"Jiang, at this time, Aysa should be practicing the Way of Balance at the Pool of the Paw." Ji Huozhang's whole demeanor changed when he mentioned Aysa Yunge; his amber eyes lit up. " Aysa is the strongest Monk of this generation in the Tushui. Her balance is incredible. When she practices, it's as if her whole body is radiating light. Her breathing is so steady, her posture so elegant, everything about her is so perfect... I'll take you to see her."
Pool of the Paw was just down the mountain. The two of them, one in front of the other, along with their inseparable companion Anveena, arrived at Pool of the Paw half an hour later.
The so-called "small pond" is actually a pond slightly larger than a football field, filled with water lilies. A young-looking female Pandaren is on one of the water lilies.
She was very quiet, standing on one lotus leaf with the other leg bent, her hands clasped together, her eyes closed, facing Jiang Jie sideways, completely still, her posture truly elegant, her breathing steady.
Actually, she wasn't completely still. With Jiang Jie's keen eyesight, he could see that her body was actually trembling slightly. This was a way for her to maintain her balance. After all, sometimes there was wind, and fish were swimming in the pond, which would affect her balance. She had to use this trembling to maintain it.
This is the way of martial arts, the way of balance.
Huojin, Earth and Water—the core of Pandaren martial arts is "balance," which is somewhat similar to the Daoist concept of Taiji's harmony.
Needless to say, the weight of Pandaren is considerable. Although Aysa Cloud Song is only an underage female Pandaren and appears somewhat thin, that is in comparison to Ji Fireclaw's robust physique. In reality, her weight should be at least 120 pounds.
Maintaining balance on a small lotus leaf with such a heavy body is much more difficult than any " Lightness Skill: Skimming over Water " technique. The balance between movement and stillness makes stillness even more challenging.
Moreover, Jiang Jie noticed that she wasn't actually practicing her balance; this ability to balance had become muscle memory, an instinctive part of her.
It takes several years, or even a decade, of training to reach this level. This is certainly due to the well-developed training methods of the Monk, and the inner peace of the Tushui Monk is also one of the reasons.
" Aysa! Aysa! I've come to find you, and I've brought Jiang with me! The Jiang I told you about, the human from outside!" From a distance, Ji Huozhang was baring his teeth and claws, shouting and yelling. He was clearly in a very good mood to see Aysa.
Jiang Jie knew that the two of them later became a couple. They were both young talents and the most outstanding disciples of the Tushui and the Huojin, respectively. It was normal for them to admire each other.
"Ji, don't make a fuss, keep your mind calm. You should spend more time cultivating, not fooling around." Aysa opened her eyes, lightly touched the ground with her toes, and quickly reached the shore using the lotus leaves as leverage. She bowed to Jiang Jie: "Master Jiang."
Ever since Jiang Jie and Master Shang Xi exchanged martial arts and imparted the principles of Chinese martial arts to the Pandaren, Chinese martial arts have spread throughout the entire Wandering Isle.
As they learned Jiang Jie's martial arts, many Pandaren began to call Jiang Jie "Master," treating him the same as Master Shang Xi. However, Jiang Jie wasn't shameless enough to refuse this title, so they started calling him "Master Jiang Jie."
This is also a respectful title, used to address a martial arts master.
Jiang Jie originally felt unworthy of the title, but now that he has finally achieved the Xiantian, it is only right and proper.
" Aysa, Master Shang Xi asked us to help Jiang find the Elemental Spirits. Let's go find the Huo the Fire Spirit, first! I've never seen Elemental Spirits before! I heard it's very hot and can melt iron!" Ji Fire Palm was clearly very happy.
" The Huo the Fire Spirit Shrine of the Inner-Light, and Master Li Fei is its Keeper. Very well, let's go and pay our respects to Master Li Fei," Aysa nodded.
To reach the Shrine of the Inner-Light, you need to pass through the territory of the monkeys in Grookin Hill.
These monkeys are intelligent, though not very intelligent. They are generally a little smarter than baboons and gorillas on Earth, and some can even use simple Shaman and natural magic.
These monkeys frequently attack the Pandaren and steal their food.
They haven't been completely eradicated yet, not because they're too strong. In fact, these little monkeys are quite easy to deal with.
Firstly, because Pandaren dislike killing, and secondly, because young Pandaren need to be trained.
Jiang Jie and his companions were also attacked by the monkeys.
However, as honored guests, Jiang Jie naturally didn't need to make a move, nor did Aysa. Ji Huozhang possessed inexhaustible energy, and the Huojin always took pride in protecting the people and the land. In addition, he needed to show off in front of Aysa. In less than two minutes, Ji chased away all the monkeys and even struck a chubby pose at the end.
