SHI AU 29: Heavens Shaking

The battle upon the lens of air was reaching its climax and Minyan leaned forwards. Her eyes were fixed upon the lens of air that hovered in the middle of the stadium as Rou gave it his all against a man that should have defeated him twenty minutes ago.

Minyan had known he would comport himself well. He had shown remarkable growth so far, stunning even her. And yet even she thought that he should have hit his limit. Unlike the previous cretin, Liang Daoyi had completely stabilized his cultivation and was well into his journey in the Spiritual Realm. He was seasoned, in a way none of the others were.

And yet Rou was still matching him.

That was her boy holding his own. That was her boy, displaying dazzling, wondrous skill that set the entire stadium howling, and crossed the gap between realms, growing sharper with every moment.

Rou had surpassed all of her expectations. No, not just surpassed, he had shattered them like cheap porcelain. Disintegrated them. Her estimation of her boy had gone from talented to prodigy to once-in-a-generation skill in the span of less than a week. 

Again, Minyan was utterly baffled how Shen Yu had missed this. How? How? Was it Bu’s shadow still lingering over him, that he could not see Mount Tai?

Minyan didn’t know, and that bothered her. The Shen Yu she knew was not so foolish as to not see this.

Rou commanded the undivided attention of what had to be the whole sect. The Midships had gone mad, the bosuns down in the near riot with their clubs trying to restore order. The Four Winds were in nearly the same shape, decorum breaking down at this display from what they saw as one of their own.

Both Song and Lili had given up pretending they were only watching out of amusement. Their eyes were sharp and focused, looking at his form, and evaluating every movement.

And then they all felt it. The shift in the battle.

[The Pillar that Holds Up Heaven]

Minayn’s hands gripped the armrest of her chair with such strength that her fingers started splintering the ancient, reinforced stone. It was a completely unseemly loss of control, but she didn’t care at all, her eyes and her soul fixed on the scene before her.

A pillar of Golden Light Descended on Rou.

A deer formed around him, the anima of his power flaring with ancient might.

[The Art of Crafting Mountains: Soaring Heaven's Fortress] 

Both Rou and the deer roared, a deep bass note mixed with the primordial sounding bugle of an elk. 

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Even through the thousand Li View, even through such distance, the entirety of their sect froze, as the noise, and the faintest feeling of Qi washed over them.

 That sound, that cry reverberated through their very souls.

They didn’t know what it was. They didn’t entirely know what was happening, But they knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was something they had been missing.

The Deer bellowed. And the feathers of Soaring Heaven’s Isle answered.

What issued forth from their lips was not human. The fierce cry of a hawk, the melody of a thrush, the song of a wren, and a hundred thousand other notes, reminiscing of instruments and even human singing, and it slotted in perfectly into the gaps left by the great deer’s roar, harmonizing into a battle cry unheard since the Age of Darkness. Their Qi flared, feathers forming something almost like a bird in response.

The command staff, the Captains and the Rear Admirals, and the Admirals themselves could feel their cultivation stirring, reaching out a hesitant tendril to the thundering roar.

And even the Godship; ancient, half-dead, scuppered on the rocks, took notice. It was deep, deep within the ship. It was past unparalleled defensive formations, the spirits of those who had willingly given their lives to serve as the last defence, forever bound to stop the enemies of the Isle from reaching the Ship’s core.

It was past the one hundred and eight-fold seals, nestled in the firing chamber. It was a spear, one hundred and eight hands long—the final, and still operational weapon from the Age of Darkness, Heaven Breaker.

The weapon that had shattered an entire floating continent into an archipelago and had slain untold millions of demons.

The last remnants of the bird shuddered, and then felt joy, as the roar of its other half rumbled through her once more. 

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Minyan’s heart thundered in her chest; her blood, normally sluggish and cold, flowed through her veins like fire, burning with the feeling that call had instilled in her.

Song had doubled over in her seat, a palm over her own heart. Lili, who had been lounging, had fallen off her cushion and was even now just staring up from the floor, her mouth wide open, and her normal whimsical smile completely absent.

Xiaobao was on her feet, leaning halfway out of the Elder’s box, her one good eye fixed upon the scene.

Rou, who had fallen, rose. Her boy staggered to his feet, bleeding, battered, and still defiant. His grin was wide and half-mad and all Minyan could see was Shen Yu, smiling in the face of death, and ready to fight it.

The two men launched themselves towards each other for one final blow. They met at the same time. They both fell.

And then Rou once more staggered to his feet.

 It was…. It was… magnificent. Rou, one arm raised. The gift she had given him around his neck, gleaming under the sun.

"Match, Over! Victory! Tianzhe Rou!" 

The sect exploded. Minyan’s boy was swimming in and out of consciousness. And yet still he strode forward. Towards his downed opponent.

