《Phantoms of Immortal Garden》


 Prologue - Before the Garden

    Two figures clashed in the sky, causing nearby clouds to retreat towards the horizon.


    "Keep this up for another hundred years, demon, and I may need to stop for a quick rest."


    "I won''t fall for your provocations, woman. If I''m failing to entertain you, please feel free to show me your back and leave."


    The demon assumed a wide stance and his scarred body grew into an even more twisted form. A thunderous boom signaled his move as he instantly appeared in front of the woman. She seemed to exist in two places at once as she deflected each blow from the creature''s claw-like hands while remaining rooted firmly in place. The ferocity of his assault increased until one particularly heavy attack sent both combatants recoiling backwards. The demon reverted his form and stared at the woman.


    "You truly are shameless. Forcing your Nascent Soul to fight when it has already informed you that victory is impossible."


    "I don''t need to consult my Immortal Purpose for guidance in dealing with an ant like you."


    "To be so blind to the scale of things in front of you, your eyes must reside on a distant world, so..." The demon inhaled sharply before speaking with a loud and distorted voice. "...allow me to escort your body off this world as well!"


    Bloody mist erupted from the demon''s body, then condensed into streams of liquid that looped back, encircling him with twenty-seven red halos.


    "Soul Refinement: Dao-Aligning Soul Cascade"


    The woman''s eyes widened and her cool demeanor broke.


    "Foolish demon! If you wish to die, then die alone!" A spectral mirror image of the woman emerged from her body, then they both raised an arm in unison. Suddenly, a massive illusory hand comprised of wood and vines emerged from the ground far below. It shot upwards at incredible speed, but three halos absorbed into the demons body and imbued it with the agility necessary to avoid the massive attack. After making distance, he focused his attention on the woman again. Six more halos absorbed, and his skin turned deep red. The demon inhaled, then became a black streak across the sky.


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    The woman dodged the charge, but its shockwaves were enough to cancel the manifestation of her Nascent Soul. She turned to see the demon crashing into the landscape with a massive crater. Quickly, her Spirit Sense crawled through the earth to locate her enemy amongst the debris. At first trace, she immediately conjured a humongous prison of roots and vines to latch onto everything in the area. The demon''s voice resounded from the dust-obscured crash site.


    "You will be the only one who dies here today!" The sky turned bloody as the demon absorbed the remaining eighteen halos, then light disappeared from the world below.


    The woman took in the nightmarish scene of red and black. She could not accept that such a deplorable creature was about to reach peak Soul Refinement and acquire the Fate of Immortal Body!


    "When all paths are blocked, the Great Dao persists." She placed her hand over her chest. "I am Jiang Nanhua, Chosen of the Deep Well Society. I bare my heart to seize this opportunity!"


    Her hand sank into her body, then she drew it out. A radiant golden spear materialized in her grip. In seconds, her hair whitened, her skin grayed, and her eyes dulled. She was like a corpse wielding the light of day in one hand.


    The darkness below shifted and became like a turbulent sea, then surged upward towards Jiang Nanhua. Her body moved like it was being pulled by strings, and she swung her spear. The attacks collided and a dazzling flash of light briefly showed the world as it was previously. They collided again, then again, then a dozen more times. Each strike causing the light to remain longer.


    The demon let out a frustrated roar as he slowly lost the upper hand, but then his Spirit Sense fell on Jiang Nanhua and detected that her body was on the verge destruction. He steeled his resolve and concentrated the remaining dark sea into three airborne rivers. They, along with his main body, flew towards his opponent in an encircling maneuver. The spear swung in a wide arc and managed to intercept all three dark tides, but the demon himself was unimpeded and managed to impale his hand straight through Jiang Nanhua''s midsection.


    The spear fell from the crumbling corpse''s grasp, and the demon thought that he was victorious, but as soon as the spear touched the ground, the massive illusory hand from before was conjured back into existence. He tried to move but found himself snared. He looked at Jiang Nanhua''s body and saw a vine wrapped around the arm he stabbed her with, connected to the ground by a path drawn out by the falling spear. Before his struggling could produce any results, the large hand had already completely enclosed him.


    Trying to fight his way out, it dawned on him that this was not simply a Nascent Soul technique, nor the result of a concealed Astral Visitor grade treasure. It was the enlisted help of a spirit that had cultivated all the way to the Heavenly Denizen level! He thought back to Jiang Nanhua''s Final Declaration. She mentioned something called the Deep Well Society, but that thought used up all the time he had left. The demon was returned to nature.

 Chapter 1 - A Mysterious Spear

    A group of young disciples hurried through the winding paths of the Twilight Cage Forest, fanning out and gathering crystallized Spirit Essence as they went. Lagging behind them was a female disciple named Qi Mingyue.


    "Dammit." She cursed, out of breath. "This terrain... I didn''t think controlling my leg would be so much extra work here."


    She found a large rock and leaned against it. Closing her eyes, she corrected the circulation of qi within her body. Torso, head, left leg, left arm, right arm... she sighed. Qi Mingyue concentrated on activating her Spirit Sense, then cast it into the prosthetic leg that was fastened to her right thigh. Sensation and movement returned to the artificial limb.


    She continued navigating the forest and found it suddenly much easier. She picked up her pace and was soon approaching the inner circle, where Spirit Essence sprang up in abundance from the shattered earth and warped vegetation. Before she got there, though, her leg abruptly stopped functioning. She tripped, and her hands sank into the mud.


