Shadow Slave: Divergence of Hereos

Chapter 13: Staff Arts of the King

"You've come a long way. Your technique is still rough, but your intent... it's becoming clearer. You're starting to understand what it means to wield Ruyi Jingu."

I nodded, trying to suppress the excitement bubbling up inside me. 

His acknowledgment meant more than I could express. But before I could respond, Mori stopped in front of me, his expression shifting to something more serious.

"But swinging a staff around isn't enough. If you want to wield Ruyi Jingu like I did—if you want to fight against true nightmare creatures—you'll need more than just instinct and raw power."

He stepped back, creating some distance between us, and twirled the staff in his hand—no, not just twirled. In a split second, the staff became a blur, moving so fast that I could barely track it with my eyes. 

The air around us seemed to hum with energy as Mori demonstrated the mastery of his weapon.

"You're ready to learn," he said, his voice low and steady, "the Staff Arts of the Monkey King."

Mori swung Ruyi Jingu effortlessly, making the ground tremble as he planted the staff firmly in the earth. Then, in one swift motion, he brought the staff to his side and pointed it toward me.

"Watch closely," he instructed, his eyes narrowing. 

"These techniques aren't just about brute force. They're about precision, about controlling the flow of the battlefield. And if you can master them, you'll be one step closer to using the full potential of Ruyi Jingu."

He planted his feet firmly, his stance solid and unshakable. 

Then, with a flick of his wrist, the staff extended, shooting forward like a bolt of lightning. The air rippled in its wake, and before I could even blink, the staff retracted, pulling back into Mori's hands as if it had never left.

"That's Extend," Mori said calmly. "It's not just about making the staff grow. You need to be able to control its movement, its length, its speed—all in an instant. The key is your intent. The staff will follow your will if you focus."

I nodded, watching every move closely, trying to burn the image into my memory. But he wasn't done.

Next, Mori spun the staff above his head, the speed so intense that it created a vortex of wind around him. In the blink of an eye, the spinning staff slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave of energy in all directions. 

The cave walls shook from the sheer force of it.

"This is Dragon Swing," Mori continued, his voice still casual despite the devastation around us. 

"It's a powerful technique that uses momentum and control to create massive shockwaves. But you need to be precise, or else you'll lose control of the force."

He stepped back again, giving me space. "Try it."

I hesitated for a moment, gripping Ruyi Jingu tightly. The staff had grown familiar in my hands over the past few months, but what Mori had just shown me was on another level entirely. 

Still, I steeled myself. This was why I was here. This was the path I had chosen.

I planted my feet firmly, just as he had, and swung the staff. I focused on the feeling of the weapon, on its weight, on the intent behind the strike. 

As I swung, I imagined the staff extending, shooting forward with the force of a cannon. But when I opened my eyes, the staff had barely moved. It was like hitting a brick wall.

Mori chuckled softly from behind me. "Don't force it. You're thinking too much. Feel the flow of your intent. The staff will move if your mind and body are in sync."

I tried again, this time clearing my mind, focusing only on my intent—the purpose behind the swing. The desire to return home. 

The staff responded, extending slightly, a small burst of power erupting from the tip. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

"That's better," Mori said, his voice a little more approving. "But you've got a long way to go."

For the next several days, Mori Jin guided me through the basics of his Staff Arts. 

He taught me the principles of Extend, Dragon Swing, and even the beginnings of 3rd Stance: Hwechook, a technique that allowed for rapid, multi-directional strikes that could overwhelm an opponent in seconds. 

Each day, I practised the movements until my body ached, and then I pushed further. Mori would correct me with a simple gesture or a pointed word, and slowly but surely, I began to feel the techniques take form.

It wasn't easy. Far from it. But I could feel myself improving, bit by bit.

And with every strike, every movement, I grew closer to mastering not just the staff, but myself.

It had been days since Mori Jin first began teaching me the Staff Arts.

 My body had adapted to the gruelling training, muscles hardening, mind sharpening with each technique I practised. 

I also woke up some mornings with more energy than the others, probably due to what Mori was feeding me to keep me alive.

Every swing of the staff was a lesson in intent, in control, and in the deep understanding of what I wanted to achieve with it.

Mori Jin didn't hold back during our sparring sessions. He wielded Ruyi Jingu with effortless grace, the staff dancing in his hands like an extension of his body. 

Each clash between us sent shockwaves through the cave, the sheer force of his strikes threatening to overwhelm me. But I endured, pushing past the limits of my own strength and willpower.

Today felt different, though.

We stood across from each other in the clearing outside the cave, the sky above us swirling with clouds tinted with golden hues. 

The wind blew softly, rustling the leaves of the towering trees that surrounded us. Mori's eyes were calm, his stance loose, yet there was an unspoken intensity between us. I could sense it—the final test.

"You ready?" Mori asked, his voice casual as always, though his golden eyes glinted with something more.

...

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