Once upon a time, Cao Yi had come across a post online discussing the scientific aspects of storage bags and rings in cultivation novels. It pondered where these items put their contents—were they in another space?

Now, inside the purple-gold red gourd, which functioned similarly to those storage bags and rings, Cao Yi found himself questioning the very nature of existence.

"Ah! It hurts! It hurts so much…"

Wang Kaixuan's cries of pain echoed in the darkness.

"Kaixuan, are you okay?"

In the shadows, Hu Bayi leaned in with concern.

"Don't touch me! It's broken, it's broken…"

Wang Kaixuan gasped, clearly in distress.

Cao Yi, interrupted from his thoughts, clasped his hands together and said, "My apologies, Wang, but I had no choice."

"Daoist Priest, you saved my life. I'm not ungrateful… Oh, it hurts!"

Wang Kaixuan couldn't finish his sentence before another wave of agony swept over him.

Remembering that he had a few healing talismans, Cao Yi rummaged through a canvas bag in the corner, pulled one out, and handed it over. "Wang Kaixuan, take this."

Wang Kaixuan took the talisman without hesitation and swallowed it whole.

Healing talismans were designed to cure illnesses, and naturally, they could also treat injuries. Soon, Wang Kaixuan's screams turned into soft groans of relief.

At that moment, the purple-gold red gourd stopped shaking. If he was correct, they had reached the water's surface.

Cao Yi pushed with all his might, and the lid popped open, bright light flooding in. After spending so long in the darkness, the light was especially blinding.

Cao Yi squinted and waited for a moment until his eyes adjusted. The clear, mirror-like surface of the water greeted him, a cool spring breeze caressing the lake and creating ripples.

In the distance, the water met the sky, initially distinct and clear, but as it stretched further, the lake and blue sky blurred together, forming a line of azure at the horizon.

Taking a deep breath, Cao Yi leaped into the icy lake water, resurfacing quickly and grabbing onto the side of the purple-gold gourd with ease.

Just then, the morning sun rose above the horizon, casting a warm glow over the lake, which shimmered with a fiery red hue.

"What a beautiful scene!"

Cao Yi couldn't help but exclaim.

Suddenly, a chorus of bleating sheep caught his attention.

Turning his head, he was delighted to see a familiar figure—a chubby little boy from the movie had arrived.

On the green grass, a plump boy with rosy cheeks emerged from a flock of sheep, waddling towards the shore. He picked up a clump of mud from the ground, flattened it with his pudgy hands, and tossed it onto the lake, creating ripples one after another.

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As he looked up, his mouth hung open in disbelief, eyes wide with wonder.

"Little Fatty!"

Cao Yi, sitting on the purple-gold gourd, waved and smiled.

"Mommy, there's a fairy!"

Under the azure sky, the little boy shouted excitedly and bolted away.

Cao Yi's smile froze.

With a splashing sound, Hu Bayi and the others emerged from the water.

"Damn it, I'm stuck again!"

Wang Kaixuan's voice was filled with frustration.

Cao Yi approached the gourd's opening, grabbing Wang Kaixuan by the head and pulling him out.

"Ah! Daoist Priest, be gentle! It hurts! Oh no, my bones are breaking again! I'm definitely going to lose weight when I get back…"

Wang Kaixuan's cries echoed in the air.

…

Two minutes later.

On the gourd, Wang Kaixuan chewed on the healing talisman while excitedly watching Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang.

Cao Yi sat beside him, smiling as he observed the couple.

"Miss Shirley Yang, would you like to elevate our pure friendship to another level?"

Hu Bayi knelt on one knee, holding up a gold ring with a serious expression.

"Who proposes on a gourd?"

Shirley Yang was taken aback, a mix of surprise and shyness washing over her; Hu Bayi's proposal was utterly unexpected.

"Darling, it's solid gold!"

Big Gold Tooth, lounging at the end of the gourd, suddenly sprang up and snatched the gold ring from Hu Bayi's hand.

He gleefully examined the ring in the sunlight, grinning foolishly. Just his luck to be mad for money—Big Gold Tooth was just being himself.

Shirley Yang panicked and rushed over to grab it back.

"Little sister."

Aside from his love for money, Big Gold Tooth also had a penchant for beautiful women. Seeing Shirley Yang in her tank top, revealing a generous expanse of fair skin, he wore an expression of lust.

"How dare you flirt with me!"

Shirley Yang snatched the gold ring back and kicked Big Gold Tooth away.

"Nice kick, that son of a gun!"

Wang Kaixuan clapped his hands in approval.

Shirley Yang returned to Hu Bayi, handing him the gold ring while lowering her head shyly.

This was a moment she had long awaited.

"Why don't we wait until we get back to America?"

Hu Bayi joked.

"Are you even a man?"

Shirley Yang became anxious at his words, her irritation flaring. How could he even joke about being a man at such a crucial moment?

Although Hu Bayi was from Hubei, he had lived in Beijing for a long time and had grown accustomed to identifying as a Beijing man. He was particularly sensitive to the phrase "not a man," so he immediately grasped Shirley Yang's hand and slipped the gold ring onto her finger, leaning in to kiss her hand.

Old bachelor Wang Kaixuan couldn't bear the sight and spat, "Shameless!"

At that moment, Big Gold Tooth, who had just been kicked into the water, popped up with a grin, "I'm still alive! Hu, Yang, Kaixuan, Daoist Priest, ha ha ha…"

Wang Kaixuan spat again, "You sure know when to wake up!"

He had suffered tremendously in the gourd, while Big Gold Tooth had blissfully slumbered through it all—how infuriating.

"I thought I would never see you again."

Big Gold Tooth exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down his face.

In the illusion, he had been surrounded by a horde of giant rice dumplings, with no way in or out. The despair he felt then sent chills down his spine even now.

"You should thank Daoist Priest. If it weren't for him, you'd have died several times over."

Wang Kaixuan chimed in.

"Thank you, Daoist Priest! You're my reborn father!"

Big Gold Tooth expressed his gratitude loudly.

"Get up here."

Cao Yi said with a smile.

After a while, Big Gold Tooth climbed aboard the gourd.

Looking at the four of them, Cao Yi stated, "I plan to go to Myanmar next. Are any of you interested in joining me?"

Both corpse-restraining and spirit-communicating talismans required jade from jadeite, and Myanmar was a hub for jadeite.

"What are we going to Myanmar for?"

Big Gold Tooth asked, curious.

"Jadeite raw stones."

Cao Yi said, letting the words roll off his tongue.

Big Gold Tooth's eyes lit up immediately. He had attended the auction with Cao Yi before, and the Purple Dragon King had left a lasting impression on him.

Moreover, he didn't plan on returning to the States; he was in urgent need of a money-making opportunity. Following the mysterious Daoist Priest to get jadeite raw stones was undoubtedly a golden opportunity.

"I'm in!"

Big Gold Tooth declared, unable to contain his excitement.

Cao Yi then looked toward the others.

"I'll go too."

Wang Kaixuan didn't want to return to America either.

Before going to America, he had thought it was a paradise for the rich, but after arriving, he realized it was a hell for the poor.

"What about us getting married while you all go to Myanmar?"

Hu Bayi asked, growing anxious.

He was busy planning his wedding, while two old friends and a savior were ready to head off to Myanmar.

"We can postpone it. When we come back from Myanmar, we'll gift you and Yang an exquisite jade bracelet each."

Wang Kaixuan said, thumping his chest confidently.