A Thousand Li Book 11 - Chapter 3 preview (Patreon)

**Author Note: Preview chapters are rough/first drafts. These chapters have not been edited, expect that there may be errors - however, feel free to point out consistency issues!*

Wu Ying drew a deep breath and let it out, cycling chi through his meridians as he sat there. High above, the clouds had begun to break up, the unnatural configuration released. In the distance, Wu Ying could sense rain falling, washing into the numerous streams and waterfalls that made up this mountain range even as the Sect Head gently guided the clouds around to best benefit the sect and the surroundings. Even here, the drought had taken its toll and the river, normally broad and deep had shrunk to a level Wu Ying could not recall seeing before. It made acquiring provisions even harder, and the sect ever more thankful that the farming village formed below had grown in size and strength.

He pushed such considerations out of his mind as he felt the formation above flicker. Moments later, two Elders appeared. Of course, one of the cultivators was Tou He but the second was the surprise. Elder Cui’s long, white beard and wispy eyebrows flowed in the air as he landed on the ground beside the two, looking disapproving at the pair.

“Really. Playing at your age,” he said, lips pressed together and ignoring greetings. “You do understand how much this will cost, yes?”

“I have enough of a backlog to pay for it,” Wu Ying said, with a light smile. He certainly had, what with the various cores and herbs he and his students had begun to bring back in the last few years. Especially since he had been credited a significant portion of points for aiding the sect and the country in acquiring rice and foodstuff from kingdoms near and far. “And while an indulgence, it is a necessary one.”

“You could just travel outside a little,” Elder Cui said, grumpily. Still, even as he spoke, Wu Ying could feel his authority extend, weaving itself into the formations and turning some on and others off. Activating the protective enchantments necessary for a pair of Core Formation cultivators to do battle.

Each time a new formation was triggered, Wu Ying could feel the shift in environmental chi and the barrier along the edges of the arena. It was like a slowly increasing note played by a musician, rising to the forefront of his attention.

To his surprise, at the point where he thought it would stop – the normal protections necessary for such sparring – it kept rising.

“Elder?” Tou He said, beating Wu Ying to asking.

“You wanted me to watch over you pair of fools, yes?” Elder Cui said, leaning over a gnarly wooden staff he had conjured from his own storage ring. That it hummed with restrained power was not at all surprising to either pair of cultivators. Considering Elder Cui was a Nascent Soul cultivator, a mundane stick would shatter under even the most casual of uses unless he paid extra attention. “Well, I’m doing so.”

Wu Ying looked at Tou He who shrugged. Before the pair could speak further, they sensed further personages approaching, Elders appearing in their boxstands.

“Did you tell them” Wu Ying muttered, eyeing their audience. Entirely without surprise, Elder Hsu was among them, the hirsute Elder waving genially at the pair.

“Of course not.” Tou He shrugged. “But I’m sure they can sense the change.”

“Unruly children, content to watch a pair of fools beat on each other like squabbling boys,” Elder Cui shook his head and then leveled the staff at Wu Ying. “How did you manage to bypass my security formations, boy?”

“You let air in,” Wu Ying said, simply.

“Annoying.” Elder Cui pursed his lips, considering and then nodded as though he had come to a proper conclusion after a moment. “Elder Wang and I shall speak. In the meantime, you will hold to common courtesy.”

“Of course,” Wu Ying said.

“Children, always showing off…” Elder Cui muttered, then looked up. Gauging the strength of the formation around them with a flexing of his will, he nodded. “This should do. Try not to target it, however. Yes?”

Echoing agreement, the pair waited for the Elder to leave before they turned to face one another in the open, sandy arena. All around them on the boxstands, Elders – mostly of the martial form, though Wu Ying noted that Elder Kim, the head of Gatherers and Agriculture was presented as well – watched with idle interest, many already having supplied themselves with sunflower seeds, cookies and cakes and pots of tea.

“A little busier than expected,” Wu Ying said, touching Ren by his side. He frowned, eyeing his friend and then shook his head, making the weapon disappear and rebelting another weapon.

Tou He did not object. Neither party had the overweaning pride of a child – no matter what Elder Cui might say – to object to extra caution being taken. Without understanding the full degree of change, using his most powerful weapon was more than dangerous, it was foolish. Better to start with a simple Spirit weapon before progressing further.

