"I...think I got it?"
Master Sheng raised his eyebrows, "then do say"
Hou pulled out the completed 'puzzle', and held it out in front of him. It was a diorama showing a dragon fighting against a man.
Tianmo was the only one who was really wanting to win the 'competition' and so under his mask he tutted. But didn't feel disparaged just dissapointed in himself.
Master Sheng clapped, "congratulations, you win. Let me ask you one thing though..how?"
Hou thought for a second before hesitantly stating, "well I couldn't figure it out initially. When I observed with my intuition I couldn't figure anything out just that there was more. But then I actually thought about why you wanted us to do this and so thought back to the amphitheatre and I remembered I saw you holding this cube. When you were doing the demonstration with the dragon and man, so I followed the laws you said, and it worked."
"A little round about but you got the idea. Let me explain to you how it was supposed to work and how you did it in comparison."
Master Sheng turned around and drew the cube with perfect detail on the chalkboard behind him. It was in such perfect detail that if it was not drawn right there, one would've thought it was reality.
"So this is the cube and it has a few different effects. It would absorb heat to discourage holding it but also as a side effect for it needing to absorb fire."
He drew out a body, "the intended plan was you all to realise that intuition isn't something you need to apply to one thing. Intuition is the way you connect to the Dao. Instead of focusing your intuition, you should've let go."
He drew a box around the human figure with lines going inwards, "in doing so, your intuition would've led you to what Hu Li found."
He then turned around and pointed towards Hou, "but, Hu Li did something slightly different. He used his mind and his thinking to realise the underlying reasons. And in doing so thought back to the point I wanted you to. But the intuition was still essential here..."
Hou furrowed his brows, "how so, I didn't notice anytime I used it?"
Master Sheng shook his head, "you all need to remember this. You are thinking of the intuition as a cultivator and not as a person. The intuition is your deepest self, and how it connects with the Dao. And in that, it effects everything you do. Your intuition made you think to that moment specifically and more importantly..."
He picked up a cube from Tianmo's desk and walked back to the podium. Then he moved his hand below the podium,
"This is how I was holding the cube, none of you could see it. It was your intuition, Hu Li, that showed you the cube."
He erased the blackboard and turned around, "so, I hope with my explanation and your experience you have all learned something about the intuition. And since it is something so basic, I'm going to make sure it's drilled into you. For the next week, only intuition training. Especially you Hei Feng, how do you even do anything without basic control over intuition?"
Hamar, Hei Feng, chuckled and spoke, "I guess I'm just a bit special". Hamar was a swordsman, of course he was special.
And that fact wasn't totally unknown by Master Sheng. While he didn't know about swordsmen, he could tell something was off. There was no control over laws, he couldn't use intuition even the basics. He knew that whatever he was doing, it wasn't mainstream; he just couldn't know what.
Hamar though wasn't not trying. Even though he was a swordsman, he could take idea from cultivation. Especially this intuition, he already thought of a basic application.
'Intuition could be used as a sort of permanent aura detection field, no? I should figure out how to use it, if I can predict sword movements before they happen...the applications are endless'
Jin was the next to speak,
"So were just looking at different things for a week? I get the cube, it was cool enough but...a week of this is useless."
Master Sheng smirked, "of course not, this is just one exercise. If you're bored, I'm sure you know another application; how about you show everyone else? Of course first, let's move outside."
With that, Master Sheng snapped his fingers and everyone's vision turned black. And in a singular moment, they went from sitting inside to standing outdoors.
They were stood back into the training grounds. This time Master Sheng stood behind Jin with his hands on her shoulders,
"Your the teacher for today, go ahead!"
And so, he pushed Jin and she stumbled ahead and turned around. She looked at the four other tier 1 group members, and her father.
"Ugh, I'll just show you. Lan Qiang stand up, come right beside me."
Lan Qiang pointed towards himself, "me?"
"Yes you, is there any other Lan Qiang here?"
"Okay, harsh..."
Lan Qiang walked up beside Jin and stood about looking down at her. He was tall, a few heads taller than Jin at least.
She sighed and waved her hand up, at the same time Lan Qiang froze. Every slight movement stopped.
From his perspective his blood shifted and pushed outwards applying pressure on his insides. He might be able to move if he needed but it was hard and much easier to stay still.
"Here's my first example,"
Jin launched a quickly punch and before she hit Lan Qiang in the stomach, he moved. Instinctually, he used enough power to break through the blood pressure and block his head with his forearms.
Jin snapped her fingers and Lan Qiang deflated, able to move easily again. He furrowed his brows and looked towards Jin and then back to his guarding forearms,
"Di- did you do that? Why'd I guard my head?"
Jin pinched her glabella,
"Ughh this is exactly why I don't want to be here, you blocked yourself. You wanna know why? Because you're a strong guy. Your intuition realised I was faking my stomach punch and was actually aiming for your head."
She turned to the audience and waved towards Lan Qiang,
"And so that is another application of intuition... fighting."