Tak! Tak! Tak!
The rhythmic sound of wooden swords striking against the poles echoed throughout Hall 120, a testant to the determined efforts of a dozen acolytes as they diligently pursued their goal of achieving 1,000,000 strikes.
Despite their fervent dedication, after three days of relentless practice, most found themselves barely surpassing the 100,000 mark.
Among the diligent practitioners were the two centurions, Titus and Arnius, who demonstrated their unwavering commitnt by reaching an impressive 200,000 strikes. Joining them in their diligent pursuit were Kingrig, Kat, and two other senior acolytes.
Yet, erging as the frontrunners in this grueling challenge were two nas: Dillion and Ha Ron. Both had surpassed the 250,000 mark, with Dillion edging ever closer to the 300,000 milestone.
However, for Shinta, the situation was a source of frustration. Hindered by the necessity of frequent trips to her own hall for personal necessities, her progress lagged behind. Despite her undeniable skill, her tally hovered just above 150,000 strikes.
The truth was, Shinta struggled with the monotony of repetitive tasks. While others persevered through endless repetitions, she found herself growing bored and restless, constantly seeking distractions to break the monotony of her training.
"Huh! I am keeping this steady result for my ntal health... when the others burn out... I will eventually reach number one!"
Shinta's rationale was clear, and her strategy was calculated. She recognized the importance of maintaining a steady pace to preserve her ntal well-being, confident that while others may falter from exhaustion, she would remain steadfast, ultimately claiming the top spot.
Unfortunatly she couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance as she watched the two frontrunners maintain their relentless pace, even slightly faster than before.
Tak!Tak!Tak!Tak!
"Those two are freaks!!"
Despite her best efforts, she found herself falling behind, uncertain if she could even secure a position in the top five anymore.
"It's okay, 200,000 this week, I will catch up in the next three weeks and finish before the monthly evaluation" she reassured herself.
With resolve, Shinta made a decisive choice. She opted not to return to Hall 120 the following day, instead choosing to return to the Origin Stone room.
As a top 10 hall acolyte, she was entitled to 32 hours of privilege hours in the room each week, and she intended to make the most of it.
This ti, however, Shinta opted for a different path. Instead of returning to the familiar confines of the plant elent room, she chose to venture into the darkness stone origin room.
Her decision stemd from her recent experiences in the plant-origin stone room. While her proficiency in manipulating plant elents had been evident since childhood, her progress had stagnated after reaching a high foundation in plant spirit.
Despite knowing that there was still room for improvent, she felt compelled to explore new avenues for growth—an important venture before she reached rank 9 and ford her pillars.
The room bore an uncanny resemblance to its plant-oriented counterpart, with the origin stone positioned a thousand steps away. Yet, in contrast to the bustling activity of the plant room, the darkness stone origin room hosted a sparse gathering of acolytes. This disparity was unsurprising given the rarity of proficiency in darkness among acolytes.
Shinta approached the room with a palpable sense of uncertainty. Unlike the confidence she had felt in the plant room, she found herself hesitating as she took her first steps toward the origin stone.
She progressed only 300 steps before being compelled to sit in the lotus position. She swiftly focused her energy on cultivating her spirit core to establish a connection with the darkness origin stone.
Hours passed, yet she remained seated, unable to rise. Instead of feeling empowered by her interaction with the stone, she found herself growing increasingly uncomfortable with each passing mont.
This unease ca as no surprise. Shinta had only recently begun to explore the depths of her darkness elent, having unlocked its potential less than a year ago. Even then, she had been warned to proceed with caution.
As the hours stretched on, Shinta's discomfort escalated into pain, gnawing at her resolve and threatening to derail her training. Yet, despite the agony coursing through her, she clung to her determination, rejecting to succumb to the overwhelming sensations assaulting her senses.
Thoughts of giving up crept into her mind. However, the recent frustration she had experienced with the sword challenge fueled her determination to persevere.
"No, I am not giving up this ti, I must Hold on!" her voice echoing with unwavering resolve.
Summoning her inner strength, Shinta focused her concentration, attempting to harness the spirit energy swirling within her core. Yet, what she encountered was far from the norm. Within her core, a fierce battle raged between two opposing forces: a powerful greenish light and a tiny dark light.
This was an unusual situation. Typically, a dual-elent acolyte would be able to manipulate the stronger elent to subdue the weaker one, nurturing its growth over ti. However, this particular dark light seed untamable, resisting all attempts at control, especially under the influence of the origin stone.
As Shinta grappled with the chaotic energies swirling within her, the intensity of the battle manifested in the physical realm as she began to vomit blood, drawing the attention of the staff guarding the room.
However, she quickly composed herself and resud her efforts. Despite the agony coursing through her body, her resolve remained unyielding.
"I must control these two energies," she muttered through gritted teeth, determination burning fiercely in her eyes.
In the midst of her struggle, a sudden recollection of words she had recently heard echoed in her mind—a reminder of the importance of balance. These words, spoken by 'him,' sparked a realization within her, offering a glimr of insight into her predicant.
[Dao Heart]
The technique she had recently learned surged to the forefront of her mind, its principles of balance and harmony guiding her actions. Shinta gradually began to embrace the tiny soul, channeling its energy in tandem with the power of the darkness stone.
As minutes stretched into hours, a remarkable transformation unfolded. The once tumultuous energies began to coalesce, flowing together in a seamless harmony. The agony that had gripped her gradually dissipated, replaced by a sense of tranquil and clarity.
[Spirit force has increased]
[Spirit force has increased]
After what felt like an eternity, Shinta finally experienced a breakthrough. Her spirit force surged with newfound strength, pulsating with vitality and vigor.
[You have advanced your basis in darkness elents]
[Darkness Spirit - Early foundation]
Shinta erged victorious, her spirit force enhanced and a newfound basis firmly established.
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