BAB3 -Chapter 13

# Chapter 13: Arrival

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As Xay and the others approached the massive mountain range, he finally noticed the shimmering, gold-tinted barrier encompassing the entire pass.

He immediately recognized the mystical energy from his experience with Shifu Wu’s barriers.

The energy didn’t behave like mana, though it could accomplish many of the same feats. Shifu Wu had explained that it was the power of her ancestors.

To summon and command mystic energy, small rituals, hand seals, prayers, and talismans were required.

Xay found the art itself beautiful—like a martial art all on its own.

Dragon followed Rox’s Ronda, landing at the base of one of the mountains, where she shrank down alongside the Auralis.

Shifu Wu stepped out and pointed to a nearby cave where Lexi could safely store her Little Blue.

“We’re on foot from here,” Shifu Wu said, glancing at Dragon and Willow. “Well, most of us.”

She approached the edge of the mystic barrier and pressed her palms together, then her fingers shifted rapidly through a series of interwoven hand seals.

Five paper talismans shot out from beneath her qipao, swirling around her before arranging themselves into the shape of a door against the barrier.

They glowed briefly, and the golden shimmer within their frame faded from sight.

“This way,” she said, leading the group through, before sealing the gap behind them.

There was no formal path beyond—only a natural trail worn down by frequent passage.

Shifu Wu flexed her powerful legs and broke into a light sprint up the mountain, with the others quickly falling in behind her.

Xay briefly worried for Amy, Sasha, and Sophia—especially Amy, the only non-Awakened among them.

But thanks to their GenoMorph enhancements, all three were keeping up. It was interesting to watch them bound forward with feline grace.

And Valiant seemed to be having the time of his life running beside them.

But the mountain rose several miles high, and it would take days to reach the summit at their current pace.

As if reading his thoughts, Shifu Wu gradually increased her speed. Each of her powerful strides carried her farther; her movement was so fluid it looked almost like gliding.

Amy, Sasha, and Sophia eventually dropped to all fours to keep up. It looked a little funny, but they seemed to be having fun. Bunny ears and cat tails were pointed straight back in the universal symbol of speed.

Rox had no trouble, and Xay’s team—Lexi, Kimi, and Tyra—were all going strong. This wasn’t even as tough as their usual morning conditioning sessions.

Ezra was keeping up, too. Her Sphere Skill, *Twilight Harbinger*, wasn’t particularly physical, but she could likely get more out of her vitality than any of them.

***Twilight Harbinger (Caster Sphere) (S-Rank)** - Master of vital energies with a natural affinity for both life and death.*

They passed a blend of forest and rock—groves of pine, bamboo, and even blossoming plum trees nestled among massive boulders and winding, gentle streams.

Xay even spotted his very first babbling brook.

About a third of the way up, Amy and the twins began to tire—but Dragon came to their rescue, stretching to nearly fifteen feet and letting them ride on her back as they stroked her scales.

With them off their feet and Amy holding Valiant close to her chest, Shifu Wu’s speed quadrupled. She began clearing multiple yards at a time with each step.

The air grew thinner as the terrain grew steeper.

Past the halfway point, affinities began to show—Tyra summoned wind at her back, Kimi gave herself a heatwave boost, and Lexi did something similar using frost.

Xay wasn’t exactly sure what Ezra had done, but he did see the familiar glow of her spirits behind her.

Even Xay gave himself a little speed bump with *Psychokinesis*. He was having fun.

Shifu Wu and Rox continued to speed up as they neared the peak. The final stretch was a near-vertical ascent, rising straight through the clouds.

What met them at the summit took all but Shifu Wu’s breath away.

Three major peaks stretched across the mountain range—two stood opposite a grand central plateau, with the third out in front of it.

Though separated by miles, each was connected by swaying rope-and-wood bridges.

A few monks and nuns in flowing martial robes leapt effortlessly from summit to summit, their movements fluid and powerful.

Temples carved into the rock of the mountainsides rose tier upon tier—elegant pagodas with curved eaves, intricate latticework, and fluttering banners.

Grand halls stood at the heart of each peak, their spaces echoing with the rhythmic sounds and sharp strikes of martial arts forms.

