Calm Wanderer
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(AKJ)Chapter 103 - Elemental Law Intent
🕑 Added 2025-03-18 08:14:20 +0000 UTCBright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Demian's P.O.V.
“Let’s start with Intent then.” As a thoughtful look appeared on his face, Sergei continued. “What is Intent?” Before Demian could answer the question, majestic Soul Power fluctuations erupted from Sergei’s body, covering the entire gazebo and the other two people seated within. “Intent has a few components. First is the Soul Power serving as ‘director’ for the Intent. Some call it Will or Mind, but they all refer to the same thing, and with the Federation having chosen the name ‘Soul System’ for one of the three Cultivation Systems, we’ll use that one for simplicity’s sake.” After noting Demian’s focused gaze, Sergei continued his explanation. “The second component is Energy. Whether it is Soul Energy, Elemental Energy, or Vitality Energy, any of them can be used to power Intent. However, based on which Tier of Cultivator uses Intent, the output will be different. It’s similar to Tier 1 Spells being weaker when used by those in the Chi Gathering Rank compared to those in the Foundation Building Rank.” As those words left his lips, Water Elemental Energy started slowly gathering in front of the three, forming a deep blue ball of fluctuating Water Energy floating leisurely in the air. “Can you sense something different from your own Elemental Energy?” Sergei asked, prompting Demian to closely observe the ball with both his bodily Senses and Soul Sense.
With the young man having reached the threshold for condensing Intent, spotting the disparities was fortunately relatively swift and easy. “It’s not your Inner Energy. You’re... Controlling the ambient Water Energy with your Will... No wonder it’s called Intent...” He mumbled in a surprised tone at the revelation. To be fair, he had some inklings about what Intent was, whether it was because of its name or because of what he read about it in novels. However, reading about something and seeing it applied in front of your eyes was a completely different concept, especially when it came to controlling ambient Elemental Energy to shape it at will. If a random average Peak Chi Gathering Cultivator were to see Sergei and Demian manipulate Water Elemental Energy in front of them, they would not be able to spot the difference between them, especially after his current Foundation deepened even further. However, the difference between the two was like Heaven and Earth, as Demian’s Energy manipulation was only possible over his own Inner Elemental Energy, refined and marked with his ‘Essence’. Sergei, however, manipulated ‘foreign’ Elemental Energy as if it was his own, something that should have normally been impossible. Nonetheless, with the proof right in front of his eyes, Demian could not deny the reality, which explained his momentary shocked reaction.
Nodding his head, Sergei replied with an amused grin on his face. “Exactly. Intent is the process, through comprehending Elemental Law as the framework and Energy as the fuel, of manipulating foreign Elemental Energy. Not only does it save a massive amount of ‘fuel’ but it also increases the output by a similar amount. It also gives you much better versatility, whether in combat or any random profession. It is also one of the minimum requirements to break through to the Core Formation Rank or any other Tier 3 Rank and the reason why reaching that Rank marks you as a different being than those below. From Mortal-Grade to Earth-Grade, the jump is gigantic.” At that moment, Sergei paused his words, letting Demian assimilate all that information. However, Ling being her playful self, could not help herself but remarked to the young man. “Speaking of which, there’s something else about Intent that you might want to know.” Feeling curious about what she meant, he asked. “What is it?” To which Ling instructed. “Gather a small ball of Water Elemental Energy in front of you.” Intrigued, Demian complied and a small ball of Water swiftly appeared floating in front of his eyes. However, something happened that stunned him again. The ball made of his own Inner Energy suddenly became uncontrollable, floating in ways he did not intend at all. Despite trying his best to regain control over it, the only result was vain frustration. Letting out a sigh, his gaze then moved to the grinning duo and asked rhetorically. “So by using Intent, you can take control of my own Energy? If that’s the case, you could do the same to any Spell I throw at you, right?”