    "Just my luck." Her fingertips brushed against something in the mud. "Huh?" She reached forward, expecting it to be a big stick, but as her hand closed around it, she realized it was carved wood. She crawled backwards to pull the object to the surface and, when it was fully out, she recognized it as a spear. She grabbed it with both hands and stabbed the butt into the ground, then used it as support to get back to her feet.


    Looking at the weapon, she was puzzled. The Twilight Cage Forest was a safe resource collection area under the multi-century uncontested control of the Union of Two Moons. People would have little reason to draw a weapon there, and less reason to leave one behind. Qi Mingyue regained her balance, then removed the spear from the ground. She resumed heading to the inner circle.


    She happened upon a structure of intertwined roots and boulders. It seemed to be a newly formed natural array, which meant the area was full of Spirit Essence on the verge of condensing. She tried to free up her hands for the harvesting process by setting the spear against a nearby boulder, but when it left her hold, it dissolved into golden light and embedded itself in her prosthetic leg. Her Spirit Sense was pushed out and she lost sensation in the artificial limb.


    Qi Mingyue reflexively hopped backwards. She immediately realized it was a bad move, but was surprised to find herself maintaining balance. Looking down, the limb that she could not feel or control had somehow landed with correct footing. She focused and tried to reestablish her Spirit Sense but, as she succeeded, the golden light emerged from her leg and collided with her right palm, causing her to close her grasp around the now rematerialized spear.


    "Huh..." She tilted the spear to examine it again. It had shed its dirt coating, revealing intricate markings across its entire length, seamlessly continuing from the wooden shaft into the metal spearhead. She tried to drop the object, but it repeated its actions from before, vanishing and taking over her prosthetic. She lifted the leg and saw that its joints remained stiff. She raised it more and the knee bent, as though to preserve her center of gravity. She returned it to the ground and it automatically straightened in the process.


    Although she didn''t understand the origin or true purpose of the spear, Qi Mingyue could comprehend the functions she had observed so far, and that was enough for now. She walked around carefully to first build up confidence, then turned her attention back to natural array. Projecting her Spirit Sense outward this time, foggy crystals began forming in the air. Each one rose as it grew before reaching a maximum size and falling to the ground. She slowly walked around and shifted stances to guide the Spirit Essence flow as the crystals piled up.


    An hour had past. Qi Mingyue was too exhausted to extract more value from the now thinned Spirit Essence, so she began circling around to gather the crystals into her spatial collection pouch. She looked around and used her fingers to pick up the larger crystals, then reactivated her Spirit Sense to sweep up the smaller ones. As she watched the final stream of sand-sized particles disappear into her pouch, it reminded her of the past.


    Humans reduced to ash, then drawn into streams of glittering dust, converging into a large sphere that unleashed terrifying beasts each time a bolt of lightning fell upon it from the Heavens. Qi Mingyue, along with dozens of other outer disciples from Twin Moon Capital, were tasked with watching the perimeter of a town while higher ups investigated potential demonic activity. Normally, demon hunters from the Impaling Reed Sect would have been present, but the Union of Two Moons was hesitant to escort them into the heart of their territory. What followed was a disaster that cost hundreds of lives, took away Qi Mingyue''s leg, and damaged faith in the Two Moons.


    She let out a deep sigh and turned to head towards the exit of the forest. Without having to constantly maintain Spirit Sense, the possessed prosthetic situation actually made traveling easier, but the lack of direct control and sensation still forced an uncomfortable awareness of her condition.


    *


    As Qi Mingyue approached the pick up zone, her path converged with more and more disciples, until she rejoined the main group by the flying ships. Elders and inner disciples were busy keeping count of their juniors as they returned and handed in their collection pouches. Qi Mingyue looked around and decided that it was too hectic to consult an elder at that time.


    "Sister Qi!" A girl called out to her, then hurried around the crowd to get closer.


    "Ah, Sister Bai, you found me."


    Bai Mei stopped in front of Qi Mingyue. "Look at this!" She opened her collection pouch and, with a flick of her wrist, drew out of a speck of light, which landed in her hand and enlarged into a crystal that her fingers couldn''t even fit around. It almost slipped from her palm and she quickly added her other hand to keep hold of it. Qi Mingyue looked closer and noticed that, not only was it massive, it was extremely pure. She couldn''t believe this girl''s luck sometimes.


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    "Sister Bai, that''s very..." She couldn''t find the words.


    "Yes! Exactly! I found a clearing that seemed to be completely devoid of Spirit Essence, but when I used my Spirit Sense, I still felt a small amount of resistance. I just pretended that there was Spirit Essence and tried to condense it, then this huge crystal formed!"


    "Where... was that area?"


    Bai Mei returned the large crystal to her pouch and pondered for a moment. She looked back at the forest, then looked at where the sun was in the sky. "I''d say about three fifths rotations around the center starting from the exit, in the second furthest sub-ring."


    Qi Mingyue quickly calculated that, in order to reach that location, Bai Mei would have needed to wander far off the main path, cross a river, and scale a series of rocky outcroppings. Then, in order to have exited before Qi Mingyue, she needed to take a direct route that is rough terrain the entire way.


    "Sister Bai, what gave you the thought to go there?"


    "The cliffs looked interesting, so I thought there might be some special moss growing on them. I actually did find some and tried eating it, then I managed to breakthr-"


    "That''s enough, Sister Bai. You should take some time to figure out how you will recount this to the elders."


