71 The Moon Stones Brilliance (1/2)
”The moon can't be in my courtyard, that is ridiculous. But the Shinsoo signature is unmistakable.”
On Shin Sumi's tea table, a white cloth with a very faint silvery design laid flat, folded into a square. Only a small bump revealed what was hidden inside.
Carefully, Shin Sumi unfurled the linen, squinting at the source of a brilliant white light.
The Copper Bell in her bag of holding immediately rang, toning down the brightness that looked identical to pure moonlight.
”A Moon Stone!” Shin Sumi confirmed her suspicions.
She knew about these precious stones that, according to legends, had fallen straight from the white astral body onto the plane it orbited around.
”I can't believe it! This is a genuine Moon Stone!”
Despite being incredulous and very happy, Shin Sumi's mind had not stopped thinking though. Her eyes wandered rapidly from left to right, thoughts unrelentlessly trying to figure out what had happened.
Still holding the Moon Stone half wrapped in cloth, Shin Sumi fell to her knees, legs tucked under her.
Palms flat on the ground, her forehead pressed hard against the dark wood of the floor.
”Thank you Senior. This humble Seventh Ghost will not disturb you anymore. I am in your debt for this Moon Stone.”
Shin Sumi was fairly confident nobody was even remotely close to her house at that time but there was no way for her to ascertain that. It was obviously not with her low cultivation level that she would be able to discern the presence of whoever it was that left the Moon Stone there.
But just in case, she had no choice but to pay respects and acknowledge the precious gift.
The message was simple, ”If you want to cultivate using the moon, do it from here, don't go back up the mountain” and as for who had gifted her a Moon Stone, well the choice was limited.
After Shin Sumi put the Moon Stone away in her bag of holding, the room suddenly turned pitch black, as if all light from the world had died the instant the small moon disappeared. Even with the Copper Bell activated, it took a second for her eyes to readjust to the ambient light.
She was still holding the cloth that had previously hidden the Moon Stone's glimmer. The white linen was almost weightless and had been weaved so tightly that it felt like silk on her fingers. The embroidered ghost shadow on its center used silver threads, serving as a signature accompanying the Moon Stone.
”Hmmm... How long should I wait for, just in case the Senior Ghost is still nearby?” Shin Sumi wondered to herself. ”Nuan, come out!”
A green flash on her arm later, the Lion Bat appeared, jumping happily all around as soon as she touched the ground.
”I have something amazing to feed you, little Nuan. For now I have to practice magical techniques so it's playtime for you but don't go too far away okay? You're definitely going to be interested in what I just obtained!”
With a mental promise of good food for Nuan, Shin Sumi let the spirit beast roam free. It had been a few hours since Nuan last came out, and for what she was going to do, she couldn't risk her leaving the leaf pattern on her own.
The Void Sword was a dangerous weapon, one that Shin Sumi was about to use for training. She couldn't even think of what would happen if Nuan came out of her arm as she was striking with all her strength.
With a slap to her bag of holding, Shin Sumi produced the Void Sword. Despite the missing blade, the weight in her hand remained the same, and she almost felt like she was once again complete. The sword had become an extension of her own arm.
Usually Shin Sumi would begin her practice with normal sword strikes. Not everything they taught in the Star-Sword Pavilion was flashy and extravagant. Most of the earlier lessons were about successfully parrying and attacking.
But this day she had already been singled out by Wan Jishun and the normal techniques were still fresh in her hand. Instead she wanted to work on the Star-Sword Canon.
Concentrating Shinsoo in the appropriate Shinsoo Apertures, Shin Sumi lifted her arms.
”Star-Sword Canon first form: Cleaving Meteor!”
In a sudden burst of released Shinsoo, her raised sword accelerated downwards with incredible speed. Even with a missing blade, the tip of the sword condensed with yellow light that disappeared when the Void Sword reached its target.
The large boulder covered with moss that was at the end of Shin Sumi's own training grounds split open with an ear shattering noise.
Even from five meters away, the boulder stood no chance in face of the Star-Sword Canon's first technique. Even the ground itself now possessed a scar going in a straight line from Shin Sumi.
The girl was panting, her eyes closed.
”Ha..Ha.. A regular sword uses so much more Shinsoo” she said to herself, ”but it really makes the difference.”
It was her first time trying the Star-Sword Canon outside of the Pavilion's regular training sessions. And even then, the form of the sure-kill technique was studied only through wooden weapons. At least for once it felt good to not have the sword splinter and break between her fingers due to the massive pressure endured.
Shin Sumi now also understood why the Star-Sword Canon was forbidden in regular Star Arenas fighting with other disciples.
”Cleaving Meteor is the Star-Sword Canon's first form out of seven, and currently it's my limit at a rate of maybe three per day with a real sword. Improving my cultivation speed with the Moon Severing Ephemeral Shadow will give me more leeway and bring me closer to being able to use the second form.”
Shin Sumi felt happy, a fulfilling sentiment which took over her and remained, even as she was scouring the forest trying to find a new boulder to rope and drag back to her courtyard.
”I really need to invest in proper targets. At this rate all the large chunks of rocks in the forest will have turned to dust in a few months.”
Upon her return from the forest, Shin Sumi found Nuan sitting on the first step of her house, curiously looking at her with black beads for eyes.
”Cute little Nuan... I'm sure you would have loved to steal the Star-Sword Canon and make it even better, right? I'm sorry but no can do! Unlike the other techniques I have, these seven forms are not passed down on a scroll of parchment. They are only taught from one person to another.”
Shin Sumi sighed, ”Yes I know it has flaws. The Shinsoo Aperture link to power the Cleaving Meteor doesn't feel perfect, and only you would find a suitable version of it but I have no choice in the matter.”
Without any answer from the Lion Bat, the conversation soon turned a bit too one-sided for Shin Sumi who decided to meditate for a bit. She hesitated to take out the Moon Stone but didn't. During day time the power of the Moon Stone would not be optimal.
After resting enough so that her dantian was not void of Shinsoo, Shin Sumi stood up with determination in her eyes.
”Round two! Star-Sword Canon first form: Cleaving Meteor!!”
***
”Ouch! Nuan do you want to come with me?” Shin Sumi asked.
She had just painfully stripped of her clothes and plopped down in her refreshing bath. Her body was aching all over, training having taken a toll on her.
The Lion Bat happily obliged, splashing Shin Sumi's face and landing on her belly. Soon after, a sweet aroma permeated the air as Shin Sumi's muscles relaxed, her articulations already hurting less.
Even after morphing from a weird nut into a spirit beast, Nuan had still retained her healing powers in water. The strange being that had accompanied Shin Sumi since her very first step into the Immortal World was shrouded in mystery but it wasn't something that bothered Shin Sumi much.
She knew she couldn't comprehend Nuan yet, but as long as the Lion Bat was willing to stay with her, she didn't have to. The creature was refining her resources, enhancing her techniques, healing her, and in turn Shin Sumi was feeding her and giving her all her love.
”You did well, Nuan. I wanted to keep this treat for after I used it tonight, but I don't feel like cultivating for now, so you can have it. Return it soon, okay?”
Reaching above her head to where her bag of holding was, Shin Sumi retrieved the Moon Stone, illuminating the bathing room with a pure white glow.
Nuan was immediately excited. It seemed like she knew what Shin Sumi had just told her and couldn't wait to put her little teeth around the small mesmerizing moon. The bat wings flapped a few times, the lion tail whipping the air, and soon enough the white glow had completely disappeared.
”Good girl, let us both rest now” said Shin Sumi before letting her consciousness drift away into restorative sleep.
***
Shin Sumi was quickly making progress.