.
.
.
---
/Half an hour later…/
"Master, I'm ready!"
She carried a small bag on her back, very similar to Wuizi's albeit his was considerably larger.
"Follow me."
Without hesitation, Wuizi jumped from the precipice, lightly going down the mountain like a feather.
"!"
This massively surprised Nulan as it reminded her of her own movement technique, but as she noticed her master moving further and further away, she followed him, jumping across the mountain like a goat, not as nimbly but in no way slower.
With a minute, they reached the mountain's foot, and soon after, they made their way to the city.
…
"Master. You said we're leaving the Sect, can we just leave without warning?"
"As a Peak Master, my authority is quite large. However, it has its limitations. If we take too long out there, they'll take it that we defected."
"That's…"
"We won't. We're going to a secret place to train and we'll be returning a month later. But first, we'll stop by the gates."
"Why?"
"Did you forget? The Sect is located deep in the mountains, even with a Heavenly Artifact, it would take us a few days to reach the outside world. Just like how you came here, we need to book a flight outside."
"Are we going beyond the mountains? That's quite far…"
"To be specific, we'll be going outside the Sect's territory, our goal is the Blue Plains."
"The Blue Plains!"
Nulan had heard of it but she never passed by. She participated in one of the earliest selection exams in the extreme North of the mountains. And once she passed the test, she was brought inside through the Sect's flying ships.
"Will they let us pass?"
"As I said, yes they will. Now make haste, it's quite late in the day and the last thing I want is to end up unable to board one of the ships because we were late!"
"The ships stop departing around this time, so unless you want to wait another day, make haste."
"Yes, Master!"
/Fwoosh!/
…
/A few minutes later…/
"Phew… Just in time."
After running against the clock, they arrived just in time to join one of the last few departing ships.
Each ship was massive in size, being over one hundred meters in length and several stories tall. They were true monsters that required an energy source powerful enough to fuel the Cultivation of a dozen Fetal Soul Cultivators, some of the strongest ones in the entire land.
"It should take us less then an hour to reach the edge of the mountains, so take your time to relax." Wuizi said as he sat down on a barrol near the edge of the ship
"I'm fine Master, I'll just sit down and wait."
Wuizi nodded lightly as he closed his eyes, going back to his meditation…
While he had been interrupted today, he had been reflecting over the knowledge he acquired by using his newest Rune on the Arquives of the Peak. Much of the information there was theoretical and what he learned shone a lot of light into the nature of the world, so much so it left him in an almost perpetual state of pondering.
'Those books were quite enlightening. I feel as if I'm on the verge of a breakthrough… Not in my cultivation but in my mental understanding.'
'Cultivation can be devided in many kinds, both mental, physical, and even spiritual. In my case, my mental cultivation had always been ahead of my physical one, but recently, things have reached a balance.'
'But these documents have begun tilting my understanding again.'
'If I can fully incorporate them into me, my understanding of Cultivation and the world may create the necessary foundation for me to breakthrough into the Fetal Soul stage if not beyond…'
'If I can sumarize these books and publish them, the Sect's basic archives would explode in popularity and renown. It would literally be the discovery of the century if not millennium.'
'Cultivation has made progress quite slow. Some documents trace back to tens of thousands of years ago yet the overall technological level hasn't increased much, still, there have been significant development as seen by the existence of this flying ship. '
'Technology is evolving just not in the way I'm used to.'
'Maybe it would be a good idea to find a disciple that specializes in researching technology of this kind… Actually, having a broad repertoire of disciples with different vocations would do best.'
…
/Bam!/
Barely ten minutes in their journey, Wuizi was jolted away from his meditation by a loud echo in the ship.
In the distance, somewhere further in the deck, a small crowd had gathered.
"Seems like trouble's brewing. Let's not get involved in it Nu… Where's my disciple?"
He looked around only to find her sneaking her way inside the crowd.
"..."
