[Tai Lung's POV]
The Furious Five were lying on the ground, bruised and completely toasted. They had never experienced a training as intense as what they just experienced.
It was not because they trained harder or longer than usual, but simply because their health and their very lives were on the line.
Although it was true that Shifu was a stern and strict teacher, he was only words and orders. I on the other hand, was extremely rough with them in a physical sense.
They trained a lot, and they practised their Kung Fu techniques again and again, refining them to the limit. But training at the comfort of safety and no consequences of failure could only get you so far.
Ultimately, your body and your mind will realize that there is no risk so you will not push yourself hard, stopping slightly below your limit when you should aim to surpass it.
It was different today though, as I challenged them all to fight me together, in the middle of the obstacle course.
The keyword being fight and not spar.
They knew I would not hesitate to take their lives or even hurt them so it pushed them to their limits. They had to fight in a way that they had never thought of in order to survive.
They made breakthroughs.
It was during a life-and-death situation that we animals truly evolve and surpass our limits. If the level of your skills was not tested in real combat, they would never grow.
So I gave them that opportunity.
Of course, I was not actually going to kill them or injure them seriously. I was skilled enough to give them that delusion while also making sure nothing dangerous ever happen.
I used my reputation and negative impression they had of me to affirm that lie and they all believed it. They thought I was just doing this to get revenge and was aiming to kill them.
In their eyes, they barely escaped with their life due to luck. They thought I had all the intention of making an 'accident' and killing them.
It would not work after they get to know me better but for now and hopefully for three or more times, they would continue beliving and grow under the pressure of a life and death.
"Colour me impressed. Everyone survived and with no serious injuries, sadly." I whispered the last word loud enough that they barely heard it. They gulped.
"You can rest for some time and eat your lunch. After that, you will do strength training." I said as the Furious Five released a sigh of relief.
They stayed lying on the ground as I left them and made my way back to Shifu.
"That was truly a remarkable session." Shifu said as I stood beside him and we watched the exhausted Furious Five.
"You seem unfazed. Are you tired?"
I scoffed, "It did not require much to school a bunch of kids."
Shifu remained silent as he stared at me with his signature raised eyebrow.
"You've gotten even stronger," Shifu said but there was an underlying question in his tone. How did I get so strong while I was imprisoned? If anything, I should've gotten weaker.
I did not answer his question as we both remained silent, content with enjoying each other's company. I was never someone to talk a lot and Shifu was still a little conscious of me so he was still not comfortable with acting like that to me.
Then suddenly, the door of the training hall was slammed open and the Dragon Warrior ran in. He was breathing heavily but there was an aura of pure excitement oozing from him.
"I'm finally here guys!! I am ready for training!!" He exclaimed loudly but his jolly attitude stopped when he saw his friends laying half dead on the floor of the obstacle course.
"Guys, what happened?"
I smiled looking at him before walking up to him.
"Dragon Warrior, follow me."
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"What are we going to do? Are you going to teach me one of the techniques from the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu?"
"Are we learning how to fly in the air? Would I be able to break giant boulders like you after this?"
"Wait!! Don't tell me, you are going to teach me your secret move!" The Dragon Warrior said excitedly with eyes shining with enthusiasm and hope.
"Dragon Warrior." I said in a serious tone as Po lose all his giddiness and gulped. I knew calling him the Dragon Warrior instead of Po was making him uncomfortable which in turn made him more responsive and act responsible, so I always called him that.
"Did you know of the hidden meaning behind the Dragon Scroll?" I asked and I saw his eyes gain an unexpected shine of rare wisdom.
"Yeah." He said, "There is no secret ingredient. You don't need to add something special to make something special, you just have to believe it is"
Great. That means the change in canon did not affect his character growth by much. He learned his lesson and that's all that matters.
He can keep believing that phrase.
"You are correct." He was not. He was the Dragon Warrior and had all the secret ingredients, he had the special body, was the chosen one of the universe, had a whole ass prophesy about him defeating Shen and was coincidentally a Panda who were species extremely attuned with Chi, a great power in this universe.
That was what made him special. Not simply because he believes himself to be.
Even I had a secret ingredient, which was the fact that I recalled my past life.
No secret ingredient my ass, he was full of secret ingredients. The scroll was just something that hid the secret ingredient. After all, it wouldn't be a secret ingredient if it was not a secret.
You can't convince me that it was all a coincidence.
"I have no special moves or techniques for you." I said, "The only thing I can do is advise you to start going on missions and gain experience."
He was different from the Furious Five. He had great talent and a unique body that helps in fighting. The best thing I could do was offer and advice to get more experience.
No specific Kung Fu or technique suited him. And I did not posses the same incredible body like he did to guide him.
I tried to be the Dragon Warrior, and I failed. It'd be weird if I tried to tell the real Dragon Warrior how to be one.
"You shall join us in the strength training," I said and Po pushed his fist on his hand and bowed to me.
"Thank you, Master Tai Lung." He said, "I have always been a fan of all your achievements even though you went evil for a while. So I am happy to get your advice."
Hmmm. He sure knows how to flatter people. His honest tone and his eyes that belied no deceit was proof that whatever he said, he believed.
I coughed a few times, "On second thought maybe I should teach you a secret technique."
A technique I had tried many times on my way home but couldn't succeed in because I did not possess a huge Chi reserve like the Dragon Warrior.
"We will need an actual field expedition for this. We should go search for a mountain bandit." I said and looked at the sun. We still have time.
The Furious Five could continue their strength training without me. Master Shifu, their true master was with them.
"Follow me." I said as the Dragon Warrior came up to me and walked right behind.
"So, Master Tai Lung." He said as he switched from my right side to the left.
"What super awesome technique are you teaching me?" He asked in a curious voice that was dying to get an answer.
"Ever heard of the Wuxi finger hold?" I asked back and his jaw dropped.
He froze like a statue while I continued walking with a smirk on my face. He quickly shook his head and followed me with a bright smile and shining eyes.
"NO WAY!!"
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[The Next Day]
It was finally time to do one of the main reasons why I came back to the Jade Palace and decided to make it my home.
To learn the knowledge and wisdom held within the library of the Jade Palace. Specifically all the knowledge related to Chi.
It was not only to study but to practice and conduct research as well.
I walked through the sacred Hall of Warriors which was in the middle of repair as I thought of the different possibilities of Chi.
I figured my knowledge from another world would be extremely useful. Although that world had no Chi, I remembered practising it and learning about the basis and theory of Chi during my training in mastering every Kung Fu.
Not only that, there were many fiction - which at this point, I was sure were real - that dealt with the power of Chi or other related abilities.
I could use that knowledge and try to apply it in this world. Who knows, I might even be able to replicate fictional powers.
Hopefully, my time reading those cultivation novels also come to use.
As I was in thought, I had already reached the library and I pushed the door open to gaze at the rows of shelves on the wall and the thousands of scrolls contained in them.
The reason why I did not immediately visit the library was that I wanted to settle everything else before focusing into my studies. I couldn't have any other distractions.
"Let's begin." I said with a smile and closed the great doors of the library.
When he opened the doors again, he hoped he would come out wiser and with a new breakthrough.
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[IMAGE]
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Author : Although I don't really have competition at the moment, I don't want to just give you extra chapter for free again. I work overtime to write for double chapter so I think it's only fair I make you guys work for it too.
We always get 1500 stones in a day and it's just a matter of time. So, 1500 stones and you get extra chapter!!!
Meaning 3000 total stones for the book and I release the next chapter IMMEDIATELY!!