Abyssal Awakening

"Jinghua, you're doing good. But you're too focused on just one aspect. You need to learn how to multitask. The Skybound Swallow's martial art is one that allows you to rapidly switch between attack and evasive manoeuvres.

"If you focus too hard on one aspect, you'll lose sight of your other choices. It's is because of this that Hao Qing managed to defeat you during the Phoenix Dragon gathering." Elder Shen explained while demonstrating my lacking movements.

The Skybound Swallow was made up of five key forms with each form having its own branching set of movements.

Form one, Swift Strikes. A form that prioritizes speed over strength.

Rapid precise strikes that seek to disarm your opponent before they can react. Out of the different branching paths, the ones I've gotten mastery over are the Drifting Feathers, Piercing Wind and Whispering Fang.

Drifting Feathers alternates between slaps and backhand strikes to forcefully open up the opponent's guard. Whispering Fang focuses on attacking pressure points and key nodes through the body where energy flows. Striking with precision will dull their movements.
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And… Piercing Wind. A finishing move of sorts that focuses on one swift strike to the throat and eyes. Not to be used during a spar only during a fight to the death.

"When you were fighting Hao Qing, you weren't switching between the Drifting Feathers and Whispering Fang fast enough. Our martial arts is well known. The instant our enemy discovers that we're targeting the pressure points using Whispering Fang, you should've switched to Drifting Feathers in order to open up their guard.

"However, you became tunnel-visioned when using Whispering Fang, which was your first mistake."

Indeed…

I can still remember the panic I felt when Hao Qing caught my strike. No matter how I tried to enhance my speed, he kept countering my Whispering Fang and I kept trying to break through. Had I used the Drifting Feathers… No, it probably won't change much but it would've been a start.

"That's the mistake of your attack. Next was your footwork. Hao Qing is part of the Hao family. Like us, the Hao family focuses on speed and evasion. When facing someone from the Hao family, it is never a matter of speed but rather decision making.

"It doesn't matter if you are faster or if the Hao family is faster, what matters is how you choose to use your speed. The game that you used to play when you were young, rock paper scissors. In a contest of speed, it's like a game of rock paper scissors. Before the final moment, you must keep changing your actions to counter your opponent."

Phantom Swallow Steps. The footwork of the Skybound Swallow.

Glide, Shift, Gale, Veil and Drift.

Glide is a low sweeping dash to evade and reposition. Shift is a sudden step, pivoting my body past an attack and opening up for a counter against the opponent. Gale rotates and deflects, pushing attacks off course rather than fighting head on. Veil deceives. A feigned retreat into an explosive counter.

And finally, drift is a state of constant evasion. Efficiency and focus is key.

Using these five steps, I should've kept my options open. The moment I locked into one form, Hao Qing already won.

Form three, Swallows Rain. Fast quantitative strikes that link up into a long string of attacks seeking to overwhelm the opponent. A mixture of kicks, hand to hand and weapon strikes that aim to use every part of the body to its maximum effectiveness.

Form four, Swallow Reversal. Evasion and counter is the key focus. Soft parries, hard parries, twists to disorient balance, seeking counters through gaps in attack and even delayed strikes to throw off timing. A form I'm not entirely familiar with.

And the final form of the martial arts. Final Flight.

A set of finishing moves aimed at ending a fight. The culmination of several generations of the Swallow Tail sect's efforts. Each generation of sect masters has added their own understanding, comprehension and refinement into the finishing moves.

Piercing Beak, Sky Waltz, Skybound Phantom, Scattering Feathers and Eclipsing Flight.

Unfortunately, I couldn't comprehend the secrets behind any of the five final strikes, leading to a martial artist who can prolong a fight but lacked the power to finish it.

Had I learned one of these, maybe I could've finished the fight. But who's to say that Hao Qing wasn't holding back himself?

*Sigh

Noticing my doubts, Elder Shen patted me on my shoulder.

"Jinghua, there will be moments of doubt in your life. However, you must remember that life is an ever-moving gale of wind. Whether you like it or not, it will continue without care. You must learn to ride along the gale and use it to your benefit. Learn from this defeat against Hao Qing, understand why you lost and use it to empower your training."

