Not Your Treasure

<You have stepped into: [Hidden Shrine of the Abyssal Lotus Sect]>

"The what now...?"

<Xiao Xuan: I'm in a shrine.>

<Xiao Yuelan: Did you loot it yet? I'm coming.>

He rolled his eyes and approached the shrine slowly.

The air was damp and cold, but there was also a sweet plum blossom aroma coming from whatever was in that shrine. Yet there were no plum blossom trees in sight.

More importantly, the amount of Void Qi he was getting increased substantially with every step he took closer to the shrine.

<+84 Void Qi>
<+85 Void Qi>

And when he finally arrived, he was left confused.

Aside from that sweet smell, there was nothing. Or so he thought, when all of a sudden, he heard a single splash behind him.

He thought Yuelan had arrived, but once he turned around, he immediately went on guard.

Instead of Yuelan, a beautiful woman approached, her steps echoing in this giant cave. Her skin was pale white, with seemingly no imperfections. Long blonde hair cascaded down her back, curling slightly at the ends like drifting ink in water. Her eyes were shining like a pair of amethyst.

It didn't take long for her to arrive, and he realized the woman carried the same scent as the plum blossoms he had noticed earlier. She was slightly shorter than him, her head reaching his nose. Even so, she stared at him straight in the eyes, her thoughts a complete mystery to him.

After a few seconds of silence, Xuan snapped out of it.

"Uh... Hey? Is this your shrine?" Xuan asked dryly.

The woman tilted her head at his words, then glanced past him at the shrine.

A faint smile appeared on her face as she nodded at him, not saying a word.

"You're not very talkative, are you?" Xuan sighed. "I felt this place from down below, so I came here expecting to find some kind of treasure. Are you the treasure I was looking for?"

The woman's smile grew, and finally, she opened her mouth as a soft, ethereal voice emerged.

"I am a treasure, but I am not yours."

Xuan inwardly facepalmed. "My bad. I didn't mean it in that way."

"It is alright," the woman replied calmly. "You said you felt this shrine, that's why you came here, correct?"

"That's the gist of it." Xuan shrugged.

"I see... I suppose you were one of those chosen by the Void," the woman said, then continued. "The Void has been silent for far too long, so I doubt anyone was expecting you to emerge, especially in a lower world."

"The Void? Lower world?" Xuan repeated. "Are you referring to Void Qi?"

The woman hummed and walked past him, then sat down on one of the shrine's tiny steps. She crossed her legs and patted the step beside her.

Noticing that, Xuan walked over and sat down, their shoulders nearly touching.

"My name is Ning Linhua, and I am..." she trailed off. "You don't need to know just yet."

"I'm Xiao Xuan. You can call me Xuan," he introduced himself just as plainly.

A moment of silence ensued as their warm breaths filled the cave, but soon, she spoke up.

"The Void is one of the many mystical realms that exist in this universe. Its origins are unknown, and barely anyone knows what happens inside it. All we do know is that once every century, a cultivator gets chosen by the Void, and in turn, receives its Qi," Linhua explained.

"Void Qi is tied to Space Qi, Death Qi, and Time Qi," she added, subtly glancing at him. "You were in contact with Space Qi, so you were able to directly cultivate Void Qi. But you also received Void Qi from killing monsters, and also by coming here. Is that correct?"

Xuan's eyes widened.

"You're right... I do get Void Qi from killing monsters, but why am I getting Void Qi by being in this place? The space seems fine here, unless..."

Linhua nodded with a faint smile, turning her head toward the shrine. Despite how long the shrine could've been here, there was not even a single speck of dust. It was almost like someone went out of their way to personally maintain it.

"All special shrines are preserved by Time Qi. They can never decay unless there is outside influence." She pointed at the miniature rooftop.

There was a barely noticeable amount of rust, but with each passing second, the rust continued to spread.

At the same time...

<+88 Void Qi>
<+87 Void Qi>

"You are like a sponge," Linhua remarked. "The Time Qi that had been preserving this shrine is being absorbed by you."

"That makes sense," Xuan replied with a sigh. "So... does this shrine mean anything to you?"

"What a strange question," Linhua said, tilting her head with a distant look. "You could say this shrine belonged to my ancestors."

"The Abyssal Lotus Sect?" Xuan asked.

Linhua nodded slowly. "That's right, but enough about me."

She leaned back slightly, her blonde hair touching the perfectly preserved shrine steps.

"You were curious what a lower world is... and it's not as special as you are expecting," Linhua said. "All worlds undergo an Ascension by a higher power. I believe the higher power is closely tied to the Universal Laws, but it's only a theory. No one really knows."

She raised a single finger. "The more a world Ascends, the denser the Qi becomes, allowing for faster cultivation. Slowly, changes start to happen to the world. Land size increases drastically, old ruins become ancient tombs filled with hidden treasure. There is more, but you'll find that out in due time."

Linhua's gaze lingered toward him, and it almost felt like her purple eyes were staring straight into his soul.

"A lower world is a world with a low starting point, which in your case, is a world without Qi. Most worlds are brimming with Qi, and because of that, cultivation already exists," she continued, her voice lowering. "A world's tier depends on the strength and number of cultivators it can support. Qi-rich worlds naturally produce stronger cultivators."

Xuan listened attentively, and after a few seconds, he spoke.

"So even if we have a low starting point, that doesn't mean we can't turn into a higher world, right?"