I spent the next couple of days practicing my sword techniques underwater. Initially, Myria wasn't happy about it. I gathered that she was curious about the surface world and wanted to know more by hanging out to me, or as Orin said, found me a novelty, but when I requested for a space to train, she assented.
"You can train there," she said, gesturing toward an aquatic courtyard that was located outside an underwater villa. Like most of the other structures, the villa was a dome with lots of clear screens akin to glass but probably built of something else because glass would break under such pressure.
Apparently, the princess had allowed me to stay in her family's villa as a guest. I wasn't sure if I deserved such hospitality, especially because I couldn't afford it, but she assured me that it was fine.
"You're a rare surface dweller. I convinced the higherups by telling them that you're a specimen to be observed and studied. So long as we keep notes on your lifestyle and see if there's any differences between you and us, you're welcome to stay."
"Um, will I be allowed to return to the surface?" I asked nervously, remembering what the maid and Orin said. They weren't going to execute me sooner or later, would they? And my family was waiting anxiously for me to return…eventually. For now, I was happy to stay because I saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to train and improve my strength, but I didn't intend to migrate to Atlantis permanently.
Damn, I almost called Atlantis Atlanta. Whoops.
"Yes. Eventually. I'll arrange it, but first you'll have to stay for observation. Once we have ascertained your character, we'll send you back. Of course, you have to understand that we'll do so in a way to ensure you will not remember the route back to Atlantis. It's for our people's safety."
"Yeah, you have my word."
I was aware that they were monitoring the text messages I sent to my parents, as well as the video calls. So far, I had not revealed any details about Atlantis, other than claiming that I was in a deserted island somewhere and wanted to stay here to improve my cultivation.
Perhaps she had heard that through the monitoring, and so she allowed me a place to train. I was more than happy to make use of the courtyard, practicing my Flowing River Clear Sword technique everyday. I also tried to practice my Azure Rain Celestial Arrows, but the underwater resistance reduced the force of my qi arrows by a lot.
Nonetheless, if I continued training in such a harsh environment, I felt that my body would adapt and improve more quickly. So I didn't complain, alternating between both techniques everyday. Raining arrows down on the coral and seaweed that grew out of the courtyard, or slashing my blade through the water in imitation of the sword style that dad taught me.
"Huff…"
Though I had gotten used to breathing underwater, I still hadn't been able to use all of my strength. The water was getting in the way, reducing the power of my moves, and it was draining my qi to maintain the aura and perform the necessary maneuvers.
Curious shoals of fish swam past, darting away from my blade and the ripples my strokes sent through the water. A sea snake poked its head out of the coral inquisitively before it slithered back into the forest of seaweed that swayed gently in the currents. A stingray flapped its huge wings above, covering the courtyard in shadow.
In the distance, I could see a pod of enormous whales idly drifting past, hunting for giant squids. They weren't the only marine life here. Spirit beasts of dazzling variety swam past, from dragon-like serpents to a coral-type spirit beast that ran around on four legs. Deep sea spirit beasts often emerged from the murky depths further away from the trenches, a blue and yellow fish with cute features having a lantern dangling in front of its face as it smiled.
I wondered if I could capture that in a pocket ball, and if it was also an electric type in addition to its water type.
Long neck plesiosaurs accompanied mosasaurs, the spirit beasts resembling prehistoric beasts that had been long extinct. The qi that they emanated assured me that these weren't the same creatures who had originated from the age of the dinosaurs. Thankfully, they kept to their own territories, rarely venturing to Atlantis and attacking the people who lived here.
Often, I paused in the middle of my training to admire the diversity of marine life that had proliferated in these depths. Once again, I wondered if it was truly possible for humans and spirit beasts to coexist. We didn't get along, but we could at least tolerate each other.
"Phew."
Exhaling wearily, I shook my right arm, my sword creating more ripples. The movement still felt heavy, with the water weighing down on me, and I clicked my tongue. Bubbles streamed from my mouth as I sighed again, and I waded back toward the villa.
"How do all the Atlanteans do it? Is it just a matter of time? Adapting and acclimatizing?"
I felt frustrated at the lack of progress. I knew that I was being impatient. As long as I didn't give up and continue practicing for the next few months, I should be able to adapt fully. Even so, I felt as if there was something I was missing. My cultivation techniques were water-based too, so why wasn't I able to wield them to their fullest potential in an environment full of water? Was it really because my body wasn't used to living underwater?
No, I was definitely overlooking something.
I could imagine dad crouching beside me and pointing both fingers to his head. "Why did you learn water cultivation techniques from me? You're practicing so you can actually use their full potential underwater. Think, Jun Wen!"
