KOF: Rise of the King of Fighters

Two years later, the black-haired boy was now twelve years old. He stood alone atop Mount Wudang, his eyes blindfolded with a black belt. Unlike before, this time he didn't choose to meditate; instead, he stood upside down with one hand between heaven and earth. Through years of effort, his meridians had mostly recovered, allowing him to move normally, but without the support of his inner energy, this was all he could do; he couldn't even exert slightly more strength. He still couldn't see. He was surprised when Shunying and the others told him that his pupils were golden. To avoid unnecessary trouble when he descended the mountain, he usually kept his eyes covered with a black belt.

"Isn't it a bit too late to start exercising at twelve?" Yan Yue thought to herself as she did a handstand.

During this time, Shun'ei and Tomorrow-kun frequently came to spar with Engetsu, but Engetsu didn't know any martial arts moves. However, to satisfy these two mischievous little devils, Engetsu often deliberately admitted defeat. Only sometimes, to teach the unruly Shun'ei a lesson, Engetsu would use [Nen Wave], making Shun'ei start to question his existence. As for Tomorrow-kun, he could only watch from the sidelines, trembling with fear.

"The Nen Qi cultivation method is indeed powerful, Senior Brother, you cheated... Ouch!" Shunying said unconvinced, but before he could finish speaking, he was knocked to the ground by another Nen Qi wave.

"Looks like I went a little too easy on him..." Yan Yue slowly walked up to Shun Ying, lifted Shun Ying's head with both hands, and began to rub it without restraint. Then came Shun Ying's scream.

"You think I'm cheating? I barely managed to move my limbs and you came looking for a fight. I haven't even learned any Bajiquan martial arts, and you have the nerve to ask me to join in? You're cheating, aren't you?" Yan Yue said calmly, ignoring Shun Ying's screams and Ming Tian Jun's terror. Ming Tian Jun had even fallen asleep in fear...

This Qi cultivation manual was actually something Tang Fulu obtained by chance in the southern region many years ago. At that time, the manual's incantations were carved on a stone wall, making it an antique. The name of the manual was unknown. This manual was extremely difficult to learn; even Tang Fulu himself was not proficient in it, let alone his other disciples. Most of the cultivation methods in this manual conflicted greatly with the martial arts of the Bajiquan school, and it required years of accumulation. It was out of necessity, as he had nothing else to teach Yan Yue, that he taught her the Qi cultivation manual.

But perhaps it was truly fate; the Qi cultivation method was perfectly suited to Yan Yue's constitution, and with each practice, she would find the golden flames in her sea of ​​consciousness growing ever larger. Yan Yue was now severely unbalanced in her abilities; her physical body was too fragile, but her mental strength and internal energy were exceptionally powerful.

The golden flames have reshaped Yan Yue's physical constitution, so the Bajiquan martial art, which requires a high level of physical fitness, is out of the question. Tang Fulu had already said that the Bajiquan martial art, which is powerful and has a wide range of movements, is not suitable for Yan Yue.

Yan Yue decided it was time to strengthen his physical body to prepare for the various and unpredictable forces in the King of Fighters tournament. This led to the opening scene of Yan Yue standing upside down atop Mount Wudang…

"I can only do a handstand using my psychic powers. Is my body still too weak?" Yan Yue complained to herself.

"Senior brother! I'm hungry, let's go home and cook!" Shunying and Mingtianjun called from the foot of the mountain.

"Okay, okay, I'm here." Twelve-year-old Yan Yue acted like a doting father and quickly jumped down the mountain. Due to his experience of living alone in his previous life, Yan Yue could be considered a super dad.

The three children had never left the mountain. They learned their academic subjects and martial arts at a sect on the mountain, and these three were the only disciples present at the time. It could be said that they lived a very humble life.

Tang Fulu taught Yan Yue basic academic subjects when she was around ten years old. With the knowledge she gained from her previous life as a teacher, Yan Yue learned very quickly. Later, to take care of Tang Fulu's aging health, Yan Yue began to take charge of teaching Shun Ying and Ming Tianjun their academic subjects. She also served as the sect's chef and cleaner.

"Senior brother, is there an egg crepe for dinner? The one Grandpa bought for me last time was so delicious." Tomorrow-kun seems to really like it.

"No, I'll buy it for you when I'm able to go down the mountain."

