Chapter 23: Hidden Appearances (Patreon)

(AN: I'll go into more detail about it tomorrow when I post this week's Friday chapter for TRT (since it's related to that), but I plan on taking a break for at least the first two weeks of March. Since that is the case, I've decided to pause billing for March. Members can still access my content, but they won't be charged. As for the people who signed up before I could pause billing, I already refunded their money so they don't have to worry about that.)

(Edited by Radriel7)

Despite our worries, nothing happened to us after we left the clearing. We remained alert and vigilant, but to our surprise, we were neither ambushed nor attacked. Neither did we encounter any traps or restrictions. Rather than reassure us, this worried us even further. We knew that there were dangers ahead, otherwise the other participants wouldn’t have torn their talismans and called for help, but we encountered nothing.

If anything, the lack of any threats allowed our imaginations to run wild. My nerves grew more and more taut with each passing minute, until it felt like they would snap. I imagined that my companions were feeling something similar.

Contrary to the tension building inside me, the forest around us was calm and tranquil. The trees around us stood tall and proud, nourished by the abundant qi in the area. Their branches formed a thick canopy, which shielded us from the sun’s light. Despite the summer heat, the shade kept us cool. Beneath the trees, the forest floor was thick with undergrowth. It made for rough going, since there weren’t any trails, but that wasn’t an impediment for cultivators like us. I heard the singing of birds and the chittering of small animals, though I didn’t see any even with my spirit sense.

Despite the beautiful, almost idyllic scenery around us, I felt ill at ease. At first I thought it was because of my nerves, but then I realized that wasn’t it. There was something odd about our surroundings, though I couldn’t figure out what. I knew there was something wrong, yet I couldn’t pinpoint what that something was.

I stopped and looked around. When the others noticed this, they stopped as well.

“Is something the matter, Senior Brother Darian?” Clarissa asked. “Have you noticed something?”

I frowned.

“I’m not sure,” I said, still looking around. “There’s something off about our surroundings, though I can’t figure out what.” I faced the others. “Have any of you noticed this as well?”

They all nodded.

“I thought there was something wrong as well,” Clarissa admitted. “However, when I couldn’t figure out what, I thought it was just my nerves.”

“It’s the same for me,” Cultivator Willow said. “I feel like something is off, yet I can’t find anything wrong with our surroundings.”

Cultivator Harlow looked around with a frown on his face, before understanding lit up his face.

“Do you smell that?” he asked.

I sniffed and realized what he meant right away.

“No,” Clarissa said with a frown on her face. “I don’t smell anything.”

“Exactly,” Cultivator Harlow said. “We’re in the middle of a forest, the air should be thick with the scent of vegetation and damp earth, yet I can’t smell anything. Can you?”

The rest of us shook our heads.

“You’re right,” I said. “I hadn’t noticed anything since I was used to the lack of smell from the mist earlier.” I glanced at Cultivator Harlow. “You must have a remarkable sense of smell.”

He tapped the side of his nose and grinned at me.

“While my spirit sense isn’t as powerful as yours or Cultivator Willow’s, I’ve honed my mundane senses to a remarkable degree,” he said. “Sometimes the only way to differentiate between two identical looking spirit herbs is by using one’s nose.”

Cultivator Willow looked around.

“What does the lack of smell mean?” she asked. “Are we caught in an illusion of some kind?”

Cultivator Harlow nodded.

“That would be my guess,” he said. “It’s likely that we’re trapped in an illusion formed by an array. If that’s the case, then everything we perceive around us isn’t real.”

That sent a chill down my spine. I reached over and touched a nearby tree. If this was an illusion, then it was a powerful one. It seemed so real. The tree’s bark felt rough against my skin, while the tree itself felt solid and firm.

The thought of being trapped in an illusion and unable to distinguish it from reality filled me with unease. While we traversed the mist earlier, I knew that it hindered our senses. However, I hadn’t noticed anything wrong with the forest around us. Well, I had but I hadn’t been able to figure out what was wrong. If it hadn’t been for Cultivator Harlow, we might have encountered a dangerous foe or walked into a trap without realizing it.

