Chapter 32 Change

Ironically, ironically was the first one to get used to the dark. Although dark is still a misnomer as there were still sources of light around them, for people who have never experienced it before it was almost crippling not knowing what was in the darkness.

“Merc, this is darkness?” {Clover}

“Yeah. You will get used to it.” {Mercury}

“You sound very sure of yourself for someone who has never seen it.” {Weaving Metal}

“You live here. So, it cannot be all that bad.” {Mercury}

“That is true.” {Weaving Metal}

“Can I also ask where we will be staying during our time here.” {Mercury}

“You all will be staying at my school. It is the place where Formation Masters gather for knowledge and conversations. Speaking of, I will test you when we get there.” {Weaving Metal}

“Understood.” {Mercury}

The ship arrived over a massive lake. It was hard to see all of it at once. The ship flew over to one end where a large set of buildings were. Mercury would describe it as like a college campus. The ship landed in the water near the shore. Day and Weaving Metal flew the disciples to waiting members of Weaving Matel’s school. After everyone was ashore, the ship left, and Weaving Metal made an announcement to everyone.

“I know that not everyone want to be here. Let me assure you that other than the supervision required to keep you safe, most of your freedoms will still remain. Here we have resources for all Elements as well as Techniques. The students around you will teach you the rules and places around the school. I highly recommend picking up a Trade and improving the ones you have already. I know that our knowledge can be different and hard to learn at first, but doing so will allow for greater success in the future.” {Weaving Metal}

The students from the school started to clap. The disciples did not. Except for Mercury, who did it out of habit when hearing someone else do it.

“Mercury come with me.” {Weaving Metal}

“Clover, please make sure you get the rules written down for us.” {Mercury}

“You think I will forget that quickly?” {Clover}

“…”

“I will.” {Clover}

“Good job.” {Mercury}

Weaving Metal lead Mercury to a large office with many books. The center was flat and clear with a raised platform for making Formations.

“This is my office and workspace. I will not do the simple memory test. I have already heard from Starlight that you have a perfect memory. I want to see how you react to seeing Tenebrosity Style Formations for the first time. I will draw one and you will watch.” {Weaving Metal}

“Understood.” {Mercury}

Weaving Metal started drawing the Formation. Mercury immediately saw the difference. With Luminescence Style Formations one must first make a shape or shapes and fill in the runes around the shape. What Weaving Metal was doing was simply writing the runes, like one long sentence. Mercury immediately saw the pros and cons to this. The Formation could be made faster, in some case, and runes could be placed more freely, in some cases. The downside was the higher difficulty in constructing it. Measuring and needed placement of runes is far easier with Luminescence Style. Mercury felt the overall difference was closer to rigid programming vs writing poetry. Weaving Metal finished the Formation by writing the last rune next to the first one.

“What can you tell me about this Formation?” {Weaving Metal}

“I… This…” {Mercury}

“Just consider the differences between the two styles.” {Weaving Metal}

“Is this a Concealment Formation?” {Mercury}

“…”

“What did you just say?” {Weaving Metal}

“The difference between the styles is clear, but these runes are shared between other concealment Formations I know. This makes me think it is closer to that type of Formation than anything else. Then so, I do not know most of the runes here. I cannot be sure.” {Mercury}

“…”

“Do you want to be my apprentice?” {Weaving Metal}

“What?” {Mercury}

“This is closer to an upper level type of Formation. It should not be seen through by someone so easily. Much less by someone who has not seen this Style of Formations before. Only I am qualified to teach someone like you.” {Weaving Metal}

“But I already ” {Mercury}

“Trust me. My name is spread far and wide across both Styles of Formations. Whoever your teacher was before, they would be glad to have me teach you. Except maybe one, but you come from the Sacred Light Sect so you should not have meet him.” {Weaving Metal}

“Then I have no choice but to except.” {Mercury}

“Great! Although with that we have a slight problem. That one person is named Brick. Years ago, we made a deal that our apprentices would compete with each other. I put it behind me thinking he would never get one, but I heard that he did get one recently. So, you would have to compete against them soon.” {Weaving Metal}

