What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

After going through Qi Shaochen’s storage bag, she finally remembered the artifact she had acquired through great difficulty. At the time, she hadn’t the chance to examine it closely but felt certain that anything so fiercely contested, shimmering with golden light, must be of great value. Now, taking a closer look, she discovered it was a spindle-shaped octahedron, pitch-black and mysterious in material, cool to the touch, making it apparent that it wasn’t just some common item.

Just as she was about to infuse it with spiritual energy, she suddenly paused, considering the risks. What if it were a weapon as devastating as an atomic bomb that would explode upon activation? Or perhaps it contained a demonic cultivator sealed for five hundred years, on the brink of a dark transformation, ready to claim her life upon release? Or even, what if this was actually the entrance to a dangerous realm, leading her into a world of peril…

Her experience with stories and comics from her past life urged caution. Xu Nian prepared herself, holding three ice-sealing talismans in her mouth, a stack of swift wind talismans strung on her tail, and an assortment of magical artifacts in front of her that seemed capable of blocking attacks. Only after ensuring there were no more defensive measures to take did she tentatively channel spiritual energy into the mysterious black box.

Suddenly, Xu Nian felt a force drawing her in. Before she could react, her surroundings blurred, and she found herself in an unfamiliar, small world. The sky was a clear azure blue, the grass swayed with the breeze, and the air was fresh, reminiscent of her diligent cultivation days in the Xiao Cang Mountain, striving to avoid being bullied by other demon beasts.

After a moment of stunned realization, Xu Nian understood she had entered the black box artifact. But she also felt puzzled. Qi Shaochen already possessed such a luxurious spatial magical artifact as the courtyard; why did he desperately seek this black box? This black box’s space was much smaller than the courtyard, and although the scenery was pleasant, it hardly seemed worth risking one’s life for.

Xu Nian recalled how, even in the face of mortal peril from the rising snake venom, Qi Shaochen had not given up on killing her to retrieve this black box.

Moreover, the box had attracted a thunder tribulation and emitted the golden light characteristic of divine treasures. She felt certain it had some extraordinary qualities she hadn’t yet discovered. However, this black box clearly had a less advanced version compared to the courtyard; after much contemplation, Xu Nian couldn’t find a way to use it. It lacked the sophisticated control center of the courtyard, and despite her efforts to figure it out by jumping and thinking, she found no clues, even after thoroughly exploring the boundaries of the space within the box.

She then took out a wide-bladed knife from her storage bag to use as a makeshift shovel. Coiling her tail around the handle, she began to dig into the ground, hoping to uncover hidden treasures. She continued until the pile of excavated soil was as high as a small hill, but her efforts yielded nothing.

Exhausted from her digging, Xu Nian tossed aside the wide-blade knife and rolled around on the grass, her mind racing with confusion. She couldn’t fathom the purpose of this black box. Surely, it wasn’t just a glorified storage bag; that would be an underwhelming use for an artifact of such apparent significance.

Wait, since all cultivators were after this black box, could it possibly enhance one’s cultivation?

With this thought, Xu Nian sprang up from the grass like a carp leaping out of water. She adopted a posture specifically for cultivation, set up a spiritual stone formation, and began to focus intensely on her practice. She cultivated diligently for five full hours, trying to sense any changes in her spiritual energy. To her disappointment, she found no effect; her progress was almost identical to her usual cultivation sessions. In fact, her efficiency even dropped slightly in her eagerness to discern the artifact’s influence.

Xu Nian guessed it must be approaching evening outside. She had left around six in the morning, and after all this time, she assumed it was nearing dusk. However, the landscape inside the black box remained unchanged, the sky clear and the sun still high.

Deciding to pause her investigation for the day and resume tomorrow, Xu Nian infused spiritual energy into the black box and exited the small world it contained. She instinctively looked up at the sky and mumbled, “It’s getting late…” But then she froze in shock.

The sun was still high, the daylight bright. There wasn’t the slightest indication of it setting. She hastily pulled a sundial from her storage bag, only to find it was just eight in the morning. Momentarily dazed, she wondered if it was already the next day, but that wouldn’t make sense for an artifact of such supposed power.

A startling hypothesis began to form in her mind, one she could hardly believe.

To test her theory, Xu Nian retrieved two time-keeping spiritual treasures from her pile of miscellaneous items. She placed one outside and kept the other with her as she re-entered the black box.

Inside the green expanse under the blue sky, Xu Nian repeatedly checked the time. While she had managed to focus on cultivation during her earlier tests, she now found it difficult to calm her mind. If the black box functioned as she suspected, it would be a monumental discovery.

Xu Nian had never felt an hour to be so interminably long, counting down the seconds. As soon as the two hours had passed on the time-keeping spiritual treasure, she hurriedly exited the black box, her heart pounding with anticipation as she checked the time on the treasure she had left outside.

It indicated that she’d been in the black box for less than fifteen minutes, which equaled about twelve minutes.

Inside the black box, Xu Nian had spent two hours, but in the outside world, only twelve minutes had passed.

The flow of time was ten times different.

This was no mere artifact; it was like a cheat device!

With proper use of this black box, Xu Nian realized her progress toward transformation could accelerate tenfold. What might have taken her over two hundred laborious years could now possibly be achieved in just a couple of decades, bringing her tantalizingly close to the threshold of transformation.

Elated, Xu Nian hugged the black box, planting several enthusiastic kisses on it.

Not wanting to waste a single second, she quickly dove back into the black box to continue her relentless cultivation. After two hours of intense practice, it dawned on her that setting up a spirit-gathering formation would make her training even more efficient. She pulled out a multitude of spiritual stones from her storage bag and meticulously replicated the formation she remembered Ji Yuebai had used. After experimenting over a hundred times, she finally managed to recreate it.

Bathing in the abundant spiritual energy, Xu Nian’s cultivation intensified. Unwittingly, three days passed within the black box, which translated to just over three hours and a quarter in the outside world. When she emerged from the black box, it was only evening.

Stretching languidly and loosening her stiff muscles, Xu Nian was about to head back when something else struck her mind, prompting her to turn back into the woods.

After completing her preparations and stealthily returning to the inn under the cover of night, the sky was darkened with shades of evening.

The inn was bustling with activity, as travelers and lodgers were coming and going. Naturally, Xu Nian couldn’t use the main entrance. She skillfully climbed up the inconspicuous corner of the wall to the upper floor, smoothly located the window of their booked room, and deftly used her tail to open a small gap to slip in. Her movements were fluid and practiced.

However, the moment she landed on the desk from the windowsill, she sensed two gazes fixed on her, having caught her in the act.

“You sure made us wait,” came a voice.