Mulan says “Yes. You have the power needed and the affinity to fire even if you aren’t using it as much anymore.”

  “So, phoenix fire is a technique?”

  Mulan says “Yes. It is something that I do naturally, but it can also be taught.”

  “Did you already teach Lin how to do it? What if I wanted to modify the technique to work with my lightning, would that be allowed?”

  Mulan says “Yes, I taught mom. It would be allowed, I just don’t know if it would even be possible. Also, when you are ready to try to create your own essence, I would be willing to give you part of my essence to help. My essence should be far more adaptive than just about anything else would be. As I said, phoenix essence is pretty unique.”

  “Thank you. I am not sure what I am going to do yet, but I will keep your offer in mind. Although, do you have any idea how phoenix essence would mix with dragon essence?”

  Mulan says “Technically a phoenix is weaker than a dragon, but our ability to be reborn puts us fairly close to equal in power. As long as they are balanced, they should be able to merge. I just have no idea what would be created by doing that, but I know that won’t stop you.”

  “No, if anything it makes me curious as to what would happen.”

  Mulan says “Please don’t tell Lin and the others that I gave you the idea!”

  “Don’t worry, for the most part they don’t even bother to ask where my ideas come from anymore. Instead they jump straight to trying to stop me.”

  Mulan says “I wonder why they would do that?”

  “I have no idea! Anyway, please teach me anything you are allowed to.”

  Mulan nods and then starts teaching me everything she knows about essence, including the technique to pull it out. It turns out that teaching things in the soulscape is far easier since she can create images to show how things work. She confirms several of my guesses about essence, but she also proves several of them to be wrong.

  Not that I mind, learning they won’t work before testing them just keeps me from wasting essence. Although, I now know that I am going to need essence from stronger beasts to be able to study it properly. Weak beasts don’t have real essence, just condensed life force that looks like essence.

  However, that can still be fed to real essence to help it grow and possibly evolve. The problem is that it would take hundreds or thousands of weak beasts to do so. I don’t plan to waste that kind of time, I will just hunt stronger beasts from now on.

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  Next she teaches me the technique for phoenix fire and I pick it up really easily. It basically adds an imitation of holy power to the fire, not only can I do that easily, I can do even better. I can add real holy power to the fire, or in my case to my lightning instead.

  Still, I first try using the technique on my lightning and something interesting happens. It somehow adds some properties of fire without actually adding fire mana to my lightning. Lightning already has the tendency to burn what it hits, this just increases that to be more like fire.

  I take it a step further when I add real holy power, my lightning will now purify and burn like fire. It doesn’t change me, it is still a technique that I can choose when to use. I probably won’t use it much, but it is going to come in handy against the maker and her minions.

  With a little experimenting, I manage to make the technique work with all of my lightning spells. Working on the technique is a lot easier than I was expecting it to be, it is much easier than enchanting. A technique turns out to be a simplified form of a spell, mainly so non-mages can use it.

  I could probably figure out to have it permanently active fairly easily, but I don’t see a point. Although, once the war starts and I am fighting demons constantly I might change my mind. For now, it just adds one more option to my arsenal of combat abilities.

  Mulan tells me that the technique is a weaker version of what phoenixes use naturally. Apparently, after practicing with the technique Lin was able to use true phoenix fire. I wonder, if I do use Mulan’s essence does that mean I will also be able to use the real thing?

  I guess I will find out, because at this point I am almost guaranteed to use Mulan’s essence. My curiosity won’t accept anything else, but it is going to be a while before I get to that point. I not only have a lot more to learn and figure out, but I have to find the right essence to use.

  I already know that the dragon is not going to give me any of his essence, so I will need to figure something else out. Evolving a drake’s essence is probably my best bet, but as I learn more that might change. For that reason, I am not going to make any plans just yet, I will wait and see how things go.

  Mulan says “I will also teach you how to get to the phoenix clan grounds, but I suggest you don’t go without me.”

  “Wait, clan grounds? Where are they?”

  Mulan says “They are a soul space, similar to the hallway, but only accessible by clan members.”

  “Does that mean that you know how to have multiple people travel together through the soulscape? Can people go together into the hallway? Wait, doesn’t that mean that you don’t need training in attacks and defenses?”

  Mulan says “The answer to all three questions is yes. Although, while I have the knowledge, all my skills reset when I was reborn so I do need to level them up from scratch. The practice helps with that.”

  “I wasn’t going to pull you out of the practice. In fact, this just means that you can help your siblings more. Once everyone is more skilled, I want you to teach everyone how to enter the hallway in groups.”

  Mulan says “Sure, I can do that.”

  “Also, you can teach me and we will go visit the clan together, but not tonight. I know that you are tired and I would also like a little sleep before morning.”

  Mulan says “True, I am getting tired. We can do that another night. Good night, father.”

  I give Mulan a long hug before she leaves, then I end the soulscape and get a couple of hours of sleep. I wake up as soon as the servants start moving around the camp getting ready for the day. I don’t really have anything else that I need to do, so I take out the essence and start studying it.