The third week of Chen Feng's residency at Azure Peak Sect marked a significant transition in Elder Feng's instruction curriculum, shifting from theoretical foundations to practical technique applications that would allow outer disciples to begin developing their combat capabilities and defensive skills. The morning sessions relocated from the lecture chamber to one of the sect's numerous training grounds, where physical space permitted demonstration and practice of techniques that required movement and energy manipulation beyond what confined classroom environments could safely accommodate.
Chen Feng arrived at the designated training ground along with approximately forty other new outer disciples who had been progressing through the orientation curriculum. The facility consisted of a large open area surfaced with packed earth that showed signs of heavy use from countless previous training sessions, surrounded by protective formations that would contain errant spiritual energy releases and prevent techniques from causing unintended damage to surrounding structures or disciples observing from designated safe zones outside the active training space.
Elder Feng stood at the center of the training ground, her posture radiating authority and expectation as she waited for all assigned disciples to assemble. Once the gathering was complete, she began her instruction without preamble, her voice carrying clearly across the open space through what Chen Feng's enhanced perception identified as a minor technique that amplified and directed sound waves toward intended listeners.
"The cultivation path inevitably involves conflict," Elder Feng stated with a directness that eliminated any romantic illusions disciples might harbor about cultivation being purely a peaceful pursuit of enlightenment. "Whether competing for resources, defending against hostile entities, or simply establishing your position within sect hierarchies that value demonstrated capability, you will face situations where your ability to protect yourself and project force determines outcomes that affect your cultivation progress and potentially your survival. Today begins your training in fundamental techniques that every Azure Peak disciple must master before advancing beyond outer disciple status."
Elder Feng gestured, and spiritual energy coalesced in the air before her to form a shimmering barrier approximately six feet in height and three feet in width. The construct was translucent, allowing observers to see through it while simultaneously displaying visible patterns of energy circulation that maintained its structural integrity and defensive properties.
"This is the Azure Barrier Technique, the foundation of our sect's defensive methodology," Elder Feng explained. "The technique creates a stable energy construct capable of deflecting or absorbing attacks from opponents at equivalent or lower cultivation levels. Mastering this barrier is mandatory for all disciples, as it provides protection that can mean the difference between surviving combat encounters and suffering injuries that might permanently impair your cultivation foundation or end your life entirely."
She proceeded to demonstrate the technique's formation process in meticulous detail, breaking down the complex sequence of hand gestures, spiritual energy channeling patterns, and mental focuses required to successfully manifest the barrier. Chen Feng observed with intense concentration, his enhanced perception allowing him to see not just the visible manifestations of Elder Feng's technique but also the underlying connections she was creating between ambient spiritual energy and the barrier construct she was forming. The connections functioned as structural elements that maintained the barrier's coherence and dictated its defensive properties, with subtle variations in connection strength and configuration producing measurably different defensive characteristics.
"You will now attempt to replicate this technique," Elder Feng commanded after completing her demonstration. "Form groups of three and take positions spaced sufficiently apart that your initial attempts do not interfere with each other. I will circulate among groups to provide corrections and guidance as needed. Do not become discouraged if your first attempts fail entirely or produce only unstable partial manifestations. This technique typically requires dozens of practice sessions before disciples achieve consistent reliable formation."
Chen Feng found himself grouped with two other disciples whom he recognized from previous orientation sessions but with whom he had not extensively interacted. One was a girl of perhaps fourteen named Mei Ling who possessed earth-aspect spiritual roots and who had demonstrated quiet competence during theoretical instruction sessions. The other was a boy approximately Chen Feng's age named Zhao Han, whose fire-aspect roots had produced notably enthusiastic but sometimes imprecise technique attempts during earlier practice exercises.
The three positioned themselves at appropriate spacing and began attempting to replicate Elder Feng's demonstration. Chen Feng focused on recreating the hand gesture sequence while simultaneously channeling spiritual energy from his lower dantian along the pathways that Elder Feng had indicated. His enhanced perception proved valuable for understanding the connection patterns he needed to establish, but translating that understanding into successful execution revealed itself to be considerably more challenging than simple observation suggested.
His first attempt produced only a faint shimmer in the air before him that dissipated almost immediately as the connections he had attempted to create failed to achieve sufficient stability. The experience was frustrating but not unexpected given Elder Feng's warning about the technique's difficulty for beginners. Chen Feng analyzed what had gone wrong, recognizing that his spiritual energy channeling had been too weak to establish robust connections and that his timing had been imprecise in ways that created structural vulnerabilities in the partial construct he had managed to manifest.
