Zaphy, chimed in with her usual excitable tone. "[Maybe we should try combining some of these techniques! This might be exactly what you need for making a better halberd technique brother!]"
Lassim nodded slightly, agreeing.
The elder’s words had given him a new requirement for more advanced techniques he was watching the students practice—control, and he was eager to put it into practice when attempting to make a new main battle art that he could use that combined lightning and water elements. Something hopefully better than the simply adapted [Fire Halberd] technique.
After several hours, the lecture came to an end without Lassim being shooed away by the sect elder, thankfully.
The disciples began to disperse into pairs or just leave the arena now that the technique demonstrations had been finished with the sect elder giving advice to each student.
Lassim stayed lingering near the training ground behind the wall, watching as the disciples paired up for sparring sessions.
The air was filled with the sounds of clashing weapons and the crackle of lightning.
One particular pair caught his eye—a young man and woman, both Spirit Ascension stage cultivators, engaged in a fierce duel.
The man dual wielded a pair of short swords, the blades shimmering with electric energy. He moved with the agility of a predator, his strikes swift that seemed to embody some kind of serpent with the way he attacked with piercing motions with his swords.
The woman, on the other hand, wielded a long staff that crackled with lightning that filled a large tuned crystal atop the straight pole. She used the staff to deflect his attacks with a barrier that knocked him back each time and created distance.
As the duel progressed, Lassim observed the techniques they employed. After a while, the man began to use a technique that created arcs of lightning between his blades, increasing the speed and unpredictability of his strikes. The power increased so much that every hit shattered the barrier she had been using to knock him backwards.
The woman, seeing the situation turning for the worst, countered with a technique that allowed her to overcharge the runed crystal and create an extremely thick dome barrier shield around her.
The man wasn’t able to break through her defensive techniques any further after that and it was called a draw.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
The afternoon was well underway but Lassim’s hunger was starting to get to him. He was eager to try to brainstorm some ideas after everything he’d witnessed today. He planned to come back for more ideas in the future as well.
Lassim stood up after hiding behind the wall for so long, stretching his muscles. He felt exhilarated and his mind buzzing with new ideas and insights.
"Their control over lightning is incredible," Lassim thought, his mind racing with possibilities. "I need to develop techniques that incorporate this level of precision, power and see if I can increase the effectiveness of my [Aegis] technique. If I could add another beast soul to the [Grand Aegis] formation, then its power could double."
As he made his way back to the servant quarters, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement.
While he didn’t have the answers to advancing to the Spirit Ascension stage, or really any hints at all from watching them, he had gained valuable examples of advanced techniques and hints about wielding the lightning element.
He realized that the breakthrough he sought wouldn’t come easily just yet as a servant rank disciple, but he was determined to keep observing the others in the future weeks when he had more free time after filling his quota.
However, even without visiting the sect’s library, the lecture gave him enough to start reviewing his current martial arts techniques.
[Slash], [Slam], [Sweep] and [Thrust], were basic and derived from his family’s [Fire Halberd] technique. These were the most frequent techniques he used that mixed his elements that he had been relying on, but now he saw the direction for something greater.
Lassim finally returned to his quarters. He first went to the kitchen area and cooked up a simple meat dish using some of his leftover meats still in the preserved storage of his magic space from the Drow realm.
He had tons of it still left, but someday in the future it would be gone. Thankfully his appetite was slowing down as he advanced and some day the meat might only be a tool to aid in breakthroughs. He chose to eat some now to help bring his mind to the peak.
After finishing and cleaning up, he sat down on his bunk bed in meditation, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing.
He first envisioned his halberd, the weapon that floated majestically in the center above the large soul crystal in his inner heart world.
He recalled the elder’s words about balancing power and control. Lightning was both destructive and swift, capable of precise strikes and overwhelming force. He needed to create a technique that embodied these qualities.
"Let’s start with the basics," he thought. "The [Slash] and [Thrust] techniques are effective, but they lack the finesse and power needed at higher levels of cultivation. Sure, the [Slash] has me able to augment a blade of water mana that can cut through enemies and [Thrust] sends a thick bolt of lightning from the sharp tip of the halberd."
He began to mentally experiment with the lightning and water within his heart world, imagining different ways to channel his lightning energy through his halberd.
"[Marinelle, Zaphyrella, what do you think?]" he asked, seeking their input.
Mari’s voice was thoughtful. "[I believe creativity is needed most here. You wish to create something unique and more complicated. It’d be easier to take from other techniques when you eventually have the access to the library, if you wish to wait for more ideas?]"
Zaphy’s excitement touched Lassim’s mind as she didn’t even bother listening to Mari’s words. "[Speed! Why don’t you just try and be as fast as me with the blade going zip-bam-zappity-zap!?! I’m super fast and if you try to make your swings as fast as me you could be so quick. We’d be catching everything off guard and could get revenge on that stupid Yeti, maybe!]"
Lassim lightly chuckled at her idea as he continued to sit cross-legged on his bed absorbing their words.
Regarding Mari’s thoughts, he didn’t want to give up and wait for the library access when he felt so inspired. It would just get worse each week for another three weeks if this continued.
The day’s events played back in his mind—the advanced techniques demonstrated by the Spirit Ascension disciples and the fierce duel he had witnessed.
He wanted to create something new, something powerful and unique that would set him apart and help him advance in his cultivation.
He needed to elevate his skills to the next level, something that combined his elements in a more sophisticated and imaginative way.
Zaphy’s idea for speed could potentially work and meet that requirement if he could tap into the nature of making lightning faster. However, that just seemed too much for his current senses. Possibly when his bond with Zaphy increased even further and he had a more innate understanding of the lightning element unlocked, this could be possible.
As he focused on his breathing, a thought struck him. Lassim opened his eyes and stretched, feeling the anticipation build within him.
He needed a place to practice where he wouldn’t be interrupted. He stood up and left the barracks, seeking out Riku, his fellow servant and the one that had been servant ranked for the longest.
He found Riku in the kitchen, tending to some cleaning.
"Riku, I need your advice," Lassim said, approaching him. "I want to practice a new technique, but I need a place where I won’t be disturbed by the elders shooing me away for my rank."
Riku looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face. "There’s a small training dummy in the open arena that’s near the sect entrance courtyard. It’s not well-maintained and pretty isolated from the others in a corner, but it’s usable.
No one really goes there as the other training dummies have array measurements added to be able to tell your strength level, so you should be able to practice without being bothered."
Lassim nodded, grateful for the suggestion. "Thank you, Riku. That sounds perfect."
He made his way to the open arena, a place he had passed by many times this past week but never really explored or entered. He was more focused on his task to obtain Thunder Source Stones instead, but it was good to know he could train here.
The area Riku told him about was indeed secluded compared to the rest of the large arena. The old training dummy was standing in one corner, worn and neglected. The ground was uneven, and weeds grew in patches near it, but it would suffice for his needs.
Lassim summoned his halberd from his inner world and took a deep breath, feeling the familiar weight of the weapon in his hands.