Cha Ming was tired by the time he arrived at a massive platform. It had a smooth, flat floor cut out from the Tree of Life itself. Its cross section had millions of rungs, and every rung represented anywhere between ten and a thousand years. Such was the age of the Tree of Life and its owner, the Star-Eye Ancestor.
At the center of it all stood two upraised circles. Cha Ming stepped on one, and Huxian stepped on the other. Everything outside Cha Ming’s ring vanished, cutting off all vision and communication with his bonded brother.
“This is the Trial of Wisdom?” Cha Ming asked. The Ancestor didn’t answer. Instead, an object appeared in the center of the ring. It was an arch filled with a dark liquid. As he walked before it, runic characters lit up on its frame. “The Mirror of Dark Intentions?” he asked. He jumped because it wasn’t just his voice that said it, but another. A similar voice from the other side of the liquid. And when he looked, he saw a dark outline that resembled him in every detail.
“The Mirror of Dark Intentions shows a world that is separate and connected with ours,” said the voice of the Star-Eye Ancestor as Cha Ming walked to the side of the mirror. The dark copy of himself did the same, and when they emerged on the other side, they looked at each other. “It is a dark dimension that mirrors our own. An exact copy, and the mirror bridges the gap between realms. It serves as a road between them.”
“The trial?” Cha Ming asked, reaching out and touching his copy’s fingers. It reached out to him as well, and to his surprise, it stepped out of the mirror.
“This clone is a copy of yourself in the dark dimension,” the Star-Eye Ancestor said. “Not the real thing. I wove it from shadow. My self on the other end did the same. To win, you must defeat your copy. It possesses every skill, every blessing, and every treasure you’ve ever possessed. It even possesses a copy of all your soul-bound treasures, and every material in its inner world. The only difference is that you can improve. It cannot. To win, you must fight yourself and triumph. Living or dying is up to your competence. Begin.”
Cha Ming looked at his copy uncertainly. It did much the same thing. They circled each other nervously. Finally, they each summoned the Clear Sky Staff and swept low with a probing strike. They stepped and fought with their staves, using pure instinct rather than any plan. Both their instincts served them well, and in their short exchange, they obtained the information they desired: the copy they were fighting also had the Sage’s eyes.
She says it’s exactly the same? Cha Ming thought. He summoned three Temple Sand Clones, which began to fight his copy’s own clones. They executed Crushing Chaos, Splitting Heaven and Earth, and Origin Strike. Words of Creation were spoken, and all variations of talismans appeared and reinforced them.
What about limit-breaking techniques? Cha Ming thought. He briefly activated Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations. White wings erupted behind both of them, and the intensity of their battle rose. They both pulled back after only a few seconds, as such techniques were taxing on the soul. They hesitated and pondered the correct course of action.
“This is messed up,” Cha Ming muttered. His clone said the same thing. Right. They had shared motivations. Even if only one of them could improve, they would both think that this was the way to win. It was reassuring to know that his clone wasn’t just a self-destructive maniac. The only problem was that while he could improve, he doubted he had the time to do it.
“Oooh, a Mirror of Dark Intentions,” Huxian said as he stepped up to the mystic arch. “I’ve always wanted to see one of those.
“Well, you’re not going to,” said the Star-Eye Ancestor. “I’m done with you. I’m not wasting the effort.”
“Isn’t this the Trial of Wisdom, though?” Huxian asked. “Couldn’t you be tricking me?”
The Star-Eye Ancestor popped out of the woodwork and glared at him. “It’s too much effort. The trial is already set. I spent everything I had on the first one. Rather than having you fight your clone, eat it, and win, I’m giving you a bye.”
“But I might not win,” Huxian said innocently. “Please let me try out the mirror?”
The Star-Eye Ancestor crossed her arms. “No. Absolutely not. I predict a hundred precent chance of you winning.”
“I mean, if it’s a copy, I might not win,” Huxian said. “Although, I guess it won’t have copies of my friends on this side, so it won’t be able to draw power from them and…” The Star-Eye Ancestor rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s pretty easy.”
