"That was incredible, thanks Jie," Pan Tian said.

"Yes, thank you, Princess. It will take some time for this one to stabilize after advancing so quickly," Ithilix said.

Pan Tian laughed. "Me too. Maybe we should ask Jie for tips since she always advances this fast," she said.

"I've found that sparring for several hours every day helps tremendously. Especially against stronger opponents like Elder Shi, so I don't have to hold back," Jie said. The pain had settled enough for her to breathe more normally, though the ghost of a stabbing sensation still throbbed in her dantian.

"You spar with Elder Shi? Are you nuts? How are you still alive?" Pan Tian asked.

"She's quite gentle with me," Jie said, "and when she does break my bones, she heals me right away. I learn a lot from our sparring and it's a great way to stabilize after rapid advancement."

"You, who got so mad when Chen Huo broke my leg, get your bones broken by one of the strongest elders almost every day and it's no big deal?" Pan Tian asked.

Jie shrugged. "It's not the same. Elder Shi tries not to hurt me and she heals me right after," Jie said.

"You're such a hypocrite," Pan Tian said with a frustrated laugh that turned into a sort of growl.

"I don't think so," Jie said, "but you don't have to do what I do. I'm sure we'll have many more fights for you to stabilize your cultivations."

"Yes... we should get moving," Pan Tian said, "we'll be able to move much faster now, but let's stick to the same formation and try to keep the noise down. It'll be a relief to get away from here. We're lucky nothing has come already."

Pan Tian then led them away from the grove and through the swamp. Back on track to another plaque location the valley was fond of. How she found her way with the dense canopy blocking out almost all the light of even the noon day sun, Jie wasn't sure.

As they traveled, the swamp grew increasingly cold. It bothered Jie a bit that there was such a variety of biomes, but then the islands were enormous and they traveled at speeds far greater than anyone ever could on Earth. So, she supposed it made sense... but it still bothered her. Perhaps because they were never in one place long enough for her to truly get used to it.

Though, she looked forward to leaving the swamp. It was wet and gross, and she desperately wanted a hot shower and something to scrape the plant matter off every molecule of her body. Swamps were disgusting.

The temperature continued to plummet as they traveled and Jie found herself shivering as the swamp water turned icy. Though the ice was broken up into small pieces. Like it had formed a thick sheet that something had shattered.

Jie wondered how cold it was and why the water didn't all freeze the way it surely would on Earth at such low temperatures. But she soon dismissed those thoughts as trying to uncover the mysteries of how everything worked in a world with strange energies and cultivation would likely drive her insane.

The ice grew thicker and in larger sheets until finally, they could walk upon it and no longer had to wade through the stagnant water. Though the ice was slippery. Even more so with the water that dripped from them.

Jie scanned their surroundings alertly and couldn't help feeling like her ability to sense danger and her instincts were benefiting greatly from the Crimson Valley Treasure Hunt. The trees thinned and gray light filtered through the clouds above as snow drifted down around them. The snow grew thicker atop the ice as they traveled until Jie and the others had to wade through it.

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Every breath steamed upon the frigid air as frost covered the flowers and plants that surrounded them. Idly, Jie thought that while the plants and moss on them was gross and she couldn't wait to be rid of it all, it probably made good camouflage. Especially as it turned white with frost, making each of them look like moving shrubs rather than people. At least from a distance.

"Does anyone need a fireblood pill?" Pan Tian asked.

"Th-this one would gratefully accept," Ithilix said as she shivered and her teeth chattered.

Pan Tian tossed a red pill to Ithilix who caught it in her hand and lobbed it into her mouth. Then, she gave a relieved sigh and her shivering stopped.

"It warms you up?" Jie asked with her arms hugged tight around herself for what little warmth it gave her.

"Yes," Ithilix said, "And, it was of high quality, so the effect will last many hours. Thank you, friend Pan Tian. You are most generous."

"Don't worry about it," Pan Tian said as she took one of the pills herself, "what about you and Xue, Jie?"

Jie hesitated even as she shivered.

"Oh come on. You've done a lot for us. The least you can do is accept a couple of fireblood pills," Pan Tian said.

Jie nodded. "Alright," she said.

Pan Tian tossed her one which she caught and then one to Xue who snatched it out of the air with his mouth and gave a satisfied purr.

Jie placed the fireblood pill on her tongue and it melted into liquid warmth that spread through her entire body as a feeling of intense heat radiated inside her dantian. Like a warm, soothing fire heating her up from within.

"Thank you," Jie said.

Pan Tian nodded and they continued their journey.

***

They came to a small clearing with a statue of the same severe woman half buried in the snow and three paths lined with trees beyond it. They walked up to the statue and dug the snow out of the way enough to see a gleaming plaque.

"I learned early on in my journeys that the fate of a cultivator often comes down to the choices they make. Choose well and remember that inaction is also a choice," Pan Tian read aloud.

"So, we pick a path?" Jie asked.

"Or do nothing," Pan Tian said.

"Which is best?" Ithilix asked.

"You can both stop looking at me," Pan Tian said, "the tests change, remember? I've heard of similar ones before but this one will likely be different. There's no way to be sure."

"So, we pick a path without knowing which way is best? That kind of sucks," Jie said.

"It's life. Which, is kind of the point I think," Pan Tian said, "Ithilix, do you sense anything from the different paths?"

Ithilix's antennae quivered as she walked near the entrance to all three paths and circled back to them.

"This one senses... it feels like treasure down the middle path. But, it's hard to tell. Its signature is odd. All the signatures are odd," Ithilix said, "the left path is rich with the aura of spiritual medicine, but there's something a bit... off about it. The path on the right... this one isn't sure what it is... some small treasures... this one thinks? It is very difficult to tell. Especially from so far away."

"So should we go down the middle way then? For the treasure?" Pan Tian said.

"Unless everything Ithilix feels is some kind of trap. This is a test for making choices and about the life of a cultivator... and things are often not as they seem. What if the paths that seem the least dangerous are the ones with the most danger?" Jie said.

"This one does not know. It is very possible for the Crimson Valley to fool this one's senses," Ithilix said.

"So... we still don't know which one to go down?" Pan Tian said, "maybe we should try the middle path. If there's treasure, at least we get something out of it. Unless anyone disagrees?"

Ithilix shook her head, and Xue didn't seem to care. Jie thought this whole thing was more complicated somehow, but she nodded and followed after Pan Tian.

Jie was grateful for the fireblood pill as they moved through the freezing snow. The trail they were leaving through the snow worried her though... This whole thing felt incredibly dangerous. She still remembered how close that ghost had been to killing her friends...

She scanned the trees around them carefully as Pan Tian led the way along the fairly straight path. The trees weren't thick enough to stop them from leaving the path though and Jie wondered if they should leave the path? Or was that what the plaque wanted her to think?

Or did it think that she would think that it would think that she would think that they should leave the path so they should stay on the path? Unless...

Her thoughts broke as she saw a gleaming shape ahead through the falling snow. It was a large, curved, shining sword sticking out of the snow, blade first with the hilt no doubt buried somewhere beneath the fresh, powdery snow. Just the part of the blade that Jie could see was longer than she was tall. And it radiated a mysterious aura that beckoned her to take it.

"This is what this one sensed," Ithilix said.

"So... did we choose correctly?" Pan Tian asked.