As soon as she entered the maze, Shin Sumi felt her senses become distorted.
It was a strange place, and it soon became evident that the maze was not designed by any mortal.
Shin Sumi had always been a smart girl. She knew that if she followed one of the walls, she should normally have been able to find the exit easily.
But as if the most basic laws of space didn't apply here, she found herself returning to the entrance no matter how hard she tried.
"If common sense doesn't apply, then I should try with instinct !"
Shin Sumi knew it would lead her nowhere, but was still unable to bring herself to use the strange nut once again.
The shame she felt was already big enough thus she decided to retract her hand from the reassuring surface of the wall next to her.
She walked for a bit, turning left and right, walking up or down the flights of stairs she encountered, randomly based on impulse.
In less than half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shin Sumi was lost in the maze.
She had no idea where to go, and whenever she turned around, she didn't recognize the way she just came from.
The dense fog hid everything out of a three steps radius around her.
Luckily the maze was just a test and there were no traps nor any danger lurking in the fog.
Shin Sumi found herself walking for what seemed like forever before her resolution slowly started to crumble.
For the sixth time since she entered the maze, her eyes looked down at a crack on a stone step.
She recognized the crack because it was shaped like the birthmark on the priest's forehead from East Seaside Village.
Shin Sumi was walking in circles, no matter where she turned in the large foggy passageways.
Finally stopping her useless walking, Shin Sumi slid her hand in her garments.
She easily found the nut, stuck between her breasts.
Taking it out in the open, Shin Sumi started talking.
"Alright little nut. You win this time. Please show me the way ! I don't care what I have to do, just get me out of here. You want me to join this Dark Sky Starry Sect, right ? Fine, I'll do it."
Obviously Shin Sumi didn't want to join the sect. She clearly wasn't fit to become an Immortal, the three successive tests had shown it to her over and over.
But she wanted to get out of the maze. She had never been adventurous to begin with, and she hadn't asked to get stuck in a maze made by Immortals.
She had to agree to follow the nut. It was the nut who had brought her here in the first place.
As soon as Shin Sumi spoke the words out loud, she extended her hands in front of her.
She took a step forward, and another, waiting for the nut to show a reaction.
She was again starting to wonder if she had gone crazy, when finally the nut started trembling in her right hand.
Shin Sumi was at the intersection between three paths when the nut started to roll off her palm.
In the wriggling fashion she was starting to get used to, the nut followed her arm, rolled over her shoulder and down.
It seemed for a moment that the nut was hesitating between rolling down her breasts, but one angry glance from Shin Sumi made it keep going reluctantly.
A second later the nut was in the palm of her left hand.
"I can't believe it worked. Thank you little nut, show me the way !"
Shin Sumi turned left, following the indications given by the rolling nut.
***
She followed the nut for an undetermined period of time, sometimes turning right, left, or even going backwards.
Her senses were still blurred by the dense fog and her path didn't make sense to her, but she had no choice but to keep walking.
The whole time she kept asking herself questions.
"What is this nut ? Why can it feel the Shinsoo when I can't ?"
She was intrigued by the nut, and even more by the book that appeared every time she tried to throw the nut away, but overall she was mostly angry at it.
She had never asked for any of it.
"One thing is for sure, as soon as I get the chance, I'm leaving you somewhere inside the Dark Sky Starry Sect. Who knows, maybe an Immortal will be interested in you and take you away !"
As soon as she spoke the words out loud, the nut stopped moving and bit her hand. Hard.
"Ouchiiie !"
This time the nut seemed as angry at her as she was at it. She couldn't see any mouth on the smooth surface of the nut, but she could definitely feel the teeth.
Holding her wrist, she looked at the place where she felt the bite.
Two circular rows of small dots were visible on her fair skin.
"You bit me to the blood ! How could you ? I'm not ... what ?"
Looking down more closely, Shin Sumi was speechless.
The nut indeed bit her to the blood. Tiny red droplets were forming on her wrist, following the bite mark.
But the strangest thing was that the blood didn't flow down like it would normally do.
Instead, the drops were moving in in a strange pattern.
The blood seemed to condense in the shape of a leaf, right there on her white wrist !
Shin Sumi ignored the pain and looked at the drawing that was appearing to sink under her skin.
"This leaf design... It is the same as the cover of the book ! What does that mean ? What have you done to my skin little nut ?!"
However, no amount of questions brought a response from the nut. Instead it went back in her palm, prompting her to keep walking.
Shin Sumi took another step forward, still holding her wrist when suddenly, her surroundings disappeared.