They arrived at the Shrine of the Inner-Light.
This is a very deep cave. The Pandaren have built some altars and shrines inside, and the Huo the Fire Spirit lives in the deepest part.
"Ji, Aysa, you've arrived? The Ancient Fire Spirit is very agitated; entering the shrine now is dangerous... Be careful. Are you Master Jiang? Thank you for teaching us a new martial art, injecting new blood into the Pandaren's legacy." A Huojin Monk clasped his hands together, his attitude sincere.
Jiang Jie quickly returned the greeting.
After traversing a long passage, they soon met Master Li Fei.
"Master Jiang." Master Li Fei nodded to the others, then looked at Jiang Jie: "Master Shang Xi has already sent someone to inform me. However, the Huo the Fire Spirit has been very irritable lately, and it's dangerous to get close to it. I am the Keeper here, and according to the rules, if you want to see the Huo the Fire Spirit, you must pass my test. This is also for your safety."
"Of course." Jiang Jie chuckled. "What kind of test?"
"Defeat me," Master Li Fei said.
"Alright." Although Jiang Jie had discussed martial arts with Master Shang Xi for a month, the two had never actually fought. If it were simply a contest of martial arts skills, he was no match for Master Shang Xi. And using killing moves would be inappropriate.
Now that he can fight another Monk master, Jiang Jie is eager to see his true strength.
Whoosh!
Master Li Fei clasped his hands and bowed. In the next moment, he transformed into a blur and arrived in front of Jiang Jie, striking Jiang Jie's body with a palm strike. Jiang Jie even seemed to hear a tiger's roar!
" Tiger Palm? A palm technique from the White Tiger Celestial? Interesting." Jiang Jie was kicked away, but quickly regained his balance and engaged Master Li Fei in battle.
A master, indeed a master.
This Master Li Fei is far superior to Ji Huozhang. His fists are hard and powerful, and his speed is also very fast. When he unleashes his Shadowless Kick and Raging Kick, it's like Whirlwind of Warrior, making it impossible to get close.
This was just a test, not a life-or-death battle. Jiang Jie didn't use the Dragon-Subduing Palm or the Pegasus Meteor Finger; he directly used Taijiquan to fight back. After a few rounds, he threw Master Li Fei away with one hand.
It's not that Master Li Fei is too weak, but rather that Jiang Jie is too strong. In fact, Master Li Fei's martial arts skills should not be inferior to those of Master Storm; what he lacks is experience in actual combat. The Pandaren of Wandering Isle lack combat experience; they haven't experienced many battles.
"You have passed the trial, Master Jiang. When I was young, I read the travel logs left by the sages and longed to see the world, but I never did. I always envied Chen's carefree life. I never imagined that humans would come to the Wandering Isle." Master Li Fei said, "The ancient Huo the Fire Spirit, is in the hall above. Whether you can gain its approval and return to Temple of the Five Dawns with you depends on yourself!"
Jiang Jie nodded, about to say something, when he suddenly felt a wave of heat rushing towards him.
He looked up and saw a small, fiery red creature, only about 1.2 meters tall, floating in front of him.
This was a fire spirit with a large head, small hands and feet, and an even smaller body. Its entire body was covered in naturally formed fire runes. A joyful smile radiated from its face, and a pair of large, spiritually charged eyes stared at Jiang Jie. A voice from a spiritual level entered Jiang Jie's mind:
"Are you Nicholas? Sister Anveena said you're very handsome, but why don't I see it?"
Jiang Jie had no choice but to summon his Xiantian Gang Qi to resist the heat from the Huo the Fire Spirit. Master Li Fei and the others immediately jumped ten meters away. The heat from the Huo was too terrifying for them to withstand!
" Huo! Put away your flames, or I won't play with you anymore!" Anveena appeared, hands on her hips, looking furious.
"Okay, I thought this was fun!" Huo's voice was full of innocence. He quickly put away his flames, and Jiang Jie felt no longer hot. This little guy's ability to control fire was amazing!
Jiang Jie looked at Anveena, completely baffled as to Huo Anveena. He was still trying to figure out how to get past the wall of fire blocking the entrance to the hall without getting hurt; it was a protective measure Huo had created for itself while it was asleep, and it was very powerful.
"Oh, I saw Huo was sleeping, so I woke it up and told it that as long as it stays with me, I'll play with it and take it to see the wonderful world outside." Anveena shrugged. "It's that simple!"