The next day Fawr resolutely went to look for the dojo. Although his cultivation talent was that of the soul, the correct technique could also stimulate and strengthen the body. The end goal for cultivation was the development of the core and soul, but the basics start from working on the body. Tian was still sorting through the Legacy. The merger between the two halves brought astonishing results. However, only a small portion could be utilised at this stage.
"I heard a nearby dojo would give out a basic body tempering technique. Migrants from China and Japan are trying to introduce the eastern cultivation culture," mentioned Fawr.
"It would seem that it would be best to try one of those cultivation techniques, as I'm not sure if such a weak body could withstand the Scarlet technique. Even though you are a descendant of the Empire, after generations of no combat, your genes have become closer to baseline humans," responded Tian with some thought.
"Once you reach a level enough for the blood arts to shine, I will use a secret unsealing technique. The blood arts focus on the veins and arteries. That's where the blood energy travels. Only in the later stages do we start to strengthen the qi channels mentioned in methods of Eastern cultivation. My side of the inheritance requires strong qi channels, which you don't have right now,"
"Hang on, weren't you from a different Era to the cultivation era? How could you have developed similar methods comparable to them?" This confused Fawr.
"We naturally didn't call them qi channels. It wasn't your typical veins. At the time, it seemed like an obsolete human body system, like an appendix. The more we explored the body, the researchers came across qi channels that could transport other energies. Due to its mystical qualities, masters from all over the Empire applied our understanding of the blood arts to transform it into a vein system with the dantian acting as a second heart. With this, we split the yin and yang. The yang would be pumped by the true heart, and the yin would be pumped by the dantian. With this, both effects were strengthened, and we forcefully pushed the human body to a new path of evolution. We then ultimately became vampires. We aren't learning eastern arts to practise them but only to strengthen those degenerated qi channels. When the positive side of the arts was gone, we could only replenish the needed vitality through other means. When we incorporated meridians into the blood arts we created a more efficient system. This efficiency came at the cost of needing the full technique to stay alive," explained Tian in a sombre tone. The split of yin and yang was needed to survive the calamity. However, it turned into the Vampire's downfall. Such is the cruel machinations of fate.
"So the yang was focusing on defence, life and creation abilities. While the yin focused on attack, death and destruction abilities?" Asked Fawr like usual. This guy always seemed to come up with multiple questions. Tian didn't mind, as having a curious and intuitive successor was what anyone would yearn for.
"Correct. Do you understand why we can't take any chances? You need to strengthen your body, mainly your meridian channels. As for your veins, they are already quite well developed, but these other channels are lacking," Replied Tian. The more Fawr asked, the prouder he felt.
—This is exhilarating, I have finally found my path to strength, and with Tian and my late parent's heritage, I am finally on my way to becoming powerful. I am no longer a useless nerd.
They quickly ran to the dojo, well, more like Fawr did all the running. It was still early in the morning, so the dojo was particularly quiet. He walked in, looking for someone to talk to. When entering the building, Fawr and Tian noticed an old man sweeping the yard. It seemed slightly off. Although the dojo was built to resemble an old temple, they could buy some cleaning robots to sweep the yard. Who in their right mind would give a poor old guy such misery with such a cumbersome task?
"Hey, old pops, what are you doing cleaning the yard? Don't the people out here have better things to do than give you such work?" asked Fawr. He was someone that couldn't casually ignore injustice when it was right there staring at him. In this day and age, who would need to clean when we have robots around to do just that?
"Boy cleaning can also be a form of training. To humble oneself to such a simple task is also a strength," mused the old man with his interest piqued. He could sense a tinge of blood lust and killing intent. However, the boy was not the source of it.
"Fawr, I don't know how common a master is, but this old bag of bones isn't something to take lightly. It seems we may have stumbled upon something. Hopefully, it's the luck of the blood moon," said Tian with a slight frown.
"Boy, I assume you are here to train from your appearance. Come give me your wrist. I will check to see if you have the aptitude for our martial arts," the old man beckoned Fawr. Seeing that Tian wasn't against the idea, he propped his wrist for the old man to see. He came here for a cultivation technique. It would be good to see if he had a talent for this old man's cultivation techniques.
"Hmm, interesting. If I weren't here to look at you, I would have assumed you were a bloodkin. What strong vitality, how odd a gentle and warm disposition. Hmm, I sense bloodthirst and carnage mixed in. So strange you are only a high school student. Wait, what is.. this can't be."
The old man stood there in shock. He was more than just an old man, and Tian saw through his disguise. The old senior knew more than the high human council. Although the soul talent was seen as mediocre, it was exceptionally rare. For the sect he represented, such a talent was something to praise the gods for.
"What is it, old man? Am I not good enough?" Questioned Fawr.
"Yes, yes, indeed, you are quite good. Now I must bring you to my residence. I will just need you to be unconscious for a bit," replied the old man.
"Wait, unconscious? What do you," with a wack, the old figure quickly rendered poor Fawr unconscious, dragging him away without anyone noticing. The yard went back to its quiet and serene glory as if nothing ever happened in the first place.
