Chapter 21

  Refreshed from a full night's sleep, and reassured that Ti Li was in fact actually doing alright. Only needing some time to get used to having a split soul. Yin was ready to finally get into real sparring with his, still plenty more powerful, friends.

  Kaido was still resting on the smoothed out stones they’d managed to grind down and slept on when staying up on the mountain with them.

  Unlike the confident dragon Yin was doing everything he could to be in peak shape for the coming spar. Stretching every muscle he could remember how, jumping, squatting, push ups, anything that would get the blood pumping.

  Some questionable slices of crab, that was probably a few days past expiration, made sure his pure core was more than topped off. Kaido casually yawned and floated up into the air over the sparring arena, the space now littered with cuts, pits and patches of molten stone.

  Yin glared at a particularly deep trench of lava glass. ‘’Zeurel, are you in your best shape?’’ His girlfriend stood a few steps away, cooing to Cherie who seemed to be able to stay awake slightly more often now.

  ‘’Hm? Oh, um, I might grow taller and I think when I reach the lady tiers I’ll- Oh, nevermind you meant? Yeah, yes. I’m good to go.’’

  ‘’Good.’’ Yin imagined how she might look if she were even taller than she already was. ‘’Good… Hey! If it looks like I’m gonna die, jump in and shave a few years off of Kaido’s lifeline.’’

  ‘’Oi! Aren’t we just sparring here!?’’

  ‘’I’m not going to do that!’’ Zeurel shouted desperately to the dragon. ‘’Yin, I’ve been trying to make friends with her, stop making her more scared of me!’’

  ‘’I refuse. Cherie, little baby, can you give Yin a little good luck kiss?’’ Leaning in close to the little blue spirit Yin was rewarded with a tiny slap on the nose and a pouring rain sound. ‘’Good enough! Ready when you are!’’ He shouted to the dragon.

  Kaido wasted no time and Yin felt the madra billowing off the beast before a storm wind picked up on the mountain. The dragon must have taken his prodding a bit more personally than he’d expected.

  His pure cloak snapped into place and Yin shot forward at speeds that put some faster earth animals to shame. He made good headway, in only seconds he would be close enough to start throwing punches.

  Then Kaido added rain to the wind.

  Drops of madra infused rain hit him like rocks, heavy enough to completely kill his momentum. Yin guarded his face, and felt the discomfort of his iron body revving up to heal all the bruises before they could bloom.

  No choice, he got low to the ground and frog leaped straight up. The water Kaido was ruling with her technique didn’t follow fast enough, giving Yin time to shoot a forged fist at the dragon.

  It hit, but other than causing a slight shudder, did nothing. He needed to put more power in it.

  Kaido responded by rising further in the air and holding a clawed hand up, electricity sparking. Yin realized he really shouldn’t have jumped.

  The bolt of lightning hit him in the legs, and he felt the lightning madra invade in a flash going through his soul. The pain was incredible, worse than anything he’d ever experienced. He only just managed to unclench his shuddering muscles to prepare for landing.

  He stood in a crouch for a few seconds, then fell when he tried to rise.

  ‘’You done?’’ Kaido asked, floating closer.

  Yin groaned, unable to speak, so he nodded instead and laid down. The discomfort of his iron body working was too intense.

  ‘’So? What was the point of this? I think everyone already told you that this would happen.’’

  ‘’T-To.. See how- how big the gap is.’’ Yin forced out, infinitely grateful for Zeurel and her healing. And also her beauty. And boobs.

  Zeurel tilted his head back up so he’d look at her face. ‘’Be honest.’’

  ‘’I am honest.’’ Yin sighed deeply in bliss as all the aches and pain was washed away. ‘’Besides that, I want more experience fighting all different types. Especially things stronger than me so I don’t do dumb shit. Like jumping in front of a long range specialist.’’

  ‘’Yeah, why’d you do that?’’

  ‘’I didn’t think further than ‘get away from the ouchy rain’.’’

