[Tree] Chapter 325: Rival (Patreon)

Jasmine awoke to a familiar wooden ceiling. Huffing the hair out of her mouth, she rolled over on the incredibly soft futon Stella had bought her and looked out the window. The nine moons that always dominated the sky here in Ashlock's Inner World were dimming, and the dreamscape was fading away.

"It's almost morning," Jasmine murmured and pushed her body and sat upright. Perhaps it was a habit she picked up from her Master, but she wouldn't call herself a morning person anymore. Yawning, Jasmine grabbed the wooden comb from the floor beside her and stood up. Her head was relatively empty as she idly stood beside the window, combing the knots out of her hair.

"Ugh," Jasmine grunted as her comb got stuck in a dense knot, "How does my hair find new ways to knot itself in ways previously unknown to mankind during my sleep? Just how much do I roll around?" Jasmine grumbled as she wrestled with the knot and debated giving up. "Why do I even bother? It's not like I'm doing anything except training with Master today, and she cares about appearance even less than me—"

Jasmine paused as she realized something, "—wait, isn't today the day I'm entering the Mystic Realm?"

She had heard stories about the place from Stella and had been both excited and extremely nervous about it. I can't wait to advance in cultivation and maybe find a treasure or inheritance. But Stella also told me about how dangerous it is. Am I ready to survive for a whole month in such a place?

Jasmine looked down at her balled-up fists under the fading moonlight. Despite all her training under her Master's guidance, she had never fought with a monster before. If Master thinks I am ready, then I must be. Jasmine nodded to herself and turned around to face her room. She would need to pack for this trip.

Thankfully, she was a cultivator now. She inserted some Qi into the silver ring on her finger, and everything in the room vanished as she waved her hand in a flash of silver light.

"Being a cultivator is cheating," Jasmine shook her head. When she was younger, she went on trips with her parents and spent hours with her mother packing their belongings into chests and loading them onto a cart. Many arguments and headaches could have been avoided if they'd had spatial rings.

Leaving her bedroom, she sleepily walked down the corridor to Stella's room. Not bothering to knock, she walked in. "Master! Wake up. Today is an important day."

A single hand emerged from the giant bundle of blankets, followed by a muffled voice, "Five more minutes."

"Master, last time you said that, you spent the rest of the day sleeping." Jasmine crouched down and found Stella's foot poking out of the blankets. Taking out a feather from her spatial ring that she had gotten for this sole purpose, she tickled her foot.

"Ah!" Stella yelped and pulled in her leg with frightening speed. "Jasmine! I told you not to use that thing again!"

Jasmine rolled her eyes as she hid the feather, "Sorry Master, I forgot. Though Master, I have to ask, why do you sleep so much? I thought cultivators of your level could go forever without sleeping?"

Stella grumbled, "Because I'm bored, and this bed is so darn comfortable. Also, those moons in the sky make me so sleepy."

"Oh..." Jasmine hadn't been expecting such an answer. So, it wasn't some cultivation technique I was unaware of. She is just lazy.

Stella sat up and rubbed her eyes, "What did you wake me up for? It's not even morning."

"Master, the Mystic Realm opens today."

Stella's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, Ash told me about that last night during the All-Seeing Eye service. How are you feeling? Are you excited?"

"Excited and nervous," Jasmine admitted, "I'm scared of the monsters. Will I really be fine, Master? What if I get injured and starve to death or something."

Stella smirked, "If it was anyone else asking, I'd tell them it was their fate, but for you, my dear disciple, you will have nothing to worry about. You will be drawn to enter a Mystic Realm that's of a suitable level for you, and I will tell Ash to have Sol look after you."

"The light Ent?"

"Yeah," Stella nodded, "Sol is at the peak of the Star Core Realm. His offensive capabilities are quite good, but he is best at healing and can provide shields. If there's anyone under Ashfallen who can keep you alive without denying you the experience by eliminating everything, it's Sol."

