Clearwave Water

When he awoke, daylight filled the world.

Jiang Yang suddenly opened his eyes and rolled upright on the bed.

Seeing the bright sunshine outside, Jiang Yang got out of bed and stretched, his bones and joints crackling all over.

"Mmm... overslept. But at least I've recovered. That feels good!"

Jiang Yang cast a Still Garment Spell on himself, then glanced at the sky and realized it was almost noon.

It had already been the small hours when he returned to his Cave Abode last night. He had intended to close his eyes and rest for a while, then practice the consumption method in the hour before dawn, when morning dew condensed.

But he had been so exhausted that the moment he touched the bed, he fell asleep. He had only just woken up.

That was normal enough, though. He had repeatedly used his Spirit Sense to read Jade Slips yesterday, which had taken quite a toll. Moreover, the Spirit Sense newly born at the Qi Refining stage was frail. After overtaxing it, he was lucky his head hadn't felt as though it would split.

Jiang Yang paced around his Cave Abode without dwelling on it too much. He had certainly missed his daily morning practice, but he could make it up tomorrow.

The Dew Essence Consumption Method had to be practiced every morning to be effective. Aside from when breaking through a cultivation realm, practicing at other times yielded half the results for twice the effort—a thankless waste of energy. Jiang Yang therefore didn't bother.

Now that he was suddenly free of miscellaneous duties, he could finally relax. He no longer had to rush over to Dawn Rain Peak every day.

Besides, Jiang Yang wasn't without anything to do today. He had just exchanged for three spell cultivation arts, and now was the perfect time to study them carefully.

After hastily tidying himself up to look presentable, Jiang Yang pulled over a meditation cushion and plopped down. Only then did he pat his Storage Bag. Three glowing Jade Slips flew out and lined up before him.

"Hmm... which one should I practice first?"

Jiang Yang muttered, propping his chin on his hand.

His preference was naturally to study the sword art first, but unfortunately, he had no sword. To begin practicing properly, he would have to get his hands on one.

Surely he couldn't just wave a random branch around. He wasn't afraid of being laughed at, but ordinary twigs and leaves couldn't withstand an infusion of Magic Power. Whatever sword move he tried, he wouldn't be able to execute it, so how could such practice accomplish anything?

As for where exactly to obtain an ordinary weapon, Jiang Yang had no idea. He had never needed a blade before. Still, where there was demand, there would be supply.

He certainly couldn't afford a sword-type Mystic Artifact, but buying a fine mundane sword shouldn't be difficult.

He didn't even need to care whether the sword's edge was sharp. It only had to withstand the constant erosion of a Qi Refining cultivator's circulating Magic Power.

Thus, he planned to visit Zhou Yanwei in a few days and ask for some advice. He could also catch up with him. They always said they would meet again next time, but if it never went beyond words, it would seem insincere.

With the sword art ruled out, Jiang Yang's thoughts immediately became clear. He looked at the last Jade Slip, took it in his hand, and said:

"You it is. Consider defeat before victory, after all."

The movement art was meant to be practiced alongside the sword art. With two of the three eliminated, the answer was obvious.

Jiang Yang decided to familiarize himself with the Clear-Wave Mystic Shield first, so he began reading it with his Spirit Sense.

"Of the water among the five elements, Clearwave is the most subtle. Its nature is yielding, overcoming the hardness of the world. Shape it at will, gather it into a shield."

The opening outline was concise and clear, describing the central principles of the Spells.

In essence, the Jade Slip stated that Clearwave was the most minute of all waters, a substance of utmost softness. It could be shaped at will, becoming round when encountering roundness and square when encountering squareness, making it ideally suited to defense.

Jiang Yang read it through three times, committing each crucial point to memory. A Third Grade spell was naturally far more difficult than those he had encountered before.

Yet he wasn't at a complete loss as to where to begin. Though the spell was somewhat obscure, it merely called for a little more effort.

A newborn calf feared no tiger; there was nothing he dared not try. After reading it just a few times, Jiang Yang formed a hand seal and quietly recited the incantation, mobilizing his Magic Power to begin casting.

"Clearwave Water, gather into a shield. Condense!"

