The Mirror Hidden Daoist

Returning to his cave, Fang Hao used the token to open the entrance, which closed behind him. Seated on the prayer mat with legs crossed, he began by taking out the mist formation technique book he had received from Yu Rui. It had been a while since he had focused on it.

Without further delay, he retrieved a pill, his expression a mixture of emotions. He had been taking these pills for some time now. He consumed it, acknowledging that he wouldn't experience hunger for the next 10 days.

After dedicating a week to contemplating the various ways the formation could operate, Fang Hao found himself gradually developing a clearer comprehension of its workings.

Sensing the need to shift his focus, he set the formation aside and turned his attention to retrieving his recently acquired cultivation manual from the library.

This was his first proper manual; the sword manual his father gave him only included a meditation state to calm his mind and two sword moves.

The manual was a thick book with the fresh scent of paper. Tracing his finger over the title 'Slippery Shadow Snake Volume 1,' he decided to stick with this one until the early stage of the Vein Realm.

Opening the page, he looked at the various pictures and information, becoming absorbed in the formations of the letters. He could wake up whenever he wanted, but he chose not to, allowing himself to become lost.

He read carefully, and after hours, he had figured out what techniques the manual contained. However, he hadn't even begun to understand how they worked, especially the other two.

Umbral Camouflage Technique:

This foundational technique of the Slippery Shadow Snake focuses on melding with the shadows to become virtually undetectable.

Eclipse Coil Bind:

This intermediate technique capitalizes on the snake's natural coiling ability.

Shroud of Twilight Defense:

An advanced defensive technique, the Shroud of Twilight envelops the practitioner in a swirling cloak of dark energy.

Taking a deep breath, he chose to forget about the other two and focus on the foundational one. This would help him break through and reach the early Muscle Realm, with a focus on agility.

He read carefully, and after hours, he grasped the essence of the first technique described – the 'Umbral Camouflage Technique.'

This was the foundational technique of the Slippery Shadow Snake, focusing on melding with the shadows to become virtually undetectable.

Practitioners learned to synchronize their aura with the surrounding darkness, allowing them to seamlessly blend into their environment.

As they advanced in mastery, they could extend their influence over larger areas, creating pockets of shadow that aided in concealment and surprise attacks.

Fang Hao was impressed by the description, which also mentioned that cultivating in dark environments would help to increase the speed.

Rising from his seated position, Fang Hao carefully picked up the small lamp that illuminated the cave. After a moment, he placed it into a spatial ring for safekeeping.

As the light vanished, the cave plunged into complete darkness, devoid of even the faintest glimmer. Fang Hao found himself in a pitch-black void where not even an inch of his surroundings could be discerned.

Recalling the instructions outlined in the manual, he took deep breaths and attempted to meld into the shadows as directed.

However, after an entire day of trying, he discovered that accomplishing this task was proving to be quite challenging. While someone naturally attuned to darkness would find it exceedingly simple, Fang Hao was not among those individuals.

"Did I choose the wrong manual?" he muttered in the enveloping darkness, a sense of uncertainty washing over him. "It didn't state I had to possess a natural affinity for darkness." His words echoed through the obscurity as he grappled with a feeling of being adrift.

Cracking open a source of light, he winced slightly from the sudden burst of brightness. After rising to his feet, he began to move about the cave in a state of contemplative restlessness.

"Father would have warned me if I couldn't cultivate it," he mused aloud, his voice filling the emptiness around him. Doubts seemed to encroach, but he found solace in the belief that his father wouldn't withhold such crucial information from him.

"Also, Yu Rui is an ice element but can use others, so why can't I use darkness?" he muttered, his tone growing more resolute. A bit of confidence seemed to return to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the mirror and walked over to it, adjusting his clothes as he stood before it. Engaging in self-talk, he mumbled about how to approach the situation, with various ideas forming in his mind.

To his surprise, a sentence materialized on the mirror: "Do what?" This time, Fang Hao was able to witness the words forming on the reflective surface. Startled, he instinctively stepped back, his heart racing from the unexpected phenomenon.

Retreating from the mirror, he cast a wary gaze at it, his mind racing. Contemplating his options, he considered the idea of leaving the cave to inform the sect about this strange occurrence.

''Do what?'' The letters appeared once more on the mirror's surface.

Fang Hao's brows furrowed, and he spoke in a louder voice as he approached the entrance of the cave. "Fellow Daoist, this is a clever joke. Reveal yourself now." He scanned the chamber, his eyes darting about.

''It's only me and you in this cave,'' the words appeared on the mirror.

''Who is 'me'?" Fang Hao inquired, his expression cautious.

''Guan Xin, you?'' the mirror's words materialized again.

Feeling a sense of unease and finding the situation peculiar, Fang Hao chose not to respond, wary of triggering unexpected consequences.

''I can help you with cultivating your technique,'' the mirror continued to write after receiving no reply from Fang Hao.

Choosing to disregard the mirror's words for the time being, Fang Hao focused on calming himself down before proceeding further.

The letters disappeared, leaving Fang Hao torn between uncertainty and the decision to report the strange occurrence to the sect. He felt trapped in a perplexing situation that seemed too surreal to be real.

Moving cautiously toward the cave entrance, his senses on high alert for any sudden surprises, Fang Hao was startled once again when the mirror formed words once more: "What do you have to lose?"

''My soul,'' Fang Hao replied with seriousness, his unease growing. This interaction was becoming increasingly unsettling.

"I will give you my advice: cultivate using a darkness formation. Create a small space and cultivate within it," the mirror's words appeared rapidly, a hint of urgency underlying them to prevent Fang Hao from fleeing.

''If you provide me with a formation, I might consider it,'' Fang Hao responded, seeking to gain something from this situation.

''I can't write an entire formation book here, but I can teach you a symbol that represents simple darkness. You can combine it with one you already know,'' the mirror's words flashed quickly, and it etched the symbol ''𐒣'' onto its surface.

𐒣''?'' Fang Hao asked, his confusion evident.

''You have a mist formation, add the following rune and imbue it with darkness,'' the mirror's words halted, giving Fang Hao the opportunity to make his decision.