Yin Long Planet Upper Half

Crater City was stilled on this night. The quietness was almost tangible, no rustle of clothing, everybody’s breathing was slow and barely audible. The whole of Crater City was gathered at the center, viewing the platform in the center of the city with utmost care. To these people, being able to view martial artists as they grow up, and spar is a truly blood boiling occasion. Men would enjoy it more than women, of course not all women were of such mind.

The platform was a whole new domain, the atmosphere within the platform was reserved for only the fighters to feel the stones below their feet. To be able to breathe the air that lingered above the platform, made one feel like royalty. It was truly astonishing.

Knowing the moment you stepped on that platform all of Crater City would have their eyes upon you.

The platform hovered there, like a flat disc, uninterrupted by the gazes homing on to the platform. Two young adults were locked in gaze, one was adorned in a white cotton robe belonging to the Zhi Chi School. The other youth was enveloped in a pitch black, loosely fit silk robe with a hood. This youth was none other than Jie.

Jie looking at the boy across him, edging his feet inch by inch. His left hand stretched out in front of him, aligned with his upper torso. Jies palm was open, with his right hand in a fist by his waist line. His left leg stretched ahead of his right leg, his body slightly crouched, and his weight on his right foots toes to give him the spring required for his leap. Whilst the Zhe Chi student was relaxed, both his feet distanced by 30 cm, forming the letter L, his knees slightly bent. Both his arms relaxed out, with an open palm, a slight curl raised on the side of his lips.

The Zhe Chi student took two light steps, moving his left leg first ‘pu’ . ‘pu’. Both his hands dropped to his side, dangling in the wind. His light steps were more like mini leaps, he covered three metres in a breath. His third step landing on his left leg, he sprang vaulting in the air. Behind his left leg, wind element was accumulating from the moment he entered his stance. The slashing blades of the wind behind his leg, distorted the surrounding atmosphere.

The moment his leg closed in on the platform, bringing with it a swirling wind. The wind blade unleashed, sprang out from behind his leg parting the wind above the platform, screeching across the platform ‘screeeeeeeee’.

Jie looking at his opponent, ignoring the incoming wind blade, grinding across the platform. Jie sidestepped to the left, both his feet working in unison like each foot was orbiting around the other. He moved steadily, The wind blade rushed past him, blowing wind into his face. The Zhe Chi student hadn’t landed yet. Jie Sprung, like a dragon flying out of his cave! Leaping a whole eight metres, his right foot landed first, his left foot lagging behind, came sliding through.

His body utilizing the Qi from his right foot that was like a pole stuck in the ground. His right fist clenched harder, he had also been rotating and circulating his Qi from the beginning. His left foot sliding, carrying the momentum of the launch and land, pivoting from his waist, carrying the power which moved towards his left palm. His left foot stopped just before the Zhe Chi student. Jies body rising from his landing position, his palm shooting to the Zhe Chi students’ chest! He couldn’t dodge, his palm that had flew out, like it exploded out of a canon! The instant it moved, was the instant it landed on his chest!

The Zhe Chi Student didn’t know what to do, a deep feeling of fear imbued in the palm. The whole place darkened in his view. All he could see was the palm that landed on his chest! All he could hear was the palm landing on his chest ‘PA’. He closed his eyes, it was instinct that told him to close his eyes.

“…….” The whole square still quiet, everybody in a knelt position around the square using their hands to clutch on to their clothes! This fight was decided in an instant!

A muffled explosion sounded on the platform, a second after the palm landed on the Zhe Chi students’ chest. It was like a small bomb had exploded in a closed metal container. The air was blasted, but didn’t move far like it was compressed around the platform. The Zhe Chi student felt a cold, yet gentle breeze flow through his innards and explode behind his back!

“…….!!”

The crowd couldn’t contain their excitement and curiosity any longer!

“Did you see that white smoke?”

“Is he okay?!”

