In the vast white hall, the minion sat in front of the master obediently, letting him experience its memory without interruption.
The actual length of the memory sequence was not too long, but Han Xuhan spent over an hour of time analyzing and rewatching the explanation of the tracing technique.
"Very interesting," he mumbled upon his return to the dao tower.
"Indeed she is," Zhanxian said in support, finding a trace of joy and hope in its master's curious reaction.
"I wasn't talking about her. The principle behind the technique itself is what interests me," Han Xuhan replied in annoyance.
"Are you even a man?" Zhanxian raged. He couldn't bear to see the dignity of his goddess be sullied through mere uncouth words of a simpleton.
"Are you?" Xuhan asked back, making his minion's tirade get locked inside its throat.
Han Xuhan decided to leave the tower to work on the tracing technique, but as his gaze stopped on the dome overhead, his thoughts flickered in a different direction for a moment.
"Zhanxian."
"...Yes?" responded the skeleton in a displeased tone.
"Run me through the memory sequence of that time you visited the burning world again. The part inside the cavern will do."
Zhanxian's surprise was palpable, but the minion didn't hesitate. With a thought, followed by an ethereal touch, Han Xuhan found himself back inside the gigantic cavern, surrounded by mosaics that formed infinite loops of patterns, enough to make one lose himself in an unending, ever-changing motion of colors, shapes, and strokes.
This time, he was there with a purpose in mind. Diverting his focus from the attractions competing for his attention, he studied the specific pattern he was there to study.
The fusion glyph.
Han Xuhan understood little about glyphs. From his limited knowledge, he thought of glyphs as compressed formations that operated in the mental world of a cultivator.
Among the innumerable disciplines of harnessing the power of nature and oneself, the way of glyphs stood in the esoteric, mysterious category, where few dared to venture. In the Crimson Snow Sect, no Elder could boast of more than a preliminary knowledge of this path.
No...perhaps, one man could. And that was the idea that had spurred Han Xuhan to finally cast his dice. That notion of shelter had helped him choose among the three options available to him in order to retain his status as a cultivator, as a disciple of the Crimson Snow Sect, as someone with a future worth struggling for.
To be able to use a glyph's functions, one had to be able to visualize the entire pattern in his mind. This was not an easy thing to do, because any glyphs worth using were complex, three-dimensional, hallucination-inducing, non-stationary constructs.
But through Zhanxian's eyes, Han Xuhan felt a faint sense of familiarity with the puzzling maze of shapes presented in front of him. Even though he didn't hear the 'instructions' Zhanxian had apparently received during his adventure, he could still feel an invisible hand of guidance. It was as if the way Zhanxian's perception of the glyph changed according to the teaching of this instructor influenced Han Xuhan in turn, letting him perceive the meanings hidden in the depths of the dancing shapes and colors.
To understand is to learn. To learn thoroughly is to gain the ability to visualize. And to be able to visualize was the key to harnessing the powers of a glyph.
Repeatedly, Han Xuhan made himself undergo the memory sequence, learning different aspects, different fragments of the patterns, and every change that took place inside the glyph.
He didn't know how long it took, but finally, he could sense a feeling of completion.
He withdrew from the memory sequence, finding himself back inside the dao tower.
"Did you do it? Were you able to-"
Zhanxian couldn't finish his sentence, because Xuhan had disappeared from the tower.
As he groaned in annoyance, a black object dropped on his head from above.
Zhanxian stepped back and watched pensively as a shower of red ink colored the spotless white floor.
"Worry not. He has made his decision, and his decision will benefit all," he read aloud the sentence formed by the ink.
Shivering slightly, the minion rushed back inside his 'room' and chose to hide there until Tun Shi Tian returned.
The surprise Han Xuhan got upon breaking out of his meditation brought him little comfort. When he had entered meditation, it had been noon. Now, the sunlight was like a dimming lamp, barely able to fight the advent of darkness.
From within the stuffy darkness of the hut, Han Xuhan walked out and cast a look around. His three martial siblings, wherever they were at the moment, must be occupied if even the setting sun hadn't made them return and rethink their strategies. The chance of them being caught and imprisoned temporarily was low. Mu Ran and Yuen Zhou were too resourceful and skilled when it came to the way of violence, and Xiao Wu, despite his glaringly low cultivation, had his inborn overwhelming strength to aid him. Neither Mu Ran nor Yuen Zhou would tolerate it anyway if his lack of ability compromised their missions. So Xuhan had nothing to worry about for now.
Hai Yin Zhe was playing around the yard as usual. The trees, especially the larger ones, were beginning to wane in health, as expected. There was no direct water source beneath the soil to keep them alive and thriving. Perhaps one of those flood trials would do them some good, saturating the soil of the floating island with the aura of life once more.
"Yinzhe, come here," Han Xuhan called faintly.
Despite hearing the call, the snake wasn't deterred in her playful movements. After a few more tired shouts, she finally relented and scooted over at an impressive speed.
"What is it, Papa?"
Han Xuhan picked her up and pulled out a certain 'toy' from his pocket.
