"I can't believe I'm saying this but... Little nut, please bite me !"

The experiment was quite simple really. Holding the nut out of the water, it didn't take a full second before the nut was leaving a deep circular mark on her palm.

For some reason the nut seemed to perfectly understand her this time. Shin Sumi then put the nut on the side of the pond, out of the water.

Her hand made a splashing noise, she quickly submerged it.

After five seconds of waiting, nothing seemed to have happened, no tickling sensation.

Her dripping hand still had the the mark when she held it out in front of her face.

Cupping the nut with her other hand, Shin Sumi put them both underwater this time.

After a few seconds had passed, the tickling sensation appeared again and the biting mark had subsided.

"So you do heal ! But only in water ?"

But that still wasn't enough to fully understand the extent of the nut's powers.

After all the marks had been left by the nut in the first place. Fumbling around beneath her, it took a while for Shin Sumi to find a rock that had not been smoothed by the water over the years.

Biting her lips slightly, Shin Sumi traced a deep red cut near her elbow.

The drops of blood quickly merged into the transparent water as they fell from her arm.

A few tears were making her eyes shine and she had to breathe calmly to ease the pain.

Not waiting for long, Shin Sumi put her arm holding the nut in the fresh waters.

The coldness instantly eased the pain before the tickling sensation started.

This time it look around ten seconds for the tickling to stop.

It was with pure amazement that Shin Sumi looked a bit more closely at her arm.

"Not even a scar, but the deeper the wound the more time it takes to heal... "

This could not really be described as a life saving trump card but Shin Sumi knew how important her discoveries were.

She was curious about how much the nut could heal her but she wasn't crazy enough to hurt herself more than by just cutting her arm lightly.

After bathing for a while Shin Sumi still held the nut and went back inside of her house at the back of the courtyard.

Almost twelve hours had gone by and she was tired of waiting when the red leaf on her forearm started shining.

At first Shin Sumi didn't notice because of the cloth wrapped over it, but as the light grew in intensity she became curious and started looking anxiously at both the nut and the leaf design.

A few seconds later the light disappeared immediately. Weighting the hand that held the nut, a small pile of seeds had appeared.

"Green Arrow Stalk seeds ! Just like the first time, these seeds are now yellow, not black !"

It had taken exactly twelve hours, the nut had spit out the seeds.

"Interesting, the original seed became yellow, but after it grew its fruits were black. And now they are yellow again. The refining can only work for the original plant. Too bad the nut has to refine every seed or else I would have had an endless supply of Yellow Arrow Stalks in my courtyard."

Counting the time in exactly the same way she had half a day ago, Shin Sumi didn't let her eyes leave the nut for even one second.

"3, 2, 1... More seeds ! Eight more !"

Apparently the nut worked like a perfectly oiled machine. When fed something, it took exactly twelve hours before the exact same thing came out refined.

After all the seeds were back, Shin Sumi tried to feed them again to the nut but it just sat there, unmoving and uninterested.

"It only works once on an object. I can't refine it more."

That was a bit of a disappointment but Shin Sumi was still more than happy about her little treasure.

Now that she knew how it worked, she wanted to find out what exactly was suitable for the nut to eat.

Unfortunately she didn't have any more seeds and her spirit stones had already been upgraded once. She had to find ways to have access to more cultivation resources soon.

Besides, Shin Sumi had to focus on her cultivation. In two weeks she had consumed two high grade spirit stones.

That number was something inimaginable for anyone in the Dark Sky Starry Sect, whether they were Honorary Disciples, Liquid Realm cultivators, or even the Patriarch and the Elders.

But for her that was simply not doing it. There was only one way to go, try with more spirit stones. Only if that didn't work after a few months then Shin Sumi would have to give up the Immortal life and go back to the mortal world.

For some reason she thought about Fen Wudao.

"I wonder if Senior Brother Fen would even look at me if he knew I was a fraud and I had to leave the sect. In fact he might even kick me out himself..."

Reassuring herself mentally with the fact that even with insane innate talent it should still take more than just two weeks to cultivate successfully, Shin Sumi relativised.

"Or maybe I can see him and ask him for pointers ! From a Junior Sister to her Senior Brother. It's decided, if in a month I still haven't made progress, I will seek him out. Maybe I can even ask him for a favor and have him lend me a book from the Liquid Realm Library of Spirit Arts and Techniques !"

"But for now it's best if I try by myself. Maybe I can find some clues by watching others !"

And Shin Sumi was right. In fact she was too stressed out. Nobody in the Dark Sky Starry Sect really knew how fast a green robed disciple could advance but two short weeks would still be a huge exaggeration.

Red robed disciples could spend months if not years before making the most basic progress, and even orange robed disciples that were rare would usually spend at least two months in cultivation before achieving their first breakthrough.

