The zypher jumped across the woodland, caressing the rainbow-leaf mosaic from left and right as the sky was dazzling. The gentle breeze muffled the fervent chirping of the early birds. The lovely robins welcomed the beloved critters of the woods to a new day with a warm, caring song.

While this was happening, the river's current was anything but harmonic, flowing gracefully and serenely except for violently crashing against the sedimentary rocks. Instead, the water's flow surrounded the sedimentary rocks as it went by the bank. Pete, Kuhn Lau, and Yung Fu were cordially greeted here at the river's valuable bank by its calm waves.

Yung Fu crossed his hands behind his back while Kuhn Lau clutched onto the bamboo stick, admiring its smooth texture.

"Kuhn Lau tells me you converted your qi into an energy ball. I'm impressed."

Pete stopped and turned toward him; he bowed his head and said, "Thank you, Master Yung Fu."

"Don't thank me yet, Pete, for your training is still incomplete. Now that we have groomed your qi, we will move to the next phase of your training. Can you guess what that might be?"

He placed his finger under his chin and pondered, "Um...walking on fire. That would be so freaken awesome! I'd be like some badass ninja!"

Yung Fu narrowed his eyes with bafflement.

"Not exactly."

"From now onward, I will teach you Kung Fu!"

"Boy, have I been waiting for this moment!" He said with excitement.

Kuhn Lau and Yung Fu looked at each other with astonishment. Never had they encountered an individual who relished the idea of learning Kung Fu. Where they come from, it is a grinding ordeal, not made for everyone. It requires a lot from an individual's body: determination, mind, soul, and spirit. Not everyone who partakes in the art of it makes it to the end of their training.

"What, was it something I said?"

"Are you aware that this is the most difficult part of your training? It will require a lot from you."

He shrugged and whirled his arms like they were twirling ribbons.

"Oh, c'mon, how bad can it be homes?"

6 minutes later

Pete raised his hands before his face and prepared to strike with both clenched. Pete tucked his elbows against his ribs while Yung Fu uttered another command from behind.

"Now slide your foot forward and lift your none dominant heel."

He slid his root foot forward and adjusted his left heel slightly higher. From there, he kept his right foot stationed and looked ahead.

"Now, without turning, extend your dominant hand forward but remember to keep your none dominant hand close to your cheeks."

He maintained the position of his left hand on his cheeks. He then punched the waft while extending his right hand in front of him. He then retracted his right hand to its original position.

"My, you are a fast learner. Do that again, but I'll practice with you this time."

"Err.." He stuttered as his pupils dilated.

He surmounted his fear and tried to land a blow on Yung Fu's face.

Yung Fu blocked the strike to evade it. He then delivered a hook blow to his cheeks. In hindsight, the impact of that strike had considerably startled him since he collapsed to the ground. He wincingly rolled into a ball and put his hand on his left cheek.

"Oh owe, geez owe! My cheek, did you have to hit me?!"

In response, Kuhn Lau placed his hand on his forehead.

"In all fairness, he did advise you to use your non-dominant hand to block an upcoming attack."

Kuhn Lau then tapped his forehead gently.

"How could I forget? You are very arrogant," he said.

Yung Fu pulled him up and said, "Let's continue. There is no time for whining."

He yelled at him while his cheek morphed into a red pigment.

"What am I supposed to do? I am in pain for crying out loud!"

"Peter, the worst mistake you can make is to give in to your pain. When you do that, you will drop your guard and give your opponent an opening."

Pete then delivered another strike, to which Yung Fu responded by deflecting it with the back of his forearm. Young Fu returned the favor by striking him again on the cheek. In response, Pete used his forearm to deflect the blow. When that happened, he smiled at Yung Fu with flush scarlet cheeks while Yung Fu grinned in amazement, impressed by his student's progress.

The mood among them cooled down, deceiving him into dropping his guard. Like a predator, Yung Fu seized this opportunity without notice and delivered another daring strike, this time to the bridge of his nose. The onslaught repelled the latter, and he fell to the ground as blood began to drip from his left nasal hole.