"Didn't you make a fuss to get this from Auntie Zhou? Why don't you try playing with it?" he said, showing the teeth set to the snake.
"Ooooh! I forgot! Give me! Give me! Gimmegimmegimme!"
Han Xuhan was more than happy to attach the teeth set inside her mouth. His suspicion about it came true as soon as the final adjustment was made.
The teeth set, despite having the appearance of human teeth until now, suddenly altered itself automatically, molding into Hai Yin Zhe's sharp, barb-like fangs.
Just like the armors he was wearing, this teeth set from the void was capable of adjusting itself to any wearer!
Unless one knew the insides of Hai Yin Zhe's mouth before the teeth set was attached there, they would be unable to distinguish any anomaly there. Only Han Xuhan could tell what had changed, and how much had changed.
Hai Yin Zhe's teeth were now thicker, sharper, stronger, and by a small margin, longer than before. If a bite from the previous Hai Yin Zhe could tear off one's flesh, the same bite now could leave some marks on one's bones.
"Whoaaaa!" Hai Yin Zhe gasped in amazement, clicking her teeth repeatedly.
"Is it comfortable?" Han Xuhan asked.
"What's that papa?" she asked in an innocent tone.
"...Er, never mind. Are you happy? Do you want to keep wearing it?" Han Xuhan asked.
She nodded her triangular head up and down. Just as Xuhan was about to let her down on the ground to resume her games, he sensed a sudden surge of movement in the air around the snake.
All the qi inside the artificial channels dug across Hai Yin Zhe's bones were rushing towards her head. Within a second, Hai Yin Zhe's body became devoid of any qi.
The snake opened her mouth wide, her jaws forming nearly a 150° angle.
"Hissssss....!"
A spray of black liquid shot out of her fangs, crossing more than thirty meters and splashing onto the thick trunk of a Birch.
Under Han Xuhan's stunned gaze, the bark of the tree melted away as if touched by a powerful acid. He rushed forward to check the splash zone, examining the way the black liquid eroded its way down the tree's body. A minute later, several inch-deep grooves appeared on the trunk, resembling scars made by powerful claws. Wherever the liquids had touched, the wood had been blackened and charred.
A burnt stink perforated the air as vague tendrils of smoke were blown away by the gentle evening wind.
Was this the special ability of the teeth set? Consuming qi to create deadly poison? Just like how most of his newly acquired armor parts had their own uniqueness.
"Looks like sister Zhou has been quite sincere in returning favors..." Han Xuhan muttered to himself.
In the vast white hall, the minion sat in front of the master obediently, letting him experience its memory without interruption.
The actual length of the memory sequence was not too long, but Han Xuhan spent over an hour of time analyzing and rewatching the explanation of the tracing technique.
"Very interesting," he mumbled upon his return to the dao tower.
"Indeed she is," Zhanxian said in support, finding a trace of joy and hope in its master's curious reaction.
"I wasn't talking about her. The principle behind the technique itself is what interests me," Han Xuhan replied in annoyance.
"Are you even a man?" Zhanxian raged. He couldn't bear to see the dignity of his goddess be sullied through mere uncouth words of a simpleton.
"Are you?" Xuhan asked back, making his minion's tirade get locked inside its throat.
Han Xuhan decided to leave the tower to work on the tracing technique, but as his gaze stopped on the dome overhead, his thoughts flickered in a different direction for a moment.
"Zhanxian."
"...Yes?" responded the skeleton in a displeased tone.
"Run me through the memory sequence of that time you visited the burning world again. The part inside the cavern will do."
Zhanxian's surprise was palpable, but the minion didn't hesitate. With a thought, followed by an ethereal touch, Han Xuhan found himself back inside the gigantic cavern, surrounded by mosaics that formed infinite loops of patterns, enough to make one lose himself in an unending, ever-changing motion of colors, shapes, and strokes.
This time, he was there with a purpose in mind. Diverting his focus from the attractions competing for his attention, he studied the specific pattern he was there to study.
The fusion glyph.
Han Xuhan understood little about glyphs. From his limited knowledge, he thought of glyphs as compressed formations that operated in the mental world of a cultivator.
Among the innumerable disciplines of harnessing the power of nature and oneself, the way of glyphs stood in the esoteric, mysterious category, where few dared to venture. In the Crimson Snow Sect, no Elder could boast of more than a preliminary knowledge of this path.
No...perhaps, one man could. And that was the idea that had spurred Han Xuhan to finally cast his dice. That notion of shelter had helped him choose among the three options available to him in order to retain his status as a cultivator, as a disciple of the Crimson Snow Sect, as someone with a future worth struggling for.
To be able to use a glyph's functions, one had to be able to visualize the entire pattern in his mind. This was not an easy thing to do, because any glyphs worth using were complex, three-dimensional, hallucination-inducing, non-stationary constructs.
