Oh, yeah. That was because I've never met any elementalists who control water like we do, especially for summoning weapons. As far as I knew, we were the only ones who knew how. We normally live underwater, though, so I think we're more, ah... in tune with the water, I suppose?
[ nods! ] That goes for any of the elements, though, not just water.
That's... a little more complicated. It's a method of qi control, and you're either born with the ability to use your qi or not. If you can use it, you can learn to be an elementalist, or use it in other ways. But there's no way to teach that kind of thing if you don't have the power to control qi at all.
[ he pauses, eyes wide for a moment before his demeanor turns a little sullen. ]
...Just one person. She wasn't an elementalist, but from what I heard, she didn't have any power at all until she came back from the Abyss. Then she was suddenly one of the strongest disciple trainees they had, even if she still struggled with controlling her qi.
But that was a special circumstance. She's the only person's ever come out of there alive.
It's a well, technically, but the Chaoyang Sect uses it as a prison for demons. I've heard that they've thrown humans in, too, for conspiring with demons. No one's ever escaped it except for- for Lady Shen.
She's still around. Whatever happened in the Abyss, it gave her powers beyond the usual skillset for cultivators.
I don't know. I don't know why they'd be fighting in the first place, and all Yuhua said was that she killed him before he could kill her. And somehow she can wear his face, so I thought...
[ hhhhh okay anyway, he shakes his head, obviously frustrated but hesitant to give into it this time. ]
None of it made any sense. Maybe it was some power from the Abyss that no one knew about before this, but there's no way to know for sure.
...I'd guess that's not really the kind of power you're hoping to hear about, though, is it?
[ fjord's obviously looking for something here, and leng feng's brother doesn't have anything to do with that. ]
[ blinks at him in surprise because WHAT DO YOU MEAN MAYBE. THIS IS SUCH A SPECIFIC PROBLEM. ]
I'm not sure if I really understand it, but she could transform into him somehow. She used his dragon form in the fight, and when I confronted her about it, she used his face - spoke to me with his voice. If I didn't see her do it with my own eyes, I might have still thought it was really him.
I haven't. And even if I did, I'm not arrogant enough to think I'd be able to escape if my older brother couldn't. I've only heard stories - warnings to try to avoid the cultivators so we aren't thrown in ourselves.
They say it's the closest thing there is to hell in our world, but if someone with an innocent heart falls in, they'll come out stronger than before. Never said how, though.
Sounds like one of those tall tales they tell in different parts of the world.
[ Urban and folk legends are a dime a dozen, all sorts of rumours about the Hellish planes, the unknown planes, things that go bump in the night -- maybe you'll come out stronger the other end, maybe you won't. ]
You believe in any of that?... Guess you'd have to to some degree.
[ If Lady Shen is this one-in-a-million rarity, the exception to your rule that powers don't come out of nowhere. ]
When I was younger, before my brother was sent down there, I thought that was all it was - just some legend meant to scare us into behaving.
...I believe it now. Something happened down there in the Abyss to make them fight, and I've seen her strength. But just killing a demon, even one as strong as my older brother, wouldn't give her that kind of power all on its own.
[ He doesn't disbelieve in the existence of demons. Obviously. I mean, look at Molly. LOOK AT FJORD HIMSELF. But Leng Feng physically essentially appears pretty human.
It puts more context to what Leng Feng said about how the well is a prison for demons. ]
What do you think would have... I mean, it must've been somethin' else to do the impossible.
I'm a dragon. But I had to pass at human for a while, and I was stuck that way in our season, too, so I think I just got used to it.
[ anyway, that's the hard part. he frowns in thought. ]
There are... I've heard other stories, from way before I was even born. There was a particularly strong demon who led a war against the Chaoyang Sect - Chu Tian. He was known as the Demon of a Thousand Faces, and he could transform into just about anything.
That's the only time I've heard of anything similar to what Lady Shen could do. But they said he disappeared after being defeated by Shen Yitian, so I don't know if Yuhua's powers would have anything to do with him.
[ spoilers: they do. of course they do. leng feng just doesn't know that. ]
[ Dragons can do that? You learn new things every day... or well, rather, it's the reminder that despite finding a lot of familiar beats, their worlds are likely ultimately separate. Does this world just call anything that isn't a human a demon? ]
I... see. [ Mmmmhhh. Interesting stuff for sure. Maybe he should look more into fiends and the like whenever he gets to go back next. ] Sorry 'bout all the questions. Think I even surprised myself with how many I ended up askin'.
