Alex grinned, appreciating the compliment. “Thank you. It’s an honor to spar with you. If you don’t mind me asking, how is it you’re able to channel your Qi into an attack? I know some rare individuals can channel non-aligned Light Qi, if they’re trained in elite military techniques, even as a basic cultivator, but I thought specific elements could only be channeled once you had broken through to Bronze.”
Lu Su laughed. “A basic cultivator channeling non-aligned Qi? I’ve never even heard of such a thing, but basically you’re correct. I’m just on the cusp, though, struggling to form my first meridian channel. And contrary to half my instructors advising me just to meditate upon forging my channel over a steady year’s time, I find I have far more growth and feel far closer to a breakthrough, when I’m actively using my gifts to their fullest! And every time I manage to focus my Qi attack in the heat of combat, I feel the channel strengthening and correcting itself, if that makes sense.” He shrugged. “It’s like my soul naturally knows the best pattern for an aspiring battle-monk like myself, and I let it guide my meridian alignment, judging it superior to my merely mortal understanding of the cultivation texts my master gave me.”
Alex smiled, definitely approving of a fellow cultivator who forged himself on the battlefield at least as much as he did in quiet meditation. More than that, Lu Su was willing to listen to his inner self and trust his instincts, not blindly adhere to a training manual written countless years ago for an entirely different person. Perhaps due to his budding Spiritual Teacher skill, Alex sensed that this was not necessarily a bad way to go.
Some cultivators, it seemed, had the ability to forge their ideal meridian matrix based on nothing more than personal intuition and the lessons learned in the crucible of survival. Lu Su might never evolve to Gold or even Silver, but he would one day become a very powerful Bronze at the very least. Alex could sense that already.
“Well then, fair is fair,” Alex said, admiring his opponent’s graceful movements, how comfortable he was in the sparring ring, much as Alex wanted to be, even when not sensing his opponent’s flow in battle. “And the truth is, my dao skills are lacking.”
His opponent gave a surprisingly comfortable nod. “Of course. You’re fighting Golden Realms style. What almost all the newbloods with fathers in the Royal Legion use. The Legions favor spear formations above all else, and a spear phalanx five men deep truly is king of the battlefield. I take it your father fell for a Ruidian concubine? He’s a good man to have accepted you as his son. I hope you honor him.”
Alex grinned, long past being shocked by everyone’s casual assumption of his background, realizing it made far more sense than any other explanation. “My father passed away long ago, but he will always have a special place in my heart,” he said with all sincerity.
Lu Su paused, furrowing his brow. “Long ago or no, I sense the wound is still fresh. I apologize if it’s a painful memory.”
Alex wiped away the hot sting in his eyes, shaking his head. “No worries. It’s a loss I was forced to accept before dying. I mean, before coming here myself. I think he would be proud of me, if he knew how far I have already come. Life is rarely fair, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fight for our dreams.”
Alex blinked, surprised to find himself being so honest with what was almost a stranger in a sea of ruthless cultivators, but Lu Su did naught but bow his head respectfully. Before flashing a grin.
“Fight for our dreams indeed. I take it you’d be up to an hour of dao-work, just for the hell of it?”
Alex grinned and nodded. “I look forward to your instruction!”
And for all that Alex had Lu Su’s measure as a spearman, the dao proved to be another matter entirely, his opponent scoring several decisive blows despite Alex’s advantages before Alex found his measure once more, using that hour to hone his own skills with the weapon to a fine killing edge, doing his utmost to find his sense of the blade. Yet the transcendent state of mind he was looking for proved as ephemeral as a dream, Alex knocked back to reality whenever his opponent’s weapon cracked against his wrist or forearm, moving his saber-like weapon so quickly that Alex had to focus all his energies just defending his line.
“I think your Quickness has already reached Bronze levels,” Alex conceded when they finally called it a day, Lu Su’s form finally folding when exhaustion took its toll, whereas Alex, thanks to his advanced Eternal Fox technique, was fully rejuvenated after just seconds of rest, the human body already naturally adapted for dealing with lactic acid buildup far quicker than actual muscle injury.
Lu Su chuckled. “I know. But my strength has not, and our training spears are not as light in my hand as my beloved dao. That’s why I hired out for a sparring partner, to work on my weaknesses.”
He bowed formally before Alex. “This one thanks you for the surprisingly vigorous sparring match, Alex. Perhaps you’d like to train with me again, sometime, even if it’s on an informal basis.”
Alex grinned, this opponent’s unexpected and much appreciated friendliness suddenly making sense. “I am grateful for the offer, Lu Su! And I count my blessings, having met an honorable opponent. Alas, I accepted this assignment, as I am in dire need of credits before the end of semester and, unfortunately, trust in Ruidians is still far lower than I’d like.” He spoke quickly, seeing Lu Su’s friendly expression harden. “But that being said, when time permits? Should I not be too badly bruised trying to earn my keep, I’d be happy for the occasional sparring match with a partner as worthy as yourself.”
Lu Su’s hardened expression softened into an accepting smile. “I can’t begrudge you earning your keep. Very well. You’re in Master Pan’s class, yes?”