'Shit…'
He followed after her with a deep sigh, keeping to himself, he mingled with the crowd.
…
/Push!/
/SLAM!/
"You sure have the gal! Appearing before me like that!"
"Humph, you still remember that old thing? That happened over ten years ago. Get lost."
"What did you do to her?!"
"Nothing really, we just went our ways after a while. Its how things go…"
"You bastard! You promised her everything! You promised her so much she left me and now you say you two parted ways?! There's no such thing! What did you do to her?!"
"... Nulan."
/Gasp!/
"?! M-Master?..."
"Are you interested in their squabble?"
"I… A little… I never thought I'd see such a thing in person."
"It's not unusual although I've only seen it once… Well, seen the aftermath of two individuals fighting for a girl… It happens quite frequently in the city."
"In their case, it seems they once fought over a girl and are now reuniting after many years. I'd say this is rarer to witness… Who do you think is going to win?"
"Master…"
"Come on Nulan, there's nothing romantic to see here. The truth isn't always like it seems, whatever happened in the past… Only they know, and assuming things and creating imaginary scenarios isn't healthy."
/BAM!/
"I'd say the one who broke up with the girl is going to win. His Cultivation is higher and stronger, and I can sense a certain trace of Yin Qi…"
"Y-Yin Qi?!"
"Yes… I imagine his cultivation was mostly built on dual cultivation. His Yang Qi seems to be in balance as well so its likely natural dual cultivation and not some devilish art."
"Whoever that girl was, she surely had quite some experiences with him…"
"M-Master!..."
While Nulan's face reddened, the angry man exploded in anger!
"BASTARD! Is what that man said true?!"
"How could it not? When a man and a woman are in a relationship, such acts are common. We practiced as expected and anything else is between her and me."
/DASH!/
"You tarnish her and then throw her away?!"
The man grew extremely angry, dashing toward his opponent with incredible zeal!
Wuizi shook his head, saying:
"Fool."
/SMASH!/
But despite his heroic charge, he was smacked aside without much effort.
"You're the same, all these years… What happened in the past, has it weighted on you this much? I should've made my position clear. At least that way this heart demon wouldn't have formed."
"YOU! Talking as if you're magnanimous! I know the truth about you, how you seduce women and throw them away!"
"That's quite a harsh impression. I've had partners, but they were all willingly bound to me."
"Liar! You twist the truth! You faked promises lured them in! Once you corrupt them and you with them, you cast them aside!!"
/DASH!/
"Sigh… Maybe its time I server this bad blood… Forever."
/SMACK!/
And he meant it, as the moment his opponent was about to reach him, he moved his hand in a way that would've been fatal given its strength.
However, the moment his strike was about to connect, something unusual happened!
"This is enough. Solve your issues outside the ship."
One of the guards of the ship finally acted, stopping both in place before the situation scalled further.
"Dammit! Unhand me! I need to teach this bastard…"
/Smack!/
A quick strike to the stomach immediately knocked the man out.
"This issue is over now, everyone, disperse!"
/Chatter…/
With the guard's words, everyone began walking away, including the man who seemingly played with the girl.
At the same time, the guard brought the unconscious man somewhere inside the ship, beyond everyone's gaze.
"Did you see that? Be careful out there. While there are many who would give their everything for you, there are also those who would take it all from you."
"In the line between both extremes, that's where those you should associate with lie."
"I… Will remember that."
Nulan looked at the man as he walked away, a strange feeling rising in her guts…
Could it be disgust? No, it was…
"..."
Wuizin also looked at man, a frown forming between his eyes.
…
/Around an hour later…/
The flying boat landed on a large port on the mountainside next to a massive city even larger then Gangau Town.
This was South Gate, the city that was once the headquarters of the Fingers of Heaven Sect over a thousand years ago, before the mountains were conquered and turned into habitable land.
It was once the Sect's gate, now, it merely sits at the very edge of its territory. Still retaining part of its ancient glory.
