The next few days passed without incidents, the classes continued. They followed in and learned about intentions and emotions.
Not just control over WHAT the willpower does but WHY. they learned that being able to synchronise the 'why' with the 'what' is what marks a great cultivator.
When intention is put together with technique it creates a powerful amplification effect. Of course being able to match intention perfectly while doing the technique was hard; Master Sheng wasn't trying to make them do it perfectly.
All he was doing was making them aware and helping them to be able to figure it out themselves. Through practical fight examples they also learned of another application of intention.
Just like how synchronised intention created an amplification, the opposite is also true. If the intention is opposing, a dampening effect is created.
This can be used in two main ways. The first is to cause that intention or thought pattern in the opponent; this could be done with talking or actions.
For example, Master Sheng talked about someone who used a healing method. If they hated the person they healed and that intention was carried into their technique the healing would weaken.
The second use was to weaken their own abilities for if need be and they do not have that control in technique.
At the same time, in private Hou was busy both cultivating and teaching. He did not neglect practicing his mental energy, draining and refilling which allowed it to grow. He also regularly absorbed ambient laws in his (now fixed) room.
Not only that, in preparation for the magic ritual for Hamar's body linking, Hou had begun his mage life again. He absorbed mana regularly, though not yet enough for a mana circle.
But the hard thing was balancing that self cultivation with teaching Hamar and Jin. He needed to teach Hamar the ability to make his aura into something that could be given.
The way Hou figured was to use the method of making magic crystals. This involved both the actual teaching and tweaking the method to work on aura.
Hou had tried to contact Araxis about it, but when he tried to wake him in his mind he was unresponsive. This was what Araxis was warning about, he was slowly degrading and he needed to hibernate longer.
This meant Hou needed to figure it all out himself with Hamar needing to contribute his aura to it. This was already taking up much of his time outside of class.
But then there was Jin, who was much less time consuming bit she did want practice. She wanted to make as much of the Bloodbane Dragon and regularly got Hou to spar with.
Luckily, he wasn't the only one...she also got every other person of tier one to spar with her. All of these different responsibilities and requirements made Hou extremely tired mentally at least.
Then on the fifth day after Hou's deal with Master Sheng, only two days before he needed to hand over the 'payment' and do the ritual, something happened.
"Welcome back Tier one! Today we will have a break on intention training," a sigh of relief washed over the class.
Most people did not have the responsibilities Hou had but that didn't mean they weren't tired. Intention specifically was a very taxing activity on the mind.
Not just Hou, everyone was relieved at some respite. But then...the reason walked into the room.
Master Sheng continued, "I introduce you all to your newest member of Tier one, Xiao Ye!" He held out his hand to his side.
Xiao Ye was wearing a black robe with white details as she walked in. She had an innocent smile and if this was the first time Hou, Hamar and Jin had seen her it would've been a good first impression.
However those three had more knowledge than the others, they grimaced. If a gaze could kill, Xiao Ye would've died three times right there.
"Hi all! Nice to meet 'ya!" She waved her hand cheerfully as she stood at the front. She turned to Master Sheng, "so where should I sit teach(er)?"
Master Sheng had a faint smile and waved his hand over the room, "you tell me, I'll get a chair and desk for you right away,"
She poked her finger into her cheek and pouted...then her eyes lit up and she jumped a little, "I'll sit right there if I can" she pointed to the side of Hou and Hamar; right in the middle.
"Hu Li? Hei Feng? Are you two fine with this?"
Hou and Hamar put on an awkward smile and looked towards each other. In a conversation purely from their own friendship through their eye-contact they made a decision.
Hou sighed and Hamar swivelled to the front and synchronised they answered, "...we're fine with it."
And so everyone's desks and chair moved across the floor with a wave of Master Sheng's hand, making room for another desk. He then flicked his wrist upwards and another desk appeared between Hou and Hamar.
Xiao Ye jogged over and plopped down onto her seat looking either side of her and winking. Hou rolled his eyes and thought to himself, 'This is going to be annoying, isn't it?'
So for that lesson they went over the basics again, quickly laying out intention and emotions. The way it interacts with techniques through mental energy, and how it can be used.
It was a lot of information and wasn't meant to all be absorbed but just to get the new student in a better place overall. This was because each Tier and each classroom in each Tier had different needs and taught differently (though all with a clone of Master Sheng)
"That's all for today, everyone should remember this all by now. Be free and practice however you wish, Xiao Ye stay back. I'll give an extra lesson."
Hou left to his own room, but Hamar and Jin also followed into Hou's room. The three swirled in the air as tendrils of blood.
They landed inside Hou's room and let out a sigh. They all had the same idea of congregating to talk about Xiao Ye.