With a fluttering heart, I slipped the subspace ring onto my finger.

  The cold touch of metal.

  Then a faint pain followed.

  The ring immediately burrowed into my finger.

  Leaving behind a red mark, it vanished.

  From the finger where the mark remained, not a trace of spiritual power could be felt.

  Something about this felt off.

  A slight unease crept in.

  My heart thumped ominously.

  Is this really okay?

  What if there’s some kind of side effect?

  In the game, it had been nothing more than a quest completion reward.

  But this place was reality.

  All kinds of horrifying imaginings flashed through my mind.

  The sense of relief I’d felt earlier began to fade.

  Becoming a slave to the altar.

  Poison spreading and paralyzing my entire body.

  My personality changing.

  Suddenly going insane.

  Being driven to slaughter.

  My intelligence dropping.........

  The instincts of a true man sounded a warning alarm.

  [...You have quite a vivid imagination. Nothing like that will happen.]

  Unable to watch any longer, the system scolded me.

  Ah, right.

  Way to make things awkward again.

  Ahem.

  Well, as long as that’s the case.

  What’s wrong with being cautious?

  I only have one life, after all.

  With my heart lightened, I started moving.

  I wanted to hurry back to the cave and check the subspace as soon as possible.

  I gathered spiritual power at my toes and leapt upward.

  With just a few bounds, I landed atop the cliff.

  To think I’d gone through all that suffering to climb down when this was so easy.

  I’d become someone who couldn’t live without spiritual power anymore.

  The bizarre wind had already ceased.

  The bone-chilling cold was gone as well.

  It seemed that when the altar vanished, it took its sinister aura with it.

  The valley below no longer felt ominous.

  A faint sense of regret surfaced.

  The subspace ring would never again appear in this world.

  ***

  At that same moment.

  At the pinnacle of the Qingxiu True Realm, within the sect that reigned supreme—Heavenly Palace—an unusual aura was stirring.

  Heavenly Palace was a great sect that had occupied the summit of Spirit Cloud Mountain for thirty thousand years.

  Thousands of peaks rose above a sea of clouds, each crowned with crystal-tiled halls that displayed resplendent majesty.

  Deep within the palace grounds.

  Inside the Hall of Heavenly Secrets, where entry by outsiders was strictly forbidden.

  Thick walls sealed off all sides, allowing not a single ray of light inside.

  Yet the bizarre patterns carved into the walls and ceiling glimmered on their own, dispelling the darkness.

  At the center of the hall.

  A bronze mirror as tall as a man, enshrined atop a massive obsidian pedestal, was emitting light.

  It was the Heavenly Treasure Essential Mirror.

  Upon the surface of the mirror floated a ring resembling a crimson lotus, while deep blue ripples shimmered faintly around it.

  The blue light spread outward like ripples, filling the Hall of Heavenly Secrets with an enigmatic hue.

  An old man who had been sitting cross-legged before it opened his tightly shut eyes.

  He was an elder with white hair and beard flowing to his chest, bearing the air of an immortal sage.

  He was the Supreme Palace Lord of Heavenly Palace, and one of only four cultivators in the Qingxiu True Realm who had reached the Spirit Severing realm—Qing Xianzi.

  “Huh….”

  A low exclamation escaped Qing Xianzi’s lips.

  His brow furrowed slightly, his snow-white eyebrows lifting upward.

  At his side, a middle-aged cultivator standing at attention could not hide his shock either.

  He was the current Palace Lord of Heavenly Palace, a Nascent Soul cultivator named Xuanjin.

  “Senior Brother! That blue light…!”

  Reverence and excitement were mingled in Xuanjin’s voice.

  Without taking his eyes off the mirror, Qing Xianzi murmured in a low voice.

  “That’s right. Another heavenly treasure has revealed itself to the world. And one that contains the power of space and time.”

  Despite his calm tone, subtle ripples stirred deep within his eyes.

  Xuanjin swallowed dryly, unable to calm his excitement.

  “A heavenly treasure imbued with the power of space and time… its value is beyond words. The entire cultivation world will be thrown into chaos.”

  Qing Xianzi let out a long sigh.

  “That’s right. Another storm of bloodshed will blow. All those old monsters who’ve been lying low will come crawling out again.”

  He clicked his tongue with a bitter expression. Having long since given up on Ascension, heavenly treasures held little meaning for him now.

  What worried him was the turmoil and gale of greed they would unleash.

