Zou Yan realized something was very wrong with her current situation.
She was in an ancient, ethereal room, dressed in a green gown, sitting on a meditation cushion with her hands forming the Lotus Seal, as if in the midst of cultivation.
...But hadn’t she just been working overtime until dawn revising design drafts before collapsing into bed without even showering? And these hands were far too fair and delicate—they didn’t look like hers at all. As she studied the slender jade-like hands resting on her knees, a sudden knock came at the door.
Tap tap tap.
Her heart skipped a beat. Hesitantly, she got up, took three deep breaths to steady herself, and opened the door.
Outside stood a man who appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in gray-green Daoist robes, exuding an air of refined elegance. He smiled at her and said, "Senior Sister Liao, the master summons you to the Secluded Bamboo Garden."
Zou Yan: Senior Sister Liao? Master? Secluded Bamboo Garden? What in the world is going on? If this is transmigration, why don’t I have any memories? Why isn’t there a newbie guide? Ah! I’m doomed!
"Um... Senior Brother?" Zou Yan ventured cautiously.
The man replied kindly, "Are you nervous, Junior Sister? Don’t worry. The master just wants to give you a few instructions. Go ahead." He made as if to leave, but Zou Yan quickly called out to him again.
"Senior Brother!"
The man looked at her questioningly. Steeling herself, Zou Yan asked, "Could you take me there?" Without a map, how was she supposed to find the place on her own?!
Surprisingly, the man didn’t seem suspicious at all and readily agreed to guide her.
"Senior Sister Liao, you needn’t worry too much. Our Clear Valley Heaven isn’t like other places—we don’t put much stock in formalities."
Zou Yan followed behind him, nodding occasionally as if listening attentively, though her mind was a whirlwind of confusion. What the heck is all this? I don’t understand a single word!
Along the way, they passed other disciples dressed in similar green robes, who would often smile and nod at them. Some greeted them as "Senior Sister Liao" and "Senior Brother Su." There were also shorter, younger disciples in plainer attire who addressed her as "Senior Sister Liao." As Zou Yan walked, she observed the unfamiliar faces and scenery around her, quickly piecing together a few key terms— soul transmigration, immortal cultivation, major sect.
I’m doomed, doomed! My expertise is painting, not acting! What am I supposed to do now? If I slip up, will something terrible happen to me?!
Before she could dwell on it further, Senior Brother Su led her to the edge of a vast bamboo forest, gestured for her to proceed alone, then turned and left with a flourish of his robes.
Left with no choice, Zou Yan braced herself and continued forward. She followed a narrow path through the bamboo, passing under nine successive bamboo archways before finally spotting a small bamboo pavilion ahead.
No signboard. Wait, how can there be no sign? Is this even the Secluded Bamboo Garden? She hesitated outside for a moment until a voice from within called out, "Disciple Tingyan, why do you linger outside?"
Ah, so this is the place. And now she had another piece of information—this body’s name was Liao Tingyan. Zou Yan stepped inside and saw a man in his twenties turn toward her, his expression warm and affectionate.
Zou Yan: "...Master." This young? Really?
The young man smiled. "It’s been three months since you entered my tutelage. Why are you still so reserved? I’ve told you before—you are like a daughter to me. Treat me as your father and don’t stand on ceremony."Zou Yan: "..." Are you serious? You look even younger than me, and you're just going to declare yourself my father like that?
The more she spoke, the more mistakes she might make, so Zou Yan resorted to her ultimate New Year's tactic for dealing with relatives and elders—smiling. For any question that didn’t require an answer, a shy smile would suffice.
Sure enough, her young master didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. Instead, he gestured for her to sit down and have some tea, then spoke in the tone of a homeroom teacher giving a pep talk: "The reason I called you here today is mainly about the selection in three days. Don’t worry too much—just let things take their course. You entered the sect late, your cultivation is still low, and your seniority is the least among us. This time, all Eight Palaces will be selecting outstanding disciples to participate. Our Clear Valley Heaven is just there to make up the numbers."
