CH 85

Invisible but alluring, Shu Shuishui eventually, amidst the eerie gazes of the people at the table, placed the ring on Gu Langu’s finger. To everyone’s astonishment, the ring that had been ill-fitting all along magically conformed perfectly to Gu Langu’s finger, as if it had been custom-made.

Liu Du was extremely unwilling, unable to fathom how the ring could now fit. However, upon further reflection, he realized that the other ring Shu Shuishui had was clearly ill-fitting. It was too large to be worn as a bracelet and too small to be a necklace. With this in mind, his heart found a sense of balance.

Shu Shuishui, on the other hand, was deep in thought. These two rings were exactly the same as the ones worn by Wu Lan and Li Meng, which is why Shu Shuishui had previously mentioned that they were replicas. Shu Shuishui had great confidence in his powers of observation—there was no discrepancy in the size or style of the rings.

Could it be just a coincidence? The ring Gu Langu was wearing was identical to the one worn by Wu Lan. Suddenly, Shu Shuishui’s little dormouse ears twitched, and his fur bristled slightly. His cheeks puffed up for a moment, and without making a sound, he stashed the other ring into his spiritual storage space.

Shu Shuishui was angry, wondering who the other ring belonged to. No one around was a suitable candidate to wear the same type of ring as Gu Langu. But just thinking about it made him unhappy. Shu Shuishui tried to recall the size of the ring. Unfortunately, his dormouse form couldn’t control its own transformation, otherwise, he could have compared his finger size to the ring.

The others couldn’t fathom that the little dormouse’s thoughts had already wandered far beyond the realms of reality. They resumed discussing the dungeon amongst themselves for a while. Ultimately, everyone unanimously agreed that the difficulty of this dungeon lay in the distortion of time and space. The scale of time, the speed of its passage, and even the direction of its flow were entirely separate from this universe.

It felt as though some sort of interference point from another universe had invaded, thus creating an independent temporal space. If this speculation held true, Li Meng, whose identity remained an enigma, likely didn’t originally belong to the Canghai Galaxy, and perhaps not even to this universe.

Li Meng hails from an unknown universe, perhaps a parallel space. However, it’s highly likely that the dimensions of that universe are much higher than those of the Canghai Galaxy. That’s why it retains its own temporal and spatial rules, allowing Li Meng to maintain his own timeline.

“If that’s the case, does it mean that in Li Meng’s original timeline, everyone ages from elderly to youth? That doesn’t make sense,” Yu Jin couldn’t quite fathom the existence of such a place.

Xie Feng quickly corrected from the sidelines. “It’s not about life progressing from old age to youth. Time and space are both relative. Without a reference point, we wouldn’t know the direction of our own time. The same goes for Li Meng. Perhaps the timelines of the two dimensions differ only in the flow of time. The starting and ending points of life might be the same, but when Li Meng came here, everything became comparative. The time-space of this universe became distorted, leading to a misjudgment of Li Meng’s life endpoints. This caused his life to flow backward because our aging timeline is equivalent to Li Meng’s youthful timeline…”

“Alright, alright, Professor Xie, your academic discourse is better left in the lab. You’ve said so much, and the more you explain, the more confused I get,” Yu Jin’s head was spinning from listening, so he hastily interrupted Xie Feng’s scientific explanation.

Xie Feng shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, with your intellect, it’s normal not to understand.”

Yu Jin suddenly felt that he had been too gentle in his interruption; he should have just charged up and given Xie Feng a good thumping.

The others were used to the back-and-forth between Yu Jin and Xie Feng. Ever since Xie Feng dismantled Yu Jin’s micro-farm for research purposes, the two of them would start quarreling almost as soon as they met.

In reality, Xie Feng’s previous explanation had already been simplified quite a bit, and most people had grasped some understanding, albeit at a general level. The universe was too complex, and time and space were domains they couldn’t currently grasp. The unknown always remained abstract in its comprehension.

Shu Shuishui’s little ears twitched, and then he nodded thoughtfully, indicating his understanding. “So, it’s like a straight line extending in two directions, leading to different destinations. From our perspective, the two directions are relative, but from the two ends of the straight line, the direction one is moving in appears to be the only one.”

Yu Jin instantly gave up the eye battle with Xie Feng and turned to pat the mouse’s rear end. “That’s what Shui Shui just said. I get it immediately. Shui Shui is the best.”

The technologically challenged dormouse, Shu Shuishui: “…”

Shu Shuishui felt somewhat guilty under the praise, and with a slightly coy demeanor, scampered over to Gu Langu’s side. One of Gu Langu’s hands, with the recently worn ring, rested lightly on the table, while the other hand held the small flower Shu Shuishui had just passed to him, examining it with deep concentration. No one knew what was so appealing about that simple little flower.

The hand on the table warmed up, and a furry bundle snuggled up close. Then, Gu Langu’s hand lifted, and his fingers slipped into the furrowed palm.

