Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 367: Next Steps

Lassim steadied his cultivation as he folded the last pocket of space, landing on the grounds of the Tempest’s Cradle’s Skybound Village.

The familiar storm’s rain and lightning seemed to rush to meet him, their energy blending seamlessly with his own storm-like spirit pressure.

He straightened, taking a moment to adjust his robes and ensure the spare gateways were still attached and held securely to the special magic pouch on his belt.

The installation of the teleportation gateway had gone as planned, and the memory of his departure from the Sect Headquarters flickered briefly in his mind.

He could still picture Rlyis’s amused smirk and the faint surprise in his master’s eyes at the sight of [Storm’s Dance] through the use of his spirit sense.

But the task and goal to revolutionize the world was partially complete, and now, Lassim’s priorities shifted as the additional gateways could be built over time as the Astrium Veinstone deliveries were made to Eno and Rlyis.

The remaining 5 and a half months or so until the Elder Summit loomed ahead.

"Time to focus entirely on cultivation." Lassim said aloud to himself as he moved.

Leaving the village area and arriving at the East Grove, the harsh environment barely fazed him.

The once-punishing winds and lashing strikes of lightning no longer felt like an external force of nature but even more like an extension of his own storm-like presence. Each crackling bolt carried an almost calming massage, resonating with the lightning elemental portion of his fused mana coursing through his veins.

He took a deep breath and settled into his usual meditation spot, underneath the roots of a storm leaf tree where the ground bore the scorched marks of countless targeted lightning strikes.

The air was charged, dense with the overwhelming lightning mana that made this portion of the floating island so attractive, as he sat cross-legged and laid his halberd across his lap.

The wind screamed through the sparse canopy of Storm Leaf trees and the gaps between the roots of the tree, yet Lassim remained unshaken and unperturbed, his mind laser-focused on absorbing the mana around him.

For hours, Lassim cultivated in silence.

The lightning storm above struck repeatedly, each bolt feeding and hastening the process of adding the storm-like energy within his inner heart world’s whirlpool to be converted.

His body, once ravaged by the environment, now welcomed its assault, growing stronger and more attuned with every passing moment.

The dense mana swirled within his whirlpool, "steaming" and transforming into filling the clouds above and making the entire atmosphere denser.

Through the gap to the void his constellation pulsed faintly, sending more void energy through the gap to add to his fused mana and make up the fabric of the inner heart world.

Mari and Zaphy assisted the process on their own and even reinforced their triple lines of bonds, especially the still fairly new bond between the two of them that appeared when Lassim fused his mana.

Still, his thoughts drifted as the time passed. The mysteries of the future advancement to the Spirit Transcendence stage loomed in his mind, drawing his curiosity.

He didn’t understand the basics—the intricacies of the process were a mystery. Of course he knew he needed to continue to pass the rest of Spirit Ascension level 8 and then level 9 before reaching peak 9th level, but after that? All he did know was that Spirit Transcendence cultivators all had a white halo above their heads with layers that signaled what level they were at within the Spirit Transcendence stage. Adding layers from 1 up to and through 9 in total, just like the previous stages all having 9 levels up to this point.

His unique situation and cultivation path only added to his uncertainty. When he advanced to Spirit Ascension he had complications with his soul crystal being too sturdy as it was created with the basis of divine mana. He eventually needed the Leviathan’s scale to break it just to advance and passed Ava’s God’s Trial just to obtain it.

He had a sinking feeling that although he’d reach peak Spirit Ascension in probably two or three months of straight meditation… His advancement would also have a troubling and unique issue once again.

The perfectly stable, lifelike constellation within his Inner Heart World and that shone bright floating above his head, a creation more perfect and unlike any other, would the next stage not be just as troublesome?

As the storm continued to rage around him, Lassim made the decision to seek answers on the actual process.

He rose from his meditation, the winds tugging at his robes as he pulled out his communication disc.

"If I can learn what I need to do, then it should be easier to predict what kind of problem I’ll possibly face, I think…"

He remembered the kind and helpful "Senior brother" and one of the few Spirit Transcendents that were staying within the Tempest’s Cradle.

He tapped out a message to Varen, the cultivator who had once given advice to him and told him about the East Grove, sharing valuable insights into the Tempest’s Cradle.

Lassim: Brother Varen, I hope this message finds you well. I have questions about the Spirit Transcendence stage and was hoping to see if you could tell me more. Please let me know if you’re available to meet.

Lassim waited briefly, watching the runes on the disc for a response, but none came.

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Frowning, but deciding to be proactive, he pocketed the disc and turned his thoughts toward the Research Grove.

He’d met Varen there in the past, just outside it, and he recalled Varen spent time there in the past, helping the working disciples on their defensive arrays and observing the Storm Leaf trees. If he wasn’t responding to messages, perhaps he was helping someone there or possibly someone at the grove would know his whereabouts. He could just go and meet him in person.

Leaving the East Grove, he made the short few steps with [Storm’s Dance] and quickly arrived at the Research Grove.

It buzzed with conversations and the sounds of experimental techniques and arrays being worked on or argued as Lassim stepped into its boundaries.

The sprawling field of the sparking cotton grass carried the electric energy from the storm. Around him, disciples worked diligently at scattered workbenches.

One group practiced against controlled bolts of lightning fired from a training construct one student was operating with a control tablet, directing it as their barriers flaring brightly as they absorbed the strikes.

Another disciple crouched near the base of a Storm Leaf tree, sketching the intricate veins of its leaves into a large parchment. The atmosphere was happy and full of enthusiasm for research and testing.

