After we left the immortal cave which served as the hideout for the Ancient Blood Sect disciples, we returned to the forested valley of the Forest Tiger Sect. This time, we didn’t bother landing at the entrance and walking the rest of the way. Instead, we just flew right towards our destination. In this case, the entrance to the hidden realm that contained the Forest Tiger Sect’s sacred treasure was located at the far end of the valley, opposite of the entrance.
It was late morning by this point. Looting the immortal cave and sorting out the former prisoners had taken us hours. Thankfully, the flight to the forested valley didn’t take us long at all. The entrance to the hidden realm was located within a small grassy clearing, meaning it wasn’t shaded like the rest of the forested valley. Elliot landed the flying boat at the edge of the clearing and we all disembarked.
At first, I didn’t notice anything special about the clearing. While the qi in the area was richer and more abundant than anywhere else in the valley, that was it. I saw no signs that the entrance to the hidden valley was here. However, I trusted Elliot so I took a closer look.
That was when I noticed that there was something strange about the clearing. The trees that surrounded the clearing, all of them Sacred Ironwoods, were arranged in a specific fashion. It took me a moment to realize they were like array flags and acted as the foundation of an array. The clearing itself was the array that protected the entrance to the hidden realm. I wasn’t the only one who noticed either.
“I see you noticed it as well, Brother Flamewind.” Elliot said.
I nodded.
“Noticed what?” Cultivator Albin asked with a frown. “I don’t see anything.”
“There’s an obfuscation array over the entire clearing.” Cultivator Isabel said, looking around. “Rather, the clearing is the array.” She gestured to the area around us. “The trees are the array flags.”
Understanding lit up in everyone else’s eyes, and they looked around with newfound appreciation.
“Yes.” Elliot said. “It’s a good one as well. If I hadn’t soul scoured Cultivator Davina, I wouldn’t have known about it either. And the only reason why the Ancient Blood Sect disciples knew about this clearing was because they soul scoured the elders of the Forest Tiger Sect.”
I frowned at that.
“In that case, how come they hadn’t managed to break through it?” I asked. “If they soul scoured the elders of the Forest Tiger Sect, then they must have known what kind of array this was.
Elliot gestured to the center of the clearing.
“They did.”He said. “In order to break through the array, all they needed to do was destroy all the trees surrounding the clearing at the same time.”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“That sounds too easy.” Cultivator Rexanne asked, her eyes filled with suspicion. “I assume there is a catch.”
Elliot gave her a faint smile.
“There is, yes.” He said. “The obfuscation array was set up by the Forest Tiger Sect. However, beneath it is another array. If anyone breaks through the first array, the second one will activate and collapse the entrance to the hidden realm.”
Willow sucked in a breath.
“It’s a trap.” She said.
Elliot nodded.
“Yes,” He said, “One set up by a powerful expert. Destroying the entrance to a hidden realm is far beyond the powers of any Foundation Establishment cultivator. One needs to be in the Nascent Soul realm at a minimum.”
I felt a thrill when I heard that. If the entrance to the hidden realm was protected by an array set up by a Nascent Soul cultivator, then the sacred treasure of the Forest Tiger Sect was far more important than I realized. However, given our current cultivation bases, I doubt that we were powerful enough to break through this second array.
“In that case, how do we break through the second array?” Willow asked, her words mirroring my thoughts. “While I have some knowledge of arrays, I’m no expert.”
I nodded.
“It’s the same with me.” I asked. “Is it even possible for us to break through the second array?”
Elliot shook his head.
“Not at our power level, no.” He said.
Cultivator Isabel scowled at him.
“If we can’t get through the second array, then what are we even doing here?” She asked.
“I said that we can’t break through the second array.” Elliot responded. “However, I never said that we couldn’t go through it. See, both arrays have certain requirements. Those who meet said requirements can pass through the arrays without issue.”
“What are these requirements?” I asked.
Elliot frowned.
“According to Cultivator Davina’s memories,” he said, “One either needs to reach mid Foundation Establishment using the Forest Tiger Sect’s primary cultivation technique, the Forest Tiger Script, or one must receive the blessing of the Sacred Ancestor of the Forest Tiger Sect.” He shook his head. “Don’t ask me what that means, since Cultivator Davina herself didn’t know. Only the sect leader of the Forest Tiger Sect knew, and he killed himself before the Ancient Blood Sect disciples could soul scour him. So, the Ancient Blood Sect disciples went with the first method and had Cultivator Davina cultivate using the Forest Tiger Script.”
So that was why her aura was strange. While I despised Cultivator Blood Petal and her companions for what they did, I respected their tenacity. It might have taken them years to reach the cultivation base required to pass through the arrays.