"We're here. Are we leaving the city immediately?"
"No, there's a place I want to stop by first before moving on. Also, we left in such a hurry that I'm not hungry, so let's take this time to eat something before moving on as well."
'While there'll likely be many treasures in the tomb, I need some items before moving.'
'While these bank notes are valuable, they won't help us overcome this challenge, so I might as well put them to use.'
"Hm?..."
As they walked down the ship through a ramp, Wuizi's gaze fell on the strange man who fought against the other energetic dude before.
'That man is strange. I can tell something's odd just from looking. If I were to guess… A bewitchment art.'
'I've noticed it but Nulan has already been affected by it, not just her but other ladies and men alike. But it doesn't feel malevolent… Is it natural? That would be even worse.'
'A natural disposition that attracts others, they exist out there, some with a greater reputation than others…'
'There are many constitutions out there, but only some are famous, and its always because of the same reason.'
'In the river of time, there's always a genius, and when this genius is born with a unique body, they'll always find a way to push it past its limits. When this happens, not only their name but their constitution grows in fame.'
'Some were acclaimed, envied, sought after… Others were feared, shunned, exterminated… I wonder if he has one of those.'
'If he follows the devilish path or practices bewitching techniques, then his mastery over his arts is immeasurably high, if not, then its a combination of high mastery with a potent technique.'
As they went down the boat, they all eventually mingled with the crowd…
…
Their first stop was at a large shop at the center of the city.
It was quite a unique shop, containing multiple large weapons outside as an exhibition, all far too large for any man to wield.
/Push…/
"Ah! Welcome to the Grounded Beast Shop! We sell all kinds of artifacts here! Tell me what you need and I'll get it for you!"
As soon as they entered, an enthusiastic clerk welcomed them. It was a young boy with blue hair and protective glasses.
The store itself was full of items everywhere, making it seem quite claustrophobic and old style. But if it was in the city center, it was likely quite famous.
"Junior! I told you to call me whenever a customer came in!"
A voice echoed from deeper inside the shop, and soon enough, a tall woman with blue hair stepped out from outside a door, holding a towel as she dried her hands.
"B-But mom!"
"Let me handle this. Help me sort the boxes in the back in the meantime."
"... Kay…"
"... Well then, my son is quite eager to talk but let's talk business, what can I get you two?"
"Nice to meet you, I'll looking for a traveling Heavenly Artifact. I'm not looking for confort but wouldn't mind if it had some. My priority is speed and stability."
"It would be nice if it was sturdy in case I need to use for combat but its by far a priority. If it had space for more then one to stand on, it would be nice as well."
"It doesn't need to be good looking or high class either, in fact, I'd prefer if it was low profile. My budget is around two hundred Grade 3 Spirit Stones in bank notes."
"Hm… So a fast and reliable artifact… Your budget is also quite high… Alright, I'll get you some options."
She then turned to Nulan.
"Will the boy get one as well?"
"Eh? No, I…"
"Yes he will, he's recently broken through so he'll need one."
"But master, I…"
"I don't want to hear it. Tell her your priorities and I'll get you one, a Heavenly Artifact is essential for Cultivators, you'll realize once you get one."
"You can pay me back in the future."
"... Alright… In that case, I would like one that is sturdy and fast. One that can be used for combat before all else."
"A sword shaped one would fit me the most, the higher its tolerance, the better. If its conductivity is high, even better."
"Hm… It seems you want a combat related artifact while your master wants a service one… I'll gather a few options, give me a moment."
The clerk vanished in the back as she opened a door.
Nulan took this time to explore the many items in display around the shop, vanishing amidst the shelves, meanwhile, Wuizi focused on the items around him without moving from his spot, waiting for the shop owner to return.
/Clang!/
A minute or two later, she returned with a large box full of miniature items, placing them on the table.
