BAB3 -Chapter 17

# Chapter 17: Evening Spirit

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Xay and Dragon spent the rest of the afternoon practicing beginner Leopard and Tiger Style forms under Huang’s guidance.

After sending Yue to meditate near an altar, Master Hui returned to observe. She didn’t say anything, but Xay could feel her gaze on him the entire time.

It was even more disconcerting when he caught her smiling warmly at Dragon.

Still, with the help of *Adaptability*, *Psionic Monk*, and his solid foundations—not to mention having just fought three battles against those very styles—Xay managed to perfect the forms after only a few repetitions.

The speed of his progress both greatly surprised and greatly amused Huang in equal measure.

Dragon gave both styles a try, but didn’t seem particularly impressed. Still, the exposure would no doubt sharpen her own style.

As afternoon melted into evening, Master Hui raised a hand. “That’s enough for today. I’m sure Xiu has prepared a hearty dinner for you and your friends. Don’t be late.”

With that, Xay was officially dismissed from Dragon Hall. He bowed to Huang, Master Hui, and even Yue before leaving with Dragon gliding beside him.

Rather than teleporting, he walked—deliberately tracing the same halls he’d come through earlier.

“This place is crazy, huh, girl?” he asked, glancing at her as they strolled down the corridor.

Dragon blinked at him, her silver slitted eyes slowly closing and opening one after another.

“Did you have fun?”

She flew up and gave his cheek a long lick before shrinking down and slipping into his orbit between his Jetnir Orbs.

Xay chuckled. “Yeah, me too.”

Outside, Kimi was on the Tiger Pavilion, running sword forms with an intense expression.

Xay shivered. Tiger Kimi sounded absolutely terrifying.

Over on the Leopard Pavilion, Valiant was hopping around with a pack of kids who had clearly finished their training for the day.

Xay wasn’t sure if Valiant had picked up anything by watching them—but he’d definitely sleep like a rock tonight.

*Actually, I probably will too*, Xay thought, scratching his head through his braids.

He lingered a little longer, watching Tiger Kimi dominate the early forms.

It seemed her Sphere Skill, *Radiant Blade Dancer*, was receptive to the style.

Then the sharp clang of gongs echoed through the hall. Instructors hit them in rapid succession, signaling the end of training for the day.

All across the pavilions, the practitioners stopped mid-motion and bowed—first to their instructors, then to one another.

Xay walked over and scooped up Valiant from around the kids. “Sorry, guys. Gotta take the little one back to his mom. But don’t worry—he’ll be back.”

A chorus of disappointed groans followed, but the kids still waved goodbye before dashing off into the crowd.

By then, Kimi had spotted Xay. She approached with a dazzling smile, gripping his shirt and pulling him into a heated kiss.

“This martial style is so.. exhilarating,” Kimi said, finally releasing Xay’s lips.

“Yeah,” Xay grinned breathlessly. “I’m ah.. glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

“How was your time with Master Hui?” she asked.

The two held hands as they walked out of the main archways, and Xay began recounting his day.

Once they were clear of the arches, Xay teleported them into the air and kept walking, holding both Valiant and Kimi aloft with *Psychokinesis*.

“—So, you’ve managed to get beaten up twice in two days,” Kimi said, shaking her head. “Was Tyra right about the whole ‘stepped on’ thing?”

Xay faltered mid-air. “What? No! What are you—”

He stopped himself when he caught her silent giggles.

Xay clicked his tongue. “I’ve created a monster.”

Kimi laughed in triumph, pulled his arm in tighter, and kissed his cheek.

She really was in a good mood. And he couldn’t help but feel a little lighter because of it.

The sun was beginning to set as they approached Grandma Xiu’s house. Xay teleported them down, releasing Valiant to run free.

The courtyard had been rearranged. Several boulders once stacked along the back wall had been moved aside, making space for a long dinner table.

Blazing orange lanterns glowed along the low wall, casting flickering light over the stones.

The air carried a comforting aroma of steamed herbs, fresh rice, and something warm and savory.

“Welcome back, sweethearts,” Grandma Xiu called out, her head popping up between the rows of her crops.

She’d been digging around in the garden, her sleeves smudged with soil.

“Dinner’ll be ready in a minute,” she added, brushing her hands clean. “Just enough time for everyone else to make it back.”

A sound near the house drew their attention—Amy stepped outside, balancing two tall stacks of plates.

The instant he spotted her, Valiant darted forward with a happy yip, bounding across the courtyard. He leapt up, paws extended.

