This Venerable Demon is Grossly Unqualified

"Are you going to share any further details about how you broke the trial formation?" Elder Cai asked as we walked. "I would not dream of prying into the secrets of your practice, but I would appreciate anything you could tell me about how the trials work."

I thought about it. I wanted to cultivate Elder Cai as an ally. I had no real read on Elder Su, and the young mistress treated me with perfect politeness, but undisguised irritation.

What could I actually tell Cai?

"I don't mind speaking on it in principal. You've certainly been free enough in sharing with your expertise with me."

Elder Cai smiled widely.

"I'm sure you are far more familiar with the intricacies of illusory formations than I." I continued, laying it on thick. The woman's weakness for praise was so very convenient to me. "I have found that in the case of formations like these that seek to replace both the target's memories and surroundings, any discord between the two is a potential point of weakness."

"Stretching the congruity of the formation to it's breaking point. Simple enough." Elder Cai mused. "Then what, you just cut it apart from within?"

"Indeed. Those two bits are the crux of it. A trump card to break out of memory alteration, and something destructive enough to overwhelm or fray the illusory world. Nascent soul level sword intent was more than sufficient, even without a proper weapon."

Elder Cai's lips pursed. "Less immediately useful than I'd hoped. You think just breaking it granted you access permissions? That strikes me as unlikely."

"I used another trick to put the simulation in a state where it would fail in a way that advantaged me." I blatantly lied.

"Hmm. A pity it's not more replicable. Still, perhaps I could use a formation to protect my own memories. Then I could at least take the test knowing it wants a certain outcome." Elder Cai mused. "Were you able to bring anything in?"

"No, no storage ring either. I had to work with what was provided."

"That narrows my options. I suppose I'll just have to continue working my own approach. Submitting to the judgement of the dead is a last resort."

We lapsed into a comfortable silence, as Elder Cai fell deep into thought.

"It's rare that I envy you sword cultivators." She finally said.

"Oh? I frequently envy those like you and Elder Su. To be able to prepare so thoroughly to counter known threats is a potent advantage." If buttering her up made Elder Cai easier to influence, then I had no shame at all.

"I suppose the advantages we possess are substantial. I suppose it is only fair that the arts martial excel over their more scholarly siblings in some matters." Elder Cai all but preened. "Why, I once faced a spear cultivator who relied heavily on a spell that allowed him to lengthen his weapon mid-thrust. He was so proud of how his trump card allowed him to strike at a distance, but he never did understand how such alteration effected the durability of his weapon. You should have seen the face he wore when he stabbed through my Earthbound Celestial Anchor Formation and his weapon snapped in two mid-thrust! From the look on his face, you would have thought it was his little spear that I'd snapped!"

With a little prodding, Elder Cai was happy to regale me with more tales of her conquests as we walked. Apparently she'd been something of a hellion in her younger days, and fond of taking duels against martial cultivators and putting them in their place. And breaking their legs. And taking their rings. And on one memorable occasion, secretly placing a slaughter formation around the Ironheart Sect's dojo, causing their disciples to begin killing each other. She'd previously shared harsh words with one of their elders, about the value of her discipline. The Ironheart's martial focus was apparently all-consuming.

The longer she spoke, the more I began to see exactly why she'd ended up in the Pathless Night.

'Good, you're finally here." Meng Daiyu greeted us brusquely. "I want to advance into the inner temple today."

The five of us gathered in the chamber Elder Su had claimed to set up her workshop. In addition to the young mistress and the three elders, Disciple Hao had joined us as Elder Shi's representative.

That left out only Li Ru, and Fang Xiao. I imagined the latter was expecting Elder Cai to use the fruits of her work to grant him access to the inner temple. I'd need to check in on the former, Fang Xiao's continued presence around Su Li seemed to have prevented any further overt bullying, but I trusted the porcelain-armed inner disciple about as far as I could throw him.

So, two or three hundred yards.

Ah, I'd almost forgotten about Liang Tao. I hadn't seen hide or hair of him lately, but he'd been on the ship.