On the other hand, the former monk had his usual weapon in-hand, the embossed golden and silver staff held easily in one hand. The Saint-level weapon had been forged for Tou He by elder (???) from the bone of a fire dragon that had fallen to earth a century ago. Utilising enchantments that had been embedded in the staff, the weapon could elongate and thicken at Tou He’s command to thrice it’s size. More importantly, it could take on the Elder’s fiery aura and project it without burning.

“Try not to burn me too much,” Wu Ying said. “I’ve already regrown my skin once today.”

Tou He grinned. “No promises.”

And then, without a vocal signal from either party, they began.

***

Dragon unsheathes its Claws clashed with an Unexpected Landslide, the rising draw cut from Wu Ying’s sheath catching the falling staff before it could reach him. However, Wu Ying altered his technique a little on instinct, choosing to step to the left at the same time to put himself on the outside of Tou He’s weapon rather than face it directly.

He knew better. His was a simple sword, and though it might have the strength of a gusting wind, it had not the prodigious momentum and conceptual weight of the falling rocks that Tou He’s own attack contained.

Or should have.

To Wu Ying’s surprise, rather than having to shed the attack as he stepped, the pair of weapons clashed high above and Tou He’s own staff was sent bouncing away. A brief moment of surprise registered on both their visages, but his friend recovered first, utilizing the momentum to bring the other end of his weapon to strike at Wu Ying’s midsection.

Thoughtlessly, Wu Ying let his form waver as the attack passed through him. Wind parted under the heavy strike. More surprising to him, even though he had dodged the physical attack; he still felt pain as his friend’s dao inspiration and aura interacted with his own.

Heavenly flames of purification and cleansing, of benediction and mercy tore at his form, causing injury as it did so. Minor injury, it was true, but more than Wu Ying had expected. Forced onto the defensive, and unwilling to risk further injury for the moment, he wove a defensive net with his jian against the fast moving staff.

Yet the other weapon was faster than his own, the martial cultivator able to utilize the full extent of his weapon’s greater flexibility and reach against Wu Ying. Rather than allow himself be struck, the wind cultivator gave ground, the pair flowing across the open ground.

For the moment, the pair only utilized minor extensions of their aura and dao’s to do battle. After all, this was a friendly spar; meant for Wu Ying to study the extent of changes in his body. In that, they were succeeding well enough, for he was realizing that the most recent change had increased his strength and speed significantly.

As he gained greater comfort with the alterations, the tempo of the battle changed. The first sign was when Wu Ying stopped backing up and circling, sinking his feet into the sand and holding off the spinning staff with his sword alone.

Then, with a flick of his weapon to send the staff backwards, Wu Ying took his first step forward. Then another. The clang of weapons picked up in pace, growing in strength like raindrops striking a metal shield till the noise began one continuous note. Wu Ying’s weapon flickered and flashed, its end no longer visible as he continued to pick up the pace. Wind swirled around them, picking up sand and forming a dense sandstorm that began to cloud their presence.

Wu Ying noted in the background the pressure of additional spiritual senses, auras extended into the arena so that the Elder’s could continue their viewing. The dry and dusty air grew warm as Tou He’s own aura interacted with the surroundings, causing each breath to feel like sucking in air in a furnace. Almost unconsciously, the wind cultivator entreated aid from the winds and colder air began to flow downwards.

“No cyclones!” Roared a command, causing Wu Ying to hesitate. He realized then what he had begun, without thinking and corrected course. In the meantime, Tou He dug his feet in, the pair having returned to approximately the center of the arena once again.

Feet set firmly, the Mountain Resides form began to shine again. A ghostly image of an unyielding mountain appeared behind Tou He, reinforcing his defense. No longer was his own staff struck backwards as Wu Ying attacked, the chime of conflicting weapons resounding once again through the arena.

A couple of minutes later with neither party managing to acquire the upper hand, the pair leapt backwards to put space between each other. A part of the wind cultivator knew that if he wanted to push it further, he could speed up even more; but to do so he would have to use his dao. And the pair of them were trying, for the most part, from doing that.

Wu Ying kept his sword raised for a moment longer before he nodded and lowered it, his action mimicked by his friend. At the same time, the winds died down and allowed the sand that had been thrown up to settle.

“Now that we’ve warmed up, are we ready to move on?” Wu Ying said, swishing his sword from side-to-side.

Tou He’s grinned and raised his staff in acknowledgment.