After fleeing for a while, Ji Huaichu and Mu Anqi finally stopped once they could no longer sense the group of cultivators.
Ji Huaichu was feeling a bit frustrated at this point. "This dimension isn't very friendly towards ghosts." How was she supposed to enjoy her honeymoon like this? If they went to visit the major sects as tourists, wouldn't they just be seen as a provocation from a ghost cultivator and get attacked?
"It's fine, we'll be leaving in ten days anyway. This parallel dimension will reset, so we won't cause any lasting impact." Mu Anqi glanced at the props offered by the system mall here. The exchangeable currency had changed to gold and spirit stones. One point could be exchanged for three hundred taels of gold or five thousand spirit stones.
Gold was quite cheap here; perhaps it was special because this was a cultivation dimension? The truly valuable thing was spirit stones.
The previous time and location teleportation options were still available, with unchanged prices. Besides that, there was a new prop called the "Aura Simulator." It was a one-time purchase that lasted the entire trip. Furthermore, if they ever returned to this specific cultivation dimension in the future, the prop could be reactivated and used again.
…Although, Mu Anqi didn't think she would ever come back to this particular dimension. Even if she visited a cultivation world, the one she was interested in was the one where He Guxia lived before her death.
But since Ji Huaichu was unhappy about the situation, how could Mu Anqi wait? She spent 210 points (after discount) without even blinking.
[Ding! Aura Simulator purchased! ~Player can use it at any time~]
[After activation, use mental commands to select the target application. Confirm to emit the desired aura.]
Mu Anqi held Ji Huaichu's hand and immediately used the simulator with her mind, selecting the "Ordinary Human" aura.
The next moment, Mu Anqi, who had intended to give Ji Huaichu a big surprise, was completely stunned. A pink halo, bright enough to nearly blind her, lit up beneath her feet! The moment the halo appeared, ethereal pink mist and streams of delicate bubbles floated up from within it. The bubbles popped above Mu Anqi's head, showering down a cascade of pink glitter.
—Even more absurdly, because she had also selected Ji Huaichu as the target, the moment the halo appeared under her feet, it rapidly expanded to envelop Ji Huaichu as well. Heaven knows, Mu Anqi clearly sensed General Ji stiffen completely, her expression frozen. But the culprit herself was too embarrassed to claim that this was the intended "surprise."
Of course, the halo was still "romantic." After enveloping both of them completely, the circular halo slightly morphed, transforming directly into a giant heart! Just as Ji Huaichu and Mu Anqi stared at each other speechlessly, the rising bubbles also changed into heart shapes.
[Ding dong! ~Wishing the player a happy marriage!~]
[The halo special effects are free of charge! Please feel free to use them happily without any psychological burden!]
The mechanical voice in her mind seemed completely detached from reality. Mu Anqi looked innocently at Ji Huaichu, then shouted mentally, "I've received your kind thoughts! So, can you turn the special effects off?!"
[Player need not worry. The special effects are only visible to the traveling players and will not expose your location.]
"…Can the special effects be turned off?"
[Dear, we haven't added that setting yet. We recommend you turn off the simulator for now. Your feedback has been received and will be forwarded immediately. We believe you will receive a response by tomorrow~]
"…" Mu Anqi looked at Ji Huaichu, hesitating several times before finally speaking. "This… Aura Simulator can conceal your ghostly aura and simulate three types: ghost, human, and immortal. These special effects… are a newlywed special offer. They can't be turned off for now."
"But don't worry, only we can see them."
"A wedding gift?" Ji Huaichu looked at the overwhelming pink and hearts and sighed silently. "Don't worry about it. I… like it."
Even though General Ji's declaration of liking didn't seem entirely sincere, Mu Anqi still breathed a sigh of relief. "With this, we can go play at the cultivation sects!" Even if they were discovered trespassing in a sect and got into a fight, being attacked as "humans" was still different from being attacked as "ghosts."
They wouldn't have any lasting impact on this dimension, as it was merely a parallel space dedicated to player tourism. Once they left, this parallel space would be wiped clean. Therefore, Ji Huaichu and Mu Anqi had no intentions of "eradicating evil and upholding justice" or "chivalrous deeds." After all, by this dimension's logic, a ghost like Ji Huaichu could even be considered a Ghost King.
Traveling is all about eating, drinking, having fun, and sightseeing! The first stop of their trip was naturally the mortal realm.
They exchanged five points worth of gold and five points worth of spirit stones, totaling seven points after the discount. With a large sum of money, the trip became much easier. They first found a bustling town, ordered every dish in the restaurant, and while savoring the food, asked the waiter about fun places in the mortal realm or any "world-class" stunning scenery.
"Sightseeing?" The waiter was momentarily stunned. He looked at Mu Anqi and Ji Huaichu again, seemed to understand something, and smiled wryly. "What enjoyable places are left in the mortal realm? All the world's wondrous and breathtaking sights are merged into the Immortal Realm. They wouldn't leave any for us mortals."
"But if you insist on asking, the thousand-year unmelted snow and 'Heavenly Lake' atop Tianluo Mountain are considered unique. The endless, wild sands of the great desert might also be one. Then there's the boating songs sung at Liu Zhong Lake, playing chess and reciting poetry by its shores. The bamboo forests of Qianling, the stone forest of Changxiyi, the red stone beach of Qienansong, and the ice waterfall of the far northern Gangyi Mountain are all worth seeing." The waiter shook his head helplessly. "Liu Zhong Lake is deserted now, but you can still see the lakeside willow trees and the lake itself. As for the other places I mentioned… most are uninhabited, dangerous lands, and there might even be ghost cultivators hiding there."
