Time and tide wait for no man, but I could really use a few minutes to get my shit together.

Or years really. Decades, if we’re being honest, because the logical, scientific part of my brain is having a real conniption about how none of this makes sense. Currently, I am running away from Zhen Shi but I’m not just Cloud-Stepping away, I’m also being carried along by the currents of my Natal Sea. This body of water was once a fixture in my Natal Palace which disappeared along with everything else inside it after I sort of Shattered the Void, but somehow, I’ve Materialized them both into reality by way of my Domain. Not my entire Natal Palace, nor even most of my Natal Sea, and it’s not even really ‘here’, if we’re going by the classic definition. There’s no cool water to soak in or flowing currents swirling around me, because even though I’ve Manifested my Natal Sea, that is not the same thing as creating a bunch of water. That being said, I can feel my Natal Sea all the same as the currents push me along and send me flying faster than I’ve ever Cloud-Stepped before.

So I’m not swimming through my Natal Sea in reality, I’m Cloud-Stepping across the Western Province, keeping low and close to the ground because it’s safer than taking to the skies where I have less control. The scorching sun sears my skin from on high as the sand gives way beneath my boots, with more carried upon the sweltering wind to make its way into every crack and crevice of my body. I can taste the coarse granules in my too-dry mouth, which sits open as I heave and pant for precious breath, but I dare not stop to rest.

Because my foe draws ever closer behind me, and if captured, I’m certain he will never allow me another chance for escape.

I can hear him on my heels, but more than that, I can sense him there as well, seeing without seeing, feeling without feeling, all thanks to information provided to me by my Spiritual Senses which are all too new and unfamiliar. Unlike the five senses I was born with, it’s taking some time to familiarize and parse through these newfangled impressions, time and focus I cannot spare as I struggle to stay ahead of my pursuer with dog in arm, rabbit in tow, and turtle riding shotgun atop my head. My Manifested Natal Sea is here around me, but I’ve no idea how to utilize it, save to go with the ebb and flow of invisible tides which feel as real as the sand getting everywhere in my everything.

I hate the sand. If only my Natal Sea could do something about it.

And just like that, a wave crashes into me and washes all the sand away, yet my skin and clothes remain as dry as ever, save for the errant patches of blood and sweat staining all the expected places. Water, yet not water, Chi, yet not Chi, both more and less at the same time. My brain is overheating just trying to logic it out while drawing blanks on any actual explanation, but the Warrior in me is all like, “Nice”, and doesn’t care about the how. No longer do I need to worry about getting rubbed raw by sand in all the wrong places, and now I can focus on the second most pressing matter, keeping my head and hide intact and escaping from Zhen Shi’s clutches.

Okay, so my priorities are a little out of wack, but if I’m gonna die, I’d like to die comfortably.

Gotta say, Zhen Shi moves pretty fast for a guy with only one foot, and I wish I could see him hopping along behind me, but I dare not slow down long enough to turn my head and look, so I must make do with the picture painted in my mind by my Spiritual Senses. It’s difficult to process just how I’m using them, because even though the information appears in my head that Zhen Shi’s hand is mere millimetres away from grabbing me by the hair, I’m unable to establish exactly how I know this without delving deeper into my Spiritual Senses. The answer is obvious enough once I put my mind to it and trace the impressions in reverse, which tells me that I’m picking up the disturbance his physical presence is causing to the swirling currents of my metaphysical Natal Sea, which again is here, yet not here at the same time. I don’t suppose Zhen Shi can feel those currents parting around his arm, but only because I have yet to Will it so, and even as the thought occurs to me, his grasping hand is swept away as my Natal Sea exerts itself upon reality and lets the current drag him away.

Or in other terms, I utilize Deflection in combination with a myriad of other compound forces which I have no name for in order to turn aside Zhen Shi’s attack. Why can’t I just Deflect him normally though? I could, but it wouldn’t be as effective. This sort of Deflection is… more forceful. Heavier, I suppose, or denser. I dunno. What I’m trying to get at is I can apply more force with this Water-based Deflection than I can with just basic Deflection alone. How is it different? Difficult to say. It’s all Chi, but Water Chi can do things that regular Chi can’t. No, that’s not right. It’s more like… Water Chi does certain things better, but other things worse. No, that’s not entirely right either. Water Chi… is different. It’s Chi, but not Chi, water, but not water, which means it adheres to a different set of rules from both Chi and Water. I don’t understand it, but it just makes sense, which is becoming something of a common theme that I both love and hate.

