Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path

by Johnson, M. H.

  At least until the day Folly’s hammer hit with such force that it would destroy the blade of his soul entirely.

  And he was definitely not interested in having to face such a day.

  But the look in his mentor’s eyes made it clear that the hammer had not finished ringing against him quite yet.

  “A most impressive match, disciple. I am glad to see your Wild Cultivator’s affinities serving you in such good stead.”

  Alex forced himself to smile and bow. “This lowly one thanks you, Master Bang Jiao.”

  Bang Jiao flashed a positively sinister grin. “Well then, why stop here? Let us take advantage of your growth and see what additional insights we can forge for you and your classmates both!”

  He turned to one of the four cold-eyed Adepts who had been watching on. “Cao. Come forward.”

  At once, a powerfully built Adept both shorter and stockier than his fellows stepped forward, peering thoughtfully at Alex with eyes half-hidden by rough-chopped bangs of glossy black hair before giving Bang Jiao a half bow, his cultivation uniform consisting of nothing more than a sleeveless changshan tunic and pants that ended at the knees.

  The beaming Bang Jiao turned to the class. “All of you know the dance of the elements! How some elements complement one another, while others are more suited towards destruction. Water quenches flame, and copper nails hammered into trees can poison them in a season, if a steel axe head doesn’t chop them down in minutes. These destructive cycles, you should all know and understand. But there are other destructive paths as well, that you encounter every day. For cannot a powerful enough flame boil water to nothingness? And we all know the dread firepots, so favored by ancient Ruidian invaders, could cause even water to burn, let alone set an entire village ablaze! We all intuitively understand how Fire can best Wood. So too, Fire can be smothered with dirt, and what miner does not use a hardened steel pick to break through tough rock?”

  More than one student furrowed their brows at this slight twist to the recognized destructive elemental cycles.

  Bang Jiao’s smile grew. “The point is that there is more than one way to counter an opponent’s elemental affinity. All of you are learning the benefits of striking your opponents with the element most opposed to them, embracing the greater destructive cycle. But a skilled cultivator also learns how best to strike an opponent that uses the element normally enhancing their own, enacting a lesser destructive cycle. And a true master of their element will learn techniques ideal for countering the element that normally destroys their own. For no Fire wujen achieves deepest Silver without first learning arts that will give any Water specialist pause.”

  Several students frowned. “But master, if that’s the case, then how does the Creation cycle ever take hold? Why does Wood enhance Fire? Why isn’t it just Fire destroying Wood?” asked one of the more scholarly-looking students.

  “That is a puzzle best learned on your own,” said Bang Jaio. “Nonetheless, I think a demonstration is in order. Alex, if you would summon forth your shield?”

  Alex forced his grimace into a smile, understanding what his master was doing, and that he had no choice but to take advantage of the seconds given, or he’d be charged with no shield at all.

  He met Cao’s hot gaze, the tank-like man smiling fiercely as his right fist burst in sudden flame, a shield of spinning fire roaring to life upon his left arm.

  “Ah, both of you are ready? Excellent! Wood versus Fire. Same rules as before. Once one of you takes significant injury or has fallen to the ground, your sparring match is over. No questions? Begin!”

  Bang Jiao clapped his hands, and before Alex could even blink, the other cultivator was upon him, lashing out with fists and feet, all covered in flame.

  You have been struck by Flame Fist! Qi Absorption mitigates blow! 5 Damage and no significant wound taken.

  You have been struck by Flame Kick! Shin block minimizes physical damage! Qi Absorption mitigates blow! 4 damage and no significant wound taken.

  Soul Sight Skillcheck: Failure! You are unable to predict the chaotic flickering of the Fire Cultivator before you!

  Alex quickly found himself on the defensive, doing all he could to ward off the fiery onslaught of blows, having no doubt that were his shield any less powerful, it would have already burst into flame.

  As it was, he could feel the soothing power of that ancient grove, eager even now to commune with him. And if fire could singe a few leaves, it was quickly extinguished by heavy sap and dew-covered greenery upon branches so high, the crowns were always covered in the damp mist of the clouds above.

