Chapter 4 IV. Her Information

Hu Jia stared at the crystal mirror and frowned. Why did Hong Tingxing's face look completely different from what Hu Jia saw in the Underworld?

The face that was being reflected was somewhat chubby and was paired with a pair of doe-like eyes with a pair of almost nonexistent lips. Hong Tingxing's hair wasn't extremely smooth or extremely silky, but it still held some texture and flowed down her back. The appearance wasn't ugly, but it was nowhere near Hong Tingxing's appearance in the Underworld that could cause chaos and war-Hu Jia's appearance as well.

Hu Jia narrowed her eyes as she pondered on what Hong Tingxing had kept from her when she shared her memories. Nothing in the memories that swirled in Hu Jia's mind of the upcoming five years portrayed anything that demonstrated what happened to make Hong Tingxing's face like so. In fact, in every memory, Hong Tingxing's face was the same face as in the Underworld. Even waking up from the palace banquet on her thirteenth birthday, the original Hong Tingxing had looked into the crystal mirror like Hu Jia but why was Hu Jia seeing such a face?

Was this the reason that the Crown Prince considered Hong Tingxing's appearance inferior to her older sister's appearance? From what Hu Jia saw in the memories (with the exception of the false appearance), Hong Yueji face wasn't more beautiful, but compared to this face, it was comparing an ugly duck to a pretty swan.

Hong Tingxing, what are you hiding from me?

Hu Jia shook her head and stopped thinking about Hong Tingxing and focused on disguising herself. She needed to sneak out before her scheduled time with the clear crystal, which the General had managed to snag very soon-one week, and explore. This world was almost the same as her world except it seemed to be more advanced. Hu Jia realized that crystals were used for almost everything here. Mirrors, to check one's affiliations with elements as children, currency, etc.

Hu Jia asked for some wooden slips from a servant to write on, and in exchange, received a strange look. Instead of wooden slips, she received something the servant called paper. Luckily, Hu Jia didn't need to make a fool out of herself again as they still used ink in this world. Hu Jia then locked her door and began to write down everything she saw from Hong Tingxing's memories of this world and the upcoming five years.

This world was divided into three realms: Shallow Realm, Central Realm, and Preeminent Realm. The Shallow Realm was just another name for the Underworld, the land of the dead ruled by the Demon King that hadn't been seen for more than a millennium.

According to myths and rumors, even those with the element of darkness fail to walk near the entrance of the Shallow Realm due to its levels of toxicity and pressure. Only the dead and certain mortals or immortals that the Demon King allows can be in the Shallow Realm. Otherwise, the realm is a mystery to most of the mortals living in this world.

Next was the Central Realm or sometimes referred to as the Middle Realm. This realm was strictly populated by mortals that haven't died or cultivated to immortality. The Central Realm's population was almost equal to the dead population of the Shallow Realm, both realms containing a numerous number of people.

Finally, there was the Preeminent Realm or the Heavenly Realm. Called the Final Nirvana by mortals, one was able to step inside the paradise once they had cultivated enough to release their immortality. The Preeminent Realm wasn't as populated as the Shallow Realm with its dead mortals and the Central Realm with its alive mortals because rarely did anyone make it to immortality from the Central Realm unless they were born with it.

Immortals divided into two sections: those that cultivated to reach the state and those born with it. If one was born an immortal, one could still cultivate to reach higher levels, but it wasn't necessary. Meanwhile those that had cultivated to immortality had suffered through harsh conditions and had to continue their cultivation while staying in the Preeminent Realm to show that they belonged.

In the beginning, reaching immortality was impossible as it was only reserved for immortal-born people and the gods and goddesses that people worshiped. But as a way of sympathy and to show that he cared for the aging and dying mortals, the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the Preeminent Realm, permitted and declared a law to be passed for cultivators that they could join them in the never-ending paradise. Despite his so-called generosity, the Jade Emperor knew that he had set an impossible challenge and no stranger would disturb their world.

But to his surprise, some cultivators dared and succeeded which only amused him but flabbergasted other arrogant immortals, thus he had to decree another law that immortal cultivators had to continue cultivation despite reaching the Preeminent Realm to stop more from flooding in. This did decrease the number of mortals trying, but started a feud between the cultivator immortals and naturally-born immortals.

