41 Possibilities (2/2)
”I'm glad you came to ask me about that. Come with me.”
We stepped out through the library and onto the back patio. Leaning on the railings, staring out over the ocean, father started talking.
”You're in pretty hot water, and I've been thinking about it all day. You have two options. Either you work on weaponizing your technique or I teach you a new one. Your choice.”
”I don't know if my technique will work on body cultivators…”
”Then, why don't we try?”
I looked at him with surprise, ”Are you sure?”
”What's the harm?” He slipped off the sleeves of his robe, letting it hang at his waist, ”Hit me with it!”
”Uh… okay…”
I walked to the opposite end of the patio and entered meditation. Remembering the feeling, I channelled some qi to my palm and held it there.
”I'm ready.”
”Then do it!”
Father stood about a dozen feet away, so I built pressure in my palm, then shot my qi in a jet. It arced a few feet, then fell to the ground in an amorphous blob.
We both stared at it for an awkward second.
”Well, that was disappointing.” Father chuckled.
Not giving up, I connected with the blob and gave it the command to charge. It twitched a bit and squelched towards him, but nothing more.
Embarrassed, my emotions swelled, and I urged it forwards. The blob stretched back, then fired itself in a spike, striking father's leg.
”Oho,” father exclaimed in surprise, ”now that's a bit better!”
I ordered my qi to consume his leg, and it wriggled its way into his flesh.
”That's a weird feeling.”
Once my qi was out of sight, a connection formed. I was in control. Smiling at what was about to happen, I flicked my wrist, pulling father's leg out from beneath him.
”Oh!”
For a split second, father lost his balance. Then, instinct kicked in. His leg rippled, doubling in size, his muscles emitting a furious heat.
The intense heat incinerated my qi, causing a bolt of pain to strike my soul. I winced at the unexpected backlash, but it was gone before long.
”Haha, sorry about that,” father laughed, ”you caught me by surprise!”
We sat down on the bench to discuss my options.
”After seeing that,” father started, ”I believe that's your best option. I didn't quite believe that you broke through to Low Elite Grade!”
”What does Low Elite Grade mean?”
”Well, it means you can control qi outside your body. If you weren't Elite Grade, you wouldn't have been able to sweep my leg out!”
Father patted me on the back proudly, ”I've known a fair few talented soldiers who never reached Elite Grade! It's a big barrier to cross!”
I remembered master mentioning that a while ago. He said it would take years for me to reach Elite Grade, and I was excited to prove him wrong.
”So, what do you think I should do?”
”Well, you need to make it into a combat technique. Something that you can reliably hit someone with.”
”Like… a whip?”
”Hm. I've never trained with a whip,” he conjured a glowing, golden dagger, ”bladed weapons are more my strong suit.”
”I don't know… I feel like a whip makes sense.”
”Oh, I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I just can't give you any help! And you're speaking to a weapons expert here.”
Fathers words sent a thought through my head. Within the memories I had acquired from the demon, there was one that stood out. The hooded figure, laden with chains, that captured it. And I had a hunch.