  He was rocked by a revelation so profound that it left him speechless. Before being sent crashing to the ground when his enemy’s snap kick caught him for the instant he was vulnerable.

  “Point goes to Cao! Get up, Alex. You have to the count of five, or you’ll be dealing with me!”

  Alex winced and nodded, stumbling back to his feet slowly enough for a momentary surge of Power Healing to mend a strained knee covered in burns. He was grateful his enchanted pants covered the injuries, save for the holes burnt into the fabric, which would mend themselves soon enough.

  And for all that he winced at the sharp twinges of pain that his healing only seemed to intensify, he still grinned with a certain amount of satisfaction, for he was finally beginning to understand what Bang Jiao was getting at with the elements. Specifically, how to force a positive creation cycle and avoid being so easily destroyed.

  “You know I’m going to break you, don’t you, Ruidian?” Cao declared while rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck.

  Alex nodded. “Probably. This match. Not the next.”

  This earned a soft chuckle. “Fighting spirit. I like that.” Cao fired a cold glance at the students gazing wide-eyed at them both. “After enduring the Path of Perseverance, you’d think more of them would have a warrior’s spirit. Maybe they’ll learn it from you.”

  With no warning, the cultivator roared and charged, and it was all Alex could do to ward against the onslaught of blows before being sent flying back when another snapping kick struck him just under his guard. He rolled with the fall before the follow-up roundhouse could slam into his skull, then quickly stumbled back to his feet, earning an approving nod from his opponent.

  And for a good half-glass, they fought, Alex gaining ever more burns and bruises, fully aware how outmatched he was by this deep Bronze who was just a half-step away from Silver, as all the assistant instructors seemed to be.

  Fast, powerful, and so damned hard to get a read on.

  And just when Alex thought he was finally getting a sense of his opponent’s flow of Qi, he found himself collapsing to one knee, and only because his opponent was cautious enough not to over-commit, perhaps thinking it an overly clever gambit on Alex’s part, that saved him from a truly devastating blow. Cao’s well-balanced snap-kick was all that was needed to send Alex crashing to the ground, trembling with exhaustion, bruises, and an utter depletion of Qi.

  Only then did he realize that the cost for enduring the flood of Fire Qi had been pouring ever more of his reserves into his Shield of the Grove, feeding it the cooling power it needed to avoid catching fire.

  A surge of panic rose.

  He spun away, lest any lethal foot stomp crush his skull like an egg.

  Surprisingly, Cao waited with both feet planted firmly on the ground, hands no longer shimmering with flame, and gave him an approving nod. “Far less pathetic than most of these aspirants. We’ll have to do it again, sometime.”

  Then came Bang Jiao’s beaming smile. “Well done, Alex! In spite of the fact that you’re shaking with meridian strain, having depleted yourself utterly, you fought admirably. Of course, you even being able to hold Wood against Fire for so long, and using an Advanced technique at that, is itself the height of absurdity. Or perhaps just indicative of your Wild Cultivator affinities. In either case, well done.”

  Bang Jiao turned to the class at large. “Best learn
what you can, disciples, for you don’t have forever to learn your mentor’s secrets. In just two month’s time, the true heirs of this school’s secrets shall make their presence known, and then the trials shall begin, the best of our school competing for prizes and privileges that normally only Golds could hope to acquire!”

  He gave a pitying shake of his head. “Of course, it will be months, if not years, before most of you will achieve even the most rudimentary understanding of your elemental affinities. But anyone who has mastered at least the core precepts of their element, like the five Bronze Adepts before you, is eligible to participate in the upcoming trials.”

  The class entire fell into breathless whispers with that pronouncement. Alex felt a curious lurch in his stomach as the man tossed him a small earthenware flask. “Use these for your burns, and rest. I expect to see you at morning class, no matter how exhausted or sore you might feel.” His gaze narrowed. “Unless your injuries are deeper than you let on.”

  Alex forced a smile. “I don’t suppose I could inquire as to the nature of the prizes involved in this contest?”

