章 34: Steel Hornet (1)
The consuming use of his second spirit skill made Ja Sun come to a tiring conclusion that he, too, needed to train in Heart Separation Control like Ah Yin. The technique wasn't just suitable to auxiliary and control-type spirit masters. It was beneficial to all spirit masters.
Why would Ja Sun need this skill?
To turn his control of spirit energy extremely fine.
This is the essence of Heart Separation Control. Different actions require different amounts of energy but spirit skills are not conscious. They need absolute control to preserve spirit energy when dealing with an easier task.
For instance, a mosquito can be killed with an accurate slap as well as burning the entire house. But time and energy are conserved in the former scenario.
As Ja Sun's spirit energy grows, his basic expenditure on spirit skills will grow simultaneously. It isn't a bad thing. This was simply the spirit skills matching their effects to the ranks of the user. However, a spirit master who can control this will have a higher advantage in endurance.
Ja Sun felt the need to preserve his energy because the Concentric Spirit Technique finally wasn't enough for continuous support. He needed to learn auxiliary skills such as Heart Separation Control.
After returning to the Inn, Ja Sun didn't do anything but sleep.
It was a good thing that Ah Yin was eating breakfast by the time he returned so he got to hog the entire bed for himself.
When he woke up in the evening, he found Ah Yin cultivating so silently entering the spirit enhancement, Ja Sun raised their speeds of cultivation by 5 and 15%. The fact that self enhancement was 5% still irked him slightly.
Clearing his mind, Ja Sun entered silent cultivation himself but since he didn't need to focus on absorbing spirit energy, he instead focused on controlling two wisps of energy in his palms.
The next day, Ja Sun focused on himself. He sparred, cultivated, and raised his attributes to the maximum.
This mission's main objective was based on gathering merit points so he was going to accept another mission. Heart Separation Control cannot be learned in a day so instead of being impatient on the matter, he entered the Spirit Temple in the morning and claimed his next mission.
This one provided Ja Sun with 15 Merit Points and was actually an escort mission!
"Alright, I'm leaving," Ja Sun waved his hand at Ah Yin as she gave him a sidelong glance before closing her eyes and tilting her body to the other side of the bed, "I do not care."
'Well, at least I got to have a good view of her butt,' Ja Sun shrugged and walked out. Her cold demeanor did not dampen him for Ah Yin's wide hips, plump butts, and supple thighs were legendary. She can be as cold as she wants as long as he can get to see them from time to time. It's good for the heart; A Heavenly view.
---
The mission was closely related to borders once again.
As Fire Lord had proclaimed, the soldiers of Silvers Kingdom and the soldiers of Balak Kingdom occupied the land close to one another's borders instead of settling over at their corresponding sides. Now, the mission was to escort a troop carrying daily supplies through the border and into the territory of Silvers Kingdom.
The mission was clear in its objective. It wasn't the death of enemies. It was to safely escort the group through the border.
Soldiers wearing metal platted armors with their heads covered by helmets waited for Ja Sun in the outpost near the border. This place was, completely protected by the army and the moment Ja Sun grew close to the outpost, the fifty soldiers surrounding a large cart with its contents hidden by an enormous piece of cloth stepped up and struck the backs of their lances on the ground.
Soft thuds echoed.
Other soldiers only glanced towards their direction before continuing their task while Ja Sun stopped in front of the group.
Since he needed to reach this location as quickly as possible and even escort the group within a day, Ja Sun didn't rest despite the route Olivia chose for him. Now, even he felt slightly expended but with continuous breathing, his situation turned better considerably.
"Spirit Master, identify your token."
The soldier who stepped forward stated calmly.
Taking his token out, Ja Sun showed the nickname silently.
The lips of all the soldiers twitched. They seemed to already know the spirit master escorting them but even now they couldn't comprehend why such a nickname would be chosen.
Nodding, the soldier returned to his position and bowed slightly, "We will be in Spirit Master's care!"
Ja Sun nodded calmly.
