BAB3 -Chapter 24

# Chapter 24: Catch Me

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Now it was Xay’s turn.

After Tyra stepped back, the others pushed him forward.

He hadn’t prepared anything—but he wasn’t about to let them all show him up.

Walking into the center of the field, Xay flexed *Supreme Psychokinesis* and gently cleared everything in the area, creating a wide, open space for himself.

He began with vital energy breathing, spiraling his internal energy as he inhaled so deeply the ground trembled.

Next, Xay held out both hands and activated *Psi Element*. He summoned a silver-white lightning that was outline in a beautiful, iridescent shimmer.

A few surprised gasps echoed from the ladies in the crowd.

Then he transformed the lightning into a flame just as gorgeous, followed by a misty frost, and finally into a reflective, translucent crystal.

Each transition drew more reactions than the last.

Grinning, Xay crushed the glittering crystals in his palms, then rotated his Jetnir Orbs overhead.

They multiplied effortlessly—six, twelve, twenty-four, then forty-eight—looping in synchronized arcs.

As the orbs orbited, Xay dropped low and began flowing through World Tortoise Style.

Low Waters Embrace Stone; Soft Push Moves Mountain; Gentle Ripples Across Still Pond.

As Xay moved, *Supreme Psychokinesis* pushed each Jetnir Orb outward, arranging them in a loose formation around his body.

Then, with a flicker of will, panes of silver-white crystal grew between each orb, connecting them like nodes in the geometric outline of a Lesser Tortoise.

Four legs, two tails, two heads, and one large shell gleamed radiantly around Xay as he perfectly reproduced each stance.

Wave Circle Bank Four Times; Draw Water with Hollow Palm; Rushing Stream Descends Iron Wall; Tucked Beneath the Moonlight.

The silver-white Lesser Tortoise moved in sync with Xay, the origin of the form brought to life in all its glory.

The lower tortoise half was grounded and strong like the mountain itself, while the upper serpent half rippled and swayed like flowing water.

Thousand-Year Breath Below Falling Leaf; Five Limbs Anchor Tide; Rising Spring Splits Land.

Sky Drinks from World Basin; Nine Paths Back to Center.

As the form ended, the *Psi Element* crystal panels hummed and shattered into a confetti of glinting lights.

Xay flowed effortlessly into Heavenly Phoenix Style, never stopping his movements.

His body lifted gracefully into the air as he spun. His orbs twisted with him and glided into a whole new shape.

Wings Spread Across the Horizon; Sky Pierces Feather Tail; Butterfly’s Flight Over Five Peaks.

Silver-white flames leapt between the orbs and blazed into the silhouette of a Lesser Phoenix.

Massive, flapping wings burned brightly across the sky, and long tail feathers swayed calmly on the air.

Ascent Past Lotus Tower; Two Winds Chase the Sun; Swallow Hooks a Falling Star; Spiraling Plume Ignites the Hollow Sky.

The wind screeched and flames howled as Xay moved in sync with the silver-white phoenix around him, gliding with a preternatural grace.

Ash into Heaven’s Eye; Golden Talon Shatters Silence; Rebirth Through Thousand Sparks.

Plum Blossom Echo; Five Echoes of Plum Blossom.

The flames extinguished and Xay dropped lower, rearranging his Jetnir Orbs while still in motion.

Aligning instinct and muscle memory, he shifted into Southern Dragon Style—his very first and most trusted style.

Passing Bridge Three Times; Fierce Tiger Leaping Over Wall; Rescue Master from Single Side.

Xay’s Jetnir Orbs crackled with silver-white lightning, arcing together to form the shape of a long serpentine Lesser Dragon.

The moment it flashed into being, Dragon soared into the sky beside it, stretching her form to match its length as she mirrored Xay’s movements in perfect harmony.

Single Sword and Mount; Press and Hit from Four Sides; Eagle Claw; Bridge Smashing.

Touch Bridge; Venomous Snake Moves Tongue; Hua King’s Fist; Standing Five-Form.

A Lesser Dragon made of silver-white lightning, alongside a unique black dragon with white butterfly wings, flowed perfectly through powerful stances.

