The Battle Begins

  Mei Ling's Anahata Qi surged around her in a brilliant green glow, illuminating the darkened courtyard of the Yang Cn estate. Opposite her, Yang Rui stood firm, her Mudhara Qi radiating a deep crimson aura that crackled around her legs like molten va.

  The air between them was charged, the very ground beneath their feet trembling under the weight of their combined energies.

  Yang Rui smirked. "I’ve never had the chance to fight an Anahata Qi user before. This should be entertaining."

  Mei Ling clenched her fists. "I’m not here to entertain you. I’m here to get Xu Wang back."

  Yang Rui’s smirk deepened. "Then come and take him."

  With a burst of power, Mei Ling lunged forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she shot toward Yang Rui like a green streak of lightning. She twisted her body mid-air, channeling her Qi into her right fist and driving it toward Yang Rui’s chest.

  Yang Rui didn’t move.

  Instead, she lifted her leg, and her crimson aura fred—a barrier of Mudhara Qi forming around her shin.

  BANG!

  Mei Ling’s fist collided with Yang Rui’s leg, and the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the courtyard. The sheer force of it sent dust and debris flying, cracking the ground beneath them.

  Mei Ling’s eyes widened. She blocked my full-force attack… with one leg?!

  Yang Rui chuckled. "Is that all?"

  Before Mei Ling could react, Yang Rui twisted her leg and delivered a spinning kick infused with Mudhara Qi. Mei Ling barely managed to cross her arms in front of her to block—

  CRACK!

  The impact sent her flying backward, her body skidding across the stone courtyard. She barely caught herself, flipping mid-air and nding on her feet, her arms aching from the force.

  Yang Rui straightened her posture, rolling her shoulders. "You hit hard, but you're still too soft. Anahata Qi… the Qi of the heart. It makes sense—you hesitate."

  Mei Ling exhaled sharply, shaking off the pain. "I don’t hesitate."

  Yang Rui smirked. "You do. Because your heart is conflicted."

  Mei Ling’s expression darkened. She knows?

  Yang Rui’s crimson aura intensified, the air around her growing heavier. "I can feel it. A divided heart weakens your Qi. You fight for Xu Wang, but you're unsure what you want from him."

  Mei Ling clenched her fists. "Shut up and fight!"

  She dashed forward, feinting left before delivering a lightning-fast palm strike to Yang Rui’s ribs.

  This time, Yang Rui wasn’t fast enough to block.

  BOOM!

  The impact sent a shockwave rippling through her body, her feet sliding back across the courtyard.

  Mei Ling pressed the advantage, unleashing a barrage of palm strikes coated in emerald energy. Each blow nded with devastating force, cracking the stone floor beneath them.

  Yang Rui gritted her teeth as Mei Ling’s attacks drove her backward. "Not bad," she admitted. "But let’s see how well you handle this."

  Her Mudhara Qi erupted, and in an instant, she stomped the ground with immense force.

  The earth beneath Mei Ling's feet shattered.

  A powerful shockwave erupted upward, throwing Mei Ling off bance. Before she could recover, Yang Rui leapt into the air, twisting mid-flight before delivering a devastating downward kick toward Mei Ling’s shoulder.

  Mei Ling crossed her arms just in time to block—

  CRASH!

  The sheer force of the kick sent her crashing through the stone floor, her body smming into the ground below. Dust and debris erupted into the air, obscuring the battlefield.

  Mei Ling coughed, struggling to push herself up. That strength… her Qi control over her legs is on another level.

  Yang Rui nded gracefully on the cracked stone floor, her red aura still burning fiercely. "That was a nice warm-up. Now, let’s get serious."

  Mei Ling wiped the blood from her lips, her emerald aura growing brighter, her heart pounding.

  "You think I’ve been fighting seriously yet?" she shot back.

  Yang Rui raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  Mei Ling closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Her Qi pulsed—not in raw power, but in bance.

  Her breathing slowed, her heart steady.

  Anahata Qi wasn’t about brute strength—it was about harmony.

  She opened her eyes—and then, she moved.

  Faster than before.

  Yang Rui’s eyes widened as Mei Ling vanished, appearing right in front of her with a glowing emerald palm strike aimed at her chest.

  Yang Rui barely managed to dodge, but Mei Ling had already shifted, spinning into a low sweep kick aimed at her legs.

  Yang Rui countered with a backflip, but Mei Ling was relentless—she pursued, striking from multiple angles with precision and fluidity.

  Their battle became a blur of movement, crimson and emerald light cshing in the night.

  The ground cracked beneath them, energy shockwaves tearing through the courtyard. The walls trembled, and the onlookers watching from the shadows of the Yang Cn held their breath.

  For the first time, Yang Rui’s smirk faltered.

  "This… is getting fun."

  ---

  Elsewhere…

  Xu Wang y sprawled on the cold stone floor of the Yang Cn’s underground chamber. His body ached, blood dripping from his mouth as he gasped for breath.

  The world around him blurred, but one thing was clear—he was in trouble.

  His mind felt disconnected from his body, the pain overwhelming. He wanted to move, to fight back, but he couldn’t.

  "It hurts…"

  His weak voice barely echoed in the dimly lit chamber.

  A shadow loomed over him—Master Yu, the old man who had dragged him here.

  The old master clicked his tongue, looking down at Xu Wang with a mixture of disappointment and mild amusement.

  "You fool."

  Xu Wang barely lifted his gaze, his eyes unfocused. Was he going to die here?

  Somewhere outside, Mei Ling and Wang Li were fighting for him.

  Would they make it in time?

  Would they even survive?

  Darkness crept at the edges of his vision.

  And then—

  Everything faded.

  ---

  To Be Continued…