Chapter 132
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Chapter 132
One week of training was hardly sufficient to be a formation master, or expert, or even really an apprentice. However, the heightened level of understanding provided by Spiritual Connection allowed Anton and the others to learn from Catarina enough for her to direct them better. They treated it just like they would combat, requiring quick movements and precision. Catarina was able to set up a version of the formation that Everheart was using that made it easier to feel the flow of energy.
Now I no longer feel like Im running around an empty room, Timothy said. I can at least see some nodes of energy. Timothy and Hoyt were having the most trouble learning, since theyd chosen to forgo training Spiritual Connection so far. That didnt mean they werent able to improve their sensing and control of energy, but it took a bit more effort. Catarina had to spend more time training them, but they put in the effort to play supporting roles. The fact that they had a team of eight meant that not everyone needed to be as good at that particular section anyway.
At that point, the team was ready to attempt The Gauntlet again. Theyd made improvements in more than that one area, and were better able to coordinate in other ways as well. Some of their abilities werent as useful in certain situations, but the whole point of the team was to be a cooperative venture. Just because Lev was lower in cultivation couldnt seriously harm the golems didnt make his abilities useless. He was one of the top three in sensing and manipulating energy, after Catarina and Firdaus.
When they returned to The Gauntlet, it was again sparsely populated. They waited for the few people in sight to move on to the next room before beginning their plan. Currently the first room was a trap room. Instead of static traps like the hallway they had dealt with earlier, each pressure plate changed slightly depending on how people moved through the area. It wasnt possible- at least not with cultivation in Spirit Building- to just run through the gauntlet of traps. Each of them was capable of seriously injuring someone if triggered.
It was a test of perception and pattern recognition. There were minute differences in how a dangerous tile looked compared to safe ones, and each tile changed others around it. The one rule that everyone knew was that a safe tile would never become dangerous while depressed. Thus, it was possible for the whole group to move through together. They werent certain if multiple people standing on the same tile would be safe, but with two groups- one led by Velvet and one by Anton- they started moving through the area, each person several tiles apart.
Anton looked carefully at a tile in front of Catarina. Its safe, right? she asked. My path here should have made it in the same state as when you crossed.
Anton nodded, I do believe so. Either way, he didnt see any of the signs that it was dangerous. He needed to see the smallest of differences in resting height but from just a handful of meters away with the use of Hawk Eyes, even height changes less than a millimeter were clear.
The group eventually made their way into the next room, which was one they hadnt seen before. A projection of Everheart was standing in the middle of the room, a book under his arm as he shook his head at the cultivator standing there. Thats three marks. You fail. Try again later. Then he swung the book with both hands like it was a club, flinging the young man out of the room and nearly onto the traps in the previous, before the door swung shut. Very well, next. This Everheart was somewhat more subdued in size and looks, portraying a handsome if scruffy man without so much muscle or physical prowess as others before him. He kept a neutral tone as he spoke. Each person must correctly answer ten questions on various topics before getting three wrong. There is a time limit before your answer must begin.
Senior Everheart, are we allowed to consult each other on the questions? Anton asked.
I am the one who will ask questions here, Everheart said.
Well, he didnt say no. Ill go first, Timothy stepped forward. He had seen Everheart unceremoniously bat the fellow beforehand out of the room, so he knew what he was getting into. Most importantly, this was one of the trials that had the smallest danger. Their information gathering over the last few weeks had merely resulted in people being annoyed that they lost due to random chance and tricky questions.
Everheart asked several questions Timothy knew on his own.
Which weapon has the advantage?
Why are different materials used in equipment?
How long would it take for a cultivator moving at this speed to reach his opponent?
What is the purpose of cultivation? L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.
As they were returning to the common areas, someone stepped out into their path. Marsens, specifically. There you are! the young man declared. I should have known. Colluding with outsiders still. Why must you cause trouble for our Frostmirror sect?
Marsen met the young man straight in the eyes. There was no trouble for any member of the Frostmirror sect in any way related to me, until you blocked my path.
Dont try to make excuses. Youre working with other sects just to improve yourself.
So? Marsen asked. This does not in any way harm the Frostmirror sects goals. He turned to Lev, perhaps sensing something- or perhaps choosing his own interpretation of Levs face. I see you are confused, Lev. You might not recognize this fellow disciple of mine. This is ceiling boy.
Im Jeston! Senior brother Jeston, to you Marsen.
That is incorrect, Marsen said. It is only proper to call someone senior brother on the condition that they are stronger than you, have more talent than you, or that you respect them. None of those are true for you. Now, are you going to challenge me to a duel, thus cementing your intention to cause conflict with your own sectmate?
