Category: Transformed into a Female Villain, But Captured by My Beautiful Girl Disciples

54. Those Who Play Tactics Have Dirty Hearts

“Illusion!?”

When Shangguan Ziyuan’s body dissipated, Wu Shijie’s heart skipped a beat.

His attack was so sudden, how could there be an illusion!?

Could it be that the Immortal Master anticipated his move…?

Before he could react, a golden lightning bolt struck him from the sky.

The lightning surged through his body, disrupting his true essence. He suppressed a mouthful of blood, but a trickle still escaped his lips.

“An Earth-grade talisman?”

Wu Shijie was shocked, quickly trying to recover, but his reckless attack had left him surrounded.

In an instant, the Heartflame Empire’s guards engaged him in combat.

Blades flashed, true essence exploded, and various martial skills clashed, leaving everyone injured.

Miss Gong watched with some apprehension.

In a real fight, she was just a weakling. It was better to stay on the sidelines and watch.

Shangguan Ziyuan, escorted by her maids, was brought to the “safest” place, beside Gong Yiling. She couldn’t help but ask, “Senior… aren’t you joining them?”

“Fighting and killing is uncivilized,” Gong Yiling said calmly, her hands behind her back. “Cultivators cultivate their hearts, healers nurture their nature. Such meaningless battles do not interest me.”

As expected of a senior!

Shangguan Ziyuan’s admiration for the woman who had just helped her grew.

“However, your point is valid. Such villains should not be allowed to live.” Gong Yiling then added, feigning deep thought, before stating her purpose, “Qiu Ming, go help them.”

“Understood!”

To be honest, Gong Yiling was also nervous.

Wu Shijie was still a Soul Origin cultivator, while the guards were mostly at Return to Origin. Only Long Yingchen, at the peak of Profound Void, could barely hold his own against him.

Although Wu Shijie seemed to be at a disadvantage, it was only because he had been caught off guard by her Earth-grade talisman.

Now, with everyone fighting in a chaotic melee, she couldn’t use another talisman without risking retaliation.

So, she had to participate, but not directly. She would send her disciple instead.

Qiu Shui stepped forward, closed her eyes, and slowly raised her right hand.

“Sound of Heavenly Wind.”

A gentle, soothing wave of true essence flowed from her body. Shangguan Ziyuan, standing nearby, felt a refreshing breeze.

The green true essence rippled outwards.

All their allies who were touched by these ripples felt their injuries, both internal and external, rapidly healing.

Even their depleted true essence was slowly recovering.

The scales were already tipping in favor of the righteous side, and this further demoralized the demonic cultivators.

Damn it!

They had a healer! This was going to be tough.

And when a few demonic cultivators specializing in hidden weapons threw darts at the girl, they realized… her figure was an illusion.

Illusion and healing.

Wasn’t this invincible?

This was the last straw. Despair spread among the Hehuan Sect and their allies.

Wu Shijie’s heart sank, his face darkening.

Escaping with his men was now impossible.

His aura exploded, sending the surrounding guards flying.

Then, he looked at Gong Yiling, his dark eyes reflecting her most gruesome death, before taking advantage of the opening and rushing out of the room, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

However…

Seeing him flee, the righteous cultivators were puzzled, and the demonic cultivators were dumbfounded.

—Was what he saw real?

After he left, Qiu Shui released a long breath, dispelling the illusion.

Everything Wu Shijie had seen was just  an illusion created by Qiu Shui.

In reality, the demonic cultivators, seeing Wu Shijie charge forward alone, were filled with zeal.

Even with the healer, they still had self-destruction as a last resort.

So, Gong Yiling didn’t have Qiu Shui reveal her healing ability, focusing on illusions instead.

And it worked.

The key wasn’t the other cultivators, but Wu Shijie himself, who already lacked confidence in this fight.

“Your leader has already run away.”

Gong Yiling took out her stone horn from her ring and shouted at the demonic cultivators, “Surrender now, and your lives will be spared.”

“This…”

“While you were fighting, your leader abandoned you and ran. Aren’t you angry?”

Her voice, amplified by the horn, combined with her imposing aura and their already shaken morale…

Many demonic cultivators immediately dropped their weapons.

This trend quickly spread, and soon, all the demonic cultivators ceased their resistance.

Seeing this, Miss Gong didn’t say anything more, simply calling out to Qiu Shui, “There’s nothing here. Let’s go.”

Coming and going as they pleased, seemingly unconcerned despite taking the most credit, Gong Yiling’s image as an aloof expert grew even larger in their eyes.

“As expected of an Immortal Master, making Wu Shijie flee without even lifting a finger.”

“Yes, just now, Wu Shijie was holding his own against seven people, but after the Immortal Master did something, he suddenly ran away.”

“Hahaha, I bet she used some method we couldn’t see…”

“What do you mean ‘she’? I clearly heard her tell her disciple to do something, and then Wu Shijie ran!”

“The Immortal Master is truly amazing!”

Surrounded by these baseless praises, Gong Yiling felt so awkward she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.

But she gradually became indifferent.

Whatever.

She hadn’t lied.

In a sense, she was indeed the Sect Master of the Great One Engineering Sect, and her disciple did cultivate the Cloud Rainbow Sect’s technique.

And Wu Shijie was indeed manipulated and driven away by her.

As for the specifics, the reasons behind it all, who cared!

53. This Is Called Micromanagement

His words caused an uproar.

The demonic cultivators frantically searched for the hidden Immortal Master, while the righteous cultivators and even the Heartflame Empire’s people joined the search, bewildered.

They looked everywhere, but found nothing.

“Stop pretending!”

Wu Shijie roared, seeing their confused expressions.

“As righteous cultivators, you boast of honor and integrity. If your plan has been exposed, you should have the courage to admit it.”

“Since that Immortal Master refuses to show herself, then fight! Does Wu Shijie look like someone you can scare!?”

Hearing this, Elder Yan suddenly felt emboldened.

They had been hesitant because Miss Gong wasn’t there. Now, listening to Wu Shijie’s analysis, it seemed to make sense.

They couldn’t see the Immortal Master because she had entered before them.

She couldn’t possibly be lagging behind them, right?

If that was the case, she would definitely seize the opportunity to strike a decisive blow during the fight!

“New grudges and old,” Elder Yan took a deep breath and waved his hand. “Let’s settle them all today!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!!!”

Meanwhile, Gong Yiling, eavesdropping outside the small door, was dumbfounded.

What kind of analysis was that!?

And Elder Yan, why did you care about a demonic cultivator’s nonsense?

Although she could leave now, if the Heartflame Empire remained neutral, Elder Yan and his allies would undoubtedly lose.

Even if the empire joined the fight, the Hehuan Sect still had their indiscriminate Charm Poison. The outcome was uncertain.

—No… she couldn’t let them fight.

