Several hours later, we emerged from the mist and found ourselves at the base of the mountain. All of us were a little worse for wear. During the rest of our journey through the mist-laden stone maze, Mist Cats ambushed us two more times. We dispatched the second ambush with ease, since the number of Mist Cats we faced was comparable to the first ambush. I made sure to not burn my opponents to ashes that time around, so I could collect their hides. However, we had to flee from the third ambush.
At first it seemed similar to the first two, and we grew complacent as a result. That was when an even larger group of Mist Cats attacked us. I think there were about a dozen or so Mist Cats in that second group. Combined with the first group of eight, that meant we had to deal with a total of twenty Mist Cats. Rather than fight that many opponents, our group chose to flee.
The Mist Cats were reluctant to let us go and harassed us the entire time we fled. Despite our best efforts, we all sustained injuries. By some miracle, we stayed together and didn’t separate from each other in the mist-laden maze. Neither did we lose our way. Somehow, we made it to the base of the mountain. The Mist Cats chased us the entire way, but lost interest when we neared the edge of the stone maze.
After we emerged from the mist, the four of us continued to flee until we were several hundred feet away. Once we were sure that we were safe from the Mist Cats, we found a place to rest and slumped to the ground.
“Thank the ancestors that’s over,” Clarissa said while laying on her back. “I thought we were going to die in there.”
No one said anything, but we all agreed with her. I shuddered as I remembered how the second group of Mist Cats emerged out of nowhere and sent a storm of claw projections our way. My tortoise shell magic treasure blocked many of the ones aimed at me, but it couldn’t block all of them. I had dodged as many of the remaining ones as I could, but several of them still grazed me.
Cuts and claw marks covered my arms and legs. If even a fraction of those claw projections had managed to hit me head on, they could have cut me to pieces. The rest of my group was in a similar state. Out of all us, Cultivator Willow was in the best condition. She remained spry, despite her advanced age, and managed to avoid most of the attacks directed at her. Even so, she sustained several injuries herself.
With a grim look on his face, Cultivator Harlow swallowed a healing pill before he started tending to the rest of our group. He examined our injuries, before handing out healing pills to each of us. While I had my own, I saw no reason not to accept Cultivator Harlow’s generosity. That meant I could save my own healing pills for later.
When I swallowed the healing pill, a bitter taste washed over my mouth and warmth filled my body. The warmth focused on my injuries, and they started healing at a rate visible to the naked eye. Even so, I estimated that it would take half an hour for me to heal all the way.
However, when it came time for Cultivator Harlow to examine Cultivator Willow, she waved him off. He insisted, but she remained adamant.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” Cultivator Willow said. “Just focus on the others.”
Cultivator Harlow studied her for several moments, before sighing and turning away. After he finished examining us, he joined Clarissa and laid down on the ground.
“I suggest we rest here for the next hour or so,” I said. “Not only do we need to recover from our injuries, but I imagine we’re all running low on internal qi.”
Sustained use of the tortoise shell magic treasure and using multiple mystic arts in a row had drained me of most of my internal qi. The others had used their own treasures and mystic arts as well in order to fend off the Mist Cats.
“I second that, Cultivator Darian,” Cultivator Willow said, sitting down on the ground as well.
Cultivator Harlow waved at us and didn’t say a thing. I assumed that meant he agreed.
“Can we afford to wait that long?” Clarissa asked, sitting up. “We only have until sunset, and it’s already noon.”
I looked up at the sky. She was right. The sun had reached its zenith. We had half a day to reach the other side of the valley or we would fail the final part of the entrance exam.
“We don’t have much of a choice,” I said. “If we don’t rest and recover our strength now, then we’ll be ill equipped to face the dangers ahead.” I shrugged. “Failing the exam is better than sustaining severe injuries or dying. Becoming an outer disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect is preferable in comparison. At least then there is still a chance of becoming an inner disciple.”
Clarissa looked hesitant for a moment, before nodding and laying back down.
“I’ll keep a watch while everyone rests,” I said. “Just in case there is something here that will ambush us.”
A forest filled the entire valley on the other side of the mountain. The trees were tall and thick. Their leaves formed a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. When we fled the Mist Cats, we ended up in a clearing within the forest before stopping.
“You need to rest as well, Cultivator Darian,” Cultivator Willow said. “Of the four of us, you have the lowest cultivation base and the least amount of internal qi.”
She was right. Everyone else here was in late Qi Condensation, while I was only in mid Qi Condensation. However, I wasn’t just a qi refiner.
“I’m a physical refiner as well as a qi refiner,” I said with a shrug. “So I don’t need to rely on mystic arts or magic treasures as much. Besides, if that stone maze is any indication, the amount of qi I would gain from meditating for an hour wouldn’t be enough to make it through the rest of the valley.”
Cultivator Harlow sat up and frowned at me.
