The young man gritted his teeth and looked up at the white figure in the sky. "Grandmaster, you see—"
Before he could finish, a beam of white light descended from above, enveloping the entire giant cat. The wound on its belly began healing at a visible pace, inch by inch, until it was completely restored within moments—not even a scar remained.
Wow, high-tech much?
Even the giant cat itself was stunned. It tentatively moved its paws before finally standing up, hopping around in place a few times and even rolling over. Then, with a satisfied purr, it began rubbing against her.
"Big Cat." Overjoyed, Shi Xia patted its head, ready to express some interplanetary friendship between Earthlings and felines, only to notice it was subtly nudging toward her pocket, eyes gleaming with anticipation, as if it might just swipe a paw in any second.
"Uh…" Her lips twitched. "No more fish jerky."
The cat paused mid-affectionate nudge, stared at her for two full seconds, then narrowed its big round eyes. And then—
It turned around and walked away without hesitation.
Shi Xia: "…"
What’s with that "wasted my time" look? Come back here! What happened to the friendship between Cat-Blue Star and Earth?!
The young man let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the Grandmaster was here. He quickly cupped his hands and bowed toward the sky. "Thank you, Grandmaster."
"Thanks, Good Guy Number Two," Shi Xia added hastily.
The man remained aloof, offering no reply. With a mere flick of his sleeve, the glow of the formation in the sky dimmed, and the unconscious figures on the ground began stirring.
"Young lady, take this…" The youth suddenly handed her something.
"What’s this?"
"You’re here, so you must be seeking the path of immortality. Your potential is decent—this might help you."
Shi Xia took it and examined it—a white jade token, seemingly ordinary except for a few unfamiliar characters carved into it.
"The demonic cultivator’s poison has been neutralized. They’ll wake up soon, so I must take my leave."
"Oh." Shi Xia blinked at the token, still confused. "Uh, thanks."
"You’re welcome." The youth smiled, summoning a flying sword. The white-robed figure in the sky had already flown off toward the direction of the celestial mountain. "Grandmaster, wait for me!" The young man hastily grabbed the unconscious demonic cultivator, Hei Sha, and mounted his sword. Then, as if remembering something, he turned back. "Ah, right. I’m Yuan Wu, a disciple of the Jade Flower Sect. And you are…?"
"Oh, I’m Shi Xia."
The moment the words left her mouth, Yuan Wu, who had just taken flight, plummeted back to the ground with a thud, his face as pale as if he’d seen a ghost. Even the countless glowing swords swirling in the sky rained down like a downpour, embedding themselves in the ground mere feet from her. "You—"
Before he could finish, the distant white figure who had flown ahead suddenly shot back at lightning speed, landing right in front of Shi Xia in an instant.
"What did you say?"
Shi Xia froze. He was standing too close—she had to lean back to get a proper look at him.
Her eyes widened. Oh wow, a hottie.
Yuan Wu had called him "Grandmaster," so she’d assumed he’d be some elderly man. But unexpectedly, he looked young—sharp brows, star-like eyes, waist-length hair, and robes as white as snow, exuding an air of untouchable elegance. Yet his presence was so overwhelming it was impossible to ignore.
Even his voice carried an oppressive weight, making defiance unthinkable. "Your name is Shi Xia?"
"Yeah…?" What’s the problem?
The man frowned, scrutinizing her with an intense gaze. "You’re truly named Shi Xia?"
"Uh… is that not allowed?" The pressure around her intensified. Why did her legs feel weak all of a sudden? And why did she suddenly have the urge to double-check her birth certificate?
"…" His frown deepened as he stared at her for a solid half-minute. Just as she began questioning whether her parents had messed up her name—or if the hospital had switched babies—he suddenly declared, "Stop using that name from now on."
"Huh?" What the heck? What’s wrong with my name?!
Without another word of explanation, he turned and vanished in a flash.
"Grandmaster—!" Yuan Wu called out frantically, but the figure was already gone. He glanced at Shi Xia, shuddered inexplicably, and then bolted after him on his sword, looking as if he were fleeing a disaster. "Grandmaster, wait for me—!"
Shi Xia stood there utterly baffled. What just happened? Someone explain!
After the two left, the unconscious people began waking up, including Xuan Lin and Niu Niu. But the thick mist over the grassland had gathered again, and the celestial mountain had disappeared. Only then did Shi Xia realize she’d forgotten something crucial—she hadn’t asked those two immortals about the whole time-travel situation. Where was she supposed to find them now?
