Walking Disasters and Me-Revelations, Matters of the Soul – Ch 18
Akiko stares up at Ios' projection from the floor in shock, her mouth opening and closing a few times before it simply just hangs open, her eyes wide the whole time. Apparently, learning about other cultivation methods is a big deal! I turn to Ios, "Is it so shocking that there are other methods to do this cultivation stuff? I'm assuming so given how Akiko is acting like..." I gesture vaguely to the usually dignified and sexy fox woman who continues to do her best impression of a fish.
"It is and it isn't, really. Most advanced cultivators, like Immortals and such, either practice all three or are always on the hunt for whatever methods they are missing. Only following one path can be a serious determent once you start getting into the higher levels of the 6th Realm, as the beasts and beings you will need to contend with are quite powerful. Like, planet destroying with a flick of the wrist powerful. However, it seems this world has been locked into one path of cultivating for quite some time now, so Akiko's shock is understandable to a degree." Ios replies matter of factly with her usual penchant of dropping revelations with flippant disregard to others sanity.
About this time, Akiko finally shakes off her stupor and quickly stands back up, appearing almost instantly by Ios' side, "Truly, spirit Ios, you have access to soul cultivation manuals? You speak correctly, as far as I have been able to discover spiritual cultivation is the only method of gaining power here in this world. The Sect Leader is out searching for some kind of sign, or information, about soul cultivation specifically but its been 200 years since she began her search and has still yet to find anything last I heard. If you can produce them, even low ranked ones, I would forever be in your debt!"
The instant seriousness and desperation coming off Akiko makes both Ios and I shoot our eyebrows up and then look at each other. After a few seconds, I turn back to Akiko and place a hand on her shoulder which brings Akiko's pleading purple eyes back to my own before gently speaking up, "Why only soul cultivation? If she is also missing body cultivation, whatever that is, then shouldn't she need both? Or is there a specific reason that she needs to learn soul stuff? Oh, sorry if its personal to her or you, you guys seem like you are pretty close by how you speak about her. I'm honestly just curious, and if we know more then we may be able to help her more effectively."
Akiko seems to ponder the questions for a seconds, even going so far as to bite her lip as her brows furrow in anxiousness. I'm about to tell her that she doesn't need to share if she isn't comfortable with it, but her soft, slightly vulnerable voice starts talking as she meets my gaze again, "I suppose you will learn this sooner or later, but she was... heavily wounded during her tribulation when she ascended to the 6th Realm. The Heavens here are strict, and while ascension to Immortality is still
possible
, it is always met with extreme violence and anger from them. Only a handful of people have been able to cross the gap into Immortal status in the last several thousand years, although many more attempts than that have been made.
Her tribulation lasted for years. 5 if I recall correctly. I watched all of it from as close as I dared venture, constantly keeping her in my thoughts as I watched her battle against the seemingly insurmountable wrath of Heaven. But she prevailed in the end and was beginning the process of shedding her mortal body so that the energy Heaven spent on the fight could forge her new, Immortal form. Just when she had finished ridding her shell, Heaven sent one last bolt of lightning out of spite, striking the only thing left of her that was still there. Her soul. I can... still hear her discordant, otherworldly scream of pain when that happened...
Luckily, the bolt was weak by the tribulation's standards, but still it was strong enough to leave a wound on the Sect Leader's soul itself since exposed, open souls are extremely vulnerable to outside influences if not shielded correctly. She was able to complete her transformation, but because an Immortals body is heavily reliant on perfect harmony, she was weakened severely by the attack. On top of that, she couldn't stay here as even if ascension is possible, Heaven will not allow beings that strong to exist here as part of its own Laws.
So, we embraced once more with tears flowing freely, with me feeling how amazingly strong and still somehow weak her new form was, before she had to ascend and leave the surface of Mara. Which is the name for this world, if you haven't been told yet.