“How do we break through this illusion?” I asked, still examining the tree.

“I’m not an expert in illusions, so I only know of two methods,” Cultivator Harlow said. “The first is to have a strong spirit sense. Cultivators with a strong spirit sense are more able to see through illusions.”

“That isn’t an option for us,” Cultivator Willow said in a wry voice. “Cultivator Darian and I both practice mental refinement, but we were still deceived.”

I grimaced. When this was all over, I needed to further strengthen my spirit sense. That way, I wouldn’t fall prey to illusions and other mental techniques. I dreaded the thought of facing a foe I couldn’t even perceive.

“Not true,” Cultivator Harlow said. “Now that you and Cultivator Darian know that you’re caught in an illusion, perhaps you’ll be able to see through it. You just need to focus.”

Cultivator Willow and I glanced at each other.

“What is the second method, Cultivator Harlow?” Clarissa asked. “My spirit sense is average for my current cultivation base. I doubt I’ll be able to see through this illusion, no matter how hard I try.”

Cultivator Harlow gave her a soft smile.

“You and I are similar in that regard,” he said. “The second method is to break through the array creating the illusion in the first place. Thankfully, I have some skill with arrays, so this method is feasible for us.”

“Let’s go with that method then,” I said. “We’re a team. Even if Cultivator Willow and I could break through this illusion using our spirit sense, you two would still be caught up in it. I’d rather not leave you behind.”

Clarissa gave me a grateful look, while Cultivator Harlow nodded.

“Very well,” he said. “Give me a moment.”

Cultivator Harlow pulled the array plate and the array flags from his storage ring. He created an array by tossing the flags out and then started fiddling around with the array plate. At least, that’s what it looked like on the surface. I imagined that there was more going on, but my ignorance kept me in the dark.

About fifteen or so minutes later, Cultivator Harlow let out a laugh.

“I figured it out!” he said while still studying the array plate. “While the illusion is quite powerful, the array itself is rather simple. We’ll be able to break through it without issue.” He looked up at us. “The array covers a large part of the valley so destroying it would be a waste of time, but we can create an opening that we can slip through.”

I frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“How much do you know about arrays, Cultivator Darian?”

“Very little,” I said, shaking my head.

Cultivator Harlow looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Let me put it like this,” he said. “Think of the illusion as a wall. Rather than destroy the wall, we can create a hole and go through it that way. Once we’re on the other side, the illusion will no longer affect us.”

I somewhat understood what he meant by that.

“So, what do we need to do in order to create this hole?” I asked.

“Permanent arrays have anchors or cores that strengthen them and keep them stable,” Cultivator Harlow said. “Destroying enough cores will create a weakness that can be exploited.” He gestured to the forest around us “In this particular case, it will allow us to see through the illusion. I already figured out the rough location of three of this array’s cores. Destroying them should allow me to break through the array.”

“Perfect,” Cultivator Willow said. “The three of us can handle that with ease.”

Cultivator Harlow nodded and gave us the rough location of each of the cores. All of them were within half a mile of our current location. Cultivator Willow, Clarissa, and myself each picked one.

“Before you go,” Cultivator Harlow said. “I should warn you that the cores for an illusion array like this can look like anything, so they may be difficult to find.” He gestured to the array plate in his hands. “In ten minutes, I’m going to do something that should cause a reaction from the cores. It won’t last long, so make sure you find the core and destroy before the reaction ends. After the three of you return, I’ll break through the array.”

The three of us nodded before we each headed towards our chosen target. Mine was about half a mile to the southeast. Half a mile wasn’t much of a distance to a cultivator, even taking the rough terrain into account, so it didn’t take me long to reach my destination. The entire time, I kept an eye out on my surroundings. Now that I knew I was caught in some kind of illusion, I was even warier than before. However, nothing happened and I arrived without issue.

