“Before we start with the anti-spectral combat arts and techniques, a couple of pop quiz questions: first question, what is the purpose of the mirrors I gave you?” standing beside a wooden crate, in the middle of the four wooden pillars and sprinklers they practice meditation and their martial arts movements with. And now, different from usual, each wooden pillar had a small metal sword hanging on it. 

“It’s a very basic and simplified implementation of the Eight Trigams Mirror. Its purpose is to strengthen our concentration and the power of mind and will, therefore serving as a reflector or projector of our spirit power and even true self.” Caroline answered in a plain voice.

“Okay, you would be a good student where I came from.” Jianmen smiled: “That is my initial answer word by word. But here’s the follow up question: how has it worked for you?”

“Oh, I know this. Our weapons in the limbo.” Jason answered this one: “We actually discussed it a few times - they became our weapons in the limbo. We are still not yet sure how they became what they were, like mine being a pen and Caroline’s turning into a shield and a stick. Our best guess is that these are a reflection of our mind.”

“Partially correct. The mirrors did not become your weapons in limbo. They helped you materialize your weapons in limbo. Your weapon has always been with you, which is why you could harm ghosts in limbo with your bare hands and feet. Which is also the reason that ghosts would not just attack anyone.” Jianmen explained with a smile, his right arm lightly flailing even though it’s still in bandages: “Think about it, a normal but strong-willed human can still beat the shit out of some ghost in the limbo, pretty neat huh?”

“Okay? I guess that’s pretty funny.” Caroline chuckled: “But what does that have to do with our training? We can’t just expect the ghosts or the ‘unclean presence’ to pull us into the limbo and let us kick its ass.”

“Exactly. And remember the basics of using the Demon Suppression Sigil? Focus your mind, visualize your desired forms of attack on your supernatural enemy, then release.” Jianmen nodded and opened the wooden crate, from which he took out three completely wooden weapons: an arm-length stick that is slightly thin on one end and thick on the other end, yet the thicker end was the one that was pointy; a small round shield that had a “True Word” engraved on it and tomahawk with a dull edge.

“Holy shit, Boss you didn’t.” Jason laughed as he caught the wooden stick thrown his way by Jianmen, “This is cool and all, but … how can I use this Chinese painting brush kind of thing as a weapon?”

“Haven’t you read any Chinese novels? This could be your Pen of The Judge in Hell.” Jianmen kicked the wooden crate aside, then picked up his signature bamboo stick during his teaching sessions, “In similar ways to the use of the Demon Suppression Sigil, these are weapons you can use against ghosts and apparitions, who are usually impervious to physical attacks.

“Caroline, I chose axe for you because I think it may suit your style and taste, let me know if you want something else. Jason, I tried to get a feel of this one and tell me how you want me to alter it to suit you. Now, try wielding it.”

Caroline and Jason looked at each other, then both took a light swing with their stick and axe.

“Again, harder, you are not concentrated.”

Caroline and Jason were more confused, yet they took another harder and more serious swing.

“Again! More concentration!” Jianmen’s voice was not loud, yet this time it seemed to have struck them like bolts of lightning, which caused them to have a very short moment of hyper-focus. And during this brief moment, Caroline felt that her wooden axe and shield caught on fire and glowed in orange and red; and Jason seemed to see that the tip of his stick, when being swung, left a trail of floating silver ink in the air, like a metal colored ribbon.

“Shit! What was that!?” Jason got pleasantly startled and surprised, the floating ink trail disappeared when he broke away from his concentrated status. Caroline did not have a reaction as strong and sudden, and the glow on her axe and shield just went away slowly.

“Not bad, my students. I knew you just needed a little nudge.” Jianmen clapped his hands and congratulated both Caroline and Jason: “I was just hoping that you got a hang of the basic use of your mind and will power, yet here you are, having awakened your Xuanli.”

“Huh?” Caroline concentrated for a short while and lit up her axe again: “Care to explain?”

“Short answer is we all did good.” Jianmen walked to the valve connected to the sprinklers: “Long answer is that, I’ve been teaching you using my theory, that the command of mind power and physical power should both be taught at the start of cultivation training. And you guys are successful examples of this kind of training. Usually Xuanli awakening happens at the mid to later stage of the second layer. And here you are, barely made it past the second layer and you had Xuanli awakened. I gotta admit this moment came earlier than I thought. But luckily I had everything prepared. Put down the weapons for now. Do you remember that reward for you if you finished your whole set of moves with the sprinkler on? Time to collect!”