Serenya stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. "Uh, that... what do you call it, we were just... practicing! Yeah, we're practicing real combat!"
But Ragnariel wasn't interested in her explanation. "Before I put you through three days of hellish training, you'd better start training. I'll count to three."
Everyone stared blankly at Ragnariel.
"Three..."
Lucien glanced at Kaelen, then immediately bolted to start his training.
"Two..."
Seeing Lucien and Kaelen run, everyone else on the field scrambled to begin their afternoon training.
"One."
Ragnariel let out a sigh. "Haah, teaching kids is such a hassle."
The training session kicked off, and the afternoon exercises were eventually wrapped up with Ragnariel inspecting their martial arts postures. He called up Lucien, Kaelen, Serenya, and Dheo one by one.
"Well done, brother Lucien. You've gotten much better. Next, we'll spar, so keep honing your techniques."
"Yes, sir," Lucien replied.
"Next, brother Kaelen."
Kaelen began demonstrating his martial arts techniques.
After a moment, Ragnariel critiqued him, "Not strong or decisive enough. Channel all your energy into each movement, whether it's a step, a punch, or a kick. Execute it with precision and power."
"Understood, sir," Kaelen responded.
"Now, sister Serenya."
Serenya stepped forward and began performing her techniques.
A few moments later, Ragnariel nodded in approval. "Good, sister Serenya. You've improved."
"Thank you, my dear little brother," Serenya said warmly.
"And lastly, Sir Dheo."
Dheo moved fluidly as he demonstrated his martial arts techniques.
After observing for a while, Ragnariel gave his feedback. "Excellent, Sir Dheo. Your movements have become smoother and more refined."
"Thank you, Young Master," Dheo replied.
Ragnariel then asked, "How's your Qi development coming along?"
Dheo answered, "It's almost the size of a fist now, Young Master."
"Good. Keep following my previous instructions. Let me know once it fully forms into a size of a fist," Ragnariel instructed.
"Yes, Young Master," Dheo replied.
Ragnariel then turned to his three siblings. "What about you three? How much Qi have you managed to gather?"
Lucien answered, "Mine is almost the size of a fist as well."
Kaelen added, "Same here."
Serenya smiled confidently and replied, "Mine is already as big as a fist."
Lucien, Kaelen, and Dheo were taken aback by her statement. Ragnariel raised an eyebrow. "Really? Let me check."
He placed his hand gently on Serenya's back and flowed his Qi into her. After a moment, he nodded, impressed. "Hmm, she's right. Talented people really are on another level."
Turning to Serenya, he said, "You're doing great sister. Once you've mastered the basics, I'll start teaching you the advanced techniques."
"Really? Yay! Thank you, my dear little brother," Serenya cheered.
Ragnariel chuckled. "It's all thanks to your hard work, too."
He glanced at the others. "You all should work hard as well. Don't let Serenya leave you behind."
"Yes, Ragna," Lucien replied.
"Understood, sir," said Kaelen.
"Yes, Young Master," added Dheo.
"Alright then, let's take a break. Oh, before I forget to say something, starting next week, I expect all of you to begin studying the advanced techniques. Don't slack off on your meditation. In a month, we'll be heading to the Drakonashen Mountains."
"Really? Did Father give his permission?" Lucien asked, eyes wide with excitement.
"Yes, he approved it earlier this afternoon," Ragnariel confirmed.
"Finally! I can unleash my full strength!" Kaelen exclaimed.
"I can't wait for a real battle," Serenya added, her eyes gleaming.
Dheo simply smiled in his usual reserved way.
"Alright, let's rest," Ragnariel concluded.
The group dispersed to their respective rooms, gathered again for dinner in the family dining hall, except Dheo, and spent the evening chatting with their father and mother before retreating to their quarters for the night.
In his room, Ragnariel leaned against the wall, deep in thought.
"Hmm… what kind of technique should I teach Serenya? With her incredible flexibility and speed, should I introduce her to the orthodox sect's techniques? Or perhaps something used by independent practitioners?"
Suddenly, a memory surfaced, a figure he had once fought long ago.
At the peak of the tallest mountain near the Heavenly Demon Sect's headquarters, a man approached another and spoke.
"Demon Lord, must you really plunge the murim world into chaos?"
The other man turned to face him. "Who are you? I don't recall ever meeting you."
"I am Fuzin, the Wind Sword," the man introduced himself, his gaze sharp.
"Oh, so you're Fuzin, the one who slaughtered some of my men?" the Demon Lord replied with a smirk. "What brings you here?"
"Demon Lord Ragnariel, why do you need to massacre thousands of lives? What's your goal?" Fuzin asked, his tone heavy.
Ragnariel shrugged casually. "Perhaps you should direct that question to the murim alliance. Why did they annihilate entire villages that sought to trade with us without so much as a warning?"
