"Mother! I am home!" said Duan Li after coming in, "..and here is the fish.." as he handed a wrapped paper with a conflicted look to him.He wondered that if he should tell his mother the incident at grandma Ying"s store.
"Good, I"ll prepare it later on.. though, what"s wrong with you?" noticing the look on her son, she knew that something is up. After all, she had taken care of him since he was but a baby. So naturally, any unnatural reaction her son made would not go unnoticed by her.
"Well.. it is like this.."
Knowing that his mother would know the incident sooner or later, rather than getting scolded for hiding it, Duan Li decided to tell the whole story to his mother, even the bizarre phenomena of time slowing down.
...
"What? Time slowing down?.."
"You stomped your foot on his sword, causing his elbows to cripple at the same time?.."
At first, when his mother was listening to his story, she couldn"t help but to get agitated and infuriated by the action of that haughty young man. To think that grandma Ying was about to be slapped back!
One has to know that grandma Ying was already over 70 years old! A strike from someone no matter how small would definitely injure her! At the thought of this, her mother clenched her teeth and hands into a fist and was about to left the house to teach that insolent young man a lesson when Duan Li stopped her, and told the rest of the story.
Her eyes couldn"t be any more wider and mouth agaped open. One could even put an egg and it would fit. However, her expression was just too adorable with that baby face of her. Sometimes, Duan Li wondered whether her mother was truly over 40 years old.
"Duan Li my son... did.. you slept along the way back?" questioned his mother, seeming to not be able to believe the stories her son just told her and that it actually came from his dream after dozing off.
It was simply too inconceivable for such things to happen!
Granted, that there are all sorts of mysterious magic, runes and secret techniques in the Tian continent, but forget even about these three advanced skills, her son didn"t even practice any sword arts and martial arts!
How then, would he have the capabilities to slow down time? Even if such a cheating skill were to conveniently exist, surely it would cost a vast amount of spirit Qi to use?
After all, the laws of the world are centered around true balance, a legendary skill such as slowing down time would need something inconceivable to activate as well!
Her son didn"t even cultivate any spirit Qi as far as she knew, so how was that even possible?
...
Knowing that his mother wouldn"t believe him, Duan Li could only try to prove it by activating that ability again. But the question is, how was he supposed to do that?
After contemplating for awhile, Duan Li decided for a mock battle with his mother. He didn"t know any sorts of martial arts and techniques at all, so when he first suggested this, his mother hesitated but went on with it after seeing that determined eyes of her son.
...
Outside their house..
Duan Li was just standing still like a scarecrow, ready for a beating anytime.
"This is why mother have told you for so many times before to practice some martial arts and skills.. yet all you do is sleep, eat and read books.. haa.." sighed his mother helplessly as she took a stance.
Right now, they were standing roughly three meters away from each other.
"Look at you.. there are so many openings! Guard yourself! Your mother here wouldn"t give you any leeways!" said his mother as she raised her arms alternatingly, forming a sort of a movement in a seemingly graceful way.
"C-calm down mother.. this is only.."
Just as he was about to say more, his mother had already stepped forward, with a "swoosh", she appeared instantly in front of him, with her right hand clenched into a fist, heading straight into the abdomen of Duan Li.
Seeing that punch with force behind it, Duan Li knew that his mother was serious. If that were to hit him, he would be sent flying!
Mother! This is your son! How can you be so tyrannical?
"Let"s see if you are telling me the truth.. if you are lying, then this punch from your mother here would be enough to teach you a lesson..!" thought his mother as she launched the fist forward.
Duan Li panicked and closed his eyes, tightening his abdomen while feeling that all hope is lost..
"Rrrringggggg.."
"This sound!" said Duan Li as he quickly opened his eyes.
The world had slowed down, even the falling leaves are so slow that he could definitely pick them up one by one in the air before they could even touch the ground.
Looking at that fist that is inches apart from making contact with his abdomen to break a few of his ribs, Duan Li smiled.
"It happened!" he said excitedly to himself as he dodged to the right with a sidestep, and then time returned to normal again.
