Boundless Cultivation-Chapter 58 - How Did You Do That?
Alaric and Edgar clashed inside the Whispering Woods training ground. Like always, the head butler was giving him a chance to showcase his skills. Usually, Alaric didn’t enjoy such a sparring session, if it could even be called that.
It was no fun hitting a brick wall when one didn’t notice even a single crack appear on it. However, now that Edgar had limited his powers to peak Tier 1, Alaric managed to inflict some damage on the head butler.
Throwing mana javelins at Edgar was always ineffective. So, he flicked mana bullets upon mana bullets at Edgar, and he dodged them. The ones he couldn’t evade, he swatted away with his hands.
Alaric noticed burn marks appear on Edgar’s hands, but the head butler didn’t activate any healing skills nor deploy any more powerful defensive skills.
A smile was etched on the head butler’s face. So, you are enjoying this as much as I am.
Alaric had no way to verify what tier the head butler truly belonged to. He only knew that Edgar surpassed Captain Aldric, Sir Baldwin, and even the count. According to his estimate and research, he placed all of them in at least high Tier 3.
He also suspected that just like Captain Aldric, Edgar ascended the Tower of Trials and had bonded with a powerful entity.
“Alaric, I’m disappointed if this is all the power you can demonstrate.”
“I’m just getting started,” Alaric aimed his palm at Edgar and unleashed a mana blast attack. Let’s see how you block that without using your full power. Alaric had not unveiled his evolved skills to Edgar. He had kept them a surprise for his match with Rowan and Therin.
However, Edgar had already observed him utilize his new skills during his previous matches. The fact that he still opted to restrict his powers to peak Tier 1 meant he was confident in winning against Alaric.
Edgar didn’t flinch when the swirling ball of condensed blue mana streaked toward him rapidly. His hands glowed red, and he received the ball like a volleyball, redirecting it to the side.
The condensed mana ball collided with a large tree, splintering it before triggering an explosion further away.
Alaric was surprised. Not because Edgar had managed to defend himself from the attack but because he harnessed a different energy than mana. I wonder if he is using what I think it is.
Alaric conjured another ball of condensed mana in his arms and lunged forward in an attempt to breach his defense. Edgar didn’t make it easy though. He gestured, and Alaric noticed thin, almost invisible threads of spindly fiber erupt from the ground, striving to latch onto his body.
He forged a sharp mana sword and started slicing through the spindly fiber threads as he advanced toward Edgar. His [Mana Shaping] skill made it easier to sculpt sharp mana armaments than before.
Just as he reached Edgar, Alaric used [Mana Scrambling] to discharge a wave of pure mana before hurling the condensed ball of mana at him. Edgar’s hands once again glowed red, and he intercepted the ball of condensed mana and redirected it to another location.
The mana wave was unable to disrupt the energy that coated Edgar’s hands. He looked at Alaric triumphantly, fully expecting him to be shocked. However, when Alaric didn’t express immediate shock, his face twisted into a scowl.
So, you are using aura now? No wonder the mana-scrambling attacks aren't working. Alaric didn't mind him using his aura ability for this match. Technically, although Edgar was utilizing an aura ability - something harnessed by Tier 3 cultivators and above - it was in a very rudimentary manner.
Just as he restrained his mana output to peak Tier 1, Edgar had severely restricted the output of his aura ability. Still, Alaric feigned interest in the ability Edgar demonstrated. Otherwise, he suspected the man would get cranky.
“Wow, what was that skill?” Alaric feigned enthusiasm. “How did you manage to withstand my last attack? I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
“Hah, stop spouting nonsense,” Edgar said irritably. “Just a moment ago, you didn’t appear even slightly surprised.”
Alaric chuckled inwardly. The man is not easy to fool. He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. I read about aura abilities before.” He motioned at his glowing red arm and continued, "And I believe you are utilizing aura to empower yourself. That’s why I wasn’t that surprised.”
Edgar cast him a sidelong glance, as if he didn’t fully trust Alaric’s words. Instead of responding, he lunged forward to seize him. Alaric swiftly sidestepped and launched a few more mana bullets, which Edgar effortlessly deflected.
