Duel

Chapter 8

"Wake up"

Mark woke up with the relentless efforts of someone shaking him. He sat up to see his mother trying to wake him, the sky outside dark. 

"We've already expended Village Elder's hospitality, so we must go now." His mother said.

Trying to wake him up faster, she gathered Mark's bag, "Come on, we must leave."

Finally fully waking up he quickly stopped his mother, "Mom, I need to tell you something." 

He recounted the events previously, his mother almost interrupting multiple times, but holding back just barely. 

"You're not lying?" His mother questioned, almost in disbelief. 

"We can go ask Elder Hao if you want." Mark replied. 

"No no, we can't interrupt him," His mother said. 

"I'm just glad you're safe," His mother said, hugging him. 

"If you really want to cultivate and replace Village Elder, I'll support you, but just make sure to keep safe." His mother warned. 

"I will mom," Said Mark with an awkward smile and a bit of an embarrassed tone. 

They then returned home. 

…

Mark cultivated diligently for the next few weeks, advancing his cultivation and practicing his battle techniques, able to use them proficiently now, although still scared to go back to the forest. 

Under Guidance of Elder Hao, Mark cultivated to the limit of the 1st Qi Condensation Realm and got ready for a breakthrough. 

Taking a page out of Elder Hao's book, Mark sat in cultivation for a full day and a half in Elder Hao's House, before finally using his Qi to expand the dantian and refine it, gaining more Qi in general and refining his Qi to go through his meridians quicker. 

After settling his rampant Qi, Mark met up with Elder Hao. 

"You broke through quicker than I thought, in this area with little resources." Elder Hao spoke, "Well now that you broke through to Qi Condensation 2nd Realm, you need a weapon, you can't use your fists to attack everything, you'll have a pyrrhic victory often and die very quickly." 

"The best way to decide your weapon is to see how you fight. Meet me in our training grounds tomorrow, get yourself prepared with your new cultivation base." Elder Hao said, and then refused to say anything else. 

Hearing that, Mark left and went back to his house, getting used to the limits and power of his techniques after his improved Qi, then went back to sleep, fully prepared for the next day. 

Mark got up early, barely eating before heading over to the training grounds, the only place in the forest he dared to go, cleared of Animals through the deterrence of Elder Hao. 

Walking in, he saw Elder Hao resting on a boulder, obviously smoothed and prepared for rest. 

Elder Hao jumped off the rock onto the ground in front of Mark, "I need to see your fighting progress, come at me, I will only defend." 

Elder Hao sat still.

Taking this as a sign to attack, Mark get his ground, harnessing his new proficiency in aim.

"Qi Arrow," Mark said, sending out a golden blur. 

The wind histiled, but was heard was not a dissipation of Qi or even the arrow sinking into Elder Hao, but the Arrow sinking into the dirt. 

"Everything is fair in a fight," Elder Hao said, 5 feet away from his last location, "People will not just sit still for you."

A bit irritated, Mark rushed up to Elder Hao, 

"Qi Infusion," Mark spoke, leaping forward. 

Mark punched forward, not perfect technique, but not as inexperienced as he was previously, but was blocked straight by Elder Hao. 

Mark backed up again, and leapt as high as he could, a full 5 feet at this point, and used the falling momentum to smash his hands down against Elder Hao.

*Thud*

It was blocked cleanly by Elder Hao, again, seemingly with an impenetrable defense. Forgetting this was a spar, Mark went all out.

"Qi Arrow" Mark yelled over and over, trying to hit Elder Hao from every direction, using Qi Infusion to leap around Elder Hao, hitting him with punches, leaping attacks, even trying kicking, and eventually using an arrow and a punch, nothing seeming to make the slightest impact, before eventually, Mark used up all of his Qi and collapsed from exhaustion, but not unconscious, a skill that he worked on to not drain all of his Qi but keep a bit reserved to keep him awake.

Being drawn out of his rage, he regained his clarity, and he quickly started to recover.

He sat down to meditate for a while and recovered most of his Qi. 

Reopening his eyes, he saw Elder Hao sitting down a little while away, a cloth in front of him with 4 different weapons. 

Mark walked over, to hear Elder Hao speak, 

"In front of me lays 4 weapons: A Sword, Sharp and Swift with slashes and stabs, A Spear, an unbeatable point and momentum, with large sweeps and large thrusts, A Bow, an unbeatable range, with quick arrows and piercing damage, and Gauntlets, For the martial artist, not limited by its shape but mostly depends on the technique of the user, although provides solid defense and damage." 

Elder Hao looked up, "You may choose any of these weapons, there does exist more but these are the only ones I have that are not mere common mortal weapons, but these cover most fields of weaponry. I recommend the spear, you were swift but built up attacks with momentum, but I will still give you a choice, if I force a weapon to you, you will not master it."

Confused at which weapon he should pick, he picked up all the weapons and swung them once, immediately finding the weapon he should use. 

"I shall wield the Spear!"