“We can’t afford to spend years practicing the Forest Tiger Script.” Cultivator Isabel said with a scoff. “Not with the Ancient Blood Sect searching for their disciple’s killers. So that leaves receiving the blessing of the Forest Tiger Sect’s Sacred Ancestor, whatever that means.”
“Yes,” Elliot said, “That was my thought exactly.” He shrugged. “Even if we fail to secure the blessing, we could always leave and return at a later date. The Ancient Blood Sect disciples kept a few copies of the Forest Tiger Script. One of us could practice it to mid Foundation Establishment.” He nodded to the center of the clearing. “Given the potential prize, I’m sure that it would be worth the time and effort.”
I supposed that was a viable method. The Forest Tiger Script was a mid-tier cultivation technique at best, while everyone here practiced either high-tier or top-tier cultivation techniques. To avoid having a slightly weaker foundation, one would have to reach mid Foundation Establishment with the Forest Tiger Script, enter the hidden realm to retrieve the sacred treasure, and then unravel one’s cultivation back to early Foundation Establishment in order to start over again.
However, that would take a lot of time. The thought of going through all of that didn’t appeal to me. From the expressions on everyone else’s faces, they felt the same way. Out of the six of us, only four were in early Foundation Establishment. Elliot and Cultivator Isabel were in late Foundation Establishment and mid Foundation Establishment respectively.
“We should save this discussion for later.” Willow said. “If one or more of us manage to receive the blessing from the Forest Tiger Sect’s Sacred Ancestor, then we won’t even need to bother with such a cumbersome method.”
“True.” Cultivator Albin said, before frowning. “But how? Not even the Ancient Blood Sect disciples knew how to receive the blessing. How are we supposed to figure it out in less than a day?”
Elliot pulled several manuals, scrolls, and jade slips out of his storage bag.
“These belonged to the Forest Tiger Sect.” He said. “One of them might contain a clue.” He gestured to the area around us. “There might also be a clue somewhere within the valley. I suggest we split up into two teams. Half of us will stay here and study, while the rest will search the valley. We will meet back here at sundown. If none of us have found anything by that point, then we will leave and head towards Clear Basin City.”
We all glanced at each other, before nodding.
“That sounds like a good plan to me.” I said.
“Excellent,” Elliot said, “Now, who wishes to do what?”
----------------------------------------
In the end, I remained behind in the clearing to read the writings of the Forest Tiger Sect with Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin, while the others explored the valley. Willow wanted to stay behind with me, but Cultivator Isabel rolled her eyes and dragged the younger woman off.
After that, I spent the next few hours poring over the scrolls, manuals, and jade slips that Elliot provided. While I learned a bit about the Forest Tiger Sect during our stay in Clear Basin City, that was from an outsider’s perspective. These writings gave me an insider’s glimpse into the sect and its philosophies.
Like the Ironwood Tigers that they venerated, the Forest Tiger Sect excelled in unarmed combat, stealth, and ambush tactics. Their martial arts, called the Forest Tiger fighting style, reminded me a little of the Dancing Fiend fighting style that I created; in more ways than one. This fighting style focused on aggression, precision, and speed in order to end the fight as soon as possible. Catching an opponent unawares was ideal.
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More than that, the manual that I read depicted images of the various stances of the fighting style. These stances and the movements they described reminded me of a dance. A fast and aggressive dance, but a dance nonetheless. While I despised my kin, I was still a Wind Dance. Even my uncle admitted that while my swordsmanship was mediocre, my dancings skills were excellent.
The Forest Tiger Script, the primary cultivation technique of the Forest Tiger Sect, was actually two different techniques: a wood qi refining one and a metal physical refining one. To my surprise, both techniques were high-tier ones, something I hadn’t expected from a sect as… humble as the Forest Tiger Sect.
However, cultivating with both techniques required a specialized physique that had both Metal and Wood attributes. Anyone who tried to cultivate both without this physique would suffer from serious qi deviation since Metal defeated Wood. I suspected that most disciples of the Forest Tiger Sect practiced one or the other.
The writings also contained a few techniques that allowed the user to remain hidden. I made a note to study these techniques in depth later. One in particular, called Pelt of the Forest Tiger, caught my eye. This technique allowed one to camouflage oneself by blending in with the environment. Despite the name, this wasn’t just limited to forests.
While my Cloak of Dusk innate ability allowed me to hide my presence from others’ spirit sense, it didn’t affect the mundane senses at all. I liked the idea of having a technique that helped me make up for this lack.
The scrolls, manuals, and jade slips of the Forest Tiger Sect also contained a number of mystic arts. However, these were all wood and metal mystic arts, which I couldn’t use. Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin, on the other hand, were both ecstatic since they could use said mystic arts; the metal ones at least.