The air rang with the clash of training weapons and the resonant chant of mantras.

Beautiful vegetation bloomed in unusual places: delicate plum blossoms clinging to cliffside roots, koi ponds tucked between meditation stones, and gnarled pine trees growing out of sheer vertical rock.

At the center, on the highest plateau, stood a grand temple complex. Its golden roofs caught the sunlight and were etched with swooping lines of calligraphy and sacred scripture.

Even more people occupied the area—some running through intricate forms in midair, others seated in deep meditation, their bodies still and faintly aglow with golden light.

“It’s beautiful,” Kimi murmured, taking it all in.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Amy added, her pink bunny ears perking up.

“So much ‘fuzzy woo-woo,’” Rox shook her head.

“Like a dream,” Sasha and Sophia said in unison, their white cat tails waving slowly behind them.

What intrigued Xay the most was the fact that the majority of the people he was seeing weren’t even Awakened. They were leaping and gliding across impossible distances without using any mana.

“How are they—”

Before Xay could finish his question, three bursts of light shot out from the surrounding peaks, stopping just in front of the group.

Three older women now stood before them, each wearing a qipao of a different color, perfectly matching their hair—red, black, and purple.

Xay could sense their strength instantly. All three were Awakened, each one more powerful than the instructors at Cosmos, and likely on par with the Headmaster himself.

“Greetings, Grandmas,” Shifu Wu said, bowing deeply at the waist.

The woman in red had a slender frame with a large bust and elegant features.

She smiled at them warmly—then, faster than Xay could follow, she pulled Shifu Wu into a tight hug.

“Aw, little Li’er. Welcome home,” her voice was refined, carrying both grace and affection.

The woman in black beside her was tall, with short, dark hair and an aggressive presence. She pulled Shifu Wu into a hug next—but never took her eyes off Xay’s group.

“And she brought outsiders,” she said, her tone sharp with decades of discipline and experience.

Her gaze lingered on Dragon as Amy and the twins jumped down, and Dragon shrank back to normal.

Shifu Wu cleared her throat, gently pulling away. “Yes—this is my friend Roxana, a few students from Cosmos Academy: Xay, Lexi, Kimi, Tyra, and Ezra—and their friends, Amy, Sasha, and Sophia.”

She turned back to the group, now gesturing toward the older women.

“These are three of my grandmothers: Meihua Wu, Red Master of Phoenix Hall; Huifang Wu, Black Master of Dragon Hall; and Lirong Wu, Purple Master of Tortoise Hall.”

The group bowed in respectful greeting as Shifu Wu finally made her way to her purple grandma, Lirong.

The shortest of the three had a statuesque physique, purple hair braided down her back, and moved with a quiet strength. She wrapped Shifu Wu in a firm embrace.

“It’s good to have you home,” she said in a slow cadence. “Your grandfather will be over the moon.”

As she spoke, a small golden circle blinked into existence beside Xay’s head—and a fist shot out from it.

Xay instinctively blocked with his forearm, wincing from the impact as his Jetnir Orbs whipped around in a sharp counterattack.

But they were intercepted by two red talismans made of stone, and shaped like prayer beads.

An older man then stepped fully out of the portal. His white eyebrows were as long as his mustache. Both trailed past his face, while his beard reached even farther down.

Long white hair was tied into a tight bun, and a small red dot marked the center of his forehead.

His aura stretched vast in both breadth and depth. He was easily one of the most powerful men Xay had ever encountered, even rivaling Kimi’s grandfather.

“Who are you to travel with my Li-Li?”

He didn’t speak loudly or with animation, yet the mountain shook, the clouds parted, and every head in the area turned toward them.

His words hit Xay like boulders, the weight of the world compressed into his gaze alone.

Xay’s core trembled. He couldn’t speak—he even struggled to remain standing.

It was like an out-of-body experience where he just watched his faculties fail him.

Rox, Lexi, Kimi, Tyra, and Ezra made to move, but Shifu Wu was faster.

“Grandpa, enough!” she shouted, stepping between them all. “Don’t bully my Tudi.”

“Oh?” the old man said, one white brow arching.

