Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 223: Sensory Deprivation Isolation Training

Isolation chambers were rarely fancy. As Anji had not attained the Enlightenment Core stage, she could not use a more qi-dense cultivation chamber deeper into the mountain. Instead, Senior Researcher Mo escorted her to a private cultivation chamber reserved for direct disciples of the senior researchers.

These were chambers equipped with running water for drinking and washing purposes. They come with other luxurious amenities like light arrays and qi-condenser chambers meant to increase core cultivation rapidly. However, Yan Ping requested no spells in Anji’s private cultivation chamber as it would affect her special training method.

"Here," Senior Researcher Mo passed Anji a sash. "The sect leader says you’d need it. From this point onwards, it is pitch dark inside. Wear this to protect your eyes from sudden light when you exit."

Accepting the fabric, Anji checked the belongings she was allowed to take with her. Nobody knew how long her isolated training would last. In pure darkness, it was easy to miscount days. Anji’s sleep cycle would be completely messed up within a few days, but she opted for having no time reminders during her isolation.

It was pure sensory deprivation, and even the Elders of the sect wondered if Anji would last more than a week. Most cultivators do not require sensory enhancement training. It was naturally acquired with an increased cultivation level. Moreover, the people who knew of Anji’s special vision wondered why her teacher would remove that from her training. If anything, this training was better suited to someone like Yan Ping, who was born blind.

With the blindfold, a few hundred fasting pills, her bell accessory, one teleportation talisman and an empty gourd for refilling water, Anji entered the isolation chamber. Senior Researcher Mo watched as Anji’s figure disappeared into the darkness completely after ten steps. Without any arrays and not even candles inside the deepest cave on the middle levels of the mountain, Anji could only rely on her other senses to navigate.

Sealing off the heavy stone slab doors at the entrance, he hoped Anji would use the teleportation talisman when needed. It was uncommon to find passed out cultivators in isolation chambers, however, it has happened before. The shift in energy during a qi deviation in isolated practice was usually considered an emergency that required immediate intervention by those assigned to patrols and routine calls.

Despite everyone’s concerns, Anji adapted well. Back in the ginkgo sanctuary, her shifu taught her everything she needed to know. Navigating the cave was easy. Anji could sense the flow of energy inside the isolated chamber built into the cave. No cultivation chambers were built in stagnant caves because it was difficult to gather energy where everything collided. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Although not disclosed to others, this training in total darkness was to help Anji activate her Heavenly Eyes more efficiently to see what her normal vision distracts her from seeing. Sensory deprivation was necessary even if she were not born blind like Yan Ping because learning to differentiate between subtler energies is difficult with many distractions.

After learning to identify individual unique energy signatures from their sounds and colour, Anji’s next task was to learn how to convert different energy types into something that she desired. According to her teacher, a maximum of five unique energy signatures could be emitted simultaneously. The conversion of energy sources barely mattered. However, the efficiency rate of energy absorption to emission depended on how close the absorbed energy was to the desired use.

In theory, even muddied water can be purified into sparkling, clear glacier water when purified repeatedly. It was possible, but time-consuming and tedious. However, it was a skill Anji needed to master because her golden core worked as a very poor filter. The aim of the training was to identify existing energy signatures and selectively absorb the easiest energy to convert by processing it in her modified meridians.

In theory, Anji had twelve meridians. The maximum number of different energy signatures she could process at any one time in her body was twelve. There were hundreds of different natural energy signatures, but most could be categorised into seven signatures of varying intensity. However, human bodies, including cultivators, were not meant to host the universe in their feeble vessels. The more energy collected in one place, the greater the dissonance because of conflicting properties. Hence, the greatest number of energies that humans can balance at mastery was five. Great scholars and medical practitioners have already proven that five was the most stable number with the Five Elements theory.

To know, was one thing. To master, was another.

Anji found her way easily to the small, flowing rock pool. The water smelled sweet, like re-routed spring water. It contained a lot of natural earth and wood energy from the mountains, so Anji decided to make herself comfortable near it. She should start with what was abundant and slowly progress to the more elusive energies that she had to learn how to convert.

Setting her belongings to the side, Anji chanted the Heart Sutra three times to calm herself. Already, she was getting used to the darkness. Yet, the swirling colours of different energy signatures only became more obvious without the presence of light.

Grabbing the blindfold, Anji refused to use her Heavenly Eyes until she was able to harmonise with two different energy signatures. Securing the sash around her head, Anji stumbled back to the rock pool and plunged both hands into the cold water.

Shivering a little, she meditated and chanted the heart sutra while allowing the earth and wood energy to flow into her in each hand.

Naturally, the first harmonisation attempt failed miserably, and Anji had to pull out when she was losing too much body heat to the cold water.

Pulling her hands out of the rock pool, Anji sat down cross-legged and started circulating her internal energy to regain heat.

In the complete dark, Anji wondered just how much time had passed. She was still brimming with energy and decided there was no need to take a break. She would continue until she was tuckered out or hungry. After all, there was no telling how many more attempts she would require before she finally got the hang of it.