As they rarely came ashore, none of them had identification cards. We would have to go through Shabiya to get them a batch of ID cards.
I suggested a dinner gathering, but the dolphins declined, stating they were already full from their time in the Bohai Sea and were ready for their mission.
"Mission… there are no missions at the moment. Rest yourselves for now," I said with a smile.
"Uh… doesn't Your Excellency need to see our strength?" Hai Huang offered proactively.
"What strength?" I asked.
"To be honest, Your Excellency, ever since our last defeat by the French Sea Lord, we have awaited this day for over a hundred years. During these past hundred years, we have been training in martial arts at the Southern Shaolin in Putian City, and we have achieved some success," Hai Huang explained.
Her mention of fighting the French Sea Lord likely referred to the Battle of Mawei during the late Qing Dynasty. Zeng Guofan had already passed away then, but the navy was considered his legacy left behind by the Bai Ze. However, the entire fleet was annihilated by the French fleet before it could even depart, blockaded in its home port. At that time, these Bai Ze demon races must have participated, but no matter how powerful the dolphins were, they couldn't compete with advanced weaponry, strong ships, and a corrupt command system. They could only lament their defeat.
"Oh, you are disciples of the Southern Shaolin lineage?" Chu Qi's interest was piqued upon hearing about martial arts.
"Precisely. This is…"
"Chu Qi, Chief Martial Arts Instructor of Shabiya," I introduced.
A hint of disdain flickered in Hai Huang's eyes. She probably thought that no matter how skilled Chu Qi was, she was still human and not a threat.
"Instructor Chu, please impart your wisdom," Hai Huang once again stepped forward. It seemed she was truly confident in her abilities, hence her eagerness to showcase her strength.
"Alright," Chu Qi was even more direct. She scanned the dolphins, "I will spar with each of you for ten moves. Let's see what you've got."
To be able to exchange ten moves with Chu Qi was the mark of an ultimate master. Shao Chen, at the level of a Martial Grandmaster, could only last ten moves against her. However, Hai Huang perceived this as condescension and looked displeased. Nevertheless, she said nothing more and assumed her fighting stance.
I loved watching beautiful women spar. I lit a cigarette and squatted nearby, awaiting the match.
Given the number of participants, Chu Qi didn't hold back or engage in tentative probing. She went straight for the main bout. Judging by her initial moves, she aimed to finish the fight within three moves, intending to assess the dolphins afterwards. Thus, she unleashed killing blows from the start. To her surprise, Hai Huang flawlessly deflected all of Chu Qi's first three moves. Chu Qi paused for a moment and smiled, "I never imagined you'd be this formidable!"
"You are also very powerful," Hai Huang replied. In a duel between masters, one could tell their skill level with a single exchange.
The two continued their engagement. Around the tenth move, or perhaps the ninth – things were moving too fast for me to count precisely – Chu Qi finally landed a blow, her palm slicing towards Hai Huang's throat. Hai Huang had just completed her move and had not yet regained her balance, making evasion impossible. She was at Hai Huang's mercy, but Chu Qi, of course, did not strike her and retracted her hand in time.
Hai Huang retreated half a step and let out a soft breath, "Truly worthy of being the ultimate human instructor. Impressive, I'm full of admiration!"
Such flattery.
"You are also truly excellent," Chu Qi nodded emphatically, then turned to me, emphasizing, "I wasn't holding back. Truly!"
I couldn't quite tell. It seemed to me that Hai Huang's moves, if recorded and played in slow motion, would appear "logical" at every step. Ultimately, she lost due to Chu Qi's change of tactics, which Hai Huang didn't react to in time.
"Continue," I said.
The remaining thirty-one dolphins sparred with Chu Qi one by one. I had initially thought only Hai Huang was exceptional among them, with the others being mere participants. However, I was surprised to find that the skill gap between them wasn't significant. It felt like Chu Qi wouldn't have an easy time against any of them, unable to defeat them within three moves!
Keep in mind, Chu Qi could easily defeat Yao Yao within three moves!
This meant that each of these thirty-two dolphins possessed a pure martial arts skill level superior to Yao Yao's!
Of course, Yao Yao's strength lay in her magic, but even so, that was incredibly impressive!
Watching them, my own demonesses felt a sense of inadequacy. However, their advantage lay not in martial arts but in their combat prowess when in their beast forms. The dolphins, unable to utilize their beast forms after coming ashore, and presumably lacking magic, had logically focused on refining their martial arts.