Lassim approached a pair of disciples that he felt were familiar faces. They were bent over a glowing array etched into the ground. The rune lines shimmered faintly as they poured mana into the design, forming the foundations of a portable defense barrier. They looked up as Lassim neared.

"Excuse me," Lassim began, keeping his tone polite. "I’m looking for Brother Varen. Have either of you seen him recently?"

The younger of the two disciples, a man with streaks of blue lightning threading through his dark hair, shook his head. "Not today, but he often comes here to check on our work or lend a hand. If he’s not around with another group, he might be back tomorrow."

The second disciple, a woman with matching bronze-embellished robes, nodded in agreement. "I actually saw him yesterday heading in the direction of the hatchery. It’s over on the south side of the island on the adjacent side. I heard from my sister that’s a receptionist at the Administration Hall, that there’s been trouble with some of the wildlife near the Thunderbird nests. He’s staying here to actually handle wild beasts and keep the weaker decisions safe, so they may have requested him to handle it as part of his general mission assignment here."

Lassim inclined his head in thanks. "I appreciate the information. I’ll head that way."

Then before he left he offered a bit of advice, pointing to two rune nodes placed a bit awkwardly, "If you move that [Transmission] rune closer to the [Wall] rune, and away from the [Rebound] rune, you might have more success."

"Oh! That’s a great idea. Why didn’t we see that! Thank you and good luck, Personal Disciple Lassim" the woman added as Lassim turned to leave, her gaze lingering briefly on him before she returned to her work with her companion.

Lassim floated carefully into the air towards the direction of the hatchery, someplace Lassim hadn’t even known existed until that moment.

He quickly used [Storm’s Dance] and eventually crossed through the storm’s wall and came out along the jagged path on an island which clearly led to an area with many Thunderbirds he could see nesting in pairs off in the distance ahead with his Spirit Sense.

The calls of the Thunderbirds echoed intermittently, their deep, resonant cries carrying across the cliffs like thunderclaps.

As the cliffside nests came into view, Lassim actually spotted Varen with his silver embellished Inner Sect disciple robes catches the flashes of lightning from the storm behind them, making him easy to find.

The spirit warrior was crouched near the base of a rocky outcrop, his attention fixed on an array carved into the ground. Lightning flared along the array’s lines, pulsing faintly in response to Varen’s adjustments.

Nearby, only ten meters away, a pair of exhausted and frazzled looking Thunderbirds stood vigil over their nest, their brilliant plumage shimmering with electric energy.

The larger of the two occasionally flared its wings, arcs of lightning dancing across its feathers in a show of agitation.

Varen glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps as Lassim landed and walked along the rocks. A flicker of relief crossed his sharp features as he straightened. "Oh it’s just Brother Lassim," he greeted, his voice cutting through above a crack of thunder. "I didn’t expect to see you out here."

Lassim inclined his head in greeting. "Apologies for the sudden intrusion, Brother Varen. I sent a message earlier but didn’t receive a response. I was hoping to ask for guidance on advancing to the Spirit Transcendence stage and someone said I might find you here."

Varen wiped his hands on his robes, the faint glow of lightning mana fading from his fingertips. "Ah, that explains it. My communication disc’s been tucked away; I’ve been busy trying to stabilize this array. The sect assigned me to ensure this nesting pair doesn’t lose their clutch."

Lassim’s gaze shifted to the Thunderbirds. The smaller one let out a low, rumbling cry, its eyes fixed on him with sharp intelligence. "What’s this area and can you tell me what’s happening here?" he asked with clear curiosity as he looked around.

"These two," Varen gestured toward the pair, "are a newly bonded pair. They’ve just laid their first clutch, but they’re struggling. Normally, Thunderbirds are capable of defending their nests without issue, but this pairing is inexperienced. To make things worse, there’s been a persistent predator in the area—a storm wyrm."

Lassim’s brows furrowed. "A storm wyrm?"

Varen nodded grimly. "They’re part of the natural ecosystem here. Long, serpent-like creatures with lightning-charged scales. Actually, Sect Master Volten’s companion is very similar but more further evolved version of the basic mana beasts. Normally, they prey on smaller storm creatures and avoid fully grown Thunderbirds and only opportunistically eat their eggs. But this wyrm is bold—it’s been harassing these two for days, making it impossible for them to sleep or hunt properly and putting a risk for the clutch."

"If it’s just a natural predator and prey situation, then why are we intervening? Does the sect usually intervene?" Lassim asked.

"It is," Varen agreed. "But the Sect lost too many of its Thunderbirds during the Sect War. The damage to the headquarters meant we lost nearly 70 young thunderbirds that were in the process of being raised and were still very young. We’ve lost an entire two generations of Thunderbirds, so the Elders decided to make an exception for this pair and many others, given how important it is to replenish the population. My job is to keep the wyrm at bay and give these Thunderbirds the chance to recover their strength to fight back on their own. Though, they still haven’t realized I’m here to help and the male is still really agitated. I’m setting up this barrier and plan to get a further distance away until they realize they’re safer and can sleep or hunt."

Lassim’s gaze shifted to the nest. The clutch of eggs was faintly visible beneath the protective wing of the larger Thunderbird. He could feel the storm energy radiating from them, raw and untamed.

"Do you need some help? I think I can make it easy to get the message across to them as well. One of my elemental companions is a type of Thunderbird too. She might be able to explain things and I can stick around to fight off the wyrm too." Lassim asked, his storm-like spiritual pressure naturally building in anticipation.

Varen smirked faintly. "I won’t say no. The wyrm has been circling nearby. If you’re up for it, I could use another set of eyes to watch for it while I reinforce the arrays around the nest. That idea to have your companion explain things would make it a lot easier too, if they’re up for it."