“Vali wait—!”

Amy barely kept her footing, her pink ears going rigid as the golden ocelot collided with her.

Before the plates could fall, Xay caught each with *Psychokinesis* and used *Psychic Blink* to send them cleanly to the dinner table.

Amy blinked at her now-empty hands, confused for a second—then Valiant leapt up again, landing neatly in her arms and filling them once more.

Amy smiled, hugging him back tightly. “I missed you, too. But you have to be more careful,” she chided.

A cloud of darkness swirled into the courtyard beside Xay. Lexi, Tyra, Willow, Sasha, and Sophia stepped out before it dissipated.

“Where’ve you all been all day?” Xay asked, raising a brow.

“Phoenix Hall,” Sasha and Sophia said in unison. “The way they move is so mesmerizing.”

Lexi nodded. “I even practiced a little archery at the Crane Pavilion.”

“Willow liked watching Eagle Style,” Tyra said with a frown, “but none of them really clicked for me.”

“What about you two?” Xay asked the twins. “Any style stand out?”

Sasha and Sophia exchanged a glance, then shook their heads at the same time.

“We did see some cool-looking weapons, though,” they said in perfect unison, their cat tails swaying happily. “A parasol and a whisk.”

“Both excellent choices,” Grandma Xiu chimed in, stepping back from washing her hands in the nearby basin.

“The parasol excels at deflection, redirection, and control. The whisk”—she smiled knowingly at the twins—“can distract, disorient, and even ensnare.”

She dried her hands on her apron and nodded. “You might want to visit Snake Chamber tomorrow. Snake Style aligns beautifully with those principles.”

“What about me?” Tyra asked eagerly, bouncing on her toes. “I use the staff.”

Grandma Xiu gave her a soft smile. “The staff is exceptionally versatile. It works wonderfully with many styles. In the end, it depends on your personality, sweetheart.”

Tyra chewed her lip, clearly a little disappointed.

Xay stepped over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Well, I’m planning to check out every style, and I went to Dragon Hall today.”

“So, how about you head there tomorrow morning while I check out Phoenix Hall? Then we’ll meet up in the afternoon and visit Tortoise Hall together.”

Tyra nodded rapidly, her smile brightening. “I’d like that.”

“I’m heading back to Dragon Hall tomorrow,” Kimi added, stepping closer to Tyra. “So I’ll go with you in the morning.”

“I’ll be going back to Phoenix Hall,” Lexi said, glancing at Xay. “Looks like it’s you and me in the morning. If you can wake up on time.”

Xay chuckled. “I’ll be fine.”

Rox and Shifu Wu arrived next, crossing over one of the connecting rope bridges.

Rox wore a contemplative expression, while Shifu Wu greeted them all with a warm smile.

“I trust your first day was a meaningful one,” Shifu Wu said.

After a chorus of agreement, Grandma Xiu motioned for everyone to sit.

Xay helped Ezra and Amy carry out several large pots and trays of food.

Dinner was a vibrant spread—stir-fried vegetables and tofu, rice and grain bowls, hearty soups, and a colorful array of steamed buns.

It didn’t take Xay long to realize that everyone on the mountain followed a vegetarian diet.

He was going to miss steak over the next few weeks, but with vegetables seasoned so well, he figured he could survive.

The food was delicious. Xay just wished tofu wasn’t so squishy.

Dragon didn’t seem to have a problem with it, however. She was quick to steal from his plate once hers had been picked clean.

Grandma Xiu just laughed, handing out more food. “Eat up, all of you. A strong appetite is a sign of good health.”

So they did. Everyone ate their fill around the table, and Xay had never seen Tyra so voracious.

Shaking his head with a smile, he looked over at Grandma Xiu. “Where’s the Grandmaster and the other Grandmas? Do they usually eat separately?”

Lexi elbowed him in the side for asking something so direct—a movement Grandma Xiu didn’t miss.

“Oh, it’s fine, sweetheart,” she chuckled. “They’re in the Grand Temple. Most of the monks and nuns eat together in the Communal Hall.”

“Must be a big operation,” Xay muttered to himself.

He glanced around at his group under the cool night sky.

Kimi was asking Grandma Xiu more about the mountains. Ezra and Amy chatted with Sasha and Sophia about their day.

Rox laughed boisterously, tugging on Shifu Wu about something silly. Tyra had eaten herself into a stomachache, rubbing her belly while Willow silently judged her.

And beside him, Lexi slipped Dragon more food under the table.

