was a business term from his previous life. He blurted it out instinctively. It meant to reduce costs wherever it was possible to limit wastes. He did not expect this word to exist in this world too. With a similar meaning at that!

“Disciple Mir, Kaizen is the last stage of ‘Energy Point Control’. There is a total of five! The first one is the most important as it is the base of it all. It is called ‘Channeling’ and it is what we will learn today. I won’t tell you anything about the other stages until you reach the first one. Do you understand?

-Yes, elder Wu!”

Mir did not mind. He’d learn it with just a sight like everything before anyway. He believed he would get to Kaizen in a day if Elder Wu was good enough to be at that stage himself.

Elder Wu placed his arm towards Mir and opened his palm, facing him. He said:

“Look closely!”

Mir looked of course. Energy started being emitted from the palm of elder Wu and only his palm, then, it disappeared. It reappeared covering a single finger, then a single articulation of that same finger and finally only the very tip of the nail of this finger.

With his peculiar eyesight, Mir could grasp everything happening and could not help but be amazed. This was truly worthy of being called mastery over one’s art. To have so much energy concentrated on such a single small area…Monstrous!

Elder Wu smiled at the kid in front of him while showing him his own mastery of the ‘Channeling’ stage. This is also the stage he showed Milly previously. Though she learnt alongside him for hundred days to grasp her current mastery…

Well, at least, the kid looked amazed. He’d no doubt try to learn this as well. As long as one can grasp the concept, they should be able to practice by themselves. Sure, with his advice, it’d go faster but not anyone owns so much points that they can use them on 100 days of teachings.

Milly did receive 2400 hours of teachings but the lesson she chose encompassed only the first stage and so, was relatively cheaper. Fifty times cheaper for a day. Yet 300 points a day was a hefty sum for young disciples. To think there was a kid who was ready to spend 15 000 points on a single day to learn basics…

He was soon taken away from his reminiscing once the kid in front of him decided to try his hand at ‘Channeling’ and succeeded on his first try. And not just any success. The final success proving one’s mastery: the very tip of the nail.

Elder Wu could not believe his eyes. He already considered Milly who learnt the first stage in exactly a hundred days to be a monster and this kid did it on his first try? Wait, was the kid mocking him and already knew about the technique?! He got up, angry and screamed:

“Are you mocking me?! You already knew this technique?!”

That sudden scream surprised Mir so much that he lost control and jumped from fright. Regaining his senses, Mir said:

“I did not! I just imitated what you showed me, elder Wu!”

Elder Wu was not expecting the kid to rebuke him with strength. He stared at him and did not see any lies in his eyes. Wait, his eyes…What kind of pupils were those?! What if…

“Disciple Mir, those pupils of yours…Do they have some kind of special power?

-Uh…”

Mir frowned. Indeed, his eyesight was special. His pupils were so weird that using his eyes as an excuse, he could probably bypass everything but was it truly a clever idea? He killed two good old men previously to keep his secret and now, one more man discovered it so easily. Though of course, it was the obvious reasoning to explain something that talent enough could not cope with. And many more people would discover it or think about it…

Mir knew it’d come to this and sighed in his heart. He said:

“No, elder Wu. It is due to my bloodline. I’ve got a particular skill that lets me learn from observing or makes it easier at least.”

Mir had thought of this excuse for some time and discussed its viability with Oka. Using his talent as a faker, he could easily convince anyone. Elder Wu was no exception this time, he said:

“Very interesting! *Nod* I have heard of a few clans with secret techniques to sharpen one’s senses *Nod* and seen a few *Nod* but you, kid? That’s a first for me. I never met someone who could grasp the first stage so quickly and master it at that!

-Wait, elder Wu. I’ve yet to master anything. I know how to concentrate it on one place but not how to fight and use it in battle.

-Right! You do not. Yet that is! But first, I’d like to know. What is this bloodline of yours and how did you awake to this technique?

-I was born with it. I could see better than others and when I crossed paths with the Prince, he told me it was a gift from heavens.

-A gift indeed! I thought I might be able to learn it, what a shame. But never mind! What one can’t have, one should not envy.”