What caused Shin Sumi to be in such a rush was obviously her lack of knowledge about the cultivation world, but mostly the pressure she had by knowing that people expected her to be the brilliant gem they thought she was.

Shin Sumi shivered when she thought about the smiling Elder Zhu Yunhai and his dark plans regarding her talent.

For the first time since she arrived, Shin Sumi had trouble sleeping, nightmares invading her mind like ants crawling from under an overturned rock.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

***

Shin Sumi hadn't slept at all when the sun started shining above the clouds.

Battling her tiredness she forced herself to leave her courtyard and walked in the direction of the North Cultivation Plaza.

She hadn't gone back there since her first day in the Dark Sky Starry sect and her encounter with Chu Erlong.

Thankfully the orange robed girl was nowhere to be seen.

Assuming the common cultivation posture, Shin Sumi started to meditate.

She looked at the dozens of Honorary Disciples around her and studied their breathings with half closed eyes.

Most of the disciples were following the basic cultivation method indicated in the manual but some people would find better results with minor changes.

After all these years since the establishment of the Dark Sky Starry Sect it was easy to imagine how all disciples had exchanged pointers about meditation. Many of the disciples in the Liquid realm had shared their own views and tips to their friends still in the mortal realm.

In fact there was no better way to practice cultivation than by mimicking others and finding the suitable cultivation method.

Shin Sumi took many mental notes of her observation's results. She wanted to try everything but this was not the place.

Compared to the rest of the lower valley, the Cultivation Plazas had the most dense Shinsoo concentration by far.

Even Shin Sumi's own personal courtyard had slightly less Shinsoo, even though it was a place designed for the green robed disciples to cultivate without being bothered by other people of inferior talent.

But as Shin Sumi quickly pointed out, many disciples next to her were holding spirit stones.

It was a good way to improve the quantity of the Shinsoo breathed in but Shin Sumi couldn't do that.

She only had two high grade spirit stones and could definitely not afford to make that fact public. The best way for her to cultivate was in the privacy of her house.

Shin Sumi was still tired from the night before and the cultivation posture was hurting her legs so she decided to take a break.

Instead of returning to her place, she went to the disciples market.

It was a long stone road devoid of trees approximately in the middle of the lower valley. The place was always bustling with activity as many disciples were walking through the stalls, trying to find treasures for a cheap price.

It was not the first time that Shin Sumi had been there but she never stayed for too long considering that she didn't own anything that could be used as money to exchange for goods.

But this time an idea popped into her mind.

Any disciple was free to sell or buy anything displayed in the market as long as it didn't go against the rules. Only some special objects were forbidden like poison and faulty medicinal pills, for the sake of the disciples.

A low ranking Liquid Realm disciple like Little Azu usually walked around, inspecting random goods just in case.

Shin Sumi quickly encountered a female red robed disciple that seemed to be alone.

Not wanting to repeat the same mistake as with Chu Erlong's group, she made sure that she was simply by herself.

Shin Sumi's willpower overtook her shyness as she forced a big smile on her face, showing her white teeth.

She was about to raise her arm to get the attention of the red robed girl when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Hi ! Fellow disciple, are you shopping alone ?"

Shin Sumi turned around to see an orange robed disciple grinning at her.

The girl seemed about the same age as Shin Sumi. She had grey eyes that reflected the clouds, contrasting with her dark skin and could be considered pretty. Her petite stature made her seem fragile but she had an aura of confidence around her that was evident.

When she faced Shin Sumi, her eyes darted up and down to size her up. For a second Shin Sumi was afraid that she was going to make another enemy but finally a smile appeared on the girl's face.

"I'm Xiao Yue. You want to tag along ?"

"Thank you Sister Xiao. I'm Shin Sumi" she said as she started bowing to thank Xiao Yue when she felt the girl's hands on her arm.

"Come on, lose the useless respect. From now on we are sisters, okay ? Just call me Yue !"

Shin Sumi was taken aback. Never in her life had she suspected that she could get a friend that fast.

That was Xiao Yue's temperament. At first sight, she would decide if she liked somebody or not and she would stick to it. The people who knew her found her a bit weird but strangely nobody hated her.

"So what do you need Sister Sumi ? You can find everything here ! Let me show you around !"

Xiao Yue had a simple view of life. She had seen Shin Sumi alone and looking around, thus she had come to help her.

Besides, the red robed girl that Shin Sumi was about to talk to was Fang Lin and Xiao Yue didn't like her.

Without having the time to do anything, Shin Sumi felt Xiao Yue's arm wrap around hers and she started pulling her along the market alley.

"Oooh, here are some good swords ! They are not as good as the ones in the Myriad Sword Pavillion but much more affordable !"

"Look ! Spiritual talismans to stay awake for days !"

Everything Xiao Yue showed Shin Sumi seemed incredible by the sound of her voice.

