Shin Sumi's neck turned sharply, the powerful booming voice catching her attention.
"Ling Dufei, if you don't stand up this instant I'm going to break your bones one by one!"
The Second Star Arena was made up of a big platform separated into four smaller ones. One of them was empty, one had three disciples cultivating and the last two were currently hosting fights.
The powerful voice had come from one of them. A big burly man was standing above a young cultivator, threatening him.
The tall man with shoulders as broad as an ox's had glowing tattoos covering his arms, somewhat similar to Fu Xue's magical technique.
In one glance Shin Sumi could tell that he was a disciple of the Light-Breaking Pavilion.
The youth called Ling Dufei was dressed in a long dark grey robe. His head was shaved clean and despite his adult features, he seemed to have the body of a child.
The scrawny boy-man grimaced, wiping the trail of blood running from his lower lip with his right sleeve.
"If you continue to beat me up, Wang Pao, my friends from the Divine-Beast Pavilion will not let you rest, I can promise you!"
"Tch. First you dare to call my Breaking Style trash and then you keep your mouth open? Are you never going to learn? Do I have to pound it in your skull?"
Ling Dufei stood up on wobbly legs. Shin Sumi ignored how long the fight had been but Lin Dufei had obviously been on the receiving end of most of the action.
A yellow light appeared between his fingers, the Shinsoo signature of the technique reading as a binding spell.
Wang Pao chuckled. Under his half robes, his tattooed legs glowed as well, sending Shinsoo coursing through his lower limbs. In the blink of an eye, his enhanced calves and thighs had brought him in front of the poor Ling Dufei.
This time it was his arm's turn to glow as Wang Pao caught Ling Dufei's yellow light between his burly fingers.
The cracking sound was cut short by Ling Dufei's scream.
"Don't try to use that sort of low level spell on me, trash. I'm here for your Beast. Go on, if your Beast Style is as strong as you were proudly telling me before, use it and defeat me", a mad smile twisting his lips," I'm waiting."
Ling Dufei had realized that Wang Pao would not let him do anything other than use the Beast Style. The burly man had retreated a few steps and was simply waiting, arms folded over his ripped chest.
Ignoring his broken fingers for now, Ling Dufei breathed out loudly, an invisible wind rolling one of his sleeves, revealing a Shinsoo imprint on his wrist.
Shin Sumi's eyes opened suddenly.
"That mark... It's a lot similar to the leaf pattern on my wrist!"
Located in the same place as the little nut's leaf pattern, Ling Dufei's wrist was adorned by a dark red paw pattern.
Biting the tip of his tongue effortlessly, the scrawny looking man spat a small drop of blood onto his wrist.
With enhanced perception, Shin Sumi could feel the change in Shinsoo around Ling Dufei as soon as the blood touched the paw mark.
"Something is coming... He is summoning his fighting beast!"
Lin Dufei's features were still distorted with rage but his eyes had gained a glimmer of hope in them. Now that he was in the middle of his summon, he had a chance at beating Wang Pao!
"So boring... How long is it going to take, eh?" Wang Pao was yawning.
Using the same technique as before, Wang Pao instantly stepped right in front of his opponent. Ling Dufei had no chance to react before a large fist planted itself in his belly.
Ling Dufei flew over ten meters, crashing on the ground right next to the arena platform in a cloud of dust mixed with his own blood.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha I told him he would go down with a single punch!" Wang Pao was enjoying himself very much. Ling Dufei had passed out unconscious but the burly man was clearly not willing to stop soon.
"Pao, you're done. Go back to cultivation."
The voice of an old man echoed through the entire arena, instantly stopping Wang Pao in his tracks. Even the fighters on the other platforms stopped.
Clearly the voice belonged to someone vastly superior to the puny Wang Pao who instinctively fell to his knees and bowed.
"Ye-Yes Master Mui..."
The fight was over. Wang Pao left the Second Star Arena without another glance at the fallen Ling Dufei. All the other disciples around resumed their activities like nothing ever happened.
Nobody went to help Ling Dufei get back to his senses or stand up. That was the way of the Immortal World, where the strong preyed on the weak.
Besides, a squabble between disciples like that was not world-ending. After such a beating, Ling Dufei would only need a day to recover. Despite the clear difference in strength, both cultivators were in the Liquid Realm.
Shin Sumi left too. This fight had nothing to do with her and she was not one to mingle into another's business like that. Only, the tattoo on Ling Dufei's arm was etched deep into her memory.
"A mark for summoning a fighting beast... Why does it look so similar to the little nut's leaf pattern?"
The Divine-Beast Pavilion... Could it be the key to understand the mysterious little nut that had brought her so far into the Immortal World without revealing any of its secrets?
The answer had to wait. Shin Sumi followed the path indicated by Fen Wudao, starting behind the Second Star Arena all the way into the middle of a forest.
She was about to stop and retrace her steps back, convinced that she had taken a wrong turn when Shin Sumi spotted an old looking wall in the distance.
