"How did you get the Jade Emperor to let you in and take the Iron Fist trial?"
Shou-Lao brought her head closer to Kraft and asked with a hint of puzzlement.
To Shou-Lao, whether someone taking the Iron Fist trial belonged to K'un-Lun was not particularly important. After so many years of living and dying, she had long since learned to take things in stride.
She tested K'un-Lun's Iron Fist candidates only because its people supplied her with food, and she was reasonably satisfied with the environment in K'un-Lun's pocket dimension. This was simply her way of repaying them.
If Shou-Lao had been a hidebound old fossil, the previous generation's blond-haired, blue-eyed Iron Fist could never have passed her trial.
"There wasn't really much to it..."
Kraft scratched his head and told Shou-Lao how he had come to K'un-Lun.
"You're saying you defeated Thunderer using equipment you made yourself?"
Shou-Lao became even more interested in Kraft. Her body undulated as she circled him.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
The voice ringing in Kraft's mind grew a little more cheerful. Going easy on those martial artists and handing them experience time after time grew boring even for Shou-Lao.
So the appearance of an oddity like Kraft had suddenly piqued her interest.
Still, the procedure had to be followed. Shou-Lao's examination of the heart was no mere formality. It allowed the candidate to achieve understanding of the mind and see one's nature, thereby determining the characteristics his Iron Fist would display once he obtained it.
However, every previous Iron Fist had been trained by K'un-Lun. Although their use of the Iron Fist varied slightly, there had been no great differences at a fundamental level.
So Shou-Lao was also curious about what different possibilities Kraft would reveal if he obtained the Iron Fist.
"What is