He attempted the technique again, this time increasing the spiritual energy investment and paying closer attention to the precise timing of each element in the formation sequence. The result was marginally better, producing a barrier fragment that persisted for perhaps three seconds before structural instabilities caused it to collapse. Progress was occurring, even if slowly and incrementally.
Beside him, Mei Ling was experiencing similar struggles, her attempts producing brief flickers of earth-toned energy that failed to coalesce into stable constructs. Zhao Han's efforts were generating more visible results but of questionable quality, his fire-aspected barriers appearing briefly with impressive brightness before exploding in small bursts that scattered spiritual energy in uncontrolled patterns that required the training ground's safety formations to contain.
Elder Feng arrived at their group after approximately twenty minutes of independent practice, her observant gaze assessing each disciple's attempts with the practiced evaluation of an experienced instructor. She provided Mei Ling with corrections regarding her energy channeling pathways, demonstrating more efficient routes that would reduce spiritual energy waste and improve construct stability. Zhao Han received pointed feedback about the necessity of controlling his fire aspect's natural volatility through more disciplined mental focus and precise energy regulation.
When Elder Feng turned her attention to Chen Feng, her expression shifted to show traces of curiosity mixed with her professional assessment. "Your perception of the technique's underlying structure appears superior to typical new disciples based on how you are attempting to recreate the connection patterns I demonstrated. However, your spiritual energy reserves are insufficient to maintain the connections you are correctly identifying and attempting to establish. Continue practicing with reduced ambition regarding construct size and strength. Create smaller barriers that your current cultivation base can sustain, then gradually expand as your foundation develops."
Chen Feng absorbed this guidance and modified his approach accordingly, reducing the intended barrier size from six feet to approximately three feet in height. The smaller construct required proportionally less spiritual energy to maintain, bringing the technique's demands within range of what his developing cultivation base could provide. His next attempt produced a stable barrier that persisted for nearly ten seconds before his spiritual energy reserves depleted to the point where maintaining the construct became impossible.
The achievement was modest compared to Elder Feng's effortless demonstration, but it represented genuine progress that confirmed Chen Feng's ability to eventually master the technique through continued practice and cultivation advancement. He repeated the smaller barrier formation several more times, each iteration refining his understanding of the precise energy channeling and connection establishment patterns required for reliable technique execution.
The morning training session continued for approximately two hours before Elder Feng concluded with instructions for disciples to practice the Azure Barrier Technique during their personal cultivation time until consistent formation became second nature. She emphasized that the barrier would form the foundation for more advanced defensive techniques they would learn in subsequent weeks, making current mastery essential for future progression.
Chen Feng departed the training ground feeling both accomplished and humbled by the experience. The practical technique application had revealed gaps between theoretical understanding and actual execution capability that would require dedicated effort to overcome. His enhanced perception provided advantages for comprehending technique structures, but advantages meant little without the cultivation foundation necessary to translate understanding into successful manifestation.
The afternoon brought Chen Feng to Elder Wu's residence for his continuing specialized instruction in Void Mark cultivation. Today's session focused on a new dimension of severance application that Elder Wu introduced with his characteristic directness and exacting standards.
"Thus far your training has emphasized precision severance of individual connections within stable static systems," Elder Wu stated as Chen Feng settled into his customary meditation position. "However, real-world applications frequently involve dynamic systems where connections are constantly forming, dissolving, and transforming in response to changing circumstances. Today you will learn to perceive and sever connections in motion, targeting bonds that exist only briefly before natural processes transform them into different relationship types."
The elder produced what appeared to be a simple glass sphere containing water and several small fish swimming within the enclosed environment. He placed the sphere on the floor between himself and Chen Feng, then gestured for his student to observe the connections within the system using enhanced perception.
Chen Feng activated his Void Mark abilities and focused on the sphere's contents. The connections he perceived were indeed dynamic in ways that differed fundamentally from the static systems he had previously studied. The fish formed temporary bonds with water molecules as they swam, creating and dissolving millions of microscopic connections with each movement. The water itself flowed in currents that constantly reconfigured the relationships between different volumes of fluid. Oxygen dissolved from the air above the water surface created connections with fish respiratory systems that existed only long enough for gas exchange to occur before transforming into carbon dioxide bonds that the fish expelled back into the water.
The sheer quantity and constant flux of connections was overwhelming initially, threatening to paralyze Chen Feng's consciousness with information overload as his perception attempted to track every changing relationship simultaneously. He struggled to impose order on the chaos, applying the selective filtering techniques that Elder Wu had taught him during previous sessions to narrow his focus to specific connection types while temporarily suppressing awareness of others.
