Chapter 3: The Spatial Realm
The gentle murmur of a stream, the sweet scent of wildflowers filling her nostrils, Su Mo slowly opened her eyes.
Before her stretched a boundless expanse of emerald green grassland. A stream, flowing from a towering mountain behind her, cut a straight path across the plain, disappearing into the distance, spanned by a stone bridge.
Su Mo was puzzled. Where was this?
After wandering for a while, she crossed the bridge. A tranquil bamboo forest, veiled in mist, concealed an ancient-looking house with a strong, powerful sign that read: ‘Falling Moon Abode.’
Carefully entering the house, a refreshing aroma filled the air. On a table sat a painting of a woman in red, her eyebrows sharp, her lips a delicate crimson. She held a long sword, her entire being radiating a fierce, unrestrained aura.
Su Mo stared at the woman in the painting, captivated by her rebellious yet alluring presence, her every feature exuding a breathtaking elegance.
She noticed an envelope on the table, addressed simply: ‘To the Heir.’
After a moment’s hesitation, Su Mo opened the envelope: ‘Heaven and Earth, bearing virtue and substance; all things in the world have their rise and fall. I, fortunate inheritor of this legacy, defied Heaven and became a deity. Witnessing the sorrows of the mortal realm, I have created this Hongmeng space. May future generations be kind.’
The few words left Su Mo speechless, profoundly moved. A cultivator who defied heaven to achieve godhood, using their lifelong knowledge to create a Hongmeng realm, the divine domain – she had received a god’s artifact.
Su Mo trembled with excitement. This was an incredible stroke of luck.
Gazing at the woman in the portrait, Su Mo’s eyes resolute, she knelt and bowed her head deeply, offering several prostrations.
Rising, Su Mo placed the envelope back on the table. As she turned to leave, the envelope vanished, replaced by two ancient books: ‘The Way of Immortals’ and ‘The Treatise on Medicine.’
What?
Su Mo’s eyes widened in disbelief. Overwhelmed with joy, she sat down, carefully opening the books. Cultivation techniques and alchemic knowledge?
Holding her breath, Su Mo opened ‘The Way of Immortals,’ following the instructions, she focused her energy, a warm current flowing through her body.
After eighty-one small cycles of energy circulation, Su Mo opened her eyes. She felt as though every pore in her body was open, profoundly comfortable.
Realizing time had passed, Su Mo stood, carefully placing the books on the table before closing the door.
Turning, she saw the full extent of the area. To her right was a large medicinal herb garden, the plants clearly extraordinary even though she didn’t recognize them all.
To her left was a well, bearing an inscription. She felt this well was unusual and cautiously approached.
‘Chaos Spirit Well, Life Undying.’
The inscription, clearly from the same immortal, was strong and vigorous.
However, what shocked Su Mo most were the words ‘Chaos Spirit.’ In ancient times, the heavens and earth were in a state of primordial chaos, before they formed; the universe was born.
This meant the well was a treasure born from the primordial energy of the universe?
With this thought, Su Mo tentatively scooped up some of the well water and drank it. It was sweet and refreshing, a warm current spreading through her body. She drank several more mouthfuls.
She closed her eyes in contentment. However, before she could fully enjoy the experience, a searing pain shot through her veins, muscles, and bones, stabbing her brain.
Her face went white, Su Mo collapsed to the ground, her body wracked with excruciating pain that threatened to render her unconscious.
After an unknown period, the pain gradually subsided. Su Mo felt a warm current flowing through her meridians. Opening her eyes, she felt lighter, and looked down at her body.
Black grime covered her skin, a foul odor filling her nostrils. Her face paled, she nearly vomited.
Quickly she mentally commanded, ‘Exit,’ and she instantly found herself back in her pink bedroom. Without a second thought, she rushed to the bathroom.
The sound of water mixed with the black liquid washing away from her body. Su Mo realized her skin was now smooth as a baby’s. The scars on her hands were gone.
Stunned, she touched the steamed-up bathroom mirror. A flawless face stared back; skin like snow, soft and smooth, a face of perfect beauty. Even the scar on her forehead had vanished without a trace.
Leaving the bathroom, Su Mo put a bandage on her forehead. Her wounds healing so quickly, without a mark, might raise suspicions.
Su Hao, emerging from the kitchen, saw Su Mo slowly descending the stairs. He paused, then frowned. “Didn’t I tell you not to get your wounds wet?”
“I felt unwell and cleaned myself,” Su Mo said, seeing his seriousness, offering a harmless lie. “Don’t worry, brother, I didn’t get my wounds wet.”
Sighing helplessly, Su Hao softened his expression. “Come down for dinner.”
Looking at the abundant food on the table, Su Mo felt a surge of warmth. How long had it been since she’d had such a peaceful meal with her brother?
Enjoying the meal, Su Mo ate quietly. Feeling unusually hungry, she ate two bowls, much to her brother’s surprise. “I’m done. I’ll go upstairs.”
Su Hao nodded, saying nothing more.
Upstairs, Su Mo closed the door and entered the spatial realm. Examining the area carefully, she decided to use one side of the grassland to raise livestock, and the other to cultivate vegetables and grains.
Remembering something from the book about using mental power to control the space, she concentrated and mentally commanded: ‘50 meters long, 50 meters wide, 10 meters deep, fill with stream water.’
Instantly, a square pit sank into the ground, the stream diverted, splitting into two channels, one flowing into the pit.
Su Mo’s face lit up with excitement. She used her mind to divide the grassland into different areas, then crossed the bridge to cultivate the other side, creating fertile land and watering it. In a few days, she could plant vegetables.
After completing this, Su Mo was exhausted. Returning to her room, she glanced at the clock – 8:35 pm. She distinctly remembered entering the space at 8:25 pm.
Could it be?
Time in the spatial realm moved ten times faster than outside. If so, she had a cheat code! Su Mo almost laughed aloud.
Full of anticipation for tomorrow’s work, Su Mo went to bed and quickly fell asleep.