Chapter 19: Did I Just Travel Again?
The three followed the strange melody through the inn, each step deeper into the echoing corridor making the haunting tune even more spine-chilling.
"The singing is coming from this room," Wang Suifeng said as they arrived at the door beled *Huang Room No. 4*.
The door stood slightly ajar, revealing a narrow slit of complete darkness.
“Who was in charge of checking this room earlier?” Wang Suifeng asked quietly. As he spoke, his right hand moved to the pouch at his waist—his Condensing Snow Sword appeared in a fsh of cold light.
Sanbao took a deep breath. Her instincts screamed that something unknown and dangerous lurked beyond that door, but she still moved forward slowly, lowering herself to peek through the crack.
Directly opposite the door stood a dressing table. On it, a bronze mirror.
As soon as her gaze met the mirror, a woman's face suddenly appeared in its once-empty surface.
The face stared straight at Sanbao. Then, slowly, the corners of the woman's mouth stretched into a terrifying smile.
*Boom!* Sanbao's mind exploded with a thunderous roar. The world spun wildly around her. Her vision blurred, her ears rang, her body lost all sense of bance as she colpsed to the floor. The ground seemed to ripple beneath her, the sky twisted into the earth. She couldn't tell up from down. Her consciousness spiraled into a vortex that dragged her deeper and deeper.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in that familiar *crystal cave*.
The world around her shimmered and shifted, colors constantly changing, space flowing like liquid. It was both familiar and alien.
Standing beside her was the humanoid being from a higher dimension, its gaze calm and unreadable.
“Did I die?” Sanbao asked, confused.
“No,” the being replied ftly. “But if you didn’t have the ‘Rapid Regeneration’ talent, you would have.”
Sanbao frowned. “What happened just now?”
“You were ambushed by the mirror wraith. Your soul was drawn into the mirror. If it doesn't escape in time, your physical body will die.”
Sanbao’s heart tightened. “What about Wang Suifeng and Tang Mingli? Are they alright?”
The being’s eyes seemed to peer through all things. “Their fate depends on what you do after you return.”
Sanbao froze. “What does that mean?”
The being didn’t answer directly. Instead, it raised its hand and waved. A faint glow shimmered in midair, and a thin booklet floated down into Sanbao’s hands.
“Take this. Learn it quickly. Then I’ll send you back to save them.”
She looked down and opened the booklet—completely bnk pages.
But as she infused it with spiritual power, three rge characters appeared on the white paper: 《Divine Illumination Sutra》.
Sanbao's eyes widened.
“Divine Illumination Sutra?” she whispered. A faint memory stirred—she had seen this name before in a martial arts novel in her previous life.
She flipped through the booklet. Still bnk. But as she focused her mind, words began to emerge—lines of elegant script detailing the techniques. Once she finished reading a page, the writing would vanish, and a new section would appear.
“This is a low-grade technique,” the higher being expined, “but in your current world, it is considered a ‘Heaven-Tier Manual.’ Master it, and you may one day stand at the pinnacle of this realm.”
*The pinnacle…* The words struck her like thunder. *The pinnacle… The pinnacle…* She recalled her powerless past life, and now, the possibility of reaching the top called to her like a divine promise.
As she hugged the booklet with near reverence, the being gave a knowing smile. He raised his hand again, and a flicker of golden light fshed. A string of dark-red agate beads appeared on Sanbao’s left wrist.
“This is the Seven-Treasure Bracelet. A spatial artifact.”
Sanbao blinked and examined it curiously. “What does it do?”
“It’s not a divine treasure, merely a tool. But compared to most so-called treasures in your world, it's far more practical. It can store many items. The space inside is nearly limitless—like a world of its own.”
“Limitless?” she asked, stunned.
The being nodded. “For now, you can only access a small portion of its power. But as your cultivation grows, the space within will expand—eventually rge enough to hold an entire world.”
Sanbao was overwhelmed, but chose to focus on learning its basic functions.
She pced the Divine Illumination Sutra on her left palm and gently brushed the agate beads with her right.
The booklet vanished without a trace.
“How do I retrieve it?” she asked.
“Touch any of the agate beads and activate your spiritual energy. You’ll see the storage space inside. Think of the item you want, and it will appear.”
She followed the instructions—and in the next second, the sutra was back in her hands.
“Can it store living things?” she asked.
“Yes,” the being replied slowly. “If you pce stars and moons inside it, the bracelet can become a realm of its own. You could grow spiritual pnts, raise magical creatures—create a world.”
“Grow spirit herbs… raise spirit beasts…” Sanbao's mind filled with the scenes from the cultivation novels she used to read—protagonists who pnted herbs, refined pills, forged artifacts…
Her thoughts drifted far above the clouds, lost in the thrill of her newfound treasure.
“It’s time. I’m sending you back now,” the being said.
The world spun again. Sanbao felt herself falling from the heavens, her body weightless and nauseated. *Ugh, not again…* She nearly threw up. *Why is time travel always so awful? Please, let this be the st time.*
She jolted awake—back at the door of Huang Room No. 4.
Wang Suifeng was holding her shoulders, violently shaking her, his eyes wide with concern.
Behind him stood Tang Mingli—his sword half-drawn, seemingly ready to stab Wang?
Sanbao's pupils shrank. Acting on instinct, she shoved Wang Suifeng away with all her might!
Wang stumbled back in shock, confusion fshing across his face.