To this day, according to rumors, sparks of tension still exist as both sides are waiting for something to trigger a centuries-long war. Hu Jia didn't bother to linger at the thought of the Preeminent Realm despite a tugging in her heart that made her feel like she had a connection with the realm. She continued and jotted down the levels of cultivation before reaching the Preeminent Realm.

One first started at the Neophyte Phase, proceeded to the Liminal Phase, surged to the Exalted Phase, then to the Guru Phase, and finally, advanced to the Definite Phase. After one cultivated out of the Definite Phase, their soul would be able to feel the grasp of immortality and officially receive an invitation to the Preeminent Realm. Luckily, this world didn't have ranks or levels or one didn't get a random promotion or advancement. This world was strictly organized to get everyone the same cultivation except for when one reached the Exalted Phase. From the first moment a child tested on the clear crystal for their affiliation with any elements, they were trained until their body was finally able to begin cultivation.

This world was nice enough to freely give away three phases at planned times. The first advancement to the Neophyte Phase was set for fifteen years old, the second advancement was set for sixteen years old, and finally, the third advancement was set for eighteen years old. From that moment onwards, one was on their own. The previous times, all they had to do was hibernate for a month once the advancement time was near and they would receive the boost. Now, at the Exalted stage, a teen would have to train hard and rely on themselves to advance to the next phase.

The reason the Jade Emperor allowed this was to give those that had an affiliation with any element a chance to protect themselves and a way to boost his already good name. But he didn't allow the teens to get boosted any further as many would them be easily able to advance to immortality, further tipping the balance scale of immortal cultivators and immortal-born.

Although the times were planned for element-borns, sometimes, there would be a teen that would advance sooner than their settled time. Those type of teens were hailed as geniuses and admired by the mortals on the Central Realm as it brought the realm a sense of pride because of the produced talent.

Hu Jia then proceeded to write down what she knew about this world's currency. Unlike her world, gold, silver and bronze weren't considered valuable. The currency that people used were crystals. The colors of a currency crystal-in the order of least valuable to most valuable-were red ruby, blue sapphire, green emerald, violet amethyst, golden amber, black onyx and clear diamond.

Red rubies were almost worthless, except maybe one would be able to buy a meat bun with one. People tended to easily give them away to beggars and the homeless. Blue sapphire was still worthless, but not as much as red ruby. Ten red rubies equaled to one blue sapphire.

That's ten meat buns, Hu Jia quickly calculated with a drooling mouth. Green emerald was mostly used by farmers and somewhat poor people as it didn't have much value either. Five blue sapphires equaled to one green emerald which meant fifty red rubies equaled to one green emerald. Fifty meat buns, Hu Jia smirked at the thought of such a delicacy.

Now purple amethyst was the most common used among the non-nobility. People used it to shop, pay at restaurants, etc. It's value wasn't too much or too little. It was just right in the middle. One purple amethyst equaled to three green emeralds which meant fifteen blue sapphires which meant one hundred and fifty red rubies. One hundred and fifty meat buns!

Golden amber was rare. Not as rare as the currencies ahead of it, but rare enough. It was used by wealthy merchants and wealthy, non-nobility families without status. The currency was basically used by the richest commoners. One golden amber equaled to five violet amethysts. Which meant fifteen green emeralds, seventy-five blue sapphires and seven hundred and fifty red rubies! Seven hundred and fifty meat buns.

Black onyx was next on the rarity level of currency and it was used by the nobility. From the lowest of nobility to the highest of nobility, black onyx was the way they purchased items. One black onyx equaled to five golden ambers, which meant twenty-five violet amethysts, seventy-five green emeralds, three hundred and seventy-five blue sapphires, and three thousand and seven hundred fifty red rubies. Three thousand and seven hundred fifty meat buns!

And finally, the clear diamond. This was the currency that commoners dreamed they could have because even a tiny piece of the crystal was sufficient enough to provide for them for the rest of their lives. This currency was used scarcely by royal families and very powerful noble families. One clear diamond was equal to fifteen black onyxes, seventy-five golden ambers, three hundred and seventy-five violet amethysts, one thousand and one hundred twenty-five green emeralds, five thousand and six hundred twenty-five blue sapphires... Hu Jia took a deep breath when she calculated how many red rubies.

Fifty six thousand and two hundred meat buns! Such an amount of deliciousness was the last straw for Hu Jia as she hid the papers with the information written and pulled out some clothing she had stolen while strolling near the servants doing the laundry before. She wanted to go under disguise for one reason and one reason only-to hunt for meat buns!