“Yes, you’re a huge cheat,” the Star-Eye Ancestor said. “If it wasn’t for the heavens trying to quash you Bagua foxes all in the cradle, I’d be a lot more upset. Who knows how you’ve managed to survive those tribulations?”
“They’re not that bad,” Huxian said. “They’re tasty, actually.”
“Tasty? Hah! Tell that to your ancestor.” She walked to the Mirror of Dark Intentions and ran her fingers along the grain of red wood it was made from. Images flashed across the mirror—images of death and despair. Descendants of the Bagua fox were dying, some from wrathful lightning, and others from fire or holy light. “I’ll be sure to tell your ancestor about your ease at besting them. He’ll probably blow a vein. He’s lost nine out of ten children to those tribulations, you know, and Godbeasts don’t have many of them. Well, men don’t, at any rate.”
“Yeah, you tell him,” Huxian said. “I don’t like him much. He disowned me, you know?”
“Did he now?” said the Star-Eye Ancestor. “Well, good for you. He’s no good.” An awkward silence ensued.
“So…” Huxian said. “If I get a bye, I get a reward, right?”
“Yes, you get your stupid reward,” she said. She summoned a ball of demonic energy. “Same as last time, I’m afraid.”
Huxian hesitated. “Could you maybe, possibly, not make it so nasty?”
“Not a chance,” she said. “This is revenge. Revenge on your stupid ancestor.”
“But I’m on a journey to spite him!” Huxian said. “For disowning me, you see. That’s got to count for something, right?”
“I suppose…” The Star-Eye Ancestor said. She narrowed her eyes, then after hesitating a few moments, snapped her fingers. “Fine. Slightly less terrible.”
“Oh boy,” Huxian said. He ran up to the orb and started chewing at it with space-time devouring. It tasted familiar. “Wait. Is this fish? I hate fish.”
“It’s either that or crap,” said the Star-Eye Ancestor. “Your choice.”
“Fish is great,” Huxian said. He still hated fish, but it was far better than all that crap root he’d eaten.
Eating the orb of demonic energy wouldn’t push him through to late initiation, but with luck, the next trial would take him there. Then he would be almost powerful enough. Not to deal with that chieftain, obviously. Cha Ming could take care of that. He was playing the long game. If they broke through, he was confident that together with his friends, they’d be able to defend against Lord Dripping Blade. Not defeat him, but defending was as start.
Blood splashed across the wooden sparring ring as Silverwing fell, his jaw broken and his body bruised. “I yield,” he mouthed with difficulty before the staff could land, and the battle stopped amidst applause in the makeshift stands.
“I applaud your valor in combat,” the Stargazer Chieftain said. “It is not often that we get to spar against one such as you.”
Silverwing rose and cracked his jaw back into place. “You honor me too much,” he said with a wince. “I will require time to recover.”
“You have fought to our satisfaction,” the Stargazer Chieftain said. “Healer. Bring him his medicinal soup.”
Silverwing sat down outside the ring, and someone brought him a bowl of steaming hot liquid. He drank it, and his wounds began to heal.
“Tough little bird, isn’t he?” Sun Wukong said.
The Stargazer Chieftain nodded. “I see why you brought him. Though I still think it was a mistake to bring along that frustrating human. I see potential in t
he others, however.” He looked at the three remaining participants. “Which one will it be, then? The dragon?”
“She is still recovering from a battle,” Sun Wukong said. “See her pale features?”
“Unfortunate,” said the Stargazer Chieftain. “We do not battle with their kind often. They are fierce adversaries, and it is useful to pit ourselves against them.”
“She should recover soon enough,” Sun Wukong said. “An… elder has granted her aid. With any luck, she’ll be ready to entertain you in no time.”
“Then I look forward to it,” the chieftain said. “The girl, then?”
“The girl is next strongest,” Sun Wukong said.
Mi Fei stepped forward at his signal, sword drawn and ready for the worst. A black-staffed monkey demon stepped into the ring. He was ten feet tall, and his staff was made of stone. He probably had a great deal of stone monkey blood in him.