After a light nod, Sergei responded. “You’re correct. That’s why the strength of one’s Intent can have a decisive impact on a fight. Of course, to wrestle control over the other’s Energy like I’m currently doing demands not only a large difference in Cultivation and/or Intent Stage but also a similar Essence. So those with Water Intent will have an easier time wrestling control over Water Elemental Energy than those with Fire Intent. They can still do it but to a much lesser degree.” Feeling intrigued at the implied meaning behind his sentence, Demian asked. “From what you imply, there should be different stages in Intent Comprehension?” While the two were conversing, Ling was enjoying the food and tea, her gaze filled with a peculiar glint silently moving from her husband and the young man. With a small nod, Sergei specified. “When it comes to Elemental Law Intent, there are three Stages: the First-Stage Intent, which you’re pursuing, the Second-Stage Intent, which is the Stage both I and Ling have mastered, and the Third-Stage Intent, which is the limit of Intent. Beyond that, Intent transforms into Essence, but that’s not something you need to learn about yet.” Realizing that, despite how powerful his teacher was, the older man had only comprehended up to the Second-Stage Intent put the whole thing into perspective, prompting him to question with some confusion. “If that’s the case, should I really try to comprehend the Tide Intent before breaking through to Tier 2? Wouldn’t that be a waste of time?”
Shaking his head, the older man explained. “Unlike average Cultivators whose goal is only to pass their Rank Tribulation alive, talented Cultivators like us must use it as an opportunity to gain as many benefits as we can. Everything depends on how strong your foundation is. Every little bit you accumulate before your breakthrough will translate into massive benefits afterward. To give you an example, condensing an Intent seed can not only help refine one’s Elemental Energy, Body, or Soul Power but also grow one’s Energy capacity. Comprehending one before Tier 2 would also help keep your Energy purer once you reach Tier 2. Otherwise, the purity of your Energy will lower automatically. Or more specifically, those small impurities previously invisible to your Senses will appear in your vision. Technically, Flawless Purity is not truly flawless, but more like the objective limit those at each Rank can reach.” Pausing for a second, he then added in a solemn tone. “Although I can’t be certain if it‘ll be enough for your Elemental Energy to reach Flawless Purity, it will at least push it very close to it. After all, Elemental Energy is a manifestation of Elemental Laws, so even if Intents are only singular Aspects of an Elemental Law, they still have a great influence on Elemental Energy.” Absorbing so much information did take a bit of brain power for the young man despite his strong Soul, or if one shifted their perspectives, because of it. From those simple words, many ideas and inspiration appeared in his mind before being either discarded or kept for further examination.
Scratching his chin in thought, Demian questioned, perplexed. “Intent Seed, you say? Can you explain a bit more?” Sergei, whose control over the young man’s floating Water Elemental Energy disappeared, started to explain while pointing toward the large ball of ambient Water Energy floating in front of them. “See this as the Energy contained in a Cultivator’s Lower inner Core.” As those words left his lips, the Elemental Energy started thinning out until the ball turned into a thin mist. “In the Chi Gathering Rank, one gathers Spiritual Energy into a Mist...” The Mist ball then started to condense into barely visible droplets floating together in a ball-shaped group. “...Condensing it further the Mist turns into a moving group of small droplets similar to those found in Drizzles. Condense it again with sufficient Spiritual Energy and it becomes...” The small droplets increased in size again, along with their thickness. “... Raindrops, which are essentially larger and thicker droplets of Spiritual or Elemental Energy, depending on if you successfully condensed the latter. From that point on, you have two choices. Well, most Cultivators only have one due to their lacking foundation, but those extremely talented ones like you have two.” Before Demian could say anything, Sergei specified. “My explanation is linked to your question about Intent, don’t worry.” Nodding his head, the young man trusted the older man’s judgment and kept silent, his focus entirely on those floating Elemental droplets.
Seeing how attentive his student was, Sergei continued his explanation. “The first option is simply to break through to Tier 2. In this case...” As those words left his lips, the ball of Raindrops started condensing further, the individual droplets starting to merge into one pseudo-unified unit, turning the ball into a deep blue orb floating in front of them. “...Condense those droplets even more to form a Pseudo-Core commonly known as Orb. In this case, it would be a Minor Orb, which is the equivalent of the Low Foundation Building Stage.” Pausing for a second, he then added. “The reason most Cultivators can only choose this option is because of the other option’s requirements. Although to be fair, reaching this point does need a certain foundation and some particular Pills like the Foundation Building Pill. That is unless one’s foundation is deep enough. But let’s go back to the second option which is the one you’re curious about.” Immediately after speaking that sentence, the Orb broke down again and returned to its previous disunited state. “The second option is this.” From its Raindrops State, the Elemental Energy started to change, with the number of droplets increasing massively alongside both their volume and sheer density. There was also a sort of orderly feeling that was previously absent and was hard to put into words. Clearly, this new Spiritual/Elemental Energy State was incomparable to the previous one despite not breaking through the Rank barrier.