The little dormouse squeezed his tiny head out from between the fingers and then started studying the ring worn on the nameless finger. The function of these rings was undoubtedly more than just ornamentation; a pair of rings capable of bending the laws of time and space couldn’t be simple.

In hindsight, this dungeon appeared to be a challenge not only for the adventurers but also a test for Li Meng and Wu Lan. Moreover, the very existence of this dungeon was owed to the persistence and determination of Li Meng and Wu Lan.

In retrospect, these rings might have initially been ordinary engagement rings, purchased by Wu Lan. But after Wu Lan’s passing, Li Meng began a series of attempts at remediation. Shu Shuishui didn’t believe that Li Meng’s first attempt succeeded. Li Meng initially held onto illusions, hoping to have it both ways—meeting and falling in love with Wu Lan while preserving their lives.

However, after numerous tries, the universe’s laws of time and space proved stubbornly unyielding. Li Meng eventually settled for a compromise: even if they couldn’t be together in love and understanding, he at least wished to remain by Wu Lan’s side. But he still failed.

In the end, Li Meng couldn’t bear the pain of loss time and time again, so he chose to let go, disappearing from sight, from knowledge, from recognition, but unable to stop loving.

Shu Shuishui was fortunate. He had known Li Meng and Wu Lan’s ending since the beginning of the transference, making it simpler to trace the origins. For some reason, Shu Shuishui seemed to have formed a certain connection with Li Meng, acting like a sort of auxiliary insider; no matter what, he never strayed from the main theme like the others.

Throughout Li Meng’s repeated attempts, time and space were retraced and reshaped. The separate dimensions the adventurers were sent to were likely the divergent timelines resulting from Li Meng’s various attempts. The way to clear the instance was for the two to wear the rings.

Suddenly, Shu Shuishui’s little ears twitched, and he remembered something.

A tingling sensation washed over Gu Langu’s hand, and his palm trembled ever so slightly. He looked down at the table, as if in that instant, he had truly felt Shu Shuishui’s tiny ears brush against his palm. It was only a momentary sensation that vanished quickly.

“Why does this dungeon feel like it’s about alchemy?” Shu Shuishui suddenly recalled the knowledge about alchemy that Shu Bao had once shared with him.

The others, who had been discussing the dungeon, turned their attention to the little dormouse nestled in Gu Langu’s hand.

“Alchemy? That’s a fascinating term. Does it literally mean crafting weapons? Or perhaps tools?” Liu Po was quite intrigued and quickly inquired.

Shu Shuishui wedged his tiny head between the fingers. “Actually, I’m not entirely sure, as I haven’t tried alchemy myself. I only know the theory. ‘Qi’ refers to spiritual artifacts, divided into lower, middle, and upper tiers, with Transcendent quality beyond the top three. The higher the quality of the spiritual artifact, the more challenging it is to craft, but the stronger its capabilities.”

“Spiritual artifacts come in various forms, each with its own unique crafting process. One method of alchemy is called ‘sacrificial alchemy,’ where living beings are used as offerings to empower spiritual artifacts. Some capture spirit beasts and refine their essence into sacrificial artifacts, while others commit acts of cruelty, sacrificing others to their own ends. And then there’s another kind, where one sacrifices a part of themselves for the artifact.”

“The process of sacrificial alchemy is quite lengthy, and it requires adhering to certain laws and meeting specific conditions. According to what Shu Bao said, there was once a cultivator who diligently practiced the spiritual sword but failed. Eventually, they threw themselves into the forge, merging their flesh and blood with the sword, becoming a sword spirit,” Shu Shuishui explained, then seemed to realize he had used a lot of unfamiliar terms. “It’s okay if you don’t understand; I’m not entirely sure either, just speculating.”

The others were a bit dizzy from the conversation, but fortunately, while these terms were unfamiliar, they weren’t completely incomprehensible.

Xie Feng, who had talent in cultivation, displayed his usual enthusiasm. “Shui Shui means that the dungeon we’re participating in might be the process of Li Meng and Wu Lan crafting the ring artifacts. Due to restrictions, Li Meng and Wu Lan can’t complete the crafting process on their own; they need external help, and that’s us.”

The little dormouse cocked his head, nodding. “That’s right, Xiao Feng Feng does have talent. High-quality spiritual artifacts require undergoing a tribulation, which includes heavenly thunder that tests both strength and mindset. Perhaps the dungeon we’re in is a simulated tribulation for these artifacts. Li Meng and Wu Lan likely remain trapped due to their obsessions, not passing into the cycle of reincarnation. According to their laws of time and space, they wouldn’t even meet in reincarnation, making their encounter in this lifetime purely coincidental. Missing it would be eternal. Both can’t let go, neither wants to miss out. So, they willingly wager their souls, crafting these spirit rings—rings potent enough to defy the universe’s temporal laws, balance time and space, and disregard the cosmic order.”