As they were walking around, a lot of disciples - especially males - turned their heads to look at them.

Obviously they were looking mostly at Xiao Yue who was wearing a dazzling orange robe. Shin Sumi quickly discovered that nearly all guys were simply smiling.

No trace of lust was clearly visible, they were looking at her like they would a good friend.

For once Shin Sumi felt good and relaxed.

Xiao Yue seemed liked by everyone around here and her talent was enough to make sure that no ordinary disciple would take her lightly.

As they walked around, Shin Sumi learned from her new friend that she had been in the sect for more than a year already.

She had begun cultivation at the age of thirteen, brought here by a Liquid Realm disciple by the name of Long Que.

Her talent had shone bright on the test-stone and she had opened her Shinsoo passageways after half a year in the sect.

"Sister Sumi, what do you think of these ?"

Shin Sumi was brought back from her deep thinking. Xiao Yue was holding a pair of bracelets against her tanned skin.

"I like them very much Sister Yue !"

The two bracelets were simple silver bands ornated with stones. One of them exhibited a green stone and the other a purple one.

Trying them on a few times, Xiao Yue was having a hard time deciding. That didn't seem to inconvenience the disciple that was selling them. The youth in his twenties was all smile, telling her to try for as long as she wanted.

After another long hesitation, Xiao Yue turned to Shin Sumi.

"Which one do you prefer, Sister Sumi ?"

"I think the purple one is beautiful. If I had to choose I would pick this one !"

Showing her white teeth, Xiao Yue turned to the stall owner.

"I think it's settled then. I'll take both !" she said while fishing for two low grade spirit stones from her bag of holding.

Shin Sumi was wondering why she had asked her for advice when she had planned to buy both bracelets when Xiao Yue turned to her.

"This one is yours from now on. This is a gift, you don't owe me anything. You were right, the purple bracelet is beautiful on you !"

Shin Sumi planned on refusing the gift, but upon seeing Xiao Yue's seriousness she decided against it.

Wearing the bracelet immediately, Shin Sumi saw Xiao Yue's eyes light up.

It really was a simple gift, Xiao Yue just wanted a friend.

"As long as you are wearing this bracelet, then you are my Little Sister. And as your Big Sister, I say you tell me where you want to go !"

Shin Sumi couldn't help laughing and covered her mouth with the white hand adorned with her new bracelet.

"Alright then Big Sister Yue ! Let's find spirit plants."

Hearing her reply, Xiao Yue's face turned serious all of a sudden. Her brows bere in a 'V' shape and she was pondering something.

"No that won't do... You are taller than me, it doesn’t sound cute at all if you call me Big Sister. I wanted to try it since every orange disciple is called that by their followers, but you're not my follower. Since you are my friend and my sister, loose the 'big' "

For a second Shin Sumi thought that she had done something bad. She let out a relieved sigh and laughed again.

"Why don't we lose the 'sister' too ? I'll call you Yue and you'll call me Sumi ! What do you think ?"

Normally it was a form of address only reserved to the closest relatives or friends but considering that they were now sisters Xiao Yue immediately approved.

***

They walked around the market for close to an hour.

At any time of day and night disciples would close their store and others would take their place.

The place seemed like a big mess to Shin Sumi but Xiao Yue explained "Technically you set shop anywhere but usually certain areas are respected. If you want to sell pills, all the disciples looking for them will be in the pill area so it is best to set up shop there."

Xiao Yue knew the market perfectly well, and a lot of the sellers as well. She introduced many of them to her new sister.

At least in front of Xiao Yue they all seemed very happy to meet Shin Sumi.

The more time passed the more Shin Sumi started to understand Xiao Yue's background.

Not knowing anyone in the sect but having a pretty good talent, she had to find ways to progress. When she discovered the market and all its impressive goods, she did her best to do quests for the sect.

That way she earned a decent amount of spirit stones and some objects to trade in the market.

For a long time she had sold things herself and made friends with many customers and fellow sellers.

Shin Sumi had no idea what the quest system was and asked Xiao Yue.

"No, it's not in the newcomer manual. That thing lacks a lot of things ! It hasn't been changed maybe since the foundation of the Dark Sky Starry Sect !"

"The quest system is the best way for disciples to earn better income. Any disciple can choose a quest issued by the sect, as long as it corresponds to their rank. The easiest are something like finding special plants in the mountains around the sect. The more difficult quests can provide more reward but they can be dangerous before you open your Shinsoo passageways."

"Before that, you can alternate between working in the fields and lower rank quests. I'll tell you more about the quests tomorrow ! I'll take you to see the Quests Pavillion !"

Xiao Yue had piqued Shin Sumi's interest but she was right, the sky was getting dark and with her tiredness Shin Sumi found herself yawning frequently.

After accompanying her to the entrance of the market area, Xiao Yue hugged Shin Sumi briefly before heading on their separate ways.