“Is anything really at stake? How much do I need to prepare?” {Mercury}

“It is not something overly important. Mostly pride and all that nonsense.” {Weaving Metal}

“Then could we do it sooner than rather than later. I could see this as a way to have the Masters of the two styles come together as a show of friendly competition.” {Mercury}

“That idea is not half bad. Brick is from Luminescence, so his apprentice should use the Luminescence Style. How quickly can you learn Tenebrosity Style?” {Weaving Metal}

“It will not be hard.” {Mercury}

“…”

“You just keep getting better and better.” {Weaving Metal}

“Thank you.” {Mercury}

“Take these tokens, it will let you stay in my manor. You can give the other one to your friend, I think Clover was her name. I know that you two stayed together in Starlight Courtyard. I will contact the maid to expect you. It is getting late. We can continue this tomorrow. Come here after you wake up. There should be some students wondering around, ask them to take you to my manor. I need to prepare some books.” {Weaving Metal}

“Thank you.” {Mercury}

Mercury left and found a student and explained the situation. The student did not believe Mercury until he pulled out the tokens. The student quickly brought Mercury to where the other disciples were to get Clover. She was busy reading a book of rules. The group made it to a large manor. The student left Mercury and Clover as a maid greeted them and brought them to their rooms. There rooms were large but mostly empty with just a bed and a desk.

Mercury despite all that happened was still focused on the Elements coming from Light and Darkness mixing.

“Now that I am alone, I can start working on reaching Mortal Core.” {Mercury}

Mercury took out the Elemental resources he had bought for study and to have on hand just in case. He even had some rare Wind and Lightning Resources. He set them up in a circle around him.

“I wonder how exactly this will go.” {Mercury}

Mercury took a deep breath.

“White Light is all the Colors in one. Through separation White becomes all.” {Mercury}

“Black is to be without Color. When White and Black collide White separates.” {Mercury}

“By this, all Colors are seen. By this, all things are created.” {Mercury}

“The Colors of Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, Wind, Lightning, Time, Space, and all things make up the True Rainbow. I Seek to Reverse the Rainbow.” {Mercury}

The Qi in the Elemental resources started to move towards Mercury.

“ISseek to return all things to the beginning. To the White and Black.” {Mercury}

The Elemental Qi was absorbed into Mercury and into his Dantian. The different Qi started merging created White and Black Light. All the while it started shrinking and turning solid.

“No. This is wrong.” {Mercury}

The process stopped.

“White is not separate from Black. It is from both that each other is Defined.” {Mercury}

The process speed up. This time White became Black and Black became White.

“One cannot speak of One without Describing the other.” {Mercury}

It was almost finished.

“All Colors are One!” {Mercury}

Mercury’s Dantian collapsed into a near singular point. The force of which almost made Mercury cough up blood.

“It is done.” {Mercury}

Mercury checked out his Mortal Core body. The Qi-pathways were now like crystal. The energy could now flow very easily though his whole body. Mercury looked at his Core. It was small. Much smaller than any he has read about. Mercury did not really care as it would make him stronger than most in Mortal Core. The only problem would be resources and time required to make it large enough for the Nascent Soul Transformation.

This Core was no longer Clear, but a harsh White. But Mercury could still shift to other Colors very quickly and easily, even faster than before. Mercury then tried something else and made his right hand Red and his Left hand Blue. It worked. With Foundation Establishment Mercury could only use one Color at a time. All of the Qi in his Dantian could mix and merge, making it to where it could only keep one color at a time. But His Mortal Core would not do that and could allow for different Colors, albeit a little weaker overall. Mercury tried to have two Colors on one hand but that failed. The Qi-pathways could not support two different Colors so close together.

Mercury then tried something else and tried to make Black. It worked. Mercury tried to see what Black could do. Mercury was disappointed that he could only really use it to hide his Cultivation base like with Clear and like how Grand Darkness did it. Mercury then had another thought and made his core mostly Black with dots of White, just like a stary night sky. Mercury felt that this felt like Starlight’s Aura.