For a moment, Zou Yan felt like she was back in school, being comforted by her teacher about disappointing exam results. Listening in a daze, she barely registered when her young master concluded, "In three days, I will see you off. Be prepared."
Subconsciously, Zou Yan glanced at his head, half-expecting to see a quest scroll or exclamation mark hovering above it. This master of hers really seemed like an NPC handing out missions.
When she finally made it back to the room where she had first woken up, she let out a sigh of relief. Frustrated, she tugged at her hair. This was too much pressure—pretending to be someone else was unbearable. She just wanted to die and go back!
But then, as she turned her head, she caught sight of a mirror in the corner. Zou Yan froze, then leaped up to touch her face. Holy crap, what kind of peerless beauty was this?! Was this body some kind of celestial fairy? What had she eaten to grow so stunning?! Okay, never mind—she could do this. No more thoughts of dying. Every extra day alive was a bonus.
Since she had no idea how to return, she might as well play the part of Liao Tingyan for now.
Being Liao Tingyan wasn’t actually that hard. She quickly gathered some basic information from the disciples and young attendants around her. For instance, she had been taken in as a disciple by Dongyang Zhenren earlier this year. Her cultivation was still at the Qi Refining Stage, and she possessed only average talent with her Three Spiritual Roots.
She belonged to the Gengchen Immortal Mansion, the foremost orthodox sect in the World of Cultivation. Rumor had it that the Gengchen Immortal Mansion was so vast its disciples could form their own nation. Her own small branch of the sect, Clear Valley Heaven, was just a minor lineage under one of the Eight Palaces, nestled within a Grotto-heaven.
To summarize: her cultivation was low, her seniority was low, and she was a tiny shrimp in a colossal organization.
She also picked up a juicy piece of gossip—apparently, the reason Dongyang Zhenren had taken her as a disciple was because she looked exactly like his daughter, who had passed away decades ago. Out of love for his lost child, he doted on her, his youngest disciple. Even the senior brothers in Clear Valley Heaven treated her with kindness, and she was the only female disciple in their small branch.
This finally helped Liao Tingyan understand what her master had meant earlier. The connection, it turned out, was tied to a major event.
The only significant happening in the Gengchen Immortal Mansion recently wasn’t just the talk of the sect—it had captured the attention of the entire World of Cultivation.
—The highest-ranking ancestor in their sect, a figure of immense seniority, was about to emerge from a 500-year seclusion!
This revered ancestor was none other than Cizang Daojun. His seniority surpassed even that of the current sect leader, making him the leader’s martial uncle. If one were to compare him to a mortal emperor, he’d be the Grand Emperor. And this ancestor was doubly so—in both status and age.It is said that not only is his seniority high, but his status is also quite special. The Gengchen Immortal Mansion has existed for several hundred thousand years since its founding. The original ancestor who established it bore the surname Sima, and every subsequent generation in power has also been surnamed Sima. Among the hundreds who have transcended tribulations and ascended, more than half were named Sima. And now, the last remaining Sima in the Gengchen Immortal Mansion is Taoist Lord Cizang.
The ancestor at the top of the food chain emerging from seclusion—isn’t that a major event?
Because this ancestor was about to emerge, the sect leader, elders, and the eight Palace Masters—the top-tier leadership—decided to provide him with the highest quality service. First, they would select some outstanding disciples with excellent qualifications to serve him. For reasons unknown, the selection was limited to female disciples. Thus, Liao Tingyan, the only female disciple newly entered into Clear Valley Heaven, was also among the candidates.
Liao Tingyan: "..." Isn’t this just like an emperor selecting concubines?
On the third day, her seemingly young but actually over three-hundred-year-old master personally escorted her to the selection venue. Only then did Liao Tingyan truly grasp how vast the Gengchen Immortal Mansion was. Her direct superior flew on a magical artifact at such speed that it took at least two hours to reach the destination. The areas they passed along the way were said to be just a small fraction of the Gengchen Immortal Mansion’s territory.
