Mu Wanyin had always believed that transmigrating into a book was a skilled profession.
Others who transmigrated got to engage in all sorts of palace intrigues or power struggles; at the very least, they could go save a blackened villain or try to win over an aloof master.
Why did she have to transmigrate into a cannon-fodder female supporting character in a male-oriented power fantasy novel? And not even a harem member, but the kind of stepping-stone cannon fodder for the male protagonist.
"Have you heard? The Myriad Swords Sect from next door is attacking!"
"Attacking? They've slapped a challenge letter right on the main gate of our Supreme Dao Palace! They're explicitly challenging our Divine Maiden!"
At the foot of Supreme Dao Palace's mountain, in a noisy, crowded tea house, a few outer sect disciples in Daoist robes huddled around a table, their expressions a mix of excitement and worry.
"Speaking of which, the most mysterious figure in our Supreme Dao Palace has to be this Divine Maiden."
One tall, skinny disciple waggled his eyebrows. "You said it! I've been here for three years and still haven't caught a glimpse of the Divine Maiden's face. Not even from afar!"
"The more she's hidden away, the more it makes you wonder. She must be a peerless beauty."
"Pfft, how shallow!"
A square-faced senior brother next to them thumped his teacup on the table, his face full of disdain. "I've been a disciple for eight years, and I haven't seen her either."
"But what's the point of just obsessing over her face? Haven't you heard the explosive rumor going around lately?"
Everyone leaned in. "What rumor?"
The square-faced senior brother glanced around and lowered his voice. "Everyone's saying now that our Divine Maiden... is actually a 'connection hire'! She doesn't have any earth-shattering cultivation at all; it's all just social connections!"
"Ah? That can't be true, can it?"
"How can it not be! They say when the Patriarch brought her back years ago, he boasted to high heaven, calling her 'peerless through the ages,' a 'favorite of the Heavenly Dao.'"
"And then what? The Divine Maiden's palace has been sealed for years."
"I even heard a little rumor that her so-called 'Flower Spirit Root' is complete nonsense. What kind of Flower Spirit Root exists in the cultivation world? It's clearly a useless constitution the Patriarch made up to save face!"
So much for telling it like it is!
Do I not have any dignity left?
In the private booth next door, Mu Wanyin clutched a teacup and silently complained to herself.
She had opened her eyes less than five minutes earlier and hadn't yet had time to figure out why she was sitting in this old-fashioned teahouse when the gossip from the next table slapped her in the face.
Good news: She had transmigrated into a book.
And her status was noble—the Divine Maiden of the Supreme Dao Palace, a top-tier power in the Eastern Azure Domain, living in a forbidden area, enjoying special privileges.
Bad news: The original owner was just a decorative vase.
And not just any vase, but a limited-edition vase forcibly elevated to divine status by the now-deceased Patriarch.
The Supreme Dao Palace had two prominent young women.
The Holy Maiden was selected by the sect, a genuine powerhouse who fought her way up, the sect's martial pillar.
The Divine Maiden was personally chosen by the Patriarch, a parachuted-in appointee, suspected to be a mere mascot.
Mu Wanyin shook her head uncomfortably, memories flooding back.
It turned out that years ago, the Patriarch of Supreme Dao Palace was nearing his end, and the younger generation of the sect was in a weak state.
Not wanting the sect to be looked down upon after his death, he forcibly went to the mortal world and brought back the original owner.
Facing the entire sect, with tears in his eyes, he boasted:
This girl bears great karma; her background is shrouded in mystery. Moreover, she possesses a top-grade Wood Heavenly Spirit Root with 100% affinity! She has even awakened a Flower Spirit Root — a mutated one, unparalleled through the ages!
"With this girl, the Dao Palace shall prosper for an era!"
The entire sect believed him.
After all, the Patriarch had built his reputation on divination, and he was about to kick the bucket—a dying man's words are to be trusted.
And so, the original owner was enshrined.
The Patriarch died peacefully.
Abandoned by her original owner, this "peerless genius," with only Qi Refining-stage cultivation, shivered in the Divine Maiden's palace for years, relying on a veil left by the Patriarch that could conceal her cultivation level.
This time, the Myriad Swords Sect came knocking, explicitly challenging the "Number One Genius of Supreme Dao Palace."
The original owner panicked. Under cover of night, she sneaked down the mountain, wanting to gather some information in the tea house to see if she could find a chance to run away.