Mercury stopped playing around and started to try Cultivation. He replaced the resources with new ones and absorbed the Elemental Qi they gave off. Mercury found thought testing that he needed a good verity of different Elements of Qi to allow him to make his Qi. Mercury found that the minimum was the fire main Elements, but he also found that there was little if any loss of the amount of Qi in conversion. Mercury no longer needed Light Qi to Cultivate.

*Knock Knock*

“Mister Mercury, Weaving Metal requested I wake you up if you were not already.” {Maid}

“Thank you, I will be out after changing.” {Mercury}

Mercury quickly changed out of yesterday's clothes and into new ones and opened the door. He found the maid still waiting there.

“Thank you, I will be heading to Weaving Metal’s office now.” {Mercury}

The maid looked like she wanted to say something but was hesitant to.

“Is it Clover?” {Mercury}

“How… How did you know?” {Maid}

“Clover is a heavy sleeper. She should get up on her own… at some point. If not put bright lights around her face and make some load noises… It should work. If that does not help… just contact Weaving Metal and so she could tell me and I will come back.” {Mercury}

“I apologize for any problems I have caused.” {Maid}

“It is not a problem. Clover is the one who is a heavy sleeper.” {Mercury}

Mercury headed to Weaving Metals office. He showed his low Mortal Core Cultivation as he walked. He also tried out sending out his divine sense while walking. It was a skill he would have to work on as he almost tripped while focusing on controlling his divine sense. When he got to Weaving Metal’s office. He found her heir disheveled and piles of books around her office.

“Mercury you are back and… you reached Mortal Core… overnight. WHAT!?” {Weaving Metal}

“I had an epiphany with my Cultivation Technique and had to try it out. This is the result.” {Mercury}

“Starlight will be pleased to hear about this. But that is important right now. I have talked to Brick and we have come to the agreement that in six months will be the time to compete. You have to learn all you can by this time.” {Weaving Metal}

“Do we know anything about Formation Master Brick’s apprentice?” {Mercury}

“Only that he is some Monster like Formation Master in his own right. People are saying that Brick’s recent achievements were because of his insights.” {Weaving Metal}

“Then it will be a good competition then.” {Mercury}

“That’s the spirit. Here take this storage ring. It has the best books I could find about Tenebrosity Style Formations. Something came up and I have to leave to deal with it. I should be back soon. Then we can really start on your Formation lessons. Read what you can before then.” {Weaving Metal}

“I understand.” {Mercury}

Mercury took the ring and headed back to the manor. As he walked, he thought to himself.

“Who names their child Brick? That could give them a serious complex about their name.” {Mercury}

Mercury stopped.

“No. It cannot be, right?” {Mercury}

Mercury then felt that his long distance communication jade from the Grand Formation Master activated. Mercury answered it with what hope he could muster.

(“Mercury, I have talked with the person who’s apprentice you will need to compete against. It will be in six months in Tenebrosity. You should be able to go as a Formation Master student. Find me there. Do you have any questions?” {GFM}

(“By chance, what is the person’s name who made this deal with?”) {Mercury}

(“Why does that matter? If you have any real questions, contact me. I need to spread the word right now.”) {GFM}

The Grand Formation Master stopped the communication jade.

“It is just a coincidence.” {Mercury}

His communication jade with Cove activated and Mercury answered it.

(“Mercury you have no idea what I was just told! No. I mean you should know! It is about you! The Grand Formation Master and Weaving Metal’s apprentices will be competing in six months! Weaving Metal is the name of the person that the Grand Formation Master could never beat! I hope to meet her there! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITED I AM! I do not know who to root for! I hope she is nice… I will let you get back to what you were doing. You need to give it your best after all! Bye.”) {Cove}

Mercury could only stare at the jade for a long time as he thought.

“Well, nothing I can do about it now. But this does not need to be a problem.” {Mercury}