Due to the process of how spiritual cultivation works, her energy is constantly trying to feed into her soul to repair it but any time she has to take action, even simply flying or using the smallest amount of Qi, it exhausts her and sets her healing back by years. That is why she has been searching for any reference or clue about how to obtain a soul cultivation technique, so that she can find a place of safety and begin healing her soul in earnest."
Akiko finishes her tale with a sad look to her face, even her ears and tails are drooped down in melancholy by the end of her recounting. It almost breaks my heart, and I quickly dive into her and give her the strongest hug I can manage, the familiar warmth of tears building behind my eyes. It's a curse and a blessing to be so empathetic, damn it!
"Akiko, I'm so sorry that happened to her. It really sounds like you and her were quite the team and cared for each other deeply." I feel her head rest against my shoulder after a second or two, and I gently stroke her hair as I turn slightly to look at Ios. It seems even she isn't immune to sad stories, because I can tell from her posture and the look in her eyes that she's feeling it too. "Ios, is that possible? After I get setup with whatever we need to do, would we have enough points to get just a... I don't know, like the most basic of soul cultivation stuff to give to the Sect Leader?"
Ios gives me a complicated look for a second, her 4 hands coming to rest in front of her before she responds, "Aims, while we most certainly can try to figure something out, I want to warn you to be careful of how you spend your points. They aren't a limitless resource, and you are going to need
a lot
of them as you go on your journey. And I can see you starting to get mad, so just listen to me for a second, okay sweetie? I am all for helping the Sect Leader, if we can, but you need to know that you can't help everyone that comes to you with a problem like this. You and Sandra are already going to be needing
a lot
of help from each other as it is, and while helping out friends and family is expected..."
She sighs and shakes her head for a second before looking back at me again, "Just don't make a habit of it okay hun? On top of the points issue, if people find out that you have access to lost and powerful cultivation methods,
they will come after you.
I know you are strong, Akiko, but it only takes one slip up, one mistake and Amelia and Sandra are dead or worse until we get them to your level. Again, I'm not saying we shouldn't help right now, but please keep this in mind, both of you. I'll cut back on some things I was wanting to get for Amelia, if we pick the manuals I have in mind for her, then we should have enough points left over to just barely get something usable for the Sect Leader."
I can feel wetness on my neck suddenly and I instantly know where its from as a small sob escapes Akiko's lips. I push my head against hers and hold her head to my shoulder, still stroking the hair thats not in the bun. After a few minutes of letting it all out, Akiko pulls back and dabs the corners of her eyes with her kimono before letting out a raspy sigh and addressing both Ios and me.
"Thank you both, truly and deeply. Amelia, you are an amazing person and I am so thankful that we met," she says as she takes both of my hands in hers before looking at Ios, "Spirit Ios, your words are wise and true, and I know how selfish my request to Amelia is. I promise the both of you that I will forever be in your debt if it means I can see her again." She finishes her declaration as another tear starts to slide down her perfect, soft motherly face. I smile slightly, my hand tracing up her cheek to wipe it away before giving her another tight hug and then pulling away, still holding her hand, as I look back to Ios.
"Thats the plan then. Let's go over the other two methods and then start our shopping spree!~" I say, trying to inject some levity back into the now solemn, serious atmosphere.
Ios nods with her own soft smile and then starts to explain soul cultivation to both Akiko and I, "Right then, so soul cultivation focuses solely on the soul~," she says with a giggle, very proud of herself for the word play.
"There are 5 realms, like the other paths, and each one goes over specific parts of how to enhance, imbue, and manifest your soul in different forms and functions. The initial stage is called the Soul Tempering Rank. Similar to how spiritual cultivation starts out, this is the stage where you learn how to channel Qi directly into your soul to begin preparing it to handle the energy.
There are 4 realms of this Rank as well, and each one requires comprehension about the how and why of your souls interaction with Qi to be understood. Once you pass all that, you face your tribulation and advance to the 2nd Realm, the Blooming Soul Rank. Here, you begin to strengthen your soul, and start the process of shaping it into a more detailed version of itself. Usually, that means you start the process of creating your soul in your own image, instead of the formless blob that it has in its default state. Again, there are 4 realms to this Rank too. Once youre done there, you head onto the next Rank after fighting off Heavens response.