Knowing without knowing, understanding without comprehending, similar to how Roc just knows how to come in for the perfect landing or Aurie tilts his head at the optimal angle to achieve the perfect cute-derp ratio. It just works. Until it doesn’t, as my inner memester is all too quick to remind me, but the humourous take on inevitable total system failure really helps minimize the panic and apprehension. It’s still there, but in the background, like a, “haha, hope nothing goes wrong right now because then I’m totally gonna die,” sort of way.

So going with the flow, I cede control over to my instincts while my logical mind plots out a course to victory, which is easily accomplished with help from a Natal Soul. Tapping into my lizard brain, my Natal Soul takes over the defenses while leaving my Prime self to control my movements, because Cloud-Stepping is easy as turning a hand now. Taking a moment to acknowledge the obvious wisdom of moving Mama Bun in front of me, I smile as Buddy greets her with a sniffing and gets a good tongue-grooming in return. More interesting is the fact that Mama Bun’s speed is relative to my own, rather than the speed of the world passing us by. Even though she’s floating upon a raft made of Domain in a Natal Sea comprised of the same, her relative speed is almost completely stationary, as opposed to moving at the same speed as the raft. The raft is a vehicle in every sense of the word, even though it doesn’t really exist in reality, so to her, she only feels the movement when we accelerate or decelerate. This is significant because it tells me that my Domain is not exerting force upon Mama Bun to accelerate her until she matches my speed, but rather an actual physical entity which she can interact with and is carrying her along. I suppose I’ve known all along, but never really clicked in my mind, or rather I never really thought to consider the implication.

The Warrior in me doesn’t care, because the end result is all that matters, but the scientist is rather intrigued. Though it seems like a minor and insignificant detail, but it’s the difference between sitting in a boat going 100 km/p/h and getting launched from a cannon at the same speed. So far, every time I try to use Water Chi or Domain, I’ve tried to do the latter, exert a force upon another object, but if I can make a boat for Mama Bun to sit on, why can’t I make other objects for people to interact with too?

My lizard brain picks up on all this immediately puts it to good use, creating a frictionless layer of Domain laid out overtop the sands which Zhen Shi promptly slips on. Though back on his feet in the blink of an eye to take up the pursuit again, this single blunder has bought me enough breathing room to prepare for his next move. The next time he tries to set foot in the sands, he encounters yet another puddle of frictionless Domain, but he’s learned his lesson and merely skates across it before Cloud-Stepping once again when he reaches the puddle’s edge. When he lands again, another frictionless puddle awaits him and he tries to skate over it a second time, but the puddle turns into a whirlpool that carries him around and away, stretching out under his foot to keep him caught even longer. A net-gain measured in mere milliseconds before he recovers once more, but significant enough for me to plan two moves in advance and set up a contingency plan in case things don’t pan out as expected.

It might not seem like much, but it’s a significant load off my back, because no longer am I struggling just to stay alive and can now consider how to strike back. No matter how fast or often I Cloud-Step, Zhen Shi is never far behind, meaning he knows something about Cloud-Stepping that I don’t and is able to move faster than I can. Keeping him on his toes won’t work for long, as I’ve already figured out how to counter my own shenanigans, and Zhen Shi isn’t far behind as he simply avoids the sands and Cloud-Steps before making contact with the ground. Expecting as much, my lizard brain is ready and waiting with a dense wall of Water Chi, one which Zhen Shi crashes headlong into. If he’d dove in head or feet first, he would’ve plunged through without too much resistance, but the impact snaps like a landwhale doing a bellyflop and disperses most of the momentum he’d built up, buying a whole second of reprieve as I slip ever further from his grasp.

Again, small gains, but I’m learning more and more about my Water Chi with each and every clash. Of course, most of it just makes enough sense for me to accept, as it doesn’t surprise me to learn that Water Chi behaves similarly to water, but what I’m interested in is not the results themselves, but the mechanisms Water Chi uses to derive them. Water flows, water clings, water soaks, and water slicks, but this is not water I’m working with, but Chi behaving like water. So what is it about this Chi in particular that makes it so water-like? Why is it able to divert his attacks away, make him slip on coarse sand, and slow his advance? Water can do all that, but again, this is not water, and the details are astounding to behold. It’s all forces, a give and take, an ebb and flow, action and reaction both, but you can say the same about everything in the physical realm. Opposing forces make the world go round, a constant push and pull, contraction and expansion, attraction and repulsion, all of it existing in a perfect yet ever-changing balance of enthalpy and entropy.

