CHAPTER 107: THE VEIL OF A HUNDRED SHADOWS

Adrian blinked and shifted his gaze to the old bamboo hat resting atop the skeleton’s skull. From first glance, it resembled any other bamboo hat. But now that he focused on it, it was unlike any other he’d seen.

The texture was smooth and glossy, yet unnaturally intact despite the years. Etched underneath its surface were minuscule runes that seemed to shimmer faintly in the dim light, forming patterns that spiraled and curled like creeping vines.

"That, kid," the Hundred-faced Thief said with unmistakable pride, "is the Veil of a Hundred Shadows. My most prized possessions."

Adrian’s brows furrowed. "An artifact?" Adrian guessed what it was immediately. He was very familiar with them as his family had multiple as well. Artifacts were just weapons that were unconventional in nature.

"Not just any artifact," the skeleton replied. "The Veil of a Hundred Shadows can store up to a hundred different faces and corresponding auras. Not illusions. Real, usable masks built from actual identities I ’harvested’."

Adrian stared. "You’re saying... I can become someone else?"

"Not just look like them. You can become them. Their qi, their presence, you’ll fool even their closest friends and family. If you master it, even a cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm might not be able to see through the disguise unless they probe your soul."

Adrian swallowed. The artifact was powerful. Too powerful. But it would be invaluable. He had enemies, people that he had to hide from. This hat would help him avoid them.

He reached out and gently took the hat. Only after touching it did he notice the aura emanating from it. It was a soul rank artifact. Adrian’s hand trembled when he realised it.

The ordinary-looking bamboo hat was anything but ordinary. It seemed that hiding its aura was part of its functions. With this, he could even escape the perception of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator.

"But only a Nascent Soul realm cultivator? Weren’t you facing cultivators at a much higher realm?" Adrian asked the Hundred-Faced thief.

"That’s only because of your strength. You are only at the Foundation Establishment realm. No matter how talented you are, you can’t bring out the true capabilities of the Veil of a Hundred Shadows.

In fact, I reckon you can only use about ten different faces and auras, and their strength can’t exceed the Golden Core realm. That should be your current limit."

The Hundred-Faced thief replied. Understanding dawned on Adrian at that moment. His mind drifted to the Blood Star around his neck. It was also an artifact, but his strength limited him in its use.

Now it was the same with the Veil of a Hundred Shadows.

’I seem to be acquiring a lot of things that I can’t use.’ He thought while smiling bitterly to himself. He was once again reminded of his powerlessness. He realized that power was not only needed for his safety, but it was also a requirement.

However, before he could continue wallowing in self-pity, the voice of the Hundred-Faced thief resounded again.

"I have wiped away my spiritual mark from it. You should now be able to use it without any problems. If not, it would only appear as an ordinary hat to you or anyone who picked it up, for that matter." The skeleton said.

Adrian nodded before finally bending down and picking up the ring from the skeleton’s palms. He didn’t rush to check its contents. He simply slipped it on his finger.

He decided not to store it inside the Blood Star. At least, not in front of the Hundred-Faced thief. He might have been acting friendly this whole time, but that didn’t mean Adrian trusted him completely.

Especially when he was a thief. Who knew how he would react if he discovered the wonderful abilities of the Blood Star? However, it seemed Adrian was too paranoid.

When he took the ring from the skeleton’s palms, the golden light in its eye sockets began to increase in intensity. Adrian immediately backed away, suspecting that the Hundred-Faced thief had finally shown his true colors.

"W-What’s happening, senior?" He asked hesitantly.

"I am only a wisp of consciousness that my true self left behind when I passed away. Now that my legacy has been claimed, my job here is done.

I can finally rest." He said the last sentence in an aged and tired voice. It seemed he truly wanted to rest and leave all these worrisome duties behind.

The skeleton, whose bones were pristine and in good condition, now started to crumble. Its body started to fade away, leaving only a glowing golden orb.

Even the golden orb was slowly getting dimmer, its light beginning to fade and disappear into the surroundings.

Once the skeleton completely disintegrated, a formation began to spread out from underneath the cultivation mat it was sitting on. Runes slowly materialized from beneath him, in a slow yet precise formation.

Adrian was a bit startled, but was soon reassured by the voice of the Hundred-Faced thief.

"Calm down, kid. That’s the exit. That formation will lead you out of the secret realm.

Although it might not be a good thing for you.

If you can survive, make sure to spread my name far and wide. Hahaha!"

The Hundred-Faced thief laughed as the wisp of consciousness started to fade away.

"Wait! Senior! What do you mean by-" Adrian wanted to ask further questions but was cut off when the formation beneath his feet started to shine in a golden light.

Before he knew it, he vanished from the spot he was standing on, leaving the mystic realm completely.

The surroundings fell into silence as the mystic realm became quiet once more, devoid of any life.

Only the voice of the Hundred-Faced thief sounded, now weary and tired.

"I hope he’s able to do it." The voice sounded before the wisp of consciousness faded completely. The Hundred-Faced Thief had finally left this world.

******

Adrian appeared once again in the outside world. The familiar mist made him realise that he was no longer in the mystic realm. He was back in the Misty Mountains.

Finally, he was finally out of the mystic realm. The journey was filled with danger, and he had been on edge most of the time. He almost lost his life on multiple occasions and was only alive due to a series of lucky events.

A wave of emotions washed through him as he reminisced on his first adventure inside a mystic realm. It was a very unique experience, one he probably would never forget.

The House of Thorne, being a major power on the continent, also had some mystic realms it controlled. But Adrian was never able to enter them before.

Some of them had a specific timeline when they would be opened naturally, others required tremendous force to open them, while the rest were simply too dangerous for him to enter.

His family had access to several, each carefully regulated and exploited for resources. Some were training grounds, where members honed their skills against magic beasts and ancient traps. Others were treasure vaults, filled with rare herbs, ores, and relics harvested by them over generations.

He wondered what would happen to all of them now that the House of Thorne was no more. Surely, they wouldn’t be left alone. They would be taken over by other families that would want to take advantage of their family’s misfortune.

As soon as he had this thought, one family came to mind.

’The House of Blake.’ Before, he had once thought of them as a noble and reliable ally, one who could be trusted. But they had shown him their true colors in the end.

However, before he could think about it further, a loud howl from a beast woke him from his thoughts. The howl was loud, but it didn’t seem near him. It was loud enough for him to snap out of his thoughts and remember where he was.

The power within the howl was much stronger than any beast that he had faced before. Only now did he notice that his current surroundings were different from the ones he entered the mystic realm through. It was still a cave, but it was not the same one he recognized.

This cave was much smaller and resembled a narrow passage. The only direction that this passage led to was outside. Adrian quickly followed the passage outside and found himself in an area he didn’t recognize.

He was sure he hadn’t been here before, and started to wonder where he was. He noticed that the amount of mist in the atmosphere had increased. It wasn’t a dramatic increase, but it was enough that it was noticeable to the naked eye.

In the Misty Mountains, the deeper you go, the thicker the mist. The mist in the area he was currently in was more than that of the area he was in, which was much more than the cave he entered through.

Then, a thought that sent chills down his spine slowly arose in his mind.