“Be careful,” the chieftain said. “Heavy Fist doesn’t know how to restrain his strength.” The monkeys laughed. “Begin!”
Drums began playing as Mi Fei tried to circle, only to dodge as the club-wielding monkey immediately charged. Heavy Fist was an apt name for him. The floor trembled when he struck. There was definitely earth imbued in his attacks, as he was clearly able to penetrate shields and defenses.
One hit and she’s dead, Sun Wukong thought. He held his breath. The battles thus far had been far from lethal, but Mi Fei was a bit of a glass cannon.
Stupid girl. Try to fight back or something, he thought. As if hearing him, a gray crystal spike jutted out from the wooden floor and impaled the monkey demon as he ran, stabbing him in the rib cage just beside the heart. It was sudden and decisive. Oh no.
“Do you yield?” Mi Fei asked.
The demon gritted his teeth and tried to pull himself off. In response, she did what she was good at. She doubled down. Three more spikes stabbed into his torso and locked him up completely.
“He yields,” the chieftain said, and Mi Fei released her technique. “Impressive. You fight above your level.”
“I’ve always been able to fight above my level,” Mi Fei said arrogantly. She didn’t catch Sun Wukong’s throat-cutting signals, and the chieftain grinned. “Very good. I’ll send someone stronger up.”
A late-stage demon stepped up.
“Um…” Mi Fei said.
“You always fight opponents at a higher level, don’t you?” the chieftain asked. “I wouldn’t want to make things any less fun.”
Sun Wukong smacked his forehead. The fight began, and though she ended the fight relatively swiftly, the damage was done. By the fifth battle, she was completely exhausted, and he called for a break. It was granted, but she’d need to be switched out.
Silly girl, Sun Wukong said as she left the ring. We’re trying to stall, not piss them off.
I’m sorry, Mi Fei said. I guess I’m not very good at holding back.
I should have spelled it out, Sun Wukong said. You’re strong, I get it. But would it kill you to be more efficient? You can split creation and destruction, can’t you?”
How did you… oh. You live inside him, don’t you?
In a way, Sun Wukong said. He patted her on the back. Have you thought about splitting elements off? Creation and destruction into wood, fire, earth, metal, and water?
I’ve been practicing, Mi Fei said. I’m not very good at it.
But you’re more efficient when you do it, aren’t you? Sun Wukong asked. What about techniques? I notice you don’t use them.
I don’t like techniques, Mi Fei said. They’re not very strong. They’re restricting.
Silly girl, Sun Wukong said again. You don’t use techniques because they’re strong. You use them because they’re weak.
What? Mi Fei said. But my teacher—
Is weak, Sun Wukong said. He can’t harness power without technique. You? Me? We’re different. We can shape techniques at will. Our only limit is our imagination. I never used to use techniques. But then I did something I regretted.
You failed? Mi Fei asked.
I killed someone I shouldn’t have, Sun Wukong said grimly. Millions died because of it. That’s when I knew I needed to learn to hold back. So I started learning techniques. Why wouldn’t I? They’re easy, aren’t they?
So you’re saying I should use techniques to throw matches? Mi Fei asked incredulously.
I’m saying you should use them to preserve your energy, Sun Wukong said. Don’t you know a few?
Some sword techniques, she admitted.
You look like a quick learner, he said. Come. He tapped his finger on her head, and knowledge flowed into her mind. They’re not strong techniques. Beginner ones. Maybe you could learn one or two in a day or… His voice trailed off after she executed Moonlight River Strike at the first level without effort.
You’re right, this is much weaker! she said excitedly.
Maybe beginner’s luck, he thought, until he saw her flawlessly executing the first stage of Crimson Sunrise in the Mountains, a footwork technique. Sun Wukong’s jaw dropped. Right. Let’s see how good that bunny sister of yours is at fighting. He was excited to see how good this self-professed Jade Rabbit really was. He’d never seen one of her kind in action. How did she fight? What was her element?
Lady White was standing in the ring. She summoned no demon weapon, and her presence was subdued. The Stargazer Chieftain looked at her condescendingly, but Sun Wukong saw a hint of wariness.
