86:

  So why did you tell me to use the Essence Cultivation Art on him? Xiao Feng asked as he returned to the Administrative Division, carrying a woven basket in his left hand whose contents were covered by a layer of thin cloth. You know, it’s not like it actually does anything to people.

  “You look down upon the greatest cultivation art in my possession?” His predecessor’s voice rumbled in his mind, his tone laden with an arrogance that Xiao Feng had yet to find a way to fully emulate.

  Well, it’s not so much so that I look down upon it as it’s incomplete, Xiao Feng cleverly pointed out.

  “Tch,” His predecessor clicked his tongue, a feat that was as impressive as it was metaphorical given his lack of a physical form. “You are mistaken if you believe the direct application of a cultivation art is the only way to utilize it in combat. If you hope to pass as a martial cultivator, you must learn to see battle for the never-ending war that it is.”

  The war? Xiao Feng asked.

  “If war and conquest was decided by brute strength alone, the Frontier Sect would not have been able to hold the Zheyan Pass”, His predecessor revealed. “There are no depths those demons will not descend to in their unending quest for power, no taboos that will make them hesitate and no life too sacred. There is no shame in admitting the demonic path is stronger than the righteous, for that is where the weight of our convictions stem from. Yet it is their disregard for order, that reckless arrogance and their hateful rage that made one of the enemy’s commanders lash out at me despite the opening it would create. Elder Zheng did not let the opportunity slip by him, but if it was not the strategies that have been developed taking into account centuries of fighting the demonic path that were being employed, we would not have survived long enough for the winds of fate to change”.

  Is this a metaphor on the importance of strategy? Xiao Feng asked, his curiosity piqued.

  “Not strategy,” His predecessor answered. “Observation. Be it a one-on-one spar or a situation where you are outnumbered ten-to-one on the battlefield, you must first understand what tools the enemy has at his disposal, akin to how a commander assesses the number of cultivators and their cultivator stages on the opposing force before developing any strategy. The way a cultivator moves, any pecularities in their approach, their choice of clothing and armor, the make of their weapon artifacts, all reveals crucial information to one that is paying attention. Do you want to know how?”

  Tell me, Xiao Feng replied, finding himself captivated by the martial theory his predecessor was offering him.

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  “As you can imagine, I have sparred with my peers hundreds of times and I have faced true demons on the battlefield. It is observation that has taught me the difference between theory and reality, for once cultivators cross into the foundation establishment stage, our five senses are significantly enhanced and the same stands true for our opponents. Thus, we are trained to rely on no single sense to make judgements in the heat of battle, for while it is easy to trick one sense, confusing two senses simultaneously is not an easy feat at our cultivation stage,” His predecessor stated, revealing a facet of his training Xiao Feng hadn’t given much consideration to. “Yet, in sparring, I discovered that all but the most exceptional amongst my peers still relied heavily upon their sense of sight, whether that be due to most of them coming from mortal upbringings or because it remained the simplest form of information to process. Their eyes betrayed their intentions, far from always but enough times to give me an advantage over them, while my own gazed right through them, as if they were naught but air. It is unsettling to fight such an opponent, even on the battlefield.”

  As impressed as Xiao Feng was by the revelation, he found himself biting back the laughter that was threatening to escape his lips as he asked, Do you think Alchemist Zhi is afraid of me now?

  “To borrow a phrase from your home planet, I believe he is scared out of his wits”, His predecessor replied, a note of amusement audible in his tone. “Though I have come across a cultivator like him before, one so fixated on their ambition that they come to think of it as a right. Do not expect him to give up though, for his type cares not for who they have to trample upon to get where they want to be.”

  Wouldn’t want him to, Xiao Feng cheekily replied.

  Oh and make sure to scan your meals with the essence cultivation art from now on, His predecessor added.

  Uh… you think he’s going to try and poison my food? Xiao Feng asked, his surprise spilling out onto his expression.

  “He cannot best you in combat and he is an alchemist designate”, His predecessor pointed out. “Like I said, I know the type.”

  Xiao Feng’s visage blanched.

  An amused laugh sounded out in Xiao Feng’s mindscape, which was very uncharacteristic coming from his predecessor, before he continued, “Do not fret so, Child of Earth. I am sure he won’t go beyond a mild paralytic or two, he still expects to win after all.”

  I was going to thank you for the lesson, but you know what, nevermind, Xiao Feng rolled his eyes as he continued walking towards Lianhua’s quarters.

  “You would do well to remember that small advantages can turn into a cascading victory if you gather enough of them; and from what I have vicariously learned of the Dao of Alchemy, the lesson seems to be an interdisciplinary one,” His predecessor chided, though Xiao Feng didn’t miss an undertone of amusement.

  I will, Xiao Feng replied with an appropriate amount of seriousness before adding, Now, let me focus on the discipline that doesn’t involve evil demons and poison-happy alchemists, thank you very much.

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