"Again," D commanded, his voice echoing in the underground chamber.
Grim wiped sweat from his forehead and adjusted his grip on his sword. After nearly two weeks of non-stop training, his body ached in places he didn't know could ache. But he'd never felt stronger.
He took the stance D had drilled into him. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and his sword held at waist level. He drew in a deep breath, and began to gather mana the light mana and the natural energy.
The mixing came easier now. It once felt like trying to blend oil and water. It was now like blended colors in a pot of water. The aurora energy flowed into his sword, causing the blade to glow with shifting colors.
With a sharp horizontal slash, Grim released the energy. A multicolored flash erupted from his blade, hanging in the air for nearly a full second. It lasted four times longer than his first successful attempt. When he ended the slash, his blade returned to its scabbard in one fluid motion.
Chen Xing, who had been watching from the side of the chamber, raised an eyebrow. "His control has improved."
"Barely," D grunted, but Grim could tell he was somewhat impressed. "The Aurora Flash should disorient an opponent for at least two seconds. You're getting closer."
Grim nodded, trying not to show how pleased he was with the praise.
"Now, show me your progress with Sundering Slash," D ordered.
This was the technique Grim still struggled with. He'd spent countless hours practicing the drawing motion, but compressing aurora energy into the blade's edge remained frustratingly difficult.
He put his right hand on his sword hilt. He closed his eyes, focusing on drawing aurora energy and directing it into the sword while it was still sheathed. The challenge was compressing it, forcing it to remain stable until the moment of release.
Grim felt the energy building, fluctuating between the different color spectrums. He concentrated on compressing it, packing it tighter and tighter along the edge of his blade.
"Now," D commanded.
Grim drew the sword with all the speed he could muster. As the blade cleared the sheath, a thin arc of light shot forward. It was nothing like the powerful slash D could produce, but definitely more than just a glowing blade.
The arc traveled about ten feet before dissipating. It had cut a small groove into the stone floor, barely half an inch deep.
"Pathetic," D said. "But you're beginning to grasp the concept. The compression is still too weak, and your drawing speed needs to be at least twice as fast."
Grim sheathed the sword, breathing hard from the effort. Even that small arc had drained a significant portion of his mana. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He gasped and dropped to one knee, clutching at his torso.
"What the hell?" he choked out. The pain was spreading, burning through his arms and legs like molten metal in his veins.
[Your mana conduits are damaged,] the voice in his head warned. [Several of your mana circuits too.]
"Fuck!" Grim swore, doubling over as another wave of pain hit him. "What's happening to me?"
D watched impassively, arms crossed. "Your mana conduits are tearing. Your circuits are overloaded. This is expected."
"Expected?" Grim snarled, his face contorted with pain and rage. "You knew this would happen? You fucking bastard!"
"Calm yourself," D said, his voice cold. "I damaged them on purpose."
"You WHAT?" Grim tried to stand but fell back to his knees as the pain intensified. "Are you insane? You've ruined my cultivation!"
"Quite the opposite," D replied calmly. "When your conduits and circuits heal, your mana absorption rate will increase by approximately twenty-five percent."
Grim stared at him in disbelief, still clutching his chest. "That's... that's not how it works. Damaged conduits slow mana flow. Everyone knows that."
"Everyone is wrong," D said. "Certain mana, when properly purified, must follow specific channels. The human body naturally forms too many pathways, diluting the flow. By damaging select conduits, I've forced your body to channel mana in a specific way."
"You could have told me," Grim said through gritted teeth.
"Would you have agreed?"
"Fuck no!"
"Precisely why I didn't tell you." D knelt beside Grim and placed a hand on his shoulder. "The pain will subside in a few hours. The healing process has already begun. By tomorrow, your conduits will be reconstructing themselves."
"Is this how you were trained?" Grim asked, his breathing coming easier as the initial shock of pain began to fade.
"No," D said. "I discovered this method through... experimentation. Caius was the first I shared it with. Now you."
Grim slowly sat back on his heels, the pain dulling to a persistent throb. "So this is a gift?"
"Of sorts," D replied. "Consider it payment of part of my debt to your great-grandfather."
Chen Xing brought Grim a cup of water, which he drank greedily.
"Rest for now," D instructed.
Grim nodded, he was too exhausted and in too much pain. He dragged himself to the corner of the chamber where he'd been sleeping these past two weeks and collapsed onto the thin mat.
[He's not wrong,] the voice commented as Grim drifted toward sleep. [This method is used in some of the most advanced cultivation techniques. Though usually with more warning.]
"You could have warned me," Grim thought back accusingly.
[I could have,] the voice agreed. [But you needed to experience it unprepared. Your body's natural reaction is part of the process.]
Grim was too tired to argue further. He fell into a deep sleep, his body working to repair itself.
