"Survived another day, huh."
Xin Yu stood on his balcony, holding a cup of hot tea, looking at the 100 hours displayed on his countdown timer. His heart remained undisturbed as he took another sip.
Since that time he transmigrated to an unknown world and received the immortal's teachings, Xin Yu had tried several more times afterward but found he couldn't trigger another transmigration. It was as if that encounter with the Immortal had consumed some special resource, requiring a long period of accumulation.
After that, Xin Yu relied on copying scriptures and manuals, constantly reciting and memorizing the Taixu Sword Qi incantations. Although he didn't know if he counted as having entered the threshold, the extended time certainly showed that some change had occurred within him.
However, the increase in time continued only up to a certain limit before stopping. Even if he continued reciting the incantations and copying scriptures as usual, nothing changed. Besides the increase from eating three meals a day, his time would no longer grow at any other point.
Xin Yu had, of course, noticed that eating increased his time. So he tried eating smaller meals more frequently to see if it would add more time. He found this loophole couldn't be exploited; only eating after feeling hungry would increase the time by a certain amount. Even the total amount of time gained per day seemed to be a fixed number.
He now had only just over three days left. It was highly likely he would die after these three days.
Xin Yu couldn't really say how strong his desire for survival was. He clearly should be trying everything possible to live, yet he remained like a salted fish, living a fixed routine every day.
It was likely because he still couldn't find a goal for living. Just a blind desire to survive couldn't sustain him for long.
Xin Yu finished the tea in his cup, returned to his study, and was about to continue copying when he realized his pen seemed to be out of ink.
Looks like he needed to make a trip to the 24-hour convenience store to buy some pen refills.
Xin Yu picked up the phone placed nearby, took some change from the drawer, and left his home. A month had been enough for him to familiarize himself with the surroundings near his house. He naturally knew where the convenience store was, unlike at the beginning when he needed phone navigation to go anywhere.
Just as Xin Yu walked into the convenience store, ready to buy something, he saw a familiar face.
"Welcome... Hey! It's you!"
The white-haired girl wearing an employee uniform looked in surprise at Xin Yu entering the store.
"Kiana... What a coincidence. Didn't expect you'd be working here."
"It really is quite a coincidence. I just started working part-time nearby recently. Didn't expect to run into you tonight. You look much better than a month ago. Has your illness gotten better?"
"Maybe. I've been resting at home this past month. Perhaps because my mindset has calmed down, my body feels a bit better than before."
Compared to a month ago, when his face was as pale as a corpse's, Xin Yu's complexion was now much rosier. At least he had transitioned from looking like a patient to looking like a shut-in.
"How have you been lately?" Xin Yu asked, almost instinctively, as if this question was a very normal greeting.
"Much better! Since that unlucky day passed, I've basically had no bad luck this past month. I've even encountered many good things. And I was lucky enough to meet someone I fell in love with at first sight!"
Speaking of this, an extremely bright smile bloomed on Kiana's face, looking just like a normal young girl experiencing her first crush.
"Congratulations. Some people might spend their whole lives without meeting someone they fall for at first sight. Being able to encounter that can be considered very good luck."
"Then I wish you both happiness together in the future." Xin Yu smiled and offered his blessing.
"Hehe! Thanks! But we're not dating yet. Still, with my passionate pursuit, Mei-senpai will definitely accept me soon!"
"...Senpai?" (Note: Japanese honorific used for an upperclassman/senior)
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
"No... Uh, nothing."
Seeing Kiana looking back at him with a puzzled expression, Xin Yu couldn't help but doubt his own common sense. Could it be that in this world, same-sex relationships were perfectly normal and accepted?
I see. Perhaps it was precisely because of this common understanding that my original self faced the 'conquest' mission with such despair.
Or maybe Kiana is actually one of the so-called protagonists... Forget it. Regardless, these things don't seem to have anything to do with me.
Xin Yu pulled himself out of his thoughts, then grabbed a pack of pen refills from a nearby shelf. After paying, he left the convenience store.
As Xin Yu walked home, he suddenly sensed something wasn't right. Why were the ambient sounds getting quieter and quieter? It didn't seem this quiet just moments ago.
Xin Yu stopped walking and looked around. He discovered that the surrounding environment had completely changed without him noticing, shifting from the bustling city environment with neon lights and heavy traffic to a snowy plain.
"Huh?"
It was as if the environment only fully materialized into reality the moment Xin Yu noticed the change. The ambient temperature instantly plummeted below freezing, turning this space into an icy hell capable of literally freezing a person to death.
Xin Yu looked at the snowflakes landing on him, exhaled a puff of warm air, his face filled with resignation.
So, besides actively using that navigation app to transmigrate, can these kinds of sudden, uncontrolled transmigrations also occur?
Luckily, I received the Immortal Master's teachings and didn't slack off, practicing diligently every day. I can already withstand heat and cold.
If this were me a month ago, before I started cultivating, I probably would have frozen to death in this environment very quickly.
Now, having cultivated the "Taixu Sword Qi," Xin Yu brushed off the accumulated snow, an indifferent expression on his face, and stated very calmly, "It's merely a bit of wind and frost."
Hmm, I don't know why I said that, but my heart tells me it's very appropriate for this situation.
Although I can now withstand heat and cold, I'm still a ways off from the state of Bigu (abstinence from grains) that cultivators can achieve. So, for now, I need to find a way back, or find food.
Xin Yu took his phone out from his clothes, thinking of trying to navigate back the way he did before, only to find his phone had shut down and wouldn't turn on at all.
Probably because the ambient temperature is too low. Looks like I need to find a warm place first, or find somewhere sheltered from the wind and snow to start a fire.
After exhaling another puff of warm air, Xin Yu randomly chose a direction and began walking into the unknown distance amidst the boundless wind and snow.