"The Qu Dong Thirty-Six Immortal Mountains stretch for 8,888 li, all of which belong to the Gengchen Immortal Mansion," Dongyang Zhenren remarked, as if noticing Liao Tingyan’s thoughts. "Our sect is indeed enormous. Many low-level disciples will spend their entire lives in these subsidiary cities, much like commoners in mortal kingdoms."
Liao Tingyan: Holy cow, this is eye-opening.
In the distance, Liao Tingyan saw a massive square—almost like a plain—flanked by dozens of towering jade pillars. At its center stood majestic palace towers resembling a phoenix. Many disciples were already gathered there, and more were arriving continuously. The grandeur of the scene left Liao Tingyan feeling utterly overwhelmed.
Dongyang Zhenren, like a parent sending their child to an exam, could only offer encouragement with a loving gaze before stepping back to wait, leaving Liao Tingyan—a newcomer—to blend into the crowd of beauties.
Standing in a corner, Liao Tingyan looked around and felt as if she had stumbled into a beauty pageant. If this were a pageant, it would probably turn into a brawl, because every single person here was as stunning as a celestial maiden. Choosing a winner would be incredibly difficult, and after a while, it even became a bit visually exhausting.
After a brief look, she had to lower her head and give her eyes a break—the stimulation was just too much.
There were at least ten thousand people on the field, all beautiful women in colorful dresses chatting softly. Some even approached Liao Tingyan.
"Excuse me, which branch does this junior sister belong to?"
Having been a corporate drone, Liao Tingyan knew how to handle social interactions. She politely replied that she was a disciple of Dongyang Zhenren from Clear Valley Heaven.
The stunning woman who spoke covered her mouth with a laugh, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes. "Oh, not a junior sister, but a junior niece." She then ignored Liao Tingyan, likely deeming her unworthy.
From just a cursory listen, Liao Tingyan realized that all these beauties around her possessed either single Spirit Roots, mutated single Spirit Roots, or top-tier dual Spirit Roots—the kind of prodigies the World of Cultivation might see once in a decade or a century. They were all gathered here like a pile of cabbages.Moreover, their seniority was generally on par with Dongyang Zhenren, and their status was high. Naturally, they looked down on a minor disciple like Liao Tingyan. If not for her strikingly beautiful face that stood out even among so many people, they wouldn’t have bothered initiating conversation with her.
Liao Tingyan: Relieved. Seems like what the boss said was true—I’m just here to go through the motions.
Dong—
After a deep, resonant toll of the bell, the crowd suddenly fell silent. Then, five streaks of multicolored light flew in from beyond the sky, landing one after another in front of the grand hall atop the plaza and transforming into five figures. They were too far away for Liao Tingyan to clearly make out their features, but she could sense an extraordinary aura about them—majestic and imposing, making it hard to meet their gaze.
These must be the top bosses.
"Five of them actually came!"
"Indeed. A few years ago, when that World-calamity Great Demon appeared, only four Palace Masters showed up. Yet today, five Palace Masters have come just to select a few people. It seems the higher-ups are taking this matter very seriously."
Liao Tingyan pricked up her ears, listening to the stunning beauties around her whisper in hushed, excited tones, their voices brimming with astonishment.
On the high platform above, an elder began to speak. "Today, we will select a hundred disciples from among those present here to serve Taoist Lord Cizang once he emerges from seclusion."
After a few more brief words, the elder signaled to the others beside him, and together, they unleashed countless beams of spiritual light. Each person in the plaza was enveloped in a shimmering glow—Liao Tingyan included. Moments later, most of the lights faded away, leaving only a hundred individuals still illuminated. These were the chosen ones.
Liao Tingyan, still bathed in light: "......" Wasn’t I just supposed to be here for show? How did I get picked???
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