Southern Earth Kingdom. A newly built arena.
The midday sun was particularly scorching today. The residents of the southernmost province, seated on simple stone benches, were not exactly comfortable. Had they been indoors, they would have long since been overwheld by the stifling aroma of hundreds of sweating bodies. Fortunately, the event was held outdoors, and a gentle, cool breeze offered so relief. One could envy the resourceful individuals who had prepared gallons of a local beverage, similar to kvass. The drink, called *kisu* here, was also made from grain and had the sa thirst-quenching effect. Kisu vendors were in high demand today, and they silently thanked the young lord who had organized the event.
"You've traveled through many provinces—surely you know this wealthy young man. Can you tell us anything interesting about him?" one man asked another sitting beside him. His gaze kept drifting to the two beautiful won accompanying the young man. In his mind, he had already labeled Yo as the spoiled offspring of a wealthy capital family, soone who, in his opinion, had achieved nothing on his own.
"Never heard of him," the second man shrugged. He, too, was curious about the origins of this individual, whose influence spanned the entire Earth Kingdom. As far as he knew, this was far from the first tournant of its kind. Each ti, the rulers themselves or their trusted aides had participated personally.
It wasn't just this pair who found the figure intriguing. So had already pieced together the vast sums this family of four spent in every province. Logically, Yo was either the illegitimate son of Lao, the new King, or a bastard of the previous King, Kuei...
The crowd's attention wasn't solely on the mysterious and wealthy family seated on the elevated platform. Many were engrossed in the various competitions, where people of all ages and genders—elders, girls, boys, n, and won—showcased their mastery of combat or physical prowess. It was all quite fascinating, enough to keep them sweating under the relentless sun.
*
Yo. Sa place, sa ti.
Several months had passed since we began our journey across the country. We had visited most of the provinces, but unfortunately, I hadn't found the unique individuals I was seeking. Yes, there were weapon masters rivaling Piandao, and people with physical anomalies like June. There was even a man I called Mr. Fantastic—he seed to have no bones, his body bending at impossible angles into bizarre shapes. It was all fascinating and educational, but without life energy, it held no real value for .
Apparently, during my early explorations of this world under the guise of Roku, I was attacked by so kind of hamster. In a fit of rage, I amassed not only gold but also valuable collectibles. At the ti, I was too lazy to count the money—I knew it was a lot, and that was enough. I've noticed my attitude toward money has beco more peculiar in this life. It likely stems from my ti at the North Pole, where money had lost its relevance...
As I said, the funds turned out to be far greater than I expected. If I didn't spend them now, I might never get around to it. That's how rumors of my love for spending money began. I donated so to the rulers under Lao's influence, increased tournant prize pools, and ensured every participant who passed the initial rounds received a consolation prize. So people, I suspect, competed multiple tis, following from province to province...
I personally gave so of them entire bags of coins so they could open their own martial arts schools. It was especially amusing with Celine, who bought an enormous amount of goods along the way. Her kind heart led her to purchase from those struggling to make ends et. Later, the newly acquired items were distributed in other towns or villages we encountered. I was glad to see that over ti, the number of people in need had decreased. The results of my and Lao's efforts were visible to the naked eye.
"Dad, you're lost in thought again, aren't you?" Celine tickled my palm with her tiny fingers. "The finals are about to start!" she exclaid, pointing at the arena with her other hand. Two figures now stood there—the first and, so far, only ones using life energy.
"Right, I'm back," I smiled at my daughter, turning my attention to the two n. "I thought I'd return empty-handed..." Today's tournant was one of the last; only two provinces remained. So, I spent most of my ti lost in thought, only snapping out of it when the two n I'd marked as finalists entered the arena.
On the left side stood a tense middle-aged man, ready for battle. His eyes imdiately drew to the five wooden swords—two at his belt and three on his back. On the opposite side, a young man with a blindfold calmly stretched. Another sightless person...
"Get ready to keep your eyes open! This final fight will be intense!" the referee began, periodically wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "No more delays! On the left, Bay the Slasher; on the right, Shan the Seer! Ready? Begin!"
In that instant, Bay lunged from his position, tightly gripping his seemingly harmless sword. He launched a swift attack. One might think catching the weapon would end the fight, but the blind man fiercely avoided his opponent's barrage of strikes. It was as if he truly had the gift of foresight. It was clear Shan began his movents a fraction of a second before Bay.
"Dad, you already told about Bay—he infuses his sword with life energy, so it can cut through even iron," Celine tugged at the edge of my shirt. "But how does the blind guy see? He's definitely not an earthbender."
