"Oh.. I.. yes, go ahead." Said the keeper with a dumbfounded expression.
It is vital to understand how important a ntal barrier was for a ntal warrior. Not only was it a barrier needed to safekeep one’s consciousness from other people’s ntal powers, but also a curtain that could prevent others from learning the secret thods of another faction.
That was the reason why these barriers would be usually produced in large amounts by the stronger mbers of each faction, or at tis, the leader themselves.
In order to break through these kinds of ntal barrier, there were only two viable thods. The first one, was through the use of sheer power, which required a more powerful mind power than the one possessed by the cultivator whom had created the barrier. The second thod, was through the use of complexity.
ntal power’s complexity was not sothing that could be trained, but obtained during one’s ascension. Reason why of the two thods, that was the least viable option. Generally speaking, only those who had the power to form a new ntal faction, possessed the complexity to achieve sothing like what Aeron had just casually done.
When the keeper heard Aeron’s voice in his mind, he suddenly stopped seeing in him an odd type of ntal warrior, and instead saw soone who possessed a potential beyond that of his very own faction leader. Soone whom he could not afford to offend no matter what.
After being allowed into the planet, it did not take long for Daniel and the others to find a portal that would lead to the territory of the Proponents of Deep Sleep, and soon enough, they found themselves in Curio’s main city, where the long distance low level teleportation platforms had been installed.
However, as they tried to head in, they found their first obstacle. Paynt.
Contrary to Aeron’s forr faction, the Psionic Dinsion, whose cultivation thod required one to temper one’s ntal power through empathy, as well as killing their emotions, the other ntal factions could not simply use normal mana to strengthen their power.
Instead, they would use objects that, similarly to essence gems for immortal cultivators, were ford by the solidified ntal power of stronger cultivators. These objects were called ntal stones, and upon assumption, they would release the ntal cultivation on the ones who ford it in the form of a low pressure which could be used to temper their own ntal power.
To put it simply, each ntal stone was akin to a tutored training session.
The requirents to use the teleportation platform was to pay five high ntal stones. Each of which contained the full extent of the power of a newly ascended high ntal warrior.
After being asked for the five ntal stones, the first instinct of Aeron and Edmund was to turn and look at Daniel, who looked back at them with confusion, and asked, "What?"
"He isn’t a ntal warrior, and if a ntal stone made by appears in one of the ntal factions, we’ll be sward by mbers of the Psionic Dinsion, and each of their allied factions." Responded Aeron with a matter-of-fact tone. He then added, "Also, it would take a month to finish five stones, while it will only take a day for you."
"I don’t know how to make them. I’ve never learned how to turn my ntal power into sothing physical. Didn’t it take you a hundred years to learn how to make your avatar?" Responded Daniel right after. He was not a ntal warrior, and what Aeron was asking him to do, was sothing that only elite mbers would learn.
However, the problem that Daniel had pointed out did not seem to bother Aeron, who placed his hand over his shoulder, and said, "That is easily fixed."
The mont Aeron’s hand touched his shoulder, Daniel blacked out. When he ca to, he was standing in a familiar, yet unfamiliar black room. Next to him was Aeron, who was scrolling through Daniel’s mories and experiences like a picture book.
"Not this one.. You might need this. Not this one either.." muttered Aeron while waving his had from right to left.
"What are you doing in my unconscious?" Asked Daniel, already aware of where they were.
Aeron kept muttering and scrolling, until finally, he stopped the mont he saw the figure of a younger Daniel, who trained in the training room of his black castle right after obtaining it. In his hands were two chakram, which Daniel had learned how to use in his spare ti.
"I have never seen you use chakram.. This will do." said Aeron before grabbing that mory, and removing it from Daniel’s unconscious. He then pinched a mory out of his own mind, and placed it in its stead.
After he finished manipulating the implanted mory, Aeron left Daniel’s unconscious took him with.
When Daniel woke up, he imdiately tried to recall the day he had practiced the chakram, but while he could rember what he had done that day, the mont of his practice was nonexistent.. Not unlike a forgotten dream.
Shocked by the fact that he could not rember his practice, he summoned what he recalled to be a pair of chakram, and found himself looking at them as if he had never touched that weapon in his life.
Experience, muscle mory, constant practice.. Everything had disappeared from his mory, and in its stead, a new mory had appeared. A mory which depicted the learning of ntal power, and the way to use it, or turn it into sothing physical that could be used to defend, and attack.
"Why did you do that?" Asked Daniel with anger.
"I can’t implant a new mory in your head. I can only shape it enough to chan-"
"I AM ASKING WHY!" Shouted Daniel angrily, causing Aeron to realize what he had done wrong.
No matter the need, Daniel’s mind was his own. It wasn’t the playground of any ntal warrior with the ability to play with it. No matter if this person was his friend, or if what he did was done for a good reason.
Aeron had gone ahead and took it upon himself to change Daniel’s mories into ones that could be of use to him now. While useful, that was also a terribly invasive thing to do. Enough to enrage Daniel.
