Chapter 2: Awakening Consciousness Space

Ning Yue, a newcomer, deeply understood the importance of a local at this moment.

She eagerly sought information: “Brother, no one has ever told me about the cultivation world. Can you tell me more?”

Although the cultivation world and the lower realms were interconnected, there was no reason why Ning Yue wouldn’t know.

Shi Yinghan, assuming she was young and orphaned, explained carefully.

“The current cultivation world is filled with various sects and families, led by five major sects and over a hundred smaller sects.”

“You will be joining one of the five major sects the Fusang Sect.”

“Cultivation has two purposes: achieving ascension to become immortals or gods, and resisting the demonic race to protect the people.”

“No one has ascended in the cultivation world for nearly a thousand years, but even without the path to ascension, cultivation can increase lifespan.”

Ning Yue nodded, digesting the information, just as she was about to ask more.

The jade pendant on Shi Yinghan’s waist flashed twice. He looked down, somewhat apologetically.

“Something came up at the sect. I have to go back now. Remember to practice what I taught you. If you have any questions, go to the city’s library; it’s two streets away.”

Ning Yue quickly said, “Brother, go quickly. I will be at the disciple recruitment ceremony two days later on time.”

After Shi Yinghan left, Ning Yue returned to her bed to practice.

She had made up her mind. To make a name for herself here, she absolutely had to get into the Fusang Sect!

Ning Yue calmed her breath, repeatedly reciting what Shi Yinghan had said.

Her dantian felt slightly warm, and tiny specks of light floated into the window. The spiritual energy in the air surged into the small room.

Ning Yue closed her eyes, unaware of this.

She was too focused to notice anything else.

Her consciousness grew hazy, and she vaguely grasped a clue. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a vast sea of flowers.

“Damn! Where am I now?”

Ning Yue curiously touched her body; it felt real, so it wasn’t a dream.

But she was sure she hadn’t been taken anywhere. Was it a consciousness space?

Unknown flowers and plants surrounded her, in various colors, swaying gently in the breeze. Ning Yue climbed the largest nearby tree and looked up. The sea of flowers stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see.

“What is she doing…” a whispering voice said.

Ning Yue quickly looked towards the source of the sound but saw no one.

Only an unknown flower swaying in the wind.

Ning Yue thought she had misheard, but the next second

“She’s looking at you…” a calmer voice said. Ning Yue shifted her gaze to another flower.

She found it novel, nimbly climbed down the tree, and crouched in front of the flower, poking it.

“Are you two talking?”

The two flowers didn’t move or respond.

Ning Yue persistently poked again. Just before her hand reached the roots,

The whispering flower angrily shouted, “What are you doing?!”

Ning Yue withdrew her hand, raised an eyebrow and asked, “Can you talk?”

The flower twitched its leaves: “What’s so surprising? We all can.”

The Xiaohua immediately shouted, “Everyone, show off!”

In an instant, the surrounding flowers and plants rustled, and whispers filled the air.

Ning Yue understood roughly that they were discussing her.

Ning Yue lowered her head and asked, “Do you know where this is?”

The flower looked surprised: “You’re asking me? Isn’t this your consciousness realm?”

Ning Yue understood, thinking, “So that’s it.”

She secretly wanted to learn more, so she asked, “Have you been here all along?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Sleeping.”

Ning Yue was surprised: “Doing nothing but sleeping?”

The Xiaohua stretched: “Duh, I just woke up recently.”

Ning Yue guessed that because she had recently arrived in this world, this consciousness realm had unfolded, and these sprites had just awakened.

“What’s the purpose of this consciousness realm?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s the purpose of you flowers and plants growing here?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s your name?”

“I don’t know.”

Ning Yue: “…”

Ning Yue twitched her eyelids: “Just tell me what you do know.”

The Xiaohua supported its petals with a leaf, thinking carefully: “…Although I don’t know what you asked, I do know about a secret base.”

Ning Yue asked: “What is it?”

The Xiaohua shook its head: “I don’t know, but it feels important.”

Since even the natives of this consciousness realm considered it important, to understand the function of this realm, Ning Yue had to go there.

Ning Yue stood up: “Please take me there.”

The Xiaohua yawned, leaped, and nimbly jumped onto Ning Yue’s shoulder.

Ning Yue looked at the endless sea of flowers: “Which way?”

“Of course, it’s teleportation by thought; otherwise, you’d be walking until the year of the monkey,” the Xiaohua said, putting its leaf on its hip. “Close your eyes and think of the center of the realm.”

Ning Yue did so. When she opened her eyes again,

She was in another place.  Before her stood five towering trees reaching into the clouds, each a single solid color gold, green, blue, red, and brown.

Only the red tree was lush; the other four were bare except for their branches.

Moreover, the plants in this place were larger and more peculiar than elsewhere.

Thick, bluish-green roots were intertwined into a giant sphere, with a gap in the center large enough for a person to enter.

Ning Yue asked: “What’s inside?”

The Xiaohua shook its head: “I don’t know, but it’s not dangerous.”

Since the Xiaohua said so, it certainly wouldn’t be dangerous.

Ning Yue immediately decided to go inside.

The roots completely blocked out the sunlight, making the interior of the sphere dark. Ning Yue could only grope her way forward.

Suddenly, it brightened. Ning Yue looked around at the spacious area.

The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves packed with books.  The open space on the floor was also filled with bookshelves.

Ning Yue was bewildered. Who put a library here?

She randomly picked out a few books to look at.

“Three Days to Foundation Establishment,” “Ninety Days to Ascension: The Accelerated Method,” “Cultivation Made Easy”…

Ning Yue: “…?”

What kind of books were these…?

Fortunately, the library didn’t only contain these books.

A complete collection of talismans, ancient fire seeds, the art of extreme ice…

Ning Yue was overwhelmed and completely clueless.

The Xiaohua jumped down from her shoulder and pointed a leaf at “Three Days to Foundation Establishment.”  “Go cultivate.”

Ning Yue pointed at herself: “Now? Here?”

“Yes.”

“Because if you don’t cultivate, you’ll die soon!”

Ning Yue’s expression tightened: “What do you mean?”

The Xiaohua stood proudly.

“I saw it. You’ll be thrown very high by someone in a black robe, then you’ll fall to the ground with a ‘thump,’ and you won’t move for a long time. You probably won’t survive.”

The Xiaohua turned its head: “Whether you die or not is irrelevant, but I don’t want to sleep again.”

Ning Yue pinched it between two fingers: “You can see the future?”

The Xiaohua snorted: “Not exactly. It’s just a simulated guess based on your current strength and the things you’ll encounter in the future.  But the accuracy is as high as eighty percent!”

It then proudly put its leaf on its hip: “Impressive, right?”

“Wow,” Ning Yue coaxed it, “You’re quite amazing.”

Whether it was the Fusang Sect’s disciple recruitment ceremony in two days or the future where she would be thrown to her death by a person in a black robe,

Ning Yue had to start cultivating with full energy.

She quickly read through the book with the dubious title, questioning the truthfulness of its contents for a moment.

Finally, under pressure, she sat down to meditate.