The crowd gasping, they could clearly see the white dust explode from behind the student. Most of the kids and women had their hands covering their mouths, unable to understand the situation at all. Actually nobody was, the only people who could tell was the School Masters, and Disciples. They all understood that Jie had went easy, he had controlled his Qi to explode it directly behind the opponent. Otherwise it would have been a serious injury. Such control!

Jies gaze looked evil, he was thinking to himself ‘I won’t let him of this easy, that wind blade was capable of chopping of an arm or two.’ Jie rotated his palm that was flat across the Zhe Chi Students chest, the moment his palm rotated the enemy blasted of, his body twisting in mid-air, crashing onto an empty food stand not too far away from the platform.

‘Bang’ , 'kuchi' 'chicha' sounds of splitting, splintering and snapped woods filled the square.

The student got back up, clasped his hands towards Jie, then the school masters and bowed towards the spectating crowd. Making his way back to his school, he sat back down. He was replaying the fight in his mind, trying to understand what he could have done better. This was the first time he had been beaten so quickly, his name was Pinjing. He had curly, golden brown hair. Lean body, with deep blue eyes.

Jie following suit did the same, next he moved of the platform in a steady and calm fashion. He seemed like a martial god to this crowd, able to predict his enemy’s movements and technique, being able to counter with a lightning fast response!

The crowd went into an uproar, wanting to view more fights, see these youths before they left this planet in a years’ time.

Greyhound of to the side, was talking quietly with Toulan. They looked aged, but happy. It was seven years, since they sent Jie to train, even they never imagined he would have joined the Tiandi School. However, in a short period of time, he exhibited such amazing talent, eclipsing all the other youths in training.

Toulan started to think about somebody else. He was in a relaxed manner, lying down on the beast fur, where a beautiful lady who was feeding him grapes and cherries. This lady, was Wenrous mother. She had medium blonde hair, and had well defined body with swaying curves. She wasn’t the prettiest women in the square, but for some reason Toulan could only look at her. She had this beauty that appealed just to him, like a sparkling diamond nobody could see.

She carried a face of happy, and comfort for public events. However, she wasn’t happy, she had poor ovaries since birth and Wenrou was her only child, naturally she thought he would grow up just like Jie. But fate wasn’t just cruel on Wenrou, fate was also cruel on her.

Toulan looked sad, thinking how Zhi had lost Wenrou. He couldn’t have believed that Wenrou would run away, nobody was able to find him. They found tracks leading to the waterfall, and looking at the displaced rock, and tracks made them understand that Wenrou had fallen into the lake and died, as his body was feeble. No way would he have been able to survive the drop, not with his body!

Greyhound of the side, couldn’t help but think ‘one son a bright flame, the other whose candle was never lit. Such a shame, I miss that rascal. I wonder what he would be like today.’

Zhi had her hands, running through Toulans hair scratching it slightly. She felt some of the blame was Toulans fault, but Zhi understood that he cared for Wenrou, more than he should have in his own right.

Zhi was a naturally quiet women, she would always think in her head and wouldn’t talk much with others. The only people she really talked with on more than one occasion was Toulan, Greyhound and the other servants. After Wenrou, was presumed dead she went even quieter, and she avoided Jie like he was a plague. He looked like a spitting image of Wenrou, and this would cause her more suffering.

She had mistaken Jie for Wenrou, on more than one occasion, every time he returned from school. Keeping her hopes up that one day he would return, these thoughts would break her heart even more. She had went even quieter over time, she just nodded nowadays. The last time she had spoken was 3 years ago. The time she had closed her heart to anybody and anything. To her this world was dull, grey and devoid of light.

How important is a son to a mother? The pain of bringing him into this world? Could a father understand this? She carried Wenrou in her womb for 38 weeks, and was so happy to have a good looking child who made friends and knew how to have a good time. If you was a mother, could you live in a world, where your son had fallen of a cliff and presumed to have drowned to death? Could you?

The platform was filled with more fights, scorching flames, whistling winds and shattering rock sounds filled the city square that night. It took a whole day, to get through all the students to demonstrate to the city and their parents how much they have grown. Even though Jie only stood up for one fight, his fight was imprinted into the hearts and minds of everybody there.