When Felicity finally left, Lucas found himself alone in the pagoda. He had nothing but his own determination. Feeling the familiar pull of aimlessness, he decided to channel his energy into training, hoping to awaken his wish to live among immortals.
"I wonder what's happening with Felicity now... Oh, right, she just left," he mused, slapping his forehead. He couldn't believe how quickly he was reverting to his old self.
'I better practice the Origin Martial Technique now,' he resolved.
With renewed determination, Lucas exited the pagoda and stood on the flat, cemented ground outside. He opened the book detailing the technique and carefully read through its contents. As he absorbed the information, he sighed.
"The technique basically says to be talentless. What a joke. If it weren't for what Felicity said, I'd call this the most useless technique I've ever read. But I must admit, even though it didn't make sense at first, I eventually grasped the meaning behind those words."
The Origin Martial Technique advised practitioners to refrain from incorporating physical training initially. It didn't prohibit physical training altogether; it simply cautioned against embedding martial arts into one's foundation too early.
As Lucas contemplated the technique's guidance—essentially instructing him not to practice his reflexes—he sighed again, feeling the weight of the challenge ahead.
First, the technique instructs you to concentrate on the lotus form. During your breathing exercises, meditate and visualize a fight involving only bare hands.
This aligns with the section that advocates becoming talentless, as those who merely imagine and fantasize are often perceived as less talented.
It's unfortunate to think that fantasizing means you can't attain something. But for Lucas, this was nonsense—mages needed a wild imagination. However, this martial technique came from a different world with its own rules, which Lucas had yet to fully understand.
Second, the practitioner must not cut corners or shorten the process. Learning the technique partially is useless; it must be mastered in its entirety.
"Patience is just a game to me... I've lived over a thousand years only to die, so I have to learn this... Or am I even making sense?" Lucas muttered to himself.
Third, the practitioner must be imaginative rather than practical. This applies solely to the technique, not to overall discipline. After reading this, Lucas took a moment to breathe and reflect.
In summary, Lucas needed to learn how to fight within his mind. He had to complete the entire process and make it a part of his foundation. Since this martial art was designed for those with no natural talent, the first step was to master the basics through imagination.
"Basics..."
After a few days, weeks, and months, Lucas finally grasped about half of the technique. His mental images of movements were shadows of himself, envisioning a martial arts master. These imagined figures were sharp and precise, capable of deadly strikes with a single arm. Such visions were the aspirations of someone talentless in martial arts.
His hands and movements became less refined and more awkward.
Despite his uncertainty about the technique's effectiveness, he trusted Felicity's assurance that it was tailored for him.
Lucas had no desire for martial arts expertise. If anything, he aspired to be like a drunken master.
This was a childhood dream. However, realizing his lack of physical talent, he turned to the mind, to magic.
After another month, Lucas stood up from his meditation. It felt as if the martial technique had become a part of his foundation. During cultivation, his body felt more relaxed and light. As he calmed himself, it was as though clouds became his companions, lifting him skyward and carrying him across great distances.
The more he practiced, the more surreal it became. The sky transformed from a blank canvas to a vivid blue, the sea became clear, and rivers exuded tranquility. In his mind, mountains formed, and atop one stood a version of himself, swaying his arms—soft, formless, yet deadly.
"So, this is the purpose of the technique? After days of intense imagination and cultivation, I wonder if there's been any real result," Lucas murmured, examining his body.
In reality, his physique had become more defined. Though he hadn't engaged in physical training, the spiritual energy he accumulated over those days had nourished him.
Feeling accomplished, he exhaled deeply and began to float.
"I've completed the martial technique. It signifies that I've finally comprehended it; if I've reached this point, I can now move forward. I wonder what I need to learn next."
As he pondered this, a vicious smile curled on his lips.
"I will study more... I will master more martial techniques!" he declared, laughing.
But suddenly, his laughter stopped. A clicking sound snapped him out of his thoughts, jolting him back to reality.
"What's happening to me? Why am I becoming power-hungry? I only want to live among immortals. Ugh... I'll remain aimless for a few months, and if I feel like it, I'll try to live with the people here," he muttered.
Lucas knew it would be dangerous if he strayed from his true path. He had almost fallen into a trance, but his real goal brought him back. However, for now, things needed to change. He had to embrace this aimlessness, finding clarity in the moment to eventually reach his goal, for him to not fall into the same loop of thirst for power.
He descended to the mainland, resuming his cultivation. After months, he realized it was becoming futile—he had cultivated enough and couldn't progress further.
He understood that reaching the Emperor stage would be difficult, as he was currently at the 3rd level of the King Spirit Realm in both of his energy pools.
He had broken through two more stages since then. The abundance of the Mountain Temple filled him with gratitude for Felicity's guidance.
Swish!
He flew straight, swiftly, slicing through the clouds. Vacuum sound reverberated. People below could only wonder why the clouds split as if someone was moving through them.
But Lucas was unaware that people were witnessing his movements as a phenomenon. The sight of the sky splitting was far from ordinary. However, Lucas couldn't care less about what he was doing. He felt lost, as if darkness had covered his vision. Unfamiliar with his surroundings, he was uncertain about his next steps. His only thought was to live in the moment.
"What the heck! Where should I go? Should I go there? Here? Wait! I'm just going to buy something, so what if I go to Morning Sun City? But I don't even know where it is..." he muttered to himself, feeling increasingly confused.
Despite the benefits of the technique, he hadn't realized its side effects. His constant immersion in imagination had distorted a part of his personality. He had become formless, just like the martial technique he had learned. Yet, he retained the ability to think and make decisions.
He didn't know that martial techniques could have side effects. He had only aimed for the benefits, unaware of the potential drawbacks. Gradually, as he flew back and forth, he began to sense something was off.
'What am I doing? It feels odd to act this way. Perhaps studying that technique for months has made me a little stupid,' he thought.
Reflecting on it, this made sense, as he had been fantasizing about fights constantly. He saw himself as a fool, but he knew it was only temporary.
'I've really become stupid. Maybe it's also because I've secluded myself from socializing for so long.'
Finally, reaching his limit, Lucas stopped moving and built a platform in the sky. He sat on it in the lotus position and began meditating. This way, he could think more clearly and reflect on the changes in himself since he began cultivating the martial technique.
'I must unseal my other passives. I need to activate my Tranquil Mind ability as much as possible. As long as this martial technique is part of my foundation, I won't escape this stupidity,' he resolved.
Lucas began unsealing his core and noticed that his three energy pools were gradually becoming balanced. About 40% of his core now matched the strength of his dantian and third energy pool, indicating significant progress.
After a few hours of meditation, he completed the unsealing process and realized the true name of the origin martial technique he had practiced.
"It was called 'Formless Art,' but now that I think about it, it means everything in your mind will be formless, and only the skills you can perform will be a reflection of your imagination."
---
[A/N: Please forgive my errors.]
I came to realize that I was using the wrong term for the name of a building. Until now, I've been using 'pavilion' which is wrong! It was supposed to be a pagoda! Please forgive me! They were both different types of infrastructure. I will edit it! And if you can still read this, it means I haven't, so please understand it. I'm crying right now...
Also, I have another word. What happened to Felicity was necessary. Why did it happen? Because in the next few chapters, the real plot will start. The world wouldn't just revolve around Lucas, so it means that you will see a few perspectives of new characters. Also, Felicity is still part of the crucial characters so she'll have her own chapter!
So that was all. So 'Golden Pavilion' is now 'Golden Pagoda'.