'How long has it been? How long have I wanted to feel this powerful again, to have this energy coursing through my muscles?' Stan asked himself as he stared at his siblings standing before him.
Unknown to the others, Stan had been more depressed about his condition than they could ever imagine. Losing his cultivation had weighed heavily on him, more than anyone else had realized. He had wanted his power back even more than they wanted it for him.
For years, Stan had been on the sidelines, watching as the other faction members grew stronger. He witnessed them break through level after level, coming closer to his old strength. Some had even surpassed his current stage.
Seeing all this, it was only natural for Stan to feel the sting of frustration and hopelessness. But now, the power he had once lost was back. It felt different from what it used to be, but it wasn't bad either. In fact, Stan couldn't even tell if his new qi core was better or worse than his old one.
At this moment, though, he had something more immediate to handle. His siblings stood in front of him, their eyes wide with shock, still trying to comprehend what they were seeing.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Stan's mouth. Without hesitation, he raised his foot and slammed it hard onto the floor. Instantly, a visible ripple spread from the point of impact, traveling across the floor like a wave toward the four standing before him.
The sudden attack snapped them out of their daze. Peter was the first to react. He slammed his own foot onto the ground, sending out a ripple of energy to counter Stan's. But when the two waves collided, Stan's attack easily overpowered Peter's and continued its path forward.
Fortunately, the others reacted just in time. They, too, stomped on the ground, sending out their own waves of energy. Together, their combined force managed to neutralize Stan's attack, stopping it before it could reach them.
"I don't know how you got your power back, but it looks like you're eager to test how strong we are. Fine, then—let's see what you've got!" Peter shouted, his voice ringing out with determination.
As he spoke, more yellow energy began to gather in his hands. This time, the energy wasn't just a simple glow. It was taking shape, growing longer and sharper. Within moments, a long sword made entirely of raw qi energy appeared in Peter's hand, glowing with an intense light.
Meanwhile, Peter wasn't the only one preparing for the next move. Caspian, Cressida, and Tharon were doing the same. Glowing energy appeared in their hands, but each one took on a different shape.
On Caspian's hands, two gauntlets formed, covering his fists. However, instead of regular fingers, the ends of the gauntlets morphed into drills that spun rapidly as Caspian got into a fighting stance.
Cressida, on the other hand, formed two long whips. She cracked them against the floor, leaving deep dents and scorching marks where they landed.
Then there was Tharon. In his hand, a large, circular shield appeared. The shield radiated intense heat, almost like a miniature sun, casting a warm glow across the room.
As expected, Peter was the first to move. His speed was incredible—so fast that to someone like Alex, it looked as if Peter had teleported across the room. In an instant, he was standing right in front of Stan.
Without hesitation, Peter swung his sword at Stan. But, just like before, the blade stopped in mid-air, held back by an invisible force. No matter how hard Peter tried to push, the sword wouldn't move.
Peter felt something strange then. The qi that powered his sword was slowly draining away.
'He can still use the draining technique,' Peter realized.
Unfortunately, before Peter could warn the others, they had already launched their attacks.
The air filled with the sharp sound of something slicing through it—Cressida's whip cut the air with a loud crack. She swung her weapon with precision, aiming at Stan. Meanwhile, Caspian had charged forward, fists clenched. He slammed his drill-covered hands toward Stan. But just like Peter's sword, their attacks were stopped mid-air, as if held by an invisible grip.
The drills on Caspian's gauntlets spun faster, trying to break free from the force holding them. But nothing changed. In fact, Caspian felt something alarming—the energy in his gauntlets was being drained, just like Peter's sword.
"Tharon, don't attack Stan yet! Use your shield on us!" Peter shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
Tharon quickly understood. He swung his shield, throwing it like a boomerang. The glowing, heat-radiating shield flew through the air and hit all three of them—Peter, Cressida, and Caspian—knocking them backward and freeing them from Stan's grip.
"What... What was that?" Caspian asked as he struggled to his feet, ignoring the pain from the shield's impact. "I felt my energy being drained out of me."
