NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Preparations
"How?..." Xue Yan's lips twitched.
Before her stood a man wearing a smug expression. She glanced at the crow beside him, its menacing presence making her chest tighten. Gathering her thoughts, she finally managed to speak.
"How is that thing here?" she asked, her voice trembling under the oppressive aura the beast exuded. The qi radiating from it was far too pure for a creature at the peak of Qi Condensation. Could it be… in the True Qi realm?
"I don't know either," Zhao Wei admitted, shaking his head.
His words, simple as they were, didn't match the faint grin lingering on his face. He truly didn't know, though. One thought nagged at him—it might have something to do with his true cultivation level. Mystic realms were supposed to suppress everyone's strength to the peak of Qi Condensation, but his crow was clearly operating at the first layer of the True Qi realm. The difference in power was undeniable.
The situation was puzzling. As for the crow's abilities, he hadn't tested them yet. Truth be told, the crow itself was a spur-of-the-moment choice—he'd drawn it because it looked cool. Now, with its enormous qi consumption, he was starting to regret it. Maybe summoning something more practical would've been wiser.
Xue Yan stared at him in disbelief. "You don't know?" she repeated, barely restraining her frustration. What kind of cultivator summoned a creature of this caliber and had no explanation? Her lips twitched as she resisted the urge to retort, eventually shaking her head with a sigh.
"Alright," she said, "I'll guide you."
Despite her words, Xue Yan's heart was heavy with doubt. Could Zhao Wei really stand against the Emerald Sky Sect? Her gaze lingered on him, searching for any sign of hesitation or weakness. Yet, his carefree demeanor left her both annoyed and oddly reassured.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wei was lost in his thoughts, calculating the best course of action. Fighting wasn't ideal—not with the amount of Qi required to maintain the crow in battle. As strong as the beast was, its Qi consumption could leave him vulnerable at a critical moment.
As Xue Yan began describing the shrine's location, Zhao Wei took mental notes, piecing her words together into the framework of a plan.
"The shrine is about 30 kilometers north of here," she said. "It's nestled between two mountains. There's a visible entry point above ground, but most of the structure lies underground. I've never been there myself, so I can't say what kind of traps or defenses are inside. But treasures of this level… they won't be unguarded."
Zhao Wei raised an eyebrow. Damn, how massive is this mystic realm?
"Do you know anything about the terrain?" he asked, hoping for a clue to avoid unnecessary fights with the Emerald Sky Sect along the way.
The thought of enlarging the crow so they could fly to the shrine crossed his mind briefly, but he dismissed it. Even the crow's current size drained his qi significantly. Enlarging it to carry two people would hollow him out completely.
Xue Yan paused, trying to recall anything useful. "From what I saw, the shrine is surrounded by dense trees in the front and mountains in the back," she said after a moment.
Zhao Wei nodded, though a frown crept onto his face. He placed a hand on his chin, thinking deeply. What should I do…
He reviewed his abilities, searching for a way to make use of them. Most of his skills were straightforward, leaving him with little room for creativity. The only option that came to mind was arrays—but he didn't know any. Reluctantly, he turned to Xue Yan.
"Do you know about arrays?"
She blinked at the sudden question. This guy had a habit of throwing random inquiries her way with no context, but she was getting used to it.
"Of course I know," she replied cautiously. "Why?"
"Do you know how to create one?"
Her brows furrowed, and after a brief pause, she shook her head.
"Figures," Zhao Wei muttered, clicking his tongue in annoyance. With arrays out of the question, his options were running thin. He'd have to rely on that now.
His passive skill, Virtuous Scholar's Aura, had proven effective before. Maybe he could talk his way through the shrine. It worked on Li Huangxi, so it might work on the Emerald Sky Sect members too. But there was one issue—Xue Yan. The aura only worked for him. If she followed, her presence would give him away.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
He glanced over at the skill panel of Heavenly Ink Manifestation.
Heavenly Ink Manifestation
Summons celestial ink from qi to draw arrays, summon beasts, or manifest objects. Boosts the power and versatility of Heavenly Calligraphy when used together.
"Manifest objects, huh?" Zhao Wei muttered to himself. He glanced at Xue Yan, studying her from head to toe.
She flinched under his gaze, her face flushing. "W-What are you looking at?"
Ignoring her protests, Zhao Wei turned his back and began drawing.
"What are you doing?!" Xue Yan snapped, her voice tinged with anger.
Zhao Wei didn't respond. He meticulously sketched two masks—identical in design, black with intricate white patterns. Once finished, he handed one to Xue Yan and instructed her to wear it.
But even with the mask, her appearance was still recognizable. Zhao Wei sighed and began drawing again. This time, he created two robes—one black and one white. Both had elegant yet simple designs, constrained by the skill's monochromatic color scheme.
"These are for you," Zhao Wei said, handing Xue Yan the white robe.
She stared at the outfit in confusion but begrudgingly complied, slipping it on.
Zhao Wei, meanwhile, donned the black robe and mask. The effort of creating four pseudo-artifacts had drained his qi considerably, but the results were worth it.
He named the items:
Heaven's Shroud: A mask capable of concealing the wearer's cultivation realm, though its effectiveness diminishes if the realm disparity between the assessor and the user are too high.
Robes of Yin and Yang: Garments imbued with shielding talismans for added protection.
Now the preparations are complete, Zhao Wei smiled internally.