Alex blinked, then nodded. Of course experienced students would know the newest cultivator’s basic curriculum.
“Alright. I’ll stop by in a few days. Assuming you’re not too badly broken by duelists far more ruthless than I, I look forward to a rematch.”
Alex bowed his head. “Until then.”
16
Alex took a deep breath and smiled with satisfaction as he meditated by the sea, savoring the intense flood of Heaven and Earth energies all around him as he embraced his combined White Crane cycling technique, reflecting back upon his day.
Of course, he now understood Lu Su’s friendliness, and why he had been fighting so honorably, looking to test himself, but not deliberately striking with bruising force. He was no doubt looking for a handful of ready sparring partners who would enjoy friendly matches where the risk of peril was minimal. And, extremely important for him, not cost him a fortune in credits or status points that he probably couldn’t afford, not even ascending to Bronze.
And as soon as Alex had shown reluctance, his geniality had chilled, and Alex understood why. To his mind, he had already more than earned Alex’s gratitude, treating him not as a despised Ruidian, but as a fellow honored cultivator. And Alex did appreciate that grace, knowing that to Lu Su’s mind, he had already gone above and beyond. Which was the only reason why Alex conceded to the occasional sparring match after classes, even though Alex really did need the coin. And as much as he hated to admit it, he thrived in perilous circumstances, perhaps more than was healthy or normal; a true protege of Silver Fox.
He chuckled softy to himself, recalling the clerk’s anxious smile when Alex had thought to stop by and find his after-class slots already filled for the next week. He didn’t even have to see the name to understand who he would be fighting.
His enemies had learned of his change in credit earning plans in a surprisingly short amount of time. For all Alex knew, the clerk himself had informed them. Which Alex didn’t mind a bit. In fact, he had been expecting it. At least this way the clerk kept from getting beaten or broken when Alex was their true target. And unlike him, the poor clerk was no real fighter, and probably had no access to anything like Alex’s own regeneration techniques. So instead of resenting the poor man’s weaknesses, he had used them for his own benefit.
; Still, all that being said, Alex was going to face opponents that genuinely wanted to cause him as much pain and suffering as possible.
He could only hope that he would be ready.
And that was the real reason why he was going to embrace madness, and offer to be the test dummy for all his enemies.
Alex squeezed one of his beast cores tightly in his fist, debating whether or not it was time to risk it all again and embrace another glorious hour of riding a Qi storm that could destroy him as easily as bless him with a breakthrough.
He unclenched his palm with a sigh, knowing that now, like never before, honesty was everything, especially in regards to himself. He was anxious, excited, elevated, and exhausted. Engaging in perilous, hardly-understood cultivation techniques would be the height of folly, as much as he craved another breakthrough.
So instead he switched all his focus to the greater, deeper objective that truly should be holding all his attention, choosing the far safer path of channeling a thousand hours’ worth of cultivating into a technique he already knew so very well, and could embrace in complete safety.
Dual Path purification technique has achieved 96% efficiency!
Alex savored the salty tang to the air before opening his eyes, one with his environment once more, feeling invigorated by his hyper-intense hour spent refining his massive pearlescent blockage, pleased with the growing quantity of black and white Qi being stored in his imagined alchemy lab and cultivation garden within his divine artifact.
Before shaking his head in frustration.
As much as he felt utterly centered and at peace when practicing the divine Dual Path, the double-edged gift Lord Justice Zheng Yi had given him upon his rebirth after Alex deferred the boon of seven perfect lives, meridian gateways that were now truly vast in size and resilience, it also meant that his final blockage was titanic in size. So big that even channeling the full beast core had only chipped away at its surface. So massive that even the most gifted basic cultivator might never break through to Bronze.
Just as Alex knew Zheng Yi had intended all along, granting Alex a boon that would prove far more of a hindrance than an asset for any cultivator who lacked Alex’s resources, daring, and willingness to put it all on the line. And even so, the blockage was still so massive, and his efforts to chip away at it seeming so insignificant, even he couldn’t deny how discouraged he felt.
So too, Alex knew that, unlike perfectly synergized experience points earned with his kills that somehow transcended all other limitations, these beast cores were best absorbed in moderation if he truly wanted to avoid any chance of damage or a misstep, no matter that he had blindly taken such risks before.
Just because he had brilliant Qi Perception didn’t mean he couldn’t make a horrible mistake. Alex was determined to learn from Sheng Jie’s tragic example, he whose brittle meridian network had almost disintegrated when faced with Alex’s Silver Swan-enhanced techniques.
Silver Swan. The very thought made him cringe. He hadn’t even realized until yesterday how unusually low the Silver Swan power locus was, shifting the Lower Dantian into a highly unorthodox alignment that allowed his forbidden techniques to tap into the actual font of new life itself, infusing his kicks with such devastating power.
But it came at a significant cost.
Alex was forced to accept what Lady Jidihu had calmly told both him and a blushing Hao Chan. Their forbidden art was a double-edged sword that would make them both devastating Silvers, or castrate their foundation if they dared surrender their life force to a lover before achieving that goal. All of which came as a shock to Alex, forced to accept that he too could overlook vital truths without even realizing it until it was too late.
