Two days have passed. Having met no other person since his arrival, Tao Fuyuan made himself at home inside the mysterious castle.
Up to this point, I've realized three things. First, the reason I've come to this place must be related to these glowing beads. Second, this must be some kind of confined space. Else, how else could this garden, filled to the brim with glowing plants and treasures, be so void of people? Third, this body clearly doesn't belong to me…
His course of thought took a dramatic U-turn as he dejectedly gazed at the person standing in front of the mirror. Raven black, long and straight hair, despite's having grown to his thighs, it has never been cut; moreover, it looks perfectly healthy! Apart from that, 'he' definitely does have a strikingly handsome, yet pale face. As if shaped by the hands of a puppet maker, amongst a crowd of handsome men, this kind of face would definitely stand out. Peach-colored lips and slanted eyes, decorated by long lashes, are the cherry on top. Such feminine looks, is this really a man's body? One crisis following the other, please give me my old body back!
He sighted and retracted his gaze, opening up the closet in the meantime. After settling on a red tang suit with black trims, he let out a mocking humph.
Such opulence, these clothes must be worth thousands! Whose rich family did this young man belong to?
Undressed and dressed in a flash, the youth was in high spirits and left the castle. After half an incense's worth of time, Tao Fuyuan passed through the aforementioned Paifang and scrutinized his surroundings carefully. Books and scrolls had been sorted neatly on shelves made of wood, but none of those could be seen prior to passing through the gate.
"Amongst all the things I've experienced so far, this one is probably the least bewildering one."
Sighing inwardly, he walked down the hallway. Passing by various kinds of shelves, Tao Fuyuan's heart suddenly began to race.
"Mages? Practioners? Pills, sacred weapons, soul elements…"
Curiously, he finally came to a stop in front of a huge shelf above which hovered a tablet spelling "spiritual fissures" and reached out, casually grabbing the nearest scroll. Flipping it open, his eyes widened.
"Spirital fissures are personal spaces created by blue, purple and iridescent souls. It's quality depends on the caliber of the creator's soul, varying in scenery and produce…this is it!"
Hurriedly skimming through the sentences one by one, he finally found what he was looking for.
'Fissures appear in forms of tattooes, varying in color and shape. Upon touching it, the host will either enter or leave the fissure depending on their respective whereabouts. High-level fissures will enable it's owners to come and leave as they please upon wishing for it, verbally or internally.'
"This is it? I've spent so much time looking for an exit that doesn't exist? Ah, this is brutal.."
Tao Fuyuan put the scroll back on the shelf and turned around, drawing close to the shelf on its opposite side. He reached out and got ahold of his next book: Soul colors!
He sat down on the spot and started reading.
'Souls vary in color. Red and Orange souls are the most common ones. Their souls produce just enough soul energy for them to complete common tasks, and are therefore not suited for cultivation. Yellow and Green souls are less common. Their souls produce a large quantity of soul energy and are therefore very well suited for cultivation. Blue and Purple souls are rare. Their souls produce a humongous quantity of soul energy and are therefore very well suited for cultivation. Iridescent souls are as scarce as a hen's teeth; none has been sighted in millions of years. Their souls produce unlimited soul energy and are therefore most suited for cultivation.'
'Mages possess clouded souls while practitioners possess clear souls. A mage's soul is exceptionally flexible and rich in quantity, hence best suited for pill and artifact refining. A practioner's soul is sturdy yet powerful, therefore unable to refine pills or artifacts of any kind.'
'A soul's grade can be raised from 1 to 5. 1 is the lowest and most common while 5 is the highest and least common. During the process of leveling up, the individual will encounter four stages before reaching the next grade: dull, light and dark, followed by a bottleneck.'
"Every soul is compatible with one or multiple elements. Dark, light, wood, earth, metal, water and lightning.'
…
Just like this, four days have passed. Having read his fill, a few naps and snack times included, he put his books back to their respective shelves before leaving the library and heading back to the castle. It didn't take him long to find what he was searching for; money!
Only after packing the money pouch away safely did he exit the castle once again, and closed his eyes.
"Leave!"
As the word left his mouth, his figure started warping and eventually, disappeared. As he opened his eyes again, a bright and clear sky gradually filled his line of sight. The bustling of leaves could be heard all around. A forest?
"Young miss!"
Huh?
"Stop following me! I said I wanted to go alone, don't you dare stop me!"
Following the voice, he eventually managed to leave the forest in one piece. About a few meters in front of him stood a lady in a golden, silken garment. Embroidered on it was a peacock and following her were two men and two women, seemingly her maids and guards. They were walking towards a gate. A city!
Overjoyed, the youth made his way to the gate. Before he could enter, a city guard stopped him.
"You must pay a 50 anima coin fee in order to enter tiantang city!"
Paying the fee leisurely, Tao Fuyuan entered the city, taking no notice of the dumbfounded gazes of those around him, including the young maiden.