When she had peeked in on her internal guardian, Tara found Oorun locked down to a non-existent floor within her physical port by five familiar chains. Oorun looks more bored and annoyed than distressed as she sits cross legged and doesn't bother to move.
Every time they cross weapons, Tara begins to analyze her own flaws and missteps of her techniques. She starts refining her movements to match the clone's while figuring out problems in her execution.
Tara realizes that she isn't used to her controlling new strength as a high tier Bone Crystallization. So, like teaching herself to use Ember Gather or Rain Scatter without aura, Tara retrains her body with this trial. Her eyes are like mirrors every several minutes. Being an Elite tier monster, Pinpoint racks up +5 Proficiency with every use. Unlike Inspect which has a 100 point gauge to reach level 2, this move needs 300! She isn't even halfway there but the damage dealt was pretty great, especially in the moments of a critical hit!
Just like forging so many Minor Artifacts has tempered her energies, the constant fighting is tempering her body. As she continues struggling against a foe who can counter everything, Tara's slowly gaining better control over her own body. She's using every muscle in her body when she strikes, blocks, or retreats.
Eventually, Tara stops to rest and when she does, the clone also halts. Her body feels lighter, her movements are becoming more graceful, and her limbs move with more deftness. Unlike the other stages, Billowing Muscles is a gradual transition through battle.
After what felt like tens of thousands encounters, Pinpoint is close to reaching level 2! Tara also finds herself slowly matching the clone's strength and agility as time passes. Even so, the clone still easily breaks through her defenses or evades her strikes when Pinpoint isn't activated. Tara needs moves that don't stem from her family or the Twin Sphere arts. Luckily, she had been thinking of this matter the whole time while refining herself!
Tara pulls back her right arm as if she were going to use Tiger Lunge but instead she lets out several powerful thrusts. The clone manages to block two strikes but can't stop the last three! Tara follows up with an upwards arching slash before spinning on her heel and coming down diagonally. Her body flows with the flexibility and persistence of a river!
This is the beginning teachings of the Riversword Blade Play! It was granted to her by her Title of Riversword Squire. The clone stumbles backwards several yards before collecting themself. They tilt their head in confusion as if trying to process what has just occurred. An impish grin stretches onto Tara's face. Just like the abilities of the Key to Light and Sun Claw, the clone can't mimic skills from Titles!
Tara cuts with a diagonal slash of Diverging Creek, the upwards arc Rising Waterfall, and the multi-thrust Rushing Flood in tandem with the Hufang Family Arts. As if she is a tiger crossing a roaring river, Tara's daggers move with a flowing rhythm and fierce strikes! Combined with Tara being half a step into Billowing Muscles, the clone can't cope with the unique weapon play.
The moment Tara feels she can win, Tara relents and lets the clone heal back up. Though she can probably defeat it easily now, Tara had said she wanted to reach Billowing Muscles. There is no better place for her to do so. Plus, she wants to continue to practice using both Weapon Arts and she had a few things else in mind she wanted to try.
When she feels certain that the clone is at full health, a turquoise mist pools around Tara's feet. Tara vanishes from sight, crossing the distance in an instance, as she appears behind the clone. The clone doesn't have time to react as it turns to face Tara bringing down Moon Fang for a Tiger Swipe fused with Diverging Creek! Swiftly the blade cuts down on the clone and it's pushed back!
[You have combined Moonlit Stroll with the Cloud element! Would you like to name the technique?]
"Lunar Mist Walk!"
The move combined Moonlit Stroll's presence cloaking with the mobility of the clouds. Tara has several ideas to see if they would work. It takes great focus to simply shift the two Twin Sphere energies into other elements. Applying their fusion to a Skill is even harder and a drain on her energy!
Now the trial has three goals: break completely into Billowing Muscles, get more familiar with Riversword Blade Play, and practice using the fusion elements to make her own Skills. This way both her aural energies and her body would grow!
Tara doesn't pause, as this time, crackles of thunder could be heard around her feet. There is a large flash of sun amber and electric gold as she dashes towards the clone with erratic footsteps! [Solar Thunder Waltz] is what Tara names this technique!
Orange electricity snakes around the clone's body as the lightning bolt icon for Stun appears over their head! Tara would have grinned at this if she didn't suddenly feel exhausted.
Her aura, despite her much larger pool for those at the same stage, takes a huge hit using these two back to back. Additionally, if she didn't have the perfect Twin Sphere coated bone structure, Tara was certain she would have passed out. A lesser aurator might have even died!
