He flew after them at a distance, carefully staying out of the range of Jun Kes divine sense. He clutched the floor tile, for lack of a better idea of what to do with it. At his small size, it stretched the entire size of his chest, gleaming with a pale jade sheen. Holding on with all his might, he flew on. At least I got sothing. Its a floor tile, but its an Immortal-level floor tile. My first Immortal level equipnt!
Can a floor tile be considered equipnt?
Sighing, Hui ran his hand over the tile, aning to send it into his storage ring. Nothing happened.
He blinked. Frowning, he looked at the tile. Why not? It shouldnt be too large. The storage ring can handle much larger items, even when Im this small.
Oh! Maybe its because its Immortal-level. I havent tried to put anything Immortal level into my storage ring before. I should try it later with another item.
Hugging the tile to his chest, he humd to himself, then drew on one of his lotus seeds. Lotus roots bound the tile around his small chest, as a sort of armor. It wont work once Im large again, but its a good breastplate for small . Plus, it frees up my hands. Hui thumped his newly-fashioned breastplate, pleased with himself.
Turning his eyes ahead, he flew on, careful to stay just out of Jun Kes sensing range. Im coming, Li Xiang.
The group passed over the top of the ridge of the mountains ahead of them and dropped out of sight. Hui sped up, surging to keep them in his gaze. At the top of the ridge, he paused, extending his aura just enough to make sure the Immortals werent waiting just over the mountain ridge.
Nothing. Im safe. He flew over the mountains after the other cultivators.
At the foot of the mountains, hugged by the slopes all around them, a grand manor sprawled along the edge of a glittering, diamond-bright lake. A slow-rolling mountain stream fed into the lake and spilled out the other side, picturesque, cool and crisp. Strands of clouds clung to the trees and the tops of hills, lending the whole scene a celestial aura. The five cultivators, led by Jun Ke, dropped down toward the manor.
Hui tilted his head, confused. Why there? Theyve been going back to the camp every night. Are they done looting now that Jun Ke stole my sword? Or no, isnt it more likely that theyre returning to stow their loot?
I guess its also possible that they ca to the ruins to loot for a week, and that week has passed, and now theyre going ho. I cant know, until I get closer.
But that manor it could be a stronghold. I should watch, at least for a day. After all, its not as if Li Xiang is in great danger. Jun Ke seed taken with her as a sword. And there isnt much safer in the cultivation world than as a cultivators treasured sword.
Of course, he could still decide to use her in battle, which I absolutely wont allow. I need to steal her back before then! Thats right. She isnt in no danger. Shes in low danger, but still danger! I need to take her away from him as fast as possible. Who knows? He might decide to attack so higher-realm Immortal, or so high-realm Immortal might attack him, and in the heat of the mont, if their swords et and Li Xiang cos off on the weaker side by no fault of her own, but surely only that Jun Kes faultthen Li Xiang could get chipped, or worse, shatter directly!
No, no. I cant allow it. I cant! Too much risk, far too risky. Which is exactly why I wont leave her in his hands for long.
He settled onto the top of a tree and held onto the branch with one hand, gazing over the manor. At his tiny size, the leaf dipped and bobbled underneath him, bouncing him at the whims of the wind. Without his hand on the branch, it would have easily slipped out from under him.
Lifting a hand, he went to pet Zhubi, but his hand touched only air. Hui paused, then dropped his hand. Thats right. Zhubi is gone now.
Its better for him, but but Ill miss him. Id only just gotten him back, too He shook his head. And now Li Xiangs gone, and Ying Lins statuitized, and Masters well, okay, Masters doing what he always does, which is his own thing, and its not like I was really expecting anything, but maybe I was expecting just a little bit of sothing?
He settled in to wait, balancing gently with the wind. The breeze pulled at his breastplate, and he patted it back down. Other mortal-looking cultivators stread into the manor, as if drawn to it.
Hui watched them, thinking, a hand on his chin. I should probably not co into the manor tiny, co to think of it. Theyll be expecting that. But large is too obvious, and Ive already played out the snakeskintheyll expect it, this ti. How do I approach?
I suppose I have yin-form . My face still looks like mine, though, so maybe we go with normal next, without a snakeskin, and hold yin- in reserve. That way, theyll always expect a man, until the very last mont.