Some movements soared high through the air, while others swept low across the ground.

Cross Standing Five-Form; Turn to Hook and Hit; Five Horses Returning to Stable.

Orchid Bloom Fist; Seven Ways of Orchid Bloom Fist.

Xay and Dragon circled each other one last time before he let the lightning fade and she shrank back down.

He dispersed the extra Jetnir Orbs and gently touched down back at the spot where he’d started.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Lexi shouted.

“Show off!”

A round of laughter and thunderous applause followed.

Even Master Li clapped. Master Mei wiped away a tear, and Master Hui offered the slightest, sideways—maybe—smile.

Yue didn’t say anything, but Xay didn’t miss the awe on her face when his Lesser Dragon crackled to life.

“Not bad, brat,” Grandmaster Wu chuckled.

“Where monkey?” Mao demanded, scanning around for another shape.

Shaking his head, Xay copied out eight Jetnir Orbs and connected them with silver-white frost in the shape of a small monkey.

Mao burped in approval.

Everyone else rushed in, hugging Xay and patting his back with pride and excitement.

“You’ve come so far, my Tudi,” Shifu Wu said, her voice warm with emotion. “I’m not even sure I can call you that anymore.”

Xay shook his head. “Of course you can. No matter how far I go, you’ll always be my Shifu.”

Rox loudly cleared her throat.

Xay laughed. “Not sure it works the same with advisors. I do have to graduate eventually. But we’ve already adopted Rowdy Roxana into the team—you can’t get rid of us.”

Lexi, Kimi, and Tyra chimed in with immediate agreement.

Rox blinked, too surprised to even react to Xay’s “Rowdy” remark.

“Thank you,” she finally muttered before mock coughing to play it off.

Everyone pitched in to clean up before Grandmaster Wu, the Hall Masters, and Mao went their separate ways.

After Xay answered several questions about how he’d created the elements—and swapped notes on psychic force with the twins—it was already well into the afternoon.

Xay spent the rest of the day catching up on everything he’d missed over the past month.

He was only able to orbit Lexi for about a minute before she shot him in the butt with a frost bolt, though.

***

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As evening approached and the sun dipped low on the horizon, Xay walked over to Tyra.

“Hey,” he said with a soft smile. “Want to go for a flight with me?”

Tyra smiled back. “Sure.” Then she paused, glancing around with narrowed eyes.

Lexi, Kimi, and Ezra were “casually” nearby, far too nearby, not-so-subtly trying to act natural.

“Have you ever seen this kind of moth before?” Lexi asked, staring intently at absolutely nothing.

“There,” Kimi added unhelpfully, pointing at the same empty spot. “Might be indigenous to the mountains.”

Xay gave them a flat look. He’d told them his plan for the night, and they were already blowing it.

“What’s going on?” Tyra asked slowly, clearly suspicious.

Xay sighed. “Let’s get out of here before they infect us with their weirdness.”

He took her hand and launched into the air. Dragon and Willow followed close behind, gliding side by side on the breeze.

“Good luck!” Ezra blurted out—only to get immediately shushed by both Lexi and Kimi.

Xay kept hold of Tyra’s hand as they floated lazily through the air. The last glimmers of sunlight painted the sky in shades of violet and amber.

With the onset of *Supreme Psychokinesis*, Xay’s flight had matured significantly.

He no longer had to rely on *Serene Gait* while flinging himself across the sky. Now, with Tyra’s hand in his, he was truly flying.

“I can’t get over how amazing your performance was earlier,” Tyra chirped happily. “That lightning dragon was so pretty.”

“Well, I have you to thank for that,” Xay said, glancing over at her. “Meditating on the Concord Flower played a big part in how I developed the concept. So, thank you again.”

Tyra’s cheeks reddened. “Oh. Well, you’re welcome,” she said in a silly voice.

As the sun finally slipped completely out of view, Xay dipped low around the far side of Tortoise Peak.

He slowed near the bamboo forest, lowering them just above the ground until their bare feet brushed the soft grass beside a quiet stream.

