"I'm getting to it, Seventh Sister. The war with the Sky Earth Sect is coming in two and a half years' time, at the most. You already know that, but the goal of the Rising Star Tournament was to quickly form geniuses like you.

From what we've seen in yesterday's battles, we, the Dark Sky Starry Sect, can be proud to have at least twenty one strong practitioners in our Liquid Realm ranks."

Fen Wudao stood up, slowly walking over his personal training arena.

"The truth is, the Inner Disciples of the sect at the Liquid Realm level are not very numerous. In total, our forces are only about a hundred and fifty strong. Our Elders from the upper Liquid Realm to the low levels of the Core Development Realm are only about thirty. Lastly the experts on our side, as well as the reserve powers and the Senior Ghosts are just a handful."

Fen Wudao was toying with a short sword, waiting for Shin Sumi to stand up to him on the training grounds.

"From what our spies in the Sky Earth Sect have reported, their forces roughly amount to the double of ours."

The revelation of how strong the enemy sect truly was felt like a shock to Shin Sumi. Her steps stopped abruptly while images of a one-sided war appeared in her mind.

She spoke quietly, "If they are so much stronger, why wait five years instead of attacking straight away?"

Fen Wudao started attacking with light but fast sword strikes. While still discussing, Shin Sumi held Sky Deception and blocked before taking the offensive side against her senior.

"Patriarch Mui's relics and treasures. To put it simply, the Sky Earth Sect believes we have two of daoist Dark Sky's relics. Coupled with the rare treasures still intact from the Sky Sect's era, like the Floating Continent dimension and the Dark Fortress, our base power runs deeper than theirs."

"What are these treasures...?" Shin Sumi suddenly felt strange. Luckily she and Fen Wudao were constantly moving while fighting, or else she would have looked really pale. It felt to her like she knew the answer to her question already as soon as it escaped her red lips.

"One you know intimately by now, the Gold Tyrant Flying Sword. It was Patriarch Mui who passed it on to Patriarch Sen. But as you know I made the choice to give it to you."

Of course Shin Sumi understood. In order for the Gold Tyrant Flying Sword to turn into the Void Sword, it had to be tempered by generations upon generations in the five Veins of Hell Fire. Had Fen Wudao kept the sword for himself, he wouldn't have been able to temper the blade twice and achieve what the weapon wanted.

"Aherm. This is why you are so important in this upcoming war, Seventh Sister" a third voice suddenly joined in the discussion after clearing their throat.

Shin Sumi was so startled by Patriarch Sen's sudden appearance behind her that she almost failed in blocking Fen Wudao's attack.

"Before his passing, Old Man Mui kept emphasizing how his precious golden sword was a treasure of utmost importance to the sect. But no matter how nagging I was, that old geezer never explained a single thing. Almost four hundred years later, the sword has passed between the hands of three more generations and I can only guess what he meant."

"Patriarch Sen, can you tell me more about the curse the previous Patriarch used on the sect?"

Shin Sumi tried her best to sound respectful and greet the newcomer respectfully even though she had to forget the courtesy bow lest she wanted Fen Wudao's sword cutting her in two by accident.

The Patriarch paid it no mind and didn't spare the fighting disciples a single glance, absorbed as he was into his cup of tea and his memories.

"Aaah, the curse. Look up at the sky and you'll see its effect."

Shin Sumi instantly knew what the Fourth Ghost was talking about. She even had emitted herself the possibility that the heavy cover of dark clouds originated with the splitting of the Sky Sect.

"It was only after his passing that I understood how many secrets my master kept within him. Had he not been struck down right as the curse started, I have no idea how much more potent it would have been.

Usually when a curse is unleashed, it is highly linked to the caster's lifeline" Patriarch Sen explained, endorsing a role of professor for Shin Sumi's benefit, and Fen Wudao's as well.

"To put it simply, low level curses stop when the caster is rendered unconscious. Higher level curses can last up to a lifetime. But any magical curse used from a person's cultivation base stops when the individual dies."

Fen Wudao and Shin Sumi slowed down their sword training, both concentrated on the Patriarch's voice. Even for the number one inner disciple of the sect, curses were a bit abstract and hard to understand.

It was Shin Sumi who understood the implications of the Patriarch's words first. She was about to stupidly ask if they were sure that Patriarch Mui had really died when the solution dawned on her.

"Then if it didn't come from Patriarch Mui's cultivation base, it came from an item. A powerful artefact if the curse is still strong after four hundred years."

Patriarch Sen lifted his head to look straight at Shin Sumi, a look of praise in his old eyes.

"Good. This is the only explanation. The artifact used was something that even the Old Ghosts were unaware the Sky Sect possessed. We have no idea what it is but we can assume it is a really high grade treasure."

Shin Sumi wasn't doubting the Patriarch's words in the slightest but a look of confusion must have spread across her face before the Fourth Ghost spoke again.