Jasmine felt the bundle of nerves in her chest relax at the reassurance that she didn't have to face the Mystic Realm alone. "Thank you, Master."

"After all the effort I went through to raise you to deal with the annoying things, it would be inconvenient for you to die," Stella said as she rocked Jasmine's head from side to side, "So don't die, okay?"

Jasmine could tell Stella was half joking through their link. But only half joking... she really did think Jasmine dying would be inconvenient.

"I'm so lucky to have such a caring Master," Jasmine replied sarcastically.

"Yes, you are," Stella grinned, "Now, make sure you are ready. I can't follow you through due to my bloodline, as Vincent might detect me if I go outside and wait for it to appear—"

"I'm already ready," Jasmine interrupted. Now that the fear was gone, she was giddy with excitement. She couldn't wait around anymore. "Can we go?"

Stella groaned as she rolled out of bed and stood up. "Fine, let me get dressed first. Shoo, get out of my room."

***

I should have listened to Stella. It was too early to leave. Jasmine thought as the excitment she had felt was long gone. She had spent the freezing morning perched on one of Ashlock's many branches. The black bark felt like ice under her, and no matter how tightly she pulled the coat Douglas and Elaine had gifted her, she struggled to ward off the chill.

Meanwhile, Stella sat casually in their warm living room back in the Inner World with one leg propped up and watched the horizon through a portal that she had somehow convinced the Divine Flesh Tree to manifest for her. She was dressed in her usual white cotton outfit that looked like casual summer wear.

They were waiting until sunrise because, according to Stella, Ashlock would wake up at the crack of dawn and open the Mystic Realm for all the people gathered and waiting. Since the Mystic Realm was only open for exactly a week, nobody seemed to want to waste a single moment, even if that involved waiting around in the dark and cold.

"M-Master, it's s-so cold," Jasmine said as she blew into her cupped hands. They were bright red and puffy. "Can I come back home?"

"Because it's winter, the sun is taking longer to rise than I expected, but it should rise any minute now," Stella retorted. "Anyway, you should use this as training for the Mystic Realm. In there, you won't be able to return home when you face an inconvenience."

Jasmine sighed, causing a cloud to leave her lips. "Fine. But do we have to hide up here away from everyone else?"

"You make it sound like I forced you to stay up here? You could have taken the ethereal root but said you wanted to watch the sunrise with me." Stella tilted her head to look at her through the very clear portal except for a slight purple hue, "If you're so cold, coat your skin in Qi. If that doesn't work, snuggle under a fire Qi tree or ask a Redclaw to warm you up. I just didn't want the Divine Flesh Tree to open a portal to my home in full view of everyone as it's quite messy."

Jasmine frowned, "The portal from our house led to this branch. How is that not forcing me to sit up here?"

"Am I holding you hostage here?"

"Yes, you aren't letting me return through the portal for supposed training."

Stella rolled her eyes and gestured to the ground, "Just jump down if you want to escape the chilling breeze. Use your head a little."

Jasmine glanced down at the drop. It was easily more than a hundred meters high.

"Master, do you want to kill me?"

Stella gave her a strange look, "If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead already. Go on, jump. You will be fine if you cycle Qi. Trust me, okay? If you are scared to jump from such heights, you will struggle in the Mystic Realm."

Despite how ridiculous her Master's suggestion was, she could tell Stella was dead serious through their Master-Disciple link. Her Master wholly believed that she wouldn't die from such a height.

I did jump down the Citadel, but that was thousands of meters deep. There was no way I would survive, no matter how I landed, so I didn't think about it. This drop, though, is much less, and I have Qi now...

"Fine, I will trust you, Master," Jasmine said confidently, but in truth, she was desperate to get some warmth. Avoiding frostbite was a powerful motivator to do potentially suicidal actions.

Surging Qi to her legs and gritting her teeth, she pushed herself off the branch. The freezing wind burned her ears as it rushed through the hair she had so carefully combed earlier. The ground came sooner than she expected—a dull pain smacked her feet, and she was thrown forward onto the stone.

"Are you alright?"