"These are the models of our items. Some of them are ready to be taken, others will have to be commissioned. I'll explain what each does in a moment, just let me sort them real quick…"
…
After a few minutes making their choices, both of them left the story with large swords strapped on their backs.
Nulan's sword was taller than her and was wrapped around a fine red silk that danced in the wind…
Meanwhile, Wuizi's blade was larger than his shoulders and taller than his body, looking more like a surfboard than a sword, a true monster.
And while it wasn't agile, due to its size, it was far tougher and faster than Nulan's artifact, but it came with heightened requirements to keep it running and it was also rougher to use.
Excellent directional speed but terrible maneuverability.
[Nulan Xuexi's affinity has slightly increased]
[The Rune of Return grows stronger, there's now a small chance for Nulan Xuexi to be enlightened every Cultivation session]
"!... You seem happy."
"Yes I am! I finally have my own Artifact! I dreamt of this for a long time!"
"I'm glad you're happy. But be careful of how you act…"
"Eh? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong… But do remember you're posing as a boy, if you act as a boy, others will think… Well, I don't think that's an issue… As long as you don't hug me like you just did…"
"Ah… I'm sorry master…"
"Don't be… Just be a little more mindfull. I don't want others to think I swing the other way… It would be terrible if you acted like this only to later reveal your true gender… And have others think you're crossdressing."
"..."
"What? Do you think it's unlikely? It happened before with others, albeit in their case, it was the actual thing. A bad precedent for us…"
"..."
Nulan said nothing.
…
A few minutes later, they both stoped by a massive shop five stories tall laced with golden details and intricate artworks.
Inside, even more luxurious decorations were presented, and as they walked down a red carpet, they stopped by a massive circular reception table were a pretty clerk waited for them with a wide smile.
"Welcome to the Turtle's Throve. How may I help you two steemed guests today?"
"I'm looking to acquire some Cultivation materials for both me and my disciple. And at the same time I'd like to have an appraiser check the value of some Manuals I possess."
"Understood. Is there any preference for the resources?"
"No, we can take our pick once we see what's available."
"Then give me a moment, I'll sort out our Heavenly Core materials for you." She said with a light bow as she turned around, going to a pillar at the center of the reception, pulling a few documents from within
Meanwhile, Nulan looked at her with a strange expression.
"How did she know we're after Heavenly Core materials?..."
"That's because she looked after our Cultivation."
"! But that would mean…"
"Correct, every worker here is a Heavenly Core Cultivator. Some of them belong to the Sect while others came from varying regions."
"These clerks are all at the 2nd Revolution. The guards you see standing around are at the 4th Revolution, and I can feel much stronger auras deeper inside."
"... Isn't this place too well guarded for a shop in a border town?"
"This is a fairly important city of the Sect. Besides, the merchant group responsible for this shop is massive. This much is little for them given the resources they have at their fingertips."
"... Here you are sir. Our catalog of materials for Heavenly Core Cultivators."
She handled them a small wooden board, but upon applying some Qi onto it, the board flashed with light, manifesting a hologram above it.
"For your technique, I'll require that you fill out this small form. For your information, we use the Common Classification method of the Ancient times for Cultivation techniques:"
"Earth Brown, Azure Silver, Heaven Gold, Mystic Jade, and Immortal Enigma. Please fill out the form with details on its expected grade, type, and some small details on what the technique is supposed to do."
"If your technique takes another as a base, putting it in the form also assists us in making a more proper evaluation and also prevents misunderstandings."
"I understand. Do you have a pen?"
"Here sir."
"Thank you… Guan, take a look at the catalogue and see if you can find anything you need as I fill these up."
"Yes, Master!"
"..."
'Earth Brown, Azure Silver, Heaven Gold, Mystic Jade, and Immortal Enigma… The five classifications popularized thousands of years ago.'
'They say those names came from the heavenly phenomenon that would occur when one of those techniques emerged. But with the changes in the heavenly rules, I haven't heard any concrete evidence of them happening in the recent Era.'