The look of understanding on Demian’s face prompted his teacher to remark with a calm grin on his face. “You can easily see the difference between the two. Those two Stages are incomparable. Even average Low Foundation Building Cultivators are no match against one in the Energy Flood Stage, despite being a Rank higher. Although, the stringent requirements to reach that Stage do play a great role in the massive power boost. Keep in mind that reaching that Stage is extremely hard for those below Heaven-Grade Talent and we’re only mentioning Tier 1. The subsequent Tiers’ Extreme States are even harder to reach. But the benefits are also massive.” That intrigued Demian who asked. “What are the requirements?” With a wistful expression, the older man specified. “Flawless Purity. Inner Energy completely converted into Elemental Energy. Condense a First-Stage Intent. The last one is having as high a number of Energy Channels as possible. Having Seven and higher unlocked Energy Channels makes it challenging but possible. Those possessing only four to six unlocked Channels have a very low chance of succeeding though. As for those with three or fewer... Let’s just say it’s better to give up on the idea unless one finds some heaven-defying opportunities.” Scratching his chin in thoughts, Demian commented wistfully. “With those requirements, it’s no wonder you can obliterate Low Foundation Building Cultivators. I doubt even those in the Mid Foundation Building Rank can do anything against anyone in the Energy Flood Stage.“
Both Sergei and Ling shook their heads at those words with the latter warning him solemnly. “Never think that way, kid. You might beat someone when it comes to your Foundation, but that’s just one part of the equation when it comes to life and death battle. Your enemies might know stronger or more devious Spells, Techniques, or, Skills. They may also have stronger Artifacts, Talismans, etc. After all, external aids can compensate for Cultivators’ deficiency when it comes to fighting others. It might even allow an average Cultivator to easily kill a monstrous genius like you, even with your ridiculous self-healing power. So, never underestimate anyone.” She paused her words, allowing Sergei to interject. “Ling’s right. The two of us had a few brushes with death because we foolishly underestimated our enemies. To be fair, even being vigilant may not be enough at times, but at least it will lessen the chance of dying because of your inflated ego.” After the solemn warning, the two’s serious expressions loosened, their faces lighting up with their own light grins as Sergei commented. “But seeing how you conducted yourselves during that little test we had for you, I’m not too worried about you becoming arrogant.” With an appreciative nod, Ling added. “You’re both smart and decisive. Those two qualities will bring you far as long as you don’t let your power get to your head.”
Feeling a mix of embarrassment and pride, Demian replied firmly. “Thank you for the compliment. I’ll do my best not to. After all, I do plan to live a very long and happy life with my wives by my side, so dying because of arrogance is out of the question.” The two clearly chose not to say anything about the ‘wives’ comment but instead gave a few words of appreciation before Sergei resumed their previous topic. ”Back to the previous topic, I’ll link your last question to the one with your Intent. The reason you feel like your Special Physique lacks something comes from the difference between a Special Physique and a Normal one.” The next few words plunged Demian into deep contemplation. “A Normal Physique is cultivated from the Flesh first, the Organs second and the Bones third. Each of those Stages is divided into three layers of refinement targeting different body parts and one can not cultivate the three at the same time. Take the Flesh Stage for example. It’s divided into the Skin Layer, the Muscle Layer, and the Tendon Layer. Although each Layer mainly strengthens one part of the body, it doesn’t stop there. After all, the body is a system, so when one part becomes stronger, everything else benefits, even if to a much lesser degree.”
Instantly, Demian’s mind made a parallel. “It sounds like what happens when you cultivate in one system: the other two get an upgrade, although not as large as the targeted system.” Nodding his head, Sergei said. “Exactly. The higher the Grade of your Energy Cultivation Technique the greater the benefits for the other two Paths. Naturally, there’s a limit to it, and using Techniques for the other two Systems is mandatory if one wants to reach the limit in each Path.” Pausing for a second, he then added. “Back to Body Cultivation. A Normal Physique is inherently fragile, and the process of refinement needs to be done carefully and step by step. But Special Physiques are completely different. Instead of using Spiritual Energy to start refining your body, Elemental Energy is used. A normal body wouldn’t be able to bear the strain. The Stages are different as well. Take the Elementary Grade, for example. From Low, Mid, and finally High. Each of them is divided into three Layers. Unlike the careful approach of the Normal Body System, entire groups of body parts are refined through Energy at the same time. The Flesh, Bones, and Organs each correspond to a Layer in the Low Elementary Grade. The Mid Grade corresponds to the Acupoints, Secondary Energy Channels, and Main Energy Channels refinement with their respective Layer. As for the High Grade you’ve reached now, it focuses on harmonizing the different parts of your body. The Seventh Layer is called Outer Breathing as it creates an Elemental Cycle through your Flesh, Organs, and Bones, making it possible for you to absorb Elemental Energy smoothly through your skin to refine and fuel those body parts. The Eighth Layer is called Inner Breathing which perfects the Elemental Absorption of your Energy Channels and helps strengthen them. As for the last Layer, the Harmony Breathing, it connects the Inner Breathing and Outer Breathing, creating a Harmonious Cycle, thus the name.”