    "Ah... Sister Qi is always helping me remain considerate. I would surely find myself in constant trouble without her." Bai Mei bowed in gratitude before walking to a less crowded area. There, she alternated between pacing in contemplation, and acting out her story before an imaginary audience. After a few cycles, she decided to quickly refresh her mind by practicing some martial stances and moves, but ended up continuing her practice until it was time to leave.


    When all the others had been taken care of, Qi Mingyue approached an elder and bowed while offering her collection pouch.


    "Elder Xue, this disciple encountered an irregularity in the forest that she wishes to report on."


    Xue Bao glanced to his right and saw Bai Mei speaking to a different elder about something similar.


    "Very well." He gestured with one hand, causing the pouch to fly from Qi Mingyue''s palms and land in a nearby crate. "We shall discuss it on the way back."


    The crates, filled with name-tagged spatial collection pouches, were loaded onto the ships, then the last of the people boarded and they set off.


    *


    Qi Mingyue followed Xue Bao to the ship''s cabin, where a chart of the Twilight Cage Forest was laid out on a small table.


    "Provide the best estimate of where the irregularity was discovered." Xue Bao instructed.


    Qi Mingyue looked at the figures placed on the chart, marking the entrance, exit, and main path that were decided for that day''s trip, along with suspected points of elevated Spirit Essence.


    "Here, close to the main path before the inner circle." She pointed. Xue Bao held out his hands, summoning a sheet of paper into one and an ink brush into the other. He recorded some rough coordinates.


    "What is the nature of the irregularity?" Xue Bao asked.


    "I found a spear." Qi Mingyue replied. Xue Bao gave a skeptical look.


    "You found a spear?"


    "Yes, a spear. It was beneath the mud and I accidentally touched it when I tripped. After touching, it dematerialized and possessed my prosthetic right leg."


    Xue Bao looked at Qi Mingyue and she could feel his Spirit Sense examining her body. As he focused more intently on the prosthetic, it suddenly lost rigidity. Qi Mingyue was about to lose balance, but the spear appeared in her hand and allowed her to prop herself up. Xue Bao looked surprised but Qi Mingyue rushed to explain.


    "Elder Xue, this is a behavior I have observed before. Spirit Sense can push the spear out, but if it leaves my hands, it repossesses my leg." At the same time, Qi Mingyue cast her own Spirit Sense into the leg to reestablish control over it.


    "Hmm, I see." Xue Bao made a few more notes on the paper. "The markings on this weapon are indicative of a rapidly-formed artifact spirit, and it''s spiritual imprint matches your own. Do you recall seeing it in the mud before touching it?"


    "No, I didn''t see it before touching it." She answered without grasping the implication of that question.


    "Then, from the given information, the most likely explanation is that this spear is an artifact spirit that you created unintentionally." Xue Bao wrote one last note on the paper before letting go of it, causing it to fly into a nearby open drawer while the brush in his other hand floated off slowly and placed itself in a small clay jar. "I will refer you to an expert on artifact spirits to look further into the matter."


    Qi Mingyue felt there was something wrong about Xue Bao''s conclusion, but she couldn''t think of anything constructive to add, so she dismissed the spear, bowed, and left.


    She walked back out onto the ship deck and felt the air rushing past her. The flying ship''s shield array didn''t block the wind completely, but it was enough to protect a frail disciple like herself. She sat down off to the side and opened a small button purse that was tied to her belt. She took out a wrapped pill, removed the paper, then swallowed it. For the rest of the return journey, she concentrated on guiding the effect of the medicine, assuaging the pain and exhaustion of the day.


    *


    The sun was almost setting when the ships arrived at the outskirts of Twin Moon Capital. Disciples who had dozed off were awoken by a falling sensation as they descended. The outer disciples disembarked on foot, while the elders and inner disciples left on flying swords, each pairing up to transport crates to the Elite Diviner Hall. Qi Mingyue watched them and thought about how flying would make things so much easier for her. Bitterness welled up inside her, but she distracted herself by looking around. Before she could spot the person she was searching for, she heard their voice.


    "Sister Qi!" Qi Mingyue turned to see Bai Mei approaching her.


    "Sister Bai, did you convey your discovery to the elders?"


    "Eh, kind of. I explained it, but they kept asking questions, and they only seem to get more confused as I answered them. After filling out two papers with details, they told me they had enough context for the diviners to work with while handling the crystal, and dismissed me."


    "I''m sure you will receive great recognition for your findings, Sister Bai."


    Bai Mei exhaled sharply and crossed her arms. "I''d rather not be recognized if it leads to more people addressing me by ridiculous nicknames."


    "Have more faith in your seniors. They are busy with more important things and won''t spend their time gossiping."


    Bai Mei looked at Qi Mingyue and stared into her eyes for a moment before replying. "You''re the only senior I have faith in."


    Qi Mingyue turned her head. "I told you not to call me that. I''m not any more capable than you are."


    Bai Mei stepped closer. "You have no idea what you are capable of, Sister Qi. The scriptures say that only Golden Immortals know their own fate."


    Qi Mingyue sighed. "You sure take those stories seriously. Doesn''t it all seem a bit too simple? Reaching the apex just by comprehending your own fate?"


    "Sister Qi, you are a part of my fate, and I can confidently say that you are not simple."


    Qi Mingyue looked back at Bai Mei, shocked that she could so easily say such an absurd thing. Stammering, she responded. "I-I think... you should turn in for the night. You''re starting to speak all kinds of nonsense."


