Sky Pride

Chapter 235 14- Making Do With What You Have

It wasnʼt too hard to sort everything out. The connection between Tianʼs heart and middle dantian was damaged, which meant the fire qi and yang qi in his body was dangerously low. Tian was relying on his wood aspected vital energy to keep himself alive. It was the most yang energy he had in any real quantity, even if it was considered minor yang compared to fireʼs major yang. If he had to spend more than the bare minimum of his yang vital energy on an art, it meant it wasnʼt available for things like warming his blood and organs.

The generally accepted treatment method for such a delicate injury, which also had the highest success rate, was using natural treasures and the bodyʼs own healing to fix what was broken. Of course, one had to find the right treasure, something which depended on fortune, and one had to be strong enough to acquire it, which was not easy with damaged qi circulation.

Lirenʼs situation was a bit more complicated. The powerful yin qi in the tiger spirit dampened the sun formed by her body refining art just as she was about to break through to the next level. That should have resulted in a yang deficiency. However, what it actually did was force her lower dantian to produce as much yang vital energy as possible to try and stabilize the sun. This had the overall effect of spiking her yang qi, giving her the classic symptoms of someone suffering from excess yang. Since most of that yang was diverted into keeping her body cultivation stable-ish, she burned brightly and briefly.

As is so common in cases of excess yang, she was actually in yin deficiency. She tired quickly and recovered slowly, was quick to laughter and anger, and found it hard to focus for long periods. Things that would make gaining even basic proficiency with Moon Crossing the Lake very difficult.

However, both of them had very good reasons for studying the art. It forced them to move. To think about things other than their pain. To take control over their bodies. And as Brother Fu put it, they were juniors capable of legendary greatness.

The juniors didnʼt feel particularly great. They felt legendarily goofy.

”I canʼt attack and you canʼt retreat. This is the dumbest possible situation.” Tianʼs cool voice couldnʼt hide his irritation, or his amusement.

”Itʼs not quite that bad. You just need to learn an entirely new way of fighting that is the complete opposite of all the yang dominant fighting styles you have ever studied, and I just need to learn how to defend without ever defending or making use of yin techniques to evade. Easy.” Lirenʼs voice was every bit as dry as his.

”Actually, I know how you should be defending yourself. Remember how Censor Hanshen fought in the Copper Roof Inn?”

”Vaguely. What are you thinking of?” She asked.

”He didnʼt defend. He either initiated an attack, or if an attack came in, he countered. It was the most insanely aggressive thing I think I have ever seen from a mortal, though admittedly, I havenʼt seen much.” Tian smiled.

Liren nodded thoughtfully. ”That could work. Actually, that would work. It… hell, why arenʼt I doing that all the time? That is obviously the best… Oh. Damn.”

”Yes. Your Yang qi is taking the initiative and beating up your common sense.” Tian nodded thoughtfully, then patted Lirenʼs arm. ”Help me up. Iʼll make my way to the store room and see if they can spare any frog brains.”

Liren growled, but didnʼt move. Tianʼs dizzy spell had lasted almost twenty minutes, and she very obviously wasnʼt interested in taking chances.

Tian started cataloging his various skills and techniques. First was Snake Head Vine Body. It was a wood aspected art, whose defining traits were constant growth, attacking from strange angles and at all ranges. It was, now that he thought about it, almost purely offensive. It would have to be sidelined for a while, which would make his rope dart much less effective as a weapon.

Thunderous Palms were next. Strictly speaking they were a yin-yang art and fairly balanced in their energy usage. Better still, they were efficient. You only projected energy in the instant before the strike, and even that was a short, sharp burst. He could use it, but only for a few seconds of combat. It would be a last resort.