'Earth Brown constitutes most techniques in the world and are usually considered lower class, still, there are many that are stable and strong enough to be employed by Sects as their basic or introductory techniques.'
'Azure Silver 'is usually what most Inner Cultivators of Major Sects use, and it's also the broader of all classifications. Not because it's encompassing but because it's convenient. Earth Brown is too low but Heaven Gold is far too high, so everything ends up falling with this grade.'
'Heaven Gold grade constitutes the strongest techniques of this era and I doubt the Fingers of Heaven Sect even has ten of them. And of those ten, probably half can't be practiced due to extreme requirements or because they're incomplete.'
'They usually come from ancient sites and ruins, which I always found odd.'
'This world, despite its developments in technology, has slowly weakened over millennia. Cultivation arts have depreciated and now it's rare for a Heaven Gold technique to be born. They still do but it's something that occurs once every century.'
'Mystic Jade are techniques of such high renown they usually only appear in myths and legends passed down from mouth to mouth. People say that in the ruins of some extremely ancient or powerful sects of old, their pinnacle techniques carried with it the providence of the world. That when they were born, the sun cast purple rays to welcome the birth of an Empyreal Art.'
'As for an Immortal Enigma… As its name describes, it's something said to have come from the hands of a Deity. A being that has transcended its limits…'
'It's honestly not a Grade as there's no proof of such a thing. In the ancient past it was a legendary thing just as Mystic Jade is to us now… But they had examples, albeit few of them were passed down…'
'Even so, of the written descriptions passed down, it's hard to say if they're true or not. One of the more well known stories say the twin volcanos where the Diving Dragon Sect is located was made by an Immortal Artifact… Not exactly a technique but this is essentially what this Grade signifies.'
'Everything that can't be properly explained within the grade of Mystic Jade must be an Immortal Enigma, albeit there were cases of Mystic Jade items being believed to be something else due to how rare they are.'
'People just believe whatever they want.'
/Sribble…/
'I'm planning to sell five techniques today. All of them are basic manuals from the first floor of the library, and I modified them based on my current enlightments and knowledge. After that, they were fixed and upgraded with the Rune of Disassembly, which I them simplified since a technique improved by it has concepts and ideas far too advanced regardless of their grade.'
'Once the techniques were revised and made simpler, my plan was completed. They're distinct enough to hold their own. It's not unusual for disciples to make their own techniques as they grow older, either while in the Sect or after they retire somewhere else.'
'With this money, I plan to acquire some resources so Nulan can breakthrough the second Revotion. But given we have only a single month, anymore then this is likely utterly impossible.'
'Cultivation takes time and I find it hard for us to advance even with resources. But we can grow stronger through enlightenment and practice. Either way, I'd need resources to help.'
/Scribble…/
"... I'm finished."
"Thank you sir, I'll give these to analists, they'll come with the appraisers soon enough. Feel free to browse as much as you'd like in the meantime."
With a light nod, the clerk took the forms and left the reception, walking into the distance, she vanished soon after.
Wuizi then walked with Nulan to the side where they sat down at a table and began going over the materials they'd need.
While most of the materials were raw, it was still nice looking at them. Eventually, after half an hour going through the catalogue, the clerk came back and called him.
While Nulan was left behind to browse, Wuizi followed her inside the shop.
…
"Welcome. It's a pleasure meeting you Lord Wuizi. My name's Hogwi, Grade 3 Appraiser. Currently employed by the Tuttle's Throve shop."
Hogwi was a middle aged man with a simple appearance. Black hair and a sharp moustache, he wore long robes with silvery details together with a badge on his chest.
Not handsome but not uggly, an ordinary man. Albeit Wuizi could tell his cultivation was quite high through his Eye technique.
This man was a 7th Revolution Heavenly Core Cultivator…
"I especialized in general Manuals and Cultivation techniques, having over fourty years of experience, I have appraised manuals ranging from the far North to the extreme South, although I'm more used to arts of this erea."