“Heart Seeker,” the chieftain called out. A monkey demon stepped up and summoned a thin curved staff. No. It’s a bow. Interesting. Monkeys didn’t often stray from staff-form weapons. “Will you be summoning your demon weapon?” he asked.
“Naw,” she said. “I don’t have one.”
The chieftain frowned. “Impossible.”
“According to you,” Xiao Bai said. “It’s possible. At least, it is if your bloodline and experience are strong enough to force the power back into your body. Like your fists, or in my case, my feet.” She stomped with one of her white-booted feet. The wooden floor beneath them cracked.
“Then I look forward to seeing your battle,” the chieftain said. “Heart Seeker is not the strongest of our mid-grade demons, but he is unorthodox. Begin!”
Heart Seeker vanished as soon as the battle commenced. All visual cues disappeared, and Sun Wukong immediately saw that he wasn’t literally invisible, but was blending perfectly with his surroundings. He made few sounds, courtesy of a decent movement technique.
“Let’s see how she’ll deal with that,” Sun Wukong muttered. He threw up a barrier in conjunction with the Stargazer Chieftain, as the ranged fighter began unleashing arrows of power. He expected dodging and weaving. He expected evasive patterns. But to his surprise, Lady White just stood there. And at first, it looked like the arrows were hitting her without effect. That is, until he realized they were still hitting his shields. “She’s… dodging?”
“Xiao Bai is really fast,” Mi Fei explained. “I’ve never seen anyone faster.”
Indeed, she was dodging and returning to the same position so fast that you could barely see her move away. Her element is time? It was only after several dozen shots that the ranged opponent stopped. He changed tactics and shifted to his curved staff.
“Ooo, bad decision,” Mi Fei said.
“What do you mean?” Sun Wukong said. Then he heard a sharp crack. Then another. Then another. Bones broke every second as one kick after another struck the poor invisible demon. Lady White was a nightmarish blur. She couldn’t be stopped. Her opponent could barely react. He didn’t even have the time to call out before his jaw was broken and he was no longer able to answer.
The beating continued. For one minute. Two minutes. Everyone was too shocked to stop them. The chieftain tried to call an end to the match, but she ignored him. It was her opponent who needed to submit.
“Okay, he can go now,” she said, ending the match. The poor demon no longer had the energy to cloak himself.
His allies dragged his limp body out of the ring—though surprisingly, no blood had been spilled.
“It seems that you fight well above your skill level,” the chieftain said with a hoarse voice. “Perhaps you would enjoy a bit more of a challenge?”
“Naw,” she said. “I’m happy to start from the bottom. We’ll work our way up. The traditional way.” She winked.
“Of course,” the chieftain said shakily.
Well, that’s one problem solved, Sun Wukong thought. She would buy him time. As for how much, that depended on how fast she recovered energy. After a display like that, the chieftain would not give her a break. Fighting one opponent might not take its toll, but what about hundreds? That could really put a dent into one’s energy reserves. And that was before she worked her way up to late-initiation demons.
Hurry up, Cha Ming, he thought. We need you. After all, they were only buying time. The real challenge would come after he got back.
Fighting oneself was a strange experience. Strange but familiar. It wasn’t like fighting against a mirror image, but more like fighting a familiar friend. He knew your every trick. He knew your every weakness. Even your biggest attacks could be defused by the least of exertions. He noticed this as he painted the twelfth stroke of Ink-Splattered Cage. His mirror opponent used Clockwork Nightmare as the technique activated, striking it at dozens of key points before the prison could fully form. It was simple and effective. It could only work if you knew the technique’s weakness. It was something only he could think of doing in the heat of battle.
“You’re good,” Cha Ming said.
“You’re not half bad either,” replied his mirror opponent.
They paused, analyzing how they could most easily win. They shared the same goal, after all, even if one of them couldn’t improve. Talismans won’t help me, he thought. I’m fighting, not resting. My poetic talismans are already stronger than anything I could hope to craft. That left a breakthrough in technique or concept. Very difficult in the heat of battle. Unless…
Crown of the Starry Sky: Book 11 of Painting the Mists Page 54