  Even Xuanjin beside him was proof of that. At the late Nascent Soul realm, he was already shaken by the appearance of a heavenly treasure, flames of desire flickering in his eyes.

  Pretending not to notice his disciple’s state, Qing Xianzi slowly closed his eyes once more.

  A new heavenly treasure has appeared in the Heavenly Treasure Essential Mirror.

  That astonishing news spread across the cultivation world like wildfire.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  As though a massive boulder had been cast into a tranquil lake, the once-quiet cultivation world began to roil in an instant.

  Every sect and clan, as well as reclusive old monsters, began to move in their own ways.

  Those connected to them became frantic as well.

  Wherever sudden abnormal weather or surges of spiritual energy were reported, cultivators gathered like clouds.

  In the process, clashes large and small broke out, and innocent victims emerged.

  Of course, none of that had anything to do with Yun Xian.

  Whether others fought and killed each other or not.

  ***

  Well then, shall I head back?

  My steps toward the hideout felt unbelievably light.

  The cave was quiet and peaceful.

  The rabbits locked in the herb cultivation chamber were sleeping soundly.

  Their fire-scorched appearances were pitiful beyond words.

  I should hurry and move them into the subspace so they could live comfortably.

  Heh heh. Become slaves of my farm!

  The baby rabbit was asleep as well.

  It lay sprawled across my bedding, belly plump and exposed.

  …This little bastard’s got some nerve, huh?

  Fine, sleep away.

  Leaving it behind, I headed to the cultivation chamber.

  After closing the door, I sat down in a cross-legged position.

  Only a faint red mark remained where the ring had vanished.

  I’d been worried it might stay like that, but thankfully it was fading as time passed.

  I stroked my left ring finger and focused my mind.

  When I opened my eyes a moment later, the scenery around me had completely changed.

  Dense spiritual energy rose from all directions.

  My mind cleared.

  A soft sensation came from beneath my feet.

  Grass similar to turf covered the entire space.

  The sky was high and clear.

  To one side, a well-tilled field came into view.

  The soil was exceedingly fertile.

  Beside it stood a small hut.

  In front of the hut, a spiritual spring bubbling with clear water caught my eye.

  Yes, this was it.

  It was exactly the same as the subspace from the game ‘Fresh Immortal.’

  A space where one could plant herbs and raise spiritual beasts.

  Players used it to decorate gardens or create small spirit zoos for simple enjoyment.

  I was no different.

  But this was reality.

  There were bound to be differences from the game.

  I slowly surveyed the subspace.

  Its rough size was about a thousand square meters.

  Of that, only about five hundred square meters was suitable for farming.

  It wasn’t as spacious as I’d expected.

  Was there no way to expand this space?

  In the game, it had been possible through microtransactions.

  The system answered immediately.

  [Expansion using points is possible. The space will also expand if spiritual beasts or spiritual herbs are cultivated, or if items rich in spiritual energy are placed inside the subspace.]

  So the spiritual energy emitted from those things was absorbed by the space?

  That’s pretty useful.

  My grand dream of building a rabbit farm had indeed been the right choice.

  I should plant all the spiritual herbs I had.

  The ones I got from the Village Head, and the ones my parents left behind.

  In the game’s subspace, time flowed at about four times the normal rate. Would it be the same here?

  [Spiritual herbs inside the subspace grow at four times the normal speed. Spiritual beasts are likewise subject to the same temporal rule.]

  Oh ho. That’s excellent.

  With a happy heart, I approached the hut.

  The clear spiritual spring came into view.

  The water was transparent and pristine.

  I scooped some up with the gourd hanging at my waist.

  “Ahh, this is the stuff!”

  It was truly incredible.

  It couldn’t even be compared to the bland water created with Water Nurturing Art.

  This refreshing sensation coursing through my entire body!

  My depleted spiritual power filled up in an instant.

  Eyes shining, I took another sip. Unfortunately, there was no further effect.

  This, too, was just like the game.

  It seemed to work only once per day.

  Just in case, I’d test it again tomorrow.

  I headed toward the hut.

  Made of wood and yellow earth, the hut was small and tidy.

  Inside were a small table, chairs, and a bed.

  Could I eat and sleep here?

  [Qi Refinement cultivators may use the subspace for two hours per day. Cultivation inside the subspace is not permitted.]

  Tsk. In that case, there was no real need to stay here.

  Two hours would be more than enough to plant herbs and tend to rabbits.

  A bit regrettable, but it couldn’t be helped.

  Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.