    Bai Mei smiled and bowed. "I shall follow Senior Sister''s advice."


    "Hey, you-" Before Qi Mingyue could say anything, Bai Mei turned around and sprinted off.


    Qi Mingyue mumbled some inaudible complaints and began walking back to her own residence. The lights and sounds of mortal business fell off as she entered the outer disciple living area.

 Chapter 2 - First Investigation

    Qi Mingyue awoke and sat up in her bed. For her, a dreamless sleep was a peaceful sleep. She stretched her arms, renewing the feeling of qi circulating within them, then that awareness spread to the rest of her body. Being just below the peak of Qi Condensation, this little bit of effort was all it took to restore her sense of internal qi after a period of unconsciousness.


    She reached for her prosthetic and, upon pulling the leather sleeve over her thigh, the straps around the outside moved on their own to secure themselves. Qi Mingyue was startled, but calmed down after a moment. She was half expecting something like this to happen. The night before, they automatically unfastened when she reached to remove them. It was convenient for sure, but she still had no sensation in the leg for as long as her Spirit Sense was displaced.


    She retrieved a fresh uniform, then prepared to head out, but noticed a letter floating in front of her door. She grabbed it and began reading. It was directions for meeting the expert on artifact spirits. The appointment wasn''t set until later in the day, so she stashed the letter in her belt and continued heading out. As she walked past the other residences, a voice called out to her.


    "Sister Qi!" Bai Mei ran up to her.


    "Good morning, Sister Bai." She bowed. Bai Mei quickly stopped and bowed in return.


    "Good morning, Sister Qi. Are you feeling well today?"


    "I''m doing fine. I was just going to get something to eat now."


    "Oh? Did you skip dinner last night?"


    "Yes. I was tired and dirty, so I went straight home to clean up and sleep."


    "My apologies, Sister Qi. If I didn''t run off, I could have assisted you." Bai Mei bowed again.


    Qi Mingyue sighed. "What are you apologizing for? I wasn''t bedridden."


    Bai Mei raised her head. "If you''re going to eat, then I have nobody to train with this morning. I shall accompany you."


    "Don''t you have some medicinal project you can work on?"


    "All of my equipment is tied up on something special that can''t proceed until I have the light of the sun at high noon."


    "Fine. Since it''s not distracting from your training, you may accompany me."


    The two walked together until they arrived at the beginning of the mortal district, where a large kitchen was situated. When Qi Mingyue and Bai Mei stepped inside the adjacent dining area, the cooks were still in the beginning stages of preparing morning meals for the outer disciples.


    "Sister Qi, please go sit down. I''ll bring you your food."


    "What? Am I your master now?" Qi Mingyue spoke, but she didn''t get a reply as Bai Mei ran off.


    Qi Mingyue begrudgingly took a seat. There was nobody else in the dining area because most outer disciples spent the early morning training. The lower stages of Qi Condensation were prone to regression and, even after outgrowing those risks, most disciples kept the habit of exercise after waking up. Qi Mingyue, however, could not stand to miss or delay meals. The effort she put into compensating for her damaged limb left her body constantly starved of fuel.


    "Sister Qi, this is all they had available." Bai Mei returned carrying a tray with tea and a bowl of rice porridge that was topped with preserved meat and vegetables.


    "That''s fine. I didn''t expect them to have much ready this early in the morning."


    Bai Mei set the table, then picked up the tea pot and filled both her and Qi Mingyue''s cups before sitting down. Qi Mingyue began eating and, after a few spoonfuls, she looked up at Bai Mei.


    "Sister Bai, you are already here. Are you not going to eat anything?"


    "I''m fine." She took a sip of tea. "I''d rather wait if none of the good food is available."


    "Oh? When did you become so spoiled?"


    "Hmph." Bai Mei pouted. "I already ate enough rice porridge for a lifetime in my old village."


    Qi Mingyue continued eating until she noticed Bai Mei looking down and being unusually quiet.


    "Is there something bothering you, Sister Bai?"


    Bai Mei snapped out of her thoughts. "It''s just that... Sister Qi, do you ever think about the world outside of Immortal Garden?"


    "The outside?" She paused to think. "I haven''t given it much thought. Why do you ask?"


    "Aren''t things suppose to be worse on the outside? How do people live?"


    "Hmm..." Qi Mingyue recalled what she learned while growing up in Twin Moon Capital. "The Three Ancestors... what they do for Immortal Garden is not simple. The wealth of spirits attracts trouble, and the Three Ancestors work to mitigate this. Mortal life on the outside doesn''t need the same protection against calamities or hostile beings."


    Bai Mei pondered. "Even so, without the pursuit of higher understanding, life like that seems like it would be boring and hopeless."


    "''Hope'' is a funny thing, Sister Bai. It is said that the Great Dao becomes clear when no hope remains."


    Bai Mei stared intently at Qi Mingyue. "Sister Qi, do you have hope?"


    Qi Mingyue turned her head to the side. "What are you saying? Of course I have hope. Hope that Immortal Garden will remain peaceful. Hope that Sister Bai will reach the apex. Hope that Ancestor Full Moon, Ancestor Dark Moon, and Ancestor Red Sun can break the cycle of violence that grips cultivators of the world."


    Bai Mei broke her gaze by looking down at her cup of tea and lifting it for another sip. Qi Mingyue finished her meal in silence. When she stood up, Bai Mei also quickly stood up and stepped around to grab the tray of now empty dishes. Qi Mingyue made a bothered expression, but quickly let it go. Bai Mei returned the dishes to the kitchen. When she came back, Qi Mingyue spoke.


