……..
“The few who understand the soul or claim to understand the soul in the Universe are able to manipulate it in a fairly normal and straight way. For instance, Soul Kings.” The Chairman then stared at Zilan’s cloud tattoo for a little while before smiling. “Those powerful enough are able to create separate personalities using their souls and, in most circles, they are considered the pinnacle of Soul Manipulation. We Roho however, see Soul Kings as an introduction rather than a conclusion.”
“The other form of Soul Manipulation that the unlearned use is something we Roho both detest and adamantly reject.” The Chairman paused for a moment before continuing. “It is the use of other ‘Ways’ to manipulate the Soul. Instead of using methods of the Soul to manipulate it, they use other Ways such as Spirit Mastery to manipulate the soul and then proclaim themselves Masters. Such behaviour is both disrespectful and wrong. It disgraces the Way of the Soul.”
“So what is true Soul Manipulation?” asked Zilan.
“I’ll show you.” The Chairman moved away and grabbed a chair from across the room. “When using Spirit Mastery to manipulate the soul various powerful runes must be laid out, followed by a series of processes that will eventually lead to the birth of a new life. That is what it is, once you insert soul into a tool, it becomes a new life. Giving life to tools is the essence of Spirit Mastery hence the ‘Spirit’ in its name. For true, pure, Soul Manipulation though, a new life is not born. Instead, it is you who becomes something new.”
As soon as he finished his soliloquy, the chair he was holding suddenly started glowing with a blue light. The Chairman then grunted and the glow disappeared. He walked back towards Zilan and moved to sit down, the only problem was there was nothing but air below him. Zilan’s confusion did not last long though as the chair that the Chairman had been holding a few moments ago sprinted towards him and positioned itself perfectly for him to be able to sit down comfortably.
Needless to say, Zilan’s jaw dropped.
“True Soul Manipulation incorporates many things and one of them is [Soul Infusion].” The Chairman explained. “Unlike Spirit Mastery, Soul Infusion is all about placing your soul or part of your soul into an item and it becoming a part of you or more accurately you becoming one with it. Take this chair for example it is no longer just a chair but a part of me, a living part of me that can experience pain, joy, and basically everything that I experience. What it sees, I too can see and vice versa. Of course, this is a relatively advanced application of Soul Infusion so for now don’t think too much on its workings. Just understand that true soul Manipulation in the Way of the soul is fundamentally different from the other Ways.”
Zilan immediately nodded causing the Chairman to smile in satisfaction.
“My people have studied the soul for as long as we’ve existed. It is through this study and understanding that we became such a strong force in the Universe. Unfortunately, it is also because of our knowledge that things unfolded the way they did.” The Chairman cleared his throat before resuming. “From this moment onwards, I will do my best to pass onto you this knowledge.”
“Let’s begin with the concepts Roho devised. Roho has always preached that the key to mastering the soul lies in understanding two essential concepts. The concept of [Self] and the concept of the [Universe]. These two concepts touch on as well as play a part in almost every major Way in existence however, it holds a special significance when it comes to the soul. To understand ones soul and to understand the countless souls in the Universe…..that is the pinnacle.”
“To understand the countless souls in the Universe…” Zilan repeated those words in a hushed tone.
“Every living thing possesses a soul.” Said the Chairman. “To understand, interact and manipulate these souls was what Roho considered to be the peak of soul Mastery in respect to the Universe. Roho used to say that the one thing the Heavens will never be able to do regardless of how strong they become is create a soul. Only the Universe holds such power…..which is why the Heavens opted to control Energy instead.”
“Alas, if the Universe is one day devoured as well then……….”
“I’m getting side-tracked. Now that you understand a little about the concept of the [Universe], I’ll explain about [Self]. It is a little more complicated and it will require more time for you understand what exactly [Self] entails however, for now I’ll just give you an overview. [Self] refers to your soul and how well you understand it. Roho went into great detail when outlining [Self] so much so that he even broke down all the things one would need to master before attaining true Mastery. Soul Manipulation is one, Soul infusion is another and then there’s Soul control and Soul ignition. He called the Mastery of these four [The Righteous road].”
“Why that name?” asked Zilan.
“Well, as with everything there is also a good side as well as a not so good side to the Way of the Soul. Soul corruption for instance what the Heavens do with their Energy is a good example. There’s also Soul Devouring…….this can be very dangerous. If you ever encounter someone proficient in this you should immediately distance yourself from them.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because souls, aside from their other characteristics are in a way a form of energy. A very, very powerful form of energy at that, one that cannot be handled by simple means. In the first place only beings that can withstand pure energies like Universe energy will be able to even come close to raw Soul energy. Thus anyone harnessing this energy will without a doubt be extremely dangerous and also unbelievably cruel.” The Chairman replied.
“The Dark side of the Way of the Soul is something I cannot teach you thus this will be the last time we mention it.”
