"You're making too many unnecessary movements," Ying Li admonished, striking Ragnar's leg with a wooden spear before lifting it, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
"This is the tenth time I've hit the ground," Ragnar murmured, his voice tinged with frustration. His body was covered in bruises, and even his enhanced healing abilities struggled to keep up with the injuries inflicted by Jiayi and Ying Li.
"You're improving more than you realize," Ying Li commented with a smile. Despite still being a student herself, she recognized Ragnar's quick adaptation and improvement in technique with each defeat.
"She's right," Jiayi added, observing how Ragnar's injuries healed faster than before. "You're both done for today. Go practice with your sister," she instructed, turning to face Ying Li, who reluctantly held onto her spear.
"But we just started," Ying Li protested weakly, her gaze dropping to the ground.
"I know you're trying to avoid your other training," Jiayi said knowingly, amusement dancing in her eyes as she looked at Ying Li's attempt to appear innocent. "Your sister left an hour ago. Now go, or don't make me say it again."
Ying Li lifted her head, flashing an embarrassed smile. She handed the wooden spear back to Jiayi, bowed, and quickly scurried away.
"That child...really..." Jiayi sighed, shaking her head with a soft smile. Ying Li might still be playful, but Jiayi knew it was because she hadn't encountered any serious problems yet. Ta Lo was safe, too safe for her to grow.
'She's very different from her sister. She needs broader experiences,' Jiayi thought, glancing at the boy still laying on the ground. There was a reason she chose them as sparring partners.
"Come on, we haven't got all day," Jiayi remarked, nudging Ragnar's hand with the tip of a spear, signaling him to get up.
"Hmm?" Ragnar looked up at Jiayi, confused. "Didn't you say we're finished for today?" he asked, uncertain, as he rose to his feet, clutching his spear.
"Yes, you're done with sparring and weapon training for today," Jiayi replied evenly, handing him the other spear. "Return these. We've still got more work to do." She turned and walked toward Elliot and Sicilia, preparing to inform them of Ragnar's next steps in training.
"Yes sir," Ragnar whispered wistfully, looking at the two spears in his hand. He walked towards the table, putting them back into their place, when suddenly he got a Notification from the Chat Group.
[Viking Champion just sent Beast Tamer a Mail]
[Viking Champion just sent Beast Tamer a Mail]
[Viking Champion]: @Beast Tamer @Golden Dragon hope you guys enjoy it.
Astrid breathed a sigh of relief, wiping off the sweat on her forehead. Cutting off the flesh of the Red Death was a tiring task, even for an Asgardian.
"Thank you for your help," Astrid whispered, caressing Skadi's jaw. Skadi had been covering her so no one could see the Red Death's meat disappear in her hands after she sent it to Luna and Ragnar.
[Beast Tamer]: Thank you!
As soon as she received the Mail, Luna ran inside her suitcase and into the grass fields, shouting and waving her hand. "Emerald!" she called out to the giant snake, who burst through the lake.
"Ssss~" Emerald moved closer to Luna, looking at her with curiosity and expectation before hurriedly closing her eyes.
"Look!" Luna crouched down, receiving the Mail from the system, making the Dragon Meat appear on the ground. "This is a delicious food given by my friend!" She was about to look up when Sylph flew out of her pocket and expanded, blocking Emerald.
Sylph glared at the Basilisk before turning her head towards Luna with a worried look, making a chirping noise full of complaints and helplessness.
"Oh, I forgot..." Luna patted her body, trying to find her glasses. She found them still perched on top of her head. "Here it is!" She put on her sunglasses, smiling innocently. "Do you both want sunglasses too? We can share."
Sylph just chirped weakly before shrinking and flying back to Luna's pocket.
Emerald, who had just opened her mouth to taste the dragon meat on the ground, saw Luna looking at her with expectation. So she could only nod her head before eating.
"Yay!" Luna cheered, before running towards Emerald and climbing onto her back. "I'm gonna ask Grandma to send a huge pair of sunglasses like mine!"
[Beast Tamer]: Emerald also says Thank You!
[Viking Champion]: It's fine, but I don't know how it would taste...
[Viking Champion]: Also @Golden Dragon, I think you better stop your wishful thinking before you get a stomachache.
[Golden Dragon]: I'm just gonna try it out first, if it doesn't work then I give up.
Ragnar shook his head. No one could stop him from eating Dragon Meat. The temptation of getting stronger was hard to resist. He looked at the Mail, deciding to receive it later inside the suitcase.
'Maybe The Great Protector would attack me if she found out I'm eating dragons,' Ragnar thought, not daring to let anyone in Ta Lo know he got dragon meat for dinner.
"Honey, we're leaving first!" Sicilia shouted, waving her hand towards Ragnar before bowing to Jiayi. "Please take care of him." Then she started pulling her husband. "Let's go."
Ragnar raised a brow, looking at his family as they walked away with curiosity. He knew they were finally relieved he wouldn't have a hard time, which is why they could leave peacefully.
"So what are we going to do now?" Ragnar asked curiously, following Jiayi as she led him to the forest where different kinds of mythical creatures gathered in a small clearing.