Instead of being in the middle of the maze, she found herself under a grand archway.
There it was, the end of the third test !
Looking over her shoulder, Shin Sumi saw a blurred pathway, filled with fog. From the outside it seemed exactly like the entrance.
"Junior Sister Shin ! You've made it ! I was certain you would succeed."
A familiar voice brought her out of her daze as she turned her head again.
Fen Wudao was standing five steps away from her, on the other side of the third gate.
"Welcome to the fourth test !"
Shin Sumi's head started spinning as she heard her Senior Brother speak.
"What ? There's a fourth test ?!"
"Ahaha it's just a joke ! I'm sorry I couldn't refrain myself. Welcome to the Dark Sky Starry Sect ! You passed the three tests !"
Fen Wudao looked at Shin Sumi with a happy glint in his eyes. His head was a bit cocked to the side and one side of his lips curled upwards in a teasing smile.
When Shin Sumi heard that it was a joke, she felt relieved. She had had enough of the tests.
Now the most important was to find a way to have the nut leave her be. Maybe her Senior Brother Fen could help !
Shin Sumi looked at her hand still clenched. But when she opened it, nothing was inside.
Looking around, she couldn't see the nut anywhere, and she was certain she couldn't feel it in her bosom.
Suspiciously, she looked at her wrist.
"Are you okay Junior Sister Shin ?"
Fen Wudao brought her back to reality. Her wrist was as it had always been, smooth white skin, with no leaf design on it whatsoever.
"I am sorry Senior Brother Fen, I think the maze... I am still a bit disoriented" Shin Sumi carefully said while asking herself where the nut could be.
"Ah yes, the Foggy Maze has always been one of the worst tests. I remember a few years ago when I first arrived here, I spent almost half a day in the maze before I could pickup on the clues. How long did it take you, Junior Sister Shin ?"
"I don't know, it felt like hours. I was worried Senior Brother Fen wouldn't be here, you said you would wait until the second day at the third gate."
"Did the test-stone examiner at the second gate give you anything ?"
"Brother Azu gave me a jade. Ah, here it is" Shin Sumi replied after fetching the small white jade from inside her sleeves and handing it respectfully to Fen Wudao.
Fen Wudao took the dull looking jade in his hand, scanning it with his divine sense.
His mouth couldn't help but parting in an 'O' shape as he read the information Little Azu had imprinted.
"A green blue talent ?! How is that possible ?!!"
His face clearly showed his excitement as he looked back at Shin Sumi.
Shin Sumi bowed her head, not saying anything.
The guilt and shame inside her were stronger than ever. Only she knew what her real talent counted as.
"Senior Brother Fen, I... " she started saying before being interrupted.
"And less than two hours in the maze according to the time of Little Azu's inprint !! It seemed like my impression of you has been wrong since the beginning ! I felt that you had unusual profound Shinsoo fluctuations around you, but who knew you were such a precious gem !"
"Come with me, I'll take you to the Affairs Pavillion to get your identification medallion ! Now you are officially a member of the Dark Sky Starry Sect !"
Shin Sumi didn't have time to tell Fen Wudao what she wanted to before he grabbed her by the waist.
Less than a second after, they were both on the silver winged arrow, shooting at high speed through the air.
This time Shin Sumi kept her eyes open as she looked around, at the scenery of the Dark Sky Starry Sect.
From the third gate, she could only see a relatively small plaza, similar to that of the second gate, but from higher up the entire sect was revealed to her.
The Dark Sky Starry Sect was located inside a mountain range, with valleys spanning more than five kilometers.
The mountains encircling the main valleys were steep, and their peaks were so high that they were covered by clouds.
In fact, the whole place was obscured by the dense clouds.
As they flew above the first valley, Shin Sumi noticed a lot of houses, some of them with courtyards and a few buildings were even two stories high.
Fen Wudao held her close as he explained a few things.
"The Dark Sky Starry sect takes its name from the shadow of the mountains constantly looming over the valleys. This valley is reserved for the Honorary Cultivators who haven't reached the Liquid Realm yet. The Inner Sect disciples like myself live in the second valley. Only the Elders are allowed to live on the face of the mountains, and the Core Development experts can live above the clouds. They are the Stars of the Dark Sky Starry Sect."
Shin Sumi looked up at the dark clouds before turning her head back down.
Under their feet was a gorgeous valley with clear ponds and spring water, ancient trees with dazzling flowers everywhere, as well as rocks covered in green moss.
The many paths leading to the dozen or so cultivation platforms and pagodas were bustling with disciples.