Fuzin fell silent for a moment, clearly unsettled. Then he spoke again. "Even so, you shouldn't have taken the lives of thousands in return."
Ragnariel's eyes narrowed. "So, the murim alliance can act as they please, but we cannot seek justice for ourselves?"
"That's not what I meant..." Fuzin began to explain.
But Ragnariel cut him off. "You orthodox are all the same. Whenever the murim alliance commits atrocities, you all turn a blind eye. Enough of this pointless chatter. Let's get to why you're really here."
Without another word, Fuzin drew his sword and assumed a fighting stance. Ragnariel, unbothered, rested his blade on his shoulder and said with a smirk, "Come at me."
Feeling insulted, Fuzin charged at Ragnariel with everything he had. But in just three moves, Fuzin was sprawled on the ground, defeated.
"Haah, if only you hadn't been chasing fame, you wouldn't have ended up in a desolate place like this," Ragnariel remarked, almost pitying him.
Then, without hesitation, he drove his sword through Fuzin's chest.
"Your technique was actually quite impressive. If you had trained for a few more years, it might've been enjoyable to fight you," Ragnariel mused.
As he glanced at Fuzin's lifeless body, a small book slipped out from the folds of his clothing. Ragnariel picked it up and read the title aloud. "Celestial Storm Dance? So, this is the name of your technique?"
He flipped through the pages, skimming its contents. After a few minutes, Ragnariel nodded in appreciation. "Not bad. It's quite an extraordinary technique."
Back to the present.
"Yeah, that technique might suit Serenya. I'll teach it to her then. Alright, let's meditate." Ragnariel sat cross-legged and began meditating.
***
Three days later.
In the late afternoon, at the training grounds.
"Alright, I'm going to teach you an advanced technique, Serenya," Ragnariel announced.
Serenya's eyes sparkled with excitement, brimming with anticipation about what incredible skill her little brother was about to share.
"Stop looking at me like that, Sis," Ragnariel said, sighing.
But Serenya ignored him, her gaze unwavering.
"Haah, fine. The name of this technique is Celestial Storm Dance. Before I teach it to you, though, you need to listen carefully to my explanation. So, please sit down."
Without hesitation, Serenya plopped down, her expression still glowing with eagerness.
"Good. Listen closely."
Ragnariel then turned his attention to Lucien, Kaelen, and Dheo.
"You three, pay attention too. This is important for all of you."
The trio quickly sat down beside Serenya, ready to listen.
"Alright, here's the deal," Ragnariel began.
"The technique I'll teach you is based on your body's unique characteristics. These techniques are exceptionally powerful, but they come with serious side effects, specifically, on your mind and emotions. What kind of side effects? They tend to amplify your deepest desires."
"For example, if you harbor jealousy toward someone, that feeling might intensify, turning into hatred, and eventually into a bloodthirsty urge to destroy the person you're jealous of."
"So, you must remember this well: cleanse yourself of negative worldly thoughts. That doesn't mean you can't have them at all, those feelings can also drive you to train harder."
"The point is to transform your negative emotions into something positive. For example, if you're jealous of someone, use that jealousy as fuel to push yourself to train harder and surpass them. Or, you can let go of your envy entirely and think, 'They're amazing. I'll use them as my role model and target.'"
"That's the mindset you need. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Lucien, Kaelen, Serenya, and Dheo nodded in agreement, their expressions serious.
"Good. I hope my words will stay with you forever," Ragnariel continued. "Oh, and one more thing. Sometimes, the people who become the targets of your envy, hatred, or anger aren't good people. They might be truly vile, those who enjoy violence and oppress the weak."
"In such cases, if you feel jealousy, hatred, or anger toward them, don't hesitate to eliminate them. Because if you don't, people like that will usually stop at nothing to bring us down or harm those closest to us. Do you understand?"
Serenya hesitated, then raised her hand to ask, "Why should we eliminate them? Isn't having more friends better?"
Ragnariel nodded thoughtfully before responding. "You're absolutely right, Sis. Having more friends is better. But some people don't share that way of thinking. Brother Lucien has probably encountered people like that before."
All eyes turned to Lucien, who gave a slow, confirming nod.
Ragnariel turned back to Serenya. "If you don't fully understand now, you will when our family begins the ascent to the peak. Then, you'll see what I mean."
Serenya gave a small nod, her expression conflicted but accepting.
"Alright," Ragnariel said, addressing the others. "Brother Lucien, brother Kaelen, Sir Dheo, please continue your meditation while reflecting on my words."
"Yes, sir," they replied in unison before resuming their meditation.
Ragnariel then turned to Serenya. "As for you, sis, I'll now begin teaching you an advanced technique. Are you ready?"
Serenya's eyes lit up once more, sparkling with excitement as she nodded eagerly.
With a calm but firm tone, Ragnariel began to explain the intricacies of the Celestial Storm Dance to Serenya, laying the foundation for her next step in mastery.