Translation? It’s not water, but it might as well be water, except better because I can control it.

Not perfectly, as my lizard brain soon discovers when I attempt to drag Zhen Shi down to the sands, an effort he shakes as easily as turning a hand. His own Domain coming into play now, fending off my intrusive attacks, but it’s not as simple as putting up a barrier and negating all my efforts. As I noted before with Mama Bun, the Domain acts like a real, physical object affixed to the user’s position, which means even though it is invisible and intangible, it still obeys the laws of physics, for the most part. I can’t grab hold of Zhen Shi’s Domain and use it to pin him in place like I would with an arm or a leg, but I can shunt it aside with my own Domain to allow my Water Chi to affect him. Even though a Domain naturally billows out in all directions, it’s not so much as a solid sphere of matter as it is a constant projection of force, one which exists in the Void and only selectively makes its presence felt in reality.

The more I use the Water Chi of my Materialized Domain, the more I understand how it should be used, with my methods improving by leaps and bounds within a matter of seconds. Rather than a single foothold for him to slip on, I render the entire area behind me frictionless upon his approach which buys me just enough time to Cloud-Step away while he’s still struggling to control his momentum. His next attempt sees him crash into a corridor of Water Chi, one in which he flails and flounders as he pushes forward in search of an exit, only to eventually realize he can just side-step out of it and continue on his merry way. A roar of inhuman rage sounds out from behind me, wavering as it grows ever closer with Zhen Shi in hot pursuit, but his grasping hands are unable to grab hold of my robes for my defensive swirling currents of Water Chi will not allow it. In terms of defensive durability, my efforts pale in comparison to Pong Pong’s, because he merely needs to set and forget his Water Domain Deflection which protects him from any and all physical attacks. Me? My defenses are more proactive, predicated on anticipating Zhen Shi’s actions and dealing with them in the optimum manner, which is a lot of effort if I’m being honest. It’s the difference between an armoured knight who sits there and takes all the hits and some shirtless sword-master who’s just really good at dodging and parrying attacks. While the latter might seem more impressive, everyone and their mother would prefer to be the first guy, because no matter how good you are, you’re bound to slip up eventually.

And slip I most certainly do as Zhen Shi kicks the back of my knee, the impact dulled and softened by Pong Pong’s Domain Deflection only to explode at the last moment with enough force to snap tendons and shatter bones. The impact sends me tumbling headfirst into the sands with Buddy cradled to my chest, and I have time enough to tuck and roll before coming back to a single foot and wrenching my shoulder free from Zhen Shi’s steely grasp which has yet to fully close around me. All pure instinct and reaction, courtesy of my Natal Lizard Brain’s quick thinking and use of Domain Deflection, so really, it could’ve gone much worse. Cold sweat drips down my spine as I Cloud-Step away to safety and Zhen Shi lets loose with another scream of frustrated fury, but I can hear the hunger and confidence oozing from of him. It’s only a matter of time before he captures me again, because he’s adjusting faster than I can progress, doubly so because I’m flying by the seat of my pants and have no real idea what I’m doing.

Par for the course really, but again, I would like to reiterate that this is totally unfair. Give me another century and I could probably curb-stomp Zhen Shi without blinking, but as things stand now, I am sorely out matched.

Sneezing twice in adorable chagrin, my doggo shoots me an aggrieved look while emanating a general sense of resentment. I think he wants to know why I’m not moving faster, because this is no longer fun and he would like to stop being chased. I’m sorry puppy, but this is as fast as I can go, which I do my best to emote while still fleeing for my life, having lost all the ground that I’d gained and then some as Zhen Shi draws ever closer behind me. Grumbling in dissent as if I just refused to share my dinner, Buddy squirms in my grasp until I’m no longer cradling him against my chest. Instead, I’m forced to hold him with his chest resting on my palm and his belly laid out flat over my outstretched arm, while his butt is tucked into my armpit like he’s a giant, furry football and I’m the worst running back there ever lived. In my panic to keep from dropping him, I almost let Zhen Shi grab hold of me no less than three times, but my doggo is adamant we switch over to this new position, because for some strange, inexplicable reason, he’s telling me he needs his head held high and front paws free.

