"Young Bei said you know about the final phases of the Body Altering stages, though such a lesson won't be covered for some time within the Academy. I suppose from what your family acquired from the ruin expedition, you discovered some information?"
Tara doesn't confirm or deny anything as they continue on. She's curious as to what he was going to show her.
"If achieving every new phase of Body Altering is the road of martial arts, then the final two stages are diverging paths. How one develops both their internal and external abilities determines which path they may walk. Young Bei has a keen mind and is fantastic at completing multiple tasks at once. Eye Illumination was the path for her. Alternately Little Dai has shown explosive strength even since he was, well, your age. Stomach Enshrouding was where he was led."
"Can't both be done at the same time?"
Nie Yao chuckles. "Simply reaching the beginning of the low tier for these stages is commendable. The final two are on different levels entirely. Such that many powerful individuals spend decades just to reach the mid level of their initial paths, to say nothing of completing another stage."
Before Tara could even wonder if Nie Yao was one of those experts, they had arrived at the elemental chambers. Not even the uncle who gave out the keys to each one was present. Instead of going to get a key, they walked right before the transfer door. Tara watches as Nie Yao swipes his right pointer finger in the air along the door. The several symbols that form from his powerful aura looked frighteningly familiar: they were part of the ancient alphabet!
In his peripheral vision, Nie Yao sees the look of recognition on Tara's face at his symbol work. Truly this girl and her family were not simple at all. As they step through the white portal, Tara's in awe. Unlike the other chambers which were places set within nature that represented their element, this chamber was different.
Before them was a fantastical castle with six different colored banners falling down the walls. Brightly colored with elemental symbols stitched in white crested the fabric, they were domineering. The guard towers were seemingly empty with ignited black lanterns keeping them bright.
A massive white wooden gate blocks the entrance with a gigantic black square shaped lock.
"This is the chamber of Light within the academy. Unlike the true chamber, it's not nearly as grand or heavily guarded." Nie Yao says with some pride. This ability to access this space and witness this castle was a secret passed down to every sect leader. It was to be used for personal training in one of the hardest elements to fathom and assist the growth of the rarest of talents. "It is impossible to enter the castle, however. Many of my predecessors have given up and simply are happy to meditate before it."
Tara understands what he was getting at. He wants to see if she could break the lock and enter this castle. While she had some idea of what needs to be done, Tara feels like she might not be strong enough to face whatever was within. Still, there was no harm in her trying.
The moment she approaches a knight in glistening white armor outlined in cobalt blue appears. Wolyung growls within her soul at the figure. Its eyes flash over her with a white light.
[Stage Requirement: Not met. Trials Completed: 0. Keys Collected: 0. Turn Back Or Face Death.]
As the layered voice of the system calls out, Tara quickly takes a step backwards and the knight disappears. She returns to Nie Yao's side who was waiting patiently. He nods in understanding when she repeats what the knight had said. He and the previous sect masters had been told something similar. They couldn't understand what was meant by trials or keys. Nie Yao then takes Tara to the final chamber.
Within the Dark chamber stood an impervious fortress. White glowing lamps could be seen faintly within the black stoned building. Similar colored banners fell down the walls with each element colored in black this time. A white circular lock kept anyone from intruding.
The knight that appears before Tara in this chamber wore heavier armor than the previous. With the white knight the semblance of a face was visible, but with this black knight only the eyes were visible.
If Tara was not familiar with the shade of fierce pink, she would have mistaken it for blood under the dark helmet. The same message is repeated and the two leave the hidden chambers.
Despite the predictable outcome, the sect master is actually grinning. Today had been very fruitful and he had met an interesting child who's future was uncertain but truly bright.
"Child, remember the symbols I used to enter those two spaces and see if you can uncover their secrets. Young Bei will certainly help you as much as she can, so it's best not to hide too much from her as she is your teacher." Nie Yao imparts onto Tara as he stands before the portals, as if he could see all that she was hiding.
"This student thanks you for sharing such knowledge!" Tara bows and runs off.
As Nie Yao watches her bound away, tower master Craonis appears by his side.
"Hello, Master! I was just going to summon you." Nie Yao greets the spirit. Craonis merely nods, looking in the direction of the elemental chambers.
"You truly believe this child can unlock the secrets of those two chambers?"
"You've shown me what she can do in both the trial and true towers. Just now she knew that I was writing in the ancient script. All we can do is wait."
"Hmph. If she does, I'll give you something from my personal storage."