"Oww! Oh, my nose! Ok, I take it back; Kung Fu is not a piece of cake!"

"Tisk, tisk, tisk, you let your guard down," said Yung Fu.

All day long, Pete received training from Yung Fu on punching, dodging, and counterattacking his adversary. After that, Pete went back to his earlier workouts.

************

While a swarm of fireflies twinkled from the vast expanses of the sky, darkness engulfed the landscape and covered the sky in a thick layer of ink. A cloudy veil rotated to the poles, giving the moon the honor of occupying the throne. As its atmosphere accentuated its majesty, it ruled the last hours of the day with an iron fist.

The darkness spread across the land, ending the interaction between some woodland creatures and forcing them to return to their habitats.

Meanwhile, the Guardians savored the splendor of a campfire at the campsite. The fire progressively grew taller than the mound of rocks that surrounded it. Perhaps the flames desired to set the forest into a blaze. Fortunately, the pile of rocks around it prevented it from doing so.

While they gathered around the campfire, they chattered amongst themselves.

"You know, just watching the fire burn through the wood reminds me of the discovery of the Golden Phoenix and its history," said Kuhn Lau.

"Are you talking about the tale of the bird that rose from the ashes?" Inquired Pete as he gnawed through a large chunk of meat.

"Not quite. I'm referring to Jin Li WeiGuang, the discoverer of the Golden Phoenix."

"Who the hell is Jin Guang?"

Kuhn Lau continued as he locked his fingers and placed his hands under his chin.

"Jin Guang is our Savior Pete, the light and hope for the entire Utopian nation. This began over a millennium ago.  There was a rebellion on our home planet, Utopia. Utopia was colonized by a powerful race called the Konquerers. The Konquerers were a formidable force. They conquered more than hundreds of worlds and enslaved our forefathers. They stripped Utopia of its resources, embezzling our vegetation, weapons, riches, and agriculture.

Not only did they have the audacity to take away what was ours, but their malicious appetites were far from satisfaction. In doing so, they forced our forefathers to believe that they were inferior to them and would never amount to anything..."

He paused and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. Pete took a closer look at him and saw rage simmering within.

"One of my great grandmothers, from previous generations ago was brutally raped by the Konquers. To make matters worse, they even killed hundreds and thousands of women. Can you believe that children fell victim to this onslaught, Peter?"

Pete looked down and intertwined his fingers. He didn't know how to respond to that, as he could only sympathize with their struggles.

"One day, a young lad named Jin Li Wei Guang ascended from the depths of hell and conscioused our ancestors. He encouraged them to have faith during those dark times. He also made them believe in themselves!"

Yung Fu added, "Not only that, Jin Guang was a mighty warrior. He was the first Utopian to discover a new power. It was a form called the Golden Phoenix. He helped a few others to unlock it. He even stirred up a war that led to our liberation. Although he emancipated us from the Konquerers, he died amidst that chaos."

"I'm speechless. I'm sorry for what happened. But I don't understand why you had to tell me all that?"

Somehow, Kuhn Lau still could smile, despite talking about his horrendous past.

"I want you to see the implications of believing in yourself. Jin Guang was born in unfavorable circumstances. However, he did not allow his situation to dictate how he should live. Instead, he chose to believe in himself and change his situation. Imagine how his courageous spirit changed not only his life but also others. To sum things up, always believe in yourself. In the end, good things will come your way."

***********

Later that day

Pete and Kuhn Lau went back to the riverside. When Pete got there, he ate a deer's tricep until there were only bones. After that, he started pounding against his big belly and belched with joy.

"Look, I'm playing a djembe; this reminds me how much I admire Africa and its amazing customs."

Kuhn Lau smiled at him and added upon what he said, "You don't say. I have read about Africa and its diverse, fascinating traditions. Without wasting time, I have brought you here to teach you how to turn your qi into a weapon."

He raised his right brow while lowering his left.

"Wait, wait, wait, how is that possible?"

"Observe," said Kuhn Lau.

He opened his right hand and projected an orb of energy from his palms.

"Wait, that is what I did before!" 

