"An array is a combination of inscription patterns, also known as a diagram. Each new layer adds to the old while creating new effects. In the past there was something done to enhance an array even further but that knowledge has long since been lost to us," Beiling explains as she runs a hand through a pool at her feet.
"Only the Eightsword Sect has elemental chambers like these. Otherwise we can't recreate them. It takes a vast amount of power just to manipulate space like the pocket dimensions for the training Eight Swords of Death. Attempting to add additional elemental energy to that without understanding what powers the chambers could lead to catastrophe."
Beiling shares the four other rooms with Tara. The spaces were a gigantic forest area within a canyon, a gale spun mountain with powerful gusts, a mine filled with a variety of metallic ores, and a thunderous valley where lightning and thunder clashed.
"As a member of Dark Saber, all of the chambers are accessible to you. You can even wish to take seclusion within one for a month, instead of a day for Flame Axe or even the week long Iron Sword, as long as you inform me and your other teachers. I will however urge you with only your Blood Directing low tier abilities, that you don't go beyond the second level."
They exited the thunder valley and returned to the key holding office. Tara felt the urge to ask if there were light and dark chambers but thought against it.
Beiling shows Tara around the rest of the school where the auxiliary classes were held, the cafeteria, and the two libraries. One library held literature and history while the other was the martial skill library.
In the martial skill library, lesser abilities were scribed onto diamond scrolls or crystal books, all handed down from Eightsword Sect. These were mostly found while exploring; some of them either took too long to decode, too poor a quality for true masters, or were simply in pieces. The first day of every month the martial skill library was open to all students. Light Staff and Dark Saber students were permitted to use the upper floor, known as the Celestial floor, Thunder Spear and Iron Sword could review the Nether floor, and the lower ranks could only read the first floor that had no name. Tara's excited to see what she might find among the books and scrolls.
There is one important place Beiling hadn't taken Tara, but that could wait a while. Instead she lets Tara wander free before Monday's lectures begin. On that day, Tara and the other new students would all enter the lecture hall together. Though they were all different ranks they were ultimately considered the same class.
Tara's first thought is to immediately get lunch before walking around the school on her own. She's lucky enough to find her cousins who are shocked when Riversword's princess and son of the strongest family joined their table. Niven is guarded while Bria and Sahi are nervous as they all came from a commoner's background.
This tension is dispelled the minute Leiana asks about Tara which immediately sends Niven into a rant (much to Tara's embarrassment) about how wonderful and amazing her savior is. Yaoyang is sizing up Neijin, who is doing the same before they both nod in agreement and shake hands. The rest of their class are shocked by this. Usually those of different ranks sat apart, dividing even further based on family status. This problem didn't seem to exist with Tara's group!
After they take a group tour to figure out where everything is, Yaoyang walks Tara back to her room at Leiana's request. It was more like a demand in his opinion but when Leiana gave him a deadly smile he was better off listening to what she wanted. He leaves Tara to go visit the elemental chambers.
With two days to go as she pleases and having reached Blood Directing, Tara immediately locks her door and finds a comfortable position on her bed. She'll spend the next two days gathering her Twin Sphere energies while studying this next set of memories.
Tara really likes the idea of going into seclusion into one of the elemental chambers but wants to get into a routine first. She quickly feels the Twin Sphere energy gather around each hand and then flow through her body. The two Soul Beads have grown from small marbles to bigger gems, happily absorbing the energies as they pass by their respective spots. Tara focuses on the ancient energy that is available to her fully now.
Several hours pass and Tara learns that Lunar Stability and Solar Recovery were more passive than active. As long as she had enough Twin Sphere energy to spare within her body, the two techniques would activate automatically.
As if experimenting, Tara crosses her twelve hour mark at 4 am. With her advancement to a Blood Directing aurator she decides to push her limits.
At the moment she feels too tired to continue, a wave of cool envelops her brain and soothes her oncoming fatigue. Tara carries on for another hour before finally feeling exhausted. Tara hasty writes found her new findings in a new diamond scroll before resting for a few hours.
Breakfast is brought to her by a servant, a singular who could not advance any further but wished to be in the presence of the Eightsword Academy. Thankfully, Tara pays the man a gold piece and quickly eats. Having gathered a basic understanding of the two recovery skills, Tara wants to tackle the next two sections before tomorrow!
Tara finds another part connected to her new skills: a variety of medicinal recipes for both basic but powerful pills and elixirs. Many of them had ingredients easily found locally, though a few ingredients were in very dangerous places. Tara files the thought away to study later.