    "Sister Bai, I will be going to the inner district today to consult an expert about an anomaly in my prosthetic."


    "Anomaly? Is it damaged? Have you had trouble walking? Shouldn''t you talk to the Dream Blossom Ambassador?"


    "It''s not anything to worry about, nor something to bother the ambassador over. It just began changing in an unexpected way while in the Twilight Cage Forest. The various Sacred Lands are known to have unpredictable effects on treasures brought inside." Qi Mingyue said with a tone of confidence, despite not believing any of it was actually the case for herself.


    "I see." Bai Mei replied, still not knowing what was going on.


    "When I return, I will tell you everything. At this time, I wish to avoid speculating."


    With that, they both left the building.


    *


    Qi Mingyue stood in the shade of a large tree near the foot of Astral Reach Mountain. She eyed a dirt path leading from the outer district towards the mountain and wondered if a senior created it as some sort of joke, as though they were daring outer disciples to scale the mountain. She looked back at the decorative arch built over the path and thought maybe the arch was there first, and the path was just an artistic addition.


    A small flying boat descended upon the nearby clearing. It was driven by a man wearing the Two Moons uniform with the adornments of an inner disciple. He immediately noticed Qi Mingyue and turned to her.


    "Are you Junior Qi?"


    She stood up straight. "Yes, that is me. Junior greets senior." She bowed.


    "The expert is waiting. Let''s not waste any time." He responded coldly.


    Qi Mingyue walked towards the boat, but she was suddenly urged to hasten by the senior cultivator''s aura. She scrambled aboard and, before she could get to a less awkward position, she was pushed to the floor again as the boat rapidly ascended. She climbed onto a simple seat at the back of the vehicle and looked around to see that they were already high in the air.


    Cold, high altitude winds began chilling Qi Mingyue''s body. The small vessel had sparse shielding compared to the larger transports she was used to. By the time they arrived at their destination, Qi Mingyue was shivering and holding herself.


    "We''re here." The man gave an implied order to disembark. Qi Mingyue activated her Spirit Sense to assist in controlling her body as she quickly left the boat. As soon as her feet were planted on the ground, she let go and fell to her hands and knees. The senior cultivator departed and Qi Mingyue stayed on the ground until she heard a different man''s voice speak to her.


    "Valued guest, I offer my apologies for the rough trip."


    Qi Mingyue raised her head and saw a man with soft features dressed in white silk. He held up his hand and a paper talisman appeared between his fingers. He cast it towards Qi Mingyue and it smoldered into dust just short of touching her. A brief warm glow dispelled the lingering cold from her body. She lowered her head back down.


    "I am outer disciple Qi Mingyue. I am grateful for the elder''s assistance today."


    "I am elite elder Lin Chunxi. That''s enough formalities. Collect yourself and follow me."


    Qi Mingyue got to her feet and quickly caught up with Lin Chunxi. A large double door opened itself as they approached, leading into a walled courtyard with a house on the other side. After stepping inside, the door closed behind them. Qi Mingyue followed Lin Chunxi to the center of the courtyard, where he stopped and turned around. He touched a ring on his right hand, causing the sudden appearance of two chairs and a table already set with tea. Qi Mingyue understood and they both sat down. Lin Chunxi picked up his cup and took a sip before speaking.


    "Junior Qi, I have some questions about your training."


    "This disciple will do her best to answer Elder Lin''s questions."


    "Which Patterns do you study?"


    "I study the North Metal, East Earth, South Fire, and West Metal Patterns."


    "What disciplines have you pursued?"


    "I have primarily focused on arrays and incantations, with a minor focus on puppetry and swordsmanship."


    "Have you ever practiced with a spear before?"


    "No, Elder Lin."


    "Has the function of your prosthetic been impaired since the manifestation of the spirit?"


    "I can''t... I mean, it operates in a way that allows me to move without difficulty, but when the spear form isn''t summoned, I can''t use my Spirit Sense to feel sensation in the leg."


    "I see." Lin Chunxi paused. "This prosthetic, it''s a treasure that was crafted by the Dream Blossom Sect, correct?"


    "That is correct, Elder Lin."


    "The Dream Blossom Sect, as one of the three sects of Golden City, is focused on serving mortal interests. As such, any powered treasures they create are designed to use spirit stones as fuel. Does your prosthetic also have this dependency?"


    "Yes, but... I don''t use spirit stones to fuel the operation of my leg."


    "And why would that be, Junior Qi?"


    "Because... doing so interfered with the sensation in my leg."


    Lin Chunxi took another sip of tea. "I believe I understand now. The North Metal and West Metal Patterns are adequate for puppeteering artificial body parts, but their Outward Focus makes them more suited to precision usage than prolonged usage. By manually controlling your prosthetic, you effectively used yourself as fuel, and this left behind a spiritual imprint that eventually sparked to life. The stress you experienced from your disharmonious Patterns allowed the treasure to more easily siphon your spirits."


    Qi Mingyue sat in silence trying to process everything that the elder had said. For a few minutes, she alternated between looking down and sipping her tea, then looking back up at Lin Chunxi. A question popped into her mind that snapped her out of her daze.


    "Elder Lin, why does it manifest as a spear?"