  If my guess was correct……

  I hurriedly exited the subspace.

  Focusing my mind and touching my ring finger, I returned to the cultivation chamber in the blink of an eye.

  My chest swelled with emotion.

  If things worked as I thought, this would grant an enormous advantage.

  I slowly took a deep breath.

  Don’t get excited—confirm it calmly.

  This was directly tied to safety.

  After some thought, I removed the gourd from my waist and set it on the floor.

  I also took off one of my shoes.

  Then I stepped back into the subspace.

  As expected, the gourd and the shoe were nowhere to be found.

  But that alone wasn’t enough to be certain.

  It might simply be recreating the appearance based on my memory.

  Just because herbs and beasts could be transferred didn’t guarantee that people worked the same way.

  I needed a more definitive experiment.

  What would be best?

  After pondering deeply, I came up with one method.

  I needed to steel myself.

  “Haah… hss.”

  After preparing myself, I gathered spiritual power in my teeth.

  Then I bit down hard on my left index finger.

  “Ugh!”

  A sharp pain shot through my finger and spread throughout my body.

  I nearly bit my finger off.

  Next time, I should bite a little more gently.

  The effect was too good—way too good.

  Tears welled up in my eyes.

  I clenched my teeth and let the blood drip onto the floor.

  After some time passed, I measured the size of the bloodstain pooling on the ground.

  If only my consciousness moved, then the stain would grow larger.

  My body left behind would keep bleeding.

  If my entire body moved, it would remain the same.

  After memorizing the size of the stain, I entered the subspace.

  Now I just had to wait ten minutes and then return.

  Watching my finger drip blood made me dizzy.

  What kind of suffering was this, seriously.

  But for safety’s sake, it couldn’t be helped.

  A moment of pain could decide a lifetime!

  Ten minutes passed.

  Taking a deep breath, I returned to reality.

  I examined the bloodstain on the floor.

  Roughly three centimeters wide and five centimeters long.

  There was not the slightest change.

  My heart swelled with emotion.

  It was certain.

  My entire body moved.

  Which meant—

  I now had another means of saving my life in a critical situation.

  My mouth stretched wide in a grin.

  It couldn’t get any better than this.

  Suppressing my pounding heart, I entered the subspace once more.

  Then I opened my storage pouch and laid out talismans, jade slips, spiritual herbs, and formation plates on the ground.

  When I went back outside, the items I had taken out inside the subspace were nowhere to be seen.

  That meant I could safely hide items I didn’t want others to discover.

  “Ha ha ha ha!”

  Laughter burst out naturally.

  How could this be so good.

  With a pounding heart, I headed to the herb cultivation chamber.

  Then I began transferring the Jade Ear Rabbits into the subspace.

  One, then two.

  Each time a rabbit entered the subspace, a system notification sounded.

  [Jade Ear Rabbit x1 registered successfully]

  [Jade Ear Rabbit x1 registered...]

  [All Jade Ear Rabbits manageable within Yun Xian Garden: 35]

  Hmm. So the subspace was called Yun Xian Garden?

  I liked it.

  I began transplanting the spiritual herbs.

  [Fengbai Grass x7 registered successfully. Currently manageable Fengbai Grass: 7]

  [Congming Grass x3 registered successfully. Currently manageable Congming Grass: 3]

  [Yunxia Grass x2]

  [Changbai Grass x4]

  [Flying Immortal Grass x357……]

  All the spiritual herbs were transplanted.

  The older a spiritual herb, the better its medicinal effect.

  The same went for spiritual beasts.

  Aged spiritual beasts were valuable.

  Good for the body, delicious, and they boosted spiritual power.

  Now all that was left was to sit atop a pile of money—no, a pile of spirit stones.

  Of course, they’d all disappear as I cultivated…….

  Thinking about that brought tears to my eyes.

  The path of cultivation was truly long and arduous.

  Perhaps because I transferred the Jade Ear Rabbits and spiritual herbs, the land boundary that had been shrouded in mist expanded.

  About 150 square meters, maybe?

  Wasn’t this efficiency kind of terrible?

  Letting out a sigh, I exited the subspace and picked up the baby rabbit sprawled across my bed.

  Then I moved again.

  The little guy woke up and stared at me with blank eyes.

  A system notification appeared.

  [Spirit Beast (1 registered successfully]

  I lifted the corner of my mouth slightly and met its gaze.

  Then I asked softly.

  “Hey. You’re not a rabbit, are you?”