All the soldiers weren't on foot. Ten of them were part of the cavalry that took the lead. Their horses wore armors, too. Aside from the leather saddle with raised metal ends as a seat, the crinet, crupper, shaffron, and peytrel glimmered under the harsh noon sunlight but the soldiers and the horses seem to have not felt a thing. The foot soldiers surrounded the cart and pulled it in rotation while the Cavalry slowly moved forward through the ordinary forest with the slightest hint of Spirit Beasts.
These spirit beasts were ordinary critters that had their bodies trembling by the firm footsteps of the soldiers. Behind all of them walked Ja Sun. His eyes observing everything to the tiniest detail.
'Last time, I was tasked to destroy the building but I chose to defeat the soldiers first and then deal with the spirit master before completing the task.
This time, if I was given the task to deal with the escort, I would first attack the spirit master and then slowly deal with the soldiers. This way, I can avoid getting surrounded by soldiers and the spirit master.'
"Why aren't we moving quicker?" Ja Sun inquired coldly as the soldier nearest to him stated loudly as if accustomed to it.
"Spirit Master, we are not allowed to go too fast. If we reach our destination before four hours, we all will be subjected to the laws of the kingdom and punished for refusing a direct order!"
Ja Sun frowned. The other soldiers didn't mind this inquiry.
"How many times have you delivered the supply?"
Ja Sun continued.
"38 times!"
'So... either the spirit master never attacked the soldiers or the opposing spirit master is deliberately ordered not to hurt the escort itself.'
"What happens if your escorting spirit master dies?"
"We return!" The soldier replied... calmly, with a shout, however.
'This mission has a time limit. If I escort the soldiers in time, no problem. But the opposing spirit master must have been given a time limit, too. So he will attack the group. Specifically, he or she will target me.'
Ja Sun took a deep breath and didn't let himself get distracted again.
The opponent will be in the shadow while he is exposed.
For two hours straight, the soldiers moved without rest. Their stamina and endurance didn't need to be questioned. Ja Sun followed quietly. Continuously being cautious of the surroundings was a mentally exerting task but now that Ja Sun had greater mental energy and could even manipulate it, his mind was still quite refreshed.
However, he did not lose focus and ponder over the auxiliary techniques.
In half an hour, the troop passed the border. Since the continent was largely forested with various terrains fostering animals and spirit beasts, the borders between kingdoms are usually marked on a map itself and not the geographical region itself.
However, the danger of meeting enemy spirit masters and scouts also increases largely.
After a few minutes of entering the Silvers Kingdom's territory, Ja Sun heard a soft buzz. It was quite irritating, as if an insect breathing down his ear by buzzing around.
*Thump*
A soldier suddenly raised his lance and swung it towards his own head with an ingenious twist of his wrist. Ja Sun's pupils shrunk and he shouted, "Cover your ears at once! We are under attack!" And he reached the soldier who was near him, instantly striking the lance off of his hands before continuing, "Lose your weapons, now!"
Whether they wished to follow his command or not was something Ja Sun didn't care about.
'A sound-type control spirit master?' Instead of actually rushing out, Ja Sun instantly began striking the backs of the soldiers. Their bodies instantly fell stunned as a shock passed through their entire bodies. Since they had no spirit energy, they did not have any hope to resist Ja Sun's gentle tactics.
His body flashed through between the soldiers like a ghost. Even the cavalry wasn't spared as they fell in a lateral position alongside the stunned horses. Furious, the group of soldiers could only glare at Ja Sun. After all, he didn't knock them out but only stunned their bodies.
Even the enemy spirit master didn't think of this result.
After Ja Sun shouted to lose their weapons, many had already raised their lances and his actions proved effective. The group of soldiers meant to be escorted was still safe, although paralyzed. Meanwhile, Ja Sun vanished from the views of soldiers and the hidden spirit master as he jumped along the branched. His movement technique mobilizing slivers of spirit energy as the Storm Steps made his speed explosively dangerous.
From disarming the soldiers to disappearing into the woods, Ja Sun only took a few seconds at most. The sight of his glowing palms had already made the enemy spirit master feel that Ja Sun was a combat spirit master.