“You said you’re going to limit your powers to peak Tier 1.”
“Kid, I’m limiting my powers enough.”
“Stop using that aura.”
“Stop utilizing that mana scrambling attack.”
Alaric smirked. So, you did figure out what kind of skill I used against Rowan and Therin. Alaric supposed that if Edgar had figured out his trick, all the other adults who witnessed his previous matches must’ve figured it out too. Maybe that’s why the Count and Edgar are concerned about me.
The mana scrambling skill was very powerful since it could completely disrupt mana-based attacks. Alaric knew that if he formed a habit of relying on only that rare skill, he would only cripple his growth. Encountering a strong enemy or monster that didn’t simply rely on mana-based attacks would be inevitable in the future.
So, he was acutely aware of the shortcomings of using the [Mana Scrambling] skill as a crutch. Of course, his father and his mentor were unaware of his insights. It was evident from Edgar’s actions that he didn’t believe Alaric possessed the foresight to recognize this flaw and how to counteract it.
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So, Edgar had decided to teach him that lesson early by showing how ineffective his rare skill would be against aura-based attacks. And, of course, to indulge in some amusement in the process. Alaric valued Edgar’s initiative in addressing this issue.
However, it seemed Edgar was not having as much fun as before. Alaric hadn’t reacted the way he anticipated. Instead of being stunned or bewildered due to his mana scrambling wave failing, Alaric calmly acknowledged the fact that there was nothing he could do against it.
Edgar infused aura in his arms and threw sharp jabs at Alaric, who formed mana shields in an attempt to block them instead of evading. Alaric wanted to test the effectiveness of his new skill - layered mana shield - against aura-based attacks.
As expected, the aura-infused fists effortlessly penetrated even through the densely packed mana layers that shielded his body. Competing with aura-based attacks was simply not possible with mana alone. It had to be countered with aura.
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Alaric internally assessed the condition and alignment of all seven chakras in his body. If he wished, he could already manifest an aura of his own. However, that would be a laughable attempt — like wielding a toothpick against a real sword, not even a training blade.
However, it would also be highly suspicious for him to be able to use aura at tier 1 - something that peak tier 2s struggled to grasp.
The condition and purity of one’s chakras played a crucial role in aura generation. Of course, this factor was unknown to most cultivators who lacked profound knowledge of the chakras. They relied on other factors, such as unlocking the major meridians or gates of the body.
One of the critical limitations was comprehending what aura truly was and how it differed from mana. Aura was an internal force that originated from within. Unlike mana, it couldn’t be absorbed from the ambient environment and converted into personal energy.
The potency of aura depended on the strength of one’s willpower and emotional resilience, aside from the number of major meridians or gates a cultivator had managed to unlock. This was one of the major hurdles a cultivator had to overcome to progress beyond tier 2.
Alaric barely withstood Edgar’s aura-infused jabs. However, it seemed the head butler decided to escalate the fight. He rapidly closed the distance and launched an aura-infused punch at Alaric, piercing through his shield and striking his abdomen.
Alaric’s body buckled under the impact, and he coughed up blood. The force of the blow flung him across the yard, and his back slammed into a large tree. He activated [Vital Mana Flow] and started healing his body.
Edgar halted in his tracks and motioned for Alaric to rise and continue the fight. Alaric spat blood onto the ground and smirked. So, you want me to go all out now? Fine by me.
He cupped his hands and condensed all the mana he could muster, preparing to hurl a fully powered mana blast. Edgar stood firm, bracing for the attack.
“You really think you can handle this attack?”
“Watch and learn, kid,” Edgar extended his aura-infused arms in front of him, ready to intercept the oncoming swirling mass of mana the size of a basketball.
Is he really going to try to catch it? Alaric had no doubt Edgar could effortlessly evade the attack or simply bat it away like before, especially if he infused more aura into his arms. However, attempting to seize the ball of destruction by channeling such a limited quantity of aura seemed a little reckless.