"You must be wondering what the point of such a powerful artefact is, if its only strength is summoning clouds over a few mountains. However you will soon understand why the Sky Earth Sect still wants to go to war with us over a centuries old matter.

When my ancestor was struck down, the curse had only begun. Unfortunately its progression was interrupted by the traitors who dealt the finishing blow. I can still remember that day clearly, when I saw my Master fall down from the sky and crash in the valley. It was at that moment the full power of the curse started, from the inside of my Master's broken body rather than in the skies above like it was supposed to."

Shin Sumi's eyes opened wide. Fen Wudao looked at her to see her reaction, having heard parts of that story himself already.

But Shin Sumi's surprise wasn't only because of the violent memory of the Patriarch, but because some formless links had connected inside her mind.

Without interruption, Patriarch Sen continued, Shin Sumi's thoughts becoming denser by the second.

"The artifact that is powerful enough to cloud the skies for almost half a millenia is still accompanying my ancestor's remains. Since the beginning every attempt to retrieve them has been a failure. The curse is simply too strong.

Much like any disciple who cultivated and trained in the lower valley before, you should have spent some time in the training grounds to the west."

"Are you referring to the dark chasm?" Shin Sumi asked.

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Patriarch Sen nodded. It wasn't difficult to piece the information together once one knew the story of daoist Dark Sky. What he ignored, though, was that Shin Sumi had already done what nobody every did.

She had already explored the chasm and even established the base of her Yin type spirit plants selling operation there. If one cultivator knew all about the dark chasm, it was her.

Now that she knew the large scar in the earth was where Patriarch Mui fell and his curse went wild, it made sense. The oppressive darkness and the powerful Yin Shinsoo concentration were definitely magical in essence and not a natural occurrence.

Only she had explored it through and through, and she had found nothing but darkness and writhing snakes. There were a lot of remains, humans and animals alike, but nothing that indicated the four hundred years old corpse of a late Core Development expert.

As for the treasure that was at the origin of the curse...

Shin Sumi nervously stroked the outside of her bag of holding. Inside she could feel the presence of a certain artefact. A little copper bell with engravings on its surface.

"What am I nervous about" she thought, "they are my seniors, my Ghost brothers. If the Patriarch believes the bell can save us from a war with the Sky Earth Sect, then he should know my side of the story!"

Shin Sumi was about to speak up when a green glow on her wrist revealed Nuan, the little Lion Bat.

Perched on her arm, Nuan looked straight at Shin Sumi. The spirit creature wasn't gifted with speech but from their divine sense link Shin Sumi could immediately tell that Nuan was against her idea.

"Don't tell them" was the feeling that Shin Sumi got from Nuan's serious eyes before the two black beads blinked and Nuan jumped on top of Shin Sumi's head, using the higher spot to glide away farther.

"About the black ravine, why can't it be explored? I drew close to it once but the stifling pressure and the oppressive darkness made me turn away."

Fen Wudao nodded. He, too, had already seen the place and had thought about exploring it when he was an Honorary Disciple in the lower valley.

"Only the orange talented disciples and above have access to that area and I am betting on their gut feeling to not approach it too much. Despite years of research about the curse and what the artifact that conjured it might be, I still haven't found a way to close off the area in a sufficient manner.

It seems as if enclosing the black ravine in a building or barrier of sort only makes it stronger and more intense."

Shin Sumi could see in the old Patriarch's eyes that his failure was a deep regret in his life and it was somewhat difficult to admit to his juniors.

"As for exploring it, no cultivator who ever tried has been able to escape. I have no idea what is under the layer of darkness. Divine sense is blocked by the curse. For all we know there might be a Demon of ancient time living in there, or a pocket dimension. My humble guess is that the area is simply empty except for the special artefact, the curse having consumed everything else."

Shin Sumi was thinking deeply about the Patriarch's words. She knew that if she wanted to talk about the Copper Bell and her own experience of the dark chasm, it had to be now.

She trusted Patriarch Sen and Fen Wudao with her life, having been made a Ghost by a pact of blood and for the many ways they had helped her thus far in her cultivation. But somebody else had helped her through her journey since she was a mortal.

Shin Sumi inhaled and exhaled deeply. She simply couldn't ignore the feeling that emanated from Nuan earlier. In nut form, Nuan had followed her everywhere, dark chasm included, had saved her life countless times and had given her everything she owned now.

Shin Sumi was certain now. Unless it was absolutely necessary, she would not tell about the secrets she had acquired from the dark chasm. Instead she had to change the subject before the Patriarch could read her emotions.

"The Sky Earth Sect is willing to go to war because of this artefact?" she asked.

Patriarch Sen stroked his beard before answering, "They have a lot of reasons for wanting to eradicate us and take back the land of the Sky Sect. The artifact is only one of them. You can also count the cultivation techniques and resources, the different pocket dimensions like the Floating Continent and the Dark Fortress, and a chance at becoming stronger again and to gain back the power and fame of the Sky Sect.

