Huo Sining heard it in a daze, feeling confused at heart, not knowing where she truly was.

In a half-awake, half-asleep state, the scene before her eyes changed again.

She was alone in an empty room, trapped inside a large vat. She struggled to swim and attempted to leap out of the fish tank, but any slight movement she made resulted in a golden magic seal appearing above the vat, restraining her so that she couldn’t escape at all.

As she was struggling, a young Taoist sneakily pushed open the wooden door and entered. This young Taoist was none other than the little boy from before.

The little boy clutched a white bun nervously and excitedly glanced around. After confirming no one was around, he stealthily approached the fish tank, reached out to stir the clear water in the vat, and lowered his head to speak to her:

"Little goldfish, I’ve brought you something delicious. Look, a white bun—Auntie Kitchen only makes them once a month. I got two and saved one for you. Do you want it? It smells great!"

As he spoke, the little guy tore off a crumb of the bun and tossed it into the aquarium.

However, just as he did this, a voice came from the side: "Yun Xu, where did you sneak off to again? Didn’t I tell you not to go near this room?"

The young Taoist’s face changed drastically upon hearing the voice outside the door. He was so startled that his hand shook, causing the white bun to drop to the ground.

At that moment, the door was pushed open, and the old Taoist, looking angry, entered the room. The little boy, hands behind his back, appeared caught red-handed and bewildered. Just as he intended to say something, the old Taoist reached out, grabbed the little boy, and took him out.

Seeing the young Taoist captured by the old Taoist, flailing his limbs in the air, yet still turning back to give her a pitiful look, Huo Sining found it amusing. However, upon seeing the young Taoist’s face, she inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen this little boy somewhere before.

But no matter how hard Huo Sining tried to recall, she just couldn’t remember. Her mind was a blank, and her consciousness rapidly became muddled.

The scene continued to shift, but in front of her eyes, the image of the young Taoist never faded away.

"In August, when the heat subsides, you were captured by the master. How about I come up with a Taoist name for you? I’m called Yun Xuzi, so you’ll be called Weiyangzi. Hee hee, Weiyang, Weiyang, doesn’t this name sound nice?"

The young Taoist was holding a blade of foxtail grass, drawing it back and forth on the water’s surface, self-importantly giving her a name. Then he remembered something, his big eyes opened wide, and his head leaned over the water, expectant and curious:

"Weiyang, Xuanxu Shixiong said that when you grow up, you can grow legs, become like a human, and transform into a beautiful Jiaoren. Is that true? Hurry up and grow up to become a Jiaoren, so you can play with me. I can give you my top and iron rings to play with."

Huo Sining found this amusing. She was a human being, how could she become a Jiaoren? Wasn’t this ridiculous?

She wanted to tell the young Taoist to stop being silly, but when she tried to open her mouth, she couldn’t utter a single word.

The images continued overlapping, enveloped in mist and clouds, fairy cranes flying together. This time, she found herself on a mountaintop. Just a few feet away from her, by the water’s edge, the old Taoist sat cross-legged in front of a small table, holding a scroll, teaching scripture to the young Taoist.

"The Earth bears everything, amidst the Six Directions, within the Four Seas, illuminated by the sun and moon, governed by the stars, and tracked by the seasons, subject to the Supreme Elder’s will. Divine beings give birth, their forms are alien, some are heavenly, some long-lived, only the sages can understand their ways..."

The endless scriptures sent the young Taoist into a sleepy daze. Turning his head, he saw Huo Sining swimming leisurely in the water. His eyes brightened, and his mind bubbling with mischief, he scooped a handful of clear water and splashed it towards Huo Sining while the old Taoist wasn’t looking. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Before Huo Sining could react, she saw the old Taoist turn around, leaping with a single bound to land in front of her, wielding a ruler that swung straight at the young Taoist’s head.

"Ouch--" The young Taoist winced, holding his forehead in grievance, "Master..."

The old Taoist’s brows furrowed in anger as he scolded, "Intractable, playing will lose your ambition. This little shark hasn’t gained consciousness, and I’ve advised you not to always play with it and neglect your studies. Why don’t you listen?"

The young Taoist paused, retorting, "But Master, didn’t you say this shark was brought back from Cang Hai? Why doesn’t it grow into a fish tail human form like it does in the books?"

The Taoist sighed upon hearing this, "Cang Hai and Biluo is now a ruin. This little shark has only recently hatched, and the Jiaoren race is extremely mysterious. Transforming from a juvenile form to a human form with a fish tail should involve some secret technique. As your master, I’m not aware of it, and we can only let nature take its course."

The young Taoist was heartbroken upon hearing this and mumbled, "Then Weiyang can’t become a Jiaoren, and can’t play with me anymore?"

Tears welled up in the young Taoist’s eyes. He glanced at Huo Sining’s place, and his shoulders slumped in dejection.

After a while, the little boy suddenly looked up and complained to the Taoist, "Master, could you tell me more about Cang Hai and Biluo? I want to hear!"

"Not inclined to study again? With your wild nature, I’m afraid by the time I transcend, you still won’t have learned my skills!"

The Taoist gently chastised, but seeing the eager look on the child’s face, he sighed, softened, and began to speak:

"Beyond Kyushu, above is the Yellow Springs, below is the Azure Abyss. The Azure Abyss is divided into Four Seas: Western Vast, Eastern Chessboard, Northern Stars, Southern Colors. Beyond the Azure Abyss, there is the Cang Hai, known to be the northernmost place, guarded by the Jiaoren, and the burial ground of ancient divine beings..."

The old Taoist babbled on, his mouth opening and closing, reciting strange words continuously, almost like a lullaby. Huo Sining’s mind became muddled once more as she drifted into a deep sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, the young Taoist was anxiously standing before the vat, splashing several handfuls of clear water over it.

"Weiyang, Master and that bald grandpa have entered the Alchemy Room. I overheard them saying they’re going to refine you. That Alchemy Room is full of fire. If they put you in the cauldron, you won’t survive."

The young Taoist spoke with sadness, tears dropping into the water tank. Huo Sining couldn’t comprehend what the young Taoist was saying, but seeing this little guy cry made her heart experience a sharp pang of pain, leaving her bewildered and confused.