The forest was dense with trees and bamboo groves. A few streams of pure spring water had crossed her path a few times. Moss-covered rocks stuck out of the ground here and there.
Although it looked very pretty, Shin Sumi had thought that Fen Wudao was going to assign her a courtyard, not take her out for a walk in the forest!
But at the end of the path, when nothing else seemed made by man, there was an old wall. Walking up to it, Shin Sumi spotted the silhouette of a young man dressed in white.
"Brother Fen, this place is beautiful, where are we?"
"Hello Sister Shin."
Fen Wudao gestured around him at the old wall and the decrepit looking gate that was planted in the middle of it.
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"Welcome to your new house. I know what you're thinking, it is in ruins and nowhere near what should be considered as an Immortal cave, but come take a better look!"
Shin Sumi didn't object, instead sending a bit of Shinsoo into the Copper Bell in her bag of holding. The artefact reacted instantly upon activation, tuning Shin Sumi to her environment.
Just like in the first phase of the Rising Star Tournament, the illusion was dispelled. In the tournament, the illusion of being in a desert served the purpose of allowing the disciples with the best Shinsoo affinity and mental aptitudes to start ahead of the others but here it was a simple trick in order to deceive one's eyes.
Only the Copper Bell was the perfect artefact to counter that trick. Although Shin Sumi couldn't pierce through the full extent of the illusion, the old wall and the decrepit gate had now turned into a transparent greyish screen in her eyes.
Shin Sumi could make out the shape and the existence of a complete building in their place, as if it were in and out of reality.
Fen Wudao of course had no idea that Shin Sumi possessed such an artefact, probably even unaware that such a thing existed in the first place.
The young man threw a small silvery plate at Shin Sumi who caught it between two fingers. On the silver slip was a shallow carving of a moon with a shadow across its diameter.
"The Ghost Pavilion symbol!"
Shin Sumi knew what to do. She poured her divine sense into the plate, which immediately linked itself to her. The silver morcel was now hers with all its secrets.
Now that she owned a key to the hidden house, the illusion dispersed fully. The Copper Bell had already shown her that an illusion was active there but now the spell was gone.
The wall stood strong and in perfect shape, three meter tall walls along the entire domain. A bronze colored wooden door with carved handles was opened in the middle of it, peering into a beautiful garden.
Shin Sumi acted a little bit surprised but not too much. Just enough so that Fen Wudao looked proud of his trick.
"This small mansion doesn't appear on the Dark Sky Starry Sect records. Because unlike me you will not appear as a genius despite your true ranking, you can keep a low profile. That place is the perfect opportunity for that."
With just a glance, Shin Sumi could tell that Fen Wudao had at some point in time longed for a situation similar to hers. Because he had been acknowledged publicly as unrivaled amongst his peers, he could not live discreetly in the forest, focusing on cultivation.
"Brother Fen wished he could have been the same as me... Keeping the existence of the Ghost Pavilion a secret while being in the spotlight at all times must be hard to do."
The two cultivators entered through the doors at the same time, stepping on the stone tiles that ran across the garden.
"This house initially belonged to our brother, the Fifth Ghost", Fen Wudao explained, "Because of it I could not disappear from the records like you, Sister Shin. Instead the Patriarch had to take in a direct disciple, somebody who would keep a public front for the sect.
When the Fifth Ghost left for a mission outside the sect, it was already too late for me. Luckily, a genius like you appeared only two years after. So this place is now yours."
"Where is the Fifth Ghost now?" enquired Shin Sumi.
Fen Wudao sighed, "That, I do not know. The intrigues in which the Ghost Pavilion takes part run deep and wide. I am unaware of most of what is going on."
"Don't worry about it, though. For now, concentrate on stabilizing your cultivation base after your breakthrough. In two days' time you will be able to reappear in the upper valley. You will then be able to go and claim your rewards, my Master has arranged for you to officially finish in the fifteenth position in the Rising Star Tournament.
Then you will be able to start cultivating the techniques of the different Pavilions and I will call you when it is time to make your proper entrance in the Ghost Pavilion."
Fen Wudao stayed with Shin Sumi for a couple of hours, sharing tea and talking about the house, the Ghost Pavilion and cultivation in general. For the first time, Shin Sumi was able to peer into her mysterious senior's personality, understanding the hardships that came with his status.
He looked relieved to be able to enjoy himself for a couple of hours before returning to the upper valley.
After months of trial, Shin Sumi enjoyed the company, although she would have prefered to be with Xiao Yue, and even felt a bit saddened when the white robed young man left her alone in her new home.
Walking around the mansion, Shin Sumi absentmindedly lost herself in her thoughts before her feet stopped in front of the spring at the back of her building.
The clear sound of the spring coming out from a crevice in between two rocks was music to her ears.
"It feels like forever since I've taken a relaxing bath" she realized.
Following the water with her divine sense, Shin Sumi entered the two story house. From what Fen Wudao had told her, the second level was a simple room with mats on the floor. It was an ideal place to cultivate in all serenity.