So he can paddle limply at the air like a tired swimmer just fighting to stay afloat.

The second paw goes out, then he tries again, only to shoot me a doggy frown to inquire why it isn’t working, except I have no idea what he’s trying to accomplish and what exactly went wrong. Rather than communicate his ideas through emotions and actions however, Buddy grows frustrated by my lack of understanding and goes back to paddling at the air in the same lazy, limp-wristed manner, alternating between one paw and the next with a significant delay in between each attempt. It’s clear he’s trying to swim, but even if he could swim through the air, he’d need to move his paws faster, except he seems to think this lacklustre effort is more than enough. Probably because he’s used to swimming like this in my Natal Sea, but he’s not even using his back paws, which are tucked between my arm and his belly like the lazy loaf he is. So adorably stupid, and I love him to bits even more. This isn’t my Natal Palace, Buddy. You can’t just zip away through the water using a single paw, because…

Because…

Well… because that was my Natal Sea, not reality, except right now, we’re sorta in my Natal Sea which has sorta been Manifested into reality, right?

Man… I hate having to figure out everything for myself. Why can’t I just google the META tactics for Water-Blessed Warriors and go from there?

Seeing no reason why it shouldn’t work, I give Buddy’s idea a shot, with a few modifications to improve upon it. I can’t swim faster than I can Cloud-Step, not even in my Natal Palace, but conservation of energy still applies, so I conjure up a massive wave of Water Chi which launches me to new and thrilling heights. Buddy and Pong both emanate a sense of satisfied glee as we hurtle through the air and leave my pursuer behind, with my Manifested Domain Deflecting the air before me to not only minimize drag but also protect me from what I assume are gale force winds. It’s not the speed of sound, but it’s faster than I’ve ever moved before as the world blurs into an indistinct haze. Belatedly wondering how hard the landing is gonna be, I find myself pleasantly surprised as my lizard brain deploys a stream of Water Chi to absorb all the impact without slowing me down in the slightest, like a parasailer touching down on the water with water-skis strapped to his feet. As I launch myself a second time, the gap between me and Zhen Shi opens up significantly, with the furious torturer trailing dozens of metres behind, but that doesn’t mean I’m safe just yet. It would take less than a second to cross that distance, which means even my new and improved top speed isn’t enough to leave Zhen Shi in my dust, so I take another hint from Buddy’s actions and stop running in a straight line.

A short Cloud-Step to the North followed by a longer one to the East North East opens up the gap significantly as Zhen Shi overshoots his initial follow up and goes too far North to keep up. Though still only a Cloud-Step away, I’ve opened up enough distance to have to squint to see him, which is a load of pressure off my back. Finally with some time to think, I let my lizard brain continue to watch for danger while I Cloud-Step away with all haste and review the cards in my hand. Thus far, Peace, Tranquility, and Unity have been useless because they can’t keep up with my speed, because I’m propelling them in a different manner from Mama Bun’s raft. The weapons move independently from my Domain, which works because I can Materialize a separate Domain around them, since we are one. This lets them do their own thing for the most part, but they’re unable to keep up with even my normal Cloud-Stepping speed, and now they’re trailing far behind, but my lizard brain picks up on my distress and offers me a pleasant surprise as he guides me to reach out with my left hand and pluck Peace from the Void. I don’t know how I did it, because I could sense that Peace was far away, then it was in my hand, not shooting into my grasp as it did before, but just appearing there out of thin air. That’s not all though, because now that I know I can anchor Peace the same way I’ve anchored Mama Bun’s raft, I’ve subconsciously done just that and now Peace’s speed will always be relative to me until I send it off once again. Before, I was cruising along and expected my sword to keep up, but now I’ve got it fixed to my Domain like a sidecar on a motorcycle, which will stay there until I decide it’s more useful as a weapon once more.

Barely able to believe how easy this is, I pluck Tranquility from the Void as well, but this time, I anchor it behind me more like a kite on a string, one that can swoop around of its own volition and keep Zhen Shi from kicking my knees in a second time. Unity I keep in hand, and I realize I’ve been overcomplicating things from the start, because I just need to behave as if my Materialized Domain is an extension of me, one that is sometimes here in reality and other times there in the Void. The same goes for my Spiritual Weapons, because they are part and parcel of who I am, reforged not just from my blood and bones, but from the very essence of my soul.