The older man halted his explanation for a brief moment but Demian still felt confused, prompting him to ask. “I understand the principles, and although I haven’t followed a systematic training plan, I can tell that my Physique reached the Ninth Layer. The problem is that although my body feels much more connected, there is still a feeling of... I guess something missing. Not something big, but still...” Nodding his head, Sergei replied. “That’s what I was coming to and why my explanation was a bit long.” Taking a breath, he then continued. “Cultivating a Normal Physique is the process of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. But cultivating a Special Physique is the process of uncovering the extraordinary hiding inside you. This is why your body is stronger than other Cultivators’ and many body parts can be strengthened at the same time. By washing it with Elemental Energy at your current Cultivation Base, the Affinity buried inside your body’s essence will surface, giving you a massive advantage over those who actually need to transform their essence from nothing.” The explanation felt like a veil had been lifted in his mind, eliciting a low mutter from the young man. “No wonder I felt like my Water Mastery grew so much after every breakthrough in my Body Cultivation!”
Demian’s reaction brought a few chuckles from the older couple with Ling commenting. “Exactly. Special Physiques can be either great or bad depending on the situation. But with your comprehension and... ‘peculiarities’... it’s clearly a great thing.” Sergei also added. “Ling is correct. Those lacking comprehension or with sufficient Energy Channels unlocked would find themselves stuck in their body Cultivation for a long time or even forever. It would also impact their Energy and Soul Aspects. Although, they wouldn’t have gone far with their lacking qualifications anyway.” That last sentence was said in a somewhat absentminded tone before the older man shook his head and said. “But back to what you’re lacking. When you think about what I just told you, it should be quite obvious, don’t you think?” After contemplating for a few seconds, a probable answer surfaced in Demian’s mind and, thus responded halfheartedly. “Is it Intent?” Hearing the young man’s answer, the smile on Sergei’s face grew a tad bigger before he disclosed. “Intent indeed. In your case, you have awakened a relatively simple Water Physique, which means you need to dig into your essence until an Intent Seed appears inside your Middle Inner Core located in your heart. It will serve as a focus for your Harmony Breathing and will not only help you refine your body further but it will also remove some impurities polluting your Physique.”
That answer was not what he was expecting, making him feel a bit puzzled. “So the three questions I asked you have the same answer: Intent. But how am I supposed to condense an Intent Seed? Or two I guess...” Lifting his left lightly clenched fist in the air, Sergei then lifted his index finger while saying. “To condense the Tide Intent, you need to comprehend the principles behind the concept of Tide along with attuning yourself to ambient Water Elemental Energy through Energy Cultivation and in particular the Flawed Runes you’ve already comprehended. You also need to use the Elemental Energy inside your Lower Inner Core as an anchor, merging the Seed with it. Otherwise, it will dissolve on its own. As for the Intent buried inside your Essence, you only need to dig deeper inside yourself to make it naturally appear in your Middle Inner Core. Remember, it’s already inside you wanting to be uncovered.” Pausing for a second, the older man added. “I’ve also put some resources inside your Void Ring to help you, but they only have a mild effect on comprehension. The rest will be on your shoulders to manage.”
With a firm nod, Demian replied. “Don’t worry, Teacher, you’ve already done plenty. I’m sure I can do the rest myself.” The two older Cultivators let out a light chuckle when they heard his confident words before Sergei declared. “Although most would fail, I do feel confident in your chances. In the meantime, having answered all of your questions, why don’t you stay to chat a bit longer instead of going back right away? Otherwise, I might even forget that I have a student at all with how little time we spend together.” Demian’s light laughter echoed Ling’s before the three shifted the conversation toward lighter topics while enjoying the delicacies and the peaceful sounds coming from the tranquil river surrounding the wooden gazebo.