Nie Yao grins. "Weren't you going to give her something as well? I recall that illusion in her final fight mentioning it."
"She's nowhere near strong enough for anything I can give her. I will reward her when she's able to enter the sect." Craonis declares, finally looking in his past student's eyes.
With the sect master's push, maybe it was time to share some of what Tara has learned and discovered this past year. However, she has a few things she wants to take care of.
First, she took the pills and potions she had gotten from the animus to the Academy's alchemy experts. They had doted on her from day one. For someone so young to take up an interest in alchemy was rare. They welcome the challenge of deciphering how the contents were developed and their uses. If they could figure it out, it was possible they could create something similar for fellow humans.
Secondly, she had to write the report of what had occurred post the kidnapping. Having promised the two clans to keep them a secret, she merely recounts how she escaped.
As for how Viyen's restrictions disappeared, Tara merely says that the tension and stress of the situation had allowed the princess's aural energy to go berserk. Knowing that Viyen's bloodline was special out of all of her family, surely they'd accept such an answer.
Finally, she spends some time recording what she had learned over the past few days. With more questions than answers to process, when she looks up it's almost dinner time. Excited to see her cousins and Leiana after so long she eagerly rushed out of her room to the dining hall.
Upon entering, the area went silent as everyone eyed her. Confused but unperturbed, she made her way to their usual table. Yaoyang's absence was not only visible but audible as Leiana was quieter than usual.
"So tell us what happened after you disappeared!" Neijin asks, extremely curiously.
"Yes, tell us how you dashingly saved my little sister, young squire." Leiana teases lightly. Tara blushes slightly but begins to describe what happened.
All the ears of the cafeteria were listening as Tara exaggerated some of the truth, such as how many enemies she faced and how they survived. She leaves out pieces such as the Long's involvement and coming across the two clans. Some present were enamored with how she protected their home's youngest princess, some were jealous of not being able to go on such an adventure themselves.
With the tale told, Tara finally visits Beiling. She stands outside the door for a moment before knocking.
"Come in, Tara, I hope your time with the sect master was insightful?"
Tara enters and takes her seat before Beiling. "Yes, I have an idea of how I want to move forward. Teacher, there's some things I wish to tell you--no, that I think I should tell you."
"Then please don't hesitate. I'm here to guide you, after all." Beiling reaches out and ruffles Tara's hair and Tar remembers the woman from her dreams. When Beiling pulls her hand back, Tara's illusion has dropped midway. Tara decides to start with what she felt Beiling had already realized, being as strong as she was.
"Well, first, I'm an animus. I only found out some time ago," Tara begins, and with it comes a flood of information.
While not mentioning what exactly happened in the ancient ruins, she says that the new technique that her family used drew energy apparently from both light and darkness. Beiling had made that assumption from the elemental crystal's creation. Tara reveals her family found a way to learn the ancient language and about the recent dream she had. The other girls, the doors, and the woman at the end. Tara waits after finishing to let her teacher process this new information.
"Dreams are powerful but confusing things. They can signify what's to come or answer questions one hasn't even asked. Maybe seeing these other girls and these...doors, was it? It is a sign of something you must seek out to understand."
"For now I think it's best to strengthen yourself and truly reach Billowing Muscle first. If your strength now matches a low tier of that level, then at that time you should be able to protect yourself no matter what comes." Beiling suggests. Inwardly a sense of urgency settles into her soul. Her first pupil seems to be deeply connected to something beyond her and that is cause for worry. Beiling's frown shows this as she pauses.
"As for the woman at the end, they sound like a spirit but I don't know if they're kind or malevolent."
"If it helps they feel familiar as if they've been protecting me for a while." Tara is certain that the woman was the physical form of the ancient aura. Ever since the dream Tara had been attempting to connect with it in an active fashion but it was quiet.
"Hm, that's a small comfort. We'll just have to wait and see what becomes of it. For now, let us further your elemental training." Beiling was proficient with wind herself, swirls of phtalo green energy swirling around her palms. "The first thing Vein Forging low tiers begin to understand is that what we control aren't true elements. They are merely applications of aural energy." She releases the energy with the swirls taking on the shape of birds and butterflies.
"I thought only at Vein Plating could we start fusing elements to our aura?"
"The amount we're channeling is truly miniscule. Truthfully to do so at Vein Plating is, while it is in the realm of possibility, still a rarity. Even I didn't gain my winds until Marrow Sparking. Only someone like Princess Viyen could do so at your current stage."
"Then what does it mean to have control over the true elements?" Tara's confusion shines through.