“You okay, buddy?” Rou asked, his voice clear. Both men smiled at each other.

She could see her own past, Shen Yu offering a hand in friendship to her, after his victory. She saw that one action, and how it changed everything about the trajectory of her life.

And there was Rou, doing the same thing without thinking.

The Heavenly Pillar Sect…? She would have to address that. Daoyi had proved a spectacular whetstone for Rou. They would have to look into their relationship with that sect. Actually, she would send a messenger today. Best strike while the iron was hot.

Minyan leaned back in her seat and let out a breath. There would be problems because of this. Things would be set in motion. And yet… she couldn’t bring herself to care.

So instead, she just allowed herself to feel content.

“Oh gods shes going to be insufferable for the next century, isn’t she?” Song muttered.

Lili just snorted. “Truly, we are going to be living in interesting times…” She mused.

Below them, the bosuns just gave up, because the four winds had joined in the midships for throwing their decorum to the wind, their Qi still reverberating with the roar of the deer, the flames of passion burning in their soul.

She wondered just what Rou was feeling at the moment.

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You know, I kind of expected to be out for longer. I had a good fight, I was utterly exhausted, and I figured I’d wake up in a soft bed somewhere sore but satisfied.

Instead I woke up to one of the most horrific smells that had ever graced my nose in both lifetimes, and I used to have to clean the collected shit of Crimson Crucible City.

It burned, and every nerve in my body fired at once. Consciousness came back with a jolt, and I flailed ineffectually, every ache and pain slamming into my brain at once.

“WhagarFUCKshit—” I spat out, Bailu’s face entering my vision as she put away the cultivator grade smelling salts.

“Wakey-wakey captain!” she cheered while I flailed, my nose burning. I didn’t go anywhere because Seiyu was hugging me from behind. “Come on, it's better if you’re conscious for this!”

We were in a room, not the arena— but we were still in the stadium, judging by the dull roar I could hear.

“Bailu, what the hells?!” I demanded. Ningjing’s little avatar was bouncing around and trilling happily, while Big D was doing the same beside her while I felt kind of like I was going to throw up.

“Concentrate please, Aruji.” Seiyu’s soft voice came from behind. “You must assist me in this. Being awake now means you do not have to enter a healing sleep later.”

That's about when I noticed her cool, water aligned Qi moving through my meridians. The gentle touch soothed inflammation and pooling around my dantian, ready to be absorbed.

My cheeks heated up at the intimate sensations. The bare skin of Seiyu's upper chest pressed against my back, skin to skin contact required for this kind of ‘healing’. Her Qi flowed through my body, and I could literally feel the joy and pride she had in me for my victory.

And, well… they were both right.If I completed my “crash” I would be out for probably a week to recover. While it wouldn’t be bad for me… it was probably for the best if I didn’t have to sleep that long.

I accepted her Qi, the parts of it she had stripped of most of its potency so I could actually absorb it, instead of the power rampaging inside my body.

I leaned back into Seiyu’s embrace, and she leaned forwards to rest her head on my shoulder, her eyes closed. Bailu bent down, wrapping my legs in bandages and Spiritual Herbs, her movements swift and sure. I had massive fractures all through my bones, my left leg and arm were broken entirely, and I could feel the closing holes in my lung where my ribs had pierced… but I could also feel them sealing shut. The healing, with my active attention, started to speed up, closing wounds that should have taken years to heal, if they healed at all, in the matter of minutes.

Being a cultivator was really damn convenient.

“So I won, huh?” I asked, really drinking it in. The memory of the fight was still fresh in my mind, and I could feel my heart pump faster just thinking about it

I had won. I had fought, and won and it felt… amazing. Daoyi had been exactly the person I had been looking for. He had matched every blow, he had It had been epic.

“You did.” Bailu said, looking up into my eyes with pride. “You were amazing, Rou.” 

Her smile was as bright as the sun. Seiyu simply hummed with contentment, her Qi letting me know exactly how she felt.

Big D and Ningjing finally got tired of hopping around me and they scrambled up  into my lap, both their eyes shining.

It felt amazing.

“Thanks for pushing me to join.” I said after a moment, and my Storm Wings both grinned wider.

“Our pleasure, Senchou.” Seiyu said.

“Yup, yup! Anytime!  Now here, eat this, we want you looking good for the reward ceremony!” Bailu added, holding out a pill. 

I took it, and let it help with the healing. By the end of the ten minutes… I could walk under my own power again. I was far from back in action, and if I had to really fight I would probably just pass the hell out.

And, then, it was time for me to head back out into the arena; the victor was required for the tournament to end, after all.

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The cheers hit me like a physical force. It was a solid wall of noise that made my bones vibrate, by heart thundering in my chest.

“Tian-Zhe! Tian-Zhe! Tian-Zhe! Tian-Zhe!”

