Chapter 20:

 Chapter 20 

High above the mountaintop, Li Ji floated quietly, the wind tugging at his clothes and hair. From up here, the world looked small — like it didn't matter much at all.

"Yeah… this height should work." He stretched out his arms, and his body began to glow with a pale gold shimmer. It built up, igniting into soft flames dancing along his skin.

"This explosive qi thing still takes too damn long to charge." He stared at the golden aura flickering around his arm, like he was trying to figure out if it was broken or not. "Looks cool, though."

"Alright, let's see what you've got." He opened his hands, forming a ball of compressed air in each palm. After two years of grinding, forming Qigong blasts was second nature by now.

"Ji Qigong — First Form!" he shouted, launching both spheres like cannonballs. They tore through the clouds, punching clean holes through them.

Li Ji flicked his wrist, fingers forming a loose gesture. The orbs whipped around midair, zipping between clouds like drones, leaving streaks of light behind.

"Boom." He curled his fist, and the airballs exploded. A shockwave kicked up and scattered the clouds like smoke from a blown-out candle.

"Not bad," he muttered, lowering himself to the peak. He rolled his wrists and cracked his knuckles. "Kinda tiring, though. I'd be gassed if I went all out."

Still, the look in his eyes said it all — he knew he was strong.

"I'm not at Gohan and Goten's level at sixteen, but I'm pretty sure I've got kid Goku beat." Another sphere formed in his hand. He casually tossed it. It zipped a kilometer out, detonated mid-cloud, and cleared out half the sky.

"Way faster than before," he noted. "Still lacks power and control. Would be nice if I could make this a standard move."

He sighed. "Anyway… I'm starving. Time to find a blue sheep or something."

And with that, he vanished from the mountaintop.

---

Next morning, just as Li Ji was heading out, Lei Gong called out.

"Li Ji, hold up. No training today."

"What? We get a day off now?" He looked over at Danny, who was still practicing palm strikes near the brazier. Danny shot him a jealous glare.

Lei Gong shook his head. "It's not about rest. You've hit the threshold. Your strength and mindset — they're already at the level of a master. Honestly, I kept you back just to see how far you'd go. But there's nothing more I can teach you."

Li Ji paused. "Wait… seriously? You mean I'm ready to fight Shou Lao? I can become the Iron Fist?"

"Not quite." Lei Gong stroked his beard. "Before you leave Kunlun, there's still something you need to do."

"Let me guess. Field training?"

"Exactly." Lei Gong nodded. "Originally, I was going to send you to Kamar-Taj — have you fight Baron Mordo to make a statement for Kunlun. But something came up. The mission's changed."

Li Ji raised an eyebrow. "Baron Mordo? Isn't he that shady guy who says stuff like 'there are too many sorcerers' and goes rogue?"

Lei Gong shrugged. "Good or bad, doesn't matter. He's not your concern anymore. Your target is in Shennongjia — a monster showed up. Humanoid, over three meters tall, bulletproof skin. The Divine Spear Bureau's too tied up to handle it, so they passed it to us."

He pulled out a massive map and pointed. "Here's Shennongjia. The creature was spotted in this region. You'll head to Qingtang first, fly to Jiangcheng, then take ground transport from there."

Li Ji squinted at the map. "Shennongjia… aren't there rumors about wild people living there? Like literal savages?"

"I've seen them," Lei Gong replied. "They're just slightly stronger than normal humans. But this thing… it's something else."

"Got it." Li Ji nodded.

"A team from Yuxu Peak is heading to Qingtang today. I've already arranged it. Just tell them you're Lei Dashan's grandson. They'll take you."

Li Ji blinked. "You even gave me a fake identity?"

Lei Gong smirked. "Of course. Don't judge by appearances, boy."

Li Ji bowed, serious for once. "Thanks, Master. I'll get going."

---

"You're Old Man Lei's grandson?" one of the mountaineers — a beefy guy in his 50s — looked him up and down. "Didn't expect him to have a grandson this… big. I always thought mountain folks were scrawny."

"Come on, Uncle Kuan," another guy said, grinning. "Old Man Lei moves like a damn monkey. Climbed a cliff we needed gear for, and he didn't even break a sweat. With genes like that, his grandson could probably beat you in an arm wrestle blindfolded."

"Alright, alright, give the kid some breathing room." The only woman in the group gave Li Ji a smile. "You're making him nervous."

Li Ji gave her a grateful nod. After years in Kunlun, this much social interaction was kind of overwhelming.

"What, should we be surrounding you instead?" Uncle Kuan smirked. "If your boyfriend's cool with it, I mean."

"Cut it out," she said, rolling her eyes. "One more joke like that, and you're off the team."

"I'm shaking in my boots!"

"Ah Qiang, I swear, I'll tell your wife!"

"Hey, hey — don't bring my wife into this, alright? Let's talk this through like civilized people!"

*******

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