Their final herb, the mythical violet fireleaf blossom, was rumored to be located deep in a collapsed grove, perpetually veiled by intricate illusions and choking overgrowth. But as they pressed deeper, pushing aside ancient, gnarled branches, they realized the true challenge wasn't physical.
It was a test of wits, and perhaps, a dash of the absurd.
In the ominous center of the grove, bathed in an unnatural, filtered light, stood a single, weathered stone pedestal. And atop it, shimmering with an ethereal glow, rested the single, vibrant violet fireleaf blossom, its petals seeming to pulse with a faint, internal warmth.
---
As they approached, the air grew heavy, thick with unseen power. The rustle of leaves, the distant chirp of spirit insects—all fell silent. A profound, almost suffocating stillness descended.
Then a voice, ancient and resonant, boomed from seemingly everywhere and nowhere, a hint of playful mischief dancing beneath its gravitas:
"Only the one who sees without eyes,
who walks without feet,
who speaks without sound—
may claim what is hidden."
Yan Ping gasped, clutching Mei Lan's arm. Luo Han's hand instinctively went to his blade. Chen Yu's eyes darted around, assessing for a hidden threat, his usual calm replaced with wary tension.
Chang Dian, however, grinned, then pulled a mischievous face at Jia Wei Xin. "Finally, a challenge for your big brain, little disciple. Don't disappoint me!"
Jia Wei Xin rolled her eyes, but a faint smile tugged at her lips despite the tension. "Just tell me you're too lazy to think," she retorted, a playful jab in her voice.
---
She stepped forward, a glint of determination in her eyes. She studied the rough-hewn pedestal, tracing the intricate, silver-etched circle around its base. The entire grove, she realized, was a vast, ancient formation—a living trap. The riddle wasn't just symbolic; it was undeniably literal.
"Sees without eyes, walks without feet, speaks without sound..." she murmured, her gaze sweeping over the silent, watchful trees. Her mind raced, discarding mundane interpretations. It had to be a test of spiritual mastery, not physical prowess. Spirit sense. Of course.
She closed her eyes, letting her internal vision take over. The world around her transformed into shimmering energy, distinct qi signatures, and flowing ley lines.
Silence. She felt the formation's resistance, a subtle push against her own spiritual energy, but she held firm.
She took one deliberate step, guiding her qi outward, a soft, invisible ripple across the spiritual landscape. Then another, her internal footfalls silent, precise. The air hummed with newfound connection.
Then she spoke—not with her voice, but through a focused surge of her energy, a clear, resonating thought projected directly into the heart of the formation.
"I am here."
The pedestal pulsed, a vibrant light illuminating the grove. With a soft, rustling sound, the violet fireleaf blossom detached, floating gracefully through the air towards her outstretched hand. It settled, warm and alive, against her palm.
---
But the voice boomed again, its tone now laced with gleeful anticipation.
"Oho! Well done, little cultivator. You have conquered the spirit with proper spiritual etiquette. But not all truths are of the realm, nor all knowledge of our past. I dabble, you see, in glimpses of what might be. And one such glimpse has plagued my ancient mind with a most peculiar vision! A final test, if you dare, to prove a mind truly unbound by convention. Tell me, what is this confounding contraption?"
A new inscription shimmered into existence on the pedestal, glowing with soft, silver light. This time, it wasn't abstract, but a collection of seemingly contradictory phrases, etched in shimmering ancient script:
"I whisper across continents, but have no mouth.
I show you images, but have no eyes.
I hold infinite knowledge, but contain no scrolls.
I am often held in a hand, but am not living. What am I?"
The others stared, utterly bewildered. Luo Han frowned. "A powerful spirit artifact? A communication array, perhaps, but with illusions?"
Chen Yu's brow furrowed deeper, a rare sign of his profound confusion. "Infinite knowledge without scrolls... that implies something beyond our understanding."
Chang Dian ran a hand through his hair, then nudged Jia Wei Xin with his elbow, whispering, "Your turn, brainy! What bizarre cultivation trinket is this?"
Yan Ping looked utterly lost. "It sounds like many things at once, yet nothing we know."
Jia Wei Xin, however, felt a strange, almost dizzying wave of recognition. Her eyes widened, then a triumphant, disbelieving smirk touched her lips. No way. This was so perfectly, ridiculously, modern. And yet, so utterly baffling to this world. Her heart hammered with a sudden understanding of the master's true intent. He wasn't testing knowledge of his world; he was testing foresight... or origin.
"This one," she stated, her voice clear and confident, a hint of suppressed laughter in her tone, "is not a spirit artifact or a beast. It's... a very common thing, where I am from." She turned to her companions, whose faces were a mixture of intense curiosity and utter confusion, but before they could question, the world shimmered.
---
An illusion rippled, separating Jia Wei Xin from her companions. Luo Han, Chang Dian, Yan Ping, and Mei Lan became hazy, their forms fading, their voices suddenly muffled, as if behind a thick veil. She could still see their perplexed expressions, but they could no longer hear her, nor she them clearly.
The shimmering figure of the old master coalesced directly before her, distinct and solid within this private space, a definite twinkle of profound amusement and keen anticipation sparkling in his eyes.
"You know it!" he practically chirped, rubbing his translucent hands together with childlike glee. "The very concept of it has been gnawing at my spiritual fibers for centuries! Tell me, young one, what is this fantastical... 'thing'?"