Now Kuhn Lau pointed his hand toward the horizon and released a ki blast. The blast finally reached the farthest point of the jungle. There, from a mile distant, a colossal explosion exploded.

"Whoa, that is sick man! I thought Yung Fu was the only one who could do that!"

"So can I; however, the difference is that Yung Fu's qi blasts are more destructive than mine. Now then, project your ki blast."

He closed his eyes and opened his hand, then projected a haze of yellow energy as Kuhn Lau did. 

"Concentrate, Pete, and convert your qi into a blast."

Just like Kuhn Lau, he closed his eyes before extending his palm and emitting an orb of energy from his palm. His energy had a yellow color. Much like a balloon, he was on the verge of imploding from excitement. But Kuhn Lau restrained him and his excitement with a leash.

"Shh! Concentrate."

He calmed down and waited for the next instruction.

"Now, aim for the mountains and fire at will."

He then directed his hand toward the mountains and fired a yellow ki blast. Kuhn Lau was shocked when the blast missed the peak and hit a nearby hut instead. He put his palm on his forehead and sighed with embarrassment while Pete opened his eyes and asked eagerly.

"Did I do it?"

He looked over to the horizon. He was astonished by the destruction he made. The mountain he had aimed for was still standing tall.

"Oops!" He chuckled.

The following morning

At the Sihuyean

Slowly lifting his eyes, Nicholas looked up at the ceiling. He repeatedly blinked until his retina displayed clear vision, despite his unclear handicap. Soon, he shifted his posture and sat up straight. He felt dizzy and put his right hand on his forehead.

"Oh man, my head!"

He turned to look at his right arm, which was wholly bandaged and immobile. Suddenly, a captivating young woman walked into his room.

"Good day, Mr .Tyson."

He rubbed his eyes with his left arm.

"Good morning; who are you, and where am I?"

"You are in Master Yung Fu's compound. He has asked me to attend to your wounds," she smiled with glee.

"What happened."

"It appears as though a lightning bolt has struck you. It's a miracle that you survived. However, it has done away with your right arm. At this point, it will be almost impossible to heal it."

Slicer abruptly changed direction and began to descend to the ground at the speed length of Mach five. The integrity of his speed left them all in a state of shock. The lightning aura covered his body. He then sauntered over to them and gave each of them a glance.

"This day has been chosen by death as your judgment day. I now stand before you all not as an enemy but as your executioner because of this. Whoever wants to die, I implore you to take a moment to reflect on your life and cease to function without regret!"

Indistructo approached him and scoffed at him.

"Yeah yeah yeah, we already learned about Shakespeare in High School. We don't need another lecture! How about we skip to the part where I kick your ass!"

Indistructo suddenly pursued him at Mach three without any prior warning. Even his fellow Guardians had been unable to detect his strike because of his speed and accuracy.

He then clenched his fist and attempted to implement his assault. Remarkably though, Slicer blocked his attack by encasing his fist in the palm of his hand.

What the...? He muttered as he struggled to get free of his hold.

After that, Slicer raised his gaze to the heavens and summoned a lightning strike with a one million degrees Celsius heat signature.

When the lightning struck him, a massive explosion followed. When it was over, he was in a horrendous situation. It was so severe that his garments were harrowed as a haze of smoke departed from his nostrils. They were flabbergasted. Slicer diverted his gaze back at them.

"Slicer happened," he said after reflecting on his past.

He looked up and glanced at her.

"Where are the others?"

"Master Yung Fu and the others went to train on a nearby island."

He then looked down with exasperation and sighed.

"And they didn't invite me."

He pushed his bed sheets aside and ambulated towards the door.

"Mr. Tyson, Master Yung Fu advised that you stay in bed until you heal!"

He closed his eyes as a black aura hovered around his body. The aura formulated a black leather suit that he had worn before. A black cape hung from his back.

He turned to face her and said, "Don't worry, hot stuff, I can take of myself."

He then flew away and vanished into the sky.

To Be Continued

A.N.

The Conquerers Haiboku: A technique in which a user performs a catastrophic energy blast. The energy blast has the colossal momentum to incinerate an entire species. However, the downside of the attack is that it would also result in the user's demise.