Chapter 376: Encyclopaedia Roboris, Martial Articles
āHalt!ā A man barring Lan Jueās path lifted a hand.
āAre you new? You shouldnāt be wandering around ā donāt you know this is Urielās meditation chamber?ā The priestās voice was haughty and dismissive. For him and the other clergyman standing by the door, this was a very honorable position.
āIām very sorry,ā Lan Jue replied, feigning awe. āI am new, yes. Thank you for the help, Iāll go this way.ā He turned around and started back the way heād come. What the two arrogant guards could not see was the small smile spreading across his face.
Heād approached to gather information, and the guards had been very helpful in providing it to him. The map heād been given appeared complete, and now he had his target.
Sariel had armed with with blueprints and quite a lot of valuable intelligence. Most of it was concerning Uriel, Gabriel and Michael. According to what sheād told him, Michael had spent most of the last few months locked away in his room, recovering. He was almost completely back to normal. Gabriel spent the bulk of his days in prayer, while Uriel chose nightfall as the time to do his meditations.
Every Archangel had their own meditation chamber. The ultimate aim was to improve their photoelemental abilities and make them more powerful. Lan Jue had met Sariel in her own meditation chambers when theyād stolen in to the Cathedral before. This one was Urielās, as confirmed by the guards.
Lan Jue took a few turns through the corridors, before pushing passed a door in to a utility closet. The Cathedral was massive, so there were several of these small rooms strewn about to help the staff. They were mostly full of cleaning products and janitorial equipment. He didnāt have to worry, though ā janitors kept specific hours, usually during visiting hours.
Moreover, most surveillance equipment was turned off after hours. The selection criteria for clergymen here was very strict, which had the unfortunate side-effect of making them overconfident.
Lan Jue was left undisturbed. He looked around from an electrical socket and, with a flash, he was gone. He reappeared in a marvelously decorated chamber.
The meditation chambers were all the same, and Urielās was no exception. Sariel had expressed that these rooms were the best place for the Archangels to get some privacy. No one was allowed inside without express consent from the Archangels, and violators were very harshly dealt with.
Lan Jue carefully examined his surroundings before slowly walking behind a nearby pillar. Here, he closed his eyes and focused his breathing. Gradually, his electrical Discipline vanished and was replaced by an infrequent shimmer of black and white light. But then something strange occurred, for as Lan Jueās aura coiled around him it began to solidify. It drew together until Lan Jue was like a statue hidden behind the pillar. Even if someone were to be standing right on top of him, it would now be difficult to sense out his aura.
The unity of heaven and man! Wholeness!
An Adept of appropriate skill who saw this might understand Lan jueās motive, for only such a skill would have these results. Any ninth level Adept ā regardless of rank ā may learn the Wholeness. It also served to help expedite their training to at least ninth level fifth rank. It was a skill acquired through understanding, not hard work. When an Adept was able to fully grasp manās place as an integral part of the universe, it helped to improve their own Discipline. 1
It was an important step, a level of comprehension that prepared the Adept for the Protogenic realm. Once Wholeness was understood, the road ahead became easier. It was possible that every Paragon had to master this before they broke through. If one didnāt, they would be stuck at the peak of ninth level forever, searching for their Path.
Lan Jue had learned this skill three years prior, though he wasnāt looking for it. After Hera died, heād locked himself away in seclusion. For ten days and ten nights he didnāt move a muscle. When he awoke, heād somehow come to know the reality of manās connection to the universe.
The years following were spent languishing away. Had he kept to his cultivation, heād undoubtedly be significantly stronger than he was now. At the very least, heād be closer to where his brother stood.
The seconds ticked by. Outside the day darkened in to night. That was when he heard footsteps approaching.
āLord Uriel. Lord Gabriel.ā Lan Jue heard the two guards outside greet the Archangels respectfully. The doors opened, and the two powerful Adepts stepped inside. Lan Jue, practically indistinguishable from the pillar he hid behind, couldnāt move. However, this state did serve to enhance his perception.
Two of them together, Lan Jue thought, his heart skipping a beat . Bad luck? Orā¦
He didnāt move, and barely breathed. So long as he maintained this skill, the only way they could know he was here is if one of them walked behind the pillar.
āNothing ā no news at all. And Raphael, he couldnāt even get out a warning? Or delay for backup? He mustnāt have, otherwise how could he be snatched up,ā Gabriel complained.