Tara can only rest and recover before continuing. However, thanks to Solar Recovery and Lunar Stability, Tara is back in tip top shape within 20 minutes!
Tara dispels her daggers. The sight of her aura gathering as Tiger Claw shone with the reddish brown of Magma glow on her left while Tiger Fang carried a glacial blue of Ice on her right. They are named [Broken Lava Claw] and [Piercing Blizzard Fang]. It takes less energy to do this, Tara finds, compared to the movement skills even though they are assisted with Twin Sphere energy.
Tara uses these fusion elements as she continues to uses Hufang Body Arts with the Riversword Blade Play. The clone's water versions of Tara's abilities and singular moveset can't keep up with Tara's fusion techniques. Tara fights with Magma and Ice covered skills till they feel somewhat natural.
Once she finally feels comfortable, Tara's eyes flash white, striking the clone's chest with Broken Lava Fang and Piercing Blizzard Fang. The clone is shot through the air by the force before disappearing. It's in this last use of Pinpoint that she gains enough points to level up the Skill! At the same time she finally reaches low tier Billowing Muscles. Left behind were three items that floated before her: a key, a potion bottle, and a square onyx gemstone.
[Trial of Water Passed! Awarding Key to Darkness 1/3! Mote of Darkness 1/3! Growth Potion (Basic)!]
As with before, Tara is shunted out of the trial space. Tara keeps this trial private. This time instead of going to her room, she steps in front of the gate.
Writing the word 'quicken' on the gate, she hopes her chamber time difference would accelerate faster. That way in the event of caccooning like before too much time shouldn't hopefully pass.
She sits down on a rock in the middle of a pond. The first item is an onyx gemstone which floated in front of her before melting into her navel!
[You have begun the Road to Enshrouding! Obscure (Lvl 1) Learned!]
"So the Fragment of Light reveals while the Mote of Darkness hides." Tara says as she looks at the black screen with white script before her. With how fast her growth rate is--from Skin Igniting to Billowing Muscles in a years' time within her sessions--she had been worried about continuing the trials.
After all, if she reached Billowing Muscle's final stage too soon, Sect Master Nie Yao might ask her to relocate. Though the worry of stronger people ignoring Obscure entirely was possible, for now she could be seen as a Bone Crystallization high tier to others.
With this she could continue to grow stronger, clear the trials, maybe even reach the three hidden stages of Body Altering before joining the Eightswords sect!
Tara equips the midnight black key as a Charm to Moon Fang's bracelet.
[Key to Darkness, Epic]
[Reflect] is definitely a handy defensive skill! Though it has a long cooldown, now she would take less damage when fighting! The key also added 2 levels to Obscure and strengthened her body. Now it is time for the final reward, the azure potion!
[Growth Potion (Basic)]
"I'd drink if I were you," Oorun's voice greets her as the guardian appears on Tara's right. With a crack of her neck and a cat-like stretch, Oorun nods to Tara's left.
To her side sits an Asian girl with silver hair in gorgeous white, gray, and cyan silk robes. Her sleeves hide clawed hands but Wolyung's yawn reveals her fangs. Her black feline eyes are softer than Oorun's but no less curious.
"Good evening sister, it's nice to finally make your acquaintance!" Wolyung tiredly rests her head on Tara's shoulder. Oorun rolls her eyes when Wolyung begins purring.
"Are you okay, Oorun?" Tara asks, recalling the chains that had been restricting Oorun. Oorun doesn't move away as Tara places a hand on her cheek.
"I'm fine. It was more of a pain in the ass than anything." Oorun rubs into her hand, "I just wanted to show off."
"Then come, baby sister, let's see if you can finally beat me with our new forms. I recall we didn't have a go before we were killed? Maybe you'll finally win!" Wolyung's laughter sounds like bells as she rises. It hadn't occurred to Tara that they two had interacted as Aura Beasts!
"That's only because you put up your shield and wore me out!" Oorun roars, calling her axe into her hand as she shoots up. Wolyung twirls her hand as she giggles, causing a black handled silver pointed spear to materialize in her hand. The two guardians charge at each other. Oorun's swings carry great strength and weight while Wolyung is flexible and unpredictable.
"Sister, I think it would be best if you used the potion on a skill you have and are familiar with. It would be better to train a new skill through time lest you be overwhelmed." Wolyung suggests as Tara watches them clash time after time. Wolyung's duration in her animus form is arriving as Oorun's axe cuts through her sister only to have Wolyung fade into Tara's consciousness.