"From what I've gathered, Shan has learned to use life energy to heighten his hearing and sharpen his sense of sll," I explained, noting the active energy flow around his nose and ears. The subtle twitches of his ears and frequent sniffing left no room for other explanations. Of course, this would need further examination after the competition.
Shan's abilities interest more. Combined with the sharp vision of the Kyoshi Warriors, this could create a system of enhancents without the risks of opening chakras. I intend to establish a foundation for life energy mastery. Many dream of being born with magic, so why not offer them an alternative? This won't happen overnight, and everything will need thorough verification and docuntation.
During this ti, I managed to contact Wan Shi Tong, questioning him about everything he knew regarding life energy. The information was scarce; at that point, he was still only beginning to explore the world as a regular higher spirit. He hadn't been fortunate enough to be born with great power, like Tui and La. Still, he shared so insights.
In his quest for knowledge, he once stumbled upon an unfamiliar area—a village inhabited by unusual people. This occurred during the ti when humans hid on lion-turtles. But not all humans sought refuge on those massive living islands; many survived among hordes of spirits.
Curiosity led him to the village entrance, where the inhabitants attacked him without a word. Their powerful bodies, strange language, and unfamiliar abilities forced him into battle to learn as much as possible. Only after a year did he realize these people were masters of life energy. The n and won, emitting a faint green glow, beca faster and stronger. Their strikes inflicted significant damage, and with each hit, his energy seed to vanish. After enduring twenty minutes, he retreated, wounded.
For a long ti, his mind was occupied by these strange people who feared no spirits and were even willing to face them with bare hands. That's when he began researching the matter. As ti passed, his observations continued, and his interest in humanity only grew. Soon, Wan Shi Tong connected what he saw with the energy circulating within the lion-turtles—another mystery of this world.
As an ancient spirit with vast capabilities, he was able to closely examine many different people. Here's what he discovered: those living under the protection of lion-turtles universally possessed a rudintary gift for magic! Conversely, those living among spirits had no talent in that area. It's unclear when this division occurred, but one thing is certain—the gift of magic simply hinders the manipulation of life energy. To survive, people turned to the lion-turtles.
I've pondered this myself. Piandao, the Kyoshi Warriors, and the Yu Yang archers aren't gifted with magic but excel in using other forms of energy. Kyoshi and I can be considered exceptions, as we don't quite fit the term "ordinary."
There's more. Lion-turtles turned out to be recognized masters of energy magic, also known as life energy. Using their abilities, they helped people temporarily unlock their gifts, preparing their bodies for this new and foreign energy. The sa happens when activating chakras—after persistently "knocking on the door," life energy eventually opens the gift. Perhaps initially, the gift had to be returned to the lion-turtle, but Wan Shi Tong doesn't believe people were restricted; they could keep their magical talent at any ti. Most likely, people grew accustod to the protection and saw no reason to change anything. Centuries later, Wan—the first Avatar—was born, stirring the waters, and the consequences of his actions still affect the world.
Wan Shi Tong didn't docunt this in manuscripts or books, as much of it cannot be confird, and he is a staunch opponent of anything unsupported. Where did the people who knew so much about life energy disappear to? Where are all the lion-turtles? How did one of them end up with Avatar Aang when he needed help? Why does life energy and magic oppose each other in so places but assist in others? After the spirit of knowledge's tale, I had a slew of new questions...
"Shan the Seer wins!" the referee shouted, futilely trying to drown out the crowd.
That was the outco I expected. Both opponents had excellent combat skills, but Bay was limited by his own abilities. Every two to three minutes, he had to switch swords, as the old ones turned to splinters.
After the prize-giving ceremony, I spoke with the finalists. I openly expressed my interest and was willing to pay handsoly for their cooperation in studying their demonstrated abilities. The extra money was well-received, and our collaboration began promptly.
Soon, my collection of life energy techniques grew with new examples. Shan turned out to be a decent theorist, even sketching the energy channels in the head that produce the desired effect. I imdiately decided to invite him to Omashu—soone like him couldn't be let go.
As a passionate swordsman, Bay had always wanted the sharpest blade. According to him, it all happened spontaneously... While training with a wooden practice sword, he experienced an inexplicable sensation, as if he could see inside the prop weapon. The next swing effortlessly cut through the training dummy. Only later did he realize the sword he'd been using that day was newly made, still containing tree sap, which made it seem alive for a while. By infusing it with his energy, he temporarily rged with the sword, enhancing its properties. Of course, this significantly shortened the sword's lifespan.
He politely declined my invitation to explore the world of life energy together. He has a sizable school to oversee, passed down through his family. But he'd be happy to et again.
This new information will keep occupied for a long ti. Next ti, I'll organize sothing similar on the Fire Nation archipelago. Perhaps I'll find sothing unique there too.
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