The area Cultivator Harlow told me about looked no different than any other part of the forest. If he hadn’t told me about the array core, I wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss. I searched for the core, sweeping the area with my mundane senses and my spirit sense. However, nothing stood out to me. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I had hoped to find the core without Cultivator Harlow’s help, but it seemed as if my spirit sense wasn’t powerful enough.

Participating in this entrance exam gave me an understanding of just how lacking I was. I was good at fighting, but little else. My spirit sense wasn’t powerful enough, I knew nothing about arrays, and my knowledge of pills and alchemy was shallow at best. If I had tried to go through this part of the entrance on my own, I would have failed.

Realizing my own inadequacies wasn’t a pleasant feeling. However, it was also a blessing. Now that I knew my weaknesses, I could improve upon them. Thankfully, the solution for ignorance was simple: studying. As for my spirit sense, I just needed to continue practicing the Song of Dawn and Dusk technique. I also made a mental note to ask Astra and Cultivator Raphael if there were any supplementary techniques that could further strengthen my spirit sense.

As I pondered the areas where I needed to improve, I also kept searching for the array core. After a few minutes, I found it. It was a small stone that seemed to ripple, as if it were a mirage. This must have been the reaction Cultivator Harlow mentioned. The rippling was subtle. If I hadn’t been specifically looking for the core, I might have missed it.

I formed a hand seal, before launching a fireball at the stone. Instead of melting, as I expected, the stone sizzled before disappearing with a pop. I stared at the area where it had been for a few seconds, before shaking my head and making my way back to Cultivator Harlow. It didn’t take me long to return, where I found the others waiting for me.

“Excellent,” Cultivator Harlow said. “Give me a few moments, and make sure to stay close to me.”

With that, he started chanting an incantation while pouring qi into the array plate in his hands. At first he chanted at a low volume, but grew louder and louder as time went on. When his chanting reached a crescendo, I felt a spike of power come from Cultivator Harlow and heard a tearing sound. It sounded like someone ripping a silk sheet in half.

When that happened, the landscape in front of us changed. The area in our immediate vicinity remained the same. However, about fifty or so feet ahead of us, the forest gave way to a swamp. That wasn’t the only change either. The stench of decay and rotting vegetation assaulted my nose. It was so strong that I almost gagged. The others fared no better.

“Oh ancestors,” Clarissa said, pinching her nose. “That reeks! I almost prefer the illusion.”

“I’ve endured many a terrible smell,” Cultivator Willow said. “However, this is by far the foulest stench I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter.”

Before I could say anything, Cultivator Harlow fell to his knees. It happened so suddenly that none of us had time to catch him.

“Cultivator Harlow!” I said, crouching down next to him.

He looked, and sounded, like he was in poor shape. His face was pale and sweat beaded his forehead, and his breathing sounded labored.

“I’m…fine,” he said. “I just need…a moment. Breaking through the array…took more out of me than I expected.”

“Do you need a Qi Restoration Pill?” I asked. “I can give you one if needed. Consider it repayment for the healing pill from earlier.”

Cultivator Harlow started to shake his head, before he paused and then nodded.

“Actually…yes,” he said. “I would like one.”

I retrieved a Qi Restoration Pill from my storage ring and gave it to Cultivator Harlow. He gave me a grateful look, before he took the pill and swallowed it. Some color returned to his face and his breathing eased up.

“Should we wait for Cultivator Harlow to recover his internal qi?” Clarissa asked with a worried look on his face.

Cultivator Willow looked up.

“I’m not sure if we can afford to,” she said.

The rest of us looked up as well. She was right. It was early afternoon now, but most of the valley lay between us and our destination. We couldn’t afford to wait an hour for Cultivator Harlow to recover his internal qi.

“Do you plan on leaving me behind?” Cultivator Harlow asked with a wary look on his face. “What a strange way to show gratitude.”

Cultivator Willow snorted.

“You’ll just slow us down as you are,” she said. “Besides, it’s not as if you need to pass this test in order to become an inner disciple, Cultivator Harlow.”

He glared at her and opened his mouth to respond, but I spoke up before he could.