    "A pertinent question, Junior Qi. I can''t say for certain, but I do have some theories to test. For that, we will need to go elsewhere." Lin Chunxi pointed to a decorated circular floorspace at the side of the courtyard, then he stood up. Qi Mingyue recognized it as a transportation array and got up to follow him.


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    The two stepped inside the circle''s radius and Lin Chunxi conjured a device made of engraved concentric rings. It floated in the air and rotated into a specific configuration, then the array began to glow. Lin Chunxi slowly raised his hands, then swiped them to his sides. In a flash, they were transported to a similar array off to the side of a massive flat area made of rough stone tiles. Lin Chunxi stepped forward and turned back to Qi Mingyue.


    "Welcome, Junior Qi, to Staging Ground 7. It''s unfinished and lacks the features needed for higher level training, but it''s good enough for us." He pointed at some boulders piled outside and they began to float onto the stage, landing in an evenly spaced line. He walked and motioned for Qi Mingyue to follow. When they stopped, they were facing perpendicular to the line of boulders. "Junior Qi, bring out the artifact spirit."


    "Yes, Elder Lin." She imbued her Spirit Sense into the prosthetic, pushing the spear out and causing it to appear in her hand. Lin Chunxi looked over the weapon for a few moments before speaking again.


    "Now, I want you to try throwing this spear at one of the targets I have set out."


    Qi Mingyue was skeptical of the order, but still complied and took a moment to coordinate herself. She readied a throwing stance and hurled the spear at the closest boulder. Against her expectations, the weapon left her hand, or so it seemed. Connecting her throwing arm to her mark was a long vine. She pulled back her hand and heard the sound of cracking stone. She looked up and saw the other end of the vine splitting and wrapping around the remnants of the now-shattered boulder.


    "Very interesting." Lin Chunxi spoke. "Now try stacking the fragments into a tower."


    Qi Mingyue was still processing this newly revealed capability, but she tried to do as the elder instructed. Concentrating, she found that the vines responded to her will. She retracted and extended them as she moved the fragments, until she ended up with a narrow stack that was bound together by the smaller vines twisting around the outside.


    "Good. Now try to slam the top of that tower into the target next to it."


    Qi Mingyue instructed the vines to move together, causing the stack to lean back before swinging forward, slamming into the adjacent boulder and cracking it.


    "That''s enough basics. Restore the weapon."


    Qi Mingyue commanded the vines to recede. They rapidly disappeared and reformed as the spear in her hand.


    "Lets try this." Lin Chunxi pointed at the rubble. It floated off the ground for a moment then broke into even smaller pieces. "Use these rocks as material for a simple puppet."


    Qi Mingyue understood and threw the spear again. Upon impact, the vines spread out and gathered the various stones and peddles. Slowly, they came together and built a rough humanoid shape embed with a simple strengthening array.


    "I see a problem."


    "What is it, Elder Lin?"


    "You are not exercising your South Fire Pattern. Try again, but establish the most important structures first."


    Qi Mingyue brought back the spear, letting the puppet crumble, then threw it again. She did as Lin Chunxi instructed and built a simple, functional construct first, then tweaked the design and its strengthening array as it took in more material. The end result being a stockier form than the previous iteration.


    "Much better. A simple core makes it easier to adjust, and constantly optimizing the body as it moves will let you exercise your North Metal Pattern. Now, pick up one of the targets and slam it into another."


    Qi Mingyue sent the puppet to pick up the nearest boulder. She alternated between moving its limbs, shifting its weight, and redirecting its array. With all of this, it was able to easily hoist the weight. The puppet went to the next closest boulder and, after a few moments of calculation from Qi Mingyue to find the best configuration, the puppet slammed one boulder into the other, causing both to shatter.


    "Very good, Junior Qi. As you can see, the artifact spirit takes form of a spear merely as a delivery mechanism for puppet strings. It''s in line with its function of animating the prosthetic."


    Qi Mingyue accepted Lin Chunxi''s explanation, but realized something was still unresolved. "Elder Lin, why do the ''strings'' take the form of vines?"


    "That, I can''t determine. Superficial qualities such as those usually have obscure reasons, but they don''t matter because the function is the same."


    Qi Mingyue pondered for a moment. "Could it be from the True Believer?"


    "Ah, I see you''ve read about the origin of Sacred Lands. When the Final Declaration of a Purpose-Type True Believer concludes, their will is dispersed across the world. This is true. However, it is dispersed much further than you seem to imagine, Junior Qi. It would be more accurate to say that it''s spread across several worlds. Everything that was left behind in the Twilight Cage Forest was an echo of the Great Dao."


    "I see. Disciple thanks elder for the insight." She bowed.


    "We''re almost done here." Lin Chunxi turned towards the growing field of debris. "Keep pushing the size and strength of the puppet, then destroy the remaining targets."


    *


    Qi Mingyue sat alone inside a flying boat that was making its way back to the outer district. Feeling the gentle wind and afternoon sun, she thought about the rough trip from earlier. Perhaps unmanned boats flew slower, or maybe they didn''t want one sitting there in case Qi Mingyue didn''t show up. Whatever the reason, she was happy to not go through a repeat of that experience.


    The vessel descended and stopped on the same spot where she took off that morning. Trying to stand up, Qi Mingyue realized her fatigue, but she pushed through and climbed out. After breaking physical contact, the boat began to float away. Qi Mingyue felt her stomach growl and decided to go eat before thinking about anything else.