  Bang Jiao shrugged. “Why not? If it encourages you all to study harder, to focus your spiritual energy in a direction that actually matters…” The elder made sure everyone was paying attention before speaking on.

  “Many prizes and accolades shall be gifted to the winners of the upcoming competition. Among them include access to a top-tier pagoda that no one may challenge for the next two years, unlimited access to all Silver-ranked tomes and below in the library for one full year, one hundred Spirit Pearls that no one may contest, one hundred hours of personalized lessons by the most powerful instructors in our academy, and even the right to copy and transcribe any one Gold-tier manual within the library, without restriction.”

  He arched an amused eyebrow at the gasps of envy and looks of avarice this generated. “To say nothing of the greatest prize of all! This year, our librarians, quite by chance, found hidden within the depths of our stacks a prize so profound that even the Emperor’s clan has voiced an interest in the find! The grand prize winner of the competition will earn the right to present this sacred Jade-ranked treasure to a representative of the Imperial clan personally, and accept whatever prize or boon they see fit to give. And this, students, will be a most significant boon indeed.”

  Alex felt a curious lightheadedness as his heart pounded in his chest, already knowing what a boon those prizes would be. And as for that particular Jade tome, he had absolutely no doubt as to what that was. A boon promised, but one that he would have to fight for, as he always did. Yet should he actually manage to claim that prize, he could only imagine what glorious insights it would bring.

  But as far as achieving the Adepts’ level of skill in just a couple of months, that seemed highly unlikely. Unless…

  “Master Bang Jiao?”

  “Disciple?”

  He furrowed his brow, as if deep in thought. “I understand that only those who have mastered the basics are eligible to enter the competition. But is it not fair to say that mastery of elemental forms is but a means to an end?”

  Bang Jiao tilted his head. “And what would that end truly be, Alex? Mastery over one’s elemental affinities is done for its own sake, which will take all of you children years to achieve.”

  Alex smirked and shook his head. “That may be true, Master Bang Jiao. But I would argue that the point isn’t mastery. It’s victory.”

  The elder smirked. “Is that so?”

  Alex solemnly nodded. “I would argue that it is, sir.”

  The man’s smile grew. “And what if others disagreed with you?”

  “By others, do you mean the Adepts glaring at me right now?”

  Bang Jiao nodded.

  “Then I’d say let the crucible of combat decide.” Alex turned his gaze upon the contemptuous stares of the five assistant instructors. “If I can somehow manage to beat them all on the same day… would that count as an accomplishment worthy of a contender’s status?”

  Bang Jiao actually laughed as the five continued to glare at Alex, cursing his temerity under their breath. “That is exactly what I mean, lad.” The elder’s smile became blinding as he gazed at the Adepts now looking anywhere but at him.

  “It just so happens that I have a prize in my possession that any number of our school’s elite are eager to claim for themselves.”

  Alex blinked. "Wait, you mean...”

  “Should you actually manage to pull off such a deadly stunt, the Victor’s Talisman I hold and the right to attend the trials shall both be yours!”

  A declaration that caused the looks of ire among the Adepts to turn to outrage.

  “If that fool thinks we’ll let him…”

  “Silence, Cao,” said a suddenly harsh Bang Jiao. “If he were to crush you five fools, he will have more than earned the right, not just to watch the trials, but to participate in them as well! And it will be beneficial for you all to learn from your mistakes, so that such an anomaly never happens again! Besides,” he said, briefly displaying a talisman sparkling like a glittering jewel before placing it in his belt pouch once more, “If the Ruidian actually manages to win this talisman, you know what will happen the minute the Destined and their own talisman holders join us.”

  Alex frowned, never having heard the term before. “The Destined?” The words slipped out of his mouth as his peers began whispering animatedly amongst themselves, but Bang Jiao had already turned away, now in deep discussion with a cultivator Alex had never seen before. The words were left to hang awkwardly in the air as Alex limped back to his pagoda, ignoring the hot-eyed glares from the Adepts, and the animated whispers of his peers.

