Chapter 1: The Sudden Second Transfer

The faint chirping of insects and the sound of flowing water from the valley drifted into my ears as my senses, disrupted by the spatial transfer, gradually returned to normal.

“Have we arrived…?”

The Black-haired Girl in White Robe looked around, instinctively asking for answers.

“Hen, are you still there?”

No one responded.

Even the mysterious silver portal behind her, having fulfilled its purpose, began to dim gradually before finally disappearing into thin air.

“Hah… It really isn’t that simple.”

So, I’ve arrived at Lingyin Fairy Island.

Recalling the familiar name I had heard before, countless thoughts flooded my mind.

Could it be that Hen was trapped on that island, or perhaps like Min Chen, there were reasons preventing him from leaving, which is why he needed to wait for me to find him?

…Speaking of which, where exactly is this place?

The surroundings came into view as I pondered.

Under a clear blue sky, bright sunlight poured down onto the green mountains and waters, with the melodious chirping of birds emanating from the treetops and the distance. The grass rustled softly in the gentle breeze, while a winding stream flowed nearby, meandering down the slope, bringing with it fresh and natural humid air.

The mountains were beautiful, the water clear, and the birds sang sweetly.

This must be the sunny side of a valley, and it looked quite pleasant. Although there were traces of human footsteps and footprints, it evidently had not been heavily developed or destroyed and seemed to be a secluded place that only experienced woodcutters would visit.

Of course, such places aren’t usually very safe for ordinary people.

“Hmm…”

In an unknown place, it was essential to first confirm what resources were available. Now that I was here, I took a moment, having already experienced a transfer, to carefully check my abilities and state.

Everything was normal.

The data displayed on the [System Panel] was the same as before, all skills were still usable, and both my equipment and backpack could be accessed as normal.

“Next up…”

I closed my eyes, and the power known as sp transformed into waves, quickly enveloping the vast valley.

Countless scenes transformed into light and shadow, flooding my mind: from blue worms on leaves to birds in the shade, to beasts lurking among the mountains and hunting falcons soaring in the sky; all manner of life was observed by me.

Of course, this included some more familiar figures.

There were a few scattered local residents, tools in hand, looking like they were out for herbs or small game.

Humans, pure humans.

They lacked any unique organs beyond my impressions, behaved quite normally, and there was no presence of anyone suddenly jumping several meters high or splitting rocks with their bare hands.

At least, that was the case for now.

Moreover, these people seemed clearly startled by the sudden gaze of Someone Priestess, as they either turned and fled without hesitation, stumbling and dropping their prey and tools, or they looked around nervously, quickly kneeling down as if in worship while making a ruckus.

It made me feel a bit awkward.

Additionally, the attire of these humans… frankly, had a rather retro feel for a Priestess.

Originally, people from places like the United Kingdom or the Holy Empire had already been in roughly a medieval cultural state on Blue Star, their clothing styles quite different from those of a high-tech society.

At first sight… I felt an intense sensation of a high-civilization being among country bumpkins, taking me some time to fully adapt.

But the people here were even more so.

Their clothing was largely still at the level of burlap and straw cloaks, and the craftsmanship was very crude. I hadn’t spotted any comfortable yet relatively expensive fabrics like satin even after surveying a dozen individuals.

While this might be related to their status as mountain villagers, it still said something about their circumstances.

This clothing style was notably different from most areas I had previously visited, leaning more towards Eastern culture.

If I had to say, it resembled the Lingyin Merchant Association, those soul-collecting fellows, a bit.

Wait a minute…

Lingyin Merchant Association… Lingyin Fairy Island…

Given that Hen’s portal was meant to guide me to Lingyin Fairy Island, it surely would have directed me closer to the island. According to the information I had, that mysterious island inhabited by the Lingyin Clan…

“Hey hey… no way?”

The Priestess gasped, looking up at the sun in the sky, slightly different from her impression, as a certain name recently mentioned floated into her mind.

If true… that portal opened by Hen for me was probably a tenth-tier magic [Cross-realm Long-distance Spatial Portal].

I remembered quite well; in the images left by Hao Miao Yi Meng for Min Chen, he had mentioned [Lingyin Fairy Island] before.

Initially, he had built a ferry to cross tens of thousands of miles across the East Sea to find the [Spiritual Fox Priestess] to save the dying Cheese Mofuman and had finally reached Lingyin Fairy Island seeking help.

Clearly, to reach the so-called Lingyin Fairy Island, one must first arrive at the [Ancient Spirit Realm] beyond the East Sea.

In other words—this is [Ancient Spirit Realm].

Beyond the East Sea, several thousand miles from the Holy Empire, another continent, or rather… another world.

“To come here with such a grand gesture… you never change, do you?”

I shook my head helplessly, retracting the sp web that had spread over ten kilometers and refrained from further stimulating the nearby residents.

The exact location could be figured out later. For now, I needed to contact…

“?”

Focusing on the surrounding environment, I suddenly noticed something.

Basically, at any time, I would have close contact through a contract with a certain Little Dragon Daughter who would convey various pieces of information to me, yet there seemed to be no activity from her side for quite a while.

This was clearly not right.

I tried to send a stronger thought in her direction, something that under normal circumstances would have prompted a reply from Xiaoguang right away, like “Hey, are you there? I need you,” yet it felt like a stone sinking into the ocean, and I couldn’t sense any changes.

The expression on the Black-haired Girl’s face gradually grew serious.

The contract hadn’t vanished or changed, indicating that the Little Dragon Daughter’s life and soul were at least unharmed, but not being able to contact my pet was something I had never encountered since crossing over.

Thinking carefully, Xiaoguang should have just finished battling against Killing and gathered with Leila and Renée, waiting for my further instructions.

With Xi Fu Lin present, no matter how I thought, it was impossible for her to encounter any truly threatening enemies; after all, I was pretty clear about the situation in the Holy Empire.

So, the problem shouldn’t be on her side.

The problem lay with me here.

   

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