In addition to the martial arts, mystic arts, and techniques, the writings also contained a number of lectures and philosophical treatises. To my surprise, these were more profound than I expected. They gave me great insights into both Wood and Metal, as well as a number of other topics. While I didn’t have an affinity for either, it never hurt to learn more about the mysteries of the universe.
These lectures and philosophical treatises were written by the Forest Tiger Sect’s Sacred Ancestor. This Sacred Ancestor was the master of the now deceased sect leader of the Forest Tiger Sect, who was also the sect’s founder. That surprised me. When I thought of cultivation sects, I always imagined them as long standing institutions with centuries, if not millennia, of history. However, the Forest Tiger Sect had only been fifty years old before its demise.
I felt melancholic at that. If these writings were any indication, if Cultivator Blood Petal and her companions hadn’t eradicated the Forest Tiger Sect, it could have gone on to become a powerful sect within the Sacred Ironwood Province. Alas, such was the cruelty of fate.
However, despite searching through every single scroll, manual, and jade slip that Elliot gave us, I found no mention of the blessing of the Forest Tiger Sect’s Sacred Ancestor. There were plenty of mentions of the Sacred Ancestor, which the writings depicted as a mysterious figure, but there was no mention of any blessing. I studied the lectures and philosophical treatises in great detail, hoping to find a clue or hint, to no avail. Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin didn’t find anything either.
“Even if we don’t end up retrieving the sacred treasure of the Forest Tiger Sect,” Cultivator Albin said while reading a manual. “This trip has been a worthwhile endeavor.”
“Indeed.” Cultivator Rexanne said while studying a scroll. “I found several mystic arts and techniques that could be modified for magic treasure refining.”
I put down the jade slip that I had been searching through and let out a sigh.
“Maybe,” I said, “However, it would be a shame if we didn’t find the sacred treasure.”
Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin glanced at each other, before looking at me.
“A certain amount of greed is understandable for any cultivator, Brother Flamewind,” Cultivator Albin said. “It’s expected even.”
“However, too much greed can lead you down the wrong path.” Cultivator Rexanne said.
I shook my head.
“I don’t want the treasure just out of greed.” I said. “Though that is part of my motivation for wanting the sacred treasure.” I grimaced. “However, the sacred treasure is a part of the Forest Tiger Sect’s legacy. If we leave it behind and forget about it, there is a good chance that it will be forgotten forever, along with the Forest Tiger Sect itself. At least if we retrieve the sacred treasure, some part of the sect will live on.” I snorted. “Or maybe I’m just finding an excuse to justify my greed.”
Cultivator Rexanne shook her head.
“No.” she said. “Being both noble and greedy at the same time makes sense for someone like you. After all, your… nature is both sacred and profane.”
Huh. I hadn’t thought of it like that.
“Besides,” Cultivator Albin said, “No one said that we had to keep the sacred treasure forever. Depending on what it is, perhaps we can pass it on to a worthy successor of the Forest Tiger Sect.” He gestured to the scrolls, manuals, and jade slips that surrounded. “In fact, if we also give them all of this, they can revive the Forest Tiger Sect in full.”
“You’re not wrong.” I said. “As long as some part of the sect remains, there is a chance that it could come back. This also applies to the other sects that the Ancient Blood Sect disciples destroyed.”
The clans were another matter, since those were bound together by blood ties. If every member of a clan died, there was no chance of reviving it. The reverse was true as well. If even one member survived, then the clan would continue on.
“True.” Cultivator Rexanne said, frowning. “However, I doubt any of them are on the same level as the Forest Tiger Sect. From what I can tell, the Sacred Ancestor must have been a powerful expert.”
I frowned.
“And yet there is no mention in any of these writings of how to get the Sacred Ancestor’s blessing.” I shook my head. “I hope the others are having better luck than us. Otherwise, we’ll have to leave empty handed.”
I looked up at the sky. It was mid afternoon now. The sun bathed the clearing in golden light. A light breeze blew through rustling the leaves of the Sacred Ironwood Trees around us. The smell of metal and vegetation permeated the air. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the clearing.
“Maybe we should take a break.” Cultivator Albin suggested. “Letting our minds rest instead of hitting our heads against a wall might do us some good.”
Cultivator Rexanne and I agreed. I stood up and stretched, before taking a quick walk around the clearing. As I walked, my thoughts wandered about, the writings of the Forest Tiger Sect buzzing about in my mind. Due to the clearing’s small size, it didn’t take me long to rejoin Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin, who were both laying down on the ground to watch the sky.
However, as soon as I finished making a lap around the clearing, I froze. Something niggled at me from the back of my mind. I tried to tease it out, but it proved ephemeral and elusive. The more I tried to grab it, the more it slipped from my grasp.
