Isn't this just cheating?

Three days later Alex had managed to understand about 10% of the spell pathways, but that was because they has several similarities to his old lighting and water control spells. From that point on he mostly had to start from scratch. Luckily, his current understanding meant he only needed 80% of his qi and 9% of his spiritual energy to summon a lightning bolt the size of a chopstick. It might not seem like much but having an extra 10% of room for casting was massive.

This in and of itself was enough to show alexs talent, as a normal cultivator would take months of not years to reach this point even with experience with rules and concepts.

Curently Alex was waiting at the ship yard for his ride to the central continent. Other then him there were three others. A sultry woman in a pink dress, who was curently flirting with the man who broke his hand on Alex three days ago. And another man who was sitting in a corner with a sword resting on his lap. Looking around the ship yard was not how you would expect. It looked very similar to a 1980s train station, just with ship docks on the side of a mountain instead of a railway. There were wood benches for people to sit on while they waited, enchanted signs that showed how long untill each ship arrived, and a booth at the entrance where you would grab your ticket.

At noon a large wooden ship sailing on the clouds drifted into the docks as the passengers returned to the sect from there missions. Standing up Alex, the woman and two men headed to the ship, reaching the dock there was a man standing there who stopped them and asked for their tickets. Handing them over he told them their room numbers the the rules of the ship.

Fighting between passengers was prohibited. In the event the ship was attacked by either sky beast's or pirates all able passengers where expected to assist. In room formations needed to be powerd by the passengers. genraly be polite to crew members. And the captains orders where absolute unless they directly caused harm to a passenger or crew member, exept for the case of an attack.

The trip would take two weeks so Alex headed to his room to cultivate to pass the time. Five days passed freely with nothing serious happening, a couple sky beast's had attacks but automatic formations had delt with them with ease. But as alex was enjoying playing with nuwa, a formation next to the door lit up. (All able passengers to the bridge. A horde of sky beast's from blood refining to totem forging have been sighted heading towards the ship.)

Clicking his tongue Alex stood up and let nuwa to climb up to his shoulders as he walked out onto the bridge. Looking ahead the was a large group of birds haeding towards them. Most were simply larger versions of normal birds, a few had abnormalities such as metallic feathers, longer claws, or winds suroudnig them. And at the front was a crane the size of the ship, its wings 200 meters wide each. It's feathers where metallic and its claws like blades as flames danced across its back.

As it screeched the flock of birds charged forward, while the passengers and crew got ready for a fight. Raising his hand alex cast his old lighting control spell, just slightly empowered with calamity. The clouds around them glowed blue as a bolt of lighting formed within them before being released towards the hoard. The bolt struck the leading crane, smiting it in one hit. The remaining energy arcing to the surounding birds killing them as well.

As the crew looked to the seemingly 21 year old peak qi absorbing smite down a foundation building stage equivalent beast and its followers in one attack, alex dusted his hands off and walked back to his room. He felt like he almost had a grasp of some rules recently and was taking a break with nuwa, so now it was time to go back to studying.

Recently when he was letting qi flow through the spell pathways he felt like something was pulled from outside into them. But it was an incredibly faint feeling, like trying to remember a dream the next day. You knew it was there but you just coulden't remember anything.

As he let his qi flow through the path again and again he felt something snap into place and an electric charge pulse through soon after. Raising his hand and Summoning a diluted version of calamity lighting, it seemed more 'real', like he was holding a natural bolt of lighting in his hand instead of a construct of qi. And in his other hand a ball of green water formed, with the same feeling of 'realness' as the lightning. He had gotten a grasp of two rules 'Summoning lightining' and 'Summoning water'.

Near instantly his mastery of the spell pathways jumped from 10% to 20%, and he felt a large bottleneck break open as well. "Turnes out real life experience is infact better then practice. Sorry I coulden't collect the body though nuwa, next time."

'It is OK. The bird had a strange sent anyways. Like rotten meat.' Unsummoning the lighting and water alex said "yuck, guess there no problem then." Befire returneing to practising the two spells.

The rest of the trip went smoothly, any other attacks were to weak to cause concern and no pirates showed up either. Over the last 9 days he had masterd 40% of the spell pathways, boosting his overall mastery from (entry) to (small success). The ranks of mastery were; entry, small success, adept, great success, mastery and perfection. So even though Alex had masterd 40% of the spell pathway he still had a long way to go to perfect the spell. On the upside he had learnt the rules of 'shape lightning' and 'shape water' which boosted his learning speed once again.

Landing at the city's docks there was not much diffrent from the east continent exept for the fact it was mid autumn. Walking off the ship alex left the dock and went to find somewhere he could buy a map. East wood city, the city he had arrived at, was ment to be around a three days travel to where he would find the verdant fire seed according to the mission. But it would be nice to know where he was supposed to walk.

The city was what alex expected, Wide streets with vendors off to the side, offering diffrent wares. Various shops with large signs above them showing what they offerd. Carriges pulled by both mundane horses and spiritual beasts. The usual.

Walking to a small shops with the sign 'east wood mapping services' hung above the door. Alex walked through the door as a little bell above chimed. Across the walls where various maps of difrent areas, some of the city, some of near by forests, and some mapping the entire surounding area, that was what he was looking for.

Walking to the back of the store a large man was sleeping on a desk. Alex knocked on the desk, wakeing the man up. "Wha-oh! Sorry, I must have dozed off. How may I help you fine sir?" Pionting to the map of the surounding area alex said "I'd like a copy of that one please. How much?" Reaching into a pouch on his waist, which was just for decoration so he could pull things out of his inventory, he got ready to take out some coins he had prepared earlier while at the sect.

"Just 5 coppers." As the shop keeper got up to grab a copy of the map he said. "Are you here for the tournament? I hear many of this generations talent are part of it. I would live to watch it but sadly i must run my store."

Handing over the coins also grabed the map and said, "of course I've heard of the tournament, I'm participating. Have a nice day." Before walking out.