A duel? Give me one good reason I shouldnt teach you a lesson right here!
First, because there would be many witnesses of your misdeeds. Second, because such a violent outburst would result in chastisement by the sect. But most importantly, because Great Golden Emperor of the Most Powerful Techniques Everheart said so, and Im certain hed enforce that.
Despite his bluster, Jeston was part of the Frostmirror sect. He was not going to get his emotions enflamed to uncontrollable levels. Yet he clearly still had them. He seemed half a step away from attacking anyway, but seeing that he was outnumbered, and perhaps remembering his time on the ceiling, he restrained himself. In fact, I was planning to challenge you to a duel. You have chosen to train with outsiders instead of with the sect, and are a traitor.
That is not how being a traitor works, Marsen commented flatly, But I accept your challenge. Tomorrow.
Fine. Jeston said. He turned to glare at Anton, I still cant believe he let an old man in here. Then he walked away.
Marsen turned to Anton, What I cant believe is that hes currently walking on the floor.
Perhaps Everheart got bored with it, Anton said. But anyway, is this alright? We would not wish to set you against your sect.
You have not, Marsen said. Jeston is an individual. Just in case, I shall properly remind others that they not only would not have been assisting me with training but that they were also allowed to train with our alliance. It is simple logic that I would make this choice.
Im honestly surprised we havent had more trouble before now, Hoyt commented. The prohibition against fighting outside of duels is one thing, but that only goes so far.
Yes, Anton agreed. I expect we will run into more trouble in the coming days. Hopefully not because we were trying to help people grow.
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Chapter 132
One week of training was hardly sufficient to be a formation master, or expert, or even really an apprentice. However, the heightened level of understanding provided by Spiritual Connection allowed Anton and the others to learn from Catarina enough for her to direct them better. They treated it just like they would combat, requiring quick movements and precision. Catarina was able to set up a version of the formation that Everheart was using that made it easier to feel the flow of energy.
Now I no longer feel like Im running around an empty room, Timothy said. I can at least see some nodes of energy. Timothy and Hoyt were having the most trouble learning, since theyd chosen to forgo training Spiritual Connection so far. That didnt mean they werent able to improve their sensing and control of energy, but it took a bit more effort. Catarina had to spend more time training them, but they put in the effort to play supporting roles. The fact that they had a team of eight meant that not everyone needed to be as good at that particular section anyway.
At that point, the team was ready to attempt The Gauntlet again. Theyd made improvements in more than that one area, and were better able to coordinate in other ways as well. Some of their abilities werent as useful in certain situations, but the whole point of the team was to be a cooperative venture. Just because Lev was lower in cultivation couldnt seriously harm the golems didnt make his abilities useless. He was one of the top three in sensing and manipulating energy, after Catarina and Firdaus.
When they returned to The Gauntlet, it was again sparsely populated. They waited for the few people in sight to move on to the next room before beginning their plan. Currently the first room was a trap room. Instead of static traps like the hallway they had dealt with earlier, each pressure plate changed slightly depending on how people moved through the area. It wasnt possible- at least not with cultivation in Spirit Building- to just run through the gauntlet of traps. Each of them was capable of seriously injuring someone if triggered.
It was a test of perception and pattern recognition. There were minute differences in how a dangerous tile looked compared to safe ones, and each tile changed others around it. The one rule that everyone knew was that a safe tile would never become dangerous while depressed. Thus, it was possible for the whole group to move through together. They werent certain if multiple people standing on the same tile would be safe, but with two groups- one led by Velvet and one by Anton- they started moving through the area, each person several tiles apart.
Anton looked carefully at a tile in front of Catarina. Its safe, right? she asked. My path here should have made it in the same state as when you crossed.
Anton nodded, I do believe so. Either way, he didnt see any of the signs that it was dangerous. He needed to see the smallest of differences in resting height but from just a handful of meters away with the use of Hawk Eyes, even height changes less than a millimeter were clear.
The group eventually made their way into the next room, which was one they hadnt seen before. A projection of Everheart was standing in the middle of the room, a book under his arm as he shook his head at the cultivator standing there. Thats three marks. You fail. Try again later. Then he swung the book with both hands like it was a club, flinging the young man out of the room and nearly onto the traps in the previous, before the door swung shut. Very well, next. This Everheart was somewhat more subdued in size and looks, portraying a handsome if scruffy man without so much muscle or physical prowess as others before him. He kept a neutral tone as he spoke. Each person must correctly answer ten questions on various topics before getting three wrong. There is a time limit before your answer must begin.
Senior Everheart, are we allowed to consult each other on the questions? Anton asked.