And then... run away?
Mu Wanyin gave a bitter smile and pulled out a mirror from her robe—the original owner's only "weapon."
Other cultivators carried swords, sabers, or banners.
The original owner carried a mirror.
The reason was simple: this thing could reflect her beauty. If she were caught at a critical moment, she could also take one last look at her appearance in death.
Mu Wanyin looked into the mirror.
The person in the mirror had eyes like autumn water and an aloof, desolate demeanor, truly possessing the gentle, enchanting face of a beauty.
Presumably, there was a reason the Supreme Dao Palace Patriarch picked the original owner from among the mortals.
This appearance really fits the title "Divine Maiden."
Tsk, as expected, this world is just one giant beauty contest.
Mu Wanyin smiled, then felt like crying. "Be that as it may, this face can really hold its own."
"Too bad this is the cultivation world. A pretty face can't fill your stomach, nor can it act as a shield against the Myriad Swords Sect's sword energy."
Others transmigrate with systems, or a grandpa in a ring.
She transmigrated with a giant black pot to carry.
The big pie the Patriarch drew now had to be filled by her.
How to fill it?
With her head?!
Thinking this, the little girl inside her quietly shattered.
That so-called "Flower Spirit Root"—she combed through her memories—aside from making flowers around her bloom a bit more brightly, had no offensive power whatsoever.
It couldn't even loosen soil for flowers properly.
Should she... honor the original owner's final wish and just run?
This was Mu Wanyin's only thought now.
Those maniacs from the Myriad Swords Sect were all sword cultivators, notoriously single-minded. If she went up on stage for a duel, one sword strike and this merely ornamental Divine Maiden would probably shatter into pieces.
Taking a step back, even if her luck were heaven-defying and she somehow managed to get through the Myriad Swords Sect's provocation...
The dead Patriarch said she had an overwhelmingly powerful background. How was she supposed to fill that hole?
Just as she was about to get up, pay the bill, and take advantage of the chaos to sneak out of the Eastern Domain, the jade token at her waist that signified her identity suddenly started vibrating wildly.
Buzz buzz buzz—
Mu Wanyin fumbled to press down on the jade token.
The next second, a chill female voice instantly pierced her mind, making her head buzz.
"Divine Maiden Mu, the Myriad Swords Sect is being utterly unreasonable. They have come to our mountain gate to issue their challenge. The Palace Master is still in seclusion. The Dao Palace is currently in a state of panic. We request Your Highness to return swiftly to the forbidden area to take charge of the situation."
The voice paused, then added, "I have already led the elders to confront them. Divine Maiden, do not be afraid. The Supreme Dao Palace will never abandon you."
Do not be afraid?
The external threat hasn't even been dealt with, and now internal pressure is crushing us!
After hearing this, Mu Wanyin collapsed onto the tea table, wanting to cry but with no tears to shed.
She fiddled with the smooth teacup, thinking how nice it would be if this cup could crack open a seam for her to crawl into.
[Ding!]
Just as Mu Wanyin was contemplating whether to bury herself in the dirt behind the tea house and play dead, a crisp "Ding!" suddenly echoed from the depths of her mind.
[With a sky-shattering boom, your humble servant makes a dazzling entrance!]
[Ding, the Myriad Heavens Gacha System is at your service!]
Mu Wanyin was stunned.
Before she could even finish being excited, the system's rapid-fire notifications sounded again.
[Detecting the host's current situation is akin to a hellish starting difficulty. Specially issuing the Newbie Supreme Grand Gift Pack!]
[Congratulations on obtaining: "Always One Major Realm Higher Than The Enemy" Family Dharma Idol Experience Card x1!]
[Congratulations on obtaining: Special Gacha Pool Three-Pull!]
[Congratulations on obtaining: Intermediate Gacha Pool Ten-Pull!]
The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, but as a seasoned bookworm, she quickly grasped the key points.
A Family's Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation trial card?
"System, what does 'always one realm higher than the enemy' mean?" Mu Wanyin asked urgently in her mind. "What are the specific criteria for judgment?"
The system promptly replied: [Ding! Given that the system's gacha pool drop rates are purely a matter of luck, this trial card is awarded to ensure the host is not bullied by some random passerby in the early stages.]
[Once activated, this card will summon a Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation, lasting for half an hour.]
[The cultivation realm of this Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation will automatically be one major realm higher than "the strongest enemy the host is currently facing"!]