Miss Gong resorted to her ultimate technique. Before things escalated further, she opened the small door a crack and tossed out her drawings.

“Stop! Don’t fight yet! Look at that!”

“This… such… such exquisite artwork!”

“Look at the suggestive poses of these two figures. Truly exceptional. Even my wife and I have never tried such positions.”

“Such elegant lines, such perfect curves, such captivating postures… Ah… this must be… the greatest joy in the world.”

The [Doujinshi Artist’s Pride] activated, affecting every male present.

Even Wu Shijie and Elder Yan, despite their age, couldn’t help but admire the two stick figures striking a “Tiga Ultraman flying kick” pose.

Among the crowd, only a few women, especially Shangguan Ziyuan and her maids, were dumbfounded.

Those usually serious guards, including the captain admired by many young women…

Were now…

Spouting lewd comments, making the maids blush.

Only Shangguan Ziyuan, picking up one of the drawings, was left speechless.

This wasn’t some forbidden book. There wasn’t even anything remotely suggestive.

She couldn’t even understand what it depicted.

How could such a thing captivate all the men? Had they never seen a woman before?

Then what was she in their eyes?

At that moment, unnoticed by anyone, two figures under the effect of Invisibility Talismans slipped through the crowd of distracted men and went around to the main door.

When the effect of the anti-mother weapon wore off, Gong Yiling dispelled the invisibility and walked in with Qiu Shui.

“What… are you doing?”

“We’re… huh?”

The drawings in their hands were now just pieces of paper with stick figures.

—In her haste, Miss Gong had only drawn simple figures, not even having time for pigs.

But the memories of their earlier arousal remained. They looked at each other, speechless.

But… how did this Immortal Master enter from outside, seemingly unaware of what had just happened?

“Immortal Master, you… weren’t you inside earlier?” Elder Yan quickly regained his composure and asked.

“I was delayed by something,” Gong Yiling replied.

“So… this wasn’t your doing?”

“My doing?” Gong Yiling shook her head, puzzled. “Why would Sect Master Yan ask that? Did something happen?”

Then, she looked at the stick figure drawing in her hand. “Speaking of which, you all seemed to be entranced by this, your minds filled with impure thoughts. Where did this come from?”

Her words shifted everyone’s attention to the drawings in their hands.

Something that could instantly corrupt their thoughts…

This couldn’t be the work of the person who set up this secret realm.

It was…

“The Hehuan Sect!!!”

Long Yingchen, the captain of the Heartflame Empire’s guards, gritted his teeth. “You cunning Hehuan Sect bastards!”

“Using a fabricated story to distract us, then using this wicked technique to try and take us all down.”

“What a brilliant plan!”

Captain Long, having just been thoroughly embarrassed, had to regain his face.

His accusation left Wu Shijie speechless.

Who else besides the Hehuan Sect could use such a technique?

Even the Hehuan Sect members, also affected by the drawings, looked at their leader, almost blurting out, “So what if our leader did it?”

As a result, the Hehuan Sect had offended the one they least wanted to offend.

“Damn it!” Wu Shijie was furious but still retained some rationality.

The Hehuan Sect was clearly at a disadvantage. To escape, they had to use the Charm Poison.

But after the earlier incident, everyone had taken a universal antidote that could resist the poison’s effects, rendering it useless.

Then he could only…

Wu Shijie swallowed a pill, his eyes widening as his aura surged. He charged towards Shangguan Ziyuan.

Only by taking her life could he regain control!

Even if it meant using a pill that would damage his own cultivation, it was worth it!

However, just as he thought his surprise attack would succeed, about to grab the terrified Shangguan Ziyuan, her form dissolved into mist.

He had only grabbed a talisman.

“Earth Style—”

Gong Yiling smiled.

“Five Thunders Righteous Law!”

52. What Does This Have to Do with Me???

While the people inside were busy looting, those outside weren’t idle.

The moment the first barrier was broken, they rushed into the secret realm.

The secret realm resembled a courtyard.

There was a spiritual pond, a stream flowing with spiritual energy, and a field of special herbs.

In the center of the courtyard stood a small wooden hut.

This hut was clearly a decoy. After the crowd almost broke down the door, they discovered a passage leading downwards.

At the end of the passage was a hidden underground palace.

However, the palace wasn’t as peaceful as the courtyard.

The person who set this place up intended to leave the Cloud Rainbow Sect’s legacy to the deserving.

So, the palace was filled with puzzles, requiring knowledge of medicine and healing spiritual arts to solve.

No one present possessed such skills—well, there should have been, the Immortal Master and her disciples, but somehow, after entering the palace, they realized she was missing.

Fortunately, Shangguan Ziyuan had some medical knowledge, preventing them from having to brute-force every obstacle.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, they cleared the final obstacle and arrived at a chamber filled with treasures.

As one of the top three sects of the Hundred Paths Mountain, the Cloud Rainbow Sect possessed immense wealth.

Many present, both righteous and demonic cultivators, immediately began stuffing their spatial rings and bags with gold and silver.

The scene was chaotic.

But some were more discerning.

This gold and silver was just an appetizer, practically worthless.

As they explored, they gradually realized something.

Some of the puzzles were incredibly complex, comparable to the entrance exams of the top sects in the Hundred Paths Mountain.

The combination of medicine and healing spiritual arts led many to suspect that this was a hidden treasury of the Cloud Rainbow Sect.

Realizing this, the Hehuan Sect, the Heartflame Empire, the Dongyang Sect, and several other astute sects began to act.

They competed and schemed against each other, trying to hinder their rivals’ progress.

Finally, the demonic cultivators lost their patience.

They attacked those nearby, even disguising some of their members as Dongyang Sect disciples to attack the Heartflame Empire’s group.

In the narrow passage, someone extinguished the torches, plunging everything into darkness and sparking a chaotic brawl.

“Who kicked me!?”

“Who pulled my ear!?”

“I’m from the demonic sect! You dare attack me!?”

“Who kicked my balls!?”

“…”

“…”

The situation became incredibly chaotic. Even Shangguan Ziyuan and her guards could only focus on self-preservation.

Only a few from the Hehuan Sect took advantage of the chaos and rushed ahead, finally finding a locked door.

“Don’t damage the treasures inside.” Wu Shijie, sensing the fluctuations of spiritual energy from within, stopped his subordinates from breaking down the door.

“Just break the lock.”

“The Sect Master is right!”

After quickly removing the lock, Wu Shijie eagerly opened the door.

At the same moment, Gong Yiling closed the door from the inside.

Wu Shijie: “Ah, so many… huh?”

“What!!??”

All the cultivators who entered first were dumbfounded.

This wasn’t a treasure chamber.

It was filled with dull gray rocks!

“How is this possible?”

Wu Shijie rushed into the room, his subordinates quickly searching around.

But…

Nothing…

There was nothing!

How could this be… how could there be nothing!?

