When Immortal Ascension Fails Time Travel to Try Again

Story 5 - A Sharp Inheritance (2/3)

While arranged marriages were a thing in mortal society and — from what I’d heard in the city — in the cultivator clans; most of the time, they at least waited for the person to come closer to the age of marriage. Secondly, I was sure my sister would tell me to go practice the sword until I stop thinking of nonsense if I even joked—

“That must be it.”

Please don’t say such scary things. I’m trying to concentrate here.

I focused on moving the blocks again when I noticed that there was something in the silhouettes. A picture started to develop in my mind of what this final image would look like, and I moved each one to match that.

Without Senior Ghosty placing those scraps of paper, I never would have noticed.

When I finally had them all rotated to the right spot, I stepped back to view a massive image of a man holding a sword in the starting position for a sword technique.

“Congratulations! You finished the first mural. Let’s see if you can do the others.”

Rumble.

Pebbles peppered my head. I peered up while shading my eyes. The ceiling opened to show — that far above me — a heavy metal plate filled with sharp spikes slowly descended. Some kind of spiritual iron door slammed down over my only exit. (At least it would be if I didn’t have my space.)

“By the way... there is a time limit for you to solve the other two.”

I scowled up at the spikes then rushed to the next mural.

This one appeared to have no empty squares. Briefly, I worried that I wouldn't be able to solve this, or that I’d have to remove all the squares. Then I noticed that the center square was actually empty, but that someone had painted part of the mural onto the back wall!

After covering the center painting with a tile, I immediately deduced the next picture. I threw several panels over, rotating the squares like a circle. My hands and brain had only ever had to work so fast in concert when practicing alchemy with Fairy Lin.

Soon, I clicked the last square into place revealing, the next silhouette. This one showed the second position in a sword technique.

I glanced up at the spikes. They started moving faster. The screech of metal on metal filled the room.

The voice chuckled. “Did you think it would stop if you solved a second one?”

I dashed to the third and final mural. Worried that I wouldn't have enough time, I solved for the squares at the top then worked my way down. I pushed and pulled so quickly that the frames rattled. It was a wonder that they didn’t break apart from the force I exerted.

Then I shoved the last square into place. The spikes still hadn’t stopped. But they had slowed, at least. They were only a half dozen feet above me.

“Congratulations! Too bad you’re still trapped in here.”

I grimaced.

The voice wanted something from me. If I had to guess, It wanted me to use this technique to escape. To show that I could cultivate it.

But I didn’t trust this old man. And I didn’t like his tests. They felt more like games. As if he were just toying with me.

At random, I picked a wall and decided on the most powerful slashing attack I could currently use. I took out my sword and stood in the position my sister had taught me.

Remembering the feel of the Qi leaving my blade and the movements I used in the fight with Senior Justice, I raised my sword and struck. A blade of Qi flew out destroying part of the mural.

“Hey!” the voice yelled.

Then I used that technique, again and again, digging into the wall until I’d created a small path to a dark passageway. I assumed this was the next room and stepped into it.

This new place looked like a stone tunnel. The moist floor quickly dampened my silk shoes and the chill air seeped into my robes.

“That wasn’t how you were supposed to solve my puzzle! I can’t believe you’d do that to beautiful Mirror Lake’s assets. And the picture of me single-handedly killing the Level 5 Black Serpent spiritual beast.”

The voice kept lamenting about his mural as I walked through this tunnel but I ignored him.

I had no way of knowing where this would lead but I didn't want him to distract me. Fortunately, there wasn’t much of a choice in directions. Either back or forward.

“You were supposed to demonstrate to me how fast you could learn that easy sword technique. Then I would let you through the right door. Now you’re gonna have to find your own way to the next trial. Hehehehe.

“By the way... you never did mention what your little wife was like...”

After an hour where he droned on and on, trying to get me to talk to him he finally said, “You’re no fun! Your little fiancée will never marry you if you keep being this boring.”

Finally. Blessed silence.

::That guy finally shut up!:: Ghosty sent.

Or it would be.

I sighed and continued on my way, with another ghost talking in my head.

After spending hours walking through that dark tunnel, I had to stop to take one of Lin’s Grain Liberation Dan and drink some of my spiritual spring water.

::This isn’t working, kid. Why don’t you take out that fan flying tool you inherited from your mother? You could use that and some spirit stones to really speed through this place.::

::Alright. We’ve already taken too long. My sister will be worried about us. And I don't like all of the people in that team we left her in.::

I was out of ideas anyway and bored out of my mind. I had to quickly make it back. There was no telling what would happen if I wasn’t there watching her back...

Okay, she would probably be fine, but probably wasn't definitely.