I am the one who will ask questions here, Everheart said.
Well, he didnt say no. Ill go first, Timothy stepped forward. He had seen Everheart unceremoniously bat the fellow beforehand out of the room, so he knew what he was getting into. Most importantly, this was one of the trials that had the smallest danger. Their information gathering over the last few weeks had merely resulted in people being annoyed that they lost due to random chance and tricky questions.
Everheart asked several questions Timothy knew on his own.
Which weapon has the advantage?
Why are different materials used in equipment?
How long would it take for a cultivator moving at this speed to reach his opponent?
What is the purpose of cultivation? L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.
As they were returning to the common areas, someone stepped out into their path. Marsens, specifically. There you are! the young man declared. I should have known. Colluding with outsiders still. Why must you cause trouble for our Frostmirror sect?
Marsen met the young man straight in the eyes. There was no trouble for any member of the Frostmirror sect in any way related to me, until you blocked my path.
Dont try to make excuses. Youre working with other sects just to improve yourself.
So? Marsen asked. This does not in any way harm the Frostmirror sects goals. He turned to Lev, perhaps sensing something- or perhaps choosing his own interpretation of Levs face. I see you are confused, Lev. You might not recognize this fellow disciple of mine. This is ceiling boy.
Im Jeston! Senior brother Jeston, to you Marsen.
That is incorrect, Marsen said. It is only proper to call someone senior brother on the condition that they are stronger than you, have more talent than you, or that you respect them. None of those are true for you. Now, are you going to challenge me to a duel, thus cementing your intention to cause conflict with your own sectmate?
A duel? Give me one good reason I shouldnt teach you a lesson right here!
First, because there would be many witnesses of your misdeeds. Second, because such a violent outburst would result in chastisement by the sect. But most importantly, because Great Golden Emperor of the Most Powerful Techniques Everheart said so, and Im certain hed enforce that.
Despite his bluster, Jeston was part of the Frostmirror sect. He was not going to get his emotions enflamed to uncontrollable levels. Yet he clearly still had them. He seemed half a step away from attacking anyway, but seeing that he was outnumbered, and perhaps remembering his time on the ceiling, he restrained himself. In fact, I was planning to challenge you to a duel. You have chosen to train with outsiders instead of with the sect, and are a traitor.
That is not how being a traitor works, Marsen commented flatly, But I accept your challenge. Tomorrow.
Fine. Jeston said. He turned to glare at Anton, I still cant believe he let an old man in here. Then he walked away.
Marsen turned to Anton, What I cant believe is that hes currently walking on the floor.
Perhaps Everheart got bored with it, Anton said. But anyway, is this alright? We would not wish to set you against your sect.
You have not, Marsen said. Jeston is an individual. Just in case, I shall properly remind others that they not only would not have been assisting me with training but that they were also allowed to train with our alliance. It is simple logic that I would make this choice.
Im honestly surprised we havent had more trouble before now, Hoyt commented. The prohibition against fighting outside of duels is one thing, but that only goes so far.
Yes, Anton agreed. I expect we will run into more trouble in the coming days. Hopefully not because we were trying to help people grow.
Chapter 132One week of training was hardly sufficient to be a formation master, or expert, or even really an apprentice. However, the heightened level of understanding provided by Spiritual Connection allowed Anton and the others to learn from Catarina enough for her to direct them better. They treated it just like they would combat, requiring quick movements and precision. Catarina was able to set up a version of the formation that Everheart was using that made it easier to feel the flow of energy. Now I no longer feel like Im running around an empty room, Timothy said. I can at least see some nodes of energy. Timothy and Hoyt were having the most trouble learning, since theyd chosen to forgo training Spiritual Connection so far. That didnt mean they werent able to improve their sensing and control of energy, but it took a bit more effort. Catarina had to spend more time training them, but they put in the effort to play supporting roles. The fact that they had a team of eight meant that not everyone needed to be as good at that particular section anyway. At that point, the team was ready to attempt The Gauntlet again. Theyd made improvements in more than that one area, and were better able to coordinate in other ways as well. Some of their abilities werent as useful in certain situations, but the whole point of the team was to be a cooperative venture. Just because Lev was lower in cultivation couldnt seriously harm the golems didnt make his abilities useless. He was one of the top three in sensing and manipulating energy, after Catarina and Firdaus.When they returned to The Gauntlet, it was again sparsely populated. They waited for the few people in sight to move on to the next room before beginning their plan. Currently the first room was a trap room. Instead of static traps like the hallway they had dealt with earlier, each pressure plate changed slightly depending on how people moved through the area. It wasnt possible- at least not with cultivation in