Chapter 65: Azure Prison

Liu the Diviner was quite intrigued to hear that Qin Xiaomo hadn't transmigrated.

"Stay for dinner, then. I happened to buy extra groceries today. I'll take a look at you afterwards."

"Um... Master Liu, isn't Jiang Wei coming today?" Jidou asked shyly.

"He went back to report in. He might not come by today," Liu the Diviner said, tossing vegetables into the pot with a sizzle.

"Who might not come by?" At that moment, the front door opened suddenly, and Jiang Wei walked in with a bright smile.

Qin Xiaomo turned her head and realized that ever since Jiang Wei had broken through to the Heavenly Rank, he was no longer the dark-skinned youth he once was. Now he was fair, clean, with a high nose, thick brows, and striking eyes; even his features seemed more refined. No wonder Jidou fell for him at first sight—cultivation truly had its perks.

"Ah, you’re just in time. Miss Jidou said she’s looking for you. Out, out, don’t crowd my kitchen!" Liu the Diviner had been so busy lately he hadn't had a proper meal in ages, and with everyone here, he was even more enthusiastic about cooking.

"Is there something you need from me?" Jiang Wei looked at Jidou seriously, smiling gently as he asked.

Jidou was stunned by his earnest gaze, opened her mouth but said nothing, and ran out shyly, "I'll go buy some drinks."

Qin Xiaomo shook her head helplessly. People in love truly become fools: "Jiang Wei, did you secure Qiongqi?"

"Yes, it's already been sent back to the Celestial Realm. Since it committed an offense here in the mortal world, it’s likely to be punished upon return." As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and quickly took out a long cloth bundle from his chest. "Your Xuanli Blade."

Qin Xiaomo hurriedly took the bundle and opened it; the Xuanli Blade flickered white, as if greeting her. She held it tightly to her chest. "Where did you find it? I thought I'd never get it back."

"When I went to Kunlun to subdue Qiongqi, I saw other exotic beasts bullying it because it was still young. But it refused to run, pacing back and forth at that very spot, baring its teeth and growling at the others as if protecting something. After I sealed it into the Immortal Seal, I discovered the Xuanli Blade was glowing white in the snow beneath its belly. I picked it up and brought it back."

For some reason, hearing Jiang Wei say that Qiongqi was guarding the Xuanli Blade, she couldn't help but recall its panicked little eyes, and even felt a touch of protectiveness toward it: "Could I visit it sometime?"

"Who? Qiongqi?"

Qin Xiaomo nodded.

"Sure, next time you return." Jiang Wei scratched his head. "But when will you return?"

"That’s exactly what I’d like to know," Qin Xiaomo said, a little troubled.

"Young Mistress, technically you’re now at Earth Rank Level Five. Transmigration shouldn’t be a problem; it’s just that the method isn’t right," Jiang Wei mused and continued, "I’ll cast a spell now, to grant your body a memory for it. Every time you want to transmigrate, just sincerely recite this phrase in your heart."

"Set a password? Will that work?" Qin Xiaomo found it dubious.

"Sometimes, for cultivators, a mantra is simply a phrase that guides us to a certain state, helping us clear our minds. The words themselves hold no meaning—it's our heart that gives them significance. When we need to reach a state, the mantra becomes meaningful, not because of its literal content, but because of what we assign to it. Do you understand, Young Mistress?" Jiang Wei’s explanation was rather obscure.

Qin Xiaomo half-understood, "So, you’re saying the mantra can be any phrase, so long as it achieves our desired effect?"

"That’s about right. Now, once I form the hand seals, just recite the phrase you have in mind. Simpler is better."

Jiang Wei formed a lotus seal with his hands, mumbling as he cast the spell, then signaled to Qin Xiaomo.

Feeling a little nervous, as if prompted by a bank teller to enter her password, Qin Xiaomo blurted out, "One, two, three, four, five—up the mountain to hunt tigers." She felt embarrassed, and glanced up at Jiang Wei’s expression.