“Sect Master, the room is empty!”

“Sect Master, there’s another room inside, also empty!”

“Sect Master, there are only broken rocks here, no spirit stones.”

With each report, Wu Shijie’s face darkened.

After their fruitless search, the cultivators who had been held back finally broke through the door.

Then, a very awkward scene unfolded.

Several groups stood among the broken rocks, staring at each other.

“Wu Shijie, what is the meaning of this?” Elder Yan roared. “First, you had someone interfere, and now there’s nothing left for us. Do you really think we’re easy to bully!?”

Wu Shijie, already furious, retorted, “There was nothing here to begin with.”

“Do you take us for fools?”

“Are you kidding? Why would I lie to you?”

Few believed him. As the standoff continued, several of Shangguan Ziyuan’s guards discovered some remnants of spirit stones among the rocks.

They were all high-grade, though their quality wasn’t the best, and they were covered in a layer of dust.

Clearly, the rocks were placed there later, probably because someone ran out of time and couldn’t take everything.

“Sect Master Wu,” Shangguan Ziyuan said calmly, “do you have anything to say?”

“…What does this have to do with me!?” Wu Shijie was dumbfounded. “I arrived only ten minutes earlier than you. How could I…”

Then, he suddenly remembered something.

He had received a secret report that the Dongyang Sect was planning to eradicate the Hehuan Sect.

They had even found an unidentified immortal master to help them.

The current situation, seemingly without a clue, actually…

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

He suddenly burst out laughing. “Well played, Sect Master Yan! What a brilliant move!”

Elder Yan, still fuming, was taken aback. “What are you talking about?”

“You could have simply declared war on me based on our personal feud, but you deliberately orchestrated this situation, making my Hehuan Sect offend the Fifth Princess. Isn’t that clever?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Elder Yan frowned in confusion.

“No need to pretend. You had that Immortal Master come here in advance. With the abilities of the Great One Engineering Sect, she could easily solve those puzzles.”

“Then, she replaced all the treasures with these broken rocks, leaving only a few as evidence, and deliberately let me arrive first.”

“In fact, that Immortal Master is here right now, isn’t she!?”

Gong Yiling, hiding behind the wall, frowned—Was this guy crazy? Why was he dragging her into this?

 

 

 

51. Living on the Edge

After a thorough search, Gong Yiling confirmed one thing.

This wasn’t the entrance to the secret realm mentioned above. A stroke of bizarre luck had led them to the former residence of Daoist Daman.

But the items inside were mostly broken or decayed, with almost nothing usable.

This pained Miss Gong.

—Why didn’t Daoist Daman store his holy sword somewhere with abundant spiritual energy? Keeping it in this desolate place for millennia ruined a perfectly good Immortal Artifact.

That was a high-grade Immortal Artifact!

Just then, Qiu Shui retrieved an old, yellowed book from a nearly rotten sandalwood drawer.

Surprisingly, this seemingly ordinary book was still intact.

“Daoist Daman…” Qiu Shui read the crooked characters on the cover, her eyes widening. “Could this be the door from earlier?”

That person was the door???

But it made sense.

Daoist Daman, Daoist of the Door.

The name was a clear hint.

It was just… a bit ridiculous.

This guy, who seemed perfectly normal, eventually turned into a giant stone door.

They had thought the door had gained sentience, but it was actually a powerful Daoist all along.

As for the book’s contents, it perfectly exemplified the saying:

—Who writes a diary if they’re not messed up?

Yes, it was a diary, detailing Daoist Daman’s struggles with the Dao, his endless search for answers.

He transformed himself into a door, constantly pondering that profound question.

And thanks to Qiu Shui’s accidental answer, he finally ascended.

But ascension… sounded strange. Did Gong Youyuan ever mention anything about ascending beyond the Divine Venerable realm? She didn’t think so.

Puzzled, Gong Yiling flipped to the last few pages, which read:

“If anyone finds themselves here in the future, it means I have either perished in my pursuit of the Dao or ascended to immortality. Everything in this room is something I’ve used and cherished, consider them rare treasures. Take them if you are fated to, but remember to use them for good—”

These aren’t treasures, they’re junk!

Even beggars wouldn’t want this stuff!

Gong Yiling’s lips twitched as she turned to the very last page.

“—Oh, right, a while ago, a young fellow built a secret realm next door, filled with useless junk. I couldn’t bring myself to chase him away, so I opened a small passage in this room leading to the secret realm. Please help this old man clean up that mess.”

What!?

Such a good opportunity!?

Miss Gong looked around and found another passage in the room, leading to an unknown location.

“Let’s go!” Gong Yiling patted Qiu Shui, who seemed to have found something. “Forget this junk, let’s go find some real treasures.”

“But Master…” Qiu Shui held a book-like object. “This seems usable…”

“The words inside are probably illegible.” Gong Yiling snatched the book and tossed it into her Universe Ring.

“Let’s go, let’s go! If we can’t even beat them using a shortcut, then it’s all for nothing!”

“Okay…”

Seeing Gong Yiling’s eagerness, Qiu Shui swallowed the rest of her sentence.

—Actually, the words in the book seemed legible. It seemed to be about some divine forging technique.

Well, she would mention it to Master later.

…

…

After passing through a long passage, they opened the door at the end, and a wave of dense spiritual energy washed over them.

“Holy… shit?”

Even Qiu Shui, despite her cultivation, had never seen such a sight.

The room, about half the size of a basketball court, was filled with spirit stones of all grades.

Next to this room was another, filled with well-preserved pills, talismans, spiritual artifacts, and other treasures.

Further inside were shelves filled with books and manuals.

Was this part of the Cloud Rainbow Sect’s legacy? The sheer wealth was overwhelming.

And… the people outside clearly hadn’t found this place yet. These treasures were all theirs!

“Take them, take them all!”

Gong Yiling gave the order, and they quickly began looting.

First, the manuals, techniques, and cultivation methods, far more valuable than spirit stones or artifacts.

Then, the various spiritual artifacts and pills.

But after filling their Universe Rings, they realized… there wasn’t enough space.

Her ring’s capacity was limited. If she overfilled it, it might explode.

But there were still so many spirit stones outside…

Miss Gong thought for a moment, then took out a Reaction Talisman from her ring and placed it on the outer door of the spirit stone room.

This talisman would alert them when someone approached.

After this preparation, she turned to Qiu Shui. “Let’s cultivate together. Start with the mid-grade and low-grade spirit stones. When someone comes, we’ll grab some high-grade ones and run.”

“Okay!”

This was the best plan.

To avoid interfering with each other’s spiritual energy absorption, they chose different spots and sat down cross-legged.

To accelerate the consumption of spirit stones, Gong Yiling also took out the Spirit Phoenix Broom.

Soon, three vortexes of spiritual energy formed within the room.