Xay snorted. He’d check out the communal dinners eventually, but for now, he’d enjoy things exactly how they were.

Night had truly fallen by the time dinner was done.

The only illumination came from the lanterns, the soft glow of trailing vines, and scattered fireflies drifting lazily through the air.

After the dishes were washed and a final round of tea poured, Kimi stepped toward Ezra.

“Forgive me,” she said, her tone serious, “but I’d like to request a spar.”

Ezra gave a slight nod. “I figured this would come sooner or later. A rematch, then? I accept.”

Xay wasn’t surprised. It hadn’t been long since their second awakenings, and he knew his group was itching to see how they stacked up against the S4 now.

Even though Ezra technically wasn’t part of the S4 anymore, she had been second among their ranks.

“Allow me to officiate,” Shifu Wu said, stepping forward. “Please, follow me.”

Ezra and Kimi marched after her, with the others falling into step behind them.

Shifu Wu led everyone down a narrow path beside Grandma Xiu’s home. After just a few moments, they arrived at an open clearing with a square platform made of crushed stone.

It resembled Master Hui’s dirt field, but instead of flattened soil, it was flattened rock.

Xay shot a suspicious glance at Grandma Xiu. She only smiled silently in return.

Kimi and Ezra stepped onto opposite sides of the platform, while Shifu Wu took her place at the edge.

Neither bothered to switch into their armor, but each immediately summoned their weapons from their dimensional storage.

Kimi brandished her gleaming white katana, the blade catching the lantern light as she dropped into a low, poised stance.

Ezra’s six-inch white orb hovered near her head, while her smoky black dagger pulsed in her hand, dripping a dark, curling vapor into the air.

As if summoned by the tension itself, a small golden platform appeared near Grandma Xiu.

It carried Grandmaster Wu, his hands tucked into his sleeves; Master Hui, her expression as sharp as ever; Master Mei, casually fanning herself with a small red hand fan; and Master Li, her gaze steady and patient.

“Fight until one of you is incapacitated or yields,” Shifu Wu announced. “Begin.”

Kimi waited.

She could’ve easily activated *Iridescent Pirouette*, closed the distance, and ended the fight instantly, but instead, she chose to challenge herself against Ezra’s spirits.

Granting exactly what she wanted, the underside of Ezra’s hair flashed white as she began to sing a haunting melody.

She activated *Evoke Spirit*, but this time, the number of spirits that formed was far greater than in their previous fight—easily triple.

***Evoke Spirit** - Call forth and command the spirits of the dead.*

Spirits casting spectral affinities of water, wind, electricity, and fire appeared by the dozen.

There were even more than during Ezra’s fight with Viatrix. But she didn’t stop there—her melody shifted, layering a more upbeat rhythm atop the harmony.

It was both heartbreaking and hopeful.

The colors of Ezra’s hair inverted—the white underside darkening to black, while the black outer strands faded to white.

All around her, the spirits grew—in size, in strength, and in the intensity of their spectral elements.

Xay figured it had to be an imbuement type Skill Talent. But she hadn’t used it during her fight with Vi..

*Did she lose on purpose?* he wondered.

Kimi clicked her heels together, activating her Skill Talent as *Ignition Slippers* materialized on her feet.

Scattered embers of blue flame flared to life around her, and the edge of her katana blazed with the same blue light.

But still, she waited.

Answering her patience in kind, Ezra’s orb pulsed, releasing the deep sound of distant trumpets.

A third of her spirits immediately converged, merging into a towering woman with a sorrowful expression.

Her dark hair cascaded all the way to the ground, and she wore a long, flowing white gown beneath a lifted black veil.

She had activated *Assimilate Spirit*.

***Assimilate Spirit** - Fuse two or more summoned spirits, combining their affinities and enhancing their strength and durability.*

Even small spirit wisps from the surrounding mountains began to phase into sight, drifting gently around the platform.

They weren’t connected to Ezra, but had been drawn in by her sound.

With a final teeth-clattering rumble, Ezra’s dagger warbled, and the sound of rusted chains dragging across stone poured forth—*Death Rattle*.

***Death Rattle** - Withering rattle that gradually drains vitality.*

But Kimi’s burning blue aura repelled its effects.

Though Xay wasn’t sure how effective the technique would have been in a place so dense with vitality.

Even so, Kimi stood alone against an army of powerful spirits—and she only smiled.

Ezra was finally going all out, unleashing everything she had.