Jasmine groaned as she rolled over and saw a young red-haired woman standing over her and offering a hand.

"Surprisingly, I feel fine," Jasmine said as she took the offered hand and was gently hauled to her feet. The dull pain had already faded, and her coat seemed to have cushioned her fall, so she didn't have any scrapes or bruises on her elbows that had taken the brunt of the second fall. Glancing up at the canopy, she couldn't believe she had survived from such a height.

Master was right... Qi really is amazing. I need to stop thinking like a mortal and remember that my body is far stronger now. The problem is I don't know how strong I am now compared to before... maybe this is something I should have figured out earlier.

"Well, I'm glad you seem fine," the red-haired woman smiled, "Seeing such a young girl falling from the tree like a fruit gave me quite the scare. My name is Amber, by the way... you are?"

Amber? Where have I heard that before? Jasmine wondered, and then it dawned on her. Master offhandedly mentioned once she had made a bet with Ashlock for me to beat someone. I think her name was Amber. Is this her?

Jasmine couldn't believe it. Even though she was suppressing it well, there was still notable pressure around Amber that Jasmine knew was from Star Core cultivators, as Stella and Diana had the same pressure around them.

Stella wants me to defeat such a person? How would that even be possible?

"Something wrong?" Amber asked, "You seem pale. Are you sure you aren't injured?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Jasmine offered a weary smile, "My name is Jasmine."

"Jasmine? That's a nice name. It is one of my favorite flowers, and Jasmine tea is also great. Wait. Jasmine? Are your Princess Stella's beloved disciple?"

"Um," Jasmine grimaced, remembering Stella's true reason for training her. Being called her beloved disciple was a bit of a stretch. "Yes..." she sighed, "Stella is my Master."

Amber threw herself into a deep bow, "I apologize if I spoke out of turn."

Jasmine swore she would never get used to powerful cultivators throwing themselves at her feet at the mere mention of her Master's name. Just what did Stella do to these people to cause them to have this level of respect... or fear? Now that she thought about it, it was probably fear.

"Please raise your head," Jasmine said frantically, "There's no need to bow to me like this. You are a far more powerful cultivator than me."

Amber straightened up and offered a kind smile, "You will surpass me soon enough. I bet Stella is sparing no effort to power you up, and now you are joining us in the Mystic Realm at such a young age. Your progress will be frightening."

Jasmine thought back and had to agree that, as lazy as her Master seemed, she had given her more truffles and fruits from Ashlock than she could remember, and her training had been quite brutal thus far.

"Have you gone into the Mystic Realm before Amber?" Jasmine asked while enjoying the heat radiating off the woman from the fire Qi flickering across her body to ward off the cold.

Amber nodded, "A few times, actually. I see a few new faces such as yourself here, but almost everyone else here has gone at least once before." Amber gestured to the many other people gathered on Red Vine Peak.

Jasmine recognized many of them. All the people with bright red hair and wearing dark red cloaks like Amber were from the noble Redclaw family, and judging from their numbers, it seemed like the entire family was here. Diana, Douglas, and Elaine were also off to the side, casually discussing with each other alongside the Redclaw Grand Elder and a large bald man wearing a purple silk robe that Jasmine didn't recognize. There were also the two cultivators from the Silverspire family who seemed about as nervous as she was by their uneasy expressions.

"Do you have any advice?" Jasmine asked Amber after glancing around.

"Make use of every moment in there; the month will fly by faster than you realize, and once you leave, cultivating out here will feel like a waste of time." Amber sighed, "Even with the groves of fire flowers and Qi gathering formations, I find myself slacking while cultivating ever since my first Mystic Realm visit."

"Interesting," Jasmine mused. She was even more excited now.

"Beside that? Know that these Mystic Realms are pocket dimensions created by Monarch Realm cultivators. Some were created to pass down their legacy, while others are monster-infested hellscapes. Both are likely designed to kill you. Until you grasp your chosen shard and enter the Mystic Realm, there's no way to know what you have gotten yourself into."

