Chapter 16 - Primordial Techniques

Each Month Roaring Lion and Gentle Waters would come to deliver cultivation resources to the Soaring Hill and take the Dao Imprints Falven was making.

As one of the three core disciples his treatment was very generous and could be tailored to his needs. Because he was only at the Soldier stage, the sect could satisfy his requests providing him the most suitable resources. The best available resources had higher costs for higher grades. Thus, it was not an issue for a top third rate sect to secure high quality medicines and cultivation materials for a Soldier cultivator.

At the end of the fourth month the youth was ready to start the core formation process. When a cultivator started transforming the chi flame in a chi core he would enter the Soldier Veteran stage. After having left the Specialist stage there wouldn’t be other opportunities like this to refine chi, thus Falven took his time devoting himself wholeheartedly to the purification process.

Two drops of the precious White Cloud Aqua entered his meridians. This aqua had miraculous purifying properties, reinforcing and complementing his efforts it helped him ending the chi cleansing process. Falven finally entered the Veteran stage with perfectly pure chi.

If others had analysed his transparent black shaded chi flame they would have been astounded, speechless. Percentages of pure chi would lose all meaning at this sigh because no impurities were left at all. A legend was rising, a terrific existence who would outshine the Falven of the past, be it for good or for evil.

That day Falven had also reached success in cultivating his combat arts. 3 Primordial Steps technique, it was deemed to be too basic, but simplicity can be powerful, simplicity can be enlightening, simplicity can be beginning and destination.

The main text on the stone plate was ambiguous and almost no detailed descriptions were provided. Additional lines explained how to circulate the chi and how to move the body in accordance with the technique, but because of the passing of time some of these parts couldn’t be read clearly.

“3 steps to do it all: 1 step to escape death, 1 step to outrun death and 1 step to become death.

3 is the core, 3 evolves, transforms, changes. 3 as 1, its unique unit, 3 as 9, when everything evolves.

The Dao is the same through the eras and always different, it is flawless eternal cycles. Let the peak reach a new perfection, returning to unity. 3 is essential, 9 is perfection. Bask in the perfection to return to true essentiality”.

“I should have understood the first two parts and I have some hints on the last one, but I cannot be sure until my cultivation is high enough to actually try it. It won't be long before the opportunity to test this movement in a real fight comes” Falven left the formation designed for training in movements techniques, reaching another training ground of Soaring Hill. A powerful formation was empowering a human silhouette holding a shield, the perfect way to test the power of a fighting skill.

The Dao Slaying Manual was incomplete too, but Falven had never doubted his ability to unfold its mysteries. Starting from the most meaningful passes of the manual, whose words were drenched in laws that he could communicate with and meditate on, he had understood the essence of this slaying technique.

“Don’t try to slay, don’t swing to slay, don’t thrust to slay, don’t advance to slay. Slaying is not just the end, but the process.

To slay you do not cut the enemy, you do not kill him nor you slash him, you slay him. Utterly slay, his chi, his skin, his muscles, his blood, everything shall be slain.

The slaying blade has ruthless slaying chi. One slash for countless slashes, countless slashes for infinite slaying potential, infinite slaying potential for the ultimate slash”.

The youth could feel it, the most primordial techniques all had something in common, as originated from the same source, the Dao itself. Dao is everywhere, it’s in each law and rule of the world. Wether it’s a single rain drop or a monstrous tsunami, everything happens according to the Dao. The laws are the same, both for the micro and for the macro. You need to evolve and develop to achieve maximum perfection returning to unity.

Holding Black Claw, the old dagger with black runes, Falven adopted the slaying stance. Thanks to the brutal Asura Law he was sure to master the best offensive art. He was determinated to merge the Asura Law with the top techniques he could train in and which were somewhat compatible with it.

The core cultivation art was activated, letting the chi flow in the dagger, following its runes and covering the blade, drenching it in the asura laws. Then he activated Dao Slaying Manual teachings. Each strand of chi started to change shape, becoming a blade similar to the one of the dagger.

The asura chi which was surrounding the blade formed infinite chi blades, all the blades had an independent slaying potential and were wrapping around the dagger, building up a single tremendous blade. One ominous blade gave the feeling of an entire army pointing at you their swords full of killing intent.

“Slay!” Black Claw moved in a simples and ruthless way, projecting a chi blade forward. This chi blade contained all the wonders of the dagger and it was composed of countless slaying blades drenched in asura laws, all the blades merging together to slay the enemy, exponentially boosting each other.

The chi blade impacted the shield raised by the silhouette, disintegrating it and slaying the human figure. Utter destruction. “The result is satisfying indeed, my efforts have not gone wasted”.

Although the dagger was a great secondary weapon, the youth needed a weapon more suitable for the slaying Dao. After refreshing himself he left the peak to get his hands on a blade with more striking power he could use as primary weapon.

Just outside Soaring Hill, a group of 5 disciples was waiting for him. Their uniforms showed they were outer sect disciples, compared to Roaring Lion and Gentle Waters their foundations and arts were far worse, as two worlds apart. Just one of them seemed somewhat decent considering the level of the sect, he was the leading character in the group.

“We greet core disciple Fate Destroyer, it’s our pleasure to meet you” the leading disciple said staring at Falven, who responded with a brief nod of the head.

“We have come here to ask for senior brother guidance. I am Turp Yeath, the first outer sect disciple. My cousin, Nurvel Yaeth, and I are in need of one of your Dao Imprint. We have heard you’re a Master Dao Imprinter and we’d like to admire your work”.

“Not interested” Falven plainly answered, without caring to look at the youngsters twice and proceeding forward.

Turp’s complex darkened, with an evil smirk he and his group blocked the path of their prey “My cousin is an influential figure, he’s an inner sect disciple and close friend of Kuorn Muy, direct disciple of elder Mountain Slayer. I suggest you reconsider your answer”.