Avatar - Conquering the Elements-Chapter 155

The western part of the Earth Kingdom. A river with waterfalls. Yuki-Roku-Van-Yo.

I now found myself in a picturesque spot near one of the many ports of the Earth Kingdom. It was here, in the animated series, that Katara taught Aang waterbending from the very scroll she had stolen from pirates. I hoped that changing the location would somehow allow me to look at mastery differently and finally give me the chance to reach the next level of spiritual development.

In no hurry, I simply sat on a rock and watched the waterfall. With nothing else to do, I began channeling water energy through my body. There were no specific thoughts, just a contemplative mood, and even the sound of the falling water was somewhere on the periphery. On its own, knowledge and "understanding" that I had managed to glean from the spirits of the Moon and Ocean began to flow through my mind. Then they seemed to compress or consolidate. I felt something inside me change and grow more complex. In the end, the essence of my understanding settled deep within my soul, causing my body to radiate not just a sea, but an ocean of water energy. The transition to the ancient level was almost complete.

"I hope Van Shi Tong's conclusions were correct," I thought, for the world itself had turned its attention to me. It felt as though I stood naked before thousands of eyes. And it was these eyes that would decide whether I lived or died...

After a minute that felt like hours, the otherworldly attention of something powerful finally vanished.

"So, he was right..." A wave of relief washed over me. The Human World does not hinder the development and emergence of individuals with powers comparable to ancient spirits, as humans are not outsiders here, unlike spirits. Something similar happens in the Spirit World. If a practitioner of life energy doesn't have the same level of control as I do, their energy would immediately flow to the nearest deposits of green crystals.

"Finally, I've broken through!" I exclaimed, unable to hold back a joyful laugh. I could feel every single particle of water energy, even the smallest. If it were my will, all the inhabitants of the port town, living a full kilometer away, would become my puppets. At times, a strange feeling emerged, as if...

*I am the Water.*

In the next second, my body vanished from its previous location, only to reappear somewhere in the Spirit World. I needed to test my newfound abilities.

"Like cutting through grass," I muttered in surprise as even the highest spirits now seemed no different from the middling ones. Both could be slain with ease.

"Time to test my unique ability!" In that instant, I flew straight toward the dark spirits. Their attacks came swiftly, but my body, tempered by life energy, simply wouldn't allow the lower and mid-level spirits to inflict any serious damage. A fireball from a high-ranking fire spirit struck my body... but caused no harm, only draining a droplet of my water energy. In the next moment, a crab-like earth spirit nearly grazed my flesh with its claw, but it couldn't reach me... for my body had split into two halves, only to reassemble whole again.

"No, to truly understand my new abilities, I need a different ancient spirit," I shook my head, gradually transforming my body into water. In the next moment, a crystal-clear stream of water shot past the spirits' feet.

"Such unusual sensations..." Feeling like a liquid was fascinating, and the best part was that it was all intuitive, with no complications. As soon as I thought it, my hand emerged from the water's surface, and I could move it freely.

I'd seen something similar in the anime *Naruto*, where members of the Hozuki clan possessed the same ability. As far as I understood, as long as I had water energy, physical damage couldn't harm my body. The same went for magical damage. That fire spirit's attack should have at least singed my body a little, but it lost nearly ninety-nine percent of its power upon contact with me. Now, I wanted to know how much damage was negated when struck by an ancient spirit.

At the entrance to the Library, the spirit of knowledge awaited me.

"Congratulations," he said in his usual neutral tone. "We need to talk."

"Wait, wait! Hit me first," I said, already prepared to explain everything to him...

"Gladly," he replied, and his words and actions were always in perfect harmony. I thought, as my body splashed across the area. Ten percent of my total energy reserve vanished instantly, but my body suffered no serious damage, only a slight bruise on my chest. So, that's how it works.

"Alright, say what you need to say," I said, reassembling my body. And no, my voice didn't sound offended at all. This was exactly what I expected from Van Shi Tong.

"Now we can implement my plan to increase the number of conquerors," I said, setting aside other thoughts and listening intently. "We need to restore lost magic to the human world. With increased magical particle concentration, people will naturally awaken their gifts," he said, flapping his wing. We found ourselves hundreds of meters above the ocean, where the water was filled with the signatures of light spirits. "And to do this, we'll need to create holes between the worlds. Energy will naturally seek to fill the new 'vessel.'"

"Can the barrier even be breached?" I'd always thought of it as unshakable.

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"Not by one ancient spirit, or even a hundred," he nodded calmly. "But add a conqueror with the same power, and the chances increase tenfold. As you know, spirits in the human world can't use their full strength, which is why I waited until you reached the ancient level. All we need to do is strike the barrier from both sides. At the exact same point."

It seems that's how the Fire Sages managed to create that crack back then. They weakened the barrier from their side, while some dark spirit helped from the other. But...