“Do you not have any Qi Restoration Pills?” he asked. “If not, you can always absorb qi from spirit stones.”
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Qi Restoration Pills?” I asked.
Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Harlow glanced at each other, while Clarissa sat up again and gave me an incredulous look.
“You don’t know what Qi Restoration Pills are?” my junior sister asked.
I looked back at them and refused to feel ashamed despite my ignorance.
“No, I don’t,” I said.
“Truly?” Cultivator Harlow asked.
“Truly.” Neither Astra nor Cultivator Raphael mentioned these Qi Restoration Pills during our lessons. However, I could guess what they did based on the name. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to confirm my suspicions. “Would you care to enlighten me?”
Cultivator Willow chuckled.
“You truly are an enigma, Cultivator Darian,” she said. “You are skilled in both mystic arts and martial arts, yet you’re ignorant of something as basic as Qi Restoration Pills. What sort of life have you lived?”
I snorted.
“We’re not nearly close enough for me to answer that question,” I said.
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Cultivator Willow chuckled again.
“Fair enough,” she said. “As you might have guessed from the name, consuming Qi Restoration Pills will restore one’s inner qi within a short amount of time. The amount of internal qi restored depends on the grade of the Qi Restoration Pill, though they are more effective than spirit stones of the same grade.” She pulled a jade bottle out of her storage ring. “If you don’t have any, I can spare ten low-grade Qi Restoration Pills. However, unlike Cultivator Harlow, I’m not an altruist. If you want these pills, you’ll have to pay me for them. I’ll accept either something of equal value or an appropriate number of spirit stones.”
Unfortunately for me, I didn’t know how valuable ten low-grade Qi Restoration Pills were. So I didn’t know what I could trade for it or how many spirit stones was an appropriate amount to pay for the pills. It wasn’t like I had much to trade for it either. I had the pills and magic treasures that Astra and Cultivator Raphael gave me for my birthday, as well as ten spirit stones.
“For reference,” Cultivator Harlow said when he noticed my hesitation. “A bottle of ten low-grade Qi Restoration Pills is usually worth fifteen low-grade spirit stones. This can vary since value is in the eye of the beholder, but the standard is fifteen.”
“However,” Cultivator Willow interjected. “Since we’re comrades, and your performance during this part of the exam affects my chances of success, I’m willing to part with this bottle for a mere eight low-grade spirit stones.”
Cultivator Harlow gave her a sly look.
“That’s rather charitable of you, Cultivator Willow,” he said. “I’m surprised. I didn’t expect someone like you to be so…giving.”
“You speak as if you know me, Cultivator Harlow,” Cultivator Willow said in a cold voice. “Yet, yesterday was the first time we met.”
Cultivator Harlow shrugged.
“You can judge a person’s character by the people they associate with,” he said. “The people you associate with aren’t known for their generosity, Cultivator Willow.”
Cultivator Willow snorted.
“As if the people you associate with are any better,” she said. “Beneath that benevolent smile of yours, you’re just as ruthless as the rest of us.”
Cultivator Harlow dropped his sly smile and glared at Cultivator Willow. The tension between them grew palpable. I considered intervening, if only to keep the peace. However, before I could, Clarissa stood up and walked over to me.
“I can share some of my Qi Restoration Pills with you, Senior Brother Darian,” she said. “I don’t have much, but we are kin. Consider it my thanks for helping me with Cultivator Diana earlier.”
She pulled out a jade bottle from her storage ring and opened it. A floral fragrance that reminded me of jasmine tea filled the air. She took a small blue pill out of the bottle and held it out to me.
I had mixed feelings about this. A part of me wanted to reject the pill and treat her with cold indifference. Another part of me wanted to accept the pill. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to foster a stronger relationship with Clarissa. We were kin after all, and it would be nice to be on good terms with someone on my father’s side of the family; someone other than Lucius that was. Clarissa wasn’t so bad for a Wind Dance. Besides, we were both going to be disciples of the same sect.
After giving it some thought, I decided to accept the Qi Restoration Pill.
“Thank you, Junior Sister Clarissa,” I said.
She gave me a pleased smile.
“Tsk,” Cultivator Willow said, sounding displeased. “Thanks to your interference, I lost out on some spirit stones, Cultivator Harlow.”
“No, I also want to buy that bottle of Qi Restoration Pills from you, Cultivator Willow,” I called out to her. “I can’t rely on my junior sister for everything now, can I?”
Cultivator Willow let out a pleased laugh.
“Excellent,” she said.
I pulled out eight of my ten spirit stones, before handing them over to Cultivator Willow. In return, she gave me the bottle of Qi Restoration Pills. I gave the pills a quick examination before placing the bottle in my storage ring.
“Well then,” Cultivator Harlow said. “I used the least amount of qi out of everyone here, so I’ll keep watch while everyone recuperates.” He nodded towards me. “That way, Cultivator Darian can restore his internal qi as well.”