"I've heard you have five Azure Silver Grade Manuals based on the techniques of the Fingers of Heaven Sect. Is that correct?"
"Yes. I'm a Vice Peak Master and recently achieved a minor enlightenment during my meditation, these five techniques are some of the Manuals I've revised and reconstructed. I'd like to have them appraised."
"Oho! Such a position at your age is commendable! Very well, give me a moment to appraise them all."
"... If its not too disrespectful, how do you conduct your appraisal?"
"That's an excellent question. My formation comes from the Thousand Scroll Sect, so my method of appraisal comes firstly from comparison and observation before analytical and hypothetical study. We take several metrics and add them together to create a range of possibility for a Cultivation art."
"If necessary, I may require a simple demonstration of these arts, would it be possible?"
"Of course."
'Well shit… While I did practive them a little, my level of mastery is barely at Minor Enlightenment… How embarrassing.'
"Then I'll begin. If you're curious, this is our price list with some examples in case you're interested in building a base and distracting yourself as I work, otherwise you can also leave the room and wait outside." He said as he handed him a wooden tablet
"I'll take a look."
With a nod of acknowledgement, Hogwi put on a pair of headphone and a monocle, slowly going through each page as he read the manual, making notes as he went through it.
…
/Fourty or so minutes later…/
Thankfully, the revised manual was quite thin, otherwise, to revise the manual, it would've taken multiple hours…
"... I'm finished."
"... So?"
"I believe… This is a very valuable technique, Lord Wuizi. It contains every aspect of the original but improves it more than a single degree."
"This is, for the lack of a better word, a direct evolution. I'd even say this is what the technique was originally meant to do."
"I've appraised thousands of techniques coming from your sect, but this is definitely within the top twenty. It's an incredibly concise and stable technique, and that's just from a direct overview…"
"If I were to be conservative with its price… I'd say this is a Medium Grade Azure Silver Manual, but if I were to thrown away my worries… I'd even say this Manual reaches Heaven Gold Grade."
"This is a serious case that requires further investigation. So let's do it like this…"
"We'll pay you upfront as if it was a High Grade Azure Silver Technique, but you'll leave this technique with us for further appraisal."
"If the technique is of an equal orhigher grade, we'll sell it and give you a portion of it, usually 50%, of course, this value is outside what we'll already pay."
"If the technique's price doesn't change or even decreases, we'll take the loss."
"This is our usual business model. What do you think? You can also wait for the higher appraisal but it can take a few days or even a few weeks. Once the higher appraisal has been done, you can choose to put it on auction or directly sell it to us."
"Of course, in both cases you'd have to pay the appraisal fee, it's just that in the first case, the price has already been deducted."
"... I'll go with the first one. My disciple is preparing for the Disciple Competition and I need to raise some money."
"I see, so it's that time of the year again… In that case, I'll begin apraising the others."
"Please."
…
/Around four hours after Wuizi and Nulan entered the shop…/
"Please come again!"
"... Master."
"Yes?"
"Was it alright to sell your techniques like that? Aren't they valuable?"
"Of course it's alright, and while they may be valuable, they'd just vanish amidst the river of techniques our Sect has. Their value is more appreciated here, outside."
"I made those in a spur of enlightenment. While I could've received a reward from the Sect, we need resources more than fame and contribution, so I chose to sell them instead."
"I can always donate them to the Sect at a later date if necessary, albeit I don't think we'll receive a reward then. Either way, the money we made today was enough to fund some resources."
"For the next month, I plan to help you solidify your Cultivation and potentially even break through to the 2nd Revolution. With that Cultivation you shouldn't have an issue competing with the others."
"From there on, it'll be a battle of determination, experience, and mastery."
"... It still feels a little iffy…"
"It's okay to feel like that. People find it hard to part ways with things they've attached their emotions to. This is just like that."
