BAB3 -Chapter 16

# Chapter 16: Afternoon Dragon

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The second Xay’s bare toes touched the dirt, he set Valiant down—only to be immediately flung backward through the archway behind him.

“That is not how you enter Dragon Hall!” Master Hui’s voice boomed from ahead.

He hadn’t been struck, only forcibly ejected. It didn’t hurt, and he was able to right himself in the air, landing smoothly on his feet as his Jetnir Orbs settled into a slow orbit.

Master Hui, the Black Master, was on him a second later, her fierce eyes sharp and narrowed.

She wore an ornate black and gold martial qipao. It was sleeveless and revealed the coiled black dragon tattoos wrapped around each of her arms.

“You bow upon entrance,” she barked, her arms folded tightly. “Show respect to the master, the instructors, your fellow practitioners, and the hall itself.”

“My apologies,” Xay said respectfully, placing one hand atop his fist and bowing at the waist.

He repeated the bow three more times before Master Hui finally stepped aside—though her intensity never lessened for a second.

Inside were three large, open-air pavilions filled with hundreds of martial artists moving in deliberate motion.

Hanging gongs marked the rhythm of each form, while instructors in black martial robes moved through the rows, making subtle corrections with carved wooden batons.

Off to the side, there was a smaller pavilion for children—mini monks and nuns practicing foundational stances with joyful determination.

Somehow, Valiant had already made his way over there and become an immediate, adorable distraction.

Fortunately, Kimi spotted him and quickly moved to scoop him up.

She looked like she’d just been observing the classes with Dragon before Xay’s dramatic entrance.

Each main pavilion also had divided sections for open hand and different weapon forms.

Staves, swords, spears, chain-whips, and more sliced through the air in precise, disciplined patterns.

In one corner, a nun spun twin blades so fast the air howled around her, while her partner met each strike with fluid deflections from a pair of hook swords.

Xay couldn’t help the grin that split his face—he already loved this place.

His eyes danced across the pavilions, quickly identifying stances and forms.

Even though he hadn’t formally trained in Tiger or Leopard Styles, he could still tell which pavilion belonged to which.

Tiger was raw aggression with vicious strikes, wide stances, and explosive power.

Leopard, on the other hand, emphasized agility, precision, and footwork.

From what he could tell, the martial artists here were still working through the early forms.

After another moment of analysis, the Awakened System agreed with his assessment.

**Fighting Style Identified: Mountain Tiger Style Kung Fu (Basic).**

**Fighting Style Identified: Snow Leopard Style Kung Fu (Basic).**

“My granddaughter tells me her unruly Tudi has mastered Southern Dragon Style,” Master Hui said, her gaze drilling into the side of Xay’s head.

He wasn’t sure how to respond.

Yes, he’d mastered the style—but he had no idea how that stacked up against someone with her level of experience.

She was literally his teacher’s teacher.

Xay turned slowly, but before he could stumble out a response, Master Hui grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him deeper into the hall.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she said sharply.

Monks and nuns nearby quickly averted their gazes as Xay was hauled off.

That didn’t bode well for him.

Xay gave Kimi a pitiful wave, and she just shook her head with Valiant nestled in her arms.

But Dragon—his ever-loyal, loving companion—darted through the air and flew to his side.

“Hello again, little one,” said a voice that sounded suspiciously like Master Hui’s.

But that couldn’t be right—there was far too much warmth and kindness in that tone.

“So it’s true. You care for this one,” she said to Dragon. “Feel free to follow. All of Dragon Hall is open to you.”

There it was again—that gentle, gracious tone. Like some kind impostor had hijacked Master Hui’s voice.

Xay glanced up, and his brain nearly short-circuited when he saw the warm smile she was giving Dragon.

The smug grin Dragon shot back at him, however, snapped him right back to reality.

Master Hui aggressively pulled Xay through a series of archways and high walls before they reached a large pagoda.

Inside, three distinct paths branched off, each one lined with imagery representing Tigers, Lesser Dragons, and Leopards, respectively.