“We’re not leaving you behind, Cultivator Harlow,” I said. “I’ll carry you while you focus on recovering your internal qi.”

Everyone stared at me with various looks on their faces. Cultivator Harlow wore an incredulous expression on his face, while Clarissa looked at me with admiration in her eyes.

“You truly are a kind soul, Senior Brother Darian,” she said.

As for Cultivator Willow, well, with her face covered up I couldn’t read her expression at all.

“Is that wise, Cultivator Darian?” she asked after a long moment. “What if we encounter danger while you’re carrying Cultivator Harlow?”

I shrugged.

“Then I’ll run,” I said. “And if that isn’t enough, I’ll rip up my talisman. Simple as that.”

The two of us stared at each other for several long moments.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother Darian,” Clarissa said in a resolute tone. “If we encounter danger while you’re carrying Cultivator Harlow, I’ll protect you.”

I gave her a grateful smile.

“Thank you, Junior Sister Clarissa,” I said.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Cultivator Harlow demanded, red-faced.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you want to be left behind?” I asked.

Cultivator Harlow hesitated.

“Well, no,” he said. “But-…”

“It’s settled then,” I said, interrupting him.

Before anyone could say or do anything else, I grabbed Cultivator Harlow and lifted him up. This caught him off guard and he let out a squeal; a distinctly feminine squeal.

“What are you doing?” he-…No, she said while blushing.

This sudden realization caught me off guard and I almost dropped her.

“You’re a woman?” I asked in an incredulous tone.

Both Cultivator Willow and Clarissa looked at Cultivator Harlow.

“What?” they both asked at the same time.

Cultivator Harlow’s blush deepened, but she lifted her head up and gave me a defiant look.

“So what if I am?” she demanded. “Is that a problem?”

“I…Uh…”

This was my first time being in such …intimate contact with a woman who wasn’t my kin, and it left me a little tongue tied. As I became aware of Cultivator Harlow’s warmth and the weight of her body in my arms, my face started to heat up. I coughed to cover up my embarrassment.

“No, there’s no problem,” I said. “I was just caught off guard, that’s all.”

Cultivator Harlow scowled and looked away from me.

“Why did you pretend to be a man?” Cultivator Willow demanded.

Cultivator Harlow snorted.

“Likely the same reason why you’re pretending to be an old woman,” she said.

My eyes snapped towards Cultivator Willow. She let out a sigh.

“Interfering busybody,” she said. Her voice no longer sounded raspy, but instead sounded smooth and rich.

“Ha!” Cultivator Harlow said. “Consider that revenge for trying to leave me behind.”

Clarissa looked between the two of them with a confused look on her face.

“So Cultivator Harlow pretended to be a man,” she said. “Cultivator Willow pretended to be an old woman.” She gestured to me. “And earlier, Senior Brother Darian wore a mask to hide his appearance.”

I exchanged looks with Cultivator Willow and Cultivator Harlow.

“Yes, Junior Sister Clarissa,” I said.

“Why?” she said in a baffled tone. “Does it have something to do with the tokens the three of you are wearing?”

Oh, I hadn’t realized that she noticed those. No matter. It wasn’t like it was supposed to be some big secret.

“I don’t know about Cultivator Harlow or Cultivator Willow,” I said with a shrug. “But I wanted to keep my participation in this entrance exam a secret from a certain someone within the Dawn and Dusk Sect.”

Of course, I threw all of that aside in order to help Clarissa. I had no doubt that Big Sis Sidra was aware of my presence now, and I was more than a little afraid of what would happen after the entrance exam ended.

“Me too,” Cultivator Harlow said with a nod.

“It’s the same for me,” Cultivator Willow said at almost the same time.

Clarissa looked at all three of us with a complicated expression on her face, before she shook her head.

“As curious as I am about…” She gestured to the three of us. “…this, we should move on.”

“Agreed,” I said. “We can save any questions for later.”

Cultivator Harlow and Cultivator Willow both nodded. With that, the three of us headed towards the next challenge: the swamp.