Bai Tian stood for a long time in the middle of that yard. The thinly grown green grass, the wooden chair already cracked with age, and the moss-covered old stove—all of them gave the impression that someone had once lived here… but had left it behind for decades, even hundreds of years.
He took a deep breath, then slowly walked toward the small building at the edge of the yard. Its wooden door was fragile, creaking softly when pushed. Upon entering, the atmosphere inside the simple room felt even heavier— as if it held secrets waiting to be uncovered.
In the middle of the room, on top of an old wooden table that was nearly falling apart, lay an ancient book. Its cover was dark and covered in dust, yet strangely not decayed at all, as if some spiritual energy had preserved it from the erosion of time.
Bai Tian narrowed his eyes. He carefully reached out his hand, brushing away the dust on the cover. The moment he touched it, a faint chill seeped into his body, making his hair stand on end.
"This book…", he muttered softly, "the paper used is quite ancient."
Slowly, Bai Tian opened the first page of the book. But as soon as his eyes swept across the opening lines, the room around him suddenly shook and transformed. The simple world resembling a household courtyard vanished instantly, replaced by a bizarre scenery beyond explanation—like a collapsing sky, swirling seas of stars, and ancient mountains crumbling into dust.
At the same time, an enormous flood of information poured violently into his mind. The torrent was overwhelming, like a great flood forcing its way into a vessel far too small to contain it.
"Ughhh…!" Bai Tian groaned, his body trembling violently. The pain was as though his brain were about to explode, cold sweat dripping profusely. He tried to endure, teeth clenched tightly, but his eyes were already bloodshot from the unbearable agony.
After what felt like an eternity, a faint voice echoed from nowhere.
"Quite interesting… you managed to withstand 70% of the information on the first page. Your resolve is indeed strong, though your talent is nothing special."
The moment that voice faded, his consciousness was severed. Bai Tian collapsed unconscious onto the floor.
It was then that an old man with a deeply wrinkled face slowly appeared beside him, as though summoned from within the book itself. His eyes were deep and sharp, yet a trace of curiosity flickered within them.
He stared for a long while at Bai Tian's motionless body.
"This child… his body and spirit are ordinary. His bloodline is unremarkable. He should have been nothing more than a minor youth from a common family."
The old man frowned, trying to probe deeper. But suddenly, his vision was blocked. Before him appeared an absolute darkness—a void of nothingness, without space, without light, without time. No beginning, no end.
"This… what is this?" he muttered in disbelief.
He pondered in silence for a while until his gaze was drawn to the simple necklace hanging from Bai Tian's neck. His expression sharpened. Slowly extending his hand, he sensed the faint aura from within the necklace—an entire miniature world hidden inside.
The old man's expression grew solemn. "This necklace… contains its own world, though it is on the level of a low-grade storage ring?"
A long silence filled the room. Finally, the old man let out a deep sigh and made a decision. His body slowly faded away until he vanished completely.
Within the room, only Bai Tian remained, unconscious on the floor… while an enormous secret now resided within him, unknown to his awareness.
Two hours later,
Bai Tian finally awoke. His head still throbbed with dizziness, his body weak, but his consciousness gradually returned. Sitting cross-legged, he quickly checked the condition of his body and belongings. Once he confirmed everything was intact, he exhaled a long breath.
But before he could calm himself, suddenly a voice of an old man echoed from nowhere.
"Young man… are you willing to become my disciple?"
Bai Tian stared blankly ahead, then answered firmly without hesitation,
"No."
A brief silence. Then the old voice spoke again, calm yet carrying authority.
"Very well. In that case, let us make an agreement."
"An agreement?" Bai Tian narrowed his eyes. "What kind of agreement, and what benefits can I gain?"
The old man was silent for a moment, then stared deeply at Bai Tian. From his gaze he understood that although this youth seemed simple and plain, his heart was greedy for gain. He merely sighed and waved his hand.
Instantly, a crystal ice coffin appeared before Bai Tian. Inside, a young maiden without a physical body lay in slumber. Her long hair flowed down to her waist, shimmering like crystalline ice adorned with a soft blue glow, sparkling like gems beneath sunlight. Her face was as beautiful as a painting, with crescent-shaped brows, tender rosy lips, and an elegant figure clothed in a fiery red robe. Every detail of her radiated an indescribable charm, as though beauty itself had taken human form.
Bai Tian's eyes widened in shock at the sight. But the old man showed no pride, only deep sorrow. His gaze was filled with grief as he looked upon the girl.
"Let her stay within your necklace," the old man said softly. "I do not know when she will recover, and when she awakens… most likely she will have lost all of her memories. Please, take good care of her."
Bai Tian fell silent. Only now did he realize the necklace he always wore could contain living beings. Turning to the old man, he asked again with a serious expression:
"In that case… what benefit do I gain?"
The old man stared at him for a long time, almost in disbelief. To be entrusted with a maiden of such beauty, yet the youth still thought only of profit. With a bitter sigh, the old man finally spoke:
"Young man… have you not already received an inheritance? That book contains extremely valuable knowledge, capable of aiding you greatly on your cultivation path."
But Bai Tian shook his head with a flat expression.
"Not enough."
The old man's gaze lingered on him, then curved into a bitter smile.
"Very well. Within this place, there lies a Fire Seed—a priceless treasure for an alchemist. With it, you can ignite your own spiritual flame."
At once, the space around them trembled, cracks of light splitting the air, forming a spatial rift glowing with blazing crimson.
Bai Tian looked at the quivering rift before him, fiery red radiance shining from within. But before stepping forward, his eyes turned to the crystal ice coffin still standing beside him.
Carefully, he reached out his hand, channeling spiritual energy toward the necklace on his neck. The coffin quivered faintly, but did not immediately get absorbed. Gritting his teeth, Bai Tian tried repeatedly to control the necklace's energy. After several attempts, the crystal coffin finally faded away, safely stored inside the miniature world within the necklace.
Bai Tian let out a sigh of relief, then turned once more toward the spatial rift. With steady steps, he walked forward. His body was instantly engulfed by blinding light, vanishing from the room.
Silence returned to the place. Only the figure of the white-haired old man remained, standing with eyes filled with deep emotions. Bowing solemnly, his voice was low but full of reverence:
"Young lady… I pray you will not blame me for daring to entrust you to that youth."
As his words echoed, the old man's form began to fade. His remaining consciousness turned into a faint light, then was drawn into Bai Tian's necklace.
The room fell silent once again, as though no one had ever been there at all.