Merely, ridic human, merely. Obliviously living and dying. Dissension within one's state. A robust fleshly vessel yet feeble noesis and frail animus equates enigma.
-Tripartite Symbiosis
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Lifting his sword and concentrating, Lex started feeling his Qi moving towards his arms and sword.
Then, with a mighty swing of his sword, he struck the large boulder.
Soon enough, they discovered that he also left a few centimeter deep mark, a few centimeters deeper than the one made by Atroth.
"You also tried to condense your Qi in your sword just like our instructor," Niles said what he observed in his attack.
Niles, with the same age as Lex, just recently advanced and has a cultivation of Iron-rank Martial Scholar.
"It's a bit tricky," Lex remarks. He really did tried to focus his Qi on the blade edge when slashing but was not proficient enough in it, resulting in a dispersion of his Qi. Thus, not being able to leave a deep enough mark.
Lex shared his insights with the group and soon enough, gained massive thanks from them.
Since they are of one village and are few in number, everyone is well acquainted with one another, forming stronger solidarity.
Additionally, the threat of the mystic beasts made the group more coordinated. Since it is not a competition and learning this skill signify the increase in their power against the mystic beasts, Lex is very much happy to shared it to everyone.
Soon, the group started practicing condensing their Qi.
Niles patted his back and praised him, "You are, as always, very sharp Lex. Just after the demonstration and already getting the hang of it."
"Not really. I still need a lot of practice. But you are also sharp, being able to notice the main point of the training." Lex said to Niles.
"I may know how to do it but I need more time to practice that move unlike you," replied Niles as he also keep repeating the stance and concentrating his Qi on the sword.
On the other hand, Atroth laugh as he keep swinging his sword and slashing. He was the type with a more intuitive kind of approach.
His body takes charge and he follows along with it. Sure enough, his progress is not that much slower than Lex.
Seeing him, Lex and Niles break in a laugh.
"You might not be as fast as we are in learning but you simultaneously practice the Marksman Path. You are a genius of your own," Lex said to Niles.
Just like Lex said, Niles is a swordsman and also a marksman. Although not the best in either field, he is above average and has his own strong points that can make him shine.
"Thanks. But it also requires me to invest a lot of time. By the way, I must go now to catch up to the Marksman Path lesson. Let's practice again after I got the training requirement there," exclaimed Niles.
Then he runs to the group of Marksman Path practicing a short distance away from the Sword group.
In the other end of the training grounds, the Marksman Path group also started their training.
This path, instead of using a sword, focus on using a bow. Marksmanship has harsher requirement than Swordsmanship. Stable arms are required to make sure the bow does not tremble as well as a keen eyesight to hit the target.
The Marksman Path group was taken charge of by another male instructor. But unlike the previous rigid instructor, this one can be said to be more approachable and shows more enthusiasm in teaching.
The group is required to make a long range shooting of a 200-meter target. It might seem impossible for ordinary person but for a cultivator with proper techniques and skills, it will be a piece of cake.
Cultivation enhances a person's physical attribute, enabling them to do what an ordinary person deem as impossible.
The training grounds, although not a school, taught the youths of ages 12 to 18 who steps into the Martial Path the weapon-specific skills, necessary techniques against mystic beasts, combat awareness and coordination, disciplines in the wild, and ways in identifying herbs, mushrooms and fruits edible for consumption as well as basics in concocting in case one got lost in the wild.
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After their morning training, Lex, Atroth and Niles meet up and had a hearty lunch in a nearby tavern.
It was a delectable meal with variety of food in the table consisting of different cuisine that showcase the abundance in meat and spices fresh from the forest.
The trio's consumption can only be described as monstrous since they ate a meal enough for seven people. Clearly, the morning training drained much of their energy reserves.
For martial cultivators, eating is another way of cultivating. Through consumption of high quality meat from mystic beasts, it enables them to digest the beast Qi within its flesh.
After the meal, the trio can feel the vigorous beast Qi coursing through their body as they digest the flesh.
They spent some time consolidating the beast Qi they just consumed before they go and perform their duties for the village.
The village may be small but it has a systematic workflow that keeps the community going, ensuring safety and sustainability of the whole village.
The afternoon chores for most adults and youths ensures the abundance of food in storage.
Some of the works are herb gathering, ore mining, hunting for meat, pelts and beast cores, as well as exploration.
It's true that mystic beasts are dangerous especially to ordinary people. However, just like they always say that fortune and danger comes together, a mystic beast body has variety of uses.
Mystic beasts, similar to cultivators, can also harness mystic energies. Powerful mystic beasts have elemental affinities or racial skills that makes them unique.
Just like the Grizzly Lunar Bear that has a racial trait of Moon's Blessing, gaining power from the moon, other beasts have their own strength.
Mystic beasts illuviate or accumulate their energy by absorbing mystic energy in the air and storing it in the beast cores within their bodies.
Additionally, mystic beasts have their own rankings based on their threat level.
The lowest tier of are the Hazard-class beasts from ranks 1 to 30.
The Grizzly Lunar Bear is a Level 15 Hazard-class beast comparable to a Platinum-rank Martial Scholar.
[Note: Martial Apprentice, the lowest cultivation rank, has 10 subranks. The next rank, which is the Martial Scholar, also have 10 subranks. Platinum-rank is the 5th subrank.]
After killing a mystic beast, one can obtain this beast core. Although beast cores have coarser mystic energies than the ones from mystic crystals, it makes the illuviation faster than absorbing it directly in the air.
Atroth steps out of the tavern and said, "I must go now. My mission this week is herb gathering in the Yin Yang Valley. What about you two?"
"I have some errands that the elders assugned me," Niles replied.
"I have my arcane lesson today with the Village Invoker," Lex said as he started waving them goodbye.
"Yeah you freak. Saying I am a genius yet you are the one who cultivates two different paths!" Niles teasingly remarked to Lex's earlier statement.
"Hahahaha. You are both genius!" Atroth added. Then, the trio went to their separate ways.
In front of Lex is the Arcane Tower. Filled with strange symbols and runes on the outer walls, the tower, consisting of seven floors, stand tall within the center area of the village.
It is the pride of Invokers to have an Arcane Tower because only those having a rank of Arcane Masters and above can build their own towers.
Moreover, all Arcane Towers have seven floors based on Invokers' doctrines. The differing factor between each Arcane Towers are the runes and symbols engraved as well as the power it can produce.
Lex entered the Arcane Tower and arrived in a study room. Inside the room, nine other youths are already here, waiting, ready to learn more about the Arcane Path.