On the vast Three Saints Mountain, apart from an ancestor who killed at the slightest provocation and a massive black snake that devoured humans without blinking, no other living beings could be seen.
The female cultivator group, now reduced to ninety-nine members, stood at the tower’s base. After a while, the lead female cultivator cleared her throat and said, “We should first find a place to settle down. Since the Sect Leader ordered us to serve our Ancestral Master, we must remain here.”
“Master-Aunt Ni Sheng, we cannot utilize spiritual power here. How can we cultivate without it?” someone asked.
Mu Ni Sheng replied with unwavering determination, “If we cannot use spiritual power, then we won’t! If we cannot cultivate, then we won’t cultivate. Right now, our Ancestral Master is the most important priority.”
Most people present didn’t dare contradict her, but some were unwilling to follow her completely. “Senior Sister Ni Sheng, although we came to serve the Ancestral Master, he appears… unwilling to accept our service. I fear our stay here will be futile,” said a female cultivator who looked as cold and ethereal as an immortal.
This woman seemed to be the granddaughter of a certain Palace Master, with a status similar to Mu Ni Sheng. Both had their supporters, and there were several other female cultivators from different factions, each with their own intentions. Imperceptibly, the group that had been huddled together slowly separated, standing in distinct clusters.
Liao Tingyan: “…” Wait, they had just arrived and were still in mortal danger, yet they were already starting to fight among themselves?
Listening to their veiled remarks and exchanges, Liao Tingyan had a strange impression that she had mistakenly entered a palace intrigue storyline. Wasn’t this supposed to be about immortal cultivation?
After the young women exchanged words for a while, they ultimately split into three groups to settle separately. One group was led by Mu Ni Sheng representing the Sect Leader’s faction, another was led by Yun Xi Yue representing the Palace Master’s faction, and the third consisted of those unwilling to affiliate with either leader, generally of lower status, who formed their alliance.
Originally, Liao Tingyan should have belonged to the last group, but no one wanted to include her because they were all shrewd. During today’s audience with the Ancestral Master, only two people had received his “special attention”—one had already died, someone of unclear identity, and Liao Tingyan might very well be in a similar situation. Everyone assumed there must be something unusual about her and naturally didn’t want to be associated with her, fearing they might be implicated.
Watching everyone else leave, Liao Tingyan found herself alone. Unconcerned, she walked over to the nearby steps and sat down, massaging her legs.
Oh my goodness, her legs were sore. It was already afternoon. Liao Tingyan took out a qiankun pouch that her master, the True Immortal of Dongyang, had given her—a legendary portable storage space essential for cultivators. Of course, hers was of average quality and couldn’t hold too many items. It had space equivalent to about one room, which contained all her possessions.
She took out a flask of water, first washing her hands, then retrieving a mirror to examine her face, wiping off blood splatters, combing her slightly disheveled hair, rinsing her mouth, taking a drink, and finally pulling out a peach to nibble on. She was still in the Qi Condensation stage, not yet reached the Foundation Building, so naturally she hadn’t achieved breatharianism and needed to eat food.
Her body must have belonged to someone poor, without substantial wealth, but since she resided in Clear Valley Heaven, which specialized in cultivating spiritual plants and fruits, she didn’t lack food. She had brought plenty with her this time—enough to prevent starvation for a year and a half.
That is if she could survive that long.
Like the others, Liao Tingyan also felt she might not live much longer. But she wasn’t originally from this world, so if she died, she might return to her world. Truthfully speaking, she wasn’t afraid of death itself—she was afraid because she feared pain. Death wasn’t frightening; the pain it brought was what terrified her most.
With nobody paying attention to her, Liao Tingyan felt a sense of freedom. She walked beyond the dark cloud-covered area around the central tower and found a place bathed in sunlight—the rooftop of a building. This spot was tranquil, with no one coming by, and excellent sunlight, perfect for an afternoon nap.