That slight motion alone seemed to double the pressure crushing down on Xay—but then, just as suddenly as it came, it vanished.

In a burst of speed, the old man launched himself at Shifu Wu. He grinned like a madman as he repeatedly kissed the top of her head, between her twin buns.

“My favorite granddaughter has returned to me,” he cooed.

His doting temperament was a complete about-face from the martial powerhouse aura he had radiated just seconds earlier.

He honestly felt harmless now.

“I’m your only granddaughter,” Shifu Wu scoffed, pushing him away as she turned to check on Xay.

He was panting with sweat streaming down his face.

“I’m fine,” Xay said between labored breaths, his voice heavy with strain.

Xay had never experienced anything like that before. The pressure was gone, but even now, he was acutely aware of just how thin the air was at this altitude.

Grandmaster Wu’s aura alone had been enough to stop everyone. But it wasn’t wild and untamed; he’d surgically aimed it directly at Xay.

Xay’s aura hadn’t retreated; it just hadn’t been enough to do anything in the face of that kind of overwhelming force.

That was the kind of power that could go anywhere in the world and keep all his friends safe.

That was the kind of power Xay wanted.

The moment Shifu Wu turned away, the old man’s eyes narrowed dangerously at Xay. But as soon as she glanced back, he snapped right back into his goofy grandpa persona.

Shifu Wu sighed. “Everyone, this is my grandfather, Liang Wu—the Grandmaster.”

The old man settled into a noble pose, slowly stroking his beard. “It’s lovely to meet the friends of my granddaughter. You know, when I was your age—”

“Can you take us to see Grandma Xiu?” Shifu Wu asked, cutting him off. “We should get everyone somewhere to sleep.”

“Of course, of course,” he replied, smiling happily. “Anything for my Li-Li.”

A large golden ring enveloped them all, and they instantly reappeared in a courtyard garden beside an ornate stone dwelling.

The air was rich with the scent of ginseng and ginger.

Shifu Wu took a deep breath, savoring it, just as a kind-looking, gray-haired woman stepped outside with a rolling pin in hand.

She wore a simple apron and a warm smile. She wasn’t Awakened, but her figure mirrored Shifu Wu’s exactly, with thick glutes and strong thighs.

“Li-Li!” she exclaimed, hurrying over for a hug. “I’m so happy to see you.” She beamed. “Come, come. I made ginger cakes. And don’t forget to introduce me to your friends.”

Before taking another step, she noticed the suspicious glances her husband was shooting at Xay—and promptly bonked him on the head with her rolling pin.

“Don’t be untoward to our guests, dear,” she said, her tone deceptively sweet.

The Grandmaster recoiled instantly, stepping back with a whine. “Ow, I didn’t even do anything,” he grumbled, rubbing his head.

“Yes he did, Grandma Xiu,” Shifu Wu instigated, pointing accusingly. “He hit my Tudi with nearly his full aura.”

Grandmaster Wu looked at her with the most pitiful, betrayed expression Xay had ever seen.

Grandma Xiu’s eyes narrowed. Several bonks later, the Grandmaster was forced to apologize—before rapidly fleeing the scene in retreat.

Xay tried his best not to laugh.

With a satisfied nod, Grandma Xiu led the group inside for formal greetings, served with warm, sweet ginger cakes and tea.

“I’m so sorry about my husband, sweetheart,” she said, taking Xay gently by the hand. “Even though she’s a grown woman, he can be a little overprotective of Li-Li. Please don’t take it personally.”

Xay offered a soft smile. “It’s fine, but thank you.”

She leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper. “If he gives you any more trouble, you come straight to me and I’ll give him a good bopping!”

Xay laughed in earnest this time.

The ginger cakes were small, palm-sized delights, and Xay ended up eating four—encouraged, of course, by Grandma Xiu.

She had buckets of sweet old lady vibes, but could somehow defeat a third awakening powerhouse with just a rolling pin.

The tea tasted of ginseng, and gave Xay a warm, happy feeling all over.

During polite conversation, the group learned that Xiujuan—also known as the House Master—was Shifu Wu’s biological grandmother, while the others were members of her grandfather’s harem.

Xiujuan was the only one among them to bear children. Her son—Rulian, Shifu Wu’s father—was currently off exploring the deeper Wilds with his wife.