Nonetheless, Alaric watched with his eyes peeled as he launched the fully powered mana blast. Edgar wanted to demonstrate something to Alaric, and he didn’t want to miss it.
As the ball of destruction slammed into Edgar’s outstretched hands, he roared. The skin shredded from his arms, and his body was propelled backward due to the force of the impact, carving a nasty groove into the ground.
His robes billowed as the surrounding area erupted into a mini hurricane, tearing massive chunks of earth and stone that whirled around him. The scorching winds obscured his body, but Alaric still glimpsed Edgar holding firm.
For a moment, Alaric remained uncertain of the outcome—the ball of destruction and Edgar were locked in a deadlock. However, little by little, the ball of destruction shrank and eventually extinguished just as Edgar snapped his palms shut with a sharp clap.
Smoke rose from his body. His sleeves were torn to shreds, and the skin on his arms had turned raw pink, blood trickling down from it. Edgar cast a smirk at Alaric. Moments later, black spindle threads wove around his arms, rapidly healing them.
Alaric was really surprised. Edgar had severely restricted his powers. So, managing to absorb the force of the fully powered mana blast with only that thin layer of aura around his arms was astounding.
His bones and muscles must have been reforged at a high to peak level. Unlike Therin and Rowan, who had only recently completed their body-reforging process, Edgar had undergone it long ago. He exemplified what to expect after a successful body reforging process. Granted, he was also utilizing aura to fortify his physical strength.
“Not bad, kid.” Edgar flexed his hands, which were still healing at a visible rate. “I haven’t seen any Tier 1 capable of unleashing such a powerful attack.”
Alaric grinned but decided to wait. Edgar wasn’t finished yet.
“But I’ve seen Tier 1s with defenses strong enough to endure such a powerful attack.” He rested a hand on Alaric’s shoulder. “You have the mana scrambling skill, but don’t become overly reliant on it. There are ways to overcome it.”
Alaric nodded. Edgar was correct. There were many powerful cultivators in the empire - people with powerful bloodlines or geniuses with tremendous battle sense. They might possess skills or abilities that utilized energy distinct from mana, even at Tier 1 or 2. In such cases, his mana-scrambling attack would be rendered ineffective.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Alaric.
Edgar nodded with a grin and relinquished his hold over his power. A surge of suffocating energy cascaded over the surroundings, and Alaric instinctively unleashed a mana-scrambling wave to nullify it. However, the suffocating energy radiating from Edgar devoured the pure mana wave discharged by Alaric.
Edgar chuckled. Alaric clicked his tongue. Crafty old man. What Edgar had done was unleash his own version of a mana-scrambling wave, infused with a killing intent. There wasn’t a trace of aura in it. It was so unrefined that Alaric suspected it wasn’t even a system-specific skill.
However, Edgar’s mana was far more potent than Alaric’s, and that’s why it managed to overwhelm Alaric’s own. The head butler had just demonstrated to Alaric that the reason he restricted his mana-based attacks and relied solely on aura attacks during the match wasn’t because it was the only way to counter his tricks.
No, Edgar could’ve overpowered Alaric even while using his mana and without the support of aura. However, this was a surprise he had kept for the end.
“What you just experienced is called killing intent,” stated Edgar. “It is not easy to master, but I’ll teach it to you.”
Alaric chuckled inwardly as Edgar commenced his lesson on how to infuse his will and killing intent into his mana-based attacks. How the mighty have fallen. Of course, he knew what killing intent was. But he still chose to listen.
Generating a wave of killing intent required a cultivator to embed their will into their mana with the objective of projecting their desire to kill their opponent. But merely projecting one’s will wouldn’t suffice. It also demanded real experience in killing.
In his previous life, Alaric had wielded a formidable killing intent, honed by killing thousands of rogue cultists and sentient monsters. In this body and at his current stage, it was dulled—his body simply lacked the necessary killing experience.
However, Alaric wasn’t concerned. Typically, most cultivators didn’t develop a strong killing intent before reaching Tier 3. Although, there would always be exceptions. He didn’t wish to go down this path for now, but he wouldn’t step back if his journey demanded it.
