33 Crossways Encounter Of The Yellow Kind (1/2)

Shin Sumi saw at first glance that the platform was unusual. From afar she could see smaller floating landmasses just like the ones she had used previously converging onto this one path.

From that it was easy to deduct that some other disciples would pass through the area.

”I think that from the other two that succeded the first trial before me, the closest was around fifteen light pillars away. I wonder how many pathways lead to this specific platform” she wondered.

Shin Sumi hesistated for a while between settling down and recuperate from the long hours of running and leaping or try to advance.

It wasn't in her habit to act rashly without thinking and if there was even a chance that another disciple in the lead had to go through the same way as her, she wanted to avoid them as much as possible.

”Stopping now would be unwise. In the off chance that I misjudged and they are closer than I expected, I can't afford to have a yellow robe attack me while I meditate.”

Shin Sumi knew there were some talismans and artefacts that could be used to locate cultivators in the vincinity. Although this key landmass seemed at least two full days of running long, she wasn't sure she could find a place remote enough to meditate peacefully.

Unbeknownst to her, another cultivator had already gone through the same dilemma on the same particular crossway.

***

Tai Bu was hiding in a crevice that ran along the edge of a rocky cliff. Dark sparks seemed to dance around his body as he was sitting, unmoving.

Being admitted in the Dark Sky Starry Sect as a yellow robed disciple at only the age of sixteen, Tai Bu had been promised a bright future almost immediately.

He had instantly caught the eye of Elder Peng, one of the top ten Elders of the sect. Since then, it was almost as if he had become his blood relative, having a profund connection as Master and Disciple.

Elder Peng had poured his soul into cultivating his precious disciple, who in only two years rose from a mortal to a bright student who even opened twelve Shinsoo Passageways during his breakthrough.

Tai Bu had been about to try his hand at breaking through the Liquid Realm one day when Elder Peng had arrived at the immortal cave he had provided to his Disciple. It was then that Tai Bu learned in advance about the Rising Star Tournament, in much the same way that Shin Sumi had with Elder Zhu.

Tai Bu had delayed his breakthrough for an entire month in the hopes of finding the right opportunity during the Tournament, ensuring his success as well as a good place within the Inner Disciples of the Liquid Realm.

Patiently waiting for the second trial-taker to arrive to his landmass, Tai Bu was stroking and stretching a leather whip leisurely. It had been given to him by his master at the same time as other artefacts, like the dark sparks that powered his hiding illusion, and had become his weapon of choice.

Back in the Grand Hall of the Dark Sky Starry Sect, Elder Peng was scrutinizing the jade screen with filial love in his eyes.

”Young Bu, don't make me loose face. That red robed boy coming your way may have great mental aptitudes, but there's no way he can escape your Flaming Whip. Make him understand how big the gap between you two is!”

***

Shin Sumi was starting to feel the effect of the loss of stamina. She had been running for three days in a row since she last stopped. Since she took her decision to continue forward, only five hours had passed.

”I may have overestimated myself. I need to rest soon. Who knows what this trial by fire has to offer, but I must ensure I'm always in peak condition to fight, just in case.”

Her mind was starting to slowly form a plan, as she came to understand the specificity of this stage of the tournament more and more.

”It is a race, so I can't afford to rest for two long. But if the goal is to reach the huge continent at the end of the path, it can take weeks or even months! So one had to judge when to stop and for how long efficiently...”

Shin Sumi decided to run to the top of a small hill that was not too far from her path on the elongated landmass. In front of her, maybe less than two kilometers away, she caught a glimpse of a rocky area where the landmass reduced in width.

From afar it looked like some sort of canyon and passing through appeared to be the only way to get to the end of this platform and reach the next.

”The perfect place for an ambush” she thought, ”but also a good place to stay alert if somebody comes.”

Shin Sumi's reasoning was simple. If she stopped to rest and replenish her Shinsoo levels right after the canyon, she would be able to sense any person incoming, giving her enough time to leave before being noticed hopefully.

Pretty tired but not yet exhausted, Shin Sumi closed in on the ravine. Two sharp walls of grey rock rose up in the air in an intimidating fashion. The red light coming from the strange sky overhead progressively became dimmed as it couldn't reach the bottom of the canyon.

”Another day another ravine” thought Shin Sumi, suddenly missing her cultivation spot within the sect's training grounds.

At the same time as she took her first step on the slight slope marking the entrance of the canyon, a figure clad in invisible black sparks opened their eyes a few hundred meters away.

”Here they come” murmured Tai Bu, ”The talisman has activated, someone is entering the ravine already!”

Only a cultivator in the middle of the Liquid Realm could sense someone's presence from this far away. Thankfully for Tai Bu though, his Master had crafted a few paper talismans that he could link to his divine sense.

Given his own lack of cultivation level, the quality of the talismans was greatly reduced but Elder Peng was a Core Development Elder! Every item given to Tai Bu was leagues away from those a random Honorary Disciple could get their hands on.

Silently, Tai Bu stretched and readied his whip. He only had to wait for the arriving disciple to walk on the narrow pathway under him and his surprise attack would be an instantaneous success.

”They wont even know what happened to them, hehehe.”

Not even thirty seconds later, Tai Bu's excitement was reaching its apex when a figure clad in red robes walking along the narrow path came into his field of vision.

For a split second, Tai Bu was taken by surprise. ”How can it be a red robed disciple?” he asked before reassuring himself.

Considering the time he spent hidden waiting for another person to arrive, the first to cross paths with him should definitely not have been a low level disciple.

In accordance to the first stage of the tournament, only the disciples with the best mental aptitudes should have reached the second stage that fast. Tai Bu was thus expecting a yellow robed disciple or at least an orange one.

But why did it matter after all... A grim smile crept up on his otherwise dignified face.

”As it turns out, this boy doesn't even qualify to be my stepping stone. I'll make him pay for wasting my time, hehehe!”

Shin Sumi whose features were that of a male cultivator was only ten steps away from under where Tai Bu was hiding. She was advancing with care, doing her best to look around but still oblivious to the impending menace.

A few meters above, Tai Bu started counting in silence.

Nine steps.

Eight steps.

Seven steps.

But right when he was down to the last six digits and his leg muscles were already flexing and about to launch him towards the newcomer, something unexpected happened.

Shin Sumi's eyes suddenly darted upwards, locking straight into Tai Bu's. An uneasy feeling instantly overtook him but he wasn't even able to think ”How can he see me?!” before a short dagger appeared in the disciple's hand.

With a speed that should have been impossible for a low level disciple, the dagger was thrown... right in Tai Bu's direction!

In the crevice that was his hiding spot, Tai Bu was stuck directly on the path of the flying weapon. His reflexes acted before he could even understand what was happening, prompting him to dodge the only way that was possible, by jumping down inside the canyon.

”This red robed trash must have had a special artefact capable of finding me. There's no other way. But now that it has come down to this, I can beat him even with one hand and my eyes closed!”

Tai Bu wasn't completely wrong. After all with the dark sparks concealment given to him by a Core Development elder, how could a random disciple see through him so easily?