Chapter 95: Unshaken
As Taka ducked under the swipe from Paike's claws, he missed the foot that snaked out. It was reinforced with as much qi as Paike could force out in the tight window. Not only was the rebuke formed around his foot imbued with all the momentum from his core and swinging in the arc of his kick, but his channels were flexing as hard as they could to try and contain all the qi he was forcing through them.
The blow landed with the sound of rolling thunder as Taka was flung off his feet. Paike stood still and watched as he crashed through the trunk of a large tree and into another. Taka had twisted as he flipped through the air. He managed to control his bounce off the second tree enough to land on his feet.
Even as he regained his stance, he whipped around, and his eyes landed on Paike, who was still standing from where he had attacked.
"Paike?" Taka asked cautiously.
Paike was in no state to respond. It was all he could do to not continue the attack. Flashing with claws and feeling his teeth rend and tear. The lust for battle was insatiable. But he was still him.
He breathed in deeply and ignored what Taka was saying. Closing his eyes, he halted the qi raging through his qi channels. With great effort, he let it flow back into his dantian and join the spinning mass in its center.
The block of qi around his foot from his rebuke had already dissipated into the air around them.
Opening his eyes, he half expected himself to no longer be in his trance. The fog over his mind felt weak. Like when he woke up after coming back to himself. But he was still taller, and the talons on his fingers were still attached.
"--into your dantian and let the flame gutter." Taka was saying. Paike tried to listen; he really did, but it didn't make sense to him.