Be Gentle, Immortal Master

Thirteen led us into a building that appeared to be the library of the sect, with tall walls lined with bookshelves full of ancient tomes and scrolls. He kept us occupied on the way with questions about the seal—what the symbol looked like, what pattern of spiritual power flow it used, how it resonated with me—and in the end, he stopped at a corner shelf hidden at the far end of the library's hall, pulling out a drawer at its bottom.

"From what you described," he said, searching through the organized drawer and fetching a plain notebook out of it, "that seal must have been placed a long time ago. The symbol bearing a snake with the spell mark at its head hasn't been taught to our younger generations of disciples for at least three hundred years."

He laid down the notebook in front of us and started flipping through it. I peeked at the text curiously, but all I saw were a series of squiggly lines and circles that looked like a child's drawing. I gave Bai Ye a puzzled look. He only shrugged in response.

Thirteen must've seen our exchange from the corner of his eye, as he explained while continuing to turn the pages, "This is the chronicle of our sect. It is written in the same way symbols are drawn on talismans—by burning various materials with spells through spiritual power—so only those taught in the same school of art would be able to read the text. In fact, every book in this library is written in the same way, and that is how we kept all our knowledge within the sect and remained a mystery from the rest of the cultivating world."

As if hiding your gate in a space chasm wasn't enough, I grumbled internally. Just how seclusive a sect was this? And if their techniques were so advanced that they needed to protect it like so … then how formidable was the power that required their help to seal?

"Our members don't travel out of the shrine often," Thirteen continued, stopping on a page to read each line more closely. "Every visit is listed here with notes on its purpose … Ah, here it is. Six hundred and forty years ago, Master Wu Jingliao, Misty Mountains."

"Six hundred and forty years ago?" I gasped. That was even before Bai Ye's time. The two of us exchanged a glance. "What details were in the notes?" I asked.

"At the request of a group of self cultivators …" Thirteen translated, "… to assist in the sealing of a spirit that has caused at least two hundred casualties. Upon arrival … discovered that the named spirit is intellectual and has a craving for swords, especially a pair of twin swords obtained from one of its victims … Used a binding spell to temporarily lure the spirit into the twin swords. Sealed with a soul restraining talisman."

I felt a chill climbing up my spine, further and further with every sentence he spoke. A craving for swords … lured into a pair of twin swords … "I-It has to be the sword spirit," I stammered. "She killed all those cultivators … for their weapons?"

The image of that stacked pile of swords in the cave rushed back to my mind. But why? None of those swords seemed to be demonic swords, or even forged with the ancient method at all. What use could the sword spirit have for hundreds of common steel blades? Was she simply trying to collect trophies? Or was she purposefully trying to find something that looked like Twin Stars?

"But it can't be the sword spirit … not the one from Twin Stars." Bai Ye spoke next. "The seal is still valid from what we've seen. Doesn't that mean whatever was trapped inside it is still there?" He turned to Thirteen. "Is there any chance at all that the sealed presence could have escaped?"

Thirteen shook his head. "Not without breaking the seal first." Then he pondered for a moment. "As you said, the seal sounds intact from its appearance, but you mentioned the symbol was dark, which means that its power is weakening. All our seals at their full strength should emanate a white glow. Over time, as the sealed power slowly seeps into the symbol and weakens it, the color will start turning darker. When the brightness is completely lost and the pattern becomes black, that is when the seal will shatter, and the spirit inside will break loose."

Bai Ye and I exchanged another look. "What can we do to renew that seal?" I asked. No matter what the nature of that spirit was, we couldn't risk it breaking free and getting a second chance at causing more damage. Especially not if it was related to Twin Stars.

"Any master here can put down another seal to replace it, but it would be best to strengthen the existing seal instead to avoid the risk of the spirit breaking free during the replacement." Thirteen closed the notebook and returned it to the drawer. "Since this spell is no longer taught at Vermilion Shrine, not too many masters left know how to work with it. It will take some time to find someone to help you. How about you come back in ten days? I might have an answer for you then."

Ten days … Honestly, that wasn't a long time to wait at all, but for some reason, a sense of uneasiness tugged at the edge of my mind. "I hope nothing will happen in ten days," I mumbled, half in response and half to myself.

Thirteen laughed. "That spell has already lasted over six hundred years, my friend. It's only showing natural signs of aging, but it could easily make it a few more days."

I smiled, knowing that I always tend to overthink things.. But as Bai Ye and I said our thanks, that uneasiness still grew in my mind, lingering the entire way as Thirteen showed us out of the library.