Little Wei quite liked Little Nailuo, mainly because she was sweet-talking—though it would be even better if she didn’t keep calling her "big sister."
"I’m going to sleep first."
Little Wei wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but this mission seemed to have exhausted her more than usual. Yet, when she thought about it, nothing particularly strenuous had happened.
Meanwhile, Si finally figured out the identity of that host—Su Ya.
Her hideout had been blown up, and after barely managing to board a spaceship with her system, she was dumped on a remote planet—the kind even dogs wouldn’t visit—because the ship was just a garbage hauler.
Now, her soul was dissipating, so transparent it was like a sheet of paper. She probably only had three or four days left.
Si turned off the surveillance feed and stopped paying attention to that planet.
"By the way, how do you tell who the male and female leads are?" Little Wei couldn’t help but ask.
She genuinely hadn’t expected the protagonists of this world to be Zhang Yunxiao and Zhong Ruyue. Mostly because the surname "Zhang" didn’t sound cool or impressive at all. Compared to other male lead names, this one was seriously lacking.
"Well, you can usually guess based on their background or circumstances. Also, protagonists tend to have brainless antagonists around them, so that’s another clue. If you can figure out who they are, it might help boost your ranking faster," Little Nailuo replied with a grin.
"Oh, right—Si, your illness… it’s not serious, is it?" Little Wei wasn’t quite ready to attend her own system’s funeral yet.
Si was genuinely surprised that Little Wei cared about her condition. After a brief pause, she chuckled lightly.
"It’s not serious."
"Then I’m going to sleep."
The moment Little Wei finished speaking, she collapsed onto the bed and "passed away."
Little Nailuo glanced at her sleeping sister before rushing over to Si.
"Si, where’s the child?" Little Nailuo asked curiously.
"The company’s people are taking care of her. They’re modifying her physique and whatnot—after all, she came from a novel world," Si replied casually.
Little Nailuo’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.
"Does that mean we’ll get to see Little Wei babysitting in the future?"
Si: "..."
"That’s unlikely for now. By the way, the next world the company picked isn’t great. I need you to do something for me." Si glanced at the top shelf of the bookcase, where a golden-glowing book rested.
If possible, she really didn’t want Little Wei to go there.
Because the world that novel was based on originated from her and Gu Wei’s homeland—the Canglan Realm.
Even though thousands of years had passed there, Si was still worried that certain information might have survived—like, say, portraits of her.
After all, in the world of cultivation, artifacts from tens of thousands of years ago could still appear perfectly intact.
She needed Little Nailuo to remove anything like that before Little Wei saw it.
"Got it," Little Nailuo nodded quickly.
——
The Canglan Realm.
The Canglan Realm was home to countless cultivators. Over tens of thousands of years, these cultivators had formed countless sects, clans, and academies.
Sects stood above empires and academies. Most academies were established by inner disciples of sects, with the most talented sent to the sects while the less gifted remained to study basic cultivation techniques.
Among the sects, the Qingdao Sect reigned supreme. Founded by the Divine Lord of the Canglan Realm, countless cultivators considered joining it the highest honor.
Yet, this very sect had been infiltrated and annihilated by a demonic disciple. The ruins were drenched in the blood of its members and elders, staining the streams at the foot of the mountain red.
Even the sect master, the Supreme Purity Taoist, had his soul devoured by demons, leaving no chance for reincarnation.
Little Wei abruptly opened her eyes.
This host’s wish was surprisingly simple: ensure the survival of the entire sect.
Huh.
After all those revenge plots, now the wish is this straightforward?
Still, her identity this time wasn’t bad—Gu Tianyi, the master of Zhong Lingfeng, at the Nascent Soul stage.
She didn’t understand why even her name had changed, but she could accept it. However…
Who the hell could explain why her Nascent Soul-stage self was so short, looking like a teenager of fifteen or sixteen?
This was just tragic.
Annoyed, Little Wei turned the mirror away. For some reason, the original host’s consciousness was unusually active when she took over the body—almost as if it was delighted.
Little Wei couldn’t make sense of it.
"Master Zhongling, the sect master has summoned you." Before Little Wei could figure out what to do next, a girl in gray robes entered.
This girl was far more delicate than modern people, with a dewy freshness that made her seem like she’d melt if poked.
Well, cultivation worlds had no ugly women.
Little Wei could accept that.
"What does he want?" Little Wei asked, stroking her chin.
She wasn’t sure which point in the original host’s memories this was.
"The sect master wishes for you to select a disciple. The top three from the competition are already waiting."
Hearing "top three," Little Wei perked up.
Right, this was where the problem started. To cause trouble, one naturally had to infiltrate the cultivation world from within.
"Let’s go take a look." Little Wei narrowed her eyes.
Another classic "three suspects" scenario, just like in detective stories.
But if none of the other masters had noticed, the demonic cultivator must have had some method to conceal their identity.
As soon as she stepped outside, Little Wei instinctively tried to summon a flying device with her spiritual energy—only for a sword to materialize beneath her feet instead.
It nearly gave her a heart attack.
Luckily, the difference wasn’t too drastic. The sword was just slightly wider than that garbage flying device.
"Master?" the girl beside her called.
"Ah, right, let’s go." Little Wei recalled the original host’s hand seals, forming the necessary gestures before soaring into the sky.
At least it wasn’t the "flower-hand dance." Little Wei felt a little relieved.
Following the original host’s memories, she arrived at the main hall. Several peak lords were already seated, smiling when they saw her.
"Tianyi, we’ve saved some disciples for you. Take a look."
Hearing this, Little Wei’s chest swelled with warmth. The sect had truly treated the original host well. Her parents had died years ago, and while she inherited their cultivation legacy, her foundation was shaky.
Despite being at the Nascent Soul stage, she couldn’t hold her own against opponents of the same level.
The sect had always protected her—no wonder the original host wanted to protect them in return. Though it was odd how many people here shared the surname "Gu."
"Sure." Little Wei floated over and took the silver seat beside the sect master.
The sect master was a gentle-looking man in his thirties, exuding a refined, scholarly aura that made him pleasant to be around.
"That one, Cheng Yuguang, has a thunder spirit root and a celestial physique. His talent is exceptional," the sect master whispered.
"What about the one in the middle?" Little Wei asked.
The middle one was a boy, about eleven or twelve, thin and frail.
"That’s Ye Mingtian. His aptitude isn’t bad, but he has a dual spirit root," the sect master replied, frowning slightly.