These vortexes devoured the surrounding spiritual energy, rapidly converting it into true essence.

After half an hour, they had consumed over half the spirit stones in the room.

Just then, a voice came from outside, “Look, there’s a door here!”

The Reaction Talisman alerted Gong Yiling, and she opened her eyes.

They could have taken more, but she didn’t want to risk it. Who knew how long it would take them to open this door?

She grabbed the now brightly colored Spirit Phoenix Broom and called out to Qiu Shui.

Then, with a large sack, they quickly stuffed it with high-grade spirit stones.

Every second counted. Gong Yiling kept an eye on the door while they moved towards a nearly invisible crack in the wall.

When someone finally shouted, “I’ve opened the lock!”, Gong Yiling grabbed Qiu Shui and rushed towards the small opening.

“Click.” The moment the large door opened was the moment the small door closed.

50. The Daoist of the Door

This…

When Qiu Shui gave her answer, it was like a sudden enlightenment for Gong Yiling.

Oh, right.

A master’s wife was called Shi Niang. There was no need to overthink it. The answer was simply Shi Niang.

But… she had to consider the questioner’s perspective.

“Isn’t it Shi Niang?” Qiu Shui, seeing no reaction from the stone door or Gong Yiling, asked, puzzled. “Was I wrong?”

“Little Qiu Shui,” Miss Gong patted Qiu Shui’s shoulder, adopting a wise tone. “The answer ‘Shi Niang’ is too obvious.”

“The one who set this question, though we don’t know if it’s this broken door, let’s assume it’s some powerful being. They wouldn’t use a simple riddle, right?”

“So, we have to consider the question itself, not fall for obvious traps.”

“If you can do this, your math scores will definitely improve by a few points. Understand?”

Qiu Shui naturally didn’t understand her nonsense, but it somehow sounded reasonable.

“Master is right,” Qiu Shui nodded seriously. “This disciple has learned a valuable lesson!”

“So, this question…”

Just as Gong Yiling was about to ask the stone door to repeat the question, it suddenly burst into thunderous laughter.

“Hahahahahahahaha!!!”

Gong Yiling was startled. “Are you having a seizure?”

But the door ignored her, continuing to laugh. “Shi Niang! Brilliant! That answer is brilliant!”

Huh?

What did that mean?

Could the answer really be Shi Niang?

“I’ve pondered this question for tens of thousands of years, and seventeen people have given me different answers.”

“Each answer represented a different aspect of life, but they only confused me further, making me lose myself in the pursuit of the Dao.”

Wait, are you sure those seventeen people gave different answers because they didn’t know the answer and were just guessing?

“Before this, I thought the answer ‘Master’ was the true solution. Oneself and one’s wife, self and others, are all illusions, attachments. Their existence depends only on one’s heart.”

Wait, wasn’t that answer just “I’ll marry myself” because they didn’t know what else to say? Are you sure you’re not overthinking this?

“But even so, I still couldn’t grasp the Dao, still couldn’t reach enlightenment. I was still far from the door.”

Gong Yiling rubbed her forehead, speechless.

“But today!” The door suddenly roared towards the sky. “Shi Niang! This is the true answer!”

“Casting aside worldly distractions, seeing through all illusions and complexities, returning to the essence of the question—this is the Dao, this is it!”

“Thank you, young lady.” The door’s voice suddenly became solemn and ethereal, like a Buddhist chant or a celestial melody.

“I understand now.”

Then, the door emitted a seven-colored light, surrounded by golden clouds.

Its form became translucent, and the surrounding spiritual energy, previously thin, became incredibly dense, forming a spiritual mist only found in blessed lands.

After millennia of confusion, enlightenment finally arrived.

The door ascended to immortality.

Leaving Gong Yiling standing there, dumbfounded, her jaw almost hitting the ground.

“What the hell was that???”

But Qiu Shui, surprisingly, nodded seriously. “So that’s the Dao. I understand now too.”

“What? Are you ascending too? Going on a pilgrimage to the West?”

“No!” Qiu Shui shook her head, asking Gong Yiling, “Didn’t Master understand?”

“Understand what… ahem!” Looking into the girl’s eyes, Miss Gong quickly changed her answer. “Of course Master understood. My head is still spinning from it.”

To prevent the girl from asking any more strange questions, Gong Yiling quickly pulled her into the cave.

Yes, with the door’s ascension, the entrance was now open. But inside… it wasn’t a grand cave dwelling as Miss Gong had imagined, but a small, dilapidated room.

There was practically nothing inside, just some junk you would find in a beggar’s hut.

However, unlike a beggar’s hut, the items here…

Gong Yiling picked up a black sword lying on the table.

“Name: Broken Steel Holy Sword

Alias: Immortal Slayer

Grade: High-grade Immortal Artifact

Attack Power: SS+

Defense Power: None

Description: A legendary holy sword, passed down through four generations of masters. The previous owner was the Divine Venerable Daoist Daman from tens of thousands of years ago. This sword was forged from ten-thousand-year-old Meteorite Divine Iron in the Earth’s Core Fire for eight thousand eight hundred and forty-eight years, then tempered with the dew of the Wisdom Heart Redwood for nine hundred and ninety-eight years, finally becoming a high-grade Immortal Artifact. It was once ranked among the top ten Immortal Weapons, but disappeared after Daoist Daman vanished.

Note: This sword has been stored in a low-spiritual energy environment for tens of thousands of years, thus losing all its spiritual energy. It is now just a slightly more refined piece of scrap metal.”

What… a sword could become useless from being stored for too long?

Gong Yiling twitched her lips.

Weren’t treasures like vintage wine, the older the better? In normal novels, a ten-thousand-year-old wine would be a divine elixir, granting immortality with a single sip.

But this sword… how did it become scrap metal?

As she was thinking, the sword in her hand crumbled into dozens of pieces, clattering to the ground.

Then, she picked up a dull, purplish-black pill.

“Name: Maltesers

Alias: Nine Revolutions Heavenly Divine Pill

Grade: Immortal-grade Pill

Description: The art of Nine Revolutions, defying the heavens, becoming immortal. This pill can harness the Yin and Yang energies of heaven and earth, nine transformations into one, granting immortality. It can heal all injuries except for soul dissipation and enhance inner energy and cultivation to the limit, turning decay into magic.

Note: Items from tens of thousands of years ago should be kept refrigerated (in a high-spiritual energy environment). It’s already rotten. Do you want to eat it? Aren’t you afraid of dying? If you have guts, then eat it.”

Gong Yiling: “???”

Although she would never touch such a strange-looking ancient artifact…

The system’s tone seemed to be mocking her—”Go ahead, eat it if you dare.”

Could pills really go bad?

Gong Yiling looked at the pill, gulping.

—Better not risk it. If something went wrong, it wouldn’t just be a stomachache.

She should look for something usable first.

