Chapter 3 A Fairy Bathing

It was like his soul left his body—Felix could actually "see" the internal structure of his body. His organs, muscles, bones, and even the tiniest blood vessels were crystal clear, way sharper than any X-ray image. "Inner vision! I can really do inner vision!" he thought, stunned. Excitedly, he began inspecting his body. It looked pretty normal, at least on the surface. But in his lower abdomen, there was a swirling vortex connected to twelve meridians. These meridians flowed through his body like rivers, all leading back to the vortex at his core. That warm, pleasant energy he'd felt earlier was circulating along these meridians. "A dantian? This vortex must be the dantian where genuine qi is stored! The original owner really was a cultivator—and probably a strong one at that! So... why can't I fly?" The discovery that the body's original owner was a cultivator, and had already laid a solid foundation, gave Felix some comfort. For the first time, it felt like the universe wasn't out to get him. He decided not to keep poking around his internal structure for now—the sound of the waterfall nearby was starting to get on his nerves. He needed a quieter spot to figure things out. Just as he was about to get dressed, he realized his clothes were covered in mud and reeked of sweat. "Ugh, these rags? No way this fits my new identity as a high-and-mighty cultivator!" Wearing only a pair of boxers, he tossed the dirty clothes into the stream connected to the pool and weighed them down with a rock to let the water rinse them off. He wasn't in the mood to wash them properly—he'd deal with that later. Then he grabbed the clean wild fruits, wrapped them in a large leaf, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and headed off. After walking about thirty meters, he found a rock where the sound of the water wasn't so loud. Sitting on the stone, he quickly devoured a few of the fruits, though they tasted pretty bland. Once done, he sat cross-legged again, diving back into his inner vision to continue studying his body. For someone from 21st-century Earth, cultivating was completely foreign. Just knowing the techniques wasn't enough—real cultivation meant unlocking the body's hidden potential and understanding the natural flow of the universe. The first step was to fully grasp the structure of his body—every meridian, every acupoint. Since Felix wasn't a medical expert, he didn't know much about any of that. But with his inner vision, he could explore from a microscopic level, which felt like discovering a whole new world. Time slipped by as Felix got lost in studying his body's intricacies. Suddenly, a loud cry jolted him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw a massive white crane land gracefully by the pool not far from him. The crane's arrival took him by surprise. Then, from the crane's back, a young woman in a flowing white dress leapt down. Under the soft moonlight, her dress swayed gently in the breeze, and her long hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders. In her hand, she held a sleek, gleaming sword. Although Felix couldn't make out her facial features clearly, he knew she had to be more beautiful than any celebrity he'd ever seen. "Finally, a real person!" he thought, overwhelmed with joy. He was just about to jump out and ask her where he was when, suddenly, he saw the gorgeous woman by the pool set her sword down and start... undressing. "What the heck? This girl rode a giant crane out here in the middle of the night... just to take a bath?" Felix froze, the words he was about to shout out caught in his throat. His eyes darted around, betraying his supposed hesitation—he clearly had no intention of making a sound anytime soon. "I swear, I'm a proper gentleman! It's not my fault she's stripping," he told himself, trying desperately to deny the label of "pervert peeking at a girl bathing." "This must be a perk of a time traveler, right? I mean, if it's a freebie, it'd be a waste not to take it..." Before long, the woman had taken off every last piece of clothing. On the moonlit night, she stood barefoot at the edge of the pool, surrounded by smooth pebbles of all sizes. Her skin glowed like jade—smooth, flawless, and luminous, as if it had been kissed by the moonlight itself. Her figure was stunning, especially her legs—long and elegant, the kind that could drive any man wild. With a soft step, she waded into the water. As she slowly entered, gentle ripples spread across the clear surface. Her silky hair floated on the water. The young woman closed her eyes, savoring the peace and comfort. Her delicate, perfectly sculpted face gradually relaxed, exuding a serene contentment. Felix, still hiding in the shadows, was mesmerized by the scene. It felt like the distance between them was shrinking, though he hadn't moved an inch. For the first time, he got a good look at her face. It was flawless—her features delicate, her contours smooth, as if she'd been chiseled from the finest jade. Her large, bright eyes carried a hint of aloofness, as if untouched by the ordinary world. Felix's mind immediately conjured an image of the fairy in mythology. It was as if the fictional heroine had stepped right out of the pages and into reality. "How... how could someone so beautiful even exist?" Felix thought, completely entranced. He wanted to get closer to that fairy-like woman. But he just didn't have the guts. His fear and cowardice held him back, leaving him no choice but to watch from afar, too scared to take a step closer. He had no idea how long he stayed like that, lost in the moment, when suddenly, he felt a breath on the back of his neck. A low huffing sound followed, sending a chill down his spine. Instantly snapping out of his trance, cold sweat broke out across his forehead. He'd been so focused on the bathing beauty that he hadn't noticed the lurking danger. Slowly, cautiously, he turned his head. And there it was—just several meters behind him—an enormous tiger with white fur and black stripes. The beast was huge, at least three times the size of a Siberian tiger from Earth. In the darkness, its glowing blue eyes shimmered like a pair of eerie gemstones. The tiger crouched low, its body tense. Anyone who'd ever watched nature documentaries would recognize that posture—it was the stance of a predator, ready to pounce. Felix swallowed hard. Looking at the size of the tiger, its half-meter-long fangs, and then down at his own scrawny arms and legs, he figured it'd probably take three of him just to make a decent meal for the beast. "Stay calm! Stay calm!" he told himself, though every cell in his body was trembling with fear. The tiger was way too close—just four or five meters away. If it pounced, there would be no way for Felix to dodge in time. He had to stay calm. His only hope of survival was the beautiful girl swimming nearby. She had to be a cultivator. Slowly, Felix started shifting his body, never breaking eye contact with the tiger. Man and beast locked eyes, both watching the other closely. Strangely, the tiger seemed hesitant, as if it wasn't entirely sure about attacking Felix just yet. It crept closer inch by inch, testing his limits. Felix knew he couldn't wait any longer. Suddenly, he threw his hand toward the sky and shouted, "UFO!" The tiger flinched, startled by Felix's sudden move. It obviously didn't know what a UFO was, but instinctively looked up. The sky above was full of stars—nothing out of the ordinary. When the tiger looked back down, the boy in the ragged shorts was already bolting for his life. Realizing it had been tricked, the tiger let out an earth-shaking roar and leaped after Felix. Felix screamed at the top of his lungs, "Help! Help! Lady, help me! Fairy, save me!"