...
"What.. Instant reaction?" said his mother while exclaiming in surprise before continuing, "But that cannot be! He had not even practice any sorts of martial arts! Let alone the "Instant reaction" skill that one could only get after being baptised with near-death situations numerous times!"
Knowing that such a thing should not be the case, but it wouldn"t hurt to reconfirm her a.s.sessment, she launched another attack. This time, the right punch that was dodged by Duan Li had arched upwards halfway before his mother"s left foot stepped outside of Duan Li"s left side and her left hand threw a horizontal chop aiming for the neck.
Time slowed down.
"A horizontal hand chop? And the trajectory... My neck?!" cried Duan Li frantically. He was feeling really scared right now. His mother is way too scary!
Am I not your son? Why do you use such a blood-thirsty attack on your own son?
Could it be that mother had been possessed by evil?
Duan Li couldn"t help but wanted to cry right now. He ducked downwards immediately and time returned to normal again.
"Disappeared?!.. no.. he ducked down! Let"s see how you handle this!" exclaimed his mother.
A series of kicks, punches, and other sorts of technique was displayed relentlessly by his mother..
It seems that she had completely forgotten that this was just a mock battle to test the ability of her son as she grew more and more excited..
...
After a while..
"Huu..." exhaled his mother from her mouth as she closed her stance and her arms returned to normal position, marking the end of the spar.
"You.. did you really see time slowing down?" said his mother, but this time she seemed more convinced than before.
"Yes mother.. every time you attack me time would slow down for me to the minute detail.. thus I was able to dodge all of your attacks.." replied Duan Li and continued, "But mother, your attacks are.."
"Ahem!" coughed his mother dryly, stopping her son from saying anything more, "The rest don"t matter.." she said awkwardly while trying her best to stay composed. She was too excited as it had been long since she had a sparring session with someone. Thus, she had forgotten the objective and went on displaying her skills on her own son.
But now, she knew for sure that what her son just did to dodge all of her attacks, was thanks to this ability of slowing down time to see through attacks. In contrast to the skill "Instant reaction" that is gained through countless battles, those are more of an instinct by the body to move naturally without one having to think about it.
"Your abilities are.. hmm.. cheating! Hmph!" said his mother while harrumping, seeming a little bit jealous. But in her heart, she was quite happy that her son had a very unique ability! If he uses it well.. then no one could possibly match someone who is a master in slowing down time!
"But tell me, how did you get it?" asked his mother curiously. Her son didn"t have such an ability before, she thought.
Thus, Duan Li retold the bizzarre experience he had that morning while chopping down a tree, about the mysterious clear pearl with golden glow and mist inside it..
...
"Hmm.." the brows of his mother creased together as she walked forwards and backwards repeatedly trying to contemplate on what her son just told.
If what her son had told is the truth, then that mysterious pearl is the cause for her son"s ability to be able to slow down time! However, she couldn"t help but to worry. After all, external help is not of one"s own potential, thus, it might had its own complications as well..
Shaking her head, she sighed helplessly knowing that worrying on something unknown would not help even a tiny bit.
"Do not tell this to others, otherwise.. I fear that.. you will be hunted down!" warned his mother. Duan Li nodded with a grim face for he could also imagine what would happen if others were to learn of the abilities that he possessed.
"Regardless however, if you start to feel weird, tell your mother here and I will look into it!" she said worryingly and continued, "If somehow, you gained more new abilities, also tell your mother, okay?" with a stern face.
"Yes mother.. I will.." replied Duan Li.
Then, seeming as if he had just remembered something important, he said "Mother, I am afraid that the Jixue Knights Academy will take action on behalf of that young man.."
"Ohh? Don"t worry, nothing will happen to you." replied his mother casually while pouring tea into a small tea cup as she felt thirsty from the spar.
Hearing this, Duan Li couldn"t help but to feel confused and asked, "I don"t understand.. what do you mean mother?"
"Ohh don"t think too much into it! You will understand by tonight.. now go to the kitchen and prepare some dishes for later!"
...