    She walked through the outer district and, upon reaching the other side, noticed that Bai Mei hadn''t emerged from some random corner to greet her, like she always did. Qi Mingyue concluded that the girl must still be busy working on her ''special medicinal project'', so she didn''t give it any more thought.


    She reached the dining area. The air was filled with the chatter of outer disciples, and the scent of cooked meat and herbs. Qi Mingyue grabbed a tray and loaded it with simple, filling dishes. She sat down to eat her meal alone and think about the day.


    Qi Mingyue still wasn''t completely convinced that the entity possessing her prosthetic leg was an artifact spirit, especially not one that she created without realizing. From her perspective, it was definitely an object that she found beneath some mud in the Twilight Cage Forest. It wasn''t common for physical objects to have the ability to compress and hide themselves in vessels that weren''t spatial treasures, so Qi Mingyue considered doing research on such things.


    She finished her meal, returned the spent dishes, then left to head towards the Lower Moon Library. It was placed on the fringe between the two districts, so she didn''t need to walk far. Qi Mingyue entered the familiar building and was greeted by the librarian.


    "Good afternoon, Junior Qi. Do you need help finding anything today?" The woman asked.


    "Good afternoon, Elder Jing." Qi Mingyue bowed. "I do not require any assistance at this time."


    "Very well. I''ll trust in your abilities." She went back to cataloging old texts.


    Qi Mingyue went to the newer section of the building. There was a faint scent of ink and paper in the air as she passed by rows of shelves stocked with clean, unmarked books. She was familiar with the area and quickly found a line of books about spatial phenomena. She picked out one specifically about spatial treasures and brought it with her to sit down and read.


    Spatial treasures were categorized based on what they could store and how they stored it. Qi Mingyue recalled Lin Chunxi''s storage ring. The items he brought out appeared in their complete state, while things like the spear and crystallized Spirit Essence would emerge as streams of light that condensed into solid objects. Pouches for spirit stones and Spirit Essence were simpler spatial treasures, so she narrowed her scope to those.


    The most basic application of spatial arts in treasures was creating spirit stone power reserves. Qi Mingyue suspected that this detail might be relevant, since her prosthetic technically had that function, but the text went on to clarify that this type of storage was destructive and irreversible. She continued reading and learned that even low grade treasures capable of reversible spatial compression operated in a way that was wholly different from spirit stone power reserves. The hypothesis that her prosthetic was acting as a spatial treasure was looking like a dead end.


    Qi Mingyue knew that something spatial was involved, so she went back and picked out a book about spatial techniques. It described two main purposes: movement and concealment. She was intrigued by the latter and focused on that. Concealment worked similarly to storage and, as such, it was easier to conceal objects that lacked concrete physicality. In combat, this involved tactics like spirit-forging weapons and causing them to strike seemingly from thin air. It looked like a promising line of inquiry, but then Qi Mingyue read that these techniques were heavily limited in their duration. Physical objects needed constant effort to remain hidden, and spirit-forged objects experienced a hit to their already naturally short lifespans.


    She got up and sought out a book on spirit-forging, suspecting that the information in the spatial techniques manual was omitting nuance. She located a relevant text and began reading. It opened with philosophical talk on how the main product of spirit-forging is one''s own improvement, and how forgetting that will lead to endless frustration with the ephemeral nature of one''s own creations. Qi Mingyue was skeptical, but knew it must have practical significance if somebody bothered to copy and revise the teachings for reprint.


    She skimmed the proceeding chapters and they were all detailed descriptions of different spirit-forging techniques. It was dense and technical, which caused Qi Mingyue to check the notes in the back to see if it was compiled from multiple sources. The word of the editor stated that all information came from a single spirit-forging master. This reassured Qi Mingyue, so she began studying it seriously. After comprehending some basics, she looked through the advanced techniques for anything that could potentially create a permanent object. Something immediately caught her interest: Object Spirit Refinement.


    The chapter explained that physical objects may be used as a catalyst during the projection of spirit-forged constructs. When this is done, the practitioner may improve not only themselves, but the catalyst as well. However, the object needed a measure of durability, malleability, and compatibility with the projection it was acting as a catalyst for, or else it would simply degrade from the process. At the end, it mentioned that repeated refinement of an object had a small chance to produce an Artifact Spirit, but that practicing Spirit Refinement with this intent is poisonous for one''s growth.


    It wasn''t what Qi Mingyue was looking for, but it still seemed useful. The next chapter was titled ''Avatar Spirit Refinement''. The concepts intrigued her, but not for reasons directly related to her investigation. It made references to Body Refinement and Soul Refinement, claiming to be a technique that is mutually beneficial with both. Qi Mingyue was only knowledgeable about Qi Refinement and Skill Refinement, so she wasn''t sure how practical it was for her. She set it aside and continued browsing the other contents. After reaching the end, nothing else connected to her objective, so she paused and pondered what to do next. Her ruminating was interrupted when a voice quietly addressed her.


    "Sister Qi?" Qi Mingyue turned to see Bai Mei.


    "Sister Bai, you startled me."


    "Ah, my apologies. Are you working?"


    "No, I''m just doing some personal research." She looked at Bai Mei and noticed dark circles under her eyes. "Are you okay, Sister Bai?"


    "I''m fine, Sister Qi. Great, actually. I reached the peak of Qi Condensation."


    "What?" Qi Mingyue said in surprise. "I mean, that''s great, but also, didn''t you just have a breakthrough yesterday?"


    "Yes, but I had been planning this for a while. An elixir utilizing weakened Nightvein Toxin to speed over the last step of Qi Condensation."


