Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

3It was a gentle tap but for Ming Yue, she felt something burst inside her mind. Visions that felt so real, it was as if she had experienced it.      

"As far as my guidance goes, I've given you memories of several notable battles. I'd suggest taking time to go through it all and use it as a stepping stone to elevating the way you fight", he explained to her.      

Master Jing then pointed at her swords.      

"You may be at the Heaven Realm but you fight like you're still in the lower realms. At the very least, you showed some semblance of change during this trial. Now then, what shall you do, climb to the next floor or will you stop for now? You won't lose your progress when you leave if that is what you are concerned about."      

Ming Yue looked at him and pondered.      

"I will continue to go up, I haven't lost yet. I'll stop when that comes."      

Master Jing smiled and nodded.      

"Your attitude is commendable. In that case, I wish you luck on the upper floors."     

His body slowly faded into bits of light, revealing the stairs leading to the next floor. Ming Yue stood up and dusted her clothes before climbing. As she walked up the stairs, the Divine Citadel released a wave of energy that flowed into her body, rejuvenating her.      

By the time she reached the next floor, her body had fully recovered. However, that last battle took a toll on her mind and the next few fights were even more difficult. Her reactions were slowing down; dodging, parrying, attacking, it was more challenging as time passed by. Simply waiting between floors to mentally recover wasn't enough at this point.      

And once she reached the 50th floor, she suffered defeat at the hands of a man wielding a bow. He wore a mask on his face, one resembling that of an eagle. Their duel took place in a dense jungle filled with all sorts of vegetation. There was so much of it that it was hard trying to navigate the area.      

"Hmm, not bad, perhaps the next time you come, you'll have defeated me," he told her.      

The man turned around and walked away, slowly vanishing into the foliage.      

As for Ming Yue, she had fallen to a knee, clutching her shoulder where an arrow was lodged deeply into the bone. She grabbed it tightly, ready to pull it out before Dian Zhuan appeared.      

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?! Don't pull it out! Just give it a moment! You'll be sent back to the main hall!"     

The little squirrel hovered in front of her, wagging his finger to stop her from pulling the arrow out. She had just started to tug when he appeared and let go of the arrow, waiting instead.      

Seconds later, everything around her began to shimmer as she was sent out of the 50th floor, finding herself back where she began. The arrow that had pierced her shoulder vanished as well, disappearing into nothingness. It left no scar, not even a trace that she had been struck there.      

Ming Yue took a deep breath, finally releasing all of that tension after experiencing all of that.      

"The Supreme of the 50th floor, he's a terrifying opponent", she said to the squirrel.      

Dian Zhuan looked at her and chuckled.      

"Indeed, his trial is a tough barrier for many. Out of every guest that has entered the Divine Citadel, only half of them are able to pass this trial of his. His is a simple trial but an incredibly difficult one."     

He seemed to be lost in thought, perhaps reminiscing about the past. And he soon snapped out of it, facing Ming Yue with a smile.      

"Now then, I'm sure that you're feeling tired. You're welcome to use one of the houses outside or just stay around here to recover. We do have facilities for you to relax in, a nice, hot bath can do wonders for the tired mind. If you'd like to focus on cultivation, there are secluded rooms you can use just for that. There's also a separate area for training if you'd like to focus on improving your techniques. As far as the Divine Citadel goes, that's about it. Oh, we do have a mess hall if you want to eat something but at the Heaven Realm, you can fill your stomach by absorbing the energy outside. Now then what would you like to do?"     

After briefly explaining what the Divine Citadel had to offer, he waited for Ming Yue to answer so he could guide her.      

"Hm, then the bath please", she said.      

"Of course!"     

The little squirrel nodded before flying off, taking her towards the baths. It was large, far too spacious for just one person. There were multiple pools with water flowing from the ceiling like waterfalls.      

"Please, enjoy yourself. If you need me, just call for me."      

Once they were there, Dian Zhuan said farewell before vanishing once more, leaving Ming Yue alone.      

Being as she was by herself, she felt a little awkward, just standing there and checking out the baths. She soon resolved herself, putting her swords against the wall and placing her clothes in a neat pile next to them.      

Approaching the nearest bath, the young cultivator dipped one of her feet in, checking the temperature before entering. She sat at the edge of the bath before getting in, only keeping her head above the water.      

She couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. Even though her body was perfectly fine, the bath seemed to wash away all of her weariness.     

Closing her eyes, Ming Yue relished in this sensation for several minutes.      

"Enjoying the baths I see."      

Her eyes snapped wide open as she looked around, searching for whoever was speaking. It didn't take much for her to find that out, seeing another woman just a few feet away from her.      

Her hair was covered with a towel and she rested her back on the edge of the bath. She was on the older side and had a motherly aura around her. There was a maturity and calmness that was hard to replicate.      

The woman turned to face her, smiling warmly.     

"Ah, right, you haven't met me yet. I am the supreme of the 3,497th floor, Sheng Lan. It is a pleasure to meet a new challenger after so long."     

Ming Yue looked at her warily but responded to Sheng Lan's greeting.      

"It is an honor to meet one of the Ten Thousand Supremes."     

"Bah, there's no need for that. In these baths, I am merely myself, a woman looking to relax. Is that not the same for you?" she asked.      

"I... yes, it is. It is a pleasure to meet you, senior, my name is Ming Yue."      

"Mmm, a pretty name indeed, fitting for someone like yourself. You know, the others are feeling quite shy, most of them are actually waiting for you to meet them in their trial."     

Sheng Lan laughed a little, covering her mouth with her hand as she did so. At the same time, Ming Yue was taken aback but curious.      

"Shy?" she asked.     

"Why of course! You're the first person to come here after several hundred years, you know. We're basically stuck here for eternity unless something happens. There's only so much that can be done when there's no one to visit", said Sheng Lan.      

"Then again, we're all just fragments of our true selves. They're probably dead by now", she pointed out.      

Ming Yue was quiet, not knowing how to respond and just stayed silent, listening to her.     

"After so long, every one of us is excited and we have high hopes for you too. We think that you have the potential to reach a high level. Maybe not the ten thousandth floor but certainly higher than most but we won't know until we tried."     

Sheng Lan looked away, staring at the flowing water while Ming Yue was looking at her.      

She then asked the spirit something.      

"Could you... tell me more about the Divine Citadel? Why the city outside is empty?"