"We'll see far grander techniques as we grow. If you see what we did today as planting seeds, then see those grander techniques as the fruits we'll reap."
"It's all for the sake of Cultivation. One must learn when to let go of things, be it their possessions, or worldly desires… Although I'm far from that myself. Can't say I can give up on a good meal yet."
"Let's stop by a good restaurant before moving on. We'll depart by nightfall."
"I am a bit hungry…"
/Growl…/
"..."
"Ha! I can tell!"
Wuizi led an embarrassed Nulan through the streets, stopping by for a good meal at a decent restaurant as they waited for the sun to fall.
…
/Fwoosh!/
Flying high above the clouds under the moon, Wuizi and Nulan braved the wilderness in their flying artifacts.
"Where are we going, Master?"
"Our target is considerably further down South. I expected to take a few days to get there but with the quality of our Artifacts, we may reach our target before sunrise."
"But where exactly…"
"Sshh… Someone's here."
"!"
Nulam immediately tensed, not feeling anything around them but she trusted her master.
*Just keep flying but get ready to burst with your strongest attacks at any moment. Our pursuer is at least a 6th Revolution.*
*6-6th?!*
*He's still far away and is obviously keeping his distance, but I can't let others know where we're going.*
*There's a mountain range in the distance with a precipice cutting it, we'll take this chance to evade him. When I give you the signal you'll jump onto my flying artifact and put all your energy into its engine, I'll take care of the rest.*
*... Alright.*
*Don't worry, we won't be fighting him. That's the worst scenario.*
/Fwoosh!/
…
They entered the precipice and as soon as they got inside, Nulan jumped into his flying sword and poured her Qi into it, increasing its speed considerably!
Meanwhile, Wuizi also poured his Qi into the blade, using it to push the artifact to its limits while steering it through the nooks and cranies of the valley.
Keeping themselves close to the ground, he went through the many cracks of the fissure and eventually left at a high speed, keeping himself close to the treetops as they dashed into the horizon.
*... Did we lose him?*
*For now. But I would be surprised if they gave up like this. If they lost us, then they'll just resume tracking later if they're hellbent on tailing us. Keep the Qi flowing, we'll maintain this rhythm until we arrive at the Blue Plains.*
*From there, it should be simple.*
'Master's tomb was said to be located at a very specific place. And while there isn't exact coordinates, I should be able to find it with the help of the Jade Eyes as long as I'm there.'
/Fwoosh!/
…
/Meanwhile…/
/Land…/
"Hm… So he noticed me. He's more capable then he shows."
Their persuer landed somewhere in the cliffs, looking at the horizon where Wuizi and Nulan ran off to.
"He left the Sect, bought a few items, and vanished overnight… He doesn't seem to be running away but it remains to be seem."
After a few moments, the man turned around, returning to the city.
…
/Later that day…/
As the sun rose in the horizon, Wuizi flew around the tall mountains, stopping momentarily before a strange, crooked tree.
'This must be it. This is the same tree Master used to grow in his garden. It isn't native to this area so he must've planted it here to mark the place.'
'He used to say it would be easy to find, if this isn't it then I'm out of ideas.'
/Land…/
"Hm… Found it."
Wuizi approached the tree, and after looking through a small hole in its bark, he saw a very small cavern centered through the hole. And after jumping off the mountain and entering the cavern hidden in the woods, he found what he was looking for.
A tall metal gate protected by a hidden groove!
"Master, this place is?..."
"This is my Master's tombstone."
"!"
'Master's master… My Grandmaster.'
"Well, it's hard to say if he was truly my Master… He died far too early to teach me anything meaningful. But I still take him as someone close to me."
'This grove… I know exactly what it is. A trap.'
'Master liked to play mindgames. The proper way to open this door should be…'
/Press… Clack!/
Wuizi pressed his fingers against the carving of a lamp, causing it to ignite…
/Crack!... Crunk…/
"The gate!..."
The gate slowly opened, revealing a path illuminated by faint luminescent pearls.
