The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'-Chapter 443 - Lessons From A Teacher Frozen In Place

A series of cultivator practice dueling rings had been constructed quickly - thanks to the desires of far more than the leader of the new territory. Cleared of debris and leveled with packed earth that wouldn’t shift underfoot during intensive sparring. There were not so many martial inclined who were free enough to be there at all times of day, but they were still used more frequently than any other communal area.

Though only one was made a bit more advanced than the others... in the Yecine style of being underground, ringed in stone walls, and roofed. Three months of regular training sessions had worn the once rough stone covered in sand smooth in places - especially at spots where certain techniques were repeatedly practiced near the same position. A quality that both swordswomen had learned to expect.

Qatrand stood with her heavy blade held in a loose guard position, breathing steadily as she controlled her essence field to expand along her shaped spiritual sense. Gravity manipulation through the tendrils had become second nature by now, as during the war it was forced to adapt and grow. That had multiplied in effectiveness after becoming a Primalist in that energy.

But overall, she did not use the aggressive blade strikes and movements in her recent training that often marked Yecine techniques. Defense and analysis. The same key points that she felt had been her cornerstone since she was young. Using the subtle field disruptions, she attempted often forced opponents in the same Lower Realm to fight on her own physical terms - just like she’d done to Ondua at the wedding Challenge.

Corde’s steps approached from the opposite side of the ring. Her much lighter, dark metal sword danced in warm-up patterns that cut through the air. Whispered sounds from the slice pressure sang through the uneven crystals of ice on the metal. Transitions between martial movements performed by someone who had mastered dozens of different vaunted continental styles.

’Her attack vectors can be even more unpredictable than Leysah.’

"Today I intend to focus on multiple executed feints within a single engagement window. Your defenses are tight, but at times too passive. Recognize which false sweeps or thrusts are safe to punish instead of waiting for the real strike."

The older woman’s voice frequently carried all of its professional military detachment. Months of training daily had re-created a working relationship built on mutual respect for skill. Even as the more personal tensions remained carefully unspoken between them. For the trainer knew the trainee was unwilling to listen to any ’valid’ concerns - and the other way around was much the same.

"Understood. You still want me pressing my full disruption against your Frost?"

"Exactly. But remember - you’re not trying to overpower my essence so much that you wear your own out. Just enough to make the techniques I might attempt less effective and reliable. Just like when you are destabilizing the coherent body of Voidlings. Force the engagement into close quarters only, where your analytical advantage matters most."

Without extra warnings given, Corde’s stance gained the subtle indicators that preceded her attack. The first assault came as a testing probe - three quick thrusts aimed at different heights but none of them fully committing. Tendrils of spirit sent signals back to the raven haired cultivator’s core Anchor Astralism. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Like the other hero’s Shield, it protected her from spiritual manipulation... but that was more of a side effect of caused by what it did. The three energies were separate but intertwined, by most metrics... and Anchor made the distinction between the portion of spirit inside the body quite hard to distinguish from the inner physical energy itself. Effectively preventing most of such an individual’s spirit from being targeted by effects.

Another side effect of that unusual nature tended to be ’oneness’ between thoughts, feelings, and actions. So when the same combination of strikes came again without any downtime - and the tendril caught the barest change in emotional intent in her sparring partner - Qat let her essence field ripple along her blade. Not to strike with, but to create the inconsistencies within the reaching Frost trying to surge off of the weapon.

Essence suffused everything in the cosmos, like a parallel set of existence. The outer energy especially took on universal concepts deemed immaterial - and the spirit was arguably one such immaterial thing. Which was why the field of a cultivator could be extended through the shape of the spiritual sense in the first place.

The Duskblade’s trajectory wavered slightly as the rime coating moved differently than was well practiced. The heavy sword intercepted the third true thrust, and metal forged by Elua er Goltbred rang against metal formed by an unknown ancient.

Qat was already shifting position as her analysis of the woman’s attack patterns... at least in the style she was maintaining, suggested that the follow-up would be a lateral slash. One designed to catch the opening of opponents who stayed stationary after blocking.

"Better. You read the true strike correctly and disrupted the approach I made without trying to fully suppress me. In a long fight, every unwasted movement is energy left to keep fighting."

"Yes. That is actually involved in the Yecine methodology as well. Striking hard, fast, and fully expending the effort all at once - their idea is it saves time... and allows one to switch focus."

"Understandable. Time is one thing that is hard to make up for... in a fight - or in life."

Corde’s approval came with a hint of something that disappeared quickly. She reset her stance and began longer, arcing sweeps that used blade speed and redoubling cuts to overwhelm opponents before they could make use of any closed distance. This time Qat’s essence worked a bit more aggressive.

’Insinuating that I am wasting my time waiting for my El, again...’

Rather than only subtle disruption, she created varied strengths of altered Gravity throughout separate tendrils. The sweeping cut that should have built momentum instead felt sluggish and unwieldy as the Duskblade encountered local zones of varied resistance. Creating a brief opening that the younger swordswoman exploited... by shoving the pommel of her blade towards the center of the other’s torso.

Corde recovered quickly even as the younger cultivator stepped into her guard. Twisting away, but not without effort, the now four-time Descent veteran made a bit of distance before a few more clangs sounded. Rapid sword strikes were traded and parried between them.

"You’re finally making the fight yours rather than adapting only to my pace. There is nothing wrong with being reactive or proactive. But each has their place and timing. Being too much of either will lead to stagnation. Find the balance."

They separated and circled each other slowly. Both of them felt quite warm, despite the air kept somewhat cool by the underground location. The physical energy thrumming through their bodies was making their muscles feel like a mortal that ’felt the burn’ during a workout.

Each exchange lasted nearly two minutes of constant motion before both swordswomen stepped back from each other, breathing hard. Neither had landed what they agreed to count as a decisive blow, but Qat had successfully forced the parts of the engagement into her preferred range multiple times while avoiding the trap of overcommitting to counterattacks.

Near three months of directly watching Qatrand gil Yecine’s improvement had begun to raise questions the Frozen Duskblade preferred not to voice. Because while she could tell that the youth was quite intelligent, adaptable, and capable... the idea of some kind of external help - that was not being admitted to - never left the woman’s one-track mind.

’If it was just Ondua er Goltbred or someone else... but this disciple does not particularly train with anyone else. Either grouping with me... or *alone*.’

That should make the progress she observed absolutely genuine. But the cultivator had never seen a rate of growth of this kind that was not guided. And try as she might, she could not convince herself that she was truly that great of a teacher - or that the tension between them was serving to sharpen the heavy blade wielder.

Qat could see in Corde’s eyes the same level of suspicion that had once driven Sevra to attack Elua at her own wedding. Deep, ingrained, and unlikely to be changed no matter what sort of truth was uttered. However, as much as she hated the small deception... being trained by a well known hero was a wonderful smokescreen for the progress she made while using the improved illusory training tool.

’And part of me also hates that I am learning as much from the woman herself as I am my mint-drop’s explanations.’