Cultivation is Creation

While I had my vine whip and explosive seed techniques, expanding my arsenal of elemental runes could only help, especially with the tournament fast approaching.

From the corner of my eyes, I noticed that Constantine had apparently given up on his workout routine and was now doing what looked suspiciously like yoga poses in his reinforced terrarium. I tried not to stare as the plant bent itself into what I'm pretty sure was meant to be a downward-facing dog position.

"Let's start with something fun!" Elder Molric said, bringing my attention back to him. "The Thorn Barrage Rune was one of my personal favorites back in the day for clearing out large groups of enemies." He traced the pattern with one finger, and I noticed it resembled a blooming flower, if that flower was made entirely of sharp, angular lines.

"When activated, it creates a storm of thorns that shoot outward in all directions. The thorns themselves are infused with spiritual energy, allowing them to pierce through basic defensive techniques."

"That sounds... messy," I commented, thinking of the potential collateral damage.

The elder's grin widened. "Oh, it absolutely is! The targeting is completely indiscriminate - friend or foe, everyone in range better have good defenses or quick reflexes." He chuckled. "I once saw an initiate try to use it in a group spar. His teammates weren't very happy with him afterward... those who could still walk, anyway."

While the ability to clear out multiple enemies at once was tempting, I preferred techniques with more precise control, I don’t think Wei Lin or Lin Mei would be pleased when my own attacks turned on them…

“Master, the pattern appears similar to the explosive seed rune, but with multiple projection points instead of a single focal point. I've added it to my database for later analysis."

I nodded slightly, both to Azure and the elder. “Any runes like this one but more…safe?”