Then came Imperial Heavenly Swallows, which was an interesting case. Metal aspected, which was minor yin… according to most sources… but the art was almost oppressively yang in how it was used. It was a thrown dart, linear and rigid, driven forward explosively and piercing brutally. Tian had refined five darts at this point, and he had gained a certain degree of proficiency in using them. Very effective as an opening salvo, and the ability to strike invisibly would never not be useful. Except now. They needed a moderate amount of vital energy to throw, but they took an extreme amount to recover. Not usable unless he was sure he could walk over and recover the darts afterward.

The Dragon Suppressing Palms didnʼt need to even be considered. It was overwhelmingly yang. It incorporated yin, but always as the support and never the focus. Strictly useful as a way to commit suicide.

Then there were the utility arts. Counter Jumper didnʼt require much vital energy at all, and was a totally receptive, passive art. Yin as anything, really. Safe to use. Light Body Heavy Hands was also fairly neutral, leaning towards earth, which was also neutral in terms of yin and yang. He would classify it as ʼsafe-ishʼ to use, in smaller amounts.

Lastly there was Moon Crossing the Lake, which was almost pure yin, water aspected, and in the early phases required very little vital energy. He couldnʼt stop a wry grin from crossing his face. His seniors really had thought it through and found the most suitable art for him.

”You attack, I defend. I can deflect blows, distract, and generally be a nuisance. You make every move a killing blow. Nothing too complicated.” Tian patted Lirenʼs arm again. ”Really, we need to be on our feet. Iʼm feeling better, and now that we know whatʼs happening, we know how to train. We will both learn the basics of Moon Crossing the Lake, then you focus on counter-attacking and burst power attacks, while I focus on dodging, enveloping and trapping.”

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”Trapping?”

”Mmm.” They stood up. Tian missed her warmth almost immediately. It was a sunny day, but he still felt a chill. Maybe he would have to ask about thicker robes or something. He had seen people with fur lined boots, and boots made of thick wool, back in Burning Flag City. Those must be warm. Maybe he could find some on the Mountain, somewhere.

Liren shook herself out and slowly took a boxing stance. Tian stood well inside her range, and gently put a palm against each of her fists. ”Try to attack.”

Liren threw a straight jab at about a tenth of her usual speed. Tianʼs hand flowed with it like a shadow. Liren grunted with surprise.

”You made it go off target. Just a little, but you did. I swear I barely felt any weight on my hand.”

”Go faster.”

Liren started working combinations of jabs and hooks, then aggressive legwork. She shifted from side to side, pressing in, constantly moving to attack. Constantly missing.

”That is so weird. Itʼs not just Moon Crossing the Lake. You are doing something else with it too.”

”Iʼm also incorporating my fatherʼs way of fighting. Itʼs the most yin fighting method I know of.” And didnʼt that just tie his guts up in a knot. But it was better to fight well then die stupid, so he choked down the feelings and kept going.

”Iʼm also incorporating Counter-Jumper, so Iʼm able to react almost as soon as you start intending to move, especially as itʼs building on top of the elemental sense we picked up in the Six Turns Caverns. Basically, I know what you are going to do before you do it, and Iʼm letting you do it, but steering the outcome.”

She threw a quick combination of jabs and hooks, then started incorporating kicks. Tianʼs shins and ankles seemed to glue themselves to her shins and ankles. Tian was, to his immense frustration, considerably shorter than Liren, so he necessarily had to stand very close to her to make contact.

”Okay, thatʼs incredibly annoying. It feels like… I donʼt know what it feels like. Nothing feels like this. Itʼs… Iʼm looking right at you, and touching you but not touching you, hitting you but not hitting you, you couldnʼt be more in front of me but always out of reach. Story of my life, really.”

She muttered the last sentence half under her breath, and Tian didnʼt blame her. It was a ridiculous thought. Liren kept speeding up, and Tian borrowed her momentum every step of the way. She was faster than he was, so he let her do the hard work.

”Would you say itʼs like trying to touch the moon reflected on the surface of a lake?” Tian grinned slightly. Overwhelming yin might mute his emotions, but heʼd have to be dead before teasing his sister got boring.

