At the base of the mountain Blue stared at his system panel.
[Flowing Steel Comprehension: 50%]
[Technique: Flowing Steel - Qinggong Unlocked]
[A chained foot cannot follow the flow]
"Chained foot?" Blue stared at his system. "Seriously this thing is so weird sometimes."
Blue closed the system, behind it he noticed the two elders. Cheng and Yeol were standing, everything packed up. "You mastered the qinggong, now we must head up." Yeol pointed up the mountain.
Blue looked up, the mountain was covered in dense trees and fog. Multiple peaks reached through the clouds. Blue stood, grabbed his things. "I'm ready."
Cheng chuckled. "Stay close, we don't need you getting lost."
Cheng and Yeol vanished into the fog, Blue jumped on a tree branch and dashed after them. Flowing Steel carried him with ease. He could overtake them, but he had no idea where they were headed. The men leapt from peak to peak, through the fog and forest. Between peaks they used the canopy, barely disturbing the trees below. Yeol looked back and saw Blue was only twenty meters behind them. Barely tired. "Hey, old bastard. Do you see this?" He gestured toward Blue.
Cheng looked back and laughed. "Your brother sure did bring some monsters into the world huh?" Cheng laughed. "Let's pick up the pace, we only have 7 days. He is going to need every minute."
The two elders moved faster through the canopy. Blue stayed right behind them. They finally reached a peak that overlooked the west side of Chengdu. The elders stopped. Blue stopped right behind them. "Is this it?"
No response from either of them. In the distance Blue could hear the clanging of steel. He approached the edge next to Yeol. He looked past the fog and saw her. So-Yeon, in the Tang compound, training with other members of the clan.
"...So-Yeon." He looked over at uncle. "Please tell me, we aren't going down there."
Yeol laughed. "Of course not." He pointed back at Cheng. Cheng was on the ground, hands on a few seemingly random rocks. He infused his qi and the area lit up. Dirt was tossed aside, rocks moved on their own. An array appeared in front of them. "This is why we are here." Cheng looked up at Blue.
"My father had this installed. This is where he came after my mother passed. It was his sanctuary, and where he created and mastered Flowing Steel." Yeol looked at Blue. "This is also where she mastered it." He pointed below. "It is where you too, will master it."
"How is an array going to help?" Blue asked.
Cheng and Yeol looked at each other. "You'll know once you step inside. Are you ready?" Yeol gestured for Blue to move.
He looked back at his uncle, then to Cheng. "Do I have a choice?"
Yeol shoved Blue. "Nope." Blue sat in the middle of the array. Yeol approached and bent down. He looked up at Blue. "Pain in there, is pain out here." Then he released his Ten-Thousands Poison Qi into the array. A wall of green light surrounded Blue. "What do you mean by-." He was pulled into the array before he could finish.
A bright green light lit up the sky. Below, So-Yeon looked up. "Uncle, why are you wasting your time again?" She looked back at the elder she was training with.
"If he spent as much time being an elder, as he does trying to master the technique his father left behind, the clan would be in a better position." The elder looked back at So-Yeon.
"Maybe." So-Yeon looked back up at the mountain. "But maybe he'll master it this time."
The array pulled Blue’s consciousness into a separate space. A figure appeared through a wall of fog. It walked towards him, as it approached a forest appeared as well. The figure dashed through the trees. Blue's eyes could barely keep up. "That's Flowing Steel. Who are you? Where am I?" Blue looked around. "What the fuck is this?"
The figure disappeared, Blue tried to find him. Then he appeared inches from his face. "Do you still not know?"
"...Grandfather?" Blue dropped to his knees.
"How is this possible. You're dead." Blue rubbed his eyes.
"This is merely an illusion boy, you are the fourth person to enter this array. You came more prepared than any other before you." Yoryeon stepped back and pulled his jian. "Now come, there is much to learn."
For two days Blue fought Yoryeon. "What is the point of this." Blue threw his sword on the ground. "I can't keep up, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing."
Yoryeon approached. "The qinggong isn't meant to be a separate technique. It is meant to flow into and with your sword, boy. Watch." Yoryeon moved from tree to tree, slashing branches and tree trunks as he danced in front of Blue.
"Chained foot. Is that what it meant?"
Blue stood. “I thought the qinggong was one of two techniques. Rather, they flow together and become one.” He bent down and picked up his sword. The system pinged.
[Flowing Steel Comprehension: 65%]
Blue clenched his fist. "Let's fucking do this."
Outside the two elders watched.
"Do you think he will grasp the concept?" Yeol looked at Cheng.
"We grasped it and still couldn't manage." Cheng looked at blue sitting in the middle of the array. "He's smart, but it will come down to his will to not give up."
Yeol smacked Cheng. "You gave up before I did. Remember that?"
"At least I didn't cry." Cheng laughed.
"Hey! It was hard to see him again. Plus I got some dirt in my eye from the array kicking up dust." Yeol looked at Blue as well. "I lasted 5 days, you lasted 4. Want to make a bet?"
"You mean take your money? Of course. I say he lasts seven days." Cheng smiled and reached his hand out toward Yeol.
"Six days." Yeol shook his hand.
Inside the array, Blue let the qinggong flow with the combat technique until they started to become one. "The scroll makes sense now."
[System Notification]
[Flowing Steel Comprehension: 75%]
Blue smiled and dashed toward Yoryeon. Their swords clashed, both men jumped backwards. Yoryeon jumped to a tree, Blue followed. "Very good, better than the woman." Yoryeon smiled.
The next 5 days, Blue and Yoryeon clashed. Each time the image from the scroll flashed in his mind. Drawings of the qinggong technique, and a faint drawing behind it doing something else entirely. Blue had thought his grandfather drew over an old scroll. Now he understood. The qinggong and the combat techniques were one. The system pinged for the last time. Yoryeon dropped his sword and sat down at the same time.
[System Notification]
[Flowing Steel Comprehension: 100%]
Blue let out a sigh of release. He bowed to Yoryeon. "Thank you, grandfather."
Yoryeon stood and bowed back. Then he approached Blue. "Find the All-Venoms Scroll. Carry on my legacy." Yoryeon faded away as the array gave way as well.
Outside the array collapsed. Blue opened his eyes and saw Yeol throw Cheng a small leather pouch. Cheng laughed and looked at Blue. "So?"
Blue stood. "I mastered it. But theres something else grandfather said. Something about All-Venoms scroll?"
Cheng and Yeol looked back at each other. Yeol approached Blue. "Arrays are fickle. Maybe you misheard. We should head back now though."
Blue nodded. "They know something, guess I'll have to find out for myself."
The three men packed up and headed back to the Silent Edge compound. The next stage of training was about to commence.