Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 316: Meditation in the Nexus

Lassim nodded after giving his thanks, his grip on the tablet firm as he turned to leave the Administration Hall.

As he stepped outside, the organized layout of Skybound Village became more clear to him with the map in his hands. Straight, well-planned walkways connected the essential facilities and he noticed the walkways even had special markings, like sign posts, pointing to the directions of different places according to the map. All around his surroundings he noticed just how many additional small lightning rods and array conduits there were to protect the village. One array and lightning rod a few meters away from him shimmered faintly as they worked together to redirect a stray bolt from the storm into the ground.

Following the map, his assigned quarters were located near the edge of the village, close to where the forest began and surrounded by some of the Storm Leaf trees. The building, like the others, was crafted from reinforced stone that had lines throughout its structure that gleamed faintly in the light of the storm.

Inside, he found his room which was sparsely furnished. A sturdy blue wooden desk sat near a window that gave a gorgeous direct view overlooking the Storm Leaf Forest outside the village’s wall, its faint blue glow visible even through the storm’s constant haze.

The room itself seemed to be enhanced with a mana gathering array of some sort as it was charged with a quiet hum of mana as he stepped inside and walked towards the desk. It seemed that the Lightning Sect was making full use of the overcharged surroundings of the natural lightning resource area, but that just reaffirmed Lassim’s decision that coming here was the correct move.

Lassim unpacked his belongings that he’d later use to study, placing specifically his array materials and books on the desk.

After a moment’s rest from all the flying he’d done and to recenter himself mentally, Lassim studied the map on his tablet, deciding to explore the surrounding forest.

The Tempest’s Cradle was famed not just for its raw mana but for the inspiration it offered to cultivators seeking to refine their techniques. He left his quarters and moved towards the tree line, the carefully designed walkways giving way to the untamed wilderness of the Storm Leaf Forest on the other side of his building.

The atmosphere changed as he stepped beneath the canopy and outside of the barriers of the village. The air was heavy with dense lightning mana which felt almost tangible and yet incredibly invigorating. Lassim felt a subtle but persistent pull, as though the forest itself urged him to delve deeper towards the eye of the storm, but he moved along slowly at his own pace to take it all in and admire the plants and trees. Everything here would need to be his inspiration, so he planned to be open minded and observant at all times.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" a voice called out.

Lassim turned to see an older looking Inner Sect disciple at the Spirit Transcendence stage, level 8 approaching, his violet and black streaked hair was short and spiky with the ambient static in the air.

"I’m Varen," the man said with a smile. "You must be the new Personal Disciple that just arrived. Word spreads quickly around here since it’s a pretty small community."

"Senior Brother Varen," Lassim greeted, bowing slightly in respect. "I’m Lassim. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah, just call me brother. I did hear that the one who stationed you here was the Sect Master so that must mean you’re his new disciple as well. You might have a lower cultivation than me, but technically you’re at the top of the lightning rod when it comes to the rest of us’ statuses. So please, brother is fine," Varen said before continuing and gesturing to the trees around them, "You’ve picked the perfect place to train for your level, though. The Cradle’s mana density is unmatched, and these trees? They’re natural instructors. The sect has developed a lot of techniques and even Master Daxion’s famous [Thunderveil] technique came from here. I’m thankful that he shared it with a self-created manual book for the sect’s library a few years ago. If you’re careful and patient, I will say that these trees can teach you a lot more than any of those manuals. I think learning and figuring out techniques for yourself is more important in the long run—at least once you reach my level."

Lassim’s gaze followed Varen’s gesture, his curiosity in the trees deepening. The trees pulsed with faint light, their leaves occasionally discharging small bolts of lightning that crackled harmlessly into the ground.

"Do you have a suggestion for where I should begin?" Lassim asked.

Varen nodded toward the denser part of the forest. "If you want to do general meditation and don’t mind a crowd, the Natural Lightning Nexus in the center of the island is a good starting point. It’s the perfect center of the storm, so there’s some intangible benefits I’ve noticed when cultivating there in the past. It’s also where most disciples go to meditate, though, so it’s not exactly private. For solitude, the East Grove is your best bet. It’s a bit aways from the center, but the mana there is denser due to the lack of trees for protection, but that means the chance is high to be interrupted by the storm rampaging occasionally."

"Thank you brother!" Lassim said.

"Ah, and can’t forget about the Research Grove too," Varen said without hesitation. "Disciples there are always experimenting, trying to adapt the trees’ energy flows into new forms of arrays and defensive techniques. It’s a great place to collaborate, flesh out ideas for techniques, and even learn new ideas, even if you don’t join their experiments. The trees themselves in that section are also an endless source of inspiration with how active they are while also not having the storm affect you much in that spot—you can watch how they layer and release energy, and you’ll start to see patterns you can replicate."

Lassim smiled and said, "I really appreciate the recommendations. Thank you Brother."

"Anytime," Varen replied. "And, sorry if it’s a bit selfish, but if you need a sparring partner, let me know. I’ve heard stories about a Lassim during the war and the attacks you coordinated with Tristan and Eveline. The two of them are friends of mine that entered the sect around the same time and they had a lot to say about how powerful you are. Finding someone of your caliber and figuring out that you’re the Sect Master’s disciple makes me really itch to get a good match in. Please come find me when you’re bored of all the meditation."

Varen ended the conversation as he finished his appeal, departing with his back turned and a gentle hand wave in the air, leaving Lassim alone with the forest’s hum of lightning mana filled air.