Xay took a deep breath. Somehow, facing down that giant spider on the last floor of the Cosmos Academy Dungeon had been easier than this.

“Tyra, I—” he began, but stopped short.

She had vanished from beside him.

His *Extrasensory Perception* couldn’t easily track her while she was phased into nature using *Wild Aspect*.

Her disembodied voice drifted through the bamboo ahead. “Come catch me!”

Snorting, Xay darted off through the trees. He felt her reappear a hundred feet deeper into the forest.

But by the time he teleported there, she’d already vanished again, her laughter echoing like wind chimes in the breeze.

This happened three more times until Xay laid a hand on one of the bamboo stalks and sent his perception into it.

Letting go of his normal senses, he allowed his awareness to travel the length of the tree, down through its roots and into the soil.

Like wildfire, his consciousness spread root to root, following the threads of life energy linking the bamboo forest together.

After a few moments, he sensed a powerful bundle of energy flickering through the forest—Tyra, glowing like a miniature star in his perception.

But just because he could somewhat sense her now didn’t mean he could actually catch her.

*Wild Aspect* was a remarkable technique—part fusion, part teleportation, and entirely too slippery.

Remembering something from just a couple of months back, Xay let go of the bamboo and began to sing.

He belted out caustic, pained wails at the top of his lungs. It was loud, off-key, and utterly ridiculous.

After a moment, an even more tortured sound echoed back through the trees, like a duet between a dying wolf and a baby deer.

Grinning, Xay followed the horrible harmony, still howling as he closed in on the source.

Pushing past a thick overhang of leaves, he stepped into a small rocky grove, half-hidden from the world.

There, perched on a flat boulder with one knee raised, Tyra sat proudly—singing her heart out in gloriously awful tones.

Xay sat down beside her as they finished their terrible duet. “Found our way back to each other.”

“Always,” she replied, and they both laughed.

Sighing contentedly, Xay looked into Tyra’s bright teal eyes. “You already know why I asked you out here, don’t you?”

She slid a lock of hair out of her face and smiled up at him, all innocent mischief. “Maaaybe.”

Chuckling, Xay turned to face her fully. “You know, I played this out a dozen times in my head. Everything I would say, everything I would do..” He laughed. “But you flipped it upside down.”

Tyra’s grin widened. “Normal is boring.”

“It is,” he agreed. “And I want you to keep being abnormal with me,” he said, leaning in closer. “Tyra Flynn, will you bond with me?”

“Of course I will,” she exclaimed, nearly tackling him with a kiss.

When her plump lips met his, a spark erupted from Xay’s core and raced through both of their bodies.

**Bond Acknowledged: Strong.**

Xay also heard a distinctly haughty, aristocratic female voice from overhead.

“About time.”

Glancing up, Xay caught a glimpse of Willow’s wings disappearing into the trees, with Dragon flitting after her.

But Xay didn’t have time to acknowledge it—Tyra was simply too intoxicating.

“I’ve wanted this for a long time,” she whispered into his mouth, while moaning softly. “Hearing the way Lexi and Kimi talked about it..”

Her hands trailed down his chest, her fingers slipping beneath the folds of his shirt as she pushed it open. Her touch was eager, claiming, and slightly reverent.

Xay grinned, amused at how forward she was. Maybe she was never as innocent as she had seemed.

“Oh yeah?” he asked, nipping at her lower lip, teasing it between his teeth as his hands slid to her hips.

Her body was hot and pliant in his grip.

“You wanted this?” Xay asked, squeezing the curve of her ample ass and pulling her tighter into his lap.

That drew an even deeper moan from her throat.

“God, yes,” Tyra exclaimed, straddling him fully and tightening her thick thighs around his waist.

She ground against him, slow at first, then more urgently, her breath hitching with every roll of her hips.

Tyra’s mouth devoured his, wet and hungry. Their tongues danced as she pressed her soft body against his bare chest.

There was no hesitation—only heat, only need.

It didn’t matter that they were outside. She wanted him here and now.

Xay wasn’t about to deny her.

He inhaled her sweetly wild scent, trailing kisses down her cheek and jawline before suckling gently at the soft skin of her neck.

