54 – Fae like Behavior

Thunder rumbled through the painted world, streaking wildly across the pillar-like mountains. It boomed once, twice, half a dozen times, then a full dozen before a final bolt struck a mountaintop, vaporizing it in a brilliant explosion.

“HAHA!” I laughed triumphantly. “I finally mastered the Second Step of the Great Thundergod Steps!”

It wasn’t actually that difficult once my body had been properly tempered. Now I could sprint at full power. Each step built upon the last, accelerating me faster and farther while stacking immense pressure into my legs. Twelve steps was my current safe limit, ending with all the accumulated force crashing down in a single devastating landing.. It is very fast, though looking around again, it is not exactly safe to land near friends.

“Alright, faceless tutorial man,” I said, turning toward the blank figure that had demonstrated the First and Second Steps earlier. “What’s next?”

The faceless man stared at me. A single word slowly formed on its blank face.

“Tandava.”

“A what now?” I asked, but the figure was already moving.

This Tandava is different from the First and Second Step. if the former is a dash and the latter is a sprint, this one is… a dance? 

What started as simple footwork quickly transformed into something fluid and rhythmic, as if following a grand, invisible symphony only he could hear. With every step he took, purple lightning streaked across the painted sky. When his foot lifted, thunder coiled around his leg like living serpents. When it planted back down, the ground shattered and lightning erupted outward in explosive rings.

Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next, growing increasingly powerful and majestic. The once-measured pace accelerated into a frenzied yet controlled storm of motion. Spinning, leaping, stomping, and twisting with divine grace. The thunder grew louder, the lightning brighter, and the destructive force behind every footfall multiplied dramatically. By the final steps, the entire painted world trembled as though the heavens themselves were dancing in fury and joy.

It wasn’t just movement. It was a celebration of destruction and momentum given form. Not an attempt to move away like a thunder like in the previous two steps. But this one is like a localized storm.

“Well, I can’t do that!” I complained, arms crossed. “I’ve never danced in my entire life.”

“Nonsense,” the word appeared on the faceless man’s blank face.

“Okay, fine. I did danced once. But I really don’t think it’ll fit this Tandava thing,” I tried to explain. The word faded, and he simply stared at me silently.

“Look, it was the first time I ever lost a drinking match, alright? I barely remember anything except my Irish friend Liam forcing me to dance while I was blackout drunk.”

His empty face offered no reply. I threw my hands up. “Why do I even bother?”

Then another word formed: “Try.”

I looked down at my hooves. In this mental space, they always reverted to their natural form. Definitely not suitable for Irish dancing. I quickly projected human feet and shoes again.

Alright… how did that stupid tap dance go?

I started moving awkwardly at first, chasing fragments of half-remembered rhythm. Heel, toe, shuffle, stomp. Slowly the muscle memory trickled back. My steps grew sharper, faster, more confident. For a brief moment, I actually felt like I was getting the hang of it. The satisfying clicks and taps flowing together as the old drunken rhythm resurfaced in my legs.

Then I tried weaving the Great Thundergod Steps into the dance.

BOOM!

The explosive force that should have launched me forward instead detonated inward. I was blasted violently off the ground like a living cannonball, tumbling wildly through the air as thunder crackled chaotically around me. Falling like a brick to the ground.

“Haha. Very funny,” I said mockingly as I sat up, glaring at the faceless man crouched beside my head.

The words on his blank face weren’t laughter like the first time I had destroyed my own feet learning the Second Step.

“Try again.”

“Maybe later,” I muttered, exiting the book’s mental space. I closed the Great Thundergod Steps manual and stored it away.

I had already finished reading all five new books: the two Illusion Arts, the two Bow Arts, and the single Hammer Art. They were all very basic. Quick to learn and straightforward to apply. Quite different from the Great Thundergod Steps and the Fundamentals of Soul Arts. The former, gifted by my father, pulled me into a dedicated mental training space with the faceless instructor. The latter, from Baldy Tianjiao, had messy, jumbled sections that only made sense after I linked them to the Noosphere concept, plus a mysteriously missing page.