---
The next morning, Grim woke feeling surprisingly refreshed. The pain had subsided to a dull ache, and when he examined his mana flow, he was startled to find it moving more smoothly than before.
"Test it," D said, appearing beside him.
Grim carefully drew in mana, filtering and purifying it as he'd been taught. It responded faster than ever, flowing through his conduits with noticeably less resistance. When he channeled it to his hand, it formed a small glowing orb of light mana that was significantly brighter than what he could produce before.
"Huh," Grim said, genuinely surprised. "It actually worked."
"Your doubt is irritating," D commented. "Now prepare yourself. Today, you will demonstrate what you've learned."
Chen Xing had arranged stone pillars in a circle about twenty feet in diameter in the center of the chamber.
"Your final test is simple," D explained. "You will face Chen Xing in combat. Your goal is to land a single strike on him."
Grim looked skeptical. "He has five mana hearts. I have two, and one is still not fully formed."
"Which is why he will be restricted," D continued. "Chen Xing will remain within the circle of pillars. He will only defend and evade, not attack. You will have three attempts."
Chen Xing stepped into the circle and drew his sword, his face expressionless.
"Begin when ready," D instructed, stepping back to observe.
Grim studied the circle, considering his options. A direct attack would be useless against Chen Xing's speed and skill. He needed to use the techniques he'd learned.
For his first attempt, Grim circled the perimeter, then suddenly charged forward. As he neared Chen Xing, he executed an Aurora Flash, releasing a bright, multicolored light that hung in the air for just over a second.
But Chen Xing simply closed his eyes before the flash, relying on his other senses. When Grim moved in to strike, Chen Xing blocked perfectly despite his closed eyes.
"He can sense your mana movements," D called out. "The Aurora Flash affects vision, but not mana perception."
Grim backed away, reassessing. For his second attempt, he tried a different approach. He moved to the edge of the circle, then used the Drifting Mist Step technique.
He darted forward, then suddenly changed direction, hoping to catch Chen Xing off guard. Again, his opponent moved with perfect timing to block the strike.
"Final attempt," D announced. "Make it count."
Grim stepped back, breathing hard. Two failures already. He needed something unexpected.
[Use both affinities,] the voice suggested. [Not just light, but water as well.]
Grim considered this. He'd been focusing exclusively on light mana for the Aurora Flash techniques, but he did have water affinity too.
He took a stance at the edge of the circle, closing his eyes to concentrate. This time, he drew both water and light mana simultaneously, something he'd practiced but never fully mastered.
The two energies swirled within him, wanting to separate. Instead of fighting it, Grim let then flow freely. Together like two streams side by side.
He opened his eyes and moved forward, not rushing this time. As he approached Chen Xing, he channeled water mana into the ground at his feet, creating a subtle slickness on the stone floor.
Just as he came within striking distance, Grim released an Aurora Flash, brighter than any he'd produced before. Even with his eyes closed, Chen Xing sensed the attack coming and shifted his stance to block, but his foot slipped slightly on the water-slicked floor, throwing his timing off by a fraction of a second.
It was all the opening Grim needed. His blade touched Chen Xing's arm. It was barely a hit, but it counted.
Chen Xing's eyes widened in surprise. "He got me."
D nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. "Using both affinities together. Clever."
Grim lowered his sword, unable to hide his pride. "Did I pass?"
"Barely," D said, though Grim could tell he was pleased. "Your Aurora Flash is adequate. Your Sundering Slash needs work. Your understanding of combining affinities shows promise."
He gestured for Grim to sit. "Our training is complete. You've learned the basics of one of Caius's Sword Dao's. With continued practice, you may eventually master them."
"And the other sword arts?" Grim asked eagerly.
"Those are for another time," D replied. "The Silver Crescent and Thunder Clap techniques require far more mana control than you currently possess."
He retrieved a small wooden box from the corner of the chamber and handed it to Grim. "This contains detailed instructions for continuing your practice of Aurora Flash and Sundering Slash. Study them carefully."
Grim took the box, surprised by its weight. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me," D said dismissively. "I've merely repaid a portion of my debt to Caius. Whether you squander or build upon what I've taught you is your choice."
With that, D turned to leave, Chen Xing following silently behind him.
"Wait," Grim called after them. "I still have questions."
D paused at the chamber entrance. "Questions are for those who haven't been given enough answers. You have what you need for now."
As they disappeared up a set of stairs, Grim was confused. Had those stairs always been there? Or were they hidden out of sight.
Grim looked down at the wooden box in his hands. Inside was a rolled parchment with detailed diagrams of the Aurora Flash and Sundering Slash techniques, except these had more information than the ones in the large chest.
[You've made progress,] the voice commented. [But this is just the beginning.]
"I know," Grim thought back. "But it's a better beginning than I had two weeks ago."
He tucked the box under his arm and headed for the stairs himself, ready to return to the palace above.