After dinner, a small group of ladies from the Lotus Blossom Sect, most of them outer disciples or the Acolytes they had brought as servants for the Sect, had gathered to watch Cain's attempt to teach the Flame Arrows to skill in a single day.
"Alright, who here thinks that they have a good Affinity for the fire element?" Cain asked as he prepared to get started.
"What do you mean? It's just a way to shape energy, isn't it? Why would the form it takes matter?" One of the outer disciples asked.
"Every one of us is unique. Not just our body, but our mind as well. So naturally, some ways of thinking are easier for us to understand. Fire is an aggressive element, less suited to the devious and scheming.
For those people, shadow skills would be easier to learn, because they suit the way you think. For the detached and stoic, ice might suit you better and so on.
So, I ask again, who feels that fire is easy for them to learn?"
Cain's speech seemed to startle a lot of the younger cultivators. They learned techniques because those were what their Sect knew how to teach them. There weren't many options, because knowledge was jealously guarded by those who had it.
A small group stepped forward, confident in their skills, and then a few more who were uncertain but willing to take a hit to the pride to get a chance at preferential treatment.
"Good, Everyone who came forward please sit down so those behind you can see and we will begin."
The Elders chuckled at Cain's way of sorting out the packed crowd, but let the disciples organize themselves, as was their tradition.
[Record Keeper, can you create a copy of the sigil to activate the spell above my head, large enough for everyone to see?] Cain mentally asked.
The sigil was also the icon for the skills in the skill tree, so everyone who used it regularly would be familiar. Even the strange folk who visualized pressing the icons for skills to activate them.
"That is the basic formation for [Flame Arrows]. This is the name, and that is the sequence to activate the skill. Just follow the instructions like this and you get Arrows."
Cain fired a few dozen into the air and let them dissipate so that he wouldn't alarm the Sects nearby.
"Wait, the rest of the sigil is just secret directions on how to use it?" A disciple asked incredulously.
"Of course it is. See, from the center, increase heat, then the pattern to lengthen into Arrows and how to split the energy into multiples."
In truth, the System translated all the writing for Cain and the others who had a class, but if they weren't trying to read it, they could still see the intricate patterns of the beautiful script.
The crowd had gone silent as everyone, even the Elders stared at Cain.
"What? Did I not explain it well? Okay, I will do it in slow motion. Like this, and that, we get the Arrows forming, now split them to increase the number, and will them to fly out."
"I think you confused them more." Luna whispered, watching the crowd.
"When we get into the city, maybe I should teach something simple. Like hairstyles for any occasion. Even the men here usually have long hair." Cain whispered back.
"All day having my hair braided? Oh yes, please. That is much better than teaching random techniques." Luna agreed, nuzzling into Cain's side.
The stronger-minded had recovered already and were studying the glowing sigil above Cain's head.
The first few began their attempt, and Cain gently corrected them as they went. "No, they need to be longer or they won't stabilize. Yes, like that. You can make just one if you like, but higher numbers are harder to evade."
Within five minutes they had a success. Within thirty minutes they had a half dozen more, almost all from older Disciples who already had experience shaping fire.
"It is such a rigid technique, but so easy to learn. What a strange style you have, Mister Cain." Elder Ling commended him as another disciple managed to create an arrow.
"Think of it as Fire Skills for beginners. The harder abilities all build on things like this, but since nobody knows the basics they have to struggle through the advanced steps without guidance." Cain explained.
[What a load of nonsense. Their Elemental attacks have nothing in common with the Flame Arrows spell.] Record Keeper snorted in amusement.
[They probably will now that so many know it though.] Oath Breaker laughed, as he noticed even the Elders were memorizing the skill, which wasn't part of their style's techniques.
There wasn't much for Cain to do now that they understood the basics so he simply sat down and pulled Luna into his lap to braid her hair for bed. A nice loose but secure braid prevented tangles in the morning.
When he was done, Cain stood up to address the Elders, carrying Luna on his hip. "It seems that the lesson was a good one, but it is time for us to get some sleep. The little one gets very excited about new cities you see."
"Yes, of course. Normally it is curfew soon, but I think we will let them practice a few more hours tonight. I will lead you back to your tent." Elder Ling agreed, gathering Cain's whole group.
"Here you are. The two tents are connected by that flapping door. If you need anything, just call for an acolyte."
"Thanks. I think we should be good for the evening." Cain agreed and the Elder left to go back to supervising the disciples learning Flame Arrows.
"How did you mess up your hair already?" Cain sighed, seeing Luna's mass of black curls in front of him and casually fixing them again. It was only when he heard the laughter that he realized his mistake. He made Tena look like Luna in her disguise, and it was her hair that he had just brushed and braided.
"Well, your hair is ready I guess. Does anyone else needs their hair brushed?" Cain asked, hoping that downplaying the event would help with Tena's embarrassment.
"I think we are good. Maybe in the morning, you can get us all ready." Penny joked, winking at Cain.
There was only one bed in this tent, so Cain assumed it was his room. The girls opened the flap to the other room, ready to call it a day after all the excitement, only to find the other one completely bare except for rugs on the ground, with the assumption that disciples would bring their gear.
They all had camping gear, but there were a few longing looks sent toward the single bed in Cain's side.
"We can get you some more luxurious accommodations once we get into the city. I didn't pack for this contingency." Cain told them apologetically.
"Wait, I have the solution. Penny, lay down in the middle of the floor and transform. The room is big enough." Luna suggested.
"While that works for me, where would the rest of you sleep?" Penny asked.
"On top of you of course. You're huge and fluffy in wolf form. There's no way you can be uncomfortable to sleep on." Luna announced with a smile that showed just how pleased she was with her idea.
While the disciples retired to their tent, Cain made himself comfortable and extended [Superior Mental Domination] out so that he could catch more information about what was going on in the city.
Most of the thoughts were predictably on their own training, but it didn't take long to find some gossip.
Various tournaments were running all week, but the most important part of the event was the so-called Symposiums where Master cultivators could show off their skills and new ideas to gain respect and disciples.
That's why it was held here, in neutral territory. It let wandering cultivators and small Sects attend, both to recruit and be recruited. The number of purely research-oriented individuals was much lower, but with so many people around, even they had a significant presence, according to what he could learn from the Sects and guards near him.
A lot of the nearby Sects thought like the last group they found in the woods. To make friends with those stronger than them and to learn about those they planned to target later.
Nila would have loved this place. It was like a gathering of Pirates, all pretending to get along for their own benefit and profit.
Cain woke up early, before first light, and mediated while he waited for the sounds of the camp coming to life for the morning to begin.
Now that more of the influential people were awake and active, Cain's mind reading could pick up much more than he learned last night. It seemed that the Sects brought two sorts of disciples here. Ones that they wanted to show off and ones that they subtly hoped would be led away by promised benefits from other Sects.
Either because of compatibility with the techniques or their personality, not every recruit they got was a great fit. Unlike the entry exams, this event let them get to poach disciples who already showed promise.
Just because their old Sect didn't want them didn't mean nobody did, especially the evil and assassin Sects.
"Disciples of the Forbidden Treasures Sect are ready, Master Cain," Tena called from the other tent just after the sun came up, and after much rustling and giggling from Cain's own disciples.
"Good, let's go see what the city has to offer."