"Well, he seems nice. I’ll take him up on his offer to spar when I need to practice, but I’ll have to tone down my power. I doubt there’s many here that can compare or last as long as that Spirit Mystic stage assassin." Lassim muttered out loud to Mari and Zaphy that had been listening to his conversation.

He felt their mental nods of agreement as Zaphy added, "[It should be fine as long as you just don’t zap him to ashes, big brother. You’ve got to let him land a hit now and then—it’ll be good for his confidence!]"

Lassim lightly chuckled as he stepped further into the grove, the atmosphere grew heavier, the lightning mana more concentrated with each step.

Rather than head toward solitude and possibly more bothersome meditation in the East Grove, he chose to explore the central area Varen had called the Natural Lightning Nexus. The mention of intangible benefits intrigued him, and he figured starting at the most active cultivation site would give him a better understanding of the Cradle’s benefits for Lightning cultivation.

The further he moved toward the Nexus, the more alive the atmosphere became. The lightning mana in the air grew richer and denser, crackling softly around him like static on his skin. The trees here were much larger. Their canopy of glowing leaves stretched wide and swaying gently despite the still air of the eye of the storm.

As Lassim approached, he could see why this was the nexus—the trees’ collective energy flows converged here, their roots channeling concentrated bursts of mana into the ground repeatedly from the surroundings to beneath him.

Reaching what he assumed was the nexus, Lassim found himself in a large clearing filled with an abundance of disciples seated in quiet meditation. It was still the middle of the day, but the grass here was also different in the clearing.

They were like tall, cotton ball tipped blades, interspersed with bolts of lightning mana that snaked and danced between the balls outward from the trees in intricate, natural patterns. Above, the storm churned ceaselessly, but in the clearing, it felt calm, almost serene. The occasional flicker of lightning illuminated the meditative faces of the disciples scattered across the clearing.

Lassim scanned the area for a suitable spot to sit down. While most disciples were seated near the center, drawn to the thickest concentrations of lightning mana. Not wanting to disturb the crowd, Lassim preferred the slightly less busy edges of the clearing. He settled on a spot beneath one of the towering Storm Leaf Trees, its roots twisted up, forming what was almost a natural seat that felt made for him.

Seated cross-legged, Lassim placed his halberd before him. Its blade glimmered faintly as it immediately began to resonate with the lightning mana air. Closing his eyes, Lassim began to rotate the [Stormbringer] cultivation technique, drawing the ambient mana into his core through his weapon and oddly enough, his progenitor marks at the same time.

The halberd acted as his main anchor, conducting the mana and directing towards his mana pathways. Strands were sometimes intercepted and channeled into his progenitor marks, but he let them work without much supervision or deviation on the innate technique Famthar had blessed him with all those years ago back at the academy. Beneath his robes, the marks flared faintly, their intricate patterns coming alive as they converted the raw lightning mana into his divine fused energy. They thankfully didn’t extend and cover his neck or face, like what happened when he manipulated the spatial element during combat, but they were still powerfully taking in and processing the lightning mana they absorbed.

Within his inner heart world, the effects of his active cultivation were becoming visible. The swirling stardust whirlpool beneath the landmass responded eagerly to the newly arriving mana, its currents intensifying as the mana poured in. The influx caused the whirlpool to expand subtly, almost imperceptibly if it wasn’t for Lassim being able to sense its exact size innately.

As it swirled and processed the mana, sparkling "steam" looking mana rose from its surface as its energy was divided. Half of the mana sank deeper, enriching the whirlpool’s ethereal depths, while the other half ascended to the clouds floating above the small landmass in his heart world.

The clouds that floated aimlessly above swelled slightly with each drop of condensation, growing denser and darker as they absorbed the energy. It was like they would eventually return to the same weight and intensity as before the formation of the whirlpool when he fused his mana. The symbiosis between the whirlpool and the clouds was delicate but seemed natural, a steady cycle of refinement and expansion.

The process invigorated Lassim, the storm’s energy resonating with his own fused mana in perfect harmony. Zaphy and Mari seemed to enjoy the mana in the air, helping to process and control and organize the internal state of his heart world to keep it balanced while their bonds with Lassim grew.

He lost track of time as the lightning mana flowed through him, each cycle strengthening his core and filling his reserves. Hours passed as the storm continued to rage overhead and around the island. The occasional rumble of thunder provided a steady rhythm of background noise to his meditation.

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Around him, the other disciples came and went, some leaving after brief sessions, others remaining for hours like him. But Lassim’s focus remained undisturbed, the natural energy of the nexus wrapping around him like a cocoon. He could feel the motion of the swirl and there seemed to be something within that innate swirl that felt "right" with him. He tried to explore this sensation but unfortunately he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Eventually, Lassim opened his eyes, the faint glow of his fused mana lingering in his irises like the swirling of his internal whirlpool of lightning, water and space elements before fading to the general occasional flickering of lightning from his violet irises.

He exhaled slowly, his breath carrying the faint crackle of residual energy that he released in front of him. The clearing seemed more vibrant than before, and his own internal rhythm seemed to pulse in sync with that of the dancing bolts between the cotton ball tipped grass that surrounded him.

Stretching slightly, Lassim rose to his feet and stored away his halberd as he analyzed his cultivation progress. The benefits were noticeable, but the gains were not massive. It would take probably at least an entire week of sessions similar in length before he advanced to Spirit Ascension level 3. That was at least a large improvement over what it would’ve taken if he’d remained with Eno and Rlyis, so he accepted the situation with a smile.