Most people would use a room like this to focus on spiritual techniques and to comprehend things about their own cultivation. After reaching the Liquid Realm, one's need for sleep was basically nonexistent, cultivator preferring meditation instead.
But what Shin Sumi was currently interested in was the bottom level. There was a small kitchen, although it was probably more of a place to craft medicine, given that the only furniture on the furnace was a large cauldron.
Checking the pots and recipients, Shin Sumi sadly came to the conclusion that the place had been thoroughly cleaned by her predecessor. Not a single pill remained, not a leaf or seeds, nothing.
"I'll have to take a trip to the dark chasm at some point if I'm allowed to do so. I left so many different Yin type plants, I could probably start a second market in the upper valley!"
Another room of the base level was completely empty except for magnificent tapestries. There was nothing magical about them but they were pleasing to the eye.
Shin Sumi didn't bother checking the entire place. She would have all the time to do so in the future. After the kitchen and the empty room, she directly went to where her divine sense was leading her.
From behind the house, the spring water entered into a bathing room! It was large and cozy, rocks forming an indoor pond. Candles and crystals lit the mirror-like surface of the pool in such a way that the walls and ceiling seemed to undulate in rhythm.
Shin Sumi furrowed her brows slightly, "Hmm not bad, but I would rather feel the outside breeze... I will have to do something about that later."
At least she had some place to bathe, in the comfort and the security of her own home.
Gently, Shin Sumi loosened her silk belt and the leather cord that tied her bag of holding to her slender waist. The green robes flowed down her smooth skin, forming a soft pile on the wooden floor without the slightest sound.
Shin Sumi ignored the heating furnace next to the bath, instead using the Copper Bell to adjust herself to the water. With magic, the cold spring water was the perfect temperature.
Running her hands through her hair, Shin Sumi slowly washed her long black locks before cleaning her body.
Once she was done, she let herself slump down until the water was up to her shoulders. Her developing breasts were the only thing still above the surface besides her head. Nestled in between them was a small greyish ball.
"I didn't even feel the little nut come out of my wrist" she laughed. "Is it the same when people from the Divine-Beast Pavilion summon their fighting spirit beasts?"
"Hey, little nut, can you turn into a book?"
The familiar small vortex appeared, the old bark cover falling onto Shin Sumi's open hands.
"Moon Severing Ephemeral Shadow, a fitting name if I'll get to wear the same insignia as Brother Fen."
She referred of course to the ghost shadow over the moon that symbolized the Ghost Pavilion.
"I wonder if the techniques are linked in any way..."
The Moon Severing Ephemeral Shadow was a cultivation technique that she had acquired during the trial. She had already partially read it but without trying to comprehend anything.
From what she had learned, it was useless to decipher a new technique before handing it to the little nut. After it had done its trick, the technique was guaranteed to be upgraded, only then would it maximize its utility.
Under the light of the crystals, Shin Sumi read carefully the small inscriptions on the page of the book. The Moon Severing Ephemeral Shadow scroll showed her a new way to channel her inner Shinsoo.
From her dantian, she would have to guide the Shinsoo along a carefully chosen path, linking meridians in a specific order.
The technique came in three different steps, from which she could only read the first.
"Materialize an illusory shadow, harnessing the darkness and stealing the light. Once I've cultivated the first step fully, the second step will probably unlock itself. Or maybe I need a higher cultivation level..."
Shin Sumi was puzzled but excited. Letting the nut go float around leisurely, Shin Sumi concentrated.
Gathering her Shinsoo, Shin Sumi forced its path along her body.
It wasn't an easy thing to do. Sometimes the path required the Shinsoo to flow unnaturally inside her body and the concentration needed was incredible.
Sweat beads rolled along Shin Sumi's cheeks, mixing with the clear water surrounding her.
"Gaaah another failure! I've tried maybe a hundred times but I can't even make a full cycle!" she gasped after two full hours had passed.
"The Liquid Realm... It is something else. How can it be so hard controlling my own energy?!"
Frustrated but also somewhat glad to have found a good challenge, Shin Sumi left the bathing room.
After meditating for a few hours, she tried again to circulate her Shinsoo in the way of the Moon Severing Ephemeral Shadow, not making any further progress, being stuck before completing a single cycle leaving her empty and tired.
For once Shin Sumi understood what it meant to cultivate normally. No matter how she thought of it she couldn't find a shortcut this time. Neither the little nut nor the Copper Bell could help her.
"Even fighting spirit beasts is easier than sitting down and cultivating that technique" she pouted.
For the two days indicated by Fen Wudao before she could get out to the upper valley, Shin Sumi alternated between trying to cultivate the Moon Severing Ephemeral Shadow technique, getting angry about it, resting and trying again.
She had made a little bit of progress but not enough to get her to be satisfied with herself.
"Two days! Now I can leave and claim my rewards. Maybe I will find inspiration in the upper valley, I've been dying to roam around and explore a bit more!"