  31

  Within minutes of closing the door to his pagoda, Alex was sitting on the floor, hands on knees, while taking deep breaths. He savored the ambient spiritual energy all around as he meditated upon the pair of fights he had endured. Both opponents had been well-rounded in terms of Strength, Vitality, and Quickness, both just a half-step away from twining their cords of Bronze into the first of the seven cables that together would symbolize their transcendence through Silver and, for the elite few who truly had the potential to ascend, serve as the woven basket of potency that would one day contain their golden core. The path of transcendence was one which every cultivator dreamed of achieving, yet exceedingly few managed. Perhaps one in ten million actually managed to break through to Gold, and those exceedingly rare souls were more than likely from a royal clan.

  Even achieving that first Silver Cable was beyond what most Bronze would ever achieve, forever just a half-step away from enlightenment. Yet to underestimate their power, the power of the five Adepts he would face, and the benefit of years spent mastering themselves and their favored elemental attacks and wards, was to risk utter peril.

  No one knew better than Alex just how dangerous a game he was playing. He was painfully aware of three distinct strikes that, had he slipped at the wrong time, failed to parry with consummate skill, or just been terribly unlucky, could have easily crushed his skull. Had any of those killing blows connected, he doubted that even the best Silver-ranked healer could have saved him before he awakened a powerless soul in a certain serpent deity’s coils, to be tormented for his audacity for all time.

  As incredibly powerful a boon as both Eternal Fox regeneration and Dark Qi metabolism were, he was quite sure that his brains exploding to paste under the force of a powerful enough strike would kill him instantly, just as it would anyone else.

  He needed to continue forging a body strengthening technique that would truly be in harmony with the unique path he walked. He had caught glimpses of what he thought might be the perfect path in that surreal garden experience that was more dreamlike than real, putting a boy’s crystalline remains to gentle rest after millennia of torment, each bone radiating such an impossibly complex matrix of Dark and Light Qi.

  He was almost certain that this was the key to his own evolution, indicative of the path
he must follow. Yet how to even take those first steps, he had no idea.

  At the very least, it would take time, and who knew how many trips to a library filled with scholars who were indifferent at best, predatory at worst. Weeks, months, perhaps years.

  For right now, while learning under a master who seemed every bit as singleminded as Panheu in terms of pushing him to the brink and beyond, and not even for his own benefit so much as for the scores of students who might find enlightenment in witnessing his struggles, Alex knew he needed every edge he could get.

  It had drained all of his Qi to avoid gruesome burns all over his body by parrying with his Shield of the Grove. Worse, should he manage to overcome Fire, he had no doubt he would then be forced to face Metal.

  He chuckled ruefully, sensing the deadly challenges ahead that he knew he had to be ready for.

  Especially if he was to have any shot of defeating all five Adepts without giving all his secrets away. Truthfully, he couldn’t think of a better path forward at this school than making his mark in the competitions to come, not to mention doing his utmost to secure prizes that would guarantee safe, secure shelter outside the Aspirant’s Quarter, free access to an incredible wealth of knowledge, and who knew? Maybe it would even serve as the key to securing the tome that WiFu was eager for him to find above all others.

  Of course, should he actually manage to best the Adepts assigned to the Aspirant’s Quarter, he would need a body cultivation technique strong enough to endure even a Silver’s deadly blows. That, and he needed to finish ascending up the ranks of Bronze just as quickly and as safely could. He already knew what a deadly asset Silver-ranked Quickness could be, especially with muscles to match, and he had no doubt that there would be at least a few cultivators whose talents flowed in that direction, as opposed to the far more common pure Strength and Vitality path that seemed to be the norm for most body cultivators.

  Alex thought he had an incredible advantage by being able to conceptualize and shape his advancement in whatever ways he thought suited him best, on top of receiving a significant bonus for balancing his physical stats, thanks to his interface. But if he dared face any of those elite cultivators, who would no doubt be competing for those same prizes, while still a Bronze with bones no stronger than they were now… he feared he was as good as dead.