"I already see a host of problems that will follow from 'drilling' this hole..."

"Everything has been accounted for," the spirit seemed slightly offended. "The gap will be so small that only lower spirits can pass through unimpeded. Even mid-level spirits will need some time and effort. Higher spirits might get stuck between worlds for weeks, radiating their energy. I think you'll have time to prepare for such a visit. Ancients are out of the question entirely. At most, they can slightly widen the hole to let in more weaker spirits. But I doubt we'll be idle when a dark ancient spirit appears near a hole."

"This is where I'll strike," he pointed to a spot near his body. "Each new breach will be made in the safest possible locations. Vaatu's influence hasn't reached the ocean yet, and right below us is the largest underwater settlement of light spirits. The hole will fully close in about a year, and each time we'll have to create new ones."

From Van Shi Tong's further explanation, the following emerged: every year, we need to add one new breach to the existing one. This will be the most optimal solution, as creating two or three holes at once could simply kill ordinary people. Unaccustomed to such a concentration of spiritual particles, it would be like an oxygen overdose in its most severe form. The first breach within a year will increase the frequency of spiritual particles by one percent. Theoretically, a couple dozen new airbenders should appear, along with several hundred of the other three elements. The Air Nomads didn't like spreading their seed, so there aren't many people in the world predisposed to airbending. The idea of making Aang a staunch advocate of polygamy seems increasingly relevant...

After some time, we appeared above an island of the Fire Nation. Hmm, Jang Hui is nearby. As far as I know, the people there were eventually relocated. They may have been unhappy, but at least they remained alive and healthy, with good compensation.

"This is Black Rock Island," something familiar...

Right! This is the very island where, in the animated series, the united forces gathered to invade the Fire Nation's capital.

"The island isn't far from the Capital, and in case of a spirit breakthrough, it can immediately send forces to destroy them," I began to think. "So, we need to start building a base here. Should we create the breach once some weapons are in place?" I asked, looking at the owl.

"Do it now," came the immediate reply.

"Alright, I can leave one of my bodies here to wait until construction and troop deployment are complete," I agreed calmly.

"Your presence isn't necessary," he shook his head. "There's already an observer here," he finished speaking and turned his head toward a deep bay, where thick fog began to appear.

"A peak-level high spirit?" The fog was definitely created by a water spirit. Soon, the creator of the fog herself appeared... a beautiful fair-skinned girl with long black hair and red markings on her face and delicate collarbones. Another feature of the girl-spirit was her ivory-colored dress and a large hat that made her resemble a mushroom.

"The Painted Lady," I voiced my thoughts aloud.

"The very same," he said, nodding politely to the spirit.

Having marked her presence, she vanished again. It seems she doesn't like attention.

We returned to the previous topic.

"Strike this point exactly one minute from now," he said, and without another word, disappeared.

Counting the time in my head, I began actively circulating neutral and water energy.

Fifty-nine... Sixty seconds.

Pouring everything into a single technique—a simple water blade—I felt our strikes with Van Shi Tong connect. In an instant, a small crack appeared in the air, quickly growing larger until it could easily allow my body to pass through. I immediately felt the background energy shift, the particles becoming more active.

I need to contact Azula urgently. We should start constructing the military base as soon as possible. Detaching from my body, Van immediately flew toward the capital.

*

Tianhai. Four Elements Hotel.

In one of the most luxurious establishments in the city-state, a secret meeting was taking place.

"How are things going, Zaheer?" asked an already gray-haired elder to a man with a rugged face and a shaved head.

"Everything is proceeding according to plan. Their organization will continue to spread its roots into various spheres of the state for years. But something else worries me... the leader of the 'Equalists' has never shown his face. Most likely, only his inner circle knows his true identity. Sometimes I feel that some members of the organization are connected by something strange," Zaheer said uncertainly. "The core group, the highest ranks, have never shown any dissent, not even a small disagreement—that's just not possible..."

"Don't let it bother you. Let them do as they please," the elder waved his hand weakly. "The important thing is that we share a goal. Their actions will cause chaos and anarchy, and we'll fan the flames. Then these fools will realize that the Order of the White Lotus should always have remained in the shadows, protecting our world!" He slammed his fist on the table. "On the blood of the innocent, we'll show the world a new path!"

"Khah," the elder spat out bloody saliva, which landed directly on the Pai Sho board. The white lotus was partially stained crimson... "The Order of the Red Lotus, yes, the name suits us perfectly. What do you think, Zaheer?"

"As the leader commands," the man bowed his head.

"When we're alone, call me by my name," the elder shook his head.

"Alright... Xai Bau," the former member of the Order of the White Lotus—practically one of its founders.

"Recruiting new members for the Order will be your task. Prepare to take leadership. I feel my time is short..."