'But he didn't reveal any spirit rings. Or kept them hidden.'
For a moment, the spirit master didn't dare move in fear that any sound may attract the spirit master who had taken hiding himself.
Unaware that his position was already somewhat exposed due to the attack itself, the Spirit Master continued to stay hidden.
'The first to feel the effect was the soldier closest to me and then the symptoms were found moving forward. The sound must have traveled from behind me,' Ja Sun silently stared at a few spots behind his original location. On one-on-one, control-type spirit masters have a slightly higher edge over the opponents only if the control-type master is aware of the enemy's abilities.
Since it was apparent that the enemy's first skill could only serve the purpose of irritating Ja Sun's sense of hearing then he had to be wary of the second skill and end the fight in a few rounds itself.
Without any hesitation, Ja Sun took a longer approach to go back to their previous route and then started tracing his steps. His intention was simple. The enemy spirit master was behind them so he will find him or her in the most orthodox manner. This was only possible due to his Fiery Golden Pupils.
Soon, a smirk appeared behind his mask and he found a figure flashing through the forest.
Both were exposed, one followed instantly and the other made a calm escape.
Much to Ja Sun's surprise, the completely covered spirit master, similar to him, could move quickly.
'An annoying buzz... and abrupt evasion... this guy wouldn't have a mosquito or other flying insect as his Martial Spirit, right?' Ja Sun narrowed his eyes.
Seeing that he wouldn't be able to chase the spirit master without spirit enhancing, Ja Sun stopped and returned to the group of paralyzed soldiers.
Instead of helping them up, Ja Sun stood near them silently.
This mission has a time limit. And their group was already close to their intended destination. So the person actually on the clock wasn't Ja Sun but the enemy spirit master.
'That spirit master is patient enough,' Ja Sun narrowed his eyes.
He didn't need to look around to feel the gaze of the spirit master over himself. But the moment Ja Sun moves to return the mobility of the soldiers, the spirit master will take the chance to attack.
Silently, Ja Sun began to spread his mental energy. Against another spirit grandmaster, it was quite a strong approach but the risk of getting even a single scratch will completely ruin his mission and Ja Sun would never agree to it.
"I'm going to help all of you up. The spirit master still isn't defeated so the moment I feel all of you committing suicide, I'll put you down again."
Ja Sun stated faintly and by now, the group of soldiers had turned calmer. How could they not understand what happened previously? Unlike ordinary men and women, the soldiers without spirit energy still came into contact with spirit masters. Their horizons were broader than usual and even if they couldn't speak, Ja Sun still began to disperse the shock energy from their body.
Unless he intends to explode the energy within, the vibrational force within the opponent's body will be created and dispersed at the same pace, making sure that without any external force, the shock waves remain within one's meridian.
'Hmm... this is...' Ja Sun felt something as he dispersed the shock energy. However, he wasn't allowed to ponder on the implications as he felt an entity shooting into his set up mental perimeter.
Ja Sun's back was still to the unknown spirit master and the entity actually revealed an astonishing speed. Meanwhile, a sharp and thick metal spike almost the size of an infant's head pierced at Ja Sun's heart.
'Gentle Tactics,' Ja Sun slipped aside as if he had eyes on his back. The soldier's eyes widened as he felt the thin tip magnifying at a breakneck pace.
*Thck*
*Tchk*
*Thck*
Ja Sun's hands shot out. Covered with Vajra Gauntlets, his attacks weren't fierce, but instead soft as if stroking the metal spike.
But each strike made the speed of the spike turn slower and slower.
'Once the shock flows, this technique is hard to defend against...' Ja Sun narrowed his eyes as the spirit master with two yellow rings comparable to the size of an actual ring rotated around his other finger came to a stunning halt.
This was an experienced rogue cultivator who knew how to hide and attack at the greatest opportunity but he had never experienced a technique that could pass through metal and impact internal organs, much less even more obscure and complicated connection of meridians.
"Nice pike," Ja Sun muttered. The attack was obviously poisoned as the spike seemed to be smeared with light green fluid.
***
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