She was accustomed to taking afternoon naps; without one, her mind never felt completely clear.
After changing out of her blood-stained skirt, Liao Tingyan set up a couch and a small table. Lying down, she found the sunlight too harsh on her eyes, so she took out an eye mask and put it on. The eye mask was something she had gotten from a senior brother at Clear Valley Heaven, made from leaves of a certain spiritual plant. Its shape was suitable, and with a string attached, it served perfectly as an eye mask. Wearing it made her eyes feel refreshingly cool while blocking out light effectively.
After lying down for a while, she felt thirsty. Made lazy by the sun, Liao Tingyan couldn’t even be bothered to remove her eye mask, and simply reached into her qiankun pouch to find a drink—bamboo juice produced in Clear Valley Heaven, sweet and refreshing, cooling and detoxifying. Taking a sip, she let out a comfortable sigh and casually placed what remained on the small table beside her.
While Liao Tingyan was taking her afternoon nap on a remote palace rooftop, the others gathered to discuss their current situation, each face marked with gravity and concern.
The neutral faction, with over forty members, gathered in an outer palace building. The woman seated in the center frowned and said, “We truly cannot cultivate here. Not only is spiritual energy unable to naturally gather, but even using spirit stones cannot create a spiritual gathering formation. I suspect there might be some powerful formation beneath Three Saints Mountain.”
The Sect Leader’s faction, led by Mu Ni Sheng, was in another location. She held a mirror, her brow furrowed with worry. “Before coming, my father gave me this Spirit Mirror, intending for me to contact him through it. Now… sigh, since we cannot contact the outside world or leave this place, I fear we must find a way to approach the Ancestral Master.”
“Senior Sister Ni Sheng, I find the Ancestral Master somewhat… frightening. I feel that looking at him for too long might get one killed. Senior Sister, who exactly was the person killed by the Ancestral Master?” someone asked.
Mu Ni Sheng waved her hand dismissively: “That’s not something we should concern ourselves with.”
Next door, the Palace Master’s faction led by Yun Xi Yue, though smallest with only a dozen people, consisted mostly of high-status individuals—descendants of elders, offspring of palace masters, and talented young women who led their lineages. Gathered together, they too discussed the person killed by the Ancestral Master.
“Although the Ancestral Master seems difficult to approach, he is still our Ancestral Master, a senior of our Gengchen Immortal Mansion. He wouldn’t harm us without reason. The person he killed must have been an outsider with malicious intent, so I believe we need not fear.”
“Indeed, fortune favors the bold. I believe that before coming here, everyone’s family must have discussed those matters. We are different from the others—we must approach the Ancestral Master before Mu Ni Sheng and her group, and win his favor! This concerns the survival of our entire Gengchen Immortal Mansion!”
While they talked among themselves, none noticed the massive black snake silently slithering across the hall’s roof. The Ancestral Master, dressed in black, sat on the giant snake, hearing every word they spoke.
“How bold these creatures are,” Dharma Lord Sima Jiao spoke with undisguised disgust and murderous intent, causing the giant snake beneath him to tremble slightly.
Sima Jiao stood up, stepping firmly on the snake’s body, walking steadily to its head. “Go.”
The snake had no idea where he wanted to go, so it just meandered aimlessly across the rooftops carrying him. For many years, whenever he was awake, he would sit on its back, letting it wander freely among the countless empty palaces, day and night.
Nothing he did had any significance, and his moods shifted unpredictably. Despite having lived with him for so many years, the black snake was still frequently startled into shedding its skin by his sudden changes of temper.
“Hmm?”
The black snake was diligently crawling forward, striving to be a good self-driving mount, when it suddenly heard a questioning hum from its master. It immediately stopped, knowing its cue. Sima Jiao had spotted Liao Tingyan sunbathing and napping in the distance.
While everyone else was tense and at a loss, how could she hide alone to sunbathe and nap?
“Go there.”