”You canʼt possibly have mastered the first phase in less than two hours!”

”I havenʼt even mastered the first part of the first phase. I canʼt do the light body stuff at all. Iʼm just moving with you. We should ask Dad for a demonstration. Have you ever sparred with him?”

”No, of course not.”

”Well. You should. He would if you asked.”

She grunted. ”I could say the same for you training with Auntie Bai.”

Tian nodded faintly. Auntie Bai was an old monster of the battlefield, same as Brother Fu. He didnʼt know how Skull Crusher Bai fought with her iron pole, but he was prepared to believe it would be quite a learning experience.

A few rounds later, Liren jolted and stopped her hands. ”Did you say you were using Moon Crossing the Lake and Counter-Jumper? At the same time?”

Tian blinked. He was speaking a little softly these days, but his enunciation was clear. Yang qi shouldnʼt have any effect on hearing. Or did it? Hmm…

”Zihao?”

”Oh, sorry. Just worried about your ears. Yes, that is what I said.”

”Two arts at the same time.”

”Mmmhmm.”

”How?”

”By using them both at the same time.”

She nodded understandingly. ”I see. Hey, want to find out if Iʼd beat up an invalid?”

”I have always believed in you, Sister. Iʼm sure you are the very best beater of the invalid and the infirm in the Outer Court. There canʼt be above five quadriplegics in the whole sect who are stronger than you.”

”There is my good brother. Explain yourself!”

”Whatʼs to explain? They follow completely different meridian paths through the body, both are yin, and while Moon Crossing the Lake becomes very complicated, at this level, it really isnʼt that hard. Counter-Jumper is entirely internal too, no physical action required. I just do both. The better question is, why donʼt you?” Tian spread his hands.

”Because I canʼt? Iʼd rupture something or blow up. The vital energy paths all start and end at the lower dantian, you canʼt just split it up.”

”Itʼs entirely possible, your body does it all the time. Itʼs doing it now. You know it is, because itʼs how everyoneʼs body works when they arenʼt using arts. Our seniors use multiple arts at the same time regularly.” Tian made sure to use his kind voice.

”Maybe at the peak of Level Nine, with decades of experience in them. Not at Level Eight and… what, seven years of cultivation?”

”I started at the exact same time as you.” Tian said, with elaborate patience.

”My exact point, yes.” Liren nodded, with elaborate patience.

”Sisʼ, you can look at an array for a bare second and figure out how to crack it like an overpriced rice cracker. How can you not see the energy flowing through your body?”

”Of course I can see it! Seeing it and running two completely different energy flows at the same time, are two different things. Also, please tell me you havenʼt tested the weight bearing capacity of rice crackers.”

”Thatʼs ridiculous.” Tian pulled himself up with immense dignity.

”Ancestors preserve me, you did. You sat there and-”

”Move your hands if you are going to move your mouth.” Tian rolled his eyes, and brought his hands up. Liren grunted and started drilling the light body portion of Moon Crossing the Lake. Tian accompanied her.

The footwork was deceptively simple, but the muscular control required, to say nothing of the balance, was extremely precise. The quick little steps made you look like you were smoothly floating over water or gliding on ice, but you had to stop any vertical motion occurring. Since each step would normally include an up-and-down motion, it required learning a fairly unnatural way of moving.

There was no secret to it. It just took practice. Back and forth, dust flying with their steps, but less every minute. After an hour, the dust barely stirred. After three, they didnʼt leave footprints on the ground. They took frequent breaks so Liren could nap and Tian could eat something nourishing, but they kept at it. By the time the sun set, they drifted around the practice ground like fluttering ghosts. Hong couldnʼt manage the reactive dodging, but that was fine. Tian had mastered it. They considered it a decent enough start and went back to their hospital rooms. Never noticing the horrified admiration of their seniors, who had been watching from the hospital windows.