 

49. A Daoist’s Difficult Question 

There were still some scattered treasures in the outer area of the secret realm, so while waiting for the outer barrier to be broken, everyone began searching.

But Gong Yiling wasn’t interested.

She had finally managed to get Qiu Shui to sleep beside her and intended to cultivate, but the thin spiritual energy was disheartening.

Unless she was standing next to a spirit stone mine or a treasure trove like the Heavenly Dragon Spring, her cultivation progress was agonizingly slow.

But the weather was nice.

Such warm sunshine in early spring, although still a bit chilly, would make for a pleasant nap…

As she drifted off, she felt like she was hugging a cat, rubbing its face, chin, and body.

For Miss Gong, who longed to be a cat owner, this dream was heavenly.

Wonderful.

After an unknown amount of time, a thunderous shout of “It’s open!!!” jolted her awake.

She realized…

What she was hugging wasn’t a cat, but Qiu Shui.

The girl was already awake, her hair and clothes messed up, her eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

“Ah…” Gong Yiling quickly released her, stood up, and promptly bumped her head on a thick branch.

Her head was now practically as hard as iron.

So, she snapped the branch, which then fell and hit her foot.

“Ouch, fuck… oh, that didn’t hurt.”

“Pfft…” Qiu Shui chuckled. “Master, why are you so jumpy?”

“Ahem… wasn’t Master just putting on a show for you?”

Gong Yiling looked around and noticed everyone rushing towards the secret realm.

Had the barrier been opened?

She immediately grabbed Qiu Shui’s arm and followed.

The scene resembled a supermarket sale, with a crowd of old men and women, eyes gleaming, rushing forward like a horde of zombies.

Seeing this, Gong Yiling felt relieved.

She couldn’t compete with them in speed or grabbing ability.

So, she decided to take it slow, hoping to stumble upon some treasure…

Suddenly, she felt her foot step into nothingness, and she plummeted downwards.

“A trap???”

This sudden drop stunned her.

She had asked for good luck, not a trip to the underworld!

Fortunately, she had pulled Qiu Shui down with her.

Before hitting the ground, Qiu Shui reacted quickly, using her true essence to slow their descent. They landed in front of a large door.

“…Huh?”

Gong Yiling was bewildered.

She had only prayed for a bit of luck, but this was excessive.

A random misstep led her to this place. And since everyone else was rushing forward…

No one would come back and discover this place.

“We’ve hit the jackpot!”

Miss Gong was so excited she almost hugged Qiu Shui and cheered.

But a new problem arose.

This door… seemed impossible to open.

Pushing, pulling, using true essence, even hitting it—nothing worked. There was no keyhole or any other opening.

Could it be a password door?

“Open sesame!”

No response.

“Who’s there?” (A common challenge phrase in wuxia novels)

No response.

—Well, that was too simple.

“Hey, at least give me a hint on how to open this!”

Miss Gong knocked on the stone door impatiently.

But!

Because of her knock, the door trembled and let out a yawn.

Yes…

A… yawn???

Wait a minute.

Did it just yawn!?

Gong Yiling and Qiu Shui exchanged glances.

Was this door sentient…? No way, that couldn’t be, it had to be a joke. What was going on?

“Yawn… ah, two girls.” The door spoke, its voice originating from an unknown source. “Hello there, pretty ladies.”

“Are you crazy?” Gong Yiling kicked the door, which yelped in response.

“Calling you ‘pretty lady’ is fine, but ‘crazy’ is not.”

“I’m not interested in your nonsense,” Miss Gong said. “How do we open this door? Give me a straight answer.”

“Don’t be so hasty. Just answer a question.” The door grumbled. “It’s been so long since anyone came here. Can’t you chat with this lonely old man?”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“What are your measurements?”

“Bam!!!”

This was the first time in this world that someone had dared to tease Gong Yiling like this.

A cold glint flashed in her eyes as she stomped on the door, a smirk playing on her lips. “You dare hit on me?”

“Ooh… is this the legendary dominant queen!?”

Gong Yiling ignored it, taking out a talisman and her pen. She drew the first eight strokes of a high-grade Earth-level talisman, the Five Thunders Technique, on the wall.

“Want to know what electrocution feels like? I can give you a demonstration.”

“Wait, I was just making small talk, just chatting.” The door panicked. “You want to go in, right? Just answer a question.”

“You already said that!”

“Oh, right. Then here it is.” The door coughed and said seriously,

“Xiao Ming’s master married a woman named Xiao Hong years ago. Xiao Hong has an uncle. This uncle had two sons many years ago. The elder son was kidnapped by the demonic sect and forced to marry a bandit leader, and they had a child who inherited the demonic sect. Later, that child married a woman, and that woman also had an uncle. That uncle’s father’s younger brother’s daughter is Xiao Ming’s younger cousin’s mother’s elder brother’s son’s uncle’s daughter’s nephew’s uncle, and they are married.”

“So, how should Xiao Ming address Xiao Hong?”

Gong Yiling: “…”

What the hell kind of question was that?

As someone who constantly forgot how to address relatives, Gong Yiling was face-blind when it came to kinship terms.

She didn’t even understand the question.

But just then…

Qiu Shui said hesitantly, “Master’s wife… wouldn’t that be… Master’s wife?” (Shi Niang)

The atmosphere became incredibly awkward.

 

 

48. Are You Close with Miss Yan? 

It was Yan Chuyue who healed the Grand Elder of the Heartflame Empire in the novel.

This marked the beginning of the female protagonist’s rise to prominence.

However, given Yan Chuyue’s current status and reputation, it was practically impossible for her to treat someone of the Grand Elder’s standing.

Therefore, in the novel, the Grand Elder was tormented by the Myriad Souls Heart Erosion Finger, his cultivation almost completely crippled.

When he was on the verge of death, during the year-end sacrificial ceremony, Yan Chuyue made a bet with the First Prince, the wager being the Grand Elder’s treatment.

Yan Chuyue succeeded, gaining fame in a single stroke.

Unfortunately, the Heartflame Empire was plagued by internal conflicts at the time, and the First Prince, colluding with the demonic sects, later launched a rebellion.

In the end, to repay Yan Chuyue’s kindness, Shangguan Ziyuan sacrificed herself, taking a fatal blow for her. The Grand Elder also perished, taking the corrupted prince and the mastermind down with him.

Hundreds of loyal imperial guards also fought to their last breath.

Brave warriors, defending their home and country, unafraid of death.

But after this battle, the Heartflame Empire, although still one of the Four Heavenly Kingdoms, was greatly weakened. Later, Gong Yiling would massacre the entire royal family.

Yes, it was her, her, and her.

The one who almost single-handedly destroyed the Heartflame Empire was Gong Yiling.

So, Yan Chuyue’s confrontation with Gong Yiling was partly due to this.

However, that was the original plot.

