Grand Hall, Azure Sky Sect:
Silence hung thick as the mountain fog outside. Sect Master, Peak Lords, and core disciples stared at the obsidian scrying mirror, replaying Gu Qingxi's bafflingly effortless trial completion.
"Is the Heart-Seeking Illusion malfunctioning?" Lord of the Beast-Taming Peak blurted.
"Feel free to test it yourself." A cool voice cut through—Master Mu of Violet Bamboo Peak. His gaze lingered on Gu Qingxi's image. Clear eyes. Steady spirit. The illusion favored her. Good character.
"I—I merely speculated!" Beast-Taming Lord flushed. No one willingly entered the Heart-Seeking Illusion. Crafted by the sect's founder millennia ago, it possessed its own sentience—and a penchant for exposing embarrassing desires. (He cherished visions of wine cellars... best kept private.)
Heart-Seeking Illusion:
Amplified deepest desires
Tested moral fiber
Never cheated... until today.
"The artifact favors Gu Qingxi," Sect Master finally declared. "There is a reason."
"An innocent heart?" Misty Cloud Peak Lord suggested, then shook his head. That fit Xu Baozhu—rewarded with snacks and ease. But Gu Qingxi? Empress. Instant VIP passage. Why?
Only the Sect Master knew the secret:
The Illusion adored those with profound cosmic merit.
But what could a sixteen-year-old girl have done? Save the world? He almost laughed.
Unbeknownst to him:
In a dead reality, the Gu family had saved humanity.
Gu Qingxi's sacrifice protected scientists who perfected the final vaccine.
Her merit wasn't just profound—it was multiversal.
Trial Grounds - Second Stage:
"Climb this peak in seven days," the proctor instructed. "No qi. No artifacts. Or fail."
The mountain loomed—sheer cliffs, slick moss, treacherous fog.
"Seven days?!" Xu Baozhu gasped. "What about FOOD?!"
"Forage." The proctor vanished.
Survival training, Gu Qingxi realized. Preparing for qi-dead zones.
"Don't worry!" Baozhu beamed, already gathering edible berries. She knotted her skirt into a makeshift hammock for foraged goods. "I know wilderness snacks! Stick with me!"
Gu Qingxi smiled, warmed by Baozhu's "I'll feed you!" determination. Then reality hit:
Her borrowed body was weak.
Malnourished by past abuse, unaccustomed to labor.
Ten minutes of climbing left her gasping like a landed fish.
"Wheezed like a leaky bellows, didn't you?" The Patriarch cackled. "The mighty talisman terror... defeated by a HILL!"
"Mock me," Gu Qingxi hissed between breaths, "and you dig up your own treasures."
Gak.
His laughter died mid-gloat.
This insolent brat! he fumed silently. Once I reclaim a body... Once!...
His mental rant faded into a pathetic whimper. A lion bullied by rabbits. How humiliating.