“So you’ll all be with us for the next seven weeks?” Grandma Xiu asked sweetly. “How fun. I’ll bet things are already very different from what you’re used to in the big city.”

“Even behind your barrier, you still live so close to nature,” Tyra swooned. “It’s so refreshing.”

Grandma Xiu chuckled. “Nature is our beginning and our end. We’re forged from the elements, and we forge the elements to live. It is a cycle.”

“A beautiful balance,” Tyra added.

As she spoke, Grandma Li, the Purple Master, watched her with interest.

“Just because you’re on a break doesn’t mean you should laze about,” Grandma Hui, the Black Master, cut in with heat in her tone. “I expect to see each and every one of you children in one of the halls.

Grandma Mei, the Red Master, laughed daintily, her hand covering her mouth. “While Hui may sound harsh, she has the right of it. Exercise keeps you young.”

“But I also think my Phoenix Hall will benefit your little flying friends here as well,” she said, glancing at Willow and Dragon.

“Tortoise Hall is open to all willing to learn,” Grandma Li said slowly, nodding her head.

“Yes, yes,” Grandma Xiu interjected. “But this is still a break. So I expect every single one of you sweethearts to enjoy yourselves.”

“Explore the mountains, meditate in the springs, laugh and be merry. You only get one life, you should enjoy it.”

The three Grandma Masters soon returned to their respective halls, leaving Grandma Xiu to host.

Grandma Xiu ensured everyone had a place to stay, arranging rooms in a guest dormitory tucked into the hill behind her cozy home.

Each had paper windows, low beds, polished wood floors, and woven mats.

After tea, the group departed from Grandma Xiu’s home, and Shifu Wu led them on a grand tour.

They followed her onto one of the wooden bridges as she explained how the monastery functioned.

“Nearly two thousand people live here,” she said, “and every one of them practices some form of martial arts.”

“Even the sweet old lady?” Amy blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth. It had slipped out.

Shifu Wu chuckled. “Don’t let her ginger cakes fool you—she’s mighty in her own right.”

That piqued Xay’s interest. “Is it like how those non-Awakened monks were almost flying?”

Shifu Wu nodded. “She’s a master of formations and mystic arts, but she also fortifies her body with vital energy.”

That was a wholly new concept to Xay.

Shifu Wu led them to a wide platform on the far side of the complex, nodding and bowing respectfully to the many martial monks and nuns they passed along the way.

From there, they had a sweeping view of the entire mountain community.

She gestured toward the largest buildings on the peaks encircling the central plateau.

“These are the Three Martial Halls,” she said with pride. “Each one is both a school and a legacy. This—“ she pointed to the leftmost peak, where black banners fluttered in the wind. “—is Dragon Hall.”

Monks there trained with broad, fierce movements, each strike landing like a contained explosion.

“It specializes in fast-paced, aggressive forms—Dragon Style, Tiger Style, and Leopard Style.”

Xay glanced at Dragon, who looked back at him in turn. They knew the first hall they’d be visiting.

Amy’s interest also piqued at hearing Leopard Style. Glancing at Vali in her hands, she wondered if he’d like it.

Shifu Wu turned to the hall on the opposite peak, which was flying red banners. Nuns sliced elegantly through the air, their forms smooth and flowing.

“This is Phoenix Hall. It emphasizes grace and elevation, favoring vertical movement and aerial combat. They train in Phoenix Style, Crane Style, and Eagle Style.”

Lexi, Tyra, and even Willow looked interested in their graceful movements.

The final hall, draped in purple banners, stood on a peak slightly lower than the others but broader in width.

“Tortoise Hall focuses on endurance, balance, counter-momentum, and control,” Shifu Wu continued. “Tortoise Style at its center, with Snake Style and Mantis Style on opposite poles.”

The monks at the center moved with deliberate slowness, their bodies steady and controlled.

Rox smirked. Endurance and momentum were her expertise.

“There’s also an unhoused chamber for Monkey Style on the backside of the mountain, in the bamboo forest. Not many practice the style, however,” Shifu Wu explained curtly. “Now come. There’s so much more to see.”