Xie Feng’s mind worked rapidly. “These rings sound quite impressive—breaking the laws of the universe’s time and space. Does such a thing really exist? I’ve never encountered it before. But what’s thunder tribulation? Is it the lightning I’m thinking of?”

“As long as strength and opportunities align, spiritual artifacts that transcend the universe’s laws of time and space are indeed possible. All rules exist because we’re still weak, unable to break through them, and unable to perceive a larger world. As for thunder tribulation, in simple terms, it’s getting struck by lightning. But thunder tribulation isn’t ordinary lightning; they’re completely different things.”

Xie Feng didn’t expect Shu Shuishui to come up with such a philosophical statement. “All rules exist because we’re still weak?”

Yu Jin’s focus was elsewhere. “Getting struck by lightning? Rings are conductive, right? Lightning shouldn’t be able to damage them.”

Shu Shuishui didn’t think he could explain the difference between heavenly thunder and regular lightning in a snap, so he said, “Yes, rings are conductive, and so are you. So, when your cultivation reaches a certain level, you might attract heavenly thunder and get struck by lightning.”

Yu Jin dismissed the idea entirely with a wave of his hand. “Impossible. The likelihood of getting struck by lightning is even lower than getting hit by a spaceship falling from the sky. And if it really came to that, we could just wear a lightning rod.”

Shu Shuishui patted his tiny chin. “Don’t worry, with your current level of cultivation, getting struck by lightning is still a long way off. You’re not even in the Foundation Establishment stage yet, let alone Core Formation.”

“What’s the Qi Refining stage? What’s the Foundation Establishment stage? Are these classifications of cultivation levels?” Nan Ge’s interest was piqued, even though he hadn’t sensed any so-called spiritual energy up until now.

Upon being asked, Shu Shuishui suddenly felt like he wasn’t the best teacher and proceeded to provide the group with a basic overview of cultivation levels and the distinctions between them.

The group listened with puzzled expressions, finding things more and more amiss as they went on, as if they were being pitched by a pyramid scheme mouse, spouting ideas that went against science. Talking about ascending to the heavens and entering the earth, moving mountains and oceans, shattering the void—without the need for spaceships to travel the cosmos…

After Shu Shuishui finished, there was a moment of silence at the table.

Shu Shuishui tilted his little head and looked at the group. “What’s wrong with you? Did you understand?”

The group remained silent for a moment. They did understand, but they were struggling with the clash between these ideas and their scientific understanding. Thunder tribulation, ascension, becoming immortals, eternal youth—have they ever asked their cells for their opinions?

The little dormouse’s ears twitched as he self-reflected. Could it be that he wasn’t a good teacher after all? Just as he was pondering this, he felt Gu Langu’s palm, which had been lightly covering him, tighten slightly and then pat him twice. His voice followed, “I understood. You explained it well, Shui Shui.”

Seeing this, the group immediately reacted, expressing that they understood and thanking Shu Shuishui for his explanation.

The little dormouse observed the expressions of the group and realized where the issue lay. Cultivation was indeed too distant from this world’s reality. “You don’t need to worry. After all, this isn’t a traditional cultivation world, and the environmental conditions don’t support it. We’ll take it step by step, whatever pace is feasible.”

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and felt a bit guilty for their misunderstanding. Shu Shuishui hadn’t forcefully imposed an entirely different worldview on them. While those ideas sounded alluring, they weren’t the naive youths they once were. They might have passion, but they wouldn’t let their heads be turned so easily.

Shu Shuishui didn’t really think that deeply about it. After all, back on Earth, even a dream interpreted by Shu Bao would be taken as a scam, let alone in an interstellar era with more advanced technology.

Without lingering on the topic of cultivation, the group’s attention returned to the dungeon. After discussing it thoroughly, they concluded that within that dungeon, Li Meng and Wu Lan needed to follow the rules, and they also needed to adhere to the rules; both sides were gambling.

With the issue of completion resolved, the next topic was the rewards. Apart from Shu Shuishui, everyone received rewards from the simulator system. Due to varying contributions to completing the instance, the rewards were diverse, ranging from a bag of food to rare items and minerals.

In this instance, Liu Po’s rewards were unexpectedly better than those received by Liu Du. Liu Du was practically beaming, feeling like he had gained a lot by following Shuishui. “Shui Shui, how about we become sworn siblings?”

Shu Shuishui vaguely remembered Hu Sichen, someone who was equally enthusiastic about this path. Before Shu Shuishui could respond, Gu Langu, perched atop his head, answered first. “No need. Shui Shui is busy, and since the dungeon is over, I’ll take Shui Shui back first.”

After saying this, as if afraid of anyone following, he immediately logged off.

Liu Du stared blankly at the space vacated by Gu Langu, then sighed quietly. It seemed like he had been rejected, huh?

Translator’s corner:

I wonder if Shu Bao will appear again. The author has been mentioning him, so, maybe he’ll appear again…?