Blood trickled down her hand onto the bracelet, and a voice suddenly rang in her mind: “Beep! Congratulations, Host, you’ve activated the Traversal System. Completing system tasks will earn you rewards.”
Shen Zhiyao was stunned. “Who’s… speaking?”
“Don’t be afraid. I am your Space System Assistant. I exist inside your bracelet. If you silently say ‘come in,’ you’ll be able to see me.”
Shen Zhiyao murmured, “Come in.” Instantly, she found herself in a vast open space—blue skies, white clouds, and endless grasslands. In the distance, there were mountains, forests, rivers, and even the ocean. A waterfall cascaded down a mountain. The place she stood was a small courtyard. Not far off stood a three-story villa, with a swimming pool in front, two lounge chairs, a large umbrella, and a hot spring pool nearby. At the edge, a small spring gushed clear water.
“Master, look down at me!”
A sweet, childlike voice pulled Shen Zhiyao out of her shock. She looked down and saw a small, snow-white creature that looked like a mix between a cat and a fox. Its round eyes stared at her without blinking. Shen Zhiyao’s heart melted—she had no resistance to anything fluffy. She scooped it up and asked, “Who are you? How can you talk? What’s your name? Where is this place?”
“You’re asking too many questions at once, Master. Let me answer them one by one. I’m the spirit of this space, of course, I can speak. My name was given by my previous owner, but you can rename me if you want. This is a space inside your bracelet. It’s existed for over ten thousand years and was brought here by someone from another parallel world who traversed into this one. Now it has been passed down to you.”
“Then what was your name before? Will it be weird if I change it? Maybe I should just call you by your old name?”
“My old name was… Uh, Fu Fu, Uh Ai Fu, Ma Li Ma Mi Hong.”
Shen Zhiyao: “….”
“How about I call you ‘Bai Bai’ from now on?”
“Okay, Master.”
Shen Zhiyao stroked Bai Bai’s snow-white fur gently. “Let’s be good friends. You can call me Zhiyao or Yaoyao, no need to call me Master, okay?”
“Okay, Yaoyao. I like being friends with you.”
“Bai Bai, can you tell me about the tasks you mentioned? I don’t really understand.”
“Sure! Discovering this space means you’re about to traverse to a parallel world. That world is somewhat like the 1970s compared to your current world—less developed. I’ll go with you into that world. You have roughly two months to prepare. You can store materials here; this space has preservation functions and can even house animals without intelligence. Whatever you put in here comes out unchanged. Right now, your spiritual energy is insufficient. After going through the Refining and Soul Purging (Xi Jing Fa Sui), your spiritual energy will increase, and then you can retrieve things with your mind. Time here flows differently—one month in this space equals only one day outside. The system will give you tasks to complete, and excelling at them will earn you rewards, like items or other things useful in the world you’re traversing to.”
Shen Zhiyao’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly told Bai Bai about her dream, asking if she was going to the world with Lu Tuan Zhang.
“Yes. That dream was from your past life. In your previous life, you had deep unresolved grudges. I’m here to help you traverse back and fulfill your wishes.”
Tears welled in Shen Zhiyao’s eyes. She was so moved she couldn’t speak. After thinking for a long while, she asked, “Can I start the Refining and Soul Purging now?”
“Yes, Yaoyao. The water in the spring over there is spiritual spring water. Drinking it strengthens the body, whitens and nourishes the skin, and heals minor injuries. But I recommend you drink it at the bathroom entrance.”
Shen Zhiyao didn’t understand why the bathroom entrance mattered. She went to the spring, cupped the water in her hands, and drank. After a few sips, a foul smell hit her—like rotten canned fish. Panicked, she dashed to the villa bathroom, stripping off her pajamas on the way. She washed five times before all the black gunk was gone. But the villa had no body wash, so she quickly said “out” to return to the space, then hurried back to the bathroom and used half a bottle of body wash to finally remove the smell.
After changing into a new nightgown, she looked in the dressing room mirror. She had always known she was beautiful, but after the soul refining, she was beyond compare. Her thick black hair cascaded like a waterfall. Her lively almond-shaped eyes, naturally arched brows, slightly prominent nose—masculine yet elegant—blended perfectly with her feminine features. Her lips, rosy like blooming petals, were delicate and subtly curved, forming two dimples. Her skin was fair, smooth, and translucent. Her figure was slender and curvy, her neck long and graceful like a swan’s.
She wore a simple white camisole dress that perfectly showcased her figure. Her chest subtly revealed under the neckline, firm and rounded. Her long, delicate fingers, soft waist, and smooth legs were flawless. She was, without a doubt, the kind of beauty that made people stop in admiration—an unrivaled, breathtaking presence.
Murmuring “come in,” she returned to the space. Bai Bai lounged by the pool like a boss, smirking at her.
“Sorry, I didn’t understand earlier. I’ll follow your advice next time. What task should I do now?”
“Hehe, your first task is stockpiling. Fill all the warehouses over the mountain. Don’t underestimate this—there are over twenty huge warehouses!”
Shen Zhiyao smiled. “Don’t worry, Bai Bai. I have plenty of money. I can do it. Can I know what the rewards are?”
“That depends on how well you complete the task. The system decides.”
“Alright, I’ll go check it out.”
Shen Zhiyao first explored the villa. Earlier, she had rushed to the bathroom without noticing. The first floor was about 200 square meters. On the left was the dining area with an open kitchen and a bar counter. She tried the gas—there was fuel—and checked the switches—there was electricity! She smiled. The dining area had only the basics; much furniture and appliances were missing. The living room had a place to mount a TV but no TV or sofa.
The second floor had five rooms, each with a bathroom. The faucets all had water but no heater. The third floor was similar.
Outside at the foot of the mountain, more than twenty warehouses, each several thousand square meters, stood in a row. After a quick look, Shen Zhiyao waved to Bai Bai and stepped out. The next two months would keep her busy enough.