The moment Jiang Yang willed it, his Magic Power stirred, flowing from his qi sea into the Twelvefold Tower and circulating along the route prescribed in the Jade Slip.

But this was his first attempt, and the route through his meridians was complex. Unfamiliar with it, Jiang Yang inadvertently took a wrong turn, causing the trace of water vapor that had just gathered before him to dissipate immediately.

"Cough, cough..."

The Magic Power that reversed course after the failed spell made Jiang Yang cough. But he wasn't discouraged and immediately began another attempt.

"Clearwave Water, gather into a shield. Condense... cough, cough!"

"Clearwave Water..."

"Clearwave..."

Several attempts in succession ended in failure. The surging backlash of Magic Power left Jiang Yang's meridians aching and swollen, forcing him to stop and recover for a while.

Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, Jiang Yang closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. As he gently nourished his meridians, he reviewed and reflected on his attempts. After quite some time, though he still hadn't fully recovered, he was already growing impatient.

Had he made no headway at all with the spell, he would have taken his time and reconsidered his approach. But the further he progressed, the more Jiang Yang felt that each attempt brought him closer to success. He believed that with just a few more tries, he would soon be able to cast it.

At last, during another attempt, Jiang Yang focused and formed a hand seal, chanting:

"Clearwave Water, gather into a shield. Condense!"

"Hum..."

A sound rang out, and an unusual phenomenon abruptly arose. Magic Power drained from his body as the surrounding water vapor churned and gathered toward him.

A thin mystic shield suddenly condensed before Jiang Yang, floating in the air, translucent and almost impossible to notice without looking closely.

Jiang Yang's eyes lit up, a hint of joy showing in them. But he had to divide his attention to maintain the Spell Arts and dared not move too much.

He merely reached out and slowly touched the mystic shield to feel it. The instant his fingertip made contact, faint ripples spread across the thin membrane, distorting its surface.

Jiang Yang reined in his emotions, intending to test its defensive strength. Golden light wound around his finger, and he applied more and more force, trying to pierce the mystic shield, thin as a cicada's wing.

He actually split his attention and simultaneously used the golden thread of Finger-Sword Awakening of Insects to cut and bore into the mystic shield, attempting to pit his own spear against his own shield.

As he exerted force, the mystic shield sank inward, seemingly offering no resistance. Yet even when Jiang Yang's entire finger had sunk into it, the almost transparent shield held firm, showing no sign whatsoever of breaking.

And that was with Jiang Yang leaving it alone, without feeding in more Magic Power to sustain it. According to the Jade Slip, when defending against an enemy, he could increase the flow of Magic Power in response to the incoming attack.

With a wave of his hand, Jiang Yang dispersed the mystic shield. He nodded in satisfaction and smiled:

"Heh, what's this? Putting all my points into defense because I'm afraid of pain?"

He was fairly satisfied with the spell's initial performance. After all, he had only just begun learning it and hadn't expected much at first. Now it seemed he really couldn't underestimate it. It had cost him seven Dao Merit, after all; it wasn't some common fare from a street stall.

This Third Grade spell really is extraordinary. It's much stronger than those unranked spells.

Jiang Yang mused to himself.

The increase in grade brought far more than a slight increase in difficulty. Back when he learned Finger-Sword Awakening of Insects and Nurture Spirit, Fortify the Meridians, Jiang Yang had only needed to read them three times before successfully casting both.

Over the following fortnight, he had practiced them a few times whenever he had the chance and already learned them inside out.

But with this Clear-Wave Mystic Shield, he had failed countless times, laboring over hand seals for an entire afternoon before barely managing this single success. It could hardly be called easy.

Who knew how much longer it would take before he truly mastered it, until it moved at the mere prompting of his will? Surely that would have to be measured in months and years.

"I wonder whether my progress counts as fast or slow... I should at least be somewhere in the middle..."

Jiang Yang guessed, placing himself in the middle of the pack.

Mostly, he had no point of reference. There was no one around to compare himself with, so he could only sit here making blind guesses.

Cultivation was inherently a very private affair. After leaving the Lower Court, with no one to guide him, Jiang Yang was usually crossing the river by feeling for stones.