The second section is a collection of symbols. Twenty two of them with the first eleven being phlox pink and the latter half being cobalt blue. In her mind's eye she watches some of them overlap in multiple ways. When they did so they turned a deep purple.
Each of the letters could be used individually but together they were more powerful. As the ancient psychic energy translated each letter from both categories to match with her current tongue, Tara realizes two things. First was that the book Tara had on her is written with this alphabet. Second, the symbol on the elemental chambers gate happened to be two overlapping letters from language!
Tara figures the easiest way to understand them all is by first memorizing each alphabet separately. Much later, she would go buy as much inscription paper and see what the effects are. Tara does her best to memorize this ancient alphabet for the next six hours.
Once she's certain she can recall them, she stops her meditation. Tara writes down a physical cipher on an unused diamond scroll. After another six hours of translating, Tara has the first two words of the book's title down: Elemental Manipulation.
Tara squeals in excitement! Her fight with the wind user had left an impression of how elemental manipulation was extremely important to an aurator. The ancient psychic energy had explained it took spiritual energy to manipulate elemental energy.
The more use of an element, the stronger your soul. In truth the Twin Sphere energy gathering technique is an Elemental Manipulation technique, which was why during her aural reading, her spiritual energy was on par with her other energies. Tara scribbles her realization down with eagerness!
Tara can't help herself the next morning, sitting at the very front of the lecture hall. She'd finally be receiving knowledge that only Martial Academy students and nobles were privy to. In her excitement she waves down her cousins as well as Leiana and Yaoyang, with the former dragging the latter over to sit despite him clambering on about how he had an image to uphold.
Leiana and Yaoyang's fame among their class spoke for themselves but even within their ranks Tara's cousins were starting to make a name for themselves. In the past two days they had surprised everyone.
Niven had practiced her spear work with others in her rank. Her arcs are graceful and sweeps were so powerful that the nickname Comet Spear stuck. Bria had only spent a small time with Elder Faigo after the Hufang family Tournament but her precise and quick abilities yet small frame became a great source of inspiration that they had begun to call her the Asteroid Forger. Sahi's larger frame but gentle floating hands when it came to medicine earned him the Meteor Alchemist.
Neijin was in a world of his own. Yaoyang had offered 20 platinum coins to anyone who could defeat him. Neijin lost but not nearly as spectacularly as the others.
He had even caused Yaoyang to use his aura at the last moment! If Yaoyang was the Lightning Dragon then Neijin was the Steel Jaguar, able to take strikes from electricity and channel them into strength. Tara's trio turned into a septet, a group of seven, from this.
The very first lecture is about the Body Altering stages. Everyone who was from a lower family or a wanderer had assumed they understood the basics.
This was proven wrong when they were asked where the three aural energies were located. They had never thought about where the energy was being stored, never focusing deep enough on where their three energies came from.
"Spirit energy is located in the navel. It sits in like a square box? Mental energy is in the brain in a sphere while physical energy is in the heart! It's a pyramid!" Tara raises her hand and answers when called on. Their teacher's very impressed and Tara simply grins.
"Yes, that is correct! All three of your aural energies reside in these metaphysical places. We call them the aural ports. The reason why some are able to cross through the Body Altering stages faster or easier than others depends on the output of your energies."
"Before becoming an aurator, the energy you circulate in your body is actually from the world itself but in minuscule amounts. Those of you from higher level families were able to train in the three disciplines of weapon forging, inscription patterning, or medicine making."
"Alongside teaching you various combat skills, these focuses were used to temper your bodies and begin opening up an entrance to harbor aural energies. The amount of space in which a person's aural ports open varies from person to person. It's a cycle: using more aural energy leads to gathering more atmospheric energy and vice versa."
Though Tara had basic understanding of this after her encounter with ancient energy, she still took notes that could further her own contemplation. Their teacher went on to explain that within the battle skill library there would certainly be methods to create larger openings.
"Is it true that stages above not only change your body but your mind and soul?" One of the wanderers from Flame Ax asks.
"Yes, that is true. Take for instance when reaching Vein Plating. At this stage you're able to begin your elemental manipulation training. By fusing your aura with elemental energy, not only will your spiritual energy increase, you will also see enhancements to your mental or physical aspects! This is all thanks to Vein Plating giving a qualitative change to spiritual and mental energy!"
The Hufangs all shared a similar look of understanding on their faces. The Twin Sphere technique truly was a fate changing skill now that they had perspective. It was Elemental Manipulation art that even singulars and beginners can learn!