I am One with the Weapon. I am One with the Water. Now, it’s time to become One with the World.

Reality ripples as my Domain Manifests even further, and my eyes spot a scintillating shimmer that might well be the reflection of sunlight upon the water, though I suspect this is only visible to me. There are degrees to this Materialization business, and I’ve taken it a step further, for I can now feel the water flowing around me and drinking in the sun’s heat. The sand no longer can touch me, while Buddy and Mama Bun are similarly protected as we all surf along the surface of my Natal Sea while Cloud-Stepping faster and faster away from my foe. All the while I sink deeper into the water in both body and mind as the mysteries of my Blessing unfold before my eyes, with waves of Insight and comprehension washing over me without so much as a conscious effort. The Laws of Water, one might say, the secrets behind one of the four fundamental forces of Creation and Destruction laid bare, and for the first time in my life, I am finally willing to accept them.

Before, I rejected these truths because I was unwilling, unable, and unworthy, so dependent on my identity and origins as Rayne that I refused to accept anything that might jeopardize my fragile state of mind. Rayne came from a world of science, so I had to adhere to science above all else in order to suppress my memories of this life and everything Amigui went through. Thus, anything that didn’t fit within my limited understanding of science was simply impossible and discarded as stupid. The problem is, there are many things science can’t explain just yet, and even more that I’m too stupid to grasp, meaning I ended up rejecting a lot of valid information for no reason other than I couldn’t understand it. That hasn’t changed, as there are many things I still don’t understand, but I’ve come to accept that I can’t explain everything. Not because there is no explanation out there, but rather because I am not yet smart or knowledgeable enough to understand the explanation. Sure, there are some vague analogues to science within the Dao that a smarter man might be able to link together, but while I understand the general concept of quantum physics and how something can be in two places at once, knowing this doesn’t really help me explain how I was able to reach out and grab my sword from several hundred metres away. That’s okay though, because there’s no rule that says faith and science cannot co-exist. Perhaps there will come a time when I possess knowledge and understanding enough to better explain all this, but for now, I am happy to take it all on faith that it’s possible, and move on from there.

In short, logic can help deepen my understanding of the Dao, and I will continue my endeavours to science the shit out of everything, but when I come across something my limited understanding of science can’t explain, I will no longer allow this lack of understanding to freeze me in my tracks.

This empowering realization arrives not a moment too soon as Zhen Shi’s punch lands squarely on the back of my head. Or it would have if not for Pong Pong’s Domain and Tranquility getting in the way, but even then, it’s enough to send me stumbling forward. Rather than scramble to run again, I lash out with Unity and clip Zhen Shi in the ribs thanks to my Spiritual Senses guiding my hand, and his scream of pain and alarm is oh so delicious to hear. Sending Buddy all my love, I let go and leave him to swim on his own with my lizard brain to protect him and Mama Bun both. Freed of all other concerns, I let loose with a scream of my own and go on the offensive once more, because I am sick and tired of running scared.

A wave of Water Chi crashes into my foe, keeping him off-balance long enough for my glaive to hammer home, but Zhen Shi backhands the blade aside and sends my Sword Force scything through the sands. A jab lances towards my face, but my feet skate over the sands as I surge away upon a tide of Water Chi, which combined with the physical act of dodging aside is enough to move me out of reach. Bringing the butt of my glaive up to strike, I connect with Zhen Shi’s wrist and am rewarded with the crack of bone, but it doesn’t slow him one bit as he pounces forward with deadly intent. His punch flies wide as the current brings me away while simultaneously pushing him off target, a push-pull effect brought about by two parallel streams moving in opposite directions. This is the way, I realize this now, the basic concept so familiar and ingrained that finding new ways to apply it is as easy as turning a hand.

It's one of the first lessons I learned, to push and pull. It matters not what weapon you use, so long as you mean to swing it, but you simply push down on the upper end of your grip and pull up on the lower end to maximize the force of your attack. Now however, I am no longer limited to my body alone, for I have a Domain to utilize as well, but the push-pull is not the only tool in my arsenal.