"These are just things I've heard from storytellers."
The places the waiter mentioned sounded rather mysterious, and he hadn't seen them himself, only heard about them. Pressing further wouldn't yield more information.
They still planned to visit these places, but just seeing beautiful scenery wasn't enough. After all, Shattered Mirror Continent wasn't lacking in that—Yu Chuhan's illusion techniques alone could simulate world-class wonders without any problem! (Though her performance fee was a bit high.) Now that they were here, they naturally had to experience something different.
"After discreetly seeing the sights, we'll first go to the Ghost Realm to find out what they have there, then use an immortal cultivator's aura to challenge them. We'll get information from the Ghost Realm about the locations of famous immortal cultivation sects and visit them disguised as ghost cultivators. This Immortal Realm is even divided into upper and lower… we have to check out both." Mu Anqi calculated seriously. They only had ten days for this trip; trying to explore the entire continent in ten days was simply impossible, so they had to prioritize and skip some things.
This plan to challenge sects wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea. After all, this was a cultivation dimension, and Mu Anqi was very curious about their combat styles. He Guxia's dimension… He Guxia was such a powerful sword cultivator; her battle against the heavenly tribulation at the Feast of Extreme Bliss was still vivid in their memories. This dimension directly separated mortals and immortals, so Mu Anqi naturally wanted to see if the cultivators here possessed He Guxia's level of strength.
Ah, He Guxia was an old acquaintance. Making an acquaintance dance was inappropriate! The various big shots in Shattered Mirror Continent saw each other all the time, and Mu Anqi would feel bad teasing them—but this world was perfect. Nobody knew anyone here, and even if she used her "blessing," it wouldn't matter. Once they left, the world would reset, leaving nothing behind. Mu Anqi wouldn't have any psychological burden about it. This is how a vacation should be.
As for exorbitant repair compensation fees for damaging the dimension? Mu Anqi wasn't that crazy. She just wanted to see those universally despised ghost cultivators and aloof, transcendent immortals dance together. As a little money tree, what bad intentions could she possibly have?
"The food here is just average," Mu Anqi couldn't help but remark. She wondered if it was because of the specific place they had come to. The banquet table was laden with numerous dishes, but the flavors were extremely bland. However, the ingredients were all ordinary, nothing Mu Anqi hadn't seen before.
"Let's go to the Immortal Realm later and see if they have spirit herbs, spirit rice, and the like. Dishes made from those should taste better." Smacking her lips, Mu Anqi somehow recalled a cultivation novel she had read in her previous life, where the protagonist even roasted and ate the immortal cranes of the immortal families! Although she couldn't bring herself to do that to a crane, if there were chickens, ducks, or fish that grew up eating spirit rice…
"All you think about is food." The moment Ji Huaichu said this, Mu Anqi's expression changed, and she glared over. General Ji maintained her composure and took a sip of tea. "Since it's such a small wish of yours, of course I must fulfill it. Shall we go directly to the Immortal Realm?"
"No need to rush. Let's visit all the places the waiter mentioned first." Mu Anqi pulled out a gold ingot. "Let's get a map first."
…
The waiter hadn't lied. The places he mentioned were all extremely remote, with no nearby towns for rest. There might be a few unrecorded villages scattered about, but that was uncertain. As for the nearest, Liu Zhong Lake, after obtaining the map, Ji Huaichu used her abilities to take Mu Anqi there. It was indeed a vast, tranquil lake surrounded by rows of willow trees, their slender branches drooping by the shore. However, there were no passersby here; the place was utterly desolate.
"In winter, when it snows, sitting in a lone boat on the lake would be a completely different scenery," Mu Anqi mused, recalling a poem. She and Ji Huaichu held hands and walked around Liu Zhong Lake, rested for a while by a stone table, and considered it checked off.
—"Who dares to cause trouble at Liu Zhong Lake?!" a sharp shout rang out. Clatter, clatter —a large group of servants and guards armed with weapons poured in, surrounding Mu Anqi and the others.
" Mere lowly commoners, how dare you set foot on this treasured land praised by the Immortal Masters?"
"Huh?" Mu Anqi belatedly realized that when Ji Huaichu had flown her here, they might have passed some… sign? And guards? "Where is this Immortal Master?"
The leader, upon seeing Mu Anqi and Ji Huaichu's appearances and sensing no spiritual energy fluctuations from them, raised an eyebrow, had a thought, and waved his hand. "Seize them!"
The guards immediately sprang into action, pointing their gleaming blades at the two and closing in step by step.
Ji Huaichu looked at Mu Anqi, about to ask if they should take action, when she saw Mu Anqi stare directly at the leader, stand up, cup her hands in a respectful salute, and say solemnly, "I wish you boundless blessings, a lifespan as long as the heavens, overflowing wealth, and rapid promotions in office!"
"Could we trouble your excellency to have your men step aside for a moment? It so happens that we have a few questions. Perhaps your excellency could enlighten us?" Mu Anqi said with a smile. "After all, resorting to violence is rather uncouth."
As the leader began tap dancing in utter confusion, Ji Huaichu gently patted the stone table. "Indeed, if we can talk things through nicely, why resort to brute force?"
As the words fell, the stone table crumbled into a pile of dust. The breeze by the lakeside blew it away, irritating the eyes of many guards. Look, they couldn't even hold their swords steady anymore.