The sky was a warm orange color due to the setting sun in the distance. The previous crowd that was at the entrance of the sect had long since dispersed. They didn’t want to waste any valuable training time that would be useful for the Red Cloud Sparring Day event tomorrow. Mostly all of the disciples had went to the field to get a bit of training in. The Elder’s had gone in their own directions to do whatever they had to do to prepare.

Peizhi Xiuying had gone to her own dorm room to meditate. She had already reached the peak of what she was capable of and no further training would increase her strength. Now she just needed to get some true experience out in the world.

Her eyes were closed and her breathing was at a calm even tone. But her mind was anything but relaxed. ‘I wonder how Akata is doing? He’s been in the tower for a long while. He said he wanted to get his own training in but he’s been by himself for all this time.’ When she thought back to the event with the azure vines and the destruction it was able to unleash he couldn’t help but shudder.

‘Just what kind of plant is that? Even in my clan’s records there wouldn’t be anything that powerful. I can’t even comprehend how terrifying that thing is. And Akata… he’s able to use that?’ Cold sweat started to form and drip down Peizhi Xiuying’s body as she recalled those past events. It was a truly terrifying scene. Seeing a vast field of life being instantly turned into nothingness. Nobody should have that kind of power.

Shaking her head she cleared her mind of all thoughts. Inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly, her mind was refocused upon meditating. ‘No need to worry about it. I just have to do my best in the Red Cloud Sparring Day.’

***

In a desolate world that was bare to the eyes, there was a youth in a shoulder cloak that was seated cross legged. In the outside world, a couple of days had passed, but in this deserted place it had been weeks. This was the Tower of Clouds effects on the third floor. One was able to control the perception of time in this place. That way one would be able to get in more training with little time passing in the outside world.

Akata had his eyes closed and he seemed extremely calm. His arms were in his lap and on his golden plant arm could be seen an azure vine with some golden leaves on it. Akata slowly opened his eyes and with but a thought, a figure appeared before him. This figure was a two-headed ape looking creature that radiated a pressure that was equal to Akata’s.

Akata stood up and looked calmly at the figure ahead of him. The azure kudzu vine unravelled itself from his golden plant arm and spread out to surround Akata’s body. It seemed to slither around Akata like a snake and it emitted a shocking pressure.

The ape-like beast let out a roar and charged toward Akata. Two more arms popped out of its sides and its fur turned into a heavy brown from its former gray. With each step it took the ground beneath it would smash apart throwing rocks in the air. These rocks would float in the air for a bit of time before shooting toward Akata’s body with a mighty force and speed.

Akata face was still calm as he watched the rocks come closer. He waved his hand and the azure vine reacted by suddenly springing up in front of Akata to block the incoming rocks.

Bang! Bang! Bang! With each rock that landed on the vine a heavy thud could be heard. Clearly, they possessed immense strength. But as soon as they landed on the vine, they crumbled away into nothingness. Akata was completely protected by the vine, he didn’t even have to take a step back.

The vine started to move toward the two-headed ape but then it immediately shuddered and stopped in place. Akata’s gaze could be seen looking at the vine coldy. After a brief moment he looked away and stared at the ape coldly. He lifted up a hand where his scythe appeared. He took in a deep breath and swung his scythe toward the ape.

Swish! A black beam of light shot out of the scythe and hurdled toward the two-headed ape. That beam was unimpeded and shot through the air as if there was an open path for it. The beam accurately landed on the throat of the ape and sliced off its head. Akata put away the scythe and sat back down.

The ape didn’t even have time to get within 10 meters of Akata before it had been cut down. Before its head hit the ground however, it dispersed in a white light along with the rest of its body. This was how all creatures created by the mental field would act once killed.

Akata let out a sigh. ‘While I have a bit more control over it, it still acts on its own after a while.’ Akata shook his head silently. During the past weeks he was in here he had tried to force the vine to submit to him. But, it was just too strong. It had immense strength that Akata wasn’t able to combat directly at all. Even if it was a light brush of an attack that he suffered he would end up with rather medium injuries. The only thing that allowed him to actually fight with the vine was that it had no intelligence whatsoever.