    "Nightvein Toxin?" Qi Mingyue sighed. "You waited until you had an abundance of sunlight to neutralize it, so I suppose you were acting responsibly. However, your current state tells me that you still used too much."


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Sister Qi." Bai Mei downplayed her exhaustion. "We could go spar right now and I''d walk away undefeated after five rounds."


    Qi Mingyue didn''t say anything and just starred intensely at Bai Mei.


    "Okay, okay. From now on, I won''t play around with toxins without asking for permission from Senior Sister first."


    Qi Mingyue groaned. "It''s... fine." She couldn''t think of anything else to say and there was an uncomfortable silence.


    "Oh." Bai Mei spoke up. "The reason I came to see you was to give you this." She placed a small, corked ceramic bottle on the table. "It''s an elixir where the toxin got completely neutralized, so I thought it lost all its potency. You have a better internal sense than me, so I''m giving it to you for study."


    "What else is in it?" She asked with suspicion.


    "All of the other ingredients were herbs and spices commonly used in cooking. I don''t remember exactly how much I used, but the concentrations shouldn''t be too high."


    Qi Mingyue picked up the bottle and carefully removed the cork. As soon as the seal was open, she was hit by a mixture of strong floral scents, causing her to recoil. Bai Mei realized her mistake and rushed to explain.


    "Okay, the concentrations aren''t that high, for me. Maybe it''s a little spicy by the standards of other people, but it''s not enough to make somebody sick. It''s perfectly safe to consume, I promise." As she spoke, Qi Mingyue re-corked the bottle and made sure it was secure.


    "Very well, Sister Bai, I will test out your creation."


    "My thanks, Sister Qi. I''m going to go lie down." Bai Mei slouched as she walked away, no longer masking the weariness from her day of strange experiments.


    *


    Qi Mingyue sat in her house, flipping through her old notebook of incantations, searching for the one that generates moonlight. Nightvein Toxin was neutralized by sunlight, but it was slow and the substance immediately turned invisible under the same condition. In order to verify the safety of the elixir, it needed to be examined closely under an alternative light source.


    Qi Mingyue located the moonlight incantation and walked to a dark corner of the room. She took the ceramic bottle, which was left open to let the fragrance dissipate, and tilted the contents out onto her hand. The elixir had the form of a large solid bead but, in reality, it was a liquid surrounded with binding glyphs that kept it together. Qi Mingyue finished rehearsing and spoke a gentle light into existence over the item, revealing bright crimson coloration. Inspecting it from different angles, it showed slight translucency. There were no signs of the black, cloudy formations associated with Nightvein Toxin, so she concluded that it was clean.


    There was nothing else to do so she sat down and, with hesitation, put the elixir in her mouth. The binding glyphs dispelled and released a fluid so thin that it was like air, but carrying a burning heat that traveled down Qi Mingyue''s throat and up through her nostrils. She was expecting it, though, and remained composed until the intensity died down. As the spicy aromas and tastes faded from her senses without feeling any other effects, she began to suspect that the concoction did indeed lose all its medicinal potency. However, she knew it could still have some weak effects, so she focused deep within herself to confirm.


    Blocking out all external stimulus, the sound of her breathing became like rushing wind, and her pulse like a beating drum. Her body heat layered upon itself and blurred the boundaries of her skin. Right before she entered a state of total sensory deprivation, she felt an unknown sensation in her chest, which spurred her Spirit Sense to activate on its own and concentrate around that location. Then, the sensation spread rapidly, causing Spirit Sense to encompass her whole body. Even though she wasn''t consciously doing it, she could feel the exertion of using Spirit Sense to comprehend her entire being at once. It grew stronger and more uniform until it surged in one final push that caused Qi Mingyue to topple backwards.


    She lay on the floor, processing what had just happened. She went to move one arm and felt energy course through her body, tracing a path down her spine and out to her fingertips. Qi Mingyue slowly got to her feet, every motion being preceded by currents of the same energy. She didn''t believe it at first, but recognized this as the result of a breakthrough. She walked around the room for several minutes to verify that it was real. In her previous experiences, this phenomenon did not last long. This time, it didn''t seem like it was going away.


    Qi Mingyue remembered that the peak of Qi Condensation was said to grant one perfect awareness of their own body. Feeling the chain of causation behind every muscle movement, she confirmed that it was true. It made her uncomfortable, especially since she didn''t anticipate progressing in her cultivation like this. She envisioned how she was going to probe Bai Mei more about how the elixir was created, but held that off for the next day.


    Earlier in the day, Qi Mingyue was sure that she would end up going to bed early, but her current state left her restless. She walked outside for an evening jog around the outer district. Many outer disciples were returning to their homes, but some were still training. She recalled that, before her injury, she would spend the daylight hours on studying and only do physical training close to sunset.


    Qi Mingyue was back near her house after circling around. She stopped and watch the sun dip below the horizon. As the darkness swept across Twin Moon Capital, she was hit by a vision. Qi Mingyue saw the world without color, sound, or any sensation that could be detected by mortal senses. It all became one, undifferentiated substance. Then, she saw five orbs hover around her and melt into the ground, restoring the world to how it was before. Regaining her bearings, she recognized this as being another product of her breakthrough. Each major milestone in cultivation pointed to another milestone in a phenomenon called ''Parallel Insight''. She was considering a second lap before, but that additional experience drained her enough to make her choose sleep instead.