  ‘’That’s reasonable.’’ Zeurel sagely intoned. Cherie popped out of her hair, and slipped down and added a cleansing wave of water through his channels.

  ‘’Aah.. I’m feeling so much better. Time to challenge Montai.’’

  ‘’No!’’

  ‘’Yes.’’

  —

  ‘’You’re sure about this bro?’’

  ‘’Yes.’’

  ‘’I mean Kaido kinda kicked your ass, and I’m not that much worse y’know.’’

  ‘’Wouldn’t have it any other way.’’

  ‘’Aight then.’’ Montai skipped over to the other side of the arena. ‘’Ready!’’

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  Yin let the pure cloak suffuse him. ‘’Ready!’’ Montai disappeared into a shadow before Yin could do anything else.

  He forged a pair of fists over his actual hands, ten times larger, and filled them with as much pure madra as he could manage without destabilizing them. He wasn’t sure what tipped him off, maybe just a hunch, but he twisted and swung a backhand blow behind him, catching Montai’s talons before they could come down on him.

  Finishing the spin Yin laid into the bird with his other hand, shooting the massive fist out with all his will. At least the massive bird acted like he felt the blow, falling back but disappearing again with a beat of his wings.

  Yin started to forge another pair of fists, looking around for the bird but it was nowhere to be seen. Should he taunt him?

  No. Not after what Kaido just did to him for it.

  Montai made his appearance, slipping out of the shadow cast by a cloud and beat the elbow of his wing into Yin’s hip from the side. The force sent him careening across the arena, ending with Yin on his stomach, too dizzy to quickly get up.

  A talon settled over his back and Montai ended the battle. ‘’Good fight bro!’’

  ‘’Good fight.’’ Yin mumbled into stone. He’d parried one hit and landed one of his own. In other words, complete failure. In a real fight he’d be dead. ‘’That disappearing trick is new right?’’ Yin asked when he was let up.

  Montai tottered this way and that, making gestures with his wings that unbalanced him. ‘’Nah, it’s- Well, the way I used it now is new. But, yeah, nah that’s just the Darkwind Shortcut. Gramps does it a hundred times better than I do.’’

  ‘’That's pretty incredible, you just- heh. Steps out of the shadows.’’ Yin snickered at the half remembered joke from his old life.

  ‘’Steps into shadows.’’ Montai slipped away in a dark blurr, making Yin burst out in wholehearted laughter.

  ‘’What’s.. What is the joke here?’’ Duong asked with the most vivid confusion Yin had ever seen, sending him even further.

  ‘’Steps out of shadows.’’ Montai reappeared behind Duong, Zeurel and Kaido who were observing from the sidelines. ‘’I dunno, but I think it’s pretty funny too.’’

  ‘’I can’t even remember what the joke was!’’ Yin rolled around holding his stomach to keep it from exploding.

  Duong stepped in and mopped Yin out of the ring. ‘’So, I wanted to test my own forging technique, um, the quicksilver one, against maybe Montai or Kaido. I thought you guys might be able to take it head on and give feedback?’’

  ‘’Aah? The dangerous one?’’

  ‘’You wish to hit us with a poison attack?’’ Kaido looked ready to go back to her lake.

  ‘’I don’t think it’ll actually do anything to you. Uh, if it makes it feel any safer I can sort of tone down the potency of the venom madra?’’ Duong acting so meek meshed poorly with his big physique and hard face. ‘’It’s kind of a prototype of the striker technique I had in mind.’’

  ‘’Maybe you can show us what it looks like before anyone decides to eat it?’’ Zeurel suggested, bundling Yin up in his own shirt and setting him aside to recover.

  Duong nodded thoughtfully and turned, sinking into a stance and readying his technique. The water, metal and venom madra could be felt from him and it was vile, the contradictory sensation weirded Yin’s senses out.

  The strike began with spikes of quicksilver growing from Duongs fingers, then they detached and flowed forward on waves of more toxic madra. The two waves joined and became a caricature of Kaido’s head, complete with fangs of flowing metal. It didn’t make it far before destabilizing and fading, but it was pretty impressive.