"Your task is to sever the connection between one specific fish and the water surrounding it without affecting any other connections in the system," Elder Wu instructed. "The severance must persist long enough for the fish to experience momentary separation from its aquatic environment, then you must allow the connection to naturally reform before the fish suffers harm from oxygen deprivation. Success requires you to identify the target fish's water connection, track it as it transforms and moves, sever it at precisely the correct moment, and release it with timing that prevents injury while demonstrating your control over dynamic severance."
Chen Feng recognized the exercise as significantly more challenging than anything he had previously attempted. Severing a static connection between stationary objects demanded precision but not the added complexity of tracking moving targets through constantly changing relationship networks. He focused his enhanced perception on a single fish, filtering his awareness to perceive only its connection to the surrounding water while suppressing all other relationship types that might distract his attention.
The fish's water connection manifested as a complex bundle of bonds that served multiple simultaneous functions related to buoyancy, locomotion, respiration, and sensory perception. Severing all of these bonds simultaneously would likely kill the fish by removing its ability to interact with its environment in ways necessary for survival. Chen Feng needed to identify which specific subset of bonds could be temporarily severed without causing permanent harm, then track those bonds through the fish's movements while preparing to cut them at an opportune moment.
He spent several minutes simply observing the connection patterns, developing understanding of how different bond types functioned and which combinations might be severable without catastrophic consequences. The buoyancy-related connections appeared to be the safest target, as temporarily removing them would cause the fish to sink or float unexpectedly but would not immediately threaten its survival if the severance lasted only a few seconds.
Chen Feng waited for the fish to reach a position near the sphere's center where sinking would not cause it to collide with the glass boundaries, then executed his severance targeting the buoyancy connections. The bonds cut cleanly, and the fish immediately began sinking as its relationship with water density was disrupted. The creature's confusion was evident in its movements as it attempted to compensate for the unexpected loss of normal buoyancy, swimming upward with vigorous tail strokes to prevent itself from descending to the sphere's bottom.
Chen Feng maintained the severance for approximately three seconds before consciously releasing it and allowing the buoyancy connections to reform naturally. The fish's descent halted as normal water relationships reasserted themselves, and the creature gradually settled into stable swimming patterns as it recovered from the brief disorientation.
Elder Wu observed the entire sequence with his penetrating gaze before delivering his assessment. "Adequate for a first attempt at dynamic severance. You correctly identified an appropriate target connection type and executed the cut without causing permanent harm. However, your tracking was imperfect and your timing was fortunate rather than precisely calculated. The fish happened to be in a safe position when you acted, but you did not deliberately wait for such positioning before executing the severance. Repeat the exercise with conscious attention to positional safety before you act."
Chen Feng repeated the dynamic severance exercise numerous times over the course of the afternoon session, gradually improving his ability to track moving connections and to time his severances for moments when cutting would not create dangerous secondary consequences. The mental discipline required was exhausting in ways that differed from physical fatigue, demanding sustained concentration and rapid decision-making under conditions where hesitation or imprecision could result in unintended harm to living subjects.
By the session's conclusion, Chen Feng had achieved reliable success with the fish severance exercise, demonstrating consistent ability to identify appropriate target connections, track them through dynamic systems, and execute severances with timing that prevented collateral damage. Elder Wu expressed measured satisfaction with the progress before dismissing Chen Feng with instructions to study historical accounts of dynamic severance applications and to continue developing his foundational cultivation base through consistent spiritual energy gathering practice.
Evening found Chen Feng in the outer disciple dining hall for his customary meal, where he encountered Liu Wei and several other faction members who invited him to join their table. The conversation during the meal addressed various sect matters including upcoming mission opportunities that would allow outer disciples to earn contribution points and recent announcements regarding resource allocation adjustments that affected training material availability.
Liu Wei mentioned that the sect would be conducting its quarterly outer disciple evaluation tournament in approximately two weeks, an event that would assess disciples' combat capabilities and cultivation progress to determine advancement eligibility and resource allocation priorities for the following quarter. Performance in the tournament directly influenced disciples' standing within the outer sect hierarchy, with strong showings opening opportunities for additional training, better mission assignments, and increased contribution point earnings.
"The tournament will be your first formal assessment since joining the sect," Liu Wei explained to Chen Feng. "Your three-month evaluation period will still be ongoing, but your performance will be noted by elders who determine whether provisional disciples should receive full acceptance. I recommend focusing your remaining preparation time on mastering the Azure Barrier Technique and developing at least one reliable offensive capability that you can employ consistently in combat situations."