The whole place seemed brimming with activity and the air felt pure and refreshing.
It was truly a place designed for Immortals.
For the first time, Shin Sumi was starting to understand why most people could only marvel at the chance of becoming an Immortal.
"It seems like it wasn't such a bad idea after all, little nut. Maybe I will spend a few more days here before going back to the big city and getting rid of you" Shin Sumi said in her heart.
Maybe if her natural talent and Shinsoo affinity hadn't been that bad, Shin Sumi would have wanted to stay, but she couldn't ignore the guilt inside her.
***
On the silver winged arrow, it only took about ten minutes to cross the whole valley before Fen Wudao landed in front of a two storied building.
This time the landing was much better and Shin Sumi's foot found stable ground.
"I have to go back to the Liquid Realm valley. Bring the jade to Elder Zhu inside, he will give you everything you need and your sect identification medallion. I will see you soon Junior Sister Shin !"
Shin Sumi gave a bow to the departing Fen Wudao before entering the building.
Contrary to her expectations, the inside of the Affairs Pavillion wasn't as dazzling as she thought.
She quickly found a clerk wearing red robes who gently indicated her to who she was looking for.
The person called Elder Zhu was a middle aged man currently sitting in a meditation posture with his eyes closed.
As soon as Shin Sumi arrived, he opened his eyes and looked at her.
His eyes seemed older than the rest of him and they held a curious glint as they scanned her up and down.
"Oh ? You have good talent. I guess you are new here ? This old one's name is Zhu Yunhai."
"Elder Zhu, Shin Sumi is looking forward to your guidance. Senior Brother Fen told me to give you this jade."
Elder Zhu's eyes didn't seem to want to leave Shin Sumi's graceous body as he reluctantly looked at the jade inprint.
As soon as his divine sense made contact with the jade, his mouth opened in the exact same way Fen Wudao's had.
The lust had nearly entirely disappeared from his eyes when he finally came back from his shock.
"Junior Shin, as soon as I laid eyes on you, I could tell that you were a peerless talent. Oh my, it's been years since a priceless gem showed up in the sect. I shall get everything ready for you myself !"
Giving back the jade, he even bowed slightly as he left hurriedly behind a sliding door.
Shin Sumi was once again covered in shame after all the praise she received.
Thanks to the strange magical nut, everybody thought she was a promising cultivator.
How could she not feel shameful knowing she herself was only an average mortal ?!
Elder Zhu came back a few minutes later, holding a pouch held closed by a leather cord.
"In this bag of holding you will find your command medallion indicating your rank in the sect. Please keep it on you at all times. You will also find food and a cultivation method book as well as a few robes. You have to forgive me, Junior Shin, for it has been so long since a peerless individual like you had appeared, that the sect doesn't currently have any green or blue colored robes. You will have to wear red robes in the meantime. Please come back to the Affairs Pavillion in a week's time to receive the robes you deserve."
Shin Sumi received the pouch without saying a word. She only half listened to Elder Zhu's explanation, her thoughts distracted by something the man said.
"A book ? A real Immortal book ? I wonder what is inside, I can't wait to read it !"
Elder Zhu apologized for not being able to accompany her himself, and dispatched one of the red robed clerks to show Shin Sumi's dormitory arrangement.
As he watched the young woman in pretty clothes walk away from the Affairs Pavillion, Elder Zhu's reassuring smile disappeared.
Instead his face showed a complicated mix of lust, envy, but most of all fear.
With his lowly talent, he had already been lucky to cultivate to the great circle of the Liquid Realm and become an Elder of the Dark Sky Starry Sect.
But Shin Sumi and her unnatural talent rarely seen even in a hundred years, she was destined to accomplish much more, so he couldn't afford to offend someone like this.
***
The clerk hurriedly lead Shin Sumi down one of the valley's paths, not daring to say a word after eavesdropping on the conversation between her and Elder Zhu.
The red robed youth bowed respectfully to the waist before leaving Shin Sumi in front of an old courtyard.
The clerk went half leaping back to the Affairs Pavillion, the young man's speed surprised Shin Sumi.
"The Immortals really are different from people like me" Shin Sumi thought dejectedly before pushing the door, opening it up onto the courtyard.
The place looked like it used to be majestic but had been unmanned for years.
A small pond with a few fish leisurely swimming inside occupied the center of the courtyard.
A plum tree next to the pond overlooked a stone bench covered in moss and rotting fruit.
Shin Sumi carefully walked on the stone path leading to the lone construction in the back of the courtyard.