The black snake huffed and puffed forward, silently slithering to the rooftop where Liao Tingyan slept. The spot she had chosen for her nap was excellent—first, there was a small platform for stargazing where she could place her couch; second, it wasn’t too high and was far from the central tower, making her difficult to spot from other rooftops; and finally, the sunlight here was perfect.
By now, Liao Tingyan was sound asleep. Sima Jiao, sitting on the snake, came to her side and gazed at her eye mask for a moment before lifting it slightly to see her face.
“So this is the boldest one.”
He withdrew his hand, his gaze moving to Liao Tingyan’s stomach. A strange smile appeared on his face as he muttered to himself: “Even someone from the Demon Realm managed to infiltrate. Are these useless creatures from Gengchen Immortal Mansion deliberately sending her to provoke me, or are they truly so incompetent that they couldn’t detect her?”
He had initially intended to kill this person. Such a disguise might fool others, but not him. Yet now, he suddenly didn’t feel like killing her anymore.
Whatever the Demon Realm planned for Gengchen Immortal Mansion was none of his concern—he might even anticipate the destruction of Gengchen Immortal Mansion more eagerly than the demon cultivators themselves.
While Sima Jiao was lost in thought, his hand unconsciously ran across the black snake’s scales, and then his fingers pressed down slightly, prying off a black scale.
The black snake: *Whimper*. Why is he peeling off my scales for no reason again?
Sima Jiao peeled off the scale on a whim, then found it unsightly and discarded it.
“Let’s go.”
The black snake hesitated, swishing its tail and moving its head toward the bamboo container on the small table beside Liao Tingyan. Seeing this, Sima Jiao picked up the container.
He swirled it, watching the clear liquid splash inside the jade-green bamboo.
He sniffed it, then took a sip, only to spit it out disdainfully. “What is this? Tastes awful.” He tossed the container back onto the small table.
The black snake carried him back to the central tower, flicking its tongue regretfully. It had liked that scent, but unfortunately, its master was a jerk with no humanity, not even giving it a single taste.
Liao Tingyan slept until the sun was setting in the west. Just awakening and still somewhat disoriented, she thought she was napping at home during vacation. Removing her slightly askew eye mask and seeing the surrounding buildings, distant mountains, and sunset, she finally remembered.
Oh, right, she had transmigrated.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and casually picked up the bamboo juice from the small table to moisten her throat.
“Hmmm…”
“This isn’t so bad—beautiful scenery, food and drink available, no need to work—isn’t it like getting a free vacation?” Liao Tingyan murmured to herself, smacking her lips before taking another sip of bamboo juice.
After her nap, she had successfully reconciled herself to her situation. She packed up her things and prepared to find a place to rest. There were many buildings here, but most were like open-air corridors. Since others were staying in small buildings on the outskirts, she found a nearby empty room—not too far from the others so she could hear if anything happened.
She chose a room, a small attic. For some reason, everywhere was empty—no furniture or objects in any room, not even dust. Liao Tingyan set up minimally, bringing out everlasting candles for light and some food, enjoying a candlelit dinner alone while watching the sunset.
Once she viewed her current situation as a rare vacation opportunity, her entire being became relaxed and comfortable.
The only downside was the monotonous food—for dinner, she would have preferred something more flavorful, like meat.
Night fell completely, and Liao Tingyan happened to look down and noticed the Day and Night Ghostly Flower she had seen during the day had completely transformed. During the daytime, it had white flowers with black leaves, but at night, it changed to black flowers with white leaves. Those white leaves seemed to emit a glow, clearly illuminating the clusters of black flowers.
It was strange. In such a vast area, the only plants she had seen were these flowers—not even a blade of grass otherwise.
As she gazed at the flowers below, she suddenly noticed a young woman walking to the flowers, apparently admiring them. As she admired, perhaps truly enchanted, she reached out and plucked one.
Liao Tingyan: “…!” Wait! Girl! Behind you!