Of course, Alex knew Hao Chan had been set up only to be crippled, forced to surrender not only her body but her very life force, the font of her power, to the corrupt men who would dominate and claim her, had she been enslaved to poppy and forced to embrace the Purple Path.
But she had broken free, and now possessed an art that would one day make all her enemies tremble with fear.
But in the meantime, they both had to be as chaste as saints, and Alex could no longer deny the hunger he felt, every time he saw her smile. Doubly painful, now that he knew how deeply his desire was returned.
But neither of them were fools. They would use their hunger to push themselves to excel as fast as they could, without letting it actually destroy them.
Just one beast core a day, he promised himself, and no more than that. Not until he felt ready to endure a trial like he had just the night before.
If he was really prudent, he wouldn’t dare that madness again until he was a rank seven cultivator at least.
And he could only hope that by month’s end he would be at, or close to, a breakthrough.
If not… he gazed at his final cultivation prize with his mind’s eye, a magnificent greater beast core hosting incredible power, assuming channeling it now via his White Crane cycling technique wouldn’t utterly destroy him.
Because if he broke through his final channel, cleaning it utterly, what would happen to all the remaining power, when he had no proper cycling technique save White Crane, which he had somehow fused with a body cultivation technique, bending who knew how many rules? And this time he would be channeling far more than a single lesser beast core. Alex already knew how close he had come to unleashing an actual typhoon upon the academy just the night before.
He shuddered, finally appreciating just how dangerous a game he was playing, dancing with chaos and oblivion, headless of all risks.
Silver Fox was no doubt smiling down at him even now.
17
“I’m going to enjoy breaking you, Ruidian.”
Those words had greeted Alex in the hall to his first class the following morning.
Alex had paused, registering the gasps and widened stares all around him by the cultivators frozen in their tracks, all of them instinctively reacting to the threat in that voice and the momentary aura of hot, fiery malice before blinking with relief, just grateful the threat wasn’t toward them.
Alex had just smiled, feeling like a character in a martial arts film more than ever at that moment. “I look forward to it,” he had said, before continuing his walk to class, not even bothering to look back at the cultivator who had made the threat, though pitying glances, mocking smirks, and the constant murmur of gossip followed him all the way to his seat. For of course he already knew who it was. Really, it had been all but inevitable.
At least this way he would face his enemies on his terms, and earn credits for their abuse.
Whether or not he would break and crumble before the malicious cultivators and what he now stupidly realized was a major oversight, a hands-off referee that would enjoy seeing a Ruidian get absolutely destroyed? That remained to be seen.
Even so, Alex was surprised by how fast word had gotten around, not even fazed by the cold laughter and the oft-repeated, “You’re about to get put in your place, Ruidian,” he had heard from several of his fellow students in Fu Shen’s class. As always, the professor, while paying absolutely no attention to Alex, seemed to take unusual joy in describing in graphic detail Yidushi’s absolute butchery of the latest Ruidian invasion, drawing and quartering hundreds of captured sailors and soldiers, showing them absolutely no mercy.
Alex couldn’t help grinning. The man was so graphic, it was like he was conveying a firsthand account. Of course, the last Ruidian invasion had occurred centuries ago, ending with massive storms that had nearly wiped out half the city just a handful of years later.
It had been many years before foreign Ruidians had been seen again, and these latest visitors were nothing like their forebears, the most recent expeditions entering Yidushian waters wanting only to establish diplomatic relations and trade.
Alex, of course, had his own hunches, wondering if perhaps one gate between worlds had closed and another opened, but of course, he had no proof for certain. Though it was intere
sting to note that there were no records at all of the language spoken by the more recent traders. Scholars from both parties had to learn each other’s tongue from scratch. And the Ruidians that had settled in Yidushi a millennium back, most now looking more like your typical Yidushian than not, save for wide, pretty eyes of green or hazel, very rarely blue, and hair that was light brown or auburn as often as black, also had no living descendants who knew the language that the more recent traders were speaking, all of them having embraced the culture of their birth city, many centuries ago.
If nothing else, Alex could take comfort in the fact that it was only the exceedingly rare Ruidian descendant that actually looked pure Scandinavian like he did who were forced to suffer the scorn Alex was so often subjected to, like right now.
An unusually large vein on his wild-eyed instructor’s forehead was literally pulsing against his skin as his diatribe rose to a furious crescendo, fists clenched as he ended the class at last, half the students looking at Alex as if he were personally responsible for untold horrors and massacres that had occurred so many years ago.
Also as per usual.
“Just you wait! Even this more recent incursion of trade agreements and diplomatic treaties are just ways for our enemies to get their hooks in our city. It is nothing less than the first step in their perpetual attempts to claim Yidushi and pillage her people! It is only a matter of time before they show their true colors. If our city’s rulers truly honored their ancestors, they would purge the infestation rotting our city from within at once! Leaving no survivors!” declared Fu Shen, glaring daggers of hate Alex’s way.
Alex smiled back. “Thank you for your passionate oration, as always, professor. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to taking your class every morning!”
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Forsworn: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 3 Page 25