Spirit Building- to just run through the gauntlet of traps. Each of them was capable of seriously injuring someone if triggered.It was a test of perception and pattern recognition. There were minute differences in how a dangerous tile looked compared to safe ones, and each tile changed others around it. The one rule that everyone knew was that a safe tile would never become dangerous while depressed. Thus, it was possible for the whole group to move through together. They werent certain if multiple people standing on the same tile would be safe, but with two groups- one led by Velvet and one by Anton- they started moving through the area, each person several tiles apart.Anton looked carefully at a tile in front of Catarina. Its safe, right? she asked. My path here should have made it in the same state as when you crossed.Anton nodded, I do believe so. Either way, he didnt see any of the signs that it was dangerous. He needed to see the smallest of differences in resting height but from just a handful of meters away with the use of Hawk Eyes, even height changes less than a millimeter were clear. The group eventually made their way into the next room, which was one they hadnt seen before. A projection of Everheart was standing in the middle of the room, a book under his arm as he shook his head at the cultivator standing there. Thats three marks. You fail. Try again later. Then he swung the book with both hands like it was a club, flinging the young man out of the room and nearly onto the traps in the previous, before the door swung shut. Very well, next. This Everheart was somewhat more subdued in size and looks, portraying a handsome if scruffy man without so much muscle or physical prowess as others before him. He kept a neutral tone as he spoke. Each person must correctly answer ten questions on various topics before getting three wrong. There is a time limit before your answer must begin.Senior Everheart, are we allowed to consult each other on the questions? Anton asked.I am the one who will ask questions here, Everheart said.Well, he didnt say no. Ill go first, Timothy stepped forward. He had seen Everheart unceremoniously bat the fellow beforehand out of the room, so he knew what he was getting into. Most importantly, this was one of the trials that had the smallest danger. Their information gathering over the last few weeks had merely resulted in people being annoyed that they lost due to random chance and tricky questions.Everheart asked several questions Timothy knew on his own. Which weapon has the advantage?Why are different materials used in equipment?How long would it take for a cultivator moving at this speed to reach his opponent?What is the purpose of cultivation? L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Nvl--B1n.As they were returning to the common areas, someone stepped out into their path. Marsens, specifically. There you are! the young man declared. I should have known. Colluding with outsiders still. Why must you cause trouble for our Frostmirror sect?Marsen met the young man straight in the eyes. There was no trouble for any member of the Frostmirror sect in any way related to me, until you blocked my path.Dont try to make excuses. Youre working with other sects just to improve yourself.So? Marsen asked. This does not in any way harm the Frostmirror sects goals. He turned to Lev, perhaps sensing something- or perhaps choosing his own interpretation of Levs face. I see you are confused, Lev. You might not recognize this fellow disciple of mine. This is ceiling boy.Im Jeston! Senior brother Jeston, to you Marsen.That is incorrect, Marsen said. It is only proper to call someone senior brother on the condition that they are stronger than you, have more talent than you, or that you respect them. None of those are true for you. Now, are you going to challenge me to a duel, thus cementing your intention to cause conflict with your own sectmate?A duel? Give me one good reason I shouldnt teach you a lesson right here!First, because there would be many witnesses of your misdeeds. Second, because such a violent outburst would result in chastisement by the sect. But most importantly, because Great Golden Emperor of the Most Powerful Techniques Everheart said so, and Im certain hed enforce that.Despite his bluster, Jeston was part of the Frostmirror sect. He was not going to get his emotions enflamed to uncontrollable levels. Yet he clearly still had them. He seemed half a step away from attacking anyway, but seeing that he was outnumbered, and perhaps remembering his time on the ceiling, he restrained himself. In fact, I was planning to challenge you to a duel. You have chosen to train with outsiders instead of with the sect, and are a traitor.That is not how being a traitor works, Marsen commented flatly, But I accept your challenge. Tomorrow.Fine. Jeston said. He turned to glare at Anton, I still cant believe he let an old man in here. Then he walked away.Marsen turned to Anton, What I cant believe is that hes currently walking on the floor.Perhaps Everheart got bored with it, Anton said. But anyway, is this alright? We would not wish to set you against your sect.You have not, Marsen said. Jeston is an individual. Just in case, I shall properly remind others that they not only would not have been assisting me with training but that they were also allowed to train with our alliance. It is simple logic that I would make this choice.Im honestly surprised we havent had more trouble before now, Hoyt commented. The prohibition against fighting outside of duels is one thing, but that only goes so far.Yes, Anton agreed. I expect we will run into more trouble in the coming days. Hopefully not because we were trying to help people grow.