Then she remembered the jade token Yuan Wu had given her. She pulled it out and examined it closely, noticing a thin glowing line on its surface—shaped like an arrow, pointing steadily in one direction and extending outward. Shi Xia’s heart skipped a beat. Was this… a navigation tool?
Unable to resist, she reached out to touch the line—only to jerk back with a sharp sting.
"Ow!" A drop of blood dripped onto the token from her pricked finger. What kind of laser-like precision was this? So painful!
"Benefactor, you—" Xuan Lin suddenly gasped, staring at her feet in shock.
"What?" Shi Xia looked down. "Whoa, what is this?!"
A circular pattern had appeared beneath her, glowing red with swirling characters that brightened with each rotation.
Before she could react, the scenery around her shifted. Xuan Lin and Niu Niu were gone, replaced by an endless expanse of ocean.
What the—?
"Hey, you over there! Stop dawdling and come get your entry pass!" A man in white robes with blue patterns sat behind a wooden table on a nearby platform, waving impatiently at her.
Why did his outfit look familiar? Bewildered, Shi Xia walked over. Glancing around, she noticed more people appearing out of thin air behind her, all heading toward the same spot with excited expressions. Was that earlier pattern some kind of teleportation array?
The man scribbled something on a wooden plaque and thrust it at her. "Here. Lucky you—you’re the last one for today."
"Huh?" What did that mean?
Without explanation, he jerked his chin toward the side. "Hurry inside. The sun’s about to set."
Only then did Shi Xia notice a structure nearby—not quite a door, more like a freestanding wooden frame with nothing in the middle. She blinked. Was this… some kind of security checkpoint?
"What are you standing around for? Get inside already!" The man who had handed her the wooden plaque glared at her, then turned to the people behind her in line and announced, "We've reached today's limit. That was the last spot. Come back tomorrow."
A chorus of groans rose from the crowd behind her. Shi Xia instantly felt the weight of numerous envious and resentful stares. Gritting her teeth, she suppressed her question about why the security gate wasn’t even plugged in and stepped forward.
In an instant, it felt like she had entered a whole new world. The moment she crossed the threshold, the quiet, empty beach transformed into a bustling, noisy dock. Before her loomed a massive ship, already crowded with people boarding.
A man dressed in the same white robes with blue patterns stood on the dock, loudly calling out numbers.
"246… 247… 248…" With each number, another person stepped forward and boarded the ship.
Shi Xia couldn’t help but glance back—only to find the security gate gone. Behind her stretched nothing but empty sand. So, it had been a one-way portal after all.
"Two hundred fifty! Is two hundred fifty here?" The man calling numbers suddenly turned toward Shi Xia. "Hey, I’m talking to you! Are you two hundred fifty?"
"Uh… no!" You’re the two hundred fifty, you and your whole family!
"No?" The man frowned, visibly annoyed. He strode over, snatched the wooden plaque from her hand, and pointed angrily at the number carved into it. "It’s right here! You are two hundred fifty. Why are you lying?"
Damn it! So the plaque had a number on it after all. Could she request a different one?
"Stop wasting time. Get on the ship—you’re the only one left." He waved impatiently, urging her forward.
"Wait, I—" Where exactly was this ship going? Some explanation would be nice!
"Enough talking. Move it!" Before she could finish, he shoved her inside.
Shi Xia stumbled, her ankle twisting as she landed hard on the deck with a thud. The man followed her in, glanced at her sprawled on the ground, and seemed to regret his rough push. He hauled her up with a cold mutter, "Clumsy."
Then, without warning, he muttered some strange incantation and flicked his finger against her forehead.
A refreshing breeze seemed to sweep through her entire body, washing away all fatigue. It felt like she’d instantly shed several pounds, leaving her lighter than ever. Looking down, she gasped—her clothes, once caked in mud, were now pristine, as if freshly laundered, with even the most stubborn stains gone.
"Whoa…" She couldn’t help but marvel. What kind of magic was this? Instant makeover and a spiritual cleanse in one go?
"Don’t make a fuss." He offered no explanation, just scoffed and walked away.
Shi Xia kept staring at her "new" clothes in fascination before a thought struck her—she was wearing casual wear. Before, covered in dirt, she’d blended in. But now, looking this fresh and bright, wouldn’t she stand out like a sore thumb?