"Deep Saphires? Aren't they quite rare?"
"Hm… This is odd, I don't remember master having so much wealth…"
'He was just a scholar with a cultivation no higher than mine… We were the weakest Peak but we had a clear goal… Something doesn't match here.'
"I'll set up a simple disguising formation in the entrance, watch my back."
…
/Step…/
Inside, the path led to a large circular room full of treasures surrounding a sarcophagoes, baffling Wuizi.
"Woah! Look at all these treasures Master! I recognize several valuable gems and even…"
But upon noticing her master's expression, she took back her excitement, raising her guard.
"There's a door in the back. We can come here anytime so let's make sure there's no dangers left."
Carefully avoiding the piles of treasures, the two crossed through another path.
It was similar to the original one but far less luxurious, being completely dark as its torches had long extinguished.
The path led to another circular room, however this one felt more like an actual home than a tomb.
"Did someone used to live here? There's a garden, a bed, I think that's a kitchen…"
"Hm… Maybe. Let's look around."
After exploring the place, it was exactly as Nulan had said, this circular room was about the same size as the large treasure room from before but half of it was built as a home and the other half was a garden.
The Qi in the garden was massive, and crossing from the home to the garden was like passing through the veil of a waterfall. There were definitely formations in place but he couldn't spot any, even with his technique.
To explain the situation, Wuizi focused on a small diary he found in a bedroom, and after reading it fully, he understood what this place was.
"This is the secret storage of an old Sect."
"A secret storage?!"
"It's not that old but not that recent either. According to this diary, this place was a vault where an ancient Sect located in these mountains used to hide their items, but sometime in the past, they were wiped out and their treasures stolen."
"Master comes from a long line of descendants of the Sect, keeping this place hidden and gathering resources to complete their 'dream'."
"Dream?"
"It seems the Sect was destroyed due to some research they were conducting, and in the past five hundred years or so, they've been trying to complete it and honor their ancestors. Supposedly, its something that would greatly help anyone's cultivation, that was how they ropped in the latter generations."
"Something passed down from father to son, master to disciple… A shame their bloodline ended with master. Or maybe, it ended long before then…"
"They spread their roots across multiple sects, gathering knowledge and transferring it here to complete the research. Master likely became a scholar for that purpose as well."
"No wonder the formations here are so potent. This is essentially an ancient Sect that has been passing their knowledge to a few individuals with the sole purpose of developing themselves. After a few hundred years, it has come to this."
'Even this book is written in cyphers, but with the Rune, I can read it no problem.'
"Then… What now?"
"First, let's enter the "real" tomb… This place is just an affront."
"If you grabbed the treasures in the back, this pathway would be hidden and sealed, if not, you'd be led here but this place was made to think it was the end of the road. Only with a keen eye would you be able to find this diary hidden in the bedroom, and only someone who learned how to read the Cyphers would be able to figure out the truth."
"This is quite exciting! Where next?"
/Chuckle…/
"Calm down, this place is going nowhere… The large tree in the garden. We need to snap one of its twigs and place them in a particular spot. This will change the illusion formation and allow us to move."
"What?! The garden has an illusion formation?!"
"Not just the garden, I fear this entire place may be an illusion."
"!"
"Follow me."
/Grab… Snap!/
/Stab!/
/Cruom…/
Wuizi snapped one of the tree's branches and pierced it onto the ground. Soon enough, the air trembled, revealing an entirely new path within the tree's bark.
"It was true! This place is an illusion…"
"It's likely a place meant to make us drop our guard. If a thief made it this far they may decide to sit down and cultivate, this may give the owners enough time to return and eliminate them… Which could also happen to us."
"The diary doesn't mention anyone aside from Master, but given how cautious they are, I wouldn't be surprised if there were other members alive."
"Yeah… That would be bad…"
/Push!.../
They braved into the unknown, stepping inside the hidden path.
...
.
.
.
Notes