Hit hard and fade away, the force of a tidal wave followed by the calm of the storm. This is not only appropriate, but also the only way I can contend with Zhen Shi and keep him at arm’s length. Freeing Peace from my side now that I’ve decided to stand and fight, I send it hurtling through the air towards my opponent’s face, but he catches it between two fingers once more. Unwilling to give up, Peace violently twists in his grasp and moves a single centimetre forward before Zhen Shi gets it under control, just in time for my boot to slam into Peace’s hilt and drive it even further along. Tilting his head to avoid death, Zhen Shi lets go of my sword to grab at my ankle instead, only to leap away as Unity cuts through the space his neck previously occupied.

Sucking air through my teeth in muted disappointment, I set the currents to flowing behind me beneath Mama Bun’s raft, circling in a back-and-forth motion to build up power for yet another attack, one that will hopefully go unnoticed as I let loose with a flurry of jabs. It’s all I can do to keep Zhen Shi away, dancing on his toes as he strives to push past my Sword Force infused glaive and pummel me into a pulp, but I’m wise to his ways and have gotten more used to my Spiritual Senses which do wonders to keep my head in the game. The Movements flow out like lyrical poetry made flesh, driving Zhen Shi left, then right, then back, but always denying him a way forward. Add in the threat of Peace plunging towards him from behind, as well as the possibility of Tranquility hurtling towards him from behind my back, and my foe has no choice but to proceed with caution, which only serves to fuel his fury and drive him to new heights of rage and infuriation both.

Eighteen exchanges pass by in the first second, then twenty-three in the next, giving me plenty of chances to test my skills and comprehension both. As I delve into the nitty gritty details of my actions, I realize that it’s as simple or as complex as I want it to be, the Water Chi of my Natal Sea responding to my needs, thoughts, Visualization, Intent, and at times even impressions so long as its strong enough. Take the principle behind the Mountain Collapsing Stomp, something that has always seemed all too simple to me, but is hit and miss with others I’ve tried to teach. In my mind, it’s just like standing at the side of the pool and waving your hand back and forth to build up a series of increasingly larger waves, not by putting more strength into the effort but by carefully timing your movements with the natural ebb and flow of the water. The attack I’ve been building up behind me is based upon this simple principle, with my Water Chi moving back and forth in a rhythmic give and take building up to a crescendo, but despite reaching staggering heights which I can barely control, I’ve barely had to do anything to make this happen. The flow feels so natural to follow, like swaying to a familiar melody that I’ve heard a million times before, meaning all I’ve put into this most massive of metaphysical waves is a little timing and patience.

This is the most powerful Mountain Collapsing Strike I have ever built up, an Island Sinking Wave unlike anything I’ve ever used before, but brute force alone will not be enough to kill Zhen Shi. His Plated Domain and Natal Robes are more than capable of blunting maybe ninety-nine percent of my strikes. The only weapon I have that can pierce through his Defenses is my Sword Force, another Chi Skill that comes easily to me, even though I know in my head that it’s a massively complex arrangements of various basic forces working in tandem to create a new type of destructive energy. Seeing how Water Chi is just Chi by a different name, I don’t see any reason why I can’t combine the two into an Island Sinking Wave of Sword Force. While that is a mouthful of a name, it’s also much easier said than done, because I haven’t been crafting Sword Force from scratch by putting together the basic forces one at a time. No, I’ve been cheating and using my Spiritual Weapons as Keystones to automate the process. I figured out the general gist of it in a moment of Insight, and I’ve been pretty much copy-pasting the answer ever since. The problem is, if I want to infuse Sword Force into my Island Sinking Wave, I’d have to do it manually since I have no sword and water related Keystone to work with.

Or do I? I am the Sword, but I am also the Water, so mathematically speaking, I should be interchangeable with Sword and Water both, or more to the point, the Water is my Sword. I wouldn’t want to try it the other way around, and we’re not exactly working with numbers here, but I dunno. The logic makes some sort of sense, right? Then again, I’ve only known how to use Sword Force for a few hours and haven’t really had time to think about it, which honestly, might well be why it even works.

You know what? I have long since been my own worst enemy, getting in my own way because I don’t understand something. Comprehension is useful and superior to mere Insight, but a lack of comprehension shouldn’t keep me from doing what feels natural, what feels right, so it’s high time I learned to stop worrying and love the sword.