"I think Stan is using the draining technique with his qi shields," Peter said, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation.
"That? But how is that possible?" Caspian asked, disbelief etched on his face.
"I don't know either, but we have to fight like this," Peter replied, already preparing for another attack. His stance shifted, ready for action.
"If we're going to fight, then we do it without qi," Peter stated firmly. His body began vibrating slightly. The others knew exactly what Peter was doing. He was using the phantom technique, but this time, he wasn't relying on any qi to power it. Instead, he was relying solely on his stage six physical strength. Somehow, he was pulling it off.
Meanwhile, mist started forming around the others. Items began to materialize out of the mist. Tharon now held a long hammer that was taller than he was. Caspian had a similar one, while Cressida held a real whip in her hands, the handle firm in her grip.
"Now, let's all attack together and see how he stops this," Peter said, as a spear materialized in his hand. The vibrations coursing through his body now transferred to the spear, and soon it was shaking so violently it was barely staying in his grip.
"Now!" Peter shouted, his voice full of determination.
He pulled his hand back and launched the spear at Stan with all his strength. At the same moment, Cressida swung both of her hands, sending the whip slicing through the air with a loud crack.
Caspian and Tharon followed, pulling their massive hammers back over their heads. They dragged the hammers behind them before swinging them down with incredible force. Even though they were a good distance from Stan, the hammers suddenly elongated mid-swing, stretching far enough to reach him.
Despite the barrage of attacks coming his way, Stan didn't flinch. He stood his ground, a calm look in his eyes.
'Let's see what all this gathered energy can do,' Stan thought to himself. With a swift motion, he swung his hands out toward the incoming attacks.
A thin, yellow line of energy shot out from Stan's hands—a condensed form of qi. The line spread out rapidly across the room, cutting through the air with precision and giving the others no time to react.
The energy struck all three of them at once, overwhelming their combined attack. The force of the blow sent Peter, Caspian, and Tharon flying backward. They were thrown across the room, crashing into the far wall. The impact left large dents in the wall as their bodies slammed into it.
"What... What attack was that?" Alex asked, his voice filled with amazement as he watched the scene unfold.
"That was a qi slash. It can come in several forms, but the one Uncle Stan just used is called the Crescent Qi Slash," Gwen explained, her eyes wide with both awe and concern.
"Are the others okay?" Alex asked, his voice shaky with concern.
No one responded immediately. The adults didn't dare step outside to check on the situation, their faces filled with uncertainty.
Fortunately, soon enough, they heard sounds—soft groans and shuffling as the others stood up one by one. Relief washed over them, but it was mixed with a sense of discomfort. The fighters were clearly struggling, as if something inside them was fighting back. Whatever it was, they couldn't fully shake it off.
"Don't you think it's time you call off your influence? Even you don't seem to be in good shape to continue this fight," a calm voice echoed from the wide-open entrance.
Everyone turned toward the entrance and saw Elder Rooney standing there, his gaze fixed on Stan.
Elder Rooney's arrival and his words made everyone's attention shift back to Stan. In the heat of the battle, everyone had been too focused on their own struggles to notice Stan's condition.
Stan stood there, but there was a long spear embedded in his shoulder, blood slowly dripping down from the wound. His face showed signs of strain, but his eyes remained sharp and steady.
"Seems like your desk work hasn't dulled your fighting instincts," Stan said with a strained smile, looking directly at Peter.
Despite his discomfort, Stan reached up with his hand and gripped the spear lodged in his shoulder. He took a deep breath, and with one swift motion, he yanked it out. Blood gushed from the wound immediately, and he grunted in pain, but just for a moment.
In front of everyone, something incredible happened. The flow of blood slowed down and then stopped altogether. His wound started closing up right before their eyes. Though the injury didn't completely heal, it was enough to take away his pain.
"What exactly happened to you when you went out there?" Peter finally asked, voicing the question that had been lingering in everyone's minds.