“What’s wrong, Brother Flamewind?” Cultivator Albin asked.
He pushed himself up with his elbows and looked at me with a frown.
“I don’t know.” I said. “I feel like I’m about to figure out something important, though I’m not sure what.”
Cultivator Albin opened his mouth to say something, but Cultivator Rexanne silenced him with a finger to his lips. She shook her head at him and gave him an intense stare. Cultivator Albin’s eyes lit up with understanding. Cultivator Rexanne must have communicated to him through telepathy.
After that, I ignored them and focused on the niggling feeling. However, my efforts proved fruitless. Perhaps I was going about it the wrong way. Instead of just standing there, I walked around the clearing again. My intuition told me that this was related, though I didn’t know how or why. Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin watched me the entire time, both remaining silent.
I continued walking around the clearing, yet came no closer to figuring the answer. However, just as I was about to give up, my eyes landed on the manual that depicted the stances of the Forest Tiger fighting style. That’s when the truth hit me like a bolt of lighting.
If one performed all of the stances of the Forest Tiger fighting style as they were described within the manual while moving forward, one would make a complete circuit around the clearing. I didn’t think this was a coincidence. Perhaps I was wrong, but I didn’t think so. Excited by this realization, I rushed over and picked up the manual to study it in-depth.
“Did you find something, Brother Flamewind?” Cultivator Albin asked.
“I think so.” I said without looking away from the manual.
As I studied the Forest Tiger fighting style, I explained my theory to Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin.
“Are you sure about that?” Cultivator Rexanne asked after I finished, her tone skeptical. “Forgive me for doubting you, Brother Flamewind. I find it difficult to believe that you figured that out by just reading a manual and walking around the clearing.”
I looked up at her.
“I understand your skepticism,” I said, “However, it can’t hurt to try. It’s better than doing nothing.”
Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin glanced at each other.
“He has a point.” Cultivator Albin said with a shrug. “I don’t have any better ideas.”
Cultivator Rexanne nodded, conceding the point. She gestured for me to go ahead. I turned my attention back to the manual in my hands. It didn’t take me long to memorize the stances of the Forest Tiger fighting style. While I focused on fists, I had a gift when it came to all forms of unarmed combat. Afterwards, I walked to the edge of the clearing. I took a moment to clear my mind and center myself, before I took the first stance of the fighting style. From there, I went through each stance while moving around the clearing.
At first, I took it slow and performed each stance with care. Reading about a fighting style and using it were two different things, after all. Doing it this way allowed me to notice my flaws and correct them. As I thought when I first read about the Forest Tiger fighting style, it resembled something of a dance. Or maybe that was just my imagination. Perhaps fighting and dancing were intertwined for me.
“Is it just me, or does he look like he’s dancing?” Cultivator Albin muttered.
“It’s not just you.” Cultivator Rexanne replied. “It’s strange. I read the same manual, and the Forest Tiger fighting style isn’t supposed to be a dance.”
After hearing their words, I almost stopped my movements in shock but managed to control myself in time. That was something to ponder for later. For now, I needed to focus on the present. To avoid any more distractions, I tuned the others out and focused on nothing but performing the stances of the Forest Tiger fighting style.
As I thought, by the time I reached the final stance, I had made a full circuit around the clearing. However, I didn’t stop. Instead, I continued on. This time I moved faster and faster, until I went through the stances at full speed. Soon, I lost myself in the rhythm of the dance. Despite the lack of musicians and musical instruments, I heard music. The wind blowing through the trees, the roaring of the Ironwood Tigers in the distance, the sound of my breathing, my heartbeat. These all came together to create the music that accompanied my dance.
With my spirit sense, I noticed the qi in the clearing stir. It resonated with my movements. Or maybe it was the other way around. Regardless, as I danced, the qi danced with me. It was my partner. We mirrored each other’s movements. My awareness of the outside world faded away, until nothing remained but myself and the qi.
I started to dance faster and faster, as pressure built up inside me. The qi matched my speed. Sweat coated my body, beading along my forehead. I hadn’t noticed it until now, but performing the Forest Tiger fighting style like this took a toll on my body, even though I was in Foundation Establishment.
The pressure building up inside me reached the breaking point, just as my movements reached a crescendo. I opened my eyes to find myself in the center of the clearing, though I didn’t know how I got there. The qi in the clearing had been whipped up into a frenzy, though not a chaotic one. Like my movements, it had been building towards a crescendo. I opened my mouth to release the pressure inside me and let out a tiger’s roar. It exploded out of me, the sound deafening.
I heard a tear as a hole in reality opened up in front of me. Before I had a chance to react, a force pulled me into the hole. In the distance, I heard someone calling out my name. That was the last thing I noticed before darkness took me.