  ‘’I do not wish to be hit by that.’’ Kaido managed to sound dry even with her voice that made earthquakes seem high pitched. ‘’However, that was a fine strike, I am sure it will become a great weapon.’’

  Yin rolled over and looked closer at the dragon. His non cultivation senses were ringing. There was something there, something he could make fun of..

  ‘’Thank you Kaido.’’ Duong went as far as to bow for the minor praise he’d received.

  Yin grew tired of the mushy atmosphere that was growing stronger as the others joined in on bigging up Duong. He used his Falling Star cloak and ripped out of his shirt. ‘’Lemme show you guys my Starshot since we’re showing of.’’

  Bouncing into the field Yin vented some madra around him to have something to work with and set the bands of energy into movement. Just to show off after such a punishing day he went for six this time.

  He felt the strain on his mind and spiritual body just keeping the increased number under control. But he managed it and collapsed them into the central point, and something interesting happened this time. As the little star formed it squealed just barely loud enough to notice.

  Aiming for a rock outside the arena Yin let it go, enjoying the little ‘Fwip!’ sound it made. The streak of light remained on his retinas a moment after the technique hit the rock and faded. Then the rock exploded, shrapnel showering down even in the ring, the heavy bits overpowering the ward script.

  ‘’Wow.’’

  ‘’I’m glad you used your pure madra when we sparred.’’ Kaido still stared wide eyed at the destruction.

  ‘’And that’s my limit at jade..’’ Yin felt a wild grin stretch over his face. His limit now would be a thing of the past when he got his remnant, and then he’d be able to go much, much further with cognitive enhancements.

  ‘’And you say I have a bad smile.’’ Duong grumped.

  ‘’You simply do bestie. Zeurel! Got any striker stuff to show the class?’’ Yin moved on quickly, now keen to see what his group could do. The goat got up slowly, despite his attempts to stress her out.

  ‘’I’ve been kind of working on this ever since we got the cloudship, I thought that- Oh? Look, people are here.’’ She pointed behind them and Yin turned, half expecting it to be a joke, but no. A good dozen adults in somewhat mismatched armor and combat robes.

  ‘’Oh. Of course she would..’’ Kaido groaned and started to float.

  ‘’Please, Kaido, do not speak ill of the queen. But yes, she has summoned you.’’ The man at the front spoke up, looking much like an accountant with well cared for short hair and square glasses. His gaze landed on Yin after scanning over the group. ‘’And you would be Yin ‘not yet Silentborn’ Tulaigo?’’

  The list of people who would call him something like that started with Secretary and ended with Ti Li. They were the only people on that list.

  ‘’That’s me, what brings you to MY mountain.’’

  ‘’Boy, I will not hesitate to discipline you if you continue with that.’’ His voice dropped an octave and his tone was more chastising than any he’d heard in this life. Yin didn’t stand a chance against such might and dropped his head and murmured an apology. ‘’Better.. Queen Talia has summoned you to explain yourself in regards to your unlawful stay upon this mountain. And for the unlawful script array your.. Secretary.. has been erecting over the city.’’

  Glancing at Kaido and seeing the dragon actually complying, floating over to the group like a cat forced to heel, Yin decided making trouble now was most likely not worth it. ‘’Right. Just me and Kaido? Can I bring the others?’’

  ‘’We would be grateful if your companions would stay here for now.’’ He seemed uneasy, casting a glance at Zeurel in particular.

  ‘’Kaido might need Duong to come along for emotional support.’’

  ‘’Hah!?’’ ‘’What?’’

  ‘’Th-Theres no need to bother him with that. It’ll just be boring and Ta-chan yelling at- I mean Queen Talia yelling at us for a while.’’ Kaido coiled on herself trying to glare at literally everyone while being roughly center of the gathering.

  ‘’Okay, fine, whatever. I don’t like Thousand Mile clouds, can I take my cloudship down?’’