Uriel motioned for his compatriot to take a seat. He then shook his head. āIām sure itās no so easy as that. They had to have planned this for a long time in advance, otherwise they wouldnāt have been able to pull it off without leaving any clues behind. They must also have known that Raphael, with his healing Discipline, was the weakest fighter of us all. If the attackers were strong enough, theyād have been able to silence him before he could do anything. Itās also lucky they used the tailor to help them, maybe make threats.ā
Gabrielās voice was low as he responded. āSheāll have to go. Whether Raphael is returned or not, her presence here undermines our reputation.ā
Uriel nodded his acknowledgement. āMetatron expressed a similar thought. Iāll send someone to deal with it. In a few days Iāll be leaving for the tournament, but it would be best for you to remain here. I have a feeling the terrorists are still skulking around, somewhere.ā
Gabriel grunted in irritation. āThatās good then, the more opportunity for us to discover who would dare kidnap an Archangel. When we catch them, theyāll be nailed on a crucifix side by side for their insolence.ā
āDonāt act rashly,ā Uriel cautioned. āThey must be very strong, at least a match for you. Think about it, who would be able to beat Raphael so thoroughly he couldnāt even get a message out to one of us?ā
āHow would I know? Iāve never seen it,ā Gabriel answered.
Uriel poked three fingers in to the air. āThree possibilities. A man and a woman with power at least comparable to our own. Itās worth noting what Julie said about the man, that his Discipline manifested in black and white. Part of it contains a consuming element 2 This is no Discipline Iāve ever encountered, but my research has revealed three prospects.However, none of them could contest the abilities of your average ninth level Adept, especially since none of them confirm to this vortex aspect.ā
āYou mean to say that this Discipline is completely unknown?ā Gabriel asked, surprised. Although his face bore an indignant anger, he was careful and calculating.
Uriel shook his head. āNo, I suspect that his power isnāt necessarily a Discipline. I checked the Disciplines recorded in the Encyclopaedia Roboris, and came across something helpful.ā
Gabriel blinked. āWhy didnāt you tell Metatron?ā
āBecause thereās no proof, only conjecture,ā he explained. āIt also involves something we arenāt supposed to be involved in. Look!ā Uriel produced an ancient, yellowed volume from his robes. He handed the crumbling tome to Gabriel.
āEncyclopaedia Roboris: Articles on Martial Virtue!ā Gabriel read off the bookās title. His tone rose with each word.
Uriel nodded. āHere,ā he said, reaching over to flip open the book to the second page.
āThe Martial Virtue of Taijiquan. Lost knowledge said to have been rediscovered by the master Jue Di. It is said that a true sage of Taiji is capable of using oneself to channel the yin and yang energies of the universe. Through this, the practitioner is capable of unmaking any living thing.ā
As Gabriel read on, his eyes grew wide. He wasnāt sure how to react to the news. Most of it was noise, but two words stuck out like they were burned on the page: Jue Di!
Even just the name had caused the Archangelsā breath to quicken. They exchanged a quick look, and each spied in the othersā eyes the fear they themselves felt.
Jue Di! An average Adept my not be familiar with the name. Most would probably say it sounded pretentious 3 To those in the know, however, this name represented incomparable power.
Among the Three Alliances the strongest was undoubtedly the North. They were in control of the largest number of galaxies, more than both the West and East combined. By now ā a hundred years after humans left for the stars ā the nearby galaxies were all occupied. If any of the Alliances wished to expand, theyād have to reach out further in to the dangerous blackness of space. 4
1. This is a core precept of yin-yang naturalist theory that states man is an integral part of the total Truth. We are not separate, only another aspect made up the combination of yin-yang and the five elements. In Chinese Medicine, this translates as an understanding that we follow the same rules as any other living thing and helps guide diagnostic theory and treatment protocols. From a philosophical point of view, this means that we are already at one with the universe, and understanding the universe will help us come to understanding ourselves and vice-versa.
2. Ying-Yang theory also posits that yin and yang are interconsuming (as indicated in the yin-yang picture by the white or black tapering off near the bottom). This means that both yin and yang are capable of destroying and absorbing the other, but not completely. That may or may not be the idea behind Lan Jueās martial vortex from the earlier fight
3. Jue Di is written as ē»åø ā translated directly as Absolute Emperor.
4. Disconnect! I had my wife read the end here and yes ā this makes no sense. The only reason I can think of for TJSS to jump topics like this is either a. He was drunk or b.Iām drunk? I guess weāll find out next chapter.