Everyone inside the Black Tortoise Array stood paralyzed.
Li Mo wanted to keep going but the materials presented to him were sorely lacking. These people were only in the Spirit Stage and their usefulness was limited to bringing him to the 9th layer. No matter how much he wanted, it was impossible to break through into Qi Condensation Stage.
Also, Li Mo didn’t damage their cultivation, leaving them with a spiritual root. They only had to spend some time recouping and they’d be up and about.
Li Mo entered the time-space rupture.
The world on the other side was fairly complete. Not far were ancient buildings while a bit further a desert, with faintly discernible castles within.
While Li was taking in the view, a hundred ticks descended on Li Mo’s body.
Li Mo covered his mouth and nose as he ran for the trees. But the foul stench had him on the verge of hurling.
Pff…
He felt his foot land on something soft. Lo and behold it was deep yellow in color…
Li Mo barfed on the spot.
He was thoroughly convinced now. When divination went wrong, all went wrong.
Walking to an ancient village, Li Mo was stunned by the villagers’ clothes.
Every one of them wore a turban and even the rest of their bodies were covered in clothes unlike ancient China’s.
“A-ha-ha-ha~”
In his shocked state, he saw a man on what looked to be a flying carpet.
Flying carpet?
Whoosh~
He soon saw a second, then a third. But the oddest was how commonplace the villagers found this event.
“Aladdin, you fool, return what you stole!”
“Come and take it if you can, you morons!”
On the street, a kid was running with a dozen other kids behind him.
Aladdin?
Li Mo figured it out.
The name could only mean the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.
Did the origin fragment turn into Aladdin and the Magic Lamp?
The origin fragment was the core of the world. And in Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, it could only be that wish-granting lamp.
“Who are you? Why are your clothes so weird?”
Some soldiers detained Li Mo.
Li Mo tried to use Warp to make a quick getaway, but to his surprise, it failed. He could only use his two legs to walk.
‘Qi doesn’t work here?’
Li Mo felt for his qi and it confirmed his suspicion. He could not sense any qi inside him in this world.
Li Mo said, “I am Aladdin’s friend. I am playing a genie in the act.”
“You’re acting as a genie? Ha-ha-ham, hilarious.”
“A genie is a hundred meters tall. And he definitely doesn’t wear that, ha-ha-ha…”
The soldiers cracked up and left.
Li Mo relaxed. In this world where qi was banned, he could only play the fool with common soldiers.
Li Mo left the street and took some clothes from a peasant family.
With his apparel addressed, his mind was set.
To survive in this world, he had to follow its rules.
‘Without qi, the danger rating of this world shot up.’
Li Mo was on the move to find Aladdin.
At least he didn’t have to worry about the language barrier. All the villagers were of Chinese descent. (Observation: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp was a foreign story, but Aladdin was played by a homegrown Chinaman.)
Li Mo found Aladdin resting on a wall.
“Hello, Aladdin.” Li Mo greeted.
“Who are you?” Aladdin watched him startled.
“I am Ala al-Din(T/N: lit. ala-not-din.), your long lost brother. “
Aladdin jumped to his feet in anger and took a swing at Li Mo, “You take me for a fool? See how I beat you senseless!”
“But it’s the truth. Believe what you want.”
“Like hell I’d believe you.”
Aladdin jumped on Li Mo to clobber him good only to get knocked out instead. Li Mo may not use qi here, but his body was as tough as ever. He was not someone Aladdin could fight off.
Li Mo then proceeded to change into Aladdin’s clothes.
He took Aladdin to a remote area and returned to the wall, assuming Aladdin’s resting position.
“Boy, what is your name?”
Not long after, a man with a pointy magician hat came to Li Mo.
“Ala al-Din.”
“So you’re Ala al-Din. I’ve been looking for you. I am your uncle.”
“I am your father.”
“Cough, I am indeed your uncle. I’ve been looking for you for so long. When you were small, I had to attend the Maghreb school of magic. And I have only now returned after finishing it…”
With the script closely following Aladdin’s story, the magician arrived and took the fake ‘Ala al-Din’ out of the village.
The magician took Ala al-Din to a mountain. He mumbled something and the earth rumbled, revealing a cave entrance.
“Ala al-Din, bring out the oil lamp and we will be rich!”
Li Mo entered without second-guessing.
The magician made his choice based on the size of the entrance. Since it was too small, Aladdin fit the bill, being a child and all.
Li Mo soon found the lamp.
“Ala al-Din, can you see the ma-oil lamp?” The magician shouted.
“Yeah.”
“Get it quickly!”
Li Mo picked it up and rubbed it.
Hum~
A huge genie spewed out of the magic lamp.
“I am the genie of the magic lamp. Whoever holds me is my master and I shall obey their every wish.”
“Turn the magician outside to ashes.”
“Got it, master!”
The magician scattered to ashes.
Li Mo came out of the cave and searched through the ashes to find a ring.
Li Mo wore the ring and found it to be holding another genie.
“I thought it would be harder but it all went like clockwork.”
Li Mo rubbed the magic lamp and the genie came out.
“Take me to the forest outside the village.”
That was where the time-space rupture was.
“Got it, master!”
Whoosh~
Li Mo appeared right before the time-space rupture.
Li Mo took the magic lamp and the magic ring through the time-space rupture.
When Li came out, the magic lamp and magic ring vanished…
‘What? None of them is the origin fragment?’
Li Mo was stumped.