While I am distracted by my musings, Zhen Shi seizes an opportunity to advance and moves into range to attack, leaving me no choice but to unleash the Island Sinking Wave I’ve been building up all this time. Infusing the Water Chi with Sword Force is as easy as willing it, but the cost is staggering to behold as I feel the Energy of the Heavens surging through me and taking what it demands in exchange. The torrent of Sword-Force infused Water Chi shoots out on a collision course with Zhen Shi, whose Domain rises up to Deflect it away, but this is not the same wave of force he’s experienced before. Rather than be shunted aside, my Water Chi crashes into his Domain whereupon the Sword Force shreds it to pieces without losing a single iota of momentum. Surging ahead to slam home into my unsuspecting foe, his expression goes from fury, to shock, and then horror all in the blink of an eye. The water runs red with blood as the flowing current of Sword Force rips away at his flesh, grinding his left arm and shoulder into a pulp and only stopping there because he was too quick to retreat, but I am not yet done. Still in control of the torrent of Water Chi, I Guide it unerringly towards Zhen Shi as I pursue him across the sands, our roles reversed for the first time since coming face to face in Shi Bei.

And I’d be lying if I didn’t say it feels fucking great.

“Why are you running?!” I bellow, cackling inwardly with glee and delight as I watch Zhen Shi duck, dip, dodge and weave to avoid certain death. There is no answer, but I wasn’t expecting one, and I use every trick in the book to catch up. Puddles of frictionless Domain Materialize beneath his feet while tendrils of Water Chi wrap around his ankles and waist, but even with multiple Cloud-Steps a second and the powerful currents of my Natal Sea pushing me along from behind, I’m unable to bring my swirling torrent of Sword Force and Water Chi to bear. The Energy of the Heavens surge through me as I feed power into the attack, but the expenditure is too much for my strained Spiritual System to bear, the flow too strong and wild to keep this up for any longer. The attack dissipates without warning and I draw back from my foe, who effortlessly sidesteps Peace as it plunges towards him from behind. My trusty sword stops short before me and flips about to threaten Zhen Shi once more, but the once proud Uniter has seen better days.

The mangled flesh and exposed bone of his left shoulder is horrific to behold, his injuries so deep I can see his lungs inflate and deflate as he heaves and pants in place. There is no Healing to be seen save to stem the blood, which combined with his pale flesh and missing foot makes him look like a half-eaten corpse that somehow still draws breath. If looks could kill, I’d be dead a thousand times over from his blood-shot eyes, but Zhen Shi can only glare as he struggles to make sense of this reversal of fortunes. His tattered robes hang loosely from his slim, pale frame, no longer mending on their own like before, but whether this has to do with his debilitated body, frazzled mind, or even lack of available Heavenly Energy, I cannot say. Of course, any sign of weakness is a good one, especially since I’m not sure if I have another one of those… um… what should I call it?

Island Sinking Wave of Sword Force is on point, but too many words.

Water Dragon’s Bite, maybe? Sounds cool, but a little pretentious, and lacking any and all useful information at all.

Oh, I have the perfect name, and a great idea on how to use it.

Showing no weakness in spite of my fatigue, I set the currents to swirling around me in hopes that Zhen Shi can sense it, and from the looks of his alarm, he can. “Impressive,” I begin, grinning from ear to ear at my own clever ways. “I didn’t expect you to survive the first Movement of the Water Dragon Form, the Sea Serpent’s Snap.” Gah, I got too hung up on alliteration, which doesn’t even translate over to common, so it doesn’t sound as cool as it could, but whatever. Still awesome. Somehow, I am both proud and ashamed of myself at the same time, but this is who I am, and I wholeheartedly embrace it as I continue, “I’m kinda glad to be honest, because now I get to try out the second Movement.”

Ha. The look on his face. Such dread, much horror. I love it. Do you see what you get Zhen Shi? Do you see what you get when you mess with the Warrior?!

