War. War Never changes.

Fenghuang, Jin sat in the confines of his cave where he began his mental odyssey, a rigorous regimen designed to prepare him for the grand theater of large-scale battles that he had yet to experience in his physical reality. As he closed his eyes to the dancing flames, the theater of his mind unfolded, gradually evolving from fleeting glimpses to vivid, expansive landscapes. (1)

The initial fighting saw Jin grappling with the basics of visualization. His mental canvas was tentative, the figures and formations flickering like distant candle flames. He imagined his own forces, a disjointed assembly of warriors marked by the flame. They were hardly even impressive enough to call a force.  (2)

On the opposing side, a chaotic sea of adversaries remained blurred, their faces and intentions shrouded in uncertainty. Jin struggled to fathom the complexities of large-scale warfare, the intricate dance of energies on such a grand scale eluding his grasp. The sea of his enemies undulated and thrashed with unknown powers of cultivation. (3)

Jin continued this mental training. Throughout his first year in the isolated cave. If time was not spent in actual martial training with his newly acquired artifact, expanding his understanding of the new cultivation methods and arts he was being forced to learn, or staring into the flames, it was spent on this visualization training. (4)

The battles never went in his favor. Time and time again he fought alongside his forces and ran face-first into defeat. Each is more brutal than the last. While his body broke and reforged itself in grueling physical training, his mind broke and reforged itself against the wall of imagined enemies. (5)

Often he would turn to his ancestor, seeking advice on where he went wrong, or what an opposing force might do in a given situation. When his ancestor was not willing to humor his question, he went to scrolls and books, learning from them all he could, by the flickering torch light. (6)

As his second year began, Jin's mental imagery gained clarity. The battlefield took on a more distinct form, complete with strategic terrain that played a pivotal role in the unfolding drama. He considered how each element—a slope, a cluster of boulders, or a dense forest—could influence the course of battle. (7)

This visualization became one of many tool for strategic contemplation, and the chaos of war began to reveal patterns. Jin, in his mind's eye, started to anticipate the movements of cultivators on both sides, each action and reaction becoming a piece of a vast, intricate puzzle. (8)

Jin found that war, while chaotic and often savage, often had sets of rules and outcomes he could come to expect. If one knew how his enemy fought, he could start to tip the scales in his favor. He could even guesstimate how his forces react to certain stimulations. (9)

Jin would still often find himself routed on his mental field of combat. However, as he continued to train in this manner, taking on information from scrolls, books, his mentor, and his many, many, defeats. He was starting to win a few battles here and there. These victories brought him a surge of hope. (10)

As Jin's hair and body grew, his third year three marked a pivotal shift in his mental battles. The clash of swords and the resonance of Qi reverberated through his consciousness. He envisioned himself navigating the ebb and flow of combat, adjusting his tactics based on the shifting currents of energy. (11)

Battles were no longer a chaotic storm but a carefully orchestrated dance, and Jin learned to read the rhythm of the fight. His forces moved with calculated precision, a testament to his growing understanding of the subtle nuances within the grand tapestry of warfare. (12)

His forces were not simple tools to look at as they fell, but comrades and parts of the greater puzzle. His influence could greatly alter the flow of combat as well. As he grew in understanding and skill, he furthered his impact on his imagined fights. (13)

Jin found that, while he now won almost as often as he lost, he was still missing key points in his understanding. He still lacked a fundamental shard of experience that would always tip the scales in his favor. He was no stratagiest. However, he saw how important strategy was in combat. (14)

Around the start of his fourth year, Jin was beginning to see how preparation was the true cause of victory. Understanding one's true weapon against the forces that would present themselves against him. His battles began to be less about simply winning his fights, and more about achieving the best victory he could. (15)

As he visualized disputes being resolved, and battles one, he found that his mind had slowly, over these long years, begun to apply these mental lessons to his day-to-day experiences. As he found himself preparing for his mental battles, he slowly came to a true understanding. (16)

Jin was now utilizing preparation in everything, using this understanding both in how his body worked and what it needed to wring out every possible moment of training and gain from his every action. He welcomed this realization of understanding. How preparation in for battle, was not limited to the battlefield, but your everyday life. (17)

Jin found that in the final year of both his mental training and forced seclusion, he was focused on honing his awareness to a razor's edge. He knew how often he had been found lacking as a teenager, and he refused to let that continue. (18)

 He delved into scenarios where visibility was obscured, relying on the subtle cues of Qi and the sounds of battle. The mental fog mirrored the unpredictability of real warfare, forcing Jin to adapt swiftly and decisively. He learned to rely not only on his eyes but also on the heightened senses that resonated within him—the very essence of his being that transcended the physical limitations of the external world. (19)

Jin saw himself adapting to unforeseen challenges, improvising tactics on the fly, and orchestrating strategies that defied the conventional. The once murky visions of warfare had transformed into a panoramic view of strategic brilliance.  When Jin emerged from the cave, he would do so not merely with images in his mind but with a deeply ingrained understanding of how to navigate the tumultuous seas of large-scale battles. (20)

The culmination of his five-year mental odyssey was marked by a newfound clarity. The theater of his mind had become a realm of mastery where he could manipulate the intricacies of war with an artist's finesse. The mental training had forged not just a warrior but a commander who could dance on the edge of chaos and emerge victorious, reshaping the very nature of the battles he envisioned. (21)