C25 - For the Sect!!

Yin Kai began to practice the "Thousand Cuts, Pointless Waves" technique on a hapless wooden training dummy.

The essence of the technique was the sliding in and out of the kukhri across the human body.

As more small cuts appeared, they enlarged until they went through the body on their own.

Eventually, small kukhri qi lights would leave the body, passing into the area behind the opponent.

As he practiced this techniqe, it would improve his hold on kukhri qi. The more he used it, the more kukhri qi lights the technique would give off. The skill would grow over time with its practitioner, eventually becoming a massive ball of intent.

It was predominantly a powerful battlefield move, being that much more so than a move for a duel. Although it could still overwhelm an opponent.

Yin Kai stood still for a moment as he combined it with his pre-existing Kukhri techniques.

With stabs, backstabs, crosses, slashes, and thin slices of the air he slowly perfected his technique.

After a day's practice, he took the technique and shortened it. By condensing the technique, he was able to make a smaller wave of kukhri qi that was more straightforward, faster, and more applicable for one-on-one fights in the marketplace.

Three days later, it was time for the inheritance.

Yin Kai went over to the elder hall. Acting Sect Master Mo was giving a speech.

"I know we've all been through a lot, but we're used to it! We're the Martial Fist Temple. If we get beat down we get right back up and beat their bottoms sore!"

"Yaaaaaah!" The disciples roared.

"With strength and perseverance, this inheritance will belong to us."

"Yaaaaaah!" The disciples cheered.

"Some of you are not yet used to fighting the evil cultivators of the Holy Land of Skulls."

"Naaaaaah!" One of the unruly core disciples shouted. With a glance to the side, Acting Sect Master Mo shut him up.

"But as long as you retain your Martial Spirit, you will prevail."

"Yaaaaaaaaaah!" The disciples resounded throughout the sect.

"Ji Tian!"

"Yes master!"

"Lead my acolytes for the honour of the sect."

A mighty cry arose. "For the honor of the sect!"

Ji Tian led a group of 5 core disciples in the front. Albeit his stance as the nephew of Elder Ji Ye, he took the elder's dishonorable behavior in the opposite direction.

Ji Tian was firm, loyal, honest, and honorable.

Among the other core disciples were Pan Go, who Yin Kai had fought alongside previously, a swordsman named Lin Jian, and a overized mace-wielder named Shi Wei.

Nestled amongst them was a rather flat woman with auburn hair. Yin Kai was slightly surprised, as he had never seen her before.

She fidgeted nervously in the front.

Silently checking their cultivation against his own, Yin Kai realized that the strongest core disciple, Ji Tian, only had a cultivation of the Immortal Opening realm 3rd Stage.

While still a great realm ahead of him, the gap wasn't that large.

Yin Kai smiled. His current cultivation realm was Qi Fusion, 4th stage. He was quickly making up the time he had lost from years of crippling.

As they approached the mine, Yin Kai made notes of all the stronger disciples of the various sects.

The Frozen Sea Palace and Golden Buddha Temple he knew by word of mouth. His buddy, Pu Deng, stood near the head.

Across the way, he recognized someone on Frozen Sea Palace's side. "Gu Ding!" He yelled, waving.

The man's face erupted with fury. Noticing this, one of the core disciples, wearing a blue gown against her silver hair, motioned to one of the Frozen Sea Palace members. Whispering to him, she once again stood to attention.

As the message passed around to the Frozen Sea Palace disciples, they began taking turns looking at him like a slice of meat.

Yin Kai leaned over to his senior brothers. "Who is she?" He asked from the corner of his mouth.

A junior brother piped in from behind him. "That's Gu Bing, the preeminent core disciple of Frozen Sea Palace. There are talks about making her the young sectmistress."

"…She just so happens to be the sister of Gu Ding that you called out earlier."

Yin Kai smiled. With a grand wave, he yelled, "I LOVE YOU, GU BING!"

All three sects went silent. Then everybody busted out laughing.

"YOU'RE DEAD, YIN KAI!" The woman yelled, not even bothering to supress her fury.

With a grand flourish, Yin Kai bowed Gu Bing, her brother Gu Ding, and then again to all three sects.

Just then, another group appeared. The Ghost Gathering Armor Sect. From beyond the river, they marched in black and blue armor with an orb in the center.

Using the orbs, they collect ghosts to power their armor. Using their gauntlets to fight, the soul armor is refined until all of the pieces merge with their body.

Once the gauntlets themselves merge, they complete the Soul Gathering Armor Method and reach the top of the world.

The other two evil sects appeared. Thunder Devil Pavilion and the Blood Seeking Sect were almost always late.

With no further ado, a master from the Bazaar opened up the mysterious portal. He let ten people from each sect travel in at a time.

When it was finally Yin Kai's turn, he jumped in wholeheartedly.