…yeah, I really needed to think. Taking a deep breath, I turned around and returned to the courtyard. Studying my sword, I closed my eyes and imagined the strokes in my mind. At this point, I realized that it was meaningless to just repeat the same actions over and over again. Practice was good and all, but doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result was madness.
Actually, depending on the context, that wasn't true. It was a fact that I was slowly getting used to the water pressure after practicing so much. The point of practice was to improve after doing the same thing over and over again, and I could feel my muscles developing under the exertion.
However, I felt that the improvement was too slow, and that there was a more efficient way of training. Surely, it made no sense that water cultivation techniques were weaker underwater. Gritting my teeth, I swung my sword again, sending a stream of bubbles all around me.
Then I paused and watched the sea currents flow back into place. The sway of the seaweed around me. The fish gliding away swiftly by making use of the Jetstream I had just created. There was something about the movement of the marine life that caught my attention, a little bit that wedged itself into the back of my mind and refused to leave. Something I could learn from them…
"Ah."
I understood at last, after admiring all the marine scenery around me. Even the mighty whales and ferocious spirit beasts were subject to the ebb and flow of the sea. They didn't go against the flow but instead rode the currents. Turn the flow of water to their own strength and advantage. That was what Orin did in his battle against me. He didn't simply command whirlpools, but made use of the churning rotation to augment his own strength.
In contrast, I was simply relying on brute force and trying to cut my way through the water. But water couldn't be cut. It was fluid, it was graceful, it was adaptable and it had a strength within it that was unlike the other elements. Not unyielding like metal or earth, not blazing hot like fire, or indomitable like wood.
Water was…water. And in an environment full of water, I shouldn't think too much about resistance. No, I should be tapping into the currents.
Once again, I tried practicing my sword techniques. Striking out with my blade, I gathered the watery qi around me and harmonized it with the gentle currents that lapped around me. Instead of going against the flow, I went along with it.
And my movements felt stronger. No longer weighty or sluggish. Empowered by the water around me, I could feel my strokes go faster and faster. My almost dance turned into a whirlpool, with the ripples resembling arcing blades that cut through seaweed with highly pressurized jets.
Following the same example, I conjured my azure arrows and synchronized them with the currents. The projectiles rode the tides, turning into torpedoes that exploded powerfully after absorbing the watery movement into them.
"I did it. I finally did it."
Joy flooded me as I watched the effects of my practice. My water-based cultivation techniques, so long encumbered by resistance, had finally improved by going along with the flow. I felt like I had achieved a breakthrough in my skills. As long as I kept this up, I might even be able to fight on par with Orin now. Honestly, it felt as if our cultivation realms were similar – both of us being Yellow Ranked – but he had the home ground advantage.
Well, not anymore.
Over the next few days, I made use of this new discovery to be more in tune with my aquatic surroundings. I took advantage of the flow of the sea to enhance my attacks, practicing over and over again until I got used to harmonizing my qi and movements with the tides. I wasn't sure how this would translate to fighting in the surface, but hopefully it would help.
For now, I should worry about fighting underwater. I wouldn't be surprised if Orin came to pester me again.
To my relief, he didn't. At first, I believed that he thought it would be enough to humiliate me that one time when he issued a challenge, or maybe Myria gave strict instructions that he and his lackeys not be allowed anywhere near the villa I stayed in.
As it turned out, there was a much larger threat looming over Atlantis.
After a week of practice, and when I thought it was time for me to push Myria for a date when I can return to the surface, I caught sight of an ominous shadow in the distance. Initially, I thought it was a pod of whales, or perhaps a swarm of spirit beasts, swimming near Atlantis like they did everyday, but when they darkened and came closer, I could sense some hostility.
Not only that, I caught sight of shimmering qi as the clear, transparent dome that served as a shield over the kingdom of Atlantis solidifying and thickening, as if to ward off attack. It was a subtle change, almost visually indistinct from before, but to my qi senses, it was clear that the density of the qi dome had increased tremendously, almost like a turtle withdrawing into its shell to protect itself from attack.
"What's going on?"
I immediately approached several of the staff in the villa, who were rushing about frantically. They were almost in a panic as they shouted instructions to each other. Some were even grabbing weapons from nearby racks, the usual tridents.
"Um…" I reached out to one of them, and he turned to glare at me. But when he saw that I was the princess's "honored guest," his anger faded away. The sobriety didn't, though.
"You should stay in your room, sir," he said grimly. "Atlantis is currently being assaulted by the undersea tribe."