"This isn't for honor." Dai Xin said as Kyang figuratively threw up her hands. "Only...my own satisfaction."

Xu Lao seemed to be using some form of acupuncture technique. Dai Xin narrowed his eyes--then they grew wide as Xu Lao exploded with new speed, appearing only inches from his face. Dai Xin immediately put the Compression Step into reverse, and called up his defenses. The windstorm whipped at him in frenzy, blinding him with clouds of dust. As he screwed his eyes shut, he turned his legs inward and bent his knees, taking a tight defensive stance to protect his vitals. His arms were hunched in close and his shoulders low, protecting his head and ribs. Sudden blows rained down from every direction, as Xu Lao circled him so swiftly that a miniature tornado was forming around them.

[i]What manner of technique is this!?[/i] Dai Xin finally managed to open his eyes, though the swift gale made his eyes water. It tore at his clothing and beat at his Qi shields with howling ferocity. [i]Qi that channels the power of nature? Is this something attained by "harmony" or "one-ness?" Is it just some strange manipulation of his normal Qi?[/i]

With all of his energy focused on defending, instead of attacking, Dai Xin could whether this storm for a few moments...but if he didn't do something soon it would sweep him away. Xu Lao's speed continued to increase, and now Dai Xin's sleeves and pants leg actually began to split in places as the wind cut at him like a blade...

Wind...blades...

[i]Wind is said to reside within Wood, in Wu Xing. Wood parts Earth. Earth dams Water. Water quenches Fire. Fire melts Metal. 

And Metal chops Wood.[/i]

"Fist of the Sky...Hybrid Arts." he ground out. His Qi covered his body like a shell, then grew tighter, skin-tight. Denser, harder. "Originally of...Steel Spirit Fist."

Steel Spirit Fist, famous for its "Iron Body" techniques. Many martial arts had exercises such as knuckle pushups, plunging one's hands into sand, and students striking each other repeatedly at vulnerable points. By callousing the skin, and building up tiny fractures in the bone that would heal harder and stronger, they sought to increase the hardness of human flesh and skeleton to become resistant to damage. Qi manipulation could also increase the durability of the body--it was a requirement, to be able to take attacks from another Qi user, as well as withstand the recoil of one's own attacks.

Steel Spirit Fist had refined these methods into something even greater--like the legends of the Rikokan swords folded over a thousand times and hammered until their blades were thinner than a leaf.

Dai Xin flexed his hands, straightening his fingers and tensing them like knives attached to his arms.

"Living Edge."

There was a flash as the two warriors' Qi collided, the wind howling and splitting to flow around them from the whip-crack of a sudden movement. Dai Xin stood with both hands extended, body leaning forward slightly, as stillness fell over the clearing. Along his arms, traveling from the point of his elbow down to the tips of his fingers, was a razor-thin line of focused Qi.

Two trees gave a sudden cracking sound; one of them was the one Torako had cut into with her superb swordsmanship. Slightly above her mark was another, not as long, but just as deep. The other tree had been dealt the same.

"The wind may be sharp...but the weight of a blade is a different matter." Dai Xin changed his stance, both arms--still glowing--held slightly away from his torso but partially crossed, so that his elbows pointed in either direction. A stance meant for snapping, chopping...cutting strikes. Then he lunged forward, Qi trailing behind him as he slashed out at Xu Lao...