"I am Xuan Li!" He introduced himself while pointing his finger at his body.
'Xuan Li? So, it's not 'him'? Or maybe he's using an alias?' She thought after the introduction before glancing at him again. 'But, I don't feel that he is lying. Could he be someone that just looks like 'him'?'
Iris remembered that this guy said he was an old monster who lived for a long time, but the way he acted was how a person without experience would. "Didn't you say you were a powerful old cultivator? Why are you interested in the Ascension Academy?"
"Pfffft, hahahaha, powerful cultivator? This guy is as mortal as they get!" Flav interjected from the side.
"Impossible," Iris denied vehemently. "I fought him myself and he came out unscathed," she turned towards Flav and said.
Flav smirked at Iris' words and exchanged a mysterious look with Xuan Li. Although he already revealed part of the truth, it wasn't his secret to blabber about. It was up to Xuan Li to say it or not.
Iris felt that there was something these two were hiding, but had no interest in knowing if they wanted to keep it a secret. Although Xuan Li looked similar to 'him', the way he spoke and acted was different, which made her half-deny, half-believe her theory of Xuan Li being someone who just looks like 'him'.
Dumdum looked at the two who ignored it and the human bastard again and got angry, though its fuming appearance looked quite cute. "If you two are finished, tell us what you know!"
Everyone looked at Dumdum after it said that. Flav and Iris started talking while Xuan Li was lost in thought. When he looked at Iris, for some reason, his grandpa came to mind, which made him want to die even faster. 'Grandpa, I will rejoin you, be it now or later. I swear it!'
Iris and Flav discussed the clue they had in hand with Dumdum, completely forgetting Xuan Li and informed it of their hypotheses.
"So," he said, staring at the two humans, "It doesn't look like this place is the site of the trial." It looked at Flav and checked, "Right?"
Flav nodded. "Yeah, if it was I would have already found the entrance with this," he said and took out a token that had mysterious runes and an arrow pointing to the sky engraved on it. "This was next to the clue. It has the Academy's symbol," he gestured at the blue arrow. "It probably is a way to help determine if the holder is close to the test site!"
Dumdum scrutinized the token but found nothing special, only that it had a beacon rune that would shine once they got closer like Flav said. He remembered that the human bastard accompanying him was mysterious and had good ideas usually, so he decided to ask.
"Hey," he called out, managing to divert Xuan Li's attention upon him, "Do you have any ideas?"
Xuan Li, though lost in thought, had heard everything. He inspected the token and pondered. After a few seconds his eyes shined as if he thought of something and with a sly smile he said, "I have an idea. I will tell you if you agree to something."
Dumdum rolled his eyes knowing the demand. Flav also felt that he knew what he would ask, leaving only Iris in the dark. "If you two work together I might be able to die. If you agree to try, then I will tell you!"
"I knew it!"
"Ah, he doesn't give up. Well, we were going there for that reason, so it doesn't matter."
Iris gazed at Dumdum and Flav with a questioning look, confused about what was happening. From the fight they had in town, she knew that Xuan Li wanted an heir to inherit his techniques and to get the techniques, they had to kill him. But from the way these two reacted, it appeared to be bullshit?
Xuan Li saw Iris wanting to ask and explained, "Actually, back in the town, I lied." He looked away after saying that, as she was one of the people who fell for his trick. "I don't have any inheritance or something as grand as that, I was just searching for someone who could kill me. And back then, it was a good way to fool people into trying."
After hearing what Xuan Li said, Iris didn't seem to have understood but became even more confused. He wanted to die… so, he did all that? Can't he just suicide? Why does he even want to die? Her confused look conveyed a few of her thoughts.
"I can't die," he explained in a sorrow-filled tone. "I tried so many times and with so many ways, that would have killed many people, usually. For some reason, everytime I try, I get healed. While people search for immortality, I look for death."
"Yup, he is the immortal mortal!" Flav commented sarcastically. He still didn't believe that someone who can live forever wants to die.
Iris finally confirmed that this person wasn't 'him'. If it were 'him', he wouldn't spew so much nonsense with a clear and serious face. Yet, even after her mind accepted that fact, her body still sent her unwarranted emotions from Xuan Li's appearance and similarity to 'him'. 'Oh, come on. It's not him, so stop!'
Flav looked at Iris and asked, "Do you want to try?" She knew he meant killing Xuan Li, and remembered how after she attacked him, he got back up unscathed. So, she agreed. If he wanted this, she had no right to stop him. "Alright," she curtly replied.
"Great," Xuan Li clapped from happiness, he might be able to die today!
"Then let me tell you the idea before starting, if I died I wouldn't be able to keep my part of the deal," he laughed smilingly. "Never mind, I will try it myself, give me a map and the token."
Flav and Iris exchanged looks and decided to try Xuan Li's idea. They gave him what he asked for as they were sure that he wouldn't be able to take them and escape.
Once he held the token, Xuan Li spread the maps on the ground. He held the token above the map and repeated the clue, "The way to Ascension is where the moon and sun meet. In that place when the purple shadow covers the sky only then will the first trial appear!"
The blue light emitting from the arrow shone brilliantly after he muttered the words as if an incantation was said. And with the token, the map also started shining in a blinding light, that prompted the onlookers to close their eyes, lest they go blind.
Once it dimmed, one of the four purple marked locations had a blue circle with the Academy symbol surrounding it. The place was close to where Xuan Li and the others stood. It was the Purple Basin, a place where dangerous beasts and plants survived, had a purple cloud of miasma and only toxic creatures survived in that environment.
Flav shot an incredulous look at Xuan Li who stared at him and Iris with expectant looks, "I kept my part, now it's yours!" It was time for him to try dying again.