Chen Feng absorbed this information, recognizing the tournament as both an opportunity and a potential complication. His Void Mark abilities provided unique capabilities that might give him advantages in certain combat scenarios, but he lacked the extensive technique repertoire and combat experience that many of his peers had accumulated through longer tenure at the sect. The two-week preparation period would need to be utilized efficiently to develop sufficient combat competence to avoid embarrassing performance that might damage his standing or raise questions about his suitability for continued sect membership.
The meal concluded, and Chen Feng returned to his residence hall to begin his evening cultivation practice. He had just settled into his meditation posture when a knock on his door interrupted his preparations. Opening the door revealed a disciple Chen Feng did not recognize, a boy of perhaps fifteen whose nervous demeanor and reluctant expression suggested he was delivering a message he would have preferred to avoid conveying.
"Chen Feng? I was asked to inform you that Zhang Huang requests your presence at the eastern practice yard within the hour to discuss matters of mutual interest," the messenger stated with obvious discomfort at his role in the communication. "He suggested that declining this invitation would be interpreted as reluctance to address issues that could be resolved through direct conversation."
The message was clearly a summons rather than a genuine invitation, with the implicit threat that failing to appear would result in unspecified consequences that Zhang Huang would characterize as Chen Feng's fault for refusing reasonable dialogue. The manipulation was transparent but potentially effective if Chen Feng lacked sufficient understanding of sect social dynamics to recognize the trap being set.
"Please inform Zhang Huang that I appreciate his interest in direct communication but that I have prior commitments this evening that prevent immediate response to his invitation," Chen Feng replied carefully. "I would be happy to arrange a meeting through proper channels at a mutually convenient time if he has legitimate sect business requiring discussion."
The messenger's expression showed relief at receiving a diplomatic response rather than the aggressive rejection or fearful compliance that might have placed him in awkward positions with either party. The boy departed to convey Chen Feng's response, leaving Chen Feng to consider the implications of Zhang Huang's attempt to manipulate him into attending a meeting at a location and time of Zhang Huang's choosing.
The eastern practice yard was among the more isolated training facilities, seeing little use during evening hours when most disciples preferred facilities closer to residential areas. Accepting Zhang Huang's summons would have placed Chen Feng in a vulnerable position where witnesses would be scarce and where Zhang Huang could attempt intimidation or even violence while claiming the encounter had been consensual combat practice if questions arose later.
Chen Feng closed his door and returned to his cultivation practice, recognizing that Zhang Huang's harassment was escalating from verbal confrontation to more active attempts at manipulation and potential physical intimidation. The situation would require careful management to prevent escalation while maintaining appropriate boundaries and demonstrating that Chen Feng would not be easily manipulated through transparent social engineering tactics.
Approximately thirty minutes later, another knock interrupted Chen Feng's meditation. This time the visitor was Liu Wei, whose serious expression suggested he had learned about Zhang Huang's summons and had concerns about the developing situation.
"One of Zhang Huang's associates just attempted to reserve the eastern practice yard for exclusive use this evening, claiming he needed the space for private training that required isolation from potential observers," Liu Wei informed Chen Feng. "The reservation was denied because exclusive practice yard use requires elder approval that Zhang Huang did not obtain. However, the attempt confirms that he was planning something that he did not want witnessed, which raises obvious concerns about his intentions regarding the meeting he attempted to arrange with you."
Chen Feng explained his response to the summons and his analysis of the manipulation attempt. Liu Wei nodded with approval at Chen Feng's handling of the situation but also expressed concern that Zhang Huang's escalating behavior suggested potential for more serious harassment that might cross lines requiring elder intervention.
"Zhang Huang has been disciplined previously for behavior that violated sect rules against bullying and exploitation, though his family's influence ensured that punishments were minimal and did not create permanent marks on his record," Liu Wei said with evident frustration at the sect's inconsistent enforcement of its own regulations. "However, each documented incident creates additional evidence that could support more serious disciplinary action if his conduct continues escalating. I recommend keeping detailed records of all interactions with Zhang Huang and his associates, including times, locations, witnesses, and specific statements or actions that could demonstrate pattern behavior violating sect rules."
The advice was practical and aligned with Chen Feng's own inclinations toward systematic documentation of significant events. He thanked Liu Wei for the guidance and for his continued support in navigating complications that Chen Feng's unusual circumstances seemed to attract despite his preference for focusing on cultivation development rather than social conflicts.
Liu Wei departed after providing additional tactical suggestions for managing harassment while maintaining appropriate boundaries. Chen Feng returned once more to his cultivation practice, though his mind continued processing the day's events and their implications for his immediate future at the sect.