"The purpose of this meeting is to share what we've learned over the last day, and decide our next steps." Meng Daiyu continued. "I will begin. I took the trial that was named The Lonely Vigil. I was subjected to an illusion that left me believing my master had perished, and was required to fend off both mental and physical assaults while performing funerary rights for him. I believe that the test was intended to assess both filial piety and strength of mental discipline. It rewarded me with a technique that is suitable for my cultivation, but weaker than similar ones my master has already provided. Completing it has also removed the movement restrictions the central formation imposes, and given me the ability to open most doors in the outer sect, as the Glass Flowers have previously demonstrated."

"Disciple Geng Ru undertook the Faith of Thieves." Elder Su said. She was hunched over a great brazier with an enclosed stone top, almost certainly a pill furnace. "He was vague in his description of it and I did not care to press him, but he suggested it required stealth, and rewarded humility and fidelity to sworn oaths."

She pulled a thin bottle, almost a phial, from a pocket, placing it on the table between us. It was half full, the liquid within thick as syrup, but with the sheen and color of liquid mercury. It was also somehow translucent.

"His reward was more interesting. He offered it to me without a negotiated price, and I gave him a variety of pills for it. After analysis, I believe it to be an internal body cultivation elixir suited for peak foundation establishment equivalent bodily cultivation. It appears to operate based on some principle related to light, and contains a variety of ingredients I have no been able to identify. I suspect many of the plants and natural treasures used to make it are no longer present in this land, lending credence to the idea that this complex is several thousand years old."

Expectant eyes turned to me.

"My disciple's experience was similar." I said. "The Company Of Moonlight was intended to test altruism and possibly martial skill. Her reward was the same spiritual organs several of the Glass Flower disciples have been sporting, which appears to accelerate cultivating from the temple's ambient qi."

I left out Su Li's claims of an unrelated moment of enlightenment. That wasn't any of their business.

"It's also broken now." Elder Cai added.

Meng Daiyu stared at her. Elder Cai shrugged. "I didn't break it. Elder Hu did."

Wow, just throwing me under the bus.

Our young mistress turned her withering glare onto me.

"I acquired the ability to advance deeper into the complex. The trial was an unfortunate but necessary casualty of the method I used."

Meng Daiyu gave a long suffering sigh. "For once can you endeavor to notify the rest of us before you begin breaking things Elder Hu?"

Ah. That tracked. Elder Hu did seem like the type.

I didn't say anything, but inclined my head. Superficial agreement seemed in character. Meng Daiyu's brow furrowed, but she continued moving forward.

"Is there anything else?"

"I've almost cracked the formation." Elder Cai said. Her eyes passed over those present, and her mood seemed to dip a little when there was no real reaction to her words. "I should be able to grant arbitrary access permissions with another day or two of work. It would speed the process, if I had an expendable example to work with."

Nobody offered to acquire her one.

"Impressive work, Elder Cai." I added, drawing a smile.

"I am becoming more certain that this formation was created by a cultivator even more advanced than our Sectmaster. Likely a true immortal, or even higher. It's power and complexity are extraordinary, but it's vulnerabilities speak clearly of a powerful cultivator operating outside of their true expertise." She continued.

"Thank you Elder Cai. Since Elder Hu has already acquired access permissions, that simplifies the next steps. The two of us will enter first, the two of you will remain to protect our disciples in the event the Glass Flower elders try something foolish." Meng Daiyu said.

"Are we certain we shouldn't just neutralize the Glass Flowers now?" Elder Cai asked.

"No. I spoke with my master again last night. The situation has not changed, and he does not desire the war with the Qin that killing their elders would bring. And holding them will limit our own ability to bring force to bear to explore the inner temple, if two of our core formation cultivators will be dedicated to suppressing them. If they start the conflict, or we find something worth a war, he will dispatch Elder Xin, Elder Li, and Daoist Protean Flesh to reinforce us, but that will put us on a clock. We will have less than a week before the Qin musters sufficient force to capture or expel us, and he is unwilling to fight Qin Longwei over this matter."

"With the right formation, it would only take one Elder to hold their entire expedition." Elder Cai replied mulishly. "They all use yin methods. A single Sunfire Cage or Celestial Yang Shackles with enough power behind it would handle them all."

Meng Daiyu ignored her.

"Are there any further questions?"

"Should we forbid further disciples from attempting the trials?" Disciple Hao asked, her voice a quiet rasp. "We've had poor results since the first three success, four failures for one additional success."

Elder Su laughed brightly in response.

"Your master is just upset they're dying but we're not getting the bodies. No, it's their choice. They sold their deaths to your mountain, not their lives."

