Two weeks later….

“Focus, Shang Chi. Let your lifeforce flow naturally. Don’t force it! That is how you create chi.” Master Ying Nan advised Shang Chi as she sparred with him.

It had been two weeks since Xu Wenwu had attacked the X-Mansion and lost. After the battle, Master Ying Nan had taken Shang Chi and Xialing to Ta Lo so that they could spend some time with her.

After some encouragement from Master Ying Nan, they had also started learning Ta Lo martial arts. Shang Chi in particular, was exceptionally talented in martial arts as he was already going to form chi energy after training for just two weeks.

“You can do it, Shang Chi!” Shang Chi's friend Katy encouraged him from the sidelines.

She was an outlier since she had been with Shang Chi when he had arrived at the X-Mansion along with Xu Wenwu. As such, she had also accompanied him to Ta Lo.

“Don't shout. You will ruin his focus.” Xialing who was also watching the spar, admonished Katy.

Xialing had been quite happy to visit her mother's home but it looks like she had a difficulty adjusting to the quaint village life due to the time she had spent in the underworld.

“Sorry!” Katy apologized in a hushed voice.

Katy on the other hand, had no problems making friends in the village since she was quite an upbeat girl. It was easy for her to become friends with even Xialing who usually gave an unapproachable aura.

However, her relationship with Shang Chi was quite ambiguous. She said that she was Shang Chi's best friend and had been at his side for years but often times, their relationship seemed more than that.

Well, it was their relationship and they should be the ones to deal with it. I had no right to interfere in this matter when my own relationship with Emma was also ambiguous.

“Hey, Peter! Has there been any progress in father's condition?” Xialing asked about Xu Wenwu.

After the fight, Xu Wenwu's body was in a precarious condition since it had been completely ravaged by Hell energy. Despite being treated using the most advanced medical technology and a check up from Ancient One herself, it was concluded that he would not live for more than 2 years.

And these two years were only because of the prototype healing factor serum I had administered to him which stabilized his condition.

Oscorp had almost perfected the formula by now so it was not that hard for me to get a sample especially with SHIELD’s help.

“His situation is currently stable but he has still not woken up unfortunately.” I answered.

There were a lot of people who were waiting for Wenwu to wake up since we needed to learn who had given him the eleventh ring.

After all, there was simply no way that Wenwu could have found a ring which worked similar to the Ten Rings and also contained hell energy. This ring could be a sign of a huge conspiracy in the shadows.

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“Feel the lifeforce within you, Shang Chi. Let it flow through you naturally.”

As Shang Chi heard Master’s words, he closed his eyes and moved his body as if in a trance.

Then, as he punched the air, a hint of golden energy appeared around his fist and consequently a small shockwave generated from the punch. Shang Chi had finally obtained chi energy.

Clap! Clap!

“You did it, Shang Chi!” Katy congratulated Shang Chi as she clapped for him.

“Well done, Shang Chi! You are as talented as your mother if not more so.” Master Ying Nan said, praising Shang Chi.

Shang Chi on the other hand, was looking at his fist generating the golden chi energy with a complex expression.

“Come on, Shang Chi! This achievement deserves a little celebration.” Master Ying Nan said, trying to cheer him upon seeing his expression.

“You all go. I have something to talk with Peter.” Shang Chi replied as he turned towards me.

“Alright! But, come quickly.” Master Ying Nan said, realising that it was probably something important for Shang Chi.

“So, how is life in Kamar Taj treating you?” I asked Shang Chi. We had become rather quick friends during the few times I visited Ta Lo in the last two weeks.

As a fellow mentee of Master Ying Nan, he often discussed martial arts with me. For some reason, he had a great desire to obtain chi energy which he finally had done today.

“It has been quite good. After several years of running away from my father, I honestly feel at peace now. Seriously, if it was not for Katy, I don't know what would have happened to me.” Shang Chi answered.

“I wanted to ask you something, Peter. How can I become as powerful as you? You had managed to defeat Father in that state when even Aunt Ying Nan had difficulty facing him.” Shang Chi asked me how could he become stronger.

“You must be feeling insecure, right?” I asked, having an inkling of how he was feeling right now.

“Yes, that's true.” Shang Chi admitted.

“After the Battle of New York and seeing Father in that form, I am afraid that I would not be strong enough to face anyone with similar level of power if they ever threaten anyone close to me.”

“Honestly, this is something a lot of people feel ever since the Battle of New York.” It was something I had always felt whenever I walked on the streets of New York these days.

“However, you don't need to worry. As you progress in martial arts, your ability would increase and eventually you will become as powerful as your Aunt. Which considering your talent should be in just a few years. Moreover, you can use artefacts once you become proficient in martial arts even though the artefacts which can run on chi are quite rare.

Besides, it is not like you will be useless just because you have low combat ability. Many mutants in the Battle of New York didn't have a mutant power which enhanced combat ability but they still had been quite helpful in the battle.”

“Thank you for your advice, Peter. I feel much better now.” Shang Chi said after hearing my words.

“Shang Chi, is your discussion over? We are going to the lake.” Katy shouted towards us.

“Coming!” Shang Chi replied as he rushed towards her.

I was also about to follow when Master Ying Nan approached me.

“So, what was this whole discussion about?” She asked.

“Shang Chi was just feeling a little insecure after seeing your fight with Wenwu.” I explained the whole matter.

“At least he is coming out of his shell. He has never asked me something like this.” Master Ying Nan said after hearing everything.

“How are both of them doing?” I asked Master.

“Honestly, both of them are broken in one way or another. Xialing much more than Shang Chi. Her time running that illegal fight club has clearly a toll on her. No matter how much she hates her father, she is just too much like him.” Master explained their conditions with a sigh.

Splash! Roar!

I was about to say something when we had a commotion from the lakeside.

Both of us rushed over to the lake at our top speed to see what was the matter.

Upon arriving, we could see Shang Chi with his hand on the Great Protector's snout, receiving its blessing.

Once the blessing ritual was completed, the Great Protector raised his head and nodded at me, as if recognising as a fellow dragon. Then, it disappeared in the lake's waters.

“See, I told you that you didn't need to feel insecure. You were just worrying too much.” I said, patting Shang Chi's shoulder.

“Yeah! You were right, Peter.” Shang Chi said with a smile, glad to have received the Great Protector's blessing.

I was about to continue when a message suddenly came from Ancient One to me via a communication spell.

“Xu Wenwu has waken up.”