Jiang Wei pressed his lips together, thinking: Has our Young Mistress always been so down-to-earth? "Easy to remember, indeed. As expected of you! Would you like to try it?"

Qin Xiaomo stood there, closed her eyes and recited the mantra. Instantly, her body relaxed and she collapsed.

Moments later, her eyes brightened as she opened them, finding herself lying on a warm stone bed. The room was simple: a square table, two chairs, and a bed. The place felt familiar—she suddenly realized it was the abode of the Daoist Hongjun, still in the Celestial Realm. She really had transmigrated. With the mantra, it was so convenient. She was about to recite it again to return, when Hongjun appeared out of thin air before her.

"You’re awake, girl," Hongjun said with a cheerful smile.

"Where’s Qian Mubai?"

"Recently, exotic beasts have appeared in the mortal world. He went to investigate and won’t be back for a while. Today is the day when Master Willow is accepting disciples. He said you should go ahead, and he’ll join you when he’s finished," Hongjun explained.

Hearing this, she could only set aside the idea of returning for now—it wouldn’t do to keep sleeping in someone else’s house.

"I’ll escort you."

"Thank you, Master."

With that, Hongjun waved his whisk before her, and Qin Xiaomo instantly found herself in a desolate land, under a blazing sun on a wild, overgrown dirt road. If not for the occasional hurried passerby, she would have thought Hongjun had sent her somewhere to feed the wolves.

"Master, what is this place?" Qin Xiaomo asked in disbelief.

"Jiang Wei is waiting for you at the crossroads ahead." With that, a peal of laughter echoed in the sky.

That old man always had a flair for ceremony—even his departures sounded the same.

Qin Xiaomo followed the crowd along the dirt road, and sure enough, soon spotted Jiang Wei at the crossroads, holding a white fluff-ball in his arms and a bundle on his back, scanning the area. When he saw Qin Xiaomo, he ran to her from afar.

"Young Mistress, this was sent by the Young Master for you," he said.

The white fluff-ball hadn’t seen its owner in ages, and its eyes reddened with grievance, clutching Qin Xiaomo’s arm and refusing to let go, its tiny body trembling and sobbing. Qin Xiaomo gently patted and soothed it as if comforting a child.

"Jiang Wei, your method really works."

"Young Mistress, next time before transmigrating, could you lie down first or at least sit?" Jiang Wei whispered.

"Heh, lack of experience—I’ll remember next time," Qin Xiaomo said, pausing before adding, "Jiang Wei, I want... to see Qiongqi."

"But registration has already begun. If you miss today, you’ll lose the chance."

"I’ll be quick, won’t hold us up." Qin Xiaomo couldn’t explain why, but she felt uneasy.

"Well... all right."

With that, Jiang Wei took out the whisk and waved it, and the two vanished into the wilderness. In a nearby thicket, an old man with a white beard, dressed in Daoist robes and exuding immortal air, watched their disappearance with a smile that was neither wholly amused nor stern.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Xiaomo found herself in a world shrouded in dusk and yellow fog, with no hint of green. The wind and sand swirled violently, and the air was thick with the acrid sting of sulfur, making her eyes ache and water. Everywhere she looked, shadowy figures trudged forward lifelessly, silent and eerie, with only the occasional gust carrying wails and screams—whether human or beast, she couldn’t tell, but the sound chilled her to the bone. Then, a figure wearing a straw hat and wielding a long polearm rode toward them atop a monstrous beast. The beast’s two legs were about five meters tall, its body over ten meters long, covered in scales, its head bearing four horns like a dragon, its tail six-pronged, its face like a crocodile, and its eyes glowed yellow with no whites. Compared to the shadowy figures, its legs alone towered over them.

Qin Xiaomo whispered to Jiang Wei, "Where are we?"

"This is the Pale Prison!"