This realm is called the Manifestation Rank, and this is where it starts getting juicy~ There are 6 realms to this rank, and each one will have you learn how to physically manifest your soul into different forms and various ways. From using your own soul as a weapon, to summoning a body double made of your soul energy, it gets pretty wonky! However, that's why the previous rank is so important to master. Your soul outside of your body is much more exposed, as Akiko and the Sect Leader learned when Heaven took a cheap shot." As she says this, a low rumble is heard throughout the estate making Akiko glance up in anger briefly. Thankfully, all that seems to happen is the rolling thunder sound for a minute or so before everything goes quiet again.
"Spirit Ios, I know you speak truly but until Amelia starts her training, lets both do our best not to incur Heavens wrath. As strong as she is, a bolt directed at me for punishment would undoubtedly seriously hurt her or kill her. Since you are not a corporeal being, Heaven would likely target me in your stead."
Ios has an apologetic look to her form and face as she replies, "You're right Akiko, and sorry Amelia. I didn't mean to put you in danger like that. I'll do my best to choose my words more carefully going forward, until you're strong enough to handle whatever happens.
Well, moving on. Once you comprehend and master this rank's teachings, then you move onto the Widening River Rank. This stage is all about teaching you how to fully develop your soul from its shell to fill your entire body. Since at this point you've already made it into a smaller version of yourself, its more about feeding it energy and carefully, painstakingly filling every piece of your mortal body with its energy.
The benefit of this rank cannot be understated, as healing from mortal and grievous wounds is child's play once you have properly filled your essence with your soul. So long as the soul itself isn't damaged, of course. Not only that, but direct mental and soul attacks get increasingly less effective as you build yourself up more and more, to the point that you become nearly immune to them unless an Immortal pops up to bitch smack ya.
Once you're done with the 7 realms of this rank and you've fully filled yourself up~" she says with a playful wink at the innuendo, this damn woman! "Then you advance to the last mortal rank of soul cultivation, the Soul Monarch Rank. This is where your natural outward aura and power suppression starts really kicking off, as your soul gains the strength to make lesser beings cower in respect or fear. It is also the stage where you begin prepping your inner soul for the creation of its Soul Palace. The Soul Palace is a metaphysical thing that your soul can access and acts like a resonance chamber for soul cultivation as well as some other fun features, but all of this is locked behind Immortality sadly. As you rank up through the 9 realms and the half step, you are simply getting ready for its creation, while strengthening the power you exert on the world around you."
Ios finishes her lesson as both Akiko and I have moved to the couch to get more comfortable. For once, shes the one leaning on me which makes my heart race a bit! It's wild how she is so comfortable even when she is using me my shoulder as a pillow! Like, how does that even work?! My internal pondering is stopped by Akiko calling out with some questions for Ios.
"Truly fascinating, and a well taught lesson spirit Ios! I am curious, it seems like soul cultivation is rather lacking in offensive options until you reach the last Rank. How would a soul cultivator of a similar level to mine face if we were to engage in battle?" Her voice tickles my neck as it comes out, and I can feel her ear bap my head a couple times as she talks. Every time it does, I flick my eyes over to her and see her having the cutest, knowing grin on her face while acting like nothing is happening. Cheeky fox!
"Thank you Akiko!~ Truthfully, soul cultivation on its own is rather lacking in power, like you said. They are strong, don't get me wrong, but compared to spiritual cultivators like yourself, or well-trained body cultivators, they would lose 7 times out of 10. Their strength really relies on attacks on the souls of their enemies, which is why if you were to fight a soul cultivator of equal rank and power, you would win almost every time guaranteed. Spiritual cultivation, while maybe not as intensely as soul cultivation, does in fact also strengthen the soul of the user from outside forces to a decent degree.
