"Alright, kid, let's go up to the temple," the Elder said, his voice now calm again after his booming, joyful laughter. They climbed the remaining stairs, which felt much easier for Zego without the heavy bracelets on his ankles. At the peak, a small temple stood, made of ancient stones covered in moss. The giant barrel that Zego had filled for a month stood in the front yard, gleaming under the moonlight.
Zego looked at the temple with respect. This was the place where he would begin a new chapter in his life.
"Kid, before we start, I want to explain this technique," the Elder began, sitting on the temple's doorstep. "I believe this technique suits you perfectly, one hundred percent. When I checked inside your body, I felt two distinct cores. One emits aura, and it's a dark, impure aura. Meanwhile, your Qi emits a pure, stark white energy."
"This is precisely the philosophy of the 'Yin-Yang' technique, kid, which means balance. You have two cores in your body; perhaps that is your unique advantage. And also, your eyes are still full of mystery, but what is certain is that I can help you maximize the potential of all your powers. I took you as my disciple because I believe in you, kid."
"Kid, you know, back in the Eastern Continent, I had a large sect. Every year, millions of new disciples would join. Out of all of them, only one child caught my attention. That kid had extraordinary talent and genius. He had a strong physique and a powerful fighting style from a young age. He was so quick to learn everything my subordinates taught him that eventually, my subordinates couldn't teach him anything more. But this child was insatiably hungry for his ambition to become the strongest."
"Because I saw such a promising potential in him, I personally took him as my disciple. I trained him for 10 long years, but then a disaster struck. Kid, do you know what happened?" the Elder asked, his gaze distant.
Zego slowly shook his head, "Um... no, Elder."
The Elder let out a long sigh. "The disciple I personally took was the one who destroyed my sect and all the other disciples. He even killed his close friends with his own two hands. When I returned to the sect, I saw with my own eyes his hands were covered in blood. The floors of the sect that I had built were all stained with blood and destroyed beyond recognition."
"At that moment, I didn't know what I was feeling. Confusion and disappointment at the sight. My former disciple, he was emitting a thick and powerful demonic aura. He had been blinded by his ambition, making him take the wrong path. I knew it wasn't the martial art that I or my sect had taught him; it was a Demonic Martial Art. That power consumed him. He could no longer distinguish between friend and foe. He was only thirsty for blood and battle."
"I was the one who stopped him, but there was a moment when I could have killed him. But I couldn't. That is my biggest regret to this day. I hope that by taking you as my disciple, I can atone for my sins. Since that incident, I created the 'Yin-Yang' technique. It is a creation born from my hundreds of years of experience. I secluded myself for a very long time to develop this technique, and now, I pass it on to you, my disciple. Use this power as a balance. I'm not telling you to walk the path of good, but the path of balance. This world needs balance to be stable. There are a total of 12 techniques in 'Yin-Yang.' I believe this technique is still not perfect and needs further refinement. Perhaps you are the only one who can do it."
Zego was silent, the story deeply shaking his heart. He saw the profound regret in the Elder's eyes. Zego then bowed respectfully, "I will surpass your expectations, Elder!"
"In that case, I will start with the first technique: the Yin-Yang Fist. The right hand is coated with Yin, and the left hand is coated with Yang."
Zego nodded, ready to receive his first lesson. The Elder began to explain the concept in more detail: how to manipulate the perfected Qi energy inside his body. Zego had to draw the essence of Yin from the darkness of the surrounding night and channel it into his right hand, and then draw the essence of Yang from the rising sun and channel it into his left hand. This was the most basic concept, but Zego had to be able to balance both.
"The Yin-Yang Fist is not just about power, but also about balance. Yin is cold, Yang is hot. Yin is defense, Yang is attack. If you make even a slight mistake, your hands could be destroyed," the Elder warned.
Zego began to try. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and tried to feel the Yin and Yang energy around him. This was much more difficult than he had expected. The energy felt like mist, hard to grasp. Zego tried to concentrate, but every time he managed to feel Yin, Yang would disappear. And every time he felt Yang, Yin would vanish. He kept trying, for hours on end, from morning until night.
The Elder continued to watch, occasionally giving Zego a small punch to the back to remind him to stay focused. However, Zego did not complain. He knew this was part of the process. The Elder would not give him a new lesson until Zego had mastered the first one.
Zego kept trying, day after day. The first week, he still hadn't succeeded. His right hand felt cold as ice, while his left hand felt hot as fire. Zego couldn't unify the two. He felt despair.
However, he remembered the Elder's story again. The Elder's regret became his motivation. Zego was determined to become the best, so that the Elder would no longer have to regret his past.
In the second week, he began to find a point of balance. He no longer tried to "grasp" the energy, but he allowed it to flow into him. His right hand felt cold, while his left hand felt warm. Yin and Yang began to merge within him.
Zego opened his eyes, looking at his hands. His right hand was shrouded in a cold, dark aura, while his left hand was shrouded in a hot, white aura. The two interacted, creating a perfect balance.
"I did it, Elder!" Zego exclaimed.
The Elder smiled. "Good, kid. Now try to unify them in your palm. Make it a Yin-Yang energy ball."
Zego nodded, then brought his two hands together. The black and white auras began to interact, spinning and forming a small energy ball. The ball rotated calmly, emitting a balanced Yin and Yang energy.
"This is just the beginning, kid," the Elder said. "This training is far from over. But you have taken your first step. Now, continue until you can control this energy perfectly."
Zego continued his training, determined to become the best. He wanted to surpass the Elder's expectations and prove that he was worthy of receiving this legacy.