Closing my eyes, I reflected on the bitterness of defeat. The tightness in my chest as I realised I had let my sect down and everyone who believed in me at that moment.

"I under-"

Before I could even finish my words, I felt a killing intent so malevolent, so tyrannical that my entire body froze up and the world around me seemed to change.

Blood beneath my feet, the chilling touch of death's fingers against the back of my neck. An endless horizon of death and despair. The wailing of the eternally tormented.

Their pain, their grief, and their insanity were carved into my mind.

Is this how their life ended? In agony?

Should I… Free them of this pain?

Should I… Free myself from this torment?

"JINGHUA!" Elder Shen's panicked cries snapped me out of my trance as I watched him rip my hands away from my neck.

*GASP!!!

Taking a deep breath, my eyes darted around in panic wondering what had happened.

"Stay close, there's an attack." Elder Shen frowned.

But even without him saying this, I understood.

The source of this killing intent surging by the gates of our sect.

This… demon was walking towards the centre without care.

Even without a domain, I could sense the location of the invader. That was how potent the killing intent was.

I want to run. I want to run. I want to run. I want to run!

"Calm down. Take deep breaths. I don't know what they're here for but someone with this kind of killing intent can't be here for a good reason. You're not ready yet, remember my words and walk with pride." Elder Shen smiled, patting my head.

Standing up, he glanced towards the source with a frown as azure winds wrapped around his body.

I wanted to stop him, to call out to him. But I found no strength. My legs couldn't stand, my voice wouldn't come out.

Biting my lips, the only thought that dominated my mind was to run.

*BANG!!!!

In the distance, violet flames tore into the sky, dying it into a deep purple while chains and threads lashed out.

I could see the shadow of the sect leader and different elders flickering through the sky. The forms of the Swallow Tail martial arts linking up to form an array in an attempt to push back the invader.

However, black limbs burst out from the buildings, grabbing the elders before slamming them into the ground.

A faint figure flickered behind the sect leader, unleashing one heavy punch that the sect leader barely parried off to the side even with his mastery over the martial art.

Just parrying this attack alone was enough to send a shockwave through his body as blood rained down.

I watched the sect leader attempt to fend off the invader using Drifting Feathers. Slapping and striking the punches away but each punch was akin to an unyielding tide, unable to be moved!

Falling Petal Strike!

An attack I haven't mastered. A downward palm strike to unleash a pulse of force that pushes the two combatants away in order to create some distance.

But just as the sect leader jumped back, the invader had already unleashed two chains to wrap around his body.

Pulling him towards them, the invader unleashed two devastating kicks against the leaders stomach before throwing him away.

I could only watch. Even though I knew I had to run, my legs refused to move.

Above the invader, I saw Elder Shen strike down with Piercing Beak but the invader stepped to the side, dodging it with ease.

An uppercut into an elbow strike followed by two jabs against the throat and stomach.

I foresaw death.

The death of Elder Shen. My father figure.

I was tossed away and abandoned, left to survive on my own. It was Elder Shen who raised me from young, took me in as his own and looked after me with care.

My fear of his death was greater than my own!

Gritting my teeth, I punched my own thigh, forcing myself to stand up as I activated my Sigils to support my martial arts.

I had to help. Even if it may seem futile, I don't want Elder Shen to die!

Phantom Swallow Steps – Shift!

"Ohya? Ohya ohya? Another disciple coming to use yourself as a meat shield? Is that even smart?"

The invader looked no older than I was. Split hair of black and white, sharp eyes-no, a sharp eye of crimson and an outfit that was clearly designed for movement.

"Jinghua! Run you fool!" Elder Shen cried out as blood poured from his wounds.

But how could I run? I was already abandoned by my family before. I don't want to lose the only family that cared for me.

The invader reached towards me with a swift grab.

I already know that trying to parry was futile. Against an opponent like this, I had to focus on evasion!

Gale!

Twisting my body, I weaved through the grab, clearly surprising the invader. I needed to take advantage of this!

Every lesson, every experience. Every bitterness of defeat that I suffered, I needed to use it all. I need to use it all so I don't lose my father!