She had no intention of causing trouble for the Heartflame Empire now. Besides, she could advance Daoist Huaiyuan’s treatment by a whole year.

This way, when the First Prince rebelled, Daoist Huaiyuan would have recovered much of his strength, preventing the chaotic situation.

Of course, this was all based on the premise that the princess would believe her.

“Yan Chuyue… General Yan’s daughter?”

Shangguan Ziyuan had indeed heard of this name.

When General Yan was still alive, he had brought Yan Chuyue to the palace, and they had met once.

However, after the general’s death, all the news about the girl was negative, and she gradually lost interest.

Unexpectedly… she would hear this name again here?

Shangguan Ziyuan frowned, then looked at her guards and dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

Then, she asked, puzzled, “Why can Yan Chuyue cure my master’s illness?”

“If you sincerely seek her help, you will naturally understand that I’m not joking,” Miss Gong said mysteriously. “As for why, everyone has their secrets. Doesn’t the Fifth Princess have any?”

Hearing this, Shangguan Ziyuan was startled…

Did this girl know?

But that shouldn’t be possible. Only her father and her master knew about that matter. She had never mentioned it to anyone else.

How did this senior know…?

“Don’t mind me, Fifth Princess. I was just speaking casually.”

Noticing the subtle change in Shangguan Ziyuan’s expression, Gong Yiling didn’t press the matter, dispelling her doubts with a simple sentence.

“If you still intend to find a cure for the Myriad Souls Heart Erosion Finger in this secret realm, please do as you wish.”

“When you decide to seek Yan Chuyue’s help, just mention that someone with two disciples recommended her.”

After a moment of thought, Shangguan Ziyuan nodded. “I wish to obtain something from this secret realm. After that, I will seek Miss Chuyue.”

“If she can truly cure my master, I will forever remember your guidance, Senior.”

“You’re welcome.”

Gong Yiling was always willing to help those she favored.

Whether it was Daoist Huaiyuan or Shangguan Ziyuan, from a reader’s perspective, she didn’t want them to die the same way.

If she could save them, her rebirth in this world wouldn’t be in vain.

Before leaving, Shangguan Ziyuan added,

“The Hehuan Sect seems to harbor ill intentions towards you, Senior. Please be careful.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then Ziyuan will take her leave.”

Shangguan Ziyuan called back her guards and left in a different direction.

“Um…”

After the princess left, Qiu Shui suddenly asked, “Master… are you… close with Miss Yan?”

“Close?” Gong Yiling didn’t understand why Qiu Shui would ask this.

But if you had to say they were close… they were very close. Wasn’t a reader always close to the protagonist?

“I guess… a little bit,” Gong Yiling finally settled on a vague answer.

“Oh…” Qiu Shui unconsciously displayed a hint of girlish behavior—she stuck out her tongue slightly.

“Why would you ask such a question?”

“Because…”

Because why? Qiu Shui herself wasn’t sure.

Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction, a feeling akin to jealousy towards a woman who seemed close to her master.

But it wasn’t jealousy, more like… curiosity?

But it was slightly more complicated than mere curiosity.

Ahhhhh… it was hard to describe.

Qiu Shui shook her head and asked seriously, “Because I’m curious.”

“Really just curious?”

“Yes! Curious!”

“What’s there to be curious about?” Gong Yiling smiled and ruffled her hair. “Alright, before we enter, Qiu Shui, get some rest. You didn’t listen to me earlier, did you? You kept cultivating, didn’t you?”

“Yes…”

“I know you’re talented, but you need to balance work and rest. Or should we find a place to take another bath?”

“Wha!?”

Hearing this, Qiu Shui immediately recalled the events from a few days ago.

Those scenes wouldn’t fade from her memory anytime soon, and every time she thought about them, her face would flush.

“If you don’t want to, then go to sleep.” Gong Yiling glanced at the people still trying to break the outer seal. “At their pace, it will take a few more hours. Use this opportunity to get some rest, don’t think about anything.”

“Okay…”

Although she agreed, actually…

When Gong Yiling said “If you don’t want to, then go to sleep,” she instinctively wanted to say “I do.”

But she couldn’t… at least, she shouldn’t…

So, after agreeing, she whispered softly, “I do.”

—

 

47. You Don’t Move, I Don’t Move!

The two stood facing each other for a long moment.

The more Wu Shijie probed Gong Yiling’s aura and cultivation, the more he frowned, his heart filled with uncertainty.

No matter how he examined her, she only seemed to be at Foundation Establishment.

Disguised auras were different from genuine ones. They felt forced, like suppressed power.

And when emotions fluctuated, a stronger aura would leak through.

But this woman’s cultivation felt perfectly natural, as if she truly was at Foundation Establishment.

But that was impossible.

The Left Protector was a Return to Origin cultivator, not to mention Yan Danyang, who was also at the same realm.

For this woman to easily defeat them both, she couldn’t possibly be at Foundation Establishment.

This meant her control over her aura was absolute.

Such a cultivator couldn’t be underestimated.

He would wait and see. She didn’t move, he wouldn’t move.

If she moved, he would react accordingly!

As for Gong Yiling…

—Would he discover she was just a paper tiger?

Miss Gong felt her tricks could only fool idiots, but the cultivator before her was the renowned leader of the Hehuan Sect.

He shouldn’t be so easily fooled, right?

He wouldn’t overthink things like those two idiots, right?

If he realized she was just a Foundation Establishment or Core Formation weakling, wouldn’t she be done for?

And look, he was already frowning.

Frowning meant he had noticed something amiss.

Why couldn’t Elder Yan and the others see through such a simple facade?

This wasn’t scientific.

But whatever.

Standing still might confuse him.

This was called strategic stillness.

He didn’t move, she didn’t move. If he moved, she would run!

So, they stood there for ten minutes, while everyone else watched.

No movement, no movement, still no movement.

Finally, after Gong Yiling’s feet went numb, someone spoke.

“You two, if you’re going to fight, can you do it somewhere else?”

The voice was clear and melodious, like a lark’s song.

The speaker wore a palace dress and a luxurious white fur vest.

She had fiery red hair, styled elegantly, and wore a butterfly mask covering half her face.

This seemed to be… the Fifth Princess of the Heartflame Empire, Shangguan Ziyuan.

Hearing this, Wu Shijie finally relaxed.

He had been stuck in a difficult situation, waiting for someone to offer him a way out.

“Hmph.” Wu Shijie feigned composure, sneering. “Since the Fifth Princess has spoken, I’ll give you face.”

“However, I advise this young lady to be careful when walking. If she accidentally falls off a cliff… heh.”

His threat wasn’t too harsh. He shouldn’t even be giving Shangguan Ziyuan face.

Normally, the Hehuan Sect Master would have unleashed a torrent of insults.

—Even though he didn’t dare to truly offend the Fifth Princess, who was the disciple of the Heartflame Empire’s Grand Elder.

