In the modern world, Li Xue had been a staunch advocate of self-reliance and independence. She found Xia Xiaoqing’s behavior utterly incomprehensible. What was the use of crying? The woman had practically hounded herself to death. If Li Ran ever returned and found someone else occupying his wife’s body, would he fly into a rage and finish her off?
This was a grave problem. Li Xue could no longer sit still; anxiety began to gnaw at her heart. What should she do? Suddenly, she recalled Li Ran’s parting words. He had mentioned that if he did not return, she should look for a hidden compartment. There was bound to be information regarding his whereabouts or his business there. Once she understood the situation, she could find a way to deal with it. Li Xue slapped her forehead and immediately began searching for the hidden cache.
She tapped carefully along the wall behind the bed, finally locating it two bricks above the foot of the bedstead. With a firm shove, it slid open easily. Inside sat a white jade box; the material was pristine and clearly of great value. Atop the box lay a sheet of yellow paper inscribed with numerous symbols. Despite being paper, it felt remarkably heavy, requiring a fair amount of strength to lift. Li Xue was taken aback. Paper was supposed to be light; why was this so heavy? Was there some kind of trick to it? With a mix of trepidation and curiosity, she opened the box. Inside, there was only a single letter and a small pouch. Li Xue felt a surge of relief—a letter meant information.
"My wife, please keep what I am about to say in your heart. These past two years, I have taught you to read specifically so that you could understand what follows. I hail from the Mangyun Mountains, a place over a hundred thousand miles away from the You Kingdom. There exists a sect there called the Yunjin Sect, one of the five great cultivation sects. 'Xiuzhen' is the path of cultivation, also known as seeking immortality; it is the term used for mortals with spiritual roots who undergo training. Most mortals are unaware of the existence of cultivators, and cultivators rarely interact with the mortal world. I was originally an inner disciple of the Yunjin Sect, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. During an expedition, I was severely injured and pursued by enemies. Although I escaped with my life, my cultivation regressed to the Qi Condensation stage, after which you rescued me."
Li Xue’s hands trembled, her heart surging with waves of shock. Cultivation—the existence of cultivators was real in this world! Something that only appeared in the novels of her previous life was actually happening to her. How could she not be excited? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I knew my injuries were severe and that reaching Foundation Establishment again would be difficult. Feeling I had no face to return to the sect, I thought I would simply spend a life of mortal wealth with you, raising our children and growing old together. However, I later received news that the Tianyuan Secret Realm was opening. This is my final chance on the path of immortality. I was once a core disciple of the Yunjin Sect with the high aptitude of Dual-Element Spiritual Roots; how could I give up? The Tianyuan Secret Realm remains open for six months. If I have not returned by the time the child is born, it is highly likely I have perished.
"My wife, you possess Five-Element Spiritual Roots, which is a rather inferior aptitude. The mantras I taught you previously are basic cultivation techniques; though they cannot lead to immortality, they can strengthen the body. Cultivation is an arduous path, especially for those with poor spiritual roots. For them, reaching Foundation Establishment is an impossible dream. It is better to enjoy a lifetime of splendor in the mortal realm. Thus, I never spoke of this plainly."
Reading this, Li Xue felt a sudden urge to give Xia Xiaoqing a piece of her mind. Li Ran had already taught her cultivation mantras, yet the girl had still cried herself to death! To have an immortal by her side and not cherish the opportunity—what a tragic waste of a divine gift!
"My wife, please consider the following carefully. If our child possesses spiritual roots, please diligently practice the techniques left in the storage bag and pass them on to our child. You must take the child to the Yunjin Sect before they turn ten. Any blood descendant of a core disciple at or above the Foundation Establishment stage can enter the sect by presenting the command token to fulfill their immortal destiny. If the child does not have spiritual roots, you may exchange the Spirit Stones in the storage bag for gold and silver; it will be enough to sustain wealth for several generations. Remember: you can exchange Spirit Stones at a shop in the capital called 'Weiming Residence.' They should not make things too difficult for a mortal. Spirit Stones are vital to cultivators, so you must be cautious. The storage bag has already been bound to you by your essence blood; you may use it. Your husband, Li Ran."