"I am sorry." said Aeron after lowering his head apologetically. Used to Daniel’s practicality, as well as numbed by other people’s sufferings, Aeron had failed to see how changing a mory would upset Daniel, and acted on the assumption that he would be okay with his actions.
Naturally, Daniel would have gladly accepted if only Aeron had asked. To bother him, was the quickness with which Aeron had simply manipulated the mory of one of his friends without even asking.
After sulking for a few minutes, Daniel focused on the newly acquired mories, and soon realized that he knew how to manipulate his mind power. However, he could not manipulate simple mind power, the sa way he could not manipulate spiritual essence, or ki, as all three of these essences were rged together.
However, while he could not separate his three powers, after learning how to turn ntal power into a physical essence, he had discovered that he could modify his true essence into becoming similar to mind power.
Without spending too much ti thinking about it, he focused his power into his hand, then expelled it into a nearly invisible white mist which quickly condensed into a translucent bead.
The whole process took about an hour, and the amount of power contained in the bead, was only at the level of power which he could rember Aeron emanate right after ascending. However, from what the three could see, the color and feeling of the bead was quite different from a normal one, which would usually be light green in color.
"Is this a ntal stone?" Asked Daniel with doubt.
"It sure feels like one. But it might not be up to their standards, since your essence is not pure ntal power." Responded Aeron before looking at his surroundings. He then stopped in one direction, and added, "There is a rchant that way. Let’s try it."
Left with no other choice, Edmund, Daniel and Aeron walked towards an old man sitting in front of a table, right at the side of the road. In front of him, was a table filled with objects which Daniel and the others imdiately recognized as protective talismans of strength that spanned from newly ascended high ntal warrior, to levels which Daniel had only felt when in the presence of the ntal factions representatives, during the One Above All.
"Is there sothing that costs one ntal stone?" Asked Daniel while browsing through the man’s wares.
A single ntal stone was not much. After all, any ntal warrior with the knowledge to produce one, would be able to do so in a few days. Their value was also not at the sa level as essence gems, as their number was only limited by a cultivator’s ability to recover and produce more of them, while essence gems required many years to form.
So, when Daniel approached with such an odd looking ntal stone, the old ntal warrior looked at him with irritation, and said, "I have nothing that costs less than five stones. Move along." If not for the odd feeling that the three of them exuded, he would have told them off for wasting his ti.
Slightly disappointed, Daniel straightened his back, and after turning to look at his surroundings, started to scout through the crowd. "Wrong approach." he said before noticing a young girl sitting on the grass, just a few ters in the distance.
From the feeling that was emanated by her body, she was clearly on the path of ascension, but from the look of her wary clothes, it was clear that she did not belong to a prestigious or rich family.
"Hey you." Said Daniel before approaching her.
The girl was stricken by the sudden appearance of Daniel, who looked at her with a valiant and confident expression. "Yes?.." she asked timidly.
"I’ve made a ntal stone, but it is a little different from the others. If you try it, I’ll give it to you for free." Said Daniel before handing over the translucent white stone.
Not at all tempted, the girl stood up, and said, "I am nobody’s test subject." From her behaviour, it was clear that she had survived solely thanks to her ability to avoid dangerous situations, and if what Daniel had just offered did not sound like one, then none other would.
As she finished speaking, the girl turned around in an attempt to walk away, but before she could leave, she was stopped by Aeron, who said, "Use it to temper your avatar. If it gets destroyed, you can leave with a headache and form a new one in a couple of weeks. On the other hand, if it gets strengthened, you’ll have more to absorb during your ascension."
"Alright." said the girl before summoning her avatar, which appeared as a tall and beautiful woman in her mid twenties. She then took the stone from Daniel’s hand, and handed it over to it.
The avatar did not hesitate, and directly took the stone from the girl’s hand, and placed it into her mouth before swallowing it.
Just like they were expecting, the stone imdiately started to break down, causing the power of which the stone was made of to flush over the avatar’s body. At the sa ti, a gentle vapor was emitted by the avatar’s body, which made it seem as if its surface was scorching hot.
At this point, be it Daniel, Edmund, Aeron, the girl, the old ntal warrior, or passersby, they all thought that the avatar was on the verge of exploding, but contrary to their expectations, about ten minutes later, the brilliance of the avatar slowly started to fade, and go back to its original intensity.
Nevertheless, two changes had taken place to the avatar. The first one, was the fact that the avatar had turned from a green color, to being white. Secondly, its power had increased to a ridiculous degree, and if fully absorbed during a ntal warrior’s ascension, one would directly reach a higher level of cultivation.
The girl and the passersby observed this scene in shock, while the old man cursed himself for not just giving out one of his cheapest talismans just to have a look at that odd ntal stone.
However, unbeknownst to them, was the fact that what they had just seen, would only be the second most shocking event they would witness to that day.
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