She marched straight ahead. “Welcome to the Dragon Chamber of Dragon Hall,” Master Hui announced.

They passed several antechambers that opened into more open-air pavilions.

Each pavilion held progressively smaller groups of martial artists, all practicing increasingly complex forms and stances.

The deeper they went, the higher the level of skill Xay could sense all around them. Both Awakened, and non-Awakened alike trained their mastery.

The far end of the hall opened into a black stone courtyard.

A wide rectangle of packed dirt, flattened from countless bouts, sat surrounded by low, well-trimmed grasses.

In the center, a tall man with broad shoulders—wearing a black changpao nearly as ornate as Master Hui’s—lightly sparred with a woman just a few years older than Xay.

She was short, with tied, tawny hair, and moved with a quick, fluid agility.

From what Xay could tell, the man was a master of Tiger Style, while the woman specialized in Leopard.

“Enough,” Master Hui said, giving Xay a firm push forward.

The two immediately halted, bowed to each other, then turned and bowed to Master Hui.

“This is my granddaughter’s Tudi,” she announced. “The arrogant child bold enough to challenge the Grandmaster on his very first day here.”

*Well, that kindness in her voice disappeared fast*, Xay thought.

He gave the two an awkward wave.

The man suppressed a laugh, but the woman’s sharp gaze locked onto Xay with open hostility.

“This is Yue, my Tudi,” Master Hui said, gesturing toward the woman still glaring at him.

Xay gave a formal bow. Being chosen as the Hall Master’s personal disciple had to be a big deal.

“And this is Huang, my Daitu,” she continued, motioning to the tall man as she walked to the far side of the training grounds.

Xay bowed again. A Daitu was the first disciple—ranked even higher than a Tudi—and able to assist in instruction.

Huang returned the bow with a small smirk and stepped off the field, taking his place beside Master Hui.

Dragon hovered at the edge, seemingly aware of what was coming next.

“Well?” Master Hui scoffed. “What are you waiting for?”

Yue bowed—but before Xay could blink, she launched at him like a cracked whip.

Her first strike was a snapping open-palm thrust, fingers clawed and slicing through the air.

Xay instinctively crossed his forearms to block. Realizing what this was—a test—he kept his Jetnir Orbs held back and out of the fight.

The very next second, Yue dropped low and swept for his legs with a scything kick.

Xay blocked the sweep with his foot, but before he could react, Yue was already in motion.

She dropped low, her hands hitting the ground, and rolled into a cartwheel—her trailing leg whipping up toward his head.

He stepped in, driving an elbow into her thigh mid-arc.

She twisted with the impact, using the momentum to spin—with another kick coming at him from a different angle.

In the blink of an eye, Xay found himself fending off a barrage of kicks from a handstand.

Yue was fast, relentless, and seemed to have a grudge.

But Xay didn’t back down. He met her blow for blow, giving just as much as he got.

She moved like a windstorm, chaining strikes, counters, and parries together in a seamless, unbroken flow.

He’d never fought anyone quite like her before.

He found himself actually having fun.

The two clashed across the sparring field like twin tornadoes.

Yue attacked with hit-and-run tactics, each movement a feint that flowed into another strike, stance, or trap.

But as the fight wore on, Xay’s edge sharpened.

His Innate Talent, *Adaptability*, kicked into high gear. He began analyzing, adjusting, and predicting.

Combined with his Sphere Skill, *Psionic Monk*, he read her far more easily, retaking the rhythm she had tried to bury him under.

Yue crouched low and spun into a savage back elbow, aiming straight for his kidneys.

Xay took the hit, eating the sting and using the awkward positioning for his next move.

He snatched her by the chin mid-spin and slammed his forehead into hers with both Might and gravity behind him.

Yue stumbled back, blinking rapidly to clear the stars from her vision. With a snarl, she prepared to lunge again—but Master Hui raised a hand.

“Enough. Concede your loss,” she said flatly.