::Hey! Your sister is beyond tough, kid. She was at the peak of Immortal Ascension before her rebirth. You should worry more about yourself. I don’t like this guy or this inheritance. While it’s not that unusual for spaces like this to be this difficult to get through — and sometimes even more so — they usually aren’t so vicious. At least not at first.::

I bit my lip but still took out my fan and a few of the spirit stones Lin gave me. She told me that she was paying for my help on some of the more advanced pills she worked on, but — considering how little I helped — I think that she just wanted an excuse to give me an allowance.

The energy from the stones slipped into my hand, and I directed it into the fan, enlarging it to the size of a sedan chair. I sat on it and gently had it carry me forward. Then I increased its speed. We moved faster and faster.

Several incense sticks worth of time passed.

No, there was something wrong with the tunnel. While I didn’t feel it curve, it must be curved. Because there was no way a hidden inheritance dimension this large could exist unless the original owner was an immortal. Of course, that was judging it based on my own space.

And speaking of my space. Didn’t it have a spirit I could talk to? One I hadn’t spoken much to since I gave my sister access.

Maybe it had a way to help me exit this place!

“Hello? Spirit?”I carefully sent the spirit in my mind. This type of communication was more direct than a telepathic technique because the spirit always rested in my sea of consciousness.

“Greetings, master!”A chipper voice replied.

“There is something weird going on with the space I’m in. Can you help me figure out what?”

“Of course!”

I kept flying.

And kept flying... The spirit still hadn't responded. It had to have been around an hour.

I’ve had enough.

“Spirit! Have you found anything yet?!”

“Yes!”

I clenched my hands into fists. Patience. I just needed patience! Because I wanted to bop the thing on top of its nonexistent head. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because it’s important! An exact location! Must find it!”

Now, I remembered why I hadn’t spoken to the spirit for so long. Getting it to say anything straight was like trying to get Fairy Lin to clean correctly.

“What is important?”

”This inheritance space has something shiny! I need it to grow!”

I sighed. ”Aren't you already big enough?”

”I have more uses! Many more! But you can only use them if you find the right sparkly.”

Like the stone, my sister won off Fairy Effervescent Sea Pearl when we were in Jade Lake outpost.

”Not interested! I just want out of this place.”

”Please, Master! I really want this sparkly!”

I sighed. ”Will it help me get out?”

”Well, no.”

”Then what use is it?”

”The sparkly might unlock my ability to hide. Even from higher realmed cultivators... Probably.”

I stilled. ”So I wouldn't have to keep using an obfuscation array?”

”Yes! Yes! Even for an Immortal Ascension Stage Cultivator. You disappear, and they’ll think you have an amazing movement technique! Space hidden!”

That would be useful. And I was stuck here anyway.

”Alright, fine. What do I need to do?”

”Just keep flying, master! I'll tell you when I’ve located it.”

***

Several unbelievably boring hours later, I finally heard Spirit again, ”There! Turn left! Now!”

Startled, I barely managed to turn left. But there was a stone wall in my way! It came closer and closer, before I could come screeching to a halt, Spirit yelled, ”Keep going! Is illusion!”

More terrified than that one time my sister pulled me off our immortal boat, I closed my eyes and kept going.

Something in the air changed.

I opened one eye.

A building with a classic hip roof — a roof style that fancy government buildings had — appeared in front of me and grew larger and larger... No, it was me! I was closing in too fast! I was about to crash into it!

I used my spiritual energy to push against the wall, even as I slowed the flying fan.

A finger width from the wall, I stopped. My heartbeat drummed in my ears.

::That was a close one, kid. Keep your eyes open next time!::

::...I’ll try.::

::But at least you’re not in that horrible tunnel anymore. I was starting to fall asleep.::

”Master! Master! It’s inside this building!”

”What is it anyway?”

I collected my fan into my bag and cautiously walked up to two massive golden doors inlaid with dragon patterns.

Do I just... enter? I swallowed and pressed my hand to one of the doors. Then I pushed. It didn't budge.

Okay, maybe it required more strength? I used the technique to push spiritual energy towards my limbs to strengthen my muscles and pushed as hard as I could.

Nothing.

”Hey, Spirit. Any ideas on how to enter this place?”

”The same way you became my master.”

Blood?

I took out my sword and rested its edge against the back of my forearm. Then I hesitated.

This would be my first time doing something like cut myself on purpose. Fairy Lin had always done it for me.

::You okay, kid?::

::Yeah, I just realized...:: How much Lin actually did for me. ::I think I need to try and be more independent.:: Just a little.

::Excellent idea, kid. How about, after you enter that sect of yours, I’ll take you adventuring by ourselves? Sounds like fun right? Just you and me and—::

::Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not even an adult yet. And my older sister is still the best person to adventure with.::

::Then when you’re an adult?::

::Only if it doesn't affect my cultivation. I refuse to get too far behind.::

Determined, but still scared, I gently ran my blade over my forearm barely scratching myself. I winced, then threw the blood drops I'd collected onto the doors.