After all, I dont think anyone got a good look at my face. I was always tiny when I was running around as , and in the heat of battle, whos paying that much attention to faces? Im probably safe entering as myself.
Probably.
Once I figure out a route in.
Hmm. I wonder if theyre accepting new people to their sect? I am a newly ascended Immortal. I could use that to my benefit
Down below, beautiful fairy maidens in delicate silks appeared, roaming the celestial gardens with natural ease. Handso cultivators in fine brocade stood at the ready at every door, preparing to receive guests. Hui sat up, suddenly interested. Oh? Is there so kind of party tonight? Excellent, excellent! What a perfect opportunity to sneak in. As long as I change clothesand after looting that secret realm in the Eight Tiers Palace, I have plenty of thoseI shouldnt stand out too much amongst the guests! Ill keep an eye out, and mix in with the rest as they enter! Yes, yes.
Though, if you have such nice clothes, Elder Siblings, why were you dressed like beggars earlier?
I guess everyone needs a good pair of working clothes?
The first of the guests showed up, a man in luminous white robes. At the door, he flashed a piece of paper, and the male cultivators stepped aside to let him through. Huis eyes narrowed. That paper what is it? An invite? Ill get a closer look at the next one.
A fierce aura of massacre filled the air. Absolutely terrified, Hui almost played dead on instinct. At the last second, he barely managed to force himself to freeze instead. Moving right now is the ultimate mistake! Stay strong, Hui!
Black robes swept close by his head. Exuding a sharp killing intent without trying to, the man circled down toward the manor. Wearing a tal mask, he presented an invite at the door. Mustering himself, Hui quickly scanned the invite with his divine sense. Red text scrawled across white paper, the symbols aningless, but full of qi. Oh? Theres qi in it?
Interesting. Qi on paper isnt that essentially a talisman? Simple, too simple! Is that really all it is? Ill watch as the other guests arrive, just to be sure.
The man in black turned. The hollow shadows in the mask where his eyes should be gaped emptily, pointed directly toward Hui.
Hui froze. He instantly retracted any trace of divine sense and killed his qi signature at the sa ti, becoming nothing to the greatest ability he had. You saw nothing, you didnt see a thing!
The man stared for another few monts. The man at the door gestured him in, and only then did the masked man turn away and enter the manor.
Hui let out a breath. Phew. I shouldnt have been so bold. Daring to scan that mans invite? Too risky, too risky! Ive really grown far too confident. I should have waited for soone gentler, far gentler.
Still, that first man was clearly a righteous cultivator, and that second one was clearly a demonic cultivator! And yet, they were both invited to the sa party? How strange. What kind of party is this? Is it so kind of high-tension negotiation between the demonic and righteous camps?
A few more cultivators flew in. Hui scanned the invitations one after another, gleaning tiny bits of information from each one. After the demonic cultivator, he carefully kept his divine sense limited, only daring to scan each one for a few bare monts. Slowly, he pieced together the full shape of the invite.
I think I have it. It would be better if I could steal an invite, or sit still and scan one, but that would an accosting one of the Immortals, and I wouldnt dare! No, no. This will have to be good enough. Ill have to believe in my ager abilities, if only for a mont.
He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a piece of paper hed looted from Eight Tiers Palace. Hopefully they wont notice its not Immortal-level paper. But who would scan the paper, right?
Right?
Hui took a deep breath. He pressed his hand against the paper and pushed his qi into it, until all trace of mortal influence had been replaced by his own qi. Okay. Its a little suspicious, but itll appear Immortal-realm at a glance, probably. They havent looked at the invites too closely, from what Ive seen, so it should be alright if its just a little strange.
Lifting his hand again, he bit his thumb and drew on the paper with his blood. With his experience with talismans, copying the symbols hed seen took him only a few monts. Luckily, the invites used red ink. Ill have to move fast, before the blood darkens, but Ill have enough ti to get through the door.
He dropped out of the tree and landed like a leaf on the floor below. Uncompressing himself, he quickly swapped out his usual blue robes for a set of gaudy purple robes, adding a few necklaces and rings to match the impressive attire of the other cultivators hed seen enter the manor. Hui gripped the invite firmly and took a deep breath, psyching himself up. Alright, Hui. Here we go.
Pushing off from the ground, he vanished back over the mountain, flying at speed through the forest in the opposite direction from the manor.
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