I am confident they haven't attacked us yet, giving us five years to prepare, simply because they think we have the curse artefact of daoist Dark Sky and we can use it at will."

It made sense now. Even Fen Wudao who already understood the global picture before now realized more of the in-depth causes and consequences.

Even if the Sky Earth Sect knew they had the upper hand in terms of power during a war, they were doing everything they could to avoid fighting. Unsure of the real power of the artefacts owned by the Dark Sky Starry Sect, they were giving Patriarch Sen an ultimate chance to surrender before having to shed blood on both sides.

"Reverend Purple Rain, an old disciple of Old Man Mui like me, has come from the Sky Earth Sect a few years ago, asking me to give them our ancestor's corpse. It was when I told him to get lost that he declared a war five years from then. But his decision had been made earlier I'm sure."

Shin Sumi was perplexed, "Is there no way at all to avoid the upcoming war?"

The word 'war' had just left her lips when she suddenly realized there was something fishy about the whole situation. She had been invited by Fen Wudao to exchange pointers to her and instead both him and the Fourth Ghost Patriarch Sen had spent hours telling her about the political history of the Dark Sky Starry Sect. Finally the Patriarch had linked it all to the war with the Sky Earth Sect.

"There is one way..." Patriarch Sen looked in the distance, hiding both his hands in his sleeves, "As our sister Seventh Ghost, with your talent that is seen only once in a millenia, you are our best asset for this mission. We want you to infiltrate the Sky Earth Sect and retrieve something for us."

Shin Sumi's heart tripled its beating tempo. Was she excited? Terrified? Confused? All of these emotions and much more.

Patriarch Sen then went on to explain the details of the infiltration mission. Shin Sumi was perfect for this secret quest, not only being talented enough but especially being able to hide her identity in a natural way and take on the features of at least three persons.

Because of the Cross Branch Arena and the fame he had already acquired within the sect, Bai Fulong was not a wise choice. The chances of spies from the Sky Earth Sect, were there any, having heard his name were really high. In fact, maybe Yan Yan's identity was also already compromised.

She instantly knew she would have to go as herself, as Shin Sumi, unless she managed to create a new persona through the Copper Bell.

As the Patriarch and Fen Wudao explained to her the rough idea of the plan they had, Shin Sumi could feel her mind spinning more and more. She had known that meeting them would amount to a situation bigger than herself but she didn't know how big of a situation it would be.

"It is getting dark soon. Why don't you go home and think about it for the night, Seventh Sister?"

Fen Wudao was right. She needed to think. The choice was ultimately hers to make although she wasn't certain she even had the choice.

But for the sake of the sect and its fate in the upcoming war, Shin Sumi understood the importance of her mission and the obvious reasons why nobody else could take her place.

Behind the heavy clouds formed by daoist Dark Sky's dying curse, the sun slowly disappeared as Shin Sumi and Nuan walked home.

In the comfort of her bathing room, Shin Sumi entered the pool of fresh water.

She closed her eyes to meditate, attempting to make sense of everything she had been told that day.

As the night progressed, a lot of questions took shape in her mind, some of which she answered herself, some others she kept in her memory in order to ask the Ghosts later.

"Did you believe that, Nuan? It turns out the little bell I found is actually Patriarch Mui's priceless relic! It is capable of obscuring the sky for centuries and turn a ravine into a black hell that not even a Core-Development expert can go into... I have been using it only to get rid of illusions and change my appearance to someone else's. I need to try new things now that I have an idea of where it came from and what it can do. If I can, I would like to use somebody else's face if I'm going to the Sky Earth Sect."

At no point since she became a Ghost had the others inquired about how she was able to change identities so easily many times a day if necessary. Since Patriarch Sen had talked extensively about the lost treasure of daoist Dark Sky, Shin Sumi was ninety-nine percent sure he didn't know she had the Copper Bell or at least where it came from.

For certain, the Ghosts had assumed her capacity for stealth and transformation had come from her cultivation technique.

In the Immortal world, cultivation techniques were not a taboo but were more of a personal thing. Each cultivator had their own and it was not common to ask somebody what technique they cultivated. As the effects and the speed were different between techniques, unveiling one's cultivation technique was akin to reading them like an open book, for the better or the worse.

They did not know that Shin Sumi cultivated the Moon Severing Ephemeral Shadow technique to gather and purify Shinsoo in her dantian and it had nothing to do with changing her physical appearance.

Besides the Copper Bell and its uses, Shin Sumi had many more questions for the Ghosts.

Going to the Sky Earth Sect... She didn't even know where it was located or how far. She didn't know either how long she would have to be there for.

"Retrieve something for us" the words of Patriarch Sen reverberated endlessly in her head. They wanted her to steal a treasure of the Sky Earth Sect.

She didn't know what it is yet but it had to be something precious enough to change the fate of the war to come.

Something precious that was probably well guarded. A secret mission full of dangers.