They slowly separated and opened. It worked!

I dabbed at my scratch with a towel soaked in my spiritual spring water and the wound quickly scabbed over.

Cautiously, I stepped inside the dark interior. A long line of wood pillars lined the room and held up the ceiling. Each had intricate designs carved into its top and bottom. When I took a second step. Fires along the wall burst to life, illuminating the lengthy structure. I could also make out the golden walls carved with dragons and phoenixes. On reflex, I held my sword higher, ready for anything.

I hoped this wasn't going to be another test by that voice. So far, he’d tested my mind, my body, my comprehension, and my patience. Who knew if he was going to test my fighting ability next?

But no one spoke. And as I stood there all alone, the ridiculousness of the situation made me realize that I’d thought too much. I let out a breath and then began to trudge toward the other end of the building.

When I reached the center Spirit’s voice piped up. ”Master! Here! Here!”

”Where?”

“The big pillar in the center. Take it! Bring it into me!”

I stared at the massive pillar the width of a small bedroom. My mind blanked on how to deal with this.

Only one option came to mind... set up the very basic obfuscation array and then cut out the pillar with sword Qi and throw it into my space.

I bit my lip and nervously pulled out a handful of my beginner formation flags. While Fairy Lin had praised me on my obfuscation formation and told me that I learned too fast, I knew that I was still lacking.

Slowly, I started placing the formation flags.

“Master, what are you doing? Hurry up! Grab the pillar!”

“I need to set up a formation first.”

“Don’t bother. This building already has a bunch.”

“Oh...” I threw my sticks back into my bag. That was probably for the best. Lin told me that multiple arrays could sometimes cancel each other out — or turn them dangerous. Even just adding my beginner formation might turn an advanced obfuscation array into a slaughter array if I wasn't careful. ”Hey, Spirit, any ideas on how to take this thing into you?”

”Yes! Same thing with the doors! Then shrink it down.”

”Okay.” I scratched the back of my arm again and tossed a drop of blood onto the giant pillar. I felt the connection form and willed it to get smaller. With a soft pop, it shrank into the size of a formation flagstick and dropped into my hand. I then moved it into my space.

”Is there any other treasure that’s good in—”

The sound of crunching echoed through the room. Over by the door I entered from, one of the smaller pillars holding the ceiling up leaned. Then it tipped. Then it crashed to the ground and blocked the doors. Before it could finish wobbling the next closest leaned. And the next.

My breath caught. This was bad. Not only was my way back blocked, but soon the way ahead would be blocked as well.

Not stopping to think too hard, I activated my technique, Consistent Step, Impossible Leap. While I was still working on the Impossible Leap part, I had the Consistent Step down.

The pillars were dropping faster and faster.

Now that a significant number of pillars stopped holding it up, the roof started caving in.

Just as I reached the back door, the last pillar fell. I burst through it and accidentally flew through a second doorway. I turned to look back. Slam! The door disappeared, replaced with shards of wood and rubble.

I skidded to a halt. This new room was just as dark as the original cave, but it had a single crystal or glass ball that was as tall as I was.

”There you are!” That voice appeared again. ”You just ruined my special hall! How did you even manage to do that? How did you manage to even make it in there?!”

Once again, I ignored him and focused on what was in front of me.

::Senior Ghosty? Do you know what that sphere is?::

::Yeah, kid. It’s a test of your spiritual purity. This should be one of the last steps before we make it into the main room.::

I nodded, then stepped up to it.

”And another thing, by going the way you did, you bypassed all the rooms that showed how incredible I am, and how lucky you are to even be considered for inheriting the techniques of a genius like me!”

I wasn't sure where to start. Did I just put my hand to the glass surface?

”There was the room where I showed off my hundred wives. The room where I showed off my thousands of kills. The hallway where I explained my many talents and how I blew my competition away with the skill I possessed in one finger.”

This guy was annoying.

Fairy Lin didn't need to show off or explain her past. She just was.

And any story I was lucky enough to hear from her past life was often told to me as an explanation of what to do or not. They were lessons more than boasts of how amazing she was. And she was amazing, though also a bit weird.

I was so lucky to have such a wonderful senior sister.

I placed my hand on the smooth round surface.

Nothing happened.

”Well, you’re stuck here now! You’ll never set foot outside. I set this testing orb for the highest purity pos—”

Then I practiced my cultivation technique, and the ball shattered almost immediately. A golden door opened up beside me, and I quickly stepped through. I wanted out of this stupid place already. And it was beyond time I left.

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