Seeing Wu Shijie leave, Gong Yiling almost broke character.

She shouldn’t have gotten involved in that mess. It led to all these unexpected developments.

She didn’t know how much of the book’s plot would change because of her actions.

But before that, she needed to think about her next move.

“As expected of an Immortal Master!”

Returning to her group, Miss Gong was met with praises.

“I could sense that Wu Shijie probed her almost a hundred times, but the Immortal Master remained as steady as Mount Tai, her aura perfectly concealed.”

“In their initial confrontation, Wu Shijie lost to the Immortal Master by at least ten moves.”

“More like fifty moves.”

“You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. Wu Shijie lost by at least a hundred moves, a complete defeat.”

“No, you’re the one who doesn’t understand. The Immortal Master made one move, and Wu Shijie couldn’t counter it even after a hundred moves. That’s why he left so abruptly.”

“Hey… that makes sense. The Immortal Master is truly amazing!”

“Yes, with the Immortal Master here, that loser Wu Shijie wouldn’t dare act so arrogant.”

Damn it.

Their exaggerations were getting out of hand.

They were practically saying that Gong Yiling defeated Wu Shijie with a single move.

With such rumors spreading, the public’s imagination was truly boundless.

Gong Yiling, listening to these praises, wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Her legs suddenly weakened, and she almost fell.

Fortunately, Qiu Shui quickly rushed to her side and supported her. “Master, what’s wrong?”

“I stood for too long. My legs are numb. Help me for a bit.”

“Okay.”

Before they could walk far, several guards from the Heartflame Empire approached, and the princess who had spoken earlier walked towards them.

“This is…?”

“May I borrow some of your time, Senior, and this young lady’s?”

“What is it?” Gong Yiling replied coldly.

“It’s like this…” Shangguan Ziyuan felt like she was getting the cold shoulder.

But this senior was supposedly a cultivator from the Great One Engineering Sect, so there was no need to be polite.

“I’ve heard that the cultivators of the Great One Engineering Sect and the Cloud Rainbow Sect possess unparalleled medical skills and acupuncture techniques.”

“I wonder, Senior, if you could help treat someone—”

“Treat your master?”

Before Shangguan Ziyuan could finish, Gong Yiling interrupted.

“You know my master?”

“I’ve heard of him.” Gong Yiling recalled some information from the novel. “Daoist Huaiyuan. He fought against the Hall Master of the Hundred Ghosts Hall from the Five Demonic Abysses. You want me to treat the aftereffects of the Hall Master’s signature move, the Myriad Souls Heart Erosion Finger, right?”

Shangguan Ziyuan’s eyes widened.

Her master’s fight wasn’t a secret, but the fact that he was injured in a two-on-one ambush was known to very few, even within the empire.

Was this senior truly as powerful and knowledgeable as the rumors suggested?

“Then… Senior, do you have a solution?”

“I don’t.” Gong Yiling shook her head honestly. “But there’s someone I can recommend, if you dare to use her.”

“Who?”

“The eldest daughter of the Yan family, Yan Chuyue.”

46. What a Master!

Five days later.

A sudden spring rain fell.

Just like the spring rain in the novel, the new year arrived, and the first layer of the secret realm’s barrier would be opened on this day.

Sitting in the carriage heading towards the secret realm, Miss Gong couldn’t help but sneeze loudly. “Achoo!”

“Master, are you sure you don’t have a cold?” Qiu Shui patted her back worriedly. “You’ve been sneezing these past few days. Should Qiu Shui get you some medicine after we return?”

“It’s fine, it’s nothing.”

Gong Yiling sniffed and chuckled.

She also found it strange. Ever since she blew up that hill, she had been sneezing occasionally.

But she didn’t have a cold. She was perfectly healthy, except for having to worry about her period again.

That was the truly tiring part for a manly man.

“Then Master, Qiu Shui will continue cultivating.”

“Get some sleep before we arrive. Don’t overwork yourself.”

“Okay.”

Seeing Qiu Shui’s obedience, Miss Gong felt like she had found a treasure.

—Although this treasure was originally meant for the protagonist.

Soon, Qiu Shui entered a meditative state, the true essence around her rippling like water.

This was the manifestation of qi, a sign of approaching the Return to Origin realm.

Yes.

Since her breakthrough to Core Transformation and the Heavenly Rainbow Blessing, Qiu Shui’s cultivation speed had become absurdly fast.

In just five days, she had reached the peak of Core Transformation. Her golden core was returning to its origin, showing signs of dispersing into her meridians.

Forming the core, then transforming it, reverting the core to essence. When her true essence could be stored in any meridian, it would mean she had completed the first stage of cultivation and entered the initial stage of Soul Origin refinement, the Return to Origin realm.

Compared to Qiu Shui, Miss Gong felt her Heavenly Saint Technique was…

Utterly useless!

Her meridians were indeed different from ordinary people’s, and her strength couldn’t be judged solely by her cultivation level. But this also caused a problem.

Her cultivation progress was incredibly slow.

Previously, a night of cultivation would fill her meridians with true essence, resulting in noticeable progress.

But now, it took two days and nights of non-stop cultivation to achieve the same result.

And the progress had to be divided between her two cultivation techniques, making it a drop in the bucket.

—This wasn’t because her method was wrong, but because the surrounding spiritual energy was too thin.

Her body was like a bottomless pit. The spiritual energy stored in her blood-veined golden core had only brought her to the peak of Core Formation in her demonic art and Foundation Establishment in her Daoist technique.

To progress further, she would need hundreds of low-grade spirit stones, but she didn’t have that much money.

Now, she could only hope to find a sufficient amount of spirit stones in the secret realm.

Finally, they arrived at the Southern Forest, where the carriage could no longer proceed. Gong Yiling and Qiu Shui disembarked.

—This trip was dangerous, and Gong Yiling couldn’t guarantee Chun Lian’s safety, so she entrusted her to the Yan family’s care.

Shortly after, members of other sects and families also arrived, following Gong Yiling.

Gong Yiling: “…”

What did they want? For her to lead the way?

“Immortal Master seems to have improved again.”

Elder Yan stroked his beard admiringly. “Your aura has become more restrained. Could it be that you’re… about to break through to Earthly Nether realm?”

Uh…

Miss Gong didn’t know what to say, neither nodding nor shaking her head. She simply turned away.

“It seems so.”

Elder Yan felt even more confident now.

The Hehuan Sect’s leader was only at Soul Origin realm. If they could leave him to the Immortal Master, they could handle the rest.

The thought of crippling the Hehuan Sect filled him with joy, and he volunteered to lead the way.

The group arrived at the outer area of the secret realm. At the only entrance, not only were there members of the Hehuan Sect, but also representatives from various other sects, including the Heartflame Empire.

The atmosphere was tense, a single wrong word could spark a fight.

