Chapter 89 - A Mission For A Ghost (1/2)
”I'm getting to it, Seventh Sister. The war with the Sky Earth Sect is coming in two and a half years' time, at the most. You already know that, but the goal of the Rising Star Tournament was to quickly form geniuses like you.
From what we've seen in yesterday's battles, we, the Dark Sky Starry Sect, can be proud to have at least twenty one strong practitioners in our Liquid Realm ranks.”
Fen Wudao stood up, slowly walking over his personal training arena.
”The truth is, the Inner Disciples of the sect at the Liquid Realm level are not very numerous. In total, our forces are only about a hundred and fifty strong. Our Elders from the upper Liquid Realm to the low levels of the Core Development Realm are only about thirty. Lastly the experts on our side, as well as the reserve powers and the Senior Ghosts are just a handful.”
Fen Wudao was toying with a short sword, waiting for Shin Sumi to stand up to him on the training grounds.
”From what our spies in the Sky Earth Sect have reported, their forces roughly amount to the double of ours.”
The revelation of how strong the enemy sect truly was felt like a shock to Shin Sumi. Her steps stopped abruptly while images of a one-sided war appeared in her mind.
She spoke quietly, ”If they are so much stronger, why wait five years instead of attacking straight away?”
Fen Wudao started attacking with light but fast sword strikes. While still discussing, Shin Sumi held Sky Deception and blocked before taking the offensive side against her senior.
”Patriarch Mui's relics and treasures. To put it simply, the Sky Earth Sect believes we have two of daoist Dark Sky's relics. Coupled with the rare treasures still intact from the Sky Sect's era, like the Floating Continent dimension and the Dark Fortress, our base power runs deeper than theirs.”
”What are these treasures...?” Shin Sumi suddenly felt strange. Luckily she and Fen Wudao were constantly moving while fighting, or else she would have looked really pale. It felt to her like she knew the answer to her question already as soon as it escaped her red lips.
”One you know intimately by now, the Gold Tyrant Flying Sword. It was Patriarch Mui who passed it on to Patriarch Sen. But as you know I made the choice to give it to you.”
Of course Shin Sumi understood. In order for the Gold Tyrant Flying Sword to turn into the Void Sword, it had to be tempered by generations upon generations in the five Veins of Hell Fire. Had Fen Wudao kept the sword for himself, he wouldn't have been able to temper the blade twice and achieve what the weapon wanted.
”Aherm. This is why you are so important in this upcoming war, Seventh Sister” a third voice suddenly joined in the discussion after clearing their throat.
Shin Sumi was so startled by Patriarch Sen's sudden appearance behind her that she almost failed in blocking Fen Wudao's attack.
”Before his passing, Old Man Mui kept emphasizing how his precious golden sword was a treasure of utmost importance to the sect. But no matter how nagging I was, that old geezer never explained a single thing. Almost four hundred years later, the sword has passed between the hands of three more generations and I can only guess what he meant.”
”Patriarch Sen, can you tell me more about the curse the previous Patriarch used on the sect?”
Shin Sumi tried her best to sound respectful and greet the newcomer respectfully even though she had to forget the courtesy bow lest she wanted Fen Wudao's sword cutting her in two by accident.
The Patriarch paid it no mind and didn't spare the fighting disciples a single glance, absorbed as he was into his cup of tea and his memories.
”Aaah, the curse. Look up at the sky and you'll see its effect.”
Shin Sumi instantly knew what the Fourth Ghost was talking about. She even had emitted herself the possibility that the heavy cover of dark clouds originated with the splitting of the Sky Sect.
”It was only after his passing that I understood how many secrets my master kept within him. Had he not been struck down right as the curse started, I have no idea how much more potent it would have been.
Usually when a curse is unleashed, it is highly linked to the caster's lifeline” Patriarch Sen explained, endorsing a role of professor for Shin Sumi's benefit, and Fen Wudao's as well.
”To put it simply, low level curses stop when the caster is rendered unconscious. Higher level curses can last up to a lifetime. But any magical curse used from a person's cultivation base stops when the individual dies.”
Fen Wudao and Shin Sumi slowed down their sword training, both concentrated on the Patriarch's voice. Even for the number one inner disciple of the sect, curses were a bit abstract and hard to understand.
It was Shin Sumi who understood the implications of the Patriarch's words first. She was about to stupidly ask if they were sure that Patriarch Mui had really died when the solution dawned on her.
”Then if it didn't come from Patriarch Mui's cultivation base, it came from an item. A powerful artefact if the curse is still strong after four hundred years.”
Patriarch Sen lifted his head to look straight at Shin Sumi, a look of praise in his old eyes.
”Good. This is the only explanation. The artefact used was something that even the Old Ghosts were unaware the Sky Sect possessed. We have no idea what it is but we can assume it is a really high grade treasure.”
Shin Sumi wasn't doubting the Patriarch's words in the slightest but a look of confusion must have spread across her face before the Fourth Ghost spoke again.
”You must be wondering what the point of such a powerful artefact is, if its only strength is summoning clouds over a few mountains. However you will soon understand why the Sky Earth Sect still wants to go to war with us over a centuries old matter.
When my ancestor was struck down, the curse had only begun. Unfortunately its progression was interrupted by the traitors who dealt the finishing blow. I can still remember that day clearly, when I saw my Master fall down from the sky and crash in the valley. It was at that moment the full power of the curse started, from the inside of my Master's broken body rather than in the skies above like it was supposed to.”
Shin Sumi's eyes opened wide. Fen Wudao looked at her to see her reaction, having heard parts of that story himself already.
But Shin Sumi's surprise wasn't only because of the violent memory of the Patriarch, but because some formless links had connected inside her mind.
Without interruption, Patriarch Sen continued, Shin Sumi's thoughts becoming denser by the second.
”The artefact that is powerful enough to cloud the skies for almost half a millenia is still accompanying my ancestor's remains. Since the beginning every attempt to retrieve them has been a failure. The curse is simply too strong.
Much like any disciple who cultivated and trained in the lower valley before, you should have spent some time in the training grounds to the west.”
”Are you referring to the dark chasm?” Shin Sumi asked.
Patriarch Sen nodded. It wasn't difficult to piece the information together once one knew the story of daoist Dark Sky. What he ignored, though, was that Shin Sumi had already done what nobody every did.
She had already explored the chasm and even established the base of her Yin type spirit plants selling operation there. If one cultivator knew all about the dark chasm, it was her.
Now that she knew the large scar in the earth was where Patriarch Mui fell and his curse went wild, it made sense. The oppressive darkness and the powerful Yin Shinsoo concentration were definitely magical in essence and not a natural occurrence.
Only she had explored it through and through, and she had found nothing but darkness and writhing snakes. There were a lot of remains, humans and animals alike, but nothing that indicated the four hundred years old corpse of a late Core Development expert.
As for the treasure that was at the origin of the curse...
Shin Sumi nervously stroked the outside of her bag of holding. Inside she could feel the presence of a certain artefact. A little copper bell with engravings on its surface.