Finally satisfied, Kimi stepped sideways, activating Eclipsing Clone—forming a single mirror of herself. It doubled her power, but also her mana cost.

The massive spirit woman unhinged her jaw and released a deafening sonic wail.

But in the same instant, both Kimi and her clone activated *Glimmering Grand Pas*.

One veered right, the other left, zigzagging through the horde of spirits along trails of sharp light.

Both she and her clone pushed hard, step-turning through dozens upon dozens of angles.

The area lit up in a blinding display of light as the two Kimi ripped through spirit after spirit.

They moved so fast that the large woman couldn’t make a clear shot with her sound attack.

Ezra tapped her orb, and a soft chime rang out—*Life Chime*.

***Life Chime** - Restorative chime that gradually restores vitality.*

With all the excess vitality in the air, her spirits reformed almost instantly.

But that was when the second half of Kimi’s *Glimmering Grand Pas* struck.

The moment she and her clone stepped free, nearly two hundred lines of sword light erupted, exploding into brilliant blue flame.

Blue light lit up the night sky as the ground trembled.

Ezra’s spirits were banished once more, and even the towering woman dropped to one knee.

Ezra activated another instance of *Life Chime*, but this time, her spirits reformed far more slowly. They were also noticeably smaller and weaker than before.

There was still more than enough vitality in the air. Xay could only assume the spirits weren’t meant to be summoned repeatedly without rest.

Kimi created another clone, and the two immediately launched into another round of *Glimmering Grand Pas*.

The original Kimi squared off against the towering woman at the center of the field, her sword charging mana.

The woman had already risen to her feet and lowered her jaw for another wail.

In a single fluid motion, Kimi angled her glowing sword and slashed upward as she unleashed *Tenkiri Nova*.

A massive crescent of burning light erupted forward, cleaving through the sound wave and slicing the towering woman in two.

After several more blue flame explosions, all the spirits were banished and Kimi’s clones faded away. Only Kimi and Ezra remained on the platform, both running low on mana.

Kimi spun, scattering into tiny motes of light before reforming a few feet away from Ezra. She swiped her sword to the side, letting flame carve forth in an arc.

It was to show that she had *Burn Wave* now, so Ezra’s *Phantom Form* wouldn’t work again.

***Phantom Form** - Shift intangible, temporarily granting immunity to physical attacks. (+50%) to Poise.*

Kimi pointed her katana forward, and Ezra raised her hands.

“I surrender,” she said with a soft laugh, her hair shifting back to normal. “You got me.”

Shifu Wu nodded and gestured to Kimi. “Our winner, Kimi.”

Excited applause erupted from around the platform.

“That was fucking awesome!” Lexi cheered

“You both were amazing,” Tyra added, rushing over.

“Incredible,” the twins croaked.

Xay had a big grin too.

It had been quite the spectacle, but he was proud of Kimi and appreciated Ezra’s strength in equal measure.

After the fighting died down, the scattered spirit wisps slowly faded away one by one.

All but two. The brightest among them lingered, slowly floating toward Ezra.

She watched them approach and responded by humming a beautiful melody. After a moment, she finally looked up.

“They said they’d like to follow me,” Ezra explained, glancing at the Grandmaster and Masters. “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Grandmaster Wu proclaimed immediately. “Their actions are their choice—in life or in death. And we all bear witness.”

“You have a truly beautiful gift,” he added, stroking his long white beard.

Ezra smiled graciously. “Thank you.”

She turned back to the floating spirit wisps and began to hum once more. The sound gradually rose in pitch until it blossomed into a soft melody.

The spirits drifted closer, brushing against her white orb. As they touched it, they expanded, forming into the silhouettes of two spectral women before finally vanishing.

Ezra’s song faded, and she drew in a slow, steady breath.

Xay wasn’t sure what it truly meant for her to have martial spirits fighting by her side now, but he knew she’d grow stronger because of it.

As the group moved to leave their separate ways, Xay congratulated Kimi and hung back for a moment.

“What was that Skill Talent?” he asked Ezra. “The way you empowered your spirits like that?”

“Symphonic Lament,” she explained. “Normally, I’d be gasping for vitality after using it, but here in these mountains, I’m fine.”

***Symphonic Lament** - Sing a chorus of life after death, channeling vital energy to amplify all summoned spirits’ abilities.*

“So you really could’ve beaten Vi,” Xay remarked.

Ezra didn’t respond. She just smiled softly as she walked beside him.

He chuckled quietly to himself, shaking his head.