Slow, even breaths. Clearing my mind. And welcoming the void.
That was the style of meditation that Ei the Electro goddess followed. "In the pursuit of eternity, there are infinite imperfections, and impurities in that path. But the true eternity is that of nothingness."
"Should true nothingness be accomplished nothing can change that state of being unless you welcome other imperfections," Ei spoke softly as we sat across from each other as the sounds of nature filled the surroundings.
We had moved to the forests of Chinju Forest below Mount Yougou and I wordlessly nodded as I glowed ever so slightly with my silver aura.
"Your aura... Is a bit of a crutch in your meditation, Jake Barris." Ei said with some humor and I finally responded slowly.
"It is my very soul, and it's not a foreign object or substance that lulls me into my meditative state. It's not something that can be sealed off or otherwise taken from me with how it is my soul." I said opening my eyes to see Ei slightly floating off the ground while she was in her meditation position.
Shenhe was also sitting beside me deep in her meditation with her spear laid across her lap that she seemingly used as a focus to keep her mind on task.
For a moment Ei was silent until she exhaled and said sternly. "You are correct in that Jake, using a tool in which to accomplish your goals isn't wrong. And don't allow others to tell you how to do a task merely to fit their designs of the task should your method not cause you long-term issues."
Then Ei gently landed on her feet from her meditative levitation. "Come, let us continue your kenjutsu training."
My lips twitched as her form glowed with Electro power and then almost sensually as a purple glowing in reality formed in her cleavage, she drew her long Katana that screamed with divine power from seemingly between her breasts.
Ei was honestly a decent teacher, she told me the issues my swordsmanship had without mincing words. And told me how to improve and remove those issues... The only issue was her trial-by-fire way of teaching me involved.
Very hands-on methods...
And getting hands-on training with a god was nothing simple.
Our swords clashed with resounding clanging noises as she skillfully weaved her katana around the slashes I made with my calvary sword that I would switch around to using my powerful greatsword to make powerful smashing slashes and stabs that even Ei had to carefully divert due to the power within the Rainslasher greatsword.
"Your steps are too short, step with more confidence into your blows and out of reach." She ordered and without a word, I did what she said as I used both my swords to try to put the Electro Archon on the defensive using the powerful steps forward.
But in turn, she blocked my saber with her katana, and then she kicked my great sword perfectly on its flat side to send that swing wide. As I tried to recover my stance with my greatsword weight dragging me, I grunted as Ei took a step forward and I felt the harsh tingle of her carefully controlled lightning within the sword laying against my throat.
"Better. You are getting better my disciple." Ei said with some joy as she pulled the blade away from my neck and then sheathed her sword back between her breasts and honestly, the sight never failed to draw my attention.
Then for the next few minutes, she told me my issues, how to improve, how I should have reacted during the sparring session and of course finishing off with checking my electro control that I had been practicing under her guidance.
"Good... You bear more talent with Electro energy than you do with a blade itself, though lack of natural talent can easily be made up with via hard work." Ei spoke before she took a breath. "In fact, in order to help train your Electro energy better in the finer management side due to you still being human, I have gone ahead and asked an old friend for some assistance in the matter while I train your companion in the way of the spear as well."
And with that, I felt a soft hand land on my shoulder, with a teasing voice tickling my ears.
"Wow, Ei... After years of hiding away in meditation, you don't call, or even visit, and the first time you speak to me is to have me do a chore for you." The voice teased and I saw Shenhe staring intently behind me as my lips twitched at realizing who was behind me.
Guuji Yae, or Yae Miko was a beautiful sensual woman with soft pink hair and purple eyes, and her oddly downward fox ears were pierced with her Electro vision hanging from them. Her priestess outfit was sleeveless and almost sideless which also exposed the side swells of her breasts that I saw as she walked past me gracefully to continue to tease Ei.
"I was busy seeking Eternity as you well know Yae Miko," Ei said simply making the fox girl huff and then the priestess spun on her feel gracefully and turned towards me and seemingly took me in for the first time.
"So you are the little disciple everyone is talking about hmm-" Her gaze slid up taking in my whole form and if it wasn't how the obvious humor in her eyes I could have possibly thought she was checking me out in a different way. But my tension proved correct as she raised a hand with purple lightning crackling between her fingers. "Oh very well then. little oddity, I can teach a bit about the finer points of lightning if you are willing to do me a little favor."
I raised an eyebrow as Ei snorted and drawled out the Yae's name in obvious warning. "What do you want?" I asked frankly and the kitsune cheekily grinned.
"Oh... I want you to bring me freshly fried tofu to my shrine from the city and with that payment. I will teach you at the shrine." She said with some kind of hidden joke in her eyes that made me wonder what her game was.
But before I could say anything Ei spoke up for me. "Very well, in fact, the trial of safely climbing up Mount Yugao can also be considered training."
And with that, I had Ei beating me in physical training, meditation, and larger-scale electro use... But now I was under the teaching of teasing kitsune Yae Miko who I could easily tell had some kind of dastardly plan for me.