"Can I have candied hawthorns for dinner? Cake is fine too." The mischievous kid Shunying started asking this kind of question again.

"No sweets allowed at night, eat rice instead." Yan Yue thought to herself, it was time to go down the mountain sometime.

In the evening, Yan Yue cooked several dishes. Based on her memories from her previous life, she made Mapo Tofu, braised pork, and a plate of green vegetables. Everyone enjoyed the meal.

At this moment, Yan Yue said to Tang Fulu, "Grandpa, can we go down the mountain for a while? We've been isolated on the mountain for too long these past few years, and it's inevitable that we're getting bored. That's why Shun Ying has become more and more mischievous lately." In fact, he knew that his grandfather hadn't allowed the three of them to go down the mountain before in order to protect them.

"That's perfect, I also wanted to talk to you about going down the mountain today," Tang Fulu replied kindly.

Upon hearing this, Shun's ears perked up immediately, and even Tomorrow-kun, who was usually sleeping soundly, opened his eyes. Everyone was filled with anticipation for the journey down the mountain.

"Each sect in China has cultivated a new generation of disciples. In order to promote the disciples' cultivation, most sects have decided to hold a Chinese Youth Martial Arts Exchange Conference in Shicheng, Hebei Province, in a month. Martial arts sects from all over the world will gather there."

"Will Grandpa Zhenyuanzhai come too? And his disciples as well?" Yan Yue asked, ignoring Shunying and Mingtianjun's excited voices.

"It's not just Grandpa Chin Gentsai who's here; we've also invited Kusanagi Shizuru and Sakazaki Takuma."

"I really didn't expect both of Japan's grandmasters to come. Their disciples must be participating too, right?" Yan Yue definitely knew these two, but she still pretended not to know and asked. After all, the protagonist of Kusanagi Kyo's story had appeared; she wanted to see if she could build a good relationship with them.

Tang Fulu stroked his beard and nodded: "It seems that Sakazaki Takuma has disappeared and cannot be contacted. Only Kusanagi Shizuru has agreed to come."

"Actually, there's another reason why I called these old friends here this time..." Tang Fulu said thoughtfully. "I want them to see your eyes. The golden pupils are too mysterious, not like a random product of genetic mutation. And the golden flames in your consciousness that you mentioned... perhaps they are related to the flames of the Kusanagi clan. The Kusanagi clan is the head of the three sacred treasure families of Japan. Maybe they can find out your background."

Yan Yue felt a warmth in his heart; his grandfather truly cared about him. However, Yan Yue didn't really care about his background. He only hoped that he would have the power to stop the forces that would destroy the world in the future: the Eight Heroes, NESTS, the Distant Land... As for his background, he would try to find out if he had the chance, but if he couldn't, so be it; after all, he was a transmigrator.

"Yes, Grandpa, you've worked hard. I'll train them well these next few days and try not to embarrass them." Yan Yue didn't say anything more and prepared to clear the table...

"Yan Yue, you need to be careful this time you go down the mountain. You must not let others know the secret of your eyes, otherwise it will attract the attention of your enemies," Tang Fulu solemnly instructed.

Yan Yue nodded in understanding, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Grandpa, do disciples need to have a martial arts competition?"

"Haha, I almost forgot myself. It doesn't necessarily have to be a fight. It's just a simple exchange of martial arts techniques. If both parties are willing, they can have a match."

Yan Yue nodded after hearing this, indicating that she understood.

……

At night, after taking care of Shun'ei and Tomorrow-kun until they were sound asleep, Yan Yue lay in bed, constantly thinking about the events of the past few years.

He knew that as the older brother, he had to shoulder more responsibility. He definitely needed to understand his own background, but not now. There were more important things to do now: to plan for the upcoming training. Just because someone said they wouldn't participate in the martial arts competition didn't mean they could. There would be so many people gossiping later, and things might get complicated. Lost in thought, he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Yan Yue woke up and, sensing that her junior brothers were still fast asleep, quietly got up, washed up, and went to the courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Yan Yue took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air, and then began practicing her fist techniques. Since the Bajiquan style wasn't suitable for her, she would have to create her own style. She remembered that many martial artists in her previous life used her own style.

His movements were fluid and natural, combined with his internal energy cultivation techniques; each punch contained immense power. As time passed, sweat soaked his clothes, but he persisted in his practice. Unbeknownst to him, the flame in his mind underwent a strange change…