However, if a soul and body cultivator were to fight, the soul user would win so long as they stayed out of range of the body users attacks and techniques. Body cultivation does a piss poor job of soul strengthening and protection, even up into the peak of mortal ranks. They would need specific, niche techniques to ward off a soul cultivators attacks, or have a monstrously strong bloodline if they were a beast human."
Huh, so its kind of like a rock paper scissors deal then. Well... not really, maybe more like a sliding scale? With spiritual cultivation being a balanced middle ground, soul cultivation being squishy yet powerful if not countered, and body cultivation I assume is much more focused on the physical aspects of it all. Although I am curious about something else,
"Akiko, Ios, what do you guys mean when you're talking about bloodlines and stuff?" I voice out my curiousity while I absent mindedly pet the fur of Akiko's ears. She seems to love that by judging by how she almost beings to purr and push slightly more aggresively into my neck and shoulders. I giggle a bit at her display before Ios replies with a small smile looking over our antics.
"Right, we haven't gone over that yet have we? Well, all beasts and beast humans have at least one bloodline that is either gained through exploration of ruins or secret realms, which are like little pocket dimensions made by strong Immortals to deliver their legacies that pop up sometimes, or they are born with them. They also have a rank system of strength, starting from Awakened, Earthly, Magical, Heavenly, Ancient, and then Progenitor. There's also Primordial, but when Ilya and I were record checking this universe there hadn't been a confirmed sighting of a being that powerful in eons." Ios explains before looking more focused onto Akiko.
"Akiko, what rank is your bloodline, if you don't mind us knowing? I'm curious about it since you were able to so easily suppress those 5th Realms back at the Sect Hall. I know you were holding back on telling Aims to not worry her, but a few of those guys were right below the half step realm. They shouldn't have gone
pop
quite that easily if it was just your Qi aura." She further adds on.
It takes Akiko a second to respond, and I have to quit playing with her ear for her to come out of her daze. She gives Ios a mighty pout, like Ios had just interrupted the best thing that had ever happened to her with her nosy questions. "Hmph. I hope you one day get a material body spirit Ios, and then when Amelia is pampering you, I shall make sure to come ask some bothersome questions to make her stop!" she says as she huffs and turns sideways, making both Ios and I bust out laughing.
Eventually, Akiko gives in with a dramatic sigh, "If you must know, my bloodline is
[9-Tailed Ice Goddess Kitsune]
and it is of the Ancient Rank. As I ascend to Immortality, I will quickly develop it into the final stage, as you said, the Progenitor Rank. I have been focusing on building up my beast core these last 200 years, refining it and making sure that all I shall need to ascend its rank is a gentle push. When ready of course, as that will spark its own tribulation if I do not do it while I ascend my cultivation."
Ios looks rather impressed by all those words that Akiko just spoke! Her eyes hold a fair share of admiration and respect as she says, "Wow, that is extremely impressive Akiko! Not only are you at the peak of cultivation, but also your bloodline is beyond strong. Aims, for kitsune, having a 9 tailed variant bloodline is probably the strongest they could ever be. And the fact that its not only heavily Yin based, but also with Ice as a focus is incredible too. Ice cultivation and techniques are beyond rare, but devastatingly effective when used properly as they can only truly be countered by sun attributed people, or an extremely powerful fire cultivator."
I turn to Akiko and grab one of her hands with both of mine, a look of awe etched on my face, "Thats amazing Akiko! I knew you were strong, especially after the carnage at the hall, but it still always makes me feel amazed to hear about!"
My words seem to brighten the foxes face immeasurably, and she even seems to actually, physically fluff with the praise from both Ios and myself as her tails happily wave side to side behind her. I chuckle a bit, giving her a few head pats between her ears at her cute display before turning back to Ios.
"So, that's soul down. What's the deal with body cultivation?"
.
!
Revelations, Matters of the Soul – Ch 18
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