“This is all I can do. Since nature bestowed this upon you then I won’t be able to change it back. Only you can do that when you’re strong enough. For now, try to get adjusted to it as much as possible and learn to get closer to plants and nature. Even if you didn’t have to worry about this arm it would still be a wise choice.” Second Elder said frowning at first.

“Why can’t you change it back?” Akata asked begrudgingly.

“Nature is a universal power. It is omnipresent and, while not omnipotent, it is close to it. I myself am nowhere near that level so I can’t just change it. Only when you are strong enough to change it yourself can it be done. At that point, nature will see that you can take care of yourself and will allow for you to change it. But until then, you will probably have this as a replacement.”

“I see. Any idea on how I can become familiar enough with this so I can use the last level of the Red Cloud Formation ability?” Akata asked.

“Humph. You’ll have to figure that out on your own. You can go now.” Akata looked up sharply to see that the Sect Leader was seated on her throne now. He didn’t know when she had gotten there but as soon as her voice ended, light sprang around him as he was forcefully teleported away.

He reappeared in his dorm room once more. He sat there thinking of what to do as of now. He couldn’t proceed with comprehending the last part of the Red Cloud Formation until he became familiar with this grass arm.

He sighed to himself and thought. He wanted to get this done as fast as possible so that he could have more time to challenge the various trials. While his comprehension speed could be seen as monstrously fast, he still look half a day to contemplate the first two parts of the Red Cloud Formation ability. This would be seen as absurdly talented by others but to Akata it was still slow.

Suddenly his face filled with determination. “This grass arm is still apart of me. Just because it is made of something different doesn’t mean anything. It is still connected to my body and operates just like it.” He willed it and began to slowly move his grass arm.

Slowly but surely it began to move. He curled his fingers up and began to wiggle them around. Then he balled them up into a fist. “So what if it is made out of grass? The Red Cloud Formation ability calls for one to know their own body perfectly inside and out.” Willing his mind to explore his new arm he began to thoroughly study it. He looked closely at everything about his arm from its veins to its cells. How sturdy it was, how green it was, what it could pick up, where its joints were.

Like this, Akata slowly imprinted all of this information into his mind. He became extremely aware of this arms limitations and benefits. He found out that instead of blood running through its veins it was water. There was something that converted his blood to water when it passed to his grass arm and converted it back to blood when it returned to the rest of his body.

In a short amount of time, he slowly began to understand this grass arm of his and in turn began to understand nature itself. It thrived in sunlight and water. The more sunlight that showed on it the stronger it would be. This arm had the potential to grow stronger than Akata’s other arm if he treated it right.

Even after all of this however, his arm still felt a bit unfamiliar. It was only a bit but that was a difference that would keep him from fully understanding the Red Cloud Formation ability. Akata didn’t give up but instead kept working on familiarizing himself. Now, instead of just focusing on his arm, he began to focus on his cultivation base.

During this time, Akata realized something else. “My mortal cultivation base is extremely familiar to me but my plant cultivation base still feels strange. Maybe it’s because it never really had anything to connect to. But now it has my arm.” Akata spoke out.

He rotated his plant cultivation base and willed it to strengthen his arm. Instantly a change started to happen. The golden streak on his arm started to brighten and shine out. It began to grow wider and cover over his whole arm. Soon, his whole grass arm was golden in color and shining radiantly. That wasn’t all though as his arm became much more resilient and a vine appeared around it. The vine was golden in color and became longer and thicker.

Akata was amazed at this. He also felt that he was close to this vine and his arm. He felt a special connection to them. He could feel the existence of the vine and the vine could feel the existence of him. In turn it made a resonance that sparked a thought in Akata’s mind.

‘Just like I am a mortal, I am also a plant now. This grass arm isn’t just an extension of myself, it is me. It will grow with me and I will grow with it. We are one and the same and therefore we can be seen as one thing.’ Akata’s eyes flashed with understanding as the last bit needed was finally completed.

Instantly a surge of red mist covered Akata’s body. Then his body turned into a red mist as well. It swirled around in a vortex faster and faster. Akata could feel himself as the vortex, just swirling. He felt free, as if he was in control of everything about himself. It was a type of control that filled one with utter confidence in themselves.

The vortex slowed down and then settled into the shape of Akata’s body. His features became visible again and he slowly stood up. “Just as a cloud can change its shape, size, and density so can I. Just like a formation can expand great distances and never be broken so can I. I am a cloud and a formation. My body can expand and grow and not be hindered by normal means again.” Akata smiled.

The Outer section of the Red Cloud Formation ability made a red mist that could be controlled like a limb. It was simple to use and pretty much everybody in the sect had comprehended it.

The Inner section of the Red Cloud Formation was a bit trickier to understand. It called for one to know their body inside and out. In turn, their body could become like a cloud. Although it was a cloud it still had to be together otherwise the true body would break and fall apart and you would die from dismemberment.

The Core section of the Red Cloud Formation however, completely bypassed this flaw. One could freely control their body and move as they wanted to. One needed to fully understand themselves and their whole body in order for this to work, just like one needed to fully understand a formation in order to change it and keep it working the same. This was a whole new level to the ability and one that was fundamentally different from the other two levels.

A smile was on Akata’s face as he quickly meditated to recover his energy. The whole process of understanding his body and comprehending the last part had taken a whole day by itself. Akata was exhausted but was equally filled with joy.

After he recovered he stood up and made his way to the training field. As he was walking he thought about the people he wanted to see such as Peizhi Xiuying, Huihe Ji, Xiao Pao, and others. Most of them were at the Tower of Clouds and the only way to see them would be to go there himself. Others… had left the sect.

With a shake of his head Akata cleared his mind of such thoughts and prepared to enter the first Cabin Trial. There wasn’t a specific order to take them and you didn’t even have to try them all. But people made it a norm to go in decreasing order while taking the trials.

Akata stepped in front of the the Tenth Cabin Trial. The cabin was still there and the door was wide open. But one couldn’t see past the door at all. That was because it was a teleportation portal.

Others had noticed his figure and examined him for a bit. They noticed his red cloak that covered over one shoulder and his right arm. His spiky black hair that reached to his shoulders and his bright crimson eyes. Word started circulating of who this was.

Akata didn’t pay any attention however as he stared at the doorway of the Tenth Cabin Trial. This was where his rise to fame started and he was back. He took in a deep breath and then strode forward. In the blink of an eye he vanished.