Contrary to expectations, Gu Ying’s guest room was almost as big as Anji’s in the Celestial Dragon Sect. It had everything the bodyguard could need. However, the most curious thing was the convenience of everything embedded into the complex circuitry.
"If you need lights, you can fuse so energy into this stone here to turn it on. The sa thing happens in the bath. This is the crystal for filling the tub, and this is to heat the water. You can maintain the heat of the water using this spell by activating the switch at the side of the wall. To drain the water, you can imbue so energy into the seal at the bottom of the tub."
The more Pearl explained the functions of the guest room, including internal temperature control, moving machines that would create wind on a hot day and an ice maker, the more convinced Anji beca that Mystical Qilin Sect had very few students leaving the mountain because they had grown too used to this luxurious lifestyle.
In short, Anji was utterly spellbound by the different inventions incorporated into the design of this place. It was like living in a completely different world. Madness and brilliance coexisted simultaneously in the sa space. As soone who had experinted with her complex circuits, she knew how difficult it was to stabilise sothing this intertwined. Whoever created this must have taken years!
After a grand room tour, Gu Ying nodded and thanked Pearl. However, she only wanted to know where the courtyard and cultivation chambers were. Although the anities were fancy, the Manchurian warrior was still more accustod to sleeping on the grass underneath a sea of stars. If anything, this level of luxury made her a tad uncomfortable.
Hearing Gu Ying’s request, Pearl finally accepted that their guest was a true-blooded cultivator from the mainstream sects. Although she did not know which sect Anji was from, she was clearly an important person to be, having a guardian of such calibre.
The training grounds were wide and spacious. However, it was also different from the regular training courtyards of other martial sects. The Mystical Qilin Sect created a forcefield around the space to contain the impact, noise and damage caused by sparring. Truthfully, Bai Dajin could use this in his sect. From what Anji had seen, the White Tiger Sect Leader had caused quite extensive damage to the back of their mountain when he spared with the leader of the Azure Dragon Sect.
"In addition, we added different terrain simulations on the training ground that you could ask an apprentice to assist you with. Please note that the intensity could be dangerous, so you should never use this feature alone without an administrator."
Intrigued by the features, Gu Ying asked about them. When the cool beauty finally broke her composure to indicate an interest in their sect’s creations, Pearl broke into the widest grin Anji had ever seen and offered to give a short demonstration.
Agreeing, Gu Ying unsheathed her sword and stepped into the training ground for a demonstration while Anji remained with Pearl behind the administrator’s workspace.
Inside the control panel room, Anji marvelled at the different controls and studied their circuits. She could recognise parts of the elents embedded into the design, such as a tir and an output limit. The five-elent circle was constantly used, but Anji did not know what they were doing as they danced to the different tunes controlled by Pearl.
Finally taking her attention away from the circuit, Anji’s eyes bulged while Gu Ying dodged tal spikes conjured in mid-air while leaping above a sea of flas. Was this what Pearl ant by terrain simulation?
"I will be increasing the gravity now," she introduced a new feature. "This is great for training speed, strength, endurance, and many light footwork masters claim it helped them make a breakthrough."
Light footwork was sothing many cultivators learned at the interdiate stage. However, most people were satisfied with climbing up a tree vertically and stopping there. Few will train their light footwork enough to traverse lakes or scale a cliff. Gu Ying was similar.
With a dial tweak, the agile bodyguard suddenly lost her footing and slipped when her leap was not powerful enough. Blocking the tal spike aid at her with her sword, she twisted her body barely in the nick of ti to avoid injury. However, just that simple action took twice the amount of energy required.
Alard by the near injury, Pearl quickly cancelled all attacks and asked if the bodyguard was alright. Anji observed how the safety kill switch functioned and took ntal notes while the senior librarian fussed over her idol.
"It’s not your fault," Gu Ying convinced. "It caught by surprise. The features are really good. It could simulate difficult battle experiences and highlight my shortcomings."
Receiving praise from a true martial artist, Pearl teared up. If the researchers who worked on this heard the feedback, they would harass Gu Ying all day and night to test the new features for them. Rarely has anyone this skilled stayed in the Mystical Qilin Sect for an extended period. Gu Ying was a beautiful bonus that ca with the mysterious child. Pearl wasn’t complaining. If it were not for the strange rules from the higher-ups, many of them wanted to hug Anji’s leg to borrow Gu Ying for their projects.
Leaving the training ground, Pearl showed Gu Ying the cultivation chambers. Anji was reminded once more how she could not enter the cultivation chambers without a guardian because of the rules. The young child nodded seriously and tried to find any traces of spells here. However, there were none.
"Are there no spells here?" she finally asked.
Surprised that Anji was looking for them in a cultivation chamber, Pearl laughed but quickly stopped herself. She had to maintain her indifference in front of this child.
"Why would you use spells in a cultivation chamber? This place is ant to be for spiritual progress. Adding spells will only delude the senses and dull the energy. It’s actually the only place in the sect that does not have any spells. We might be researchers at heart, but we are still cultivators. The sect master once said there was always a better way to do anything, but there were no shortcuts. Do you know what that ans?"
A better way to do anything, but no shortcuts. It sounded like sothing her shifu would say. However, her shifu was soone a little different. She prioritised efficiency regardless of thods. The word "better" is very subjective. Her shifu interpreted that word with efficiency, although her grand shifu, who ascended, preferred uniqueness. Their personalities were very different.
"There are no shortcuts to a solid foundation or success. Every action taken directly contributes to a future consequence. Cutting necessary steps in any process will result in a future collapse."
Nodding twice, Pearl confird that the special student was indeed as bright as they thought she would be. However, the senior librarian was unprepared for what Anji would say next.
"But if we can add spells to enhance the properties of spiritual energy gathered in each cultivation chamber or create a magnet to adjust the intensity of energy gathered here, wouldn’t that make the cultivation chambers just as effective as the training hall?"
...
"That... might be possible. However, we cannot possibly know that there will be no adverse effects on the environnt by altering the qualities of energy or density gathered!"
Cocking her head to the side, Anji pointed out there were different energies that naturally resided in different terrains, like the volcanic mountains of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect and even the Lakes near the Black Tortoise Sect.
Hearing how much sense Anji was making, Pearl stopped montarily to mull over it. Eventually, her excited researcher’s heart made her grab Anji’s hands.
"Would you like to do this research together with Big Sister Pearl? You’ll get the main credits. This is a brilliant idea nobody has thought about before! I can’t believe you’re only six!"
Laughing uneasily at the sudden attention, Anji declined. It wasn’t sothing she was particularly interested in at the mont, not when she was banned from cultivating alone and visiting libraries.
"It’s ok. You can take full credits and research on this. It was rely a passing idea of a child who doesn’t know any better."
Hearing how humble Anji was, Pearl teared up. Rules or not, she could not bring herself to be cold to her.
"Please co and find more often, especially when things beco difficult in the sect. Big Sister Pearl will now show you the inner court. Would you like to say goodbye to Lady Gu Ying first?"
Hearing how suddenly they would part, Anji appeared reluctantly and clung onto Gu Ying, hugging her tightly.
"You can visit her after a month," Pearl chuckled. "It’s not a permanent goodbye. However, I can help pass your ssages to her daily if you want."
Accepting the offer, Anji agreed to find Pearl, who was usually in the Western library, so that she could keep in touch with Gu Ying more regularly.
After sending Gu Ying back to her room, Pearl took Anji’s hand in hers as they waved goodbye to the bodyguard.
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