As expected, my confident declaration sends my opponent spiralling into a panic as he lunges forward to stop me, but I am more than ready for him. Sword Force surges out from Unity as it takes him through the chest, plunging clean through until his ribs ram into the haft. Keeping well out of his reach, I hold him back with all my strength while scouring away at his Domain Plated Defenses with swirling currents of Sword Force. Less powerful ones, but still strong enough to strip flesh from bone, or at least it would be if it could get through his powerful passive defense. Rage and desperation both pour out from Zhen Shi’s eyes as he stretches his one remaining arm in a desperate bid to grab me, a man at the end of his rope yet still unwilling to give up. Were he not a mass-murderer and torturer both, I could almost respect him for his willpower and determination, because I never would’ve expected any human to escape from under the weight of so many Spectres, much less make it this far with such horrific injuries. This man withstood my weaponized despair and went on to face his own fears, a tribulation from which he emerged unscathed, and for that, he has my admiration.

That won’t stop me from killing him though, because this is no man, but a monster in human flesh. A part of me wonders if things might’ve turned out different if we’d met eight-hundred years earlier. I see much of myself in him, and how I could’ve turned out if not for a fortuitous encounter with Blobby, but thankfully, I avoided the worst pitfalls and have come out on top. “Go in peace,” I declare, taking control of my sword that shares the same name, “A better end than you deserve, but one I offer without regret.”

The sword plunges down to pierce Zhen Shi clean through the top of the head.

Only to stop in mid-air with a metallic hum as an unfamiliar man in flowing golden robes appears out of nowhere, complete with stupid hair ornament that doubles as a tiny hat. “Stay your hand,” the stranger declares, his voice booming with authority as he holds my sword in place with two fingers, seemingly immune to the destructive torrent of Sword Force contained within. There is no doubt in his mind that I will obey, no expectation of disobedience at all, which I suppose is due to his sculpted cheeks and chiselled jawline that makes him look like the Mother Herself moulded him with Her own two hands. Unfortunately for him however, I have problems with authority and a tendency to act before I think, so even I’m surprised as Tranquility flies out and separates Zhen Shi’s head from his shoulders in a flash of Sword Force.

The stranger’s shock is muted and subdued, more surprised at my disobedience than disappointed by Zhen Shi’s death, and his gaze turns to meet my eyes. It pierces clean through me, looking not at my features, but deep into my heart and soul, and I cannot bring myself to look away. “You dare disobey this Sovereign?” he asks, lacking the heat and fury that usually makes the statement seem so ridiculous, yet it sounds so appropriate coming from him. “Courage, ignorance, or a blend of both? It matters not, for you will reap what you have sown.”

Hearing Zhen Shi’s third-person stylings come out of someone else’s mouth is enough to throw me for a loop, and my eyes dart down to study the stranger’s robes. They’re also golden, and festooned with so much embroidery it’s difficult to pinpoint one thing to look at, but the giant character emblazoned in the centre of his chest is certainly eye-catching to behold. 皇, stitched in gold thread as well, but bordered in thick black lines to make it easy to read, and for a moment, my mind blanks. Usually, these sort of robes bear a family or faction name, but this character is one I’ve only seen a handful of times before. On the invitation to the First Imperial Grand Conference and on Shen ZhenWu’s fan are the first places that come to mind, but I’ve seen it elsewhere too, just never on anyone’s robes, clothes, or banners.

Because no one would dare use the character ‘Emperor’ as their sigil, not unless they were the actual Emperor himself.

“Oh c’mon,” I groan, falling back on my ass in the sand and bringing Buddy and Mama Bun close for a cuddle as his entourage arrives via Cloud-Step to encircle us. It’s rude, but who gives a fuck at this point? I already disobeyed a direct order from the Emperor, so it’s not like he can sentence me to death twice. No harm in getting comfortable and seeing what happens next, because even if I’m willing to fight against the Emperor, I am outnumbered and outmatched. There are a few familiar faces in the crowd, such as Shen ZhenWu and his Honoured Uncle, but while I’m pretty sure they could both kick my ass, I know the two bald Divinities most certainly can. Xing Yong Wei stands just to the Emperor’s right, closer than anyone else besides the baldie to his left, the Divinity surnamed Liang who was supposed to keep Yang Jixing safe and tried to pin his death on me, alongside the crime of rebellion.

I am tired, spent, and entirely incapable of defeating two more Divinities, much less the formidable Imperial Scions arrayed behind them and the Emperor himself, but with a little luck, maybe they won’t try to kill me here while we’re all alone in the desert. That being said, if push comes to shove, I sure as hell intend to go down swinging, so might as well rest while I can.

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2

Chapter Meme 3