"The Great Protector tasked me with teaching you everything I can, without restraint. So that's our plan," Jiayi explained, smiling at the Dijiangs gathering around her. As she turned to face Ragnar, she posed a question, "What do you know about Chi?"
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
"Chi is the natural life force of the universe, present inside everyone," Jiayi said softly, circling around Ragnar as he sat on the ground with crossed legs and closed eyes. "In normal practice, it would take an incredible dedication, effort, focus, and training to manipulate Chi."
"But through meditation, one could focus on themselves, controlling and recharging their Chi," Jiayi continued, stopping behind him, observing him closely. "Empty your mind, your thoughts. Center yourself, relax, and let go."
Ragnar wasn't really following her words for a bit. When he heard meditation could help him control and use Chi, he couldn't help but want to try the meditation Huo Yuhao had given him to train his soul power.
Even if he didn't absorb any Soul Ring, he could still improve his soul power.
It was The Mysterious Heavenly Skill, a meditation that involved circulating internal Qi or Soul Power through the meridians. It could widen the meridians and eliminate impurities, gradually improving one's physical condition.
Ragnar began to meditate, his mind settling into a quiet calm, but a frown quickly creased his brow. He couldn't sense the Chi that Jiayi had described.
Instead, he only felt the familiar flow of Soul Power coursing through his meridians but as a dragon the strength improvement was barely noticeable.
Jiayi's eyes widened as she could feel Ragnar's Chi/life force getting stronger before disappearing.
It was as if he had skipped years of training in a matter of moments.
Jiayi had never witnessed such a thing. Even with dedicated meditation, it could take years for a talented individual to learn to feel and control their Chi, but Ragnar had achieved it in a single sitting.
At the same time a wave of doubt washed over her. She had never felt Chi disappear before. It was simply impossible, an impossibility rooted in the very nature of life force itself.
Jiayi raised her hand, wanting to examine Ragnar's body, to understand what was happening, but she sighed, lowering her hand. "Can you tell me what you are doing?"
"Meditation?" Ragnar asked slowly, opening his eyes and tilting his head in confusion. Jiayi was the one teaching him, so why was she asking?
Jiayi shook her head, her expression turning serious. "Your Chi is disappearing. That's impossible, since you're still alive," she explained slowly.
"Disappearing?" Ragnar murmured, a flicker of realization sparking in his eyes. 'Am I unconsciously turning my Chi into Soul Power, strengthening my body?' The thought took root, a tantalizing possibility. He closed his eyes and focused, meditating to fully understand what was happening.
But he felt nothing out of the ordinary, as if everything was proceeding normally. He could only resort to a Tang Sect Technique, 'Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon!' His right hand glowed with golden light, a surge of his soul power.
Ragnar turned, raising his glowing hand toward Jiayi. "Is this Chi?" he asked.
Jiayi frowned, noticing the familiar technique he had used during their fight earlier. She observed his hand, shaking her head, a thoughtful expression settling on her face.
"I need to check it more thoroughly. Can I?" she asked softly, extending her palm towards Ragnar.
Ragnar's eyes narrowed, a hint of suspicion crossing his features, before softening into a smile as he placed his right hand on hers.
Ragnar knew she could examine him without his permission, but her polite request spoke volumes about her respect and sincerity. He also wanted to understand what was happening within his body.
Jiayi closed her eyes, using Chi Sense focusing onto Ragnar's hand, inspecting it and feeling the energy in his hand.
"The same, but not quite," Jiayi whispered. She felt whatever energy was running through Ragnar's hand; It was potent, vibrant, and full of life like Chi, yet it contained a different kind of power that Chi shouldn't have.
"You're fine," Jiayi announced, opening her eyes and letting go of Ragnar's hand. "I think you're turning your Chi into something else, but it should be a good thing."
"It looks like I don't have anything to teach you." Jiayi said, a soft smile playing on her lips, though her eyes held a glimmer of intense curiosity.
She was hiding her deep thoughts, her mind swirling with questions about the energy Ragnar possessed. It was something more potent than Chi, something that could potentially make everyone in Ta Lo stronger.
"Then we're done?" Ragnar asked, quite surprised, standing up from the ground.
"Yes, but if you don't mind me asking, how did you meditate? To control your Chi, or whatever energy this is," Jiayi asked with genuine sincerity. It was impossible for even her, with years of practice, to focus as quickly as he did.
At the same time, Jiayi was wondering if what he did in meditation was the reason his Chi turned into a different energy.
"It's a meditation technique, taught to me by a friend," Ragnar said, not hiding anything. A smirk played on his lips as he continued, "I could also teach it to you, but I need you to join and promise not to betray Bod—" He stopped, his voice rising in a frustrated shout as he saw Jiayi turning away, already ignoring him and leaving. "Oh, come on! I'm not finished yet!"
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A/N: At first I was going to make Chi a different kind of power than Soul Power but in Douluo it quite the same. So I could only change it, since everyone can have Chi but not everyone can have Soul Power.
Luna: Matching Sunglasses, Yay!
Emerald: Nom Nom
Ragnar: Come join us and spread the Glory of Body Sect!
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