Yue stopped mid-step, drawing a deep breath as she bowed to Xay without meeting his eyes.

Xay shrugged and returned the bow.

She stepped off the field, and Huang took her place.

“If you don’t learn to control your emotions, you will never grow.”

“He disrespected the Grandmaster!” Yue snapped, then quickly lowered her head, remembering who she was speaking to.

“And it is not your place to punish him, child.”

Xay heard Master Hui scolding Yue as Huang came to stand before him.

“You’re a bold one,” Huang said, bowing once more before settling into a wide stance. “But you’re not without talent.”

Xay returned the gesture, staying on guard for any fast movement.

Huang stomped forward and his footsteps seemed to shake the dirt beneath Xay.

Huang struck out with an open-palmed frontal push.

Xay had just finished fighting a super tricky, and fast opponent, so he was slightly confused at such a simple tactic.

He still raised his arms to defend, but a pulse of energy shot through his body on impact, blowing him back head over heels.

Xay kicked up, steadying himself on his feet as tingles ran up and down his arms.

The strike itself had been powerful—far more so than anything that Yue had done—but what came after was even more impressive.

Huang had infused the strike with his own internal energy, pulsing it through Xay’s body.

Smirking, Xay silently thanked Grandma Xiu. Without her, he wouldn’t have even known what had just happened.

Shifting his breathing, Xay spiraled his own vitality through his body.

With every breath, and every heartbeat, vital energy drew in from the world around him, pooling in his diaphragm before flooding his veins.

He darted forward and clashed with Huang once more, launching a flying kick at his sternum.

Huang crossed his forearms to block and instantly countered with a front kick to Xay’s thigh.

The impact was explosive—but the energy pulse from earlier didn’t follow.

Huang’s brow rose at that.

Xay didn’t know how to strike in the same way, but flooding himself with internal energy seemed to at least shield him from the worst of it.

They continued to clash—but unlike his fight with Yue, where they had bounced, flipped, and darted across the field, Xay and Huang slugged it out within a tight four-foot space.

Each strike was bone-rattling, brutal, and heavy.

Huang curled his hands into claw-like shapes, raking Xay’s chest with a blow that felt like it was tearing skin from bone.

Xay struck back just as viciously—coiling in with circular knees and elbows aimed at soft flesh and nerve bundles.

Even though Huang focused on Tiger Style, it was clear he had mastered Dragon Style as well.

Every time Xay attempted an advanced form or feint, Huang was there to punish him for it.

The courtyard devolved into a storm of heavy thuds and hard grunts.

But through it all, Xay was learning.

*Adaptability* kept him advancing—trying new angles and adjusting when moves became predictable.

At the same time, it was growing harder to stave off Huang’s pulse strikes.

Xay had to concentrate his internal energy at each point of impact just to stay standing.

Huang suddenly stepped back with a grin, sweat beading on his brow. “Haven’t had this much fun in a while.”

“Yeah,” Xay panted. “You’re pretty good yourself.”

“But can you handle this?”

Huang balled his hand into a fist and it began to glow red. He was charging a technique.

Xay glanced toward Master Hui, who didn’t seem the least bit concerned.

“Martial techniques are fine,” she barked, answering his unspoken question.

*Wish I’d known that earlier*, Xay thought.

He really had only one option to counter—but the last time he used it, the blowback had been catastrophic.

Seeing Huang nearly done and now moving in to finish things erased any lingering hesitation.

Xay stilled his thoughts while channeling mana into his palm—and at the last second, he added the spiraling breath of his internal energy, activating *Tranquil Palm*.

Huang’s fist came in hard and heavy like a missile—but Xay thrust his palm forward, parting the air like ripples in a pond.

They met soundlessly.

Then came the shockwave, exploding outward and kicking up dust and debris. A second later, both Xay and Huang were flung backward into the black stone walls.

After a moment, Xay pushed himself up, spitting leaves and dirt from his mouth as he checked for broken bones.

