After returning from her mission, Tao Ran received a substantial sum of money. Despite the dubious nature of the company she worked for and its occasional pitfalls, they were surprisingly generous with compensation.
Tao Ran wasted no time and sold her current house. She used the proceeds to purchase a house in a city with a pristine environment, surrounded by natural beauty.
Her best friend witnessed how Tao Ran sold her house and quickly bought a new one like a whirlwind. She couldn't help but ask Tao Ran, "How did you strike it rich?"
This question struck a chord with Tao Ran, and she couldn't provide a straightforward answer. So, she hastily concocted a story, saying, "Oh, it's like this. I happened to buy a lottery ticket on my way home from work one day."
Best friend: "So you won the big prize just like that?"
"Yes." Tao Ran nodded earnestly and looked at her friend, saying, "Otherwise, why do you think I suddenly became rich?"
It did seem there was no other possibility. Seemingly convinced, her friend reached out and touched Tao Ran's hand. This sent shivers down Tao Ran's spine, and she asked, "What are you doing?"
Her friend piously replied, "Absorbing your good luck. I'm going to buy a lottery ticket too."
Tao Ran: "..."
Such a big matter as selling and buying a house couldn't be kept from her elderly parents. Tao Ran told them about it and was immediately severely criticized by her parents. Their reasoning was that since she wasn't short of money, why sell the previous house? The old house had an excellent location, wouldn't it appreciate in value if kept?
At that time, Tao Ran hadn't thought that much at all and didn't realize that for her parents, a house was more reliable than cash in hand. So she could only apologize profusely and offer to repurchase the old house if they wished. This only led to another round of scolding.
The new villa backed onto a large lake, and there was a spacious yard in the front surrounded by lush greenery. The houses were comfortably spaced apart, providing the residents a sense of tranquility. Tao Ran, sitting across from her best friend who had been buying lottery tickets all week in the courtyard, did not dare to speak to her. Mainly because she felt a bit embarrassed for deceiving her friend like this.
Far away from her previous life, Tao Ran had suddenly adopted a hermit-like lifestyle. The environment was nice, and she began transcribing the cultivation methods from the cultivation world and started her own practice.
To put it bluntly, she was indeed making progress in her cultivation, but the pace was agonizingly slow. If she were to return to the cultivation world now, she would probably be one of those cultivators who had practiced for decades without any significant achievements and eventually died of old age.
She sat by the lakeside, ostensibly practicing her cultivation, with a fishing rod in front of her. To an outsider, it would appear as though she was simply fishing.
Emerging from the lake, Xiaomei looked at Tao Ran eagerly and asked, "We've got a new mission. Interested?"
Tao Ran asked, "What kind of mission?"
"You see, our company has a wide range of services, not just sales like your previous job. We have a Dream Fulfillment service, where if someone pays a hefty fee, the company can transport them to the world of their dreams, letting them experience the life of a novel's protagonist."
Tao Ran considered this for a moment and asked, "So, it's like those transmigration novels about Long Aotian?"
"Something like that," Xiaomei confirmed. "This time, one of our systems went offline due to long-term disuse, so the company wants a temporary system to be a companion for two days."
Tao Ran felt this task was acceptable, so she agreed.
Xiaomei said: "The task is very simple, all the benefits go to the protagonist, all the beauties go to the protagonist, that's it."
Tao Ran's lips twitched slightly, but she nodded in agreement.
Xiaomei said: "Ready to go, it's starting."
Ye Tian, a handsome figure exuding an air of dominance, looked at the system that had suddenly appeared before him in astonishment, "Is this... a whale?"
Tao Ran rolled her eyes and playfully swayed her tail, saying, "It's a Kun."
Ye Tian: "..."
Ye Tian sighed, "What happened to my previous system, Pangolin?"
"I heard it was scrapped." Tao Ran said: "I'm your temporary system until your next system arrives."
Ye Tian grumbled, "Honestly, they keep changing systems, and I can't get used to it. What's your name again?"
Tao Ran retorted, "Kun, didn't I say it before?"
Ye Tian choked for a moment, thinking that the pangolin system was called Xiaoyu, the tortoise system was called Huahua, how would I know Kun didn't have another name? For some reason, he felt this system was very different from the others, inexplicably with a domineering aura. As it should be, for such a domineering protagonist like himself, he should have a similarly domineering system.
At that moment, Ye Tian was meditating outside a secret realm with a group of others. They were all waiting for the secret realm to open so they could rush in and seize the treasures within. Ye Tian asked, "Will I be able to get the treasures inside this time?"
"It depends on your speed." Tao Ran's fish fins took out a piece of paper, "I have a map of the secret realm as well as methods to break the formations and restrictions. If you're fast enough, you should still be able to get everything."
Looking at Tao Ran's serious demeanor, Ye Tian's face began to twitch. His previous systems were usually more inclined to guide him indirectly, only revealing information when absolutely necessary. This system was something else altogether, revealing everything right from the start and telling him that he could have it all if he was quick enough.
Very well, he liked it...
At this moment, the entrance to the secret realm was about to open. A man exuding a terrifying pressure and dominance stood up and warned, "This secret realm was created by a former Immortal Emperor from the Immortal World. It's fraught with danger, so those with insufficient strength should think twice before entering. After all, the path of cultivation is not easy, and it's better not to risk one's life recklessly."
Ye Tian was obviously one of those with insufficient strength, but his luck was the best among everyone present.
Ye Tian snorted in discontent and muttered to Tao Ran in his mind, "What's so great about him? When I become powerful, I'll deal with him first."
Tao Ran advised, "Maybe you should focus on cultivating first."