The upcoming tournament represented both opportunity and vulnerability. Strong performance could establish his capabilities and discourage exploitation attempts by demonstrating that he possessed combat competence beyond what his short tenure and modest cultivation base might suggest. Poor performance could reinforce perceptions of vulnerability and invite increased harassment from disciples like Zhang Huang who targeted those perceived as weak or isolated.
The two-week preparation period would determine which outcome manifested. Chen Feng recognized that he needed to develop reliable combat techniques suitable for tournament conditions while simultaneously continuing his regular training with Elder Wu and maintaining his foundational cultivation practice. The competing demands on his time and energy would require careful prioritization and efficient practice methods that maximized skill development within available timeframes.
Chen Feng's enhanced perception and Severance abilities provided unique advantages that might prove decisive in combat if employed strategically. However, revealing the full extent of his Void Mark capabilities in a public tournament carried risks of attracting unwanted attention from disciples or even elders who might view such abilities as threats or opportunities for exploitation. The balance between demonstrating sufficient competence and avoiding excessive revelation of unique capabilities would require careful judgment and tactical thinking.
The evening progressed as Chen Feng divided his remaining time between cultivation practice to expand his spiritual energy reserves and preliminary experimentation with how his Severance abilities might be employed in combat contexts. The experience with dynamic severance during his afternoon session with Elder Wu had demonstrated that he could cut connections in moving systems, suggesting potential applications for disrupting opponents' techniques or creating tactical advantages through selective bond severance.
However, combat severance required considerations beyond simple technical capability. Using Void Mark abilities against fellow disciples carried responsibilities regarding restraint and proportional response that Chen Feng took seriously based on Elder Wu's repeated warnings about the catastrophic consequences that could result from inappropriate severance applications. Cutting an opponent's connection to their own spiritual energy might prove effective tactically but could also cause permanent cultivation damage that violated both sect rules and Chen Feng's personal ethical standards regarding appropriate force levels in sparring contexts.
The challenge would be developing severance applications that provided combat advantages without risking serious harm to opponents or revealing the full destructive potential of abilities that Chen Feng was still learning to control reliably. Perhaps targeting connections between opponents and their manifested techniques rather than connections within opponents' bodies themselves would provide effective combat utility while maintaining appropriate safety margins and avoiding revelation of his most dangerous capabilities.
Chen Feng practiced this concept using the Azure Barrier Technique he had begun learning that morning as his experimental subject. He manifested his small three-foot barrier construct, then attempted to perceive and sever the connections maintaining its structural integrity. His enhanced vision showed the energy bonds clearly, allowing him to identify specific connection types that could be cut to destabilize the construct without completely destroying it.
He executed a careful severance targeting structural connections in one corner of the barrier. The construct immediately developed visible instabilities that spread from the severed point, causing the barrier to collapse within seconds as the compromised structure could no longer maintain coherent form. The technique worked effectively and demonstrated proof of concept for combat applications where disrupting opponents' defensive or offensive techniques might create tactical advantages without requiring direct attacks against opponents' persons.
Chen Feng repeated the exercise multiple times, refining his ability to identify critical connection points within energy constructs and to execute rapid severances under conditions simulating combat pressure where opportunities might exist only briefly before opponents adjusted their techniques or shifted positions. The practice was productive and suggested that he could develop reliable combat applications of his Severance abilities that would prove effective in tournament contexts while maintaining appropriate safety standards and operational security regarding his full capabilities.
Night had fallen completely by the time Chen Feng concluded his training and allowed himself to rest. His body and mind both felt the productive exhaustion that accompanied intensive cultivation practice combined with the mental demands of learning new techniques and managing social complications. Tomorrow would bring new challenges and opportunities as his preparation for the upcoming tournament continued alongside his regular instruction sessions and specialized training with Elder Wu.
The path forward was becoming clearer through accumulated experience and developing understanding of both cultivation fundamentals and the complex social environment within which his cultivation journey was unfolding. Chen Feng felt increasingly confident in his ability to navigate the challenges ahead while remaining true to the values and principles that his upbringing had instilled and that his current mentors were reinforcing through their instruction and guidance.
The Void Mark pulsed with its familiar warmth as sleep began to claim him, a constant reminder of abilities that set him apart from typical disciples while also connecting him to ancient lineages of practitioners who had walked similar paths centuries or millennia before. Their experiences, preserved in the historical records Elder Wu provided, offered both inspiration and cautionary warnings that Chen Feng was determined to heed as he forged his own unique path through the cultivation world's complexities and opportunities.