The arrival of Elder Yan’s group added fuel to the fire.

“Sect Master Yan.”

“Sect Master Mei.”

“Sect Master Zhu.”

“Sect Master xxxx.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Long time no see!”

“How’s your wife?”

“Does your son look like me?”

After exchanging superficial greetings, they turned their attention to the Hehuan Sect.

“Demons, you dare stand here?” Elder Yan sneered. “A bunch of rats, instead of sneaking around at night, you dare show yourselves here openly. Do you think we’re nobody?”

Uh…

Miss Gong, caught in the crossfire, thought, Whatever makes you happy.

“And who might this be?”

Someone from the Hehuan Sect sneered. “The trash of the Dongyang Sect, daring to bark at us.”

Was the next line “I’ve never seen such a shameless person”?

“Trash? Laughable. How is your Left Protector doing these days?”

His words caused an uproar.

The Left Protector had his own agenda and a solitary nature. No one knew what he was doing in private.

But even so, his death was a blow to the Hehuan Sect.

Elder Yan deliberately brought this up to provoke them.

“You!”

Several Hehuan Sect members were enraged, about to attack, but a heavily made-up, androgynous figure stopped them.

Their aura was far stronger than anyone else present. This must be the Soul Origin realm leader of the Hehuan Sect.

“Sect Master… we…”

The androgynous figure quelled their agitation and stepped forward. “Which bitch killed my sect member? State your name.”

Uh…

After these words, everyone’s gaze fell upon Gong Yiling.

Like a duck being herded onto a stage, Miss Gong could only step forward.

Compared to the Hehuan Sect Master, Wu Shijie, Miss Gong’s presence was negligible.

But this lack of presence made Wu Shijie narrow his eyes.

Someone who could conceal their aura so well… must be a master.

45. Demolition Expert 

The next day.

“I’m so sorry for the unpleasant experience,” a portly man bowed repeatedly to Miss Gong, full of apologies. “My wife invited Immortal Master, but I never expected such a thing to happen.”

“Ah… ahahaha… it’s fine… it’s nothing.”

Gong Yiling could only shake her head with a wry smile.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to take the blame.

She just didn’t know that her peak Core Formation demonic cultivation, amplified by her special meridians, could be so powerful, almost blowing the small hill to smithereens.

It caused an unimaginable landslide.

Now, the bathhouse, having suffered severe damage, was temporarily closed.

The owner was here to apologize.

But this incident had nothing to do with the bathhouse itself.

The culprit, worried about her demonic cultivation being exposed, couldn’t take responsibility.

Listening to the owner’s apologies, she felt a pang of guilt.

“Is there anything I can do to compensate you, Immortal Master? I’ll do anything within my power.”

Please stop.

The more he said, the worse Gong Yiling felt.

“Actually, this Palace Master is also partly responsible,” she said evasively. “If I hadn’t let my disciple cultivate there, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened.”

“No, no, you’re too kind. It was an honor for our humble bathhouse to host your disciple’s cultivation!”

“No, no, I’m serious. It’s my fault.”

“How could it be your fault? It’s my fault.”

“No, no, I actually blew up the hill.”

“Immortal Master is so kind, taking the blame to spare our feelings.”

“It really was me!”

“Really, Immortal Master, there’s no need to be so polite. That hill explodes every now and then. It doesn’t affect our business.”

Was he speaking human language? What kind of hill explodes every now and then? A volcano?

Gong Yiling realized there was no logic in talking to this man.

“Just don’t give me anything. I don’t want it, absolutely not!”

“Alright, alright…”

In the end, the owner didn’t give her anything, but instead, fabricated a ridiculously absurd story.

According to the story, there was a demonic beast on the north mountain that often caused trouble, triggering landslides.

Even the bathhouse’s unique terrain was supposedly created by the beast.

But this beast wouldn’t cause any more trouble.

Why? Because the Immortal Master, visiting the bathhouse, discovered the beast and fought it on the mountain.

Their battle shook the heavens and earth, resulting in half the mountain being blown up and the beast being obliterated.

Afterward, the Immortal Master, deeply regretting her actions, took all the blame, never mentioning that she did it for the greater good.

“Such a kind and compassionate Immortal Master!”

That day, all the storytellers in the city seemed to have been paid to change their usual tales to this one.

Gong Yiling, eating noodles with her two disciples, almost choked to death.

“Young Palace Master, you really killed that demonic beast?”

“Master, was it really you?”

Feeling their gazes, the…

Kind, compassionate, beautiful, virtuous, elegant, approachable, and powerful Gong—the Versailles Cinderella—Yiling…

Nodded reluctantly.

“Let’s just say it was me.”

What else could she say?

There was no other way to respond.

Chun Lian—So Master said she was going to test something to avoid worrying me.

Qiu Shui—So Master even eliminated a dangerous demonic beast for me?

But Miss Gong wasn’t focused on them.

The storyteller continued,

“Now, the area where the mountain was blown up has miraculously formed a crescent-shaped depression, filled with hot spring water. The bathhouse at the foot of the mountain has been renamed ‘Immortal’s Treasure Bath.’ If you wish to experience the Immortal Master’s grace, you can visit.”

“We’re having a grand opening celebration! Half-price tickets, unlimited free drinks and snacks, and even song and dance performances!”

Hearing this, the audience was immediately interested.

They rushed towards the bathhouse, forgetting it was still daytime and that the “Immortal Master” was right there.

Gong Yiling twitched her lips.

This was how people with business acumen could sell used shoe insoles as rare treasures to the wealthy.

Creating hype was so easy.

“Let’s go.”

Gong Yiling left a few copper coins and called out to her two disciples, who were still lost in thought.

She had a lot to prepare before their trip to the secret realm.

“Okay.” “Okay!”

Shortly after they left, a ragged woman with frizzy hair, wearing a tattered cloak, almost threw her bowl of noodles in anger.

But…

Looking at the few coins she had left, she held back.

The reason for her anger was quite peculiar.

From her perspective, she was just a mountain beast.

A mountain beast was a special type of demonic beast that chose a mountain and never left it until death.

They could be of any race, as long as they were attached to the mountain.

But she was slightly different.

Every time her cultivation increased, she would shed her skin, and the discarded skin would become a creature with only basic instincts.

So, she had to fight her own skin every now and then, disturbing the peace of the mountain.

However, after completing the forty-ninth shedding, she would finally become a legendary being.

Yesterday was the scene of her forty-ninth shedding.

Everything was going smoothly, but then a powerful phantom appeared, scaring her witless. After the phantom finally disappeared, she exploded.

Or rather, an inexplicable explosion occurred within a hundred meters of her.

She was caught in the blast, causing her forty-ninth shedding to glitch.

More importantly, her mountain was blown up!

“If I ever find out who that Immortal Master is, I’ll rip their head off and play soccer with it!”