What followed over the next ten minutes was the systematic dismantling of everything Hei thought he knew about reality, physics, and power.
A young female disciple, who could not have been older than sixteen, stepped forward from the line. She smoothly drew a slender sword from her hip. Without even yelling a technique name or taking a stance, she simply swung the blade in a horizontal arc.
A crescent of compressed vacuum erupted from the blade. It sailed silently across the massive courtyard and struck a solid iron target dummy fifty yards away. The dummy's top half slid off the bottom half like cake.
The crowd gasped. Hei stopped breathing.
Before the shock could settle, a male disciple stepped forward to replace her. He closed his eyes, centered his balance, and took a single, deep breath in.