The people in the stands were roaring as one, howling out Minyan’s—my last name. It was overwhelming. It was so much more than I had banked on when I first joined the tournament. Everyone was chanting in unison. I could see so many people—but I couldn’t see Daoyi. It was a little disappointing, but the dude was probably as jacked up as I was. We’d meet up later, I was sure.

But the other thing was that I couldn’t see the Soaring Heaven’s Isle contingent, which did make me a bit worried. Their box was almost conspicuously empty.

I turned my eyes forward, to where I was going.

Forward, upon a lone figure standing on a dais in the middle of the stadium. It was a grand thing, wreathed in flames, and gilded with gold, and upon it stood the Tenth Princess, Yunxi.

I reached the distance the organizers had told me, and dropped to one knee, raising my hands in the gesture of respect and bowing deeply. The victor of the tournament was allowed to merely kneel, rather than go into a full kowtow, a great honour, I was assured.

The cheers went quiet, when the woman raised her hand.

“Tianzhe Rou. You may rise. And approach.” she commanded, her voice carrying throughout the arena, and I did, rising up to my full height, and stepping onto the dias with her—or rather on the platform slightly below her. I had to look slightly up to meet her eyes, standing as she was on the dias, and up close I could really see her eyes; the gold band around her pupil  bled into the red like the coming dawn—they were beautiful. I met her gaze with calmness I didn’t really feel… but whatever she saw had her nod.

“It is rare that the Capital sees such a performance; That it sees one transcend the gaps between realms and emerges victorious.” She began, addressing the crowd more than me. “But what was most noticeable to us was not the strength of your arm, nor the skill with which you battled. It was your honour and your virtue. Even in the final bout, with it all on the line, that virtue never wavered. It was a feat worthy of this stadium. Of this competition, and of our grand capital!”

The crowd roared again, cheering as her voice rose, punctuating the point. “But it is one thing to view such actions from the outside. It is another to hear one’s words on the matter. Tell us, Tianzhe Rou. The sons and daughters of the Phoenix will hear your thoughts on this tournament, and of your victory.”

I paused for a moment, thinking about what exactly I should say… before I just decided to wing it.

“It is only because my opponent acted with equal virtue that I was able to display such a victory, your majesty. Liang Daoyi has my utmost respect, and if my virtue is to be commended, so too should his.” I began, my voice carrying to everyone watching. “As for my thoughts upon this victory, and upon this tournament, I shall address every competitor who participated.”

I could feel the energy in the air, as the crowd hung on to my every word. The princess’s gaze upon me was equally intense. I turned from her to look at the crowd.

“Thank you for coming here, and thank you for being my opponents. It is my dearest wish that you all grow stronger. I want you all to surpass yourselves, to ascend with speed and vigour!. Whenever we cross paths within these hallowed arenas, I want you there, ready to steal the title of Victor from me!”

People’s jaws dropped open at my declaration, the entire arena freezing at my words. The cultivators in their boxes looked baffled. 

“They say ours is the path of heaven—so then we must best challenges worthy of that title! I wish for only the strongest rivals! The most dedicated foes! Fools talk of stepping stones, using others to make their path easier. It is a worthless thing to think. We use steel to sharpen steel! We use fire to temper our blades! That is what a tournament is! To find worthy rivals that can press you, time and time again! Fellows whom sharpen you, and whom you sharpen in turn! And should I lose, then I will rejoice! I shall roar the name of the victor from the stands, for they have given me what is most invaluable! Knowledge of where I am lacking! They will show me how far I have left to go!”

I pointed directly at the set of crystals that were streaming this whole thing across the city.

“So Come! I challenge you! I challenge all of you! Let the sparks we make in our clashes light the fires that bring us to the heavens!”

For a moment, there was silence. My eyes searched the crowd, finding those who I had fought, and those who had fought Daoyi. Some of them looked shocked. Others determined. The guy whose hammer I had carved into a deer was staring at me with both anger… and a kind of grudging respect.

And then the princess spoke.

“It is a blessing to our Empire, that it produces men like you.” She said. Her eyes were still locked on to me… and a small smile had found its way onto her face, past the mask of indifference she had been wearing. “When you are prepared, we shall travel to the Imperial Vaults together, so you may claim your prize. But for now… Sons and daughters of the Phoenix. What have you to say to your champion?”

The spell finally broke.

The crowd exploded.

The dais we were on rose into the air, and I stood atop it, the fires blazing all around me.

And then I found out where the Soaring Heaven's Isle girls were, because a full eight skyships did a flyby, moving over the stadium in formation. Petals rained down, horns and trumpets sounded, blasting in victory.

And… for the moment, I basked in it. Despite how much my legs still hurt. Despite how I was just a bit light headed. For the moment, for me, it was actually kind of peaceful.

Then the dias touched down… and the party began.

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