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[ Thinks because really we can start anywhere. ]
You said something about your clan?
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Are you born with it or is it something you're taught?
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That's... a little more complicated. It's a method of qi control, and you're either born with the ability to use your qi or not. If you can use it, you can learn to be an elementalist, or use it in other ways. But there's no way to teach that kind of thing if you don't have the power to control qi at all.
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No incidents of someone who was suddenly... able to?
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...Just one person. She wasn't an elementalist, but from what I heard, she didn't have any power at all until she came back from the Abyss. Then she was suddenly one of the strongest disciple trainees they had, even if she still struggled with controlling her qi.
But that was a special circumstance. She's the only person's ever come out of there alive.
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Hm ]
The Abyss? [ NOT OMINOUS AT ALL. ] What happened with her? She's still around?
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She's still around. Whatever happened in the Abyss, it gave her powers beyond the usual skillset for cultivators.
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She killed my brother in the Abyss.
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[ Like, sympathetically/a little softly, his brows furrowing between. ]
I'm sorry. Was it... what happened, if I may ask?
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[ hhhhh okay anyway, he shakes his head, obviously frustrated but hesitant to give into it this time. ]
None of it made any sense. Maybe it was some power from the Abyss that no one knew about before this, but there's no way to know for sure.
...I'd guess that's not really the kind of power you're hoping to hear about, though, is it?
[ fjord's obviously looking for something here, and leng feng's brother doesn't have anything to do with that. ]
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[ HONESTLY? KIND OF? MAYBE? This is so funny. ]
What do you mean she could wear his face? -- I don't mean to pry up any ugly memories, I just... I want to know. Understand some things.
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I'm not sure if I really understand it, but she could transform into him somehow. She used his dragon form in the fight, and when I confronted her about it, she used his face - spoke to me with his voice. If I didn't see her do it with my own eyes, I might have still thought it was really him.
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Did she ever talk about what happened to her in that Abyss? If she met someone, why all that, how exactly...
[ He trails off towards the end because he truly seems a little... a mixture of baffled, maybe just a touch overwhelmed. ]
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No. The first time I asked, she said saw nothing down there. And then... I couldn't really look at her anymore, so I left.
[ which he does feel bad about! he should've asked more! he should've gotten answers!
...but it's hard to get over being lied to like that, especially by a friend. ]
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[ Honestly. All things considered, that Leng Feng doesn't seem to avidly hate her is already probably more than most. ]
You ever been to this Abyss yourself, know much about what it's like in there?
[ Sorry that it's millions questions time, he really was not kidding. ]
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They say it's the closest thing there is to hell in our world, but if someone with an innocent heart falls in, they'll come out stronger than before. Never said how, though.
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[ Urban and folk legends are a dime a dozen, all sorts of rumours about the Hellish planes, the unknown planes, things that go bump in the night -- maybe you'll come out stronger the other end, maybe you won't. ]
You believe in any of that?... Guess you'd have to to some degree.
[ If Lady Shen is this one-in-a-million rarity, the exception to your rule that powers don't come out of nowhere. ]
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...I believe it now. Something happened down there in the Abyss to make them fight, and I've seen her strength. But just killing a demon, even one as strong as my older brother, wouldn't give her that kind of power all on its own.
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[ He doesn't disbelieve in the existence of demons. Obviously. I mean, look at Molly. LOOK AT FJORD HIMSELF. But Leng Feng physically essentially appears pretty human.
It puts more context to what Leng Feng said about how the well is a prison for demons. ]
What do you think would have... I mean, it must've been somethin' else to do the impossible.
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I'm a dragon. But I had to pass at human for a while, and I was stuck that way in our season, too, so I think I just got used to it.
[ anyway, that's the hard part. he frowns in thought. ]
There are... I've heard other stories, from way before I was even born. There was a particularly strong demon who led a war against the Chaoyang Sect - Chu Tian. He was known as the Demon of a Thousand Faces, and he could transform into just about anything.
That's the only time I've heard of anything similar to what Lady Shen could do. But they said he disappeared after being defeated by Shen Yitian, so I don't know if Yuhua's powers would have anything to do with him.
[ spoilers: they do. of course they do. leng feng just doesn't know that. ]
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I... see. [ Mmmmhhh. Interesting stuff for sure. Maybe he should look more into fiends and the like whenever he gets to go back next. ] Sorry 'bout all the questions. Think I even surprised myself with how many I ended up askin'.
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[ the abyss thing, sure, people do go into hell and back apparently. but the rest? yikes. ]
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