Luckily, there were none.

Across the courtyard, Huang was already on his feet and dusting himself off—seemingly fine.

They had somehow repulsed each other, and Xay also had a new notification.

**Technique Augmented: Tranquil Palm.**

***Tranquil Palm (Striker Sphere)** - Focus mind and deliver a concentrated, mana and internal energy-infused palm strike that scales with aura.*

Xay laughed as he teleported back to the center of the field.

Huang smiled back—just before Master Hui stepped in front of Xay.

“That was.. something. I’ll give Xiu that—she moves fast,” Master Hui said. “But now, I’ll judge you myself.”

Xay’s smile faltered, but he held his ground, settling into his opening stance. He knew she’d be tough.

But after holding his own in two fights back-to-back, Xay was starting to like his chances.

*I might even win, or at least tie*, Xay thought.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Master Hui beat Xay’s ass.

Every form, stance, move, punch, kick, elbow, and knee he threw her way—she met, blocked, countered, reversed, and struck him three more times, just for the offense.

It wasn’t even close.

At one point, Dragon even had to look away.

Master Hui balanced discipline and aggression on a razor’s edge.

She linked, co-opted, and twisted forms from Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard Styles into fluid, continuous motions.

It was like she created new styles from those three on the fly. Not even Xay’s *Adaptability* could keep up.

Just before landing a final punch Xay had absolutely no way of blocking—and was fairly sure would knock him out—she suddenly stopped.

“Good,” Master Hui said with a nod. “Now you’re ready to learn.”

Dazed and confused, Xay barely managed a “Huh?” before she unceremoniously tossed him over to Huang.

Lying on his back, Xay’s limbs felt like jelly, and he was sure he’d be one giant bruise by morning.

“Teach him Tiger and Leopard,” Master Hui ordered. “Early forms. His foundations are solid, and his grasp of Dragon is strong. Li-Li has done well.”

Her eyes cut to Xay. “Even if he’s a bit impetuous, he’s not a lost cause,” she said, turning to leave. “Yue, with me.”

Huang stepped away for a moment while Xay lay on his back, staring up at the sky and reevaluating his life choices.

Dragon padded over and licked his face, tickling his nose. He swatted her away with a smirk.

Everything hurt—but Xay knew it would all be worth it in the end. He wanted to learn.

Master Hui wasn’t just a master of her styles, she was a master of applied force. She always seemed to know exactly how much strength and speed to use, and when.

She never overextended, never overcommitted, and never stopped moving.

Xay’s ass-whooping had been incredible to watch. The only downside was that he had to feel it too.

And it was a pretty major downside.

Huang returned quickly, standing over him with two clay cups in hand.

“She likes you, you know?” he said, offering one to Xay.

Xay squinted, struggling to take the cup. “Tell that to my.. everything.”

Huang laughed. “True. But she’s acknowledging your skill and training you as her own,” he gestured to the cup. “Drink the whole thing. It’ll help.”

Looking down, Xay noticed the cup held some kind of elixir that was thick, orange, and syrupy.

He downed it quickly, and then Huang handed him the second cup, this one filled with cool water.

After only a moment, the pain dissipated, and Xay felt a warmth through his chest. The first cup had been bursting with dense vitality.

He quickly settled into one of the breathing methods he’d learned that morning.

The recovery breath was different from the infusing breath, and different still from the breath he’d used during the fight.

With each method, his internal energy moved in a distinct way. Xay found it fascinating.

Huang watched him with a curious expression. “You’re a very fast learner, I take it.”

Exhaling deeply, Xay finally stood, stretching out his arms. “I like to call it highly adaptable.”

He was healing rapidly, but also growing more energized by the second.

Huang grinned. “Good. We’ll start with Leopard. Follow my movements closely.”

He slid one foot far out and lowered his center of gravity, entering the first stance.

Both Xay and Dragon mirrored him perfectly.

Huang raised a questioning eyebrow at Dragon.

Xay just shrugged. “She does what she wants.”