Tyra arched sharply, gasping loudly as her hard nipples pressed into him through the thin fabric of her qipao.

She was wearing one of the sleeveless martial cuts, and Xay slid the fabric inward, between her round breasts.

They spilled free, bouncing gently as Xay brushed his fingers over their soft swell.

“Kiss them,” she whispered, pressing her pert tits into his face.

Smirking, Xay gave her exactly what she wanted. He kissed the soft swell beneath her breast, then traced his tongue slowly around the dark areola.

Tyra hissed in pleasure, arms wrapping tight around his head, pulling him in until he was nearly smothered in her heat.

“Bite them!” she demanded.

Xay sank his grill in, feeling her body jolt as pain and pleasure rippled through her in waves.

Tyra let out a shuddering breath as he licked his own Auric Diamond fang marks on her skin, savoring her taste and the tremble that ran through her.

Unable to take any more, Xay grabbed what little clothing they still wore and teleported it off in a single motion.

Tyra didn’t hesitate. She reached down, wrapped her fingers around his thick shaft, and guided him into her slick, dripping folds.

She gasped, taking deep lungfuls of air as she slowly sank down his length, inch by inch.

Xay’s toes curled. She was impossibly tight, and her delightful warmth sent electric sparks through his entire body.

Leaning back, Tyra braced one hand on his abs, the other on his thigh, revealing the small patch of hair shaped like a teal heart.

Tyra began to roll her hips, grinding against him with slow, building pressure.

“Haa.. haa.. haa.. HAA.. HAA!”

Her moans rose in pitch and rhythm as she started bouncing harder, the wet slap of her movements echoing louder with every thrust.

Taking control, Xay gripped Tyra’s wide hips and held her in place, then began driving up into her with deep, powerful thrusts.

Tyra cried out, her voice heavy with pleasure. She leaned forward, her eyes wild as she tapped the side of her neck.

“Here! Bite me! I’m about to—”

Before she could finish, Xay sank his palladium fangs into her skin.

Her entire body jerked, her muscles tensing as her pussy clamped around him.

She came hard—squirting in hot, pulsing waves as her slick tunnel forced his dick out and flooded his lap with a sudden rush of liquid.

Tyra kept squirting for a solid twenty seconds, gasping and trembling, her breath ragged as she fought to stay upright.

“Holy..” she panted, still struggling to catch her breath.

“That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen,” Xay breathed, his voice low and a little awed.

A grin spread across her face. Tyra turned around, planted her feet flat on the ground, and sank into a deep squat on Xay’s still-hard dick.

Xay gasped this time. Her pussy was even hotter now, and soaked to the point of obscene.

Bracing her hands on his thighs, Tyra started to bounce, her thick ass rising and falling in a hard, punishing rhythm.

Xay watched, his eyes transfixed, as that perfect ass jiggled with every drop, clapping against his abs again and again like a moving masterpiece.

She worked him exquisitely. From the tip of his head to the base of his shaft, Tyra took every inch, plunging him deep into her gripping heat.

It didn’t take long before Xay hit his limit.

With a guttural growl, he grabbed her hips again and thrust up hard, unloading rope after rope of his hot seed inside her.

The sudden flood pushed Tyra over the edge once more.

Her body spasmed, and her hips jerked up as she came—squirting a long, powerful stream forward.

Tyra collapsed onto Xay’s chest with a shuddering breath. “I.. love you.”

Xay wrapped an arm around her trembling waist, hand resting on her heaving stomach. “I love you too.”

It took them a moment to realize they had inadvertently floated above the treetops.

But it was perfect.

Stars stretched endlessly overhead, glittering across a cloudless night sky as Xay’s Jetnir Orbs slowly orbited them both.

The glowing notification waiting for Xay wasn’t too bad either.

**Bond Strengthened: Unbreakable.**

That was also when Xay’s Bloodline Ability, *Unity*, kicked in.

***Unity** - Balance and redistribute base stats of Unbreakable strength bonded entities.*

Tyra flipped over, her teal eyes sparkling with hearts as the stat high washed through her.

“Wait—!” Xay tried.

She did not listen.