True Cultivation!

Jin dug her foot into the ground and slid, "Well I should let loose a little then!"

She swung her arm out and a dragon slithered around her arm, settling on her wrist. It started enlarging then it let out an aura.

She held out her other hand and as Hou was running towards her she spun her wrist. Around her small blobs of blood grew slowly and began a cloud.

But when Hou looked deeper he saw that it was not a mist but a huge amount of super sharp needles of blood. They were affected by the Bloodbane Dragon's aura (and its connection to the blood Dao) and grew much stronger than they would be normally.

Hou was going to stop before he had a thought, in his mind he shouted something. Instead of stopping he continued running directly into the storm of needles.

Jin smiled and pushed her hand forward, on command the needles shot forwards. Hou smiled and shouted again in his head,

'Faster!'

Just as his body was close to touching the mist of bloody needles, what he planned to do activated.

Suddenly the storm warped, as Hou went near the blood it spun around him then harmlessly got absorbed. He ran forward and swung his sword, the aura leaving as it went through the air.

"It worked!" Yue shouted towards Hou. Earlier when Hou decided to run directly into the storm he asked Yue to do something.

'Yue, do it now. As fast as you can, I need you to activate the absorption of laws, if you can target blood laws and use the Celestial Law Amplifying Physique to strengthen it further!'

That was all Hou said before he continued to run towards the storm. Back to present time his dark crimson aura cut the air as it targeted Jin.

Jin could barely defend in time as she was confused at what was happening, "How can you cultivate right now? And how is it so strong? I thought you didn't cultivate blood path primarily?!"

She swung her forearm to defend herself, solidifying the Bloodbane Dragon and using it as a shield. The aura collided with the dragon and pushed Jin back.

The two were at a standstill as the aura put pressure on Jin but she did not falter. While using the Bloodbane Dragon for defence she attacked, using her spare arm she shot another spike at Hou.

This spike was much stronger since she was only making one and not a full storm. Additionally it was only travelling a short distance and so Hou did not have time to defend.

The spike cut through Hou's torso and black blood from his Celestial Law Amplifying Physique shout out as the spike burst though him.

He jumped back and held the injury, "I see your found the weakness..." He began using the healing laws in his quasi-Nascent Soul to heal himself but this injury was substantial and could not be done instantly. He coughed some blood and wiped his mouth.

Jin finally won against the aura blade and swung it away, she stood while breathing heavily. "No matter how you're doing it, you're only cultivating...it can absorb fast but not fast enough if I was using a proper attack like that blood spike..."

Hou held his spare hand up, "You got me..." He fell to the ground and closed his eyes, "let me heal this first, you win"

From within the mansion Hamar sensed the final bit of aura dissipate, "And now it's over...I wonder who won." While he was 'looking' at the whole fight it was all guess work from him and without knowing the details he couldn't tell who won.

He stretched and cracked his neck, "I've been 'cultivating' too long," he patted his stomach, "I'll get something to eat at the cafeteria..."

Back at the fighting fields, Jin dropped her hand and the remaining tiny blood needles that were floating in the air dropped.

They became a puddle of blood which then slithered across the ground and back into Jin's skin. Her pale white skin completely absorbing the bright red blood.

She walked over and put her hand on Hou's shoulder, "I won this time, but only because it's a spar. If this was a real fight...I probably would have lost."

Hou opened his eyes, "Thanks," he let go of his torso and looked at the wound. The bare muscles and organs uncovered. The wind picked up and it stung.

Jin saw this and looked away, "How..."

Hou flicked a little before again covering up the wound while injecting healing laws, "How what?"

Jin pointed towards Hou's torso, "How are you so calm, even if you'll be fine it should hurt?!"

Hou smiled lightly and shook his head, "I've been through much worse, this is almost nothing"

Jin's face contorted as she thought, 'Nothing?! Exposed muscle and organs, the cold bitter wind, and he says it's nothing?! What has he been through...'

She looked towards Hou in a new light, "This was a great spar, sorry for uh- sorry for doing *that* to you"

Hou brushed it off, "it's nothing, thank you for helping me actually. That was my first time using both of those techniques, I just wanted to test them out."

Jin looked at the ground they had fought on and saw the massive gashes from the aura blade Hou shot out. "I did notice that...ignoring cultivating at the same time as fighting I saw you use...I don't really know what I saw really"

"What do you mean?" Hou uncovered the injury again and saw that the skin was starting to form so he let go completely.

"Well, I might be wrong...but I thought I saw you using the same power as Hei Feng."

"Good catch! I was using the same power,"

Jin rubbed the back of her head, "So I haven't asked but you and Hei Feng....are you....together?"

"Together?" Hou looked at Jin with a weird expression.

She blushed and then looked away, "I didn't mean like that! I mean...do you two know each other, what's your connection?"

Hou stood up and groaned, "I know what you meant, only messing with you" he shook his head, "Yes we... We've known each other for a long time" Hou looked into the distance with a melancholic smile.

"A very long time indeed...Yes we are sworn brother I guess you could say. Our bond is a bit peculiar but it allows us to really be on the same wavelength if you get me."

Jin looked down, "You two have such a good bond, I'm sorting of jealous haha" she also had that sort of sad smile.

Hou noticed the atmosphere getting gloomy and he patted her on the back as he walked away, "shall we get something to eat?"

The Sovereign Sect, or at least Master Sheng, provided real food. Not just food pills, though they were also available, one could actually eat something that tasted nice.

Jin took a deep breath, "Want to see if Hei Feng or anyone wants to join? It's a bit late but good food isn't easily rejected..."

The two walked off into the distance as they talked about their plans. However in the field a rock shimmered.

It moved and then formed into the form of a body, it stood up and stretched. The rocky texture disappeared and turned into flowing cloth, "Interesting..." Xiao Ye was watching the whole thing from the start.