Akata was able to outsmart it on numerous occasions and therefore beat it eventually after a long period of time. But even still, it knew that it was stronger than Akata and wouldn’t easily submit to him. Therefore, Akata had to just threaten it with annihilation to quell it. Even though the vine was immensely stronger than him, he was able to threaten it with annihilation. This was because he had the power to thoroughly destroy it. It was his arm after all. Cultivators were easily capable of destroying their own body if they wanted to, and with how familiar Akata was with his own body, it would be simplicity in itself if he wanted to destroy this arm of his.

‘Still… to think that it is actually sentient. I would have never thought that a plant can just become sentient like this. It’s a good thing that it won’t actually try and kill me otherwise I would have been dead.’ During the early fights that Akata had with the vine, it was able to easily overpower Akata. Akata had been unprepared and therefore was vulnerable to the vine. But he found that it never struck the finishing blow to him. Even though this was just a mental world, it still never tried to actually kill him.

‘Seems as if it’ll take more than just threatening to make it submit fully to me. I’ll have to get much stronger if I want to completely control this vine. Still… it makes for one of the best shields I have ever seen.’ With its ability to thoroughly destroy anything it comes into contact with, its ability as a shield was superb. ‘I’ll take some time to rest. Later, I’ll find ways to increase my cultivation levels.’

Akata had multiple cultivation bases. He had to worry about cultivating in the Realm of Mortals, Demons, Plants, Realm of the Body, Realm of Mental Energy, Nature Energy, Divine Sense, Realm of the Scythe, and the Realm of the Soul and Khaos Elements. Although with all of this he was extremely strong for a cultivator at his age and level, it would take him a long time to advance just one stage. Let alone breaking through Ranks.

Each cultivation realm had ranks associated with them. Just like the Cultivation Realms had the Mortal Rank and Earthly Rank, the Energy Realms, such as mental energy, nature energy, and divine sense, had Ranks as well. Right now, Akata was in the First Rank of everything he cultivated the furthest along with any realm he was in was the Realm of Mortals with him being at the 8th Grade of the Mortal Rank. It could be seen how far he had to go in order to advance.

With but a thought, Akata disappeared from the desolate area that he was in. He opened his eyes to find himself back on the third floor of the Tower of Clouds. He was still seated on the white and golden bed and was quite comfortable. He looked around to see that some new faces had managed to make their way up to the third floor. Akata didn’t disturb them as he silently left the third floor and the Tower of Clouds.

‘In the Realm of Mortals I’m at the 8th Grade of the First Rank. In the Realm of Plants I’m at the 7th Grade. The Realm of Demons I’m at the 1st Grade. I should hurry up and breakthrough to the Second Rank so that I can better control the vine. My guess is that it is in the Second Rank of the Realm of Plants. Once I make it to the Second Rank I should be able to force it to submit to me.

In the Realm of Elements my skill is the best out of all the disciples in the whole sect. If I had to guess, in the soul element it should be around the 5th Grade whereas the khaos element is maybe the 3rd Grade.’ Akata still didn’t know much about elements and especially didn’t know how to rank his skill in it.

‘In the Realm of Energy, my mental energy is the strongest. I feel that it is much more stronger than my nature energy.’ Although Akata used his nature energy a lot, his mental energy outclassed it by far. If Akata had any mental energy skills then it would be effortless on his part to even take on people at the Great Circle of the First Rank. He would even be able to contend with people at the Half-Step First Rank.

Akata continued to walk aimlessly while thinking of his strengths and weaknesses. All of a sudden a voice popped into his head.

“Akata. Meet me at Red Cloud Hall right now. There’s something that I want you to do.” Third Elder’s voice popped into his head, startling him slightly. Akata calmed his heart and then walked in the direction of Red Cloud Hall. ‘What could Third Elder want with me?’ He wondered.