For some reason, I had the feeling that he was volunteering to take watch for my sake. I frowned in thought. Perhaps I was biased thanks to my kin back on Mt. Wind Dance, but in my experience cultivators were never generous for no reason. Everything they did benefited them in some way, or something personal motivated their actions. In that context, Cultivator Willow’s and Cultivator Harlow’s actions made no sense; at least on the surface. What were they after?
The answer hit me after thinking about it for a few seconds. They were trying to curry favor with me. While I wasn’t an outstanding figure on my own, I had backers within Flame Fiend Hall. Forging a connection with me meant forging a connection with those supporting me. A small loss now meant potential gains in the future. It was a gamble, yes, but it was Astra’s favorite kind of gamble; one with low risks and high rewards.
A part of me wanted to feel insulted about being used like this, but the rest of me just shrugged it off. This was part of being a cultivator. Besides, I was using them as well. The four of us decided to work together in order to pass this part of the entrance exam. Neither side was exploiting the other without giving in return. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Connections worked both ways as well. Forging connections with them meant forging connections with Crimson Friend Hall and Rainbow Healer Hall.
A bit cold and calculating, but such things were necessary in the world of cultivation. That said, this alliance of ours could become the seed for a future friendship. I liked Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Harlow, even though I was sure they had ulterior motives for trying to curry favor with me.
“Thank you, Cultivator Harlow,” I said, nodding at him in return. “I’ll be sure to remember this.”
A speculative gleam flashed through his eyes, before the speculation turned to understanding he gave me a small smile.
With that settled, I pulled a cushion out of my storage ring before placing it on the ground and sitting down. Cultivator Willow and Clarissa followed my example, though the latter picked a spot near mine. Cultivator Harlow in the meantime pulled a small jade disc and some flags out of his storage ring. He studied the jade disc for a moment, before he started tossing them around the clearing.
Ah, they were array flags. Astra and Cultivator Raphael told me about them. It was possible to set up temporary arrays using flags such as these. While they weren’t as powerful as permanent arrays, they were still quite useful, especially while traveling. The jade disc was an array plate, which would strengthen the array and give Cultivator Harlow more control over it.
I studied Cultivator Harlow’s actions, trying to glean some insight from them. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints, my lessons with Astra and Cultivator Raphael hadn’t included much about formations. I made a mental note to rectify this after I passed the entrance exam.
Studying arrays was a difficult and time-consuming process, and few ever became array masters. For most, it wasn’t worth effort, despite the power and versatility of arrays. This was because time spent studying and mastering arrays meant less time for cultivation. However, most cultivators studied the basics and mastered the more commonly used arrays because of how useful they were.
After he finished tossing the flags, Cultivator Harlow injected some of his qi into the array plate. It flashed with a rainbow light, and I felt a change in the world around us. I wasn’t sure what that change was, only that there was one.
“There,” Cultivator Harlow said. “That should keep us safe for now.”
I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but held off for now. While I wasn’t ashamed of my ignorance, that didn’t mean I needed to let everyone know just how ignorant I really was. Instead, I decided to focus on restoring my internal qi.
I popped the Qi Restoration Pill Clarissa into my mouth and it melted on my tongue right away. Unlike the bitter healing pill, the Qi Restoration Pill had a sweet and floral taste, almost like jasmine tea with honey in it. At the same time I felt a warmth in my stomach as qi filled my body. I closed my eyes and meditated, circulating this qi through my meridians in order to absorb it and restore my internal qi.
Time flew by and soon the full hour passed. By the end, after regaining almost all of the internal qi I lost earlier when we fought the Mist Cats, I felt refreshed. I stood up and placed the cushion back into my storage ring. Cultivator Willow and Clarissa looked refreshed as well.
“Is everyone ready?” Cultivator Harlow asked.
We all nodded.
“Good. It seems like the next part of this test will be more difficult than the previous one.”
I frowned at him.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Cultivator Harlow nodded towards the rest of the valley.
“Over the past hour, I saw three lights shoot up into the sky,” he said. “I assume those were other participants calling for help by ripping up their talismans.”
My frown deepened. Three of the other participants had ripped up their talismans within the last hour? That didn’t bode well for us. I glanced at Cultivator Willow and Clarissa. From the looks on their faces, they felt the same way. A heavy silence fell over us.
“Well good,” I said, breaking the silence. I forced a smile on my face. “Perhaps we’ll finally face a proper challenge. The last part was a bit too easy if you ask me.”
Everyone else looked at me as if I had gone crazy. I thought my attempt at lightening the mood had failed, but then Cultivator Willow chuckled.
“Indeed, Cultivator Darian,” she said. “It was a nice warm up, but I’m looking forward to facing the real test.”
When they realized what I was up to, the other two laughed as well. It was a bit forced, but it was enough to ease the tension in the air. Cultivator Harlow collected his array flags, and soon we were off.