Demon Nectar

Letting his rage take over would strip him of his control over the internal arts. He couldn't afford to let anger cloud his mind, especially now. "Grandpa always said the one is stronger when he is calm," he reminded himself. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he cleared his mind and felt the familiar serenity of Samādhi envelop him.

"You righteous people are no fun. It's always "clear your thoughts" and "don't let your emotions run wild". You all misinterpret Samādhi as simple mindfulness. Samādhi is more than mindfulness, simply focusing on killing someone with murderous rage will give you a state of Samādhi with higher intensity," Black Cat taunted, her voice dripping with dissatisfaction.

Maung Nyo tuned out her taunts, focusing on his breathing. , ignoring her taunts, steadied his breathing. The state of Samādhi sharpened his senses, making him acutely aware of every movement. He sensed Black Cat's impatience as she lunged at him, her metal claws flashing menacingly. Channeling tejo (Fire), he rapidly fluctuates the temperature of the metal in her claws, rendering the metal brittle. With a swift precise punch fortified by paṭhavī (Earth), he shattered her claws into fragments, the shards scattering around them like fallen leaves.

"Interesting boy, you have grown stronger," Black Cat sneered, her eyes widening with excitement. "Let's see how you can protect those weaklings." She gestured to her men signaling them to attack the trio.

I couldn't let them get hurt. Maung Nyo thought, seeing the attackers closing in on the defenseless trio. With a burst of vāyo (Wind), he propelled himself between the attackers and the trio, creating a gust of wind to push the assailants back. The wind echoed through the forest, scattering the blades of grass, kicking up dust and debris, and making it difficult for the attackers to advance.

"Stay behind me!" Maung Nyo commanded, his voice was a mere whisper against the roaring wind. Black Cat's men fought against the gale, their progress slow and unsteady. One determined attacker managed to breach the gale, rushing at Maung Nyo with a spear. With a swift sidestep, aided by vāyo (Wind), Maung Nyo evaded the thrust. He retaliated with a punch bolstered by paṭhavī (Earth), shattering the spear and sending the assailant crashing to the ground.

Meanwhile, Black Cat deftly melted pieces of metal from her pocket and the remnants of her broken claw with tejo (Fire). With ease, she used āpo (Water) to reshape the molten metal. As the metal solidified, reinforced by paṭhavī (Earth), her claws were restored.

"It is about time." Black Cat grinned. Maung Nyo started to feel his Samādhi weakening. "Was I poisoned by Black Cat's strike?" Maung Nyo thought, panic rising as his thoughts began to scatter and his focus wavered.

"How does the newly developed demon nectar feel?" Black Cat taunted. "It's the ultimate counter against righteous cultivators as it makes them hard to maintain Samādhi, rendering them useless." 

As the gale weakened, more of Black Cat's men passed through, their attacks relentless. Maung Nyo struggled to fend them off, his movements growing sluggish as his mind became increasingly clouded by poison. Each step felt heavier and his vision became more blurred at the edges.

A sword swing aimed at his side. Maung Nyo barely managed to deflect it with a weak parry with his palms. His breathing was ragged, his focus wavering. He stumbled backward, dodging another strike, but tripped over a root and fell to one knee. An attacker seized the opportunity, swinging a heavy club down at him. Summoning the last of his strength, Maung Nyo rolled to the side narrowly avoiding the blow.

Get up! You can't lose again like three years ago. Didn't you train yourself to never feel that helpless feelings ever again? He urged himself, pushing off the ground and staggering to his feet. With a little Samādhi he could make, he channeled paṭhavī (Earth) to reinforce his palm. He struck the nearest attacker, sending him crashing into a tree.

But more were rushing in. They swarmed around him, and Maung Nyo felt the sting of a blade graze his arm. He spun around, lashing out with a kick empowered by vāyo (Wind), knocking two attackers back.

"Don't let him recover. He is almost done for." One of Black Cat's men shouted. From the corner of his eye, Maung Nyo saw Black Cat watching him struggle with a smug expression. He couldn't let her win. Not after everything. He drew his dagger as his paṭhavī (Earth) had weakened to the point where he could no longer block weapons with his hand.

Maung Nyo, ignoring the pain, pushed forward. A sword swung towards his head, and Maung Nyo ducked, cutting the gut of the attacker with his dagger. An assailant came at him from behind but Maung Nyo managed to twist away, delivering a desperate elbow strike to the man's jaw.

Panting heavily, Maung Nyo stood his ground, determination burning in his eyes. He wasn't done yet. He would fight until his last breath if necessary like his grandfather did. He gathered his remaining strength, focusing on his breathing, trying to regain a semblance of Samādhi. The attackers closed in, and Maung Nyo prepared for the final stand.

Just then, a familiar presence stood in front of him blocking the attack. It was the stocky man, his body shaking as he coughed up blood from the poison.

"Stay back, you aren't in a position to fi..." Maung Nyo's word was interrupted by the stocky man's remark " Neither are you."

"Listen, boy," the stocky man said between coughs, "I will hold them off for a while. You do something to block the way and run with the others."

"But!.." Maung Nyo's complaint was cut off by the stocky man's firm voice.

"You are the only one who has a chance to save the King and the princess. Now go!" 

Maung Nyo thought I thought they could be important people but them being royalty never crossed my mind, as he glanced at the girl and the chubby man. Realizing their significance, Maung Nyo decided to heed the stocky man's command.

"Thank you mister and I am sorry that I am weak." Maung Nyo said, lifting the chubby man on his shoulder. 

"Don't worry boy, it is my duty to give my life for his Majesty." the stocky man replied, then turned to the princess "Princess, I am sorry that I couldn't play with your Highness anymore." 

The girl wept, her tears falling to the ground. "Uncle!"

"Don't let them escape!" One of the assailants shouted as the group of assailants rushed towards them.

The stocky man blocked their attack and said "Boy, what is your name?"

"Maung Nyo"

"Maung Nyo, please watch over them in my stead. If they die here, I couldn't face my sister, the queen."

"Yes, I will mister. Can you also tell me your name?"

"It's Thuriya1. I wish we could meet in a more pleasant situation but now go."