Why was there such a clear gap in quality? It’s a difference in quality yes but if the method to make the two books is available, why not extend it to the five books? Accessibility reasons, maybe?

Whatever. I store all the books in my storage ring. What’s left is to test what I’d learned. Should I go to the arena again? But honestly that felt like asking for trouble, so I had a better idea in mind.

I stepped out of the house, startling A’Meng who was sweeping the courtyard.

“Master? You’re already out?”

“Yeah? Why do you sound surprised?”

“I thought you were entering seclusion,” he said.

“I did. I’ve been inside for… like three days,” I replied. “How long do cultivators usually seclude themselves for anyway?”

“A few years?” A’Meng answered uncertainly. “Maybe a decade?”

“That’s ridiculous. What the hell do they even do for that long?”

“You slept for an entire month though,” he muttered under his breath.

“That was because I was exhausted and tortured which you helped set up,” I reminded him pointedly. “Speaking of which, I have some payback in mind.”

A’Meng shrank back and bowed deeply. “I’m sorry, Master! They told me you asked for it!”

“Not knowingly,” I said. “Anyway, call Wuchen and Xialan over. I have something I want to test out.”

A’Meng immediately ran off to fetch the other two. I settled into the gazebo and pulled out the Fundamentals of Soul Arts. There's still some parts that I haven’t tried out which, the one involving taking names. These three should make for decent test subjects.

The trio arrived shortly after. A’Meng at the front, followed by Wuchen and Xialan. I noted again that Xialan bore a resemblance to Suxin, the Heaven’s Chosen. Mostly just the red hair. But is it exotic? If so, both might be related. But so far, no one really mentioned her red hair so I guess it is more common than I thought? Let’s not jump to conclusions right now.

“Alright, you three. Grab some stools and sit down. I want to test something,” I said. A flicker of fear crossed their faces. “Relax. This should only take about ten minutes.”

They quickly fetched stools and sat obediently in front of me.

“For this to work, I need you to follow my instructions exactly. Got it?”

All three nodded.

“Here we go.” I pointed at A’Meng. “May I have your name?”

A’Meng looked confused but answered, “My name is Mengyu. No surname.”

Nothing. I tried a different phrasing on Wuchen. “Can you give me your name?”

“I am Xian Wuchen.”

Still nothing. Is it exclusive to written contracts or deals then? Am I missing something? 

Let’s add something on my end. I focused my Soul Power into my eyes, as those are how I can use Truth and Emotion Gleaning. Layering my Divine Sense on top.

“Let’s try again. Starting with A’Meng.” I prepared myself. “May I have your name?”

As soon as he replied, “I am Mengyu,” a faint purple wisp emerged from his mouth.

My hand shot forward, but the wisp passed straight through it. I wiggle my fingers, that’s an improvement. Then I see the three are surprised by my sudden move. Wuchen looked especially terrified and had started sweating. Did he recognize what I was doing? Maybe. But this is just a test. So my hand cannot take the names. What to do? Then I remembered something.

I tried once more. “May I have your name?”

“Mengyu.” The wisp appeared again. This time I lunged and bit down with a loud snap. The same way I ate the Soul Brands with a resounding bone sound.

This time, a warm, sweet taste like honeyed water filled my mouth. The wisp stayed connected to A’Meng by a thin thread. He didn’t seem to notice anything. Success!

I tugged a little by accident and the line connecting the wisp to A’Men was cut. The wisp flowed down my throat on its own. 

Oh fuck!

I quickly checked on A’Meng. He looked completely normal.

“Now, I need all three of you to not do anything I say next. Understand?”

They nodded.

I started with Xialan. “Would you kindly stand?” She stayed seated. Same with Wuchen. But when I gave the order to A’Meng, he shot upright so fast his stool flipped over. Looking around confused.

“Spin five times.”

He immediately began spinning.

“Huh? Wait! My body is moving on its own!” he shouted in panic.

“Stop. Be quiet.”

He froze mid spin, mouth sealed shut, eyes wide with terror.

I told him to sit down. Then, for the final test. “One last time. Tell me your name. You may speak now.”