Li Xue’s eyes brimmed with tears, her heart a whirlwind of emotions—gratitude, surprise, and a pang of sorrow. She felt sorrow for Li Ran, a Foundation Establishment cultivator facing the helplessness and grief of a bleak future, and she was moved by the meticulous arrangements he had made for his wife and child. But mostly, she felt a thrill of joy. At this moment, she was so close to the dream of cultivation. Perhaps anyone who had read xianxia novels would feel the same.
She picked up the small pouch from the box. Was this a storage bag? It was small and exquisite, made of green silk with ancient, simple patterns. Holding it, she felt a profound connection to it, as if it were an extension of her own body. She untied the drawstring and reached inside, only to be startled. The space within was vast; she couldn't even reach the edges. It truly felt like the legendary "universe within a sleeve." Li Xue wondered how to retrieve items. Just as she thought of a Spirit Stone, one appeared in her hand. She found it incredibly novel. After experimenting for a while, she realized that as long as she reached into the bag and thought of an item, it would come out. It was magical. In truth, if she were a cultivator with spiritual power, she would only need to touch the bag and use her divine sense to make items appear without reaching in. However, since Li Xue currently lacked spiritual power, she could only retrieve items because the bag was bound to her essence blood.
Li Xue originally wanted to take everything out to examine it, but for safety’s sake, she went to the door and gave Liu Sao some instructions. After locking the door, she finally emptied the storage bag. A jade pendant, three scrolls, five jade bottles, twelve Spirit Stones, a pearl hair-pin, two bracelets, two small swords, a five-colored jade plate, over a dozen sheets of yellow paper, a command token, and a brocade pouch.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 幽国 | You Kingdom | The name of the country where the story takes place. |
| 西山村 | West Mountain Village | The village where Li Xue is currently living. |
| 山源镇 | Shanyuan Town | A nearby town where villagers trade. |
| 夏小晴 | Xia Xiaoqing | The original owner of the body Li Xue now inhabits. |
| 李然 | Li Ran | Xia Xiaoqing's husband, a cultivator. |
| 刘嫂 | Liu Sao | Sister-in-law Liu; a servant/helper in the household. |
| 刘大山 | Liu Dashan | Liu Sao's husband; a guard/handyman. |
| 暗阁 | Hidden compartment | A secret storage space, often built into furniture or walls. |
| 莽云山 | Mangyun Mountains | The mountain range where Li Ran's sect is located. |
| 云劲宗 | Yunjin Sect | Li Ran's cultivation sect. |
| 修真 / 修仙 | Xiuzhen / Xiuxian | Cultivation; the practice of seeking immortality. |
| 灵根 | Spiritual Roots | The innate talent/requirement for a mortal to cultivate. |
| 内门弟子 | Inner Disciple | A higher-ranking student within a sect. |
| 筑基 | Foundation Establishment | A major stage in cultivation, above Qi Condensation. |
| 凝气 | Qi Condensation | The initial stage of cultivation. |
| 天源秘境 | Tianyuan Secret Realm | A hidden, resource-rich dimension that opens periodically. |
| 双灵根 | Dual-Element Spiritual Roots | A high-quality talent consisting of two elemental affinities. |
| 核心弟子 | Core Disciple | The highest rank of student in a sect, above inner disciples. |
| 五行灵根 | Five-Element Spiritual Roots | A low-quality talent consisting of all five elements, making progress slow. |
| 储物袋 | Storage Bag | A magical pouch with an expanded internal space for storing items. |
| 灵石 | Spirit Stones | Stones containing spiritual energy, used as currency and fuel for cultivators. |
| 未名居 | Weiming Residence | A specific shop in the capital that deals with cultivators. |
| 精血认主 | Bound by Essence Blood | A process where an item is magically linked to a specific person using their blood. |
| 袖里乾坤 | Universe within a sleeve | A common idiom/technique referring to spatial magic. |
| 神念 | Divine Sense | A cultivator's mental perception or spiritual awareness. |