The girl’s head was casually plucked off by the shadowy figure behind her, with the same motion she had used to pick the flower.
Fresh blood spurted from the headless corpse, splashing onto the luminous white leaves, creating an exceptionally brutal scene.
The second murder scene was witnessed in one day.
Liao Tingyan covered her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting what she had just eaten. In the instant she turned away, the black-clothed Ancestral Master who had plucked the head looked up in her direction.
When Liao Tingyan looked back, the person had vanished. The giant black snake was there, swallowing the corpse.
…
“Terrible news! My family’s Rong Rong’s life flame has extinguished!” In the Lamp Hall of Gengchen Immortal Mansion’s Inner Court, more than a dozen people sat surrounding hundreds of lamps. A handsome man suddenly reached forward, commanding: “Return!”
Threads of white gathered in his palm, and the man’s expression improved slightly. “Fortunately, her soul hasn’t dispersed.”
He blew the white mist from his palm, and instantly, a transparent female figure appeared before everyone—the unfortunate one who had been beheaded for picking a flower.
The woman looked bewildered, seemingly unclear about what had happened. Upon seeing the man before her, she exclaimed joyfully: “Maternal Grandfather!”
Yu Qiu Xiao, furious at her incompetence, glared at her fiercely: “Didn’t I instruct you to be cautious in everything? How did you manage to die so quickly?”
Yu Rong Rong was stunned: “I’m dead? How did I die?”
Yu Qiu Xiao laughed bitterly: “You’re asking me? How would I know how you died?”
Yu Rong Rong awkwardly explained: “I just saw many Day and Night Ghostly Flowers growing near the Ancestral Master. I’d only heard of them but never seen them, so out of curiosity, I wanted to pick one to examine…”
Everyone fell silent. Yu Qiu Xiao almost wanted to give her another hit to scatter her soul completely. “You! How did I end up with such an incredibly foolish descendant? Day and Night Ghostly Flowers—was that something you should touch? Huh?”
The middle-aged man sitting beside him tried to console him: “Palace Master Yu, what’s done is done. Scolding her won’t change anything. Better prepare to send her for reincarnation; in a few years, you can bring her back.”
Yu Rong Rong pleaded: “Maternal Grandfather, please choose a good-looking pregnant body for me. I must be more beautiful than I am now!”
Yu Qiu Xiao berated her: “Useless in success, excessive in failure—shut your mouth!”
With its long history, Gengchen Immortal Mansion has become an enormous power in the immortal world. Inevitably, some important and exceptional disciples would inexplicably perish, leading to the practice of soul inheritance. Originally, the souls of disciples who had made great contributions to the sect were collected after death and, through secret methods, reincarnated into families affiliated with Gengchen Immortal Mansion. Once the child was born, their memories would be awakened, and they would be brought back to Gengchen Immortal Mansion to cultivate.
However, after a long time, by the present day, this soul reincarnation had become a tool for the powerful within Gengchen Immortal Mansion to maintain and expand their families. Palace Masters and Lineage Masters passed down their bloodlines, and relatives, and favored disciples generation after generation, allowing them to possess life once more. Although soul reincarnation could only be used once, this perpetual continuity had turned Gengchen Immortal Mansion’s upper echelons into a pool of stagnant, murky water, increasingly corrupt.
After collecting Yu Rong Rong’s soul, the dozen or so people present continued to gaze at the hundred lamps in the center. Now only ninety-eight remained lit—two had been extinguished in less than a day.
“The first lamp that was extinguished…”
“No need to concern ourselves with that one. The Ancestral Master emerging from seclusion at this crucial moment frightens not only us but also cultivators from other sects. Whatever they attempt will be futile. The Ancestral Master shows no protective instinct toward us, let alone outsiders with ulterior motives. Just watch—demons and monsters haven’t shown their true colors yet,” the elderly man seated in the center chuckled with his eyes closed.