“My name is…” A’Meng tried, but no sound came out. His mouth opened wide, yet the words refused to form. Pure fear flooded his halo., drowning all other colors.

I grip his shoulders just as he is about to break down. “Your name is Mengyu.” A purple wisp flew from my mouth and returned to him. He blinked, looking dazed but otherwise unharmed.

Then A’Meng buckled, gripping his head. “My name is Mengyu.” He muttered over and over. Fearing losing it again.

I clap my hands loudly to get their attention. “That concludes this little test. Thank you for participating. Also, I’m sorry A’Meng. But uh, not a word about this alright?”

The three nods. Before dispersing to their own tasks. Hmmm. Fuck. Seems like I have ruined whatever trust they have with me. I guess I need to make up with them. For now though, it is clear that this works. I can act like how Fae acted in the old European folktales. The power to control those whose name I take. I rub my neck honestly, it feels uncomfortable. Let’s only use this when absolutely necessary.

What remained was the technique to devour desires. From the name test, I had a few ideas. If I could empower my soul senses with Soul Power, I should theoretically be able to detect desires. I tested it immediately. Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.

It’s cold…

My head snapped toward one of the distant peaks as an overwhelming scent and taste flooded my senses. Something incredibly delicious. I wiped the drool from my mouth and quickly shut off the enhanced senses.

That was ridiculous. One brief test and a single desire had nearly overpowered me. I glanced back at the peak. That should be Bilian Peak, the all-female one. I shook my head again. The lingering taste and smell refused to fade. Were all desires this intense? I really hoped not.

I stood up from the gazebo, needing a change of scenery. As I left the house, Xialan tried to hide her fear while Wuchen and A’Meng quickly retreated to their quarters. I sighed. Yeah… that was pretty cruel of me.

The guilt followed me all the way up to my father’s garden. He was sitting in his usual spot, calmly drinking tea.

“So, I have a question,” I said, taking a seat across from him.

“What is it?”

I pulled out the Tranquil Heart Sutra. “I tried following the instructions here. It helped calm and stabilize my mind, but then my head started burning, I heard ringing, and got a massive headache. Why?”

He took the book, skimmed it, and set it down. “This is useless for you.”

“Why?”

“Have you figured out how you ended up in this body?” he asked, rubbing his chin.

I nodded and recounted everything I knew: being reduced to sludge, replacing the white deer’s heart, absorbing the ashen wolf and golden serpent, and following the gray-robed cultivator.

“Remember what I told you about the Dantians?” he continued.

“Yeah. All my Qi is stored in the Upper Dantian.” I tapped my skull.

“That’s the incompatibility,” he explained. “You essentially became the heart, the Middle Dantian, where Vital Qi and lifespan reside. You also became the head, the Upper Dantian. But the Upper Dantian is meant for Spirit, not Qi storage. Your powerful soul is barely holding up under the pressure of all that Qi being forced there. Any cultivation method designed around the Lower Dantian simply won’t work properly for you.”

“What if I reverse the circulation and start from the Upper Dantian?” I asked if it could be compensated. The Tranquil Heart Sutra doesn’t take in Qi but just circulates what is already there, bypassing the limitation of normal cultivation art for my missing Wood and Water Spiritual Roots, so this is basically the only cultivation art I can practice.

“You will die,” he stated flatly. He wasn’t joking.

“So internal Qi control is impossible, but external is fine?” I confirmed.

“Yes.”

“That grey robed cultivator, what is he like?” My father suddenly asks.

I tell him everything. His clothes, how he fights. The sword and dagger. Very powerful and bright light from his palms and so on.

“Why do you ask?”

“Just being cautious,” he replied.

With that topic closed, I asked, “Can I start traveling around now?”

“No,” he refused instantly. “Not until you make some friends.”

“You want me to make friends now?”

“Yes. Your comprehension is barely adequate, your power is still lacking, and you’re not exactly bright,” he criticized bluntly. “You need people who will watch your back. Real friends, not sycophants. There will be times even I cannot intervene. It will also help temper your Dao Heart.”

“What’s a Dao Heart?”

“That is for you to find out.”

~ Valarion