But through Zhanxian's eyes, Han Xuhan felt a faint sense of familiarity with the puzzling maze of shapes presented in front of him. Even though he didn't hear the 'instructions' Zhanxian had apparently received during his adventure, he could still feel an invisible hand of guidance. It was as if the way Zhanxian's perception of the glyph changed according to the teaching of this instructor influenced Han Xuhan in turn, letting him perceive the meanings hidden in the depths of the dancing shapes and colors.
To understand is to learn. To learn thoroughly is to gain the ability to visualize. And to be able to visualize was the key to harnessing the powers of a glyph.
Repeatedly, Han Xuhan made himself undergo the memory sequence, learning different aspects, different fragments of the patterns, and every change that took place inside the glyph.
He didn't know how long it took, but finally, he could sense a feeling of completion.
He withdrew from the memory sequence, finding himself back inside the dao tower.
"Did you do it? Were you able to-"
Zhanxian couldn't finish his sentence, because Xuhan had disappeared from the tower.
As he groaned in annoyance, a black object dropped on his head from above.
Zhanxian stepped back and watched pensively as a shower of red ink colored the spotless white floor.
"Worry not. He has made his decision, and his decision will benefit all," he read aloud the sentence formed by the ink.
Shivering slightly, the minion rushed back inside his 'room' and chose to hide there until Tun Shi Tian returned.
The surprise Han Xuhan got upon breaking out of his meditation brought him little comfort. When he had entered meditation, it had been noon. Now, the sunlight was like a dimming lamp, barely able to fight the advent of darkness.
From within the stuffy darkness of the hut, Han Xuhan walked out and cast a look around. His three martial siblings, wherever they were at the moment, must be occupied if even the setting sun hadn't made them return and rethink their strategies. The chance of them being caught and imprisoned temporarily was low. Mu Ran and Yuen Zhou were too resourceful and skilled when it came to the way of violence, and Xiao Wu, despite his glaringly low cultivation, had his inborn overwhelming strength to aid him. Neither Mu Ran nor Yuen Zhou would tolerate it anyway if his lack of ability compromised their missions. So Xuhan had nothing to worry about for now.
Hai Yin Zhe was playing around the yard as usual. The trees, especially the larger ones, were beginning to wane in health, as expected. There was no direct water source beneath the soil to keep them alive and thriving. Perhaps one of those flood trials would do them some good, saturating the soil of the floating island with the aura of life once more.
"Yinzhe, come here," Han Xuhan called faintly.
Despite hearing the call, the snake wasn't deterred in her playful movements. After a few more tired shouts, she finally relented and scooted over at an impressive speed.
"What is it, Papa?"
Han Xuhan picked her up and pulled out a certain 'toy' from his pocket.
"Didn't you make a fuss to get this from Auntie Zhou? Why don't you try playing with it?" he said, showing the teeth set to the snake.
"Ooooh! I forgot! Give me! Give me! Gimmegimmegimme!"
Han Xuhan was more than happy to attach the teeth set inside her mouth. His suspicion about it came true as soon as the final adjustment was made.
The teeth set, despite having the appearance of human teeth until now, suddenly altered itself automatically, molding into Hai Yin Zhe's sharp, barb-like fangs.
Just like the armors he was wearing, this teeth set from the void was capable of adjusting itself to any wearer!
Unless one knew the insides of Hai Yin Zhe's mouth before the teeth set was attached there, they would be unable to distinguish any anomaly there. Only Han Xuhan could tell what had changed, and how much had changed.
Hai Yin Zhe's teeth were now thicker, sharper, stronger, and by a small margin, longer than before. If a bite from the previous Hai Yin Zhe could tear off one's flesh, the same bite now could leave some marks on one's bones.
"Whoaaaa!" Hai Yin Zhe gasped in amazement, clicking her teeth repeatedly.
"Is it comfortable?" Han Xuhan asked.
"What's that papa?" she asked in an innocent tone.
"...Er, never mind. Are you happy? Do you want to keep wearing it?" Han Xuhan asked.
She nodded her triangular head up and down. Just as Xuhan was about to let her down on the ground to resume her games, he sensed a sudden surge of movement in the air around the snake.
All the qi inside the artificial channels dug across Hai Yin Zhe's bones were rushing towards her head. Within a second, Hai Yin Zhe's body became devoid of any qi.
The snake opened her mouth wide, her jaws forming nearly a 150° angle.
"Hissssss....!"
A spray of black liquid shot out of her fangs, crossing more than thirty meters and splashing onto the thick trunk of a Birch.
Under Han Xuhan's stunned gaze, the bark of the tree melted away as if touched by a powerful acid. He rushed forward to check the splash zone, examining the way the black liquid eroded its way down the tree's body. A minute later, several inch-deep grooves appeared on the trunk, resembling scars made by powerful claws. Wherever the liquids had touched, the wood had been blackened and charred.
A burnt stink perforated the air as vague tendrils of smoke were blown away by the gentle evening wind.
Was this the special ability of the teeth set? Consuming qi to create deadly poison? Just like how most of his newly acquired armor parts had their own uniqueness.
"Looks like sister Zhou has been quite sincere in returning favors..." Han Xuhan muttered to himself.