Jasmine gulped. The uncertainty and importance of making the most of the Mystic Realm visit, as she would be participating in a tournament right after, made her nerves return. She had to pick the right one!

"Okay, everyone!" Diana's voice echoed across the mountain peak, drawing everyone's attention. She was floating above with her feathered wings spread out. "Sunrise is almost upon us, meaning the immortal will arise and open the Mystic Realm. Anyone who is lacking pills, come and see me."

A few people in the crowd began to make their way over toward Diana. As the demoness touched back down on the stone, streaks of sunlight hit the peak.

"It's about to begin," Amber whispered, and Jasmine could see a grim determination on her face.

Did something happen to her? Jasmine knew little about Amber, but Stella seemed to want her to defeat Amber in the future. So, if something was motivating her rival to get stronger, she would need to find equal motivation.

The sun crested the distant mountain peak some more, bathing Red Vine Peak in its warmth, and then Jasmine could feel it—Ashlock was awakening. It wasn't as obvious to everyone yet, but as someone attuned to nature Qi and having often hung out with Stella and Ashlock, she could tell that the entire mountain was becoming alive.

It was a slow process—it always was. But eventually, the demonic tree lording over them all awoke from his slumber. All the highest-ranking members of the Ashfallen Sect glanced toward the tree at the same time as they were likely receiving his words.

Jasmine felt the ground under her tremble slightly. Confused, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Sol towering over her. I guess Master already spoke to Ashlock about my protection. Jasmine smiled as her bodyguard took his place beside her.

"By the glory of Ashfallen, the Mystic Realm is about to open! Everyone stand back," Diana instructed, and everyone shuffled to form a wide circle in front of Ashlock.

Jasmine's eyes widened as a dense mist of what appeared to be glass shards manifested out of thin air and ballooned out to fill the space. Once it was finished, everyone ran inside. Jasmine even saw one of the Mudcloaks pick one of the floating shards on the outside of the cloud, and the moment its hand wrapped around the glass shard, it popped out of existence.

"Scary..." Jasmine muttered as she slowly walked toward the cloud. Holding her breath and tensing her body, she stepped inside. The lack of a floor was somewhat disorientating, and now that she was closer, she could see that these were no simple glass shards. Each one showed a glimpse into another world.

Okay, calm down, you can do this. As Master suggested, I should just trust my instincts. Jasmine closed her eyes and let the Qi guide her to the pocket dimension she should pick. She wandered for quite a while until she felt one calling to her. In the sea of options, this one alone felt perfect.

"It looks peaceful," Jasmine mused as she peered into the shard and tried to make out the tiny details. "There seems to be a dense forest of some kind surrounding a cliff and is that a waterfall? I can't see any signs of monsters or birds, but it's hard to tell."

Reaching out with some apprehension, she grasped the shard and felt herself being dragged into it. Blinking the blinding light away, she found herself on a rock outcrop above the treeline. The sun was intense, the air was incredibly humid, and the loud hum of insects was assaulting her ears.

"So this is going to be my home for the next month," Jasmine frowned as she removed her thick coat and stowed it away. "Not what I would call ideal conditions for living, but the nature Qi here is incredibly dense." Jasmine closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, "Wow... it's so much better than back home—"

There was a loud crash behind her. Snapping her eyes open and balling her fists, she spun around, ready to face the monster, only to feel stupid.

"Oh, thank the heavens. It's only you."

The portal overhead snapped closed, and Sol stood there wordlessly, looking at her with his ball of blinding light for a head.

Shaking her head, Jasmine walked past her guardian. "Come on, let's go explore our new home." Deciding to take advantage of her vantage point, she scanned the surroundings while covering her eyes, and to her surprise, she saw what appeared to be a stone temple in the far distance.

"That looks way too maintained to be a ruin..."

Jasmine decided to go investigate.

[Author Note]

Anti-biotics finally kicked in after a few days, and I feel somewhat alive again! Hope to be fully free of this illness after a few more days.