"Elder Su is correct. Spread the information. Inform the trusted Cai will have a workaround soon. But this is no nursery, they may wager their lives as they wish." Meng Daiyu agreed.

"Very well." Disciple Hao didn't appear particularly put out.

"I find it more than a little strange, that the trials do not disgorge those who fail." I said. "I rather doubt that was the original intention behind them. The virtues the trials select for suggest this was either an orthodox sect, or a religious organization. Killing those who fail out of hand does not fit with that."

"A good point." Elder Cai agreed. "I'll take a look at the trial you broke. Perhaps I can find out what exactly it's doing with the bodies."

"Is that all?" Meng Daiyu asked impatiently.

"Not a question." Elder Su said. "I haven't found access to those gardens we saw from outside yet. If you find a way in, I'll pay well. Don't attempt cuttings if there's any other choice, many of the most valuable plants required very specialized expertise to harvest, and some of these may well border upon extinction."

"Thank you Elder Su. Very well, Elder Hu, with me."

I followed as Meng Daiyu swept out of the chamber.

Disciples of both sects fled our wake as we moved towards the blinding glow of the formation's boundary. I had no further business before we moved deeper, I'd passed Su Li's treasure to Fang Xiao before attempting the trial. She'd been left with instructions to consolidate her gains and recover her qi, to wait for me before doing anything else. With Elder Cai and I on friendly terms, I had no doubt Fang Xiao would keep her safe.

"When we return, you will say nothing of what you saw without my permission." The young mistress said abruptly.

"Very well." I agreed easily.

I would keep my word if it made sense. Break it if it did not. As far as I was concerned, the only person I truly owed something to here was Su Li. The Sectmaster had been quite insistent Meng Daiyu had to be kept alive, but his silence about obeying her spoke volumes.

As we passed through the long hall, I reviewed my objectives in my head. The first priority was information. I doubted I'd find a cultivation manual that could help me understand Elder Hu's method. But some actual sword techniques, beyond the dribs I'd stumbled upon accidentally or reinvented from first principles, would be a colossal benefit. Second was the 'terminals' the Ghost Immortal had mentioned. It was an odd phrasing, suggesting they were access points to something larger. Whether that was information, or the ability to control the great formation, they would be invaluable on their own, even without allowing me further communication with the Ghost.

Third was a better weapon. Elder Hu's sword was incredibly durable. It required no maintenance or sharpening no matter what abuse I put it through, or how many cliffsides I cut. But as far as I could tell, it had no special powers or secrets. Elder Hu might not have needed to rely on petty tricks, but I was not above them.

Anything else was a distant fourth. I had a storage ring, so I would loot anything that wasn't nailed down, and anything I could cut out of the floor, if it wasn't too large. At least when Meng Daiyu wasn't looking. But I would need an unfathomable amount of wealth to change my circumstances through that alone, and I couldn't advance my cultivation with it unless I somehow got access to Elder Hu's memories, or took the risk of a second cultivation base.

In minutes, the two of us reached the edge of the formation. The place where space bent and became unreliable. As we stepped forward into the light so brilliant it washed away even the cobblestones beneath our feet, the respectful distance disciples had given us gave way to utter isolation.

The young mistress and I walked side by side in a sea of white, the only two figures in the world. The dull shuffling of slippers against stone was the only indication the world around us still lingered at all.

"Why did you choose her?" Meng Daiyu asked, breaking the silence.

"Her?"

"Your disciple. I've watched you continually decline students for almost thirty years, when you allowed them to speak the question in the first place. Su Li's advancement beneath your tutelage has been impressive, two small stages in as many months. But anyone could achieve that, in qi condensation with sufficient resources and a decent teacher. Her talent with the sword is unremarkable, and her cultivation shares little with yours."

I stared at the young mistress. Where was this coming from?

"It is not my sword that I sought to pass down." I finally answered.

"Hmm." Meng Daiyu hummed noncommittally. "She is yet young. I suppose I shall patiently wait, to see what virtues she shall exhibit. Hao Yue and Fang Xiao are fine enough cultivators, but I do so long for a rival worth the name among the younger generation. It is a true pity, that you and Elder Xin refused to take disciples for so very long. Perhaps I shall do as my father did, and look to the blood of the dragon."