chapter 39

As the next day rolled round, Hou woke up early in the morning and sat in his tent focusing on observing Yue, and occasionally asking questions. Yue was still designing the new formation to make use of the newest symbiote and Hou would ask questions on the reasoning and uses for different parts of the formation.

Hou observed the formation design all morning to just before midday, he finally saw the difficulty in designing formations. They had to make powers work together and petition spirits to work for you. Hou found out that Yue had many spirits which he had previously worked with and had given things they needed. That's why the formation Hou used worked so well without any power source other than surrounding qi, Yue had a rapport with them and could ask for favours.

This reminded Hou of his ear parasites which could listen to plant spirits, maybe the real original spirit will let the user hear all spirits?

Hou asked Yue about spirits to which he responded,

"Spirits are part of the dao. The dao is everything, the cause of water to fall, the reason for your birth. Everything can be said to be due to the dao, spirits exists in a separate realm, the spirit world. They are their own beings but also messengers of the dao which allows them to create this mystical effects. They are also restricted by the dao, they do not cause chaos but are given attention, thoughts, will and qi by humans which allows them to bypass the restrictions. This can be seen in the inner world of a spirit, it is formed by the world and experiences in it. Take your innate spirit that spirit happened to collect a lot of your experiences and became who it is, that is why it's inner world was your memories."

"I see and the formation is just asking spirits for help. Which they might give if it looks good, or of you have rapport, or if you offer things. And also forcing spirits to do what you need."

"Exactly, that's it for today lesson, go do your own testing"

Yue feel back asleep, recovering. Hou sat up and started his day, he had many things to do. Firstly he flew out and above the sect, quickly scanning to make sure everyone had was doing their work. Hou looked and while had had good eyes, he had lost his eye enhancements and got a different ability, so he had to fly closer and inspect. He saw that there was a production line with workers going to Penn to get tasks and tokens for points, leaving and doing a task, giving it to the next person and returning the ticket for points.

Hou nodded and flew out of the dome onto a clifftop to not disrupt anyone. Hou needed to make more false spirit wills as points are being made much faster and he needed to ensure appropriate rewards. He would rise the price of ordinary parasites and lower his own false wills.

The first thing in Hou's agenda was to destroy all his parasites and symbiotes, replacing the plant buddy with his own body.

Hou first looked at his wings and observed the parasite body and memorised it. Hou then broke it, leaving the false spirit will lone, before it left her recreated the parasite formation with blood and placed the will inside. He had their the location the same, but it was easily changed.

Hou tested it and tried flying, now without wings Hou could feel the power of flight with an 'ordinary' human body. There was no explanation for how he could fly, it was simply the dao of 'flying', the meaning had created spirits who could now exert that power.

Hou then destroyed all the limb enhacments simultaneously, all the wills combined into one larger will which Hou placed in his chest, he would move it to where needed.

Hou moved it into his right leg and activated it, Hou jumped up and left a crater on the ground, and he flew up to higher than any bird and saw a thick layer of miasma. He could not go past that later in his flying tests, perhaps it is the dao of 'restriction' or 'barrier'.

Hou started to fall back down and sped up, but just as he was to hit the ground, he activated his flying and slowed down.

'And these must be a spirit associated with the dao of strength' Hou thought about what kind of spirit these false wills came from.

Hou found that the strength from combining the four wills were stronger than they would be combined otherwise, but could they be as useful?

'Can I still spread the will beyond this one location, can I split the will more?'

Hou did not think much on it, and decided to try it out. Hou thought of the false will as his own and tried to split it, and it worked.

The false will split and became two weaker wills which Hou then put back together and trapped again.

'Okay this is good news, I can use it as multiple weaker wills but when needed reform to become stronger'

Hou looked down and then decided to destroy the petal and cactus parasite, they seemed to linked with the plant, how would they work elsewhere?

Hou crushed the parasite and saw the wills did not combine,

'So they are different original spirit wills'

Hou recreated their shell with a blood formation, and trapped them in their original spots.

He activated the petal ability and saw his hand grow fingers! His skin pulsated and a wriggling mass formed under the skin, quickly it burst blood and small fingers came writhing out. They then shot out and landed on the ground.

Hou could still feel a connection and could move them like worms for a short time.

'What is this will, maybe it's multiple different dao paths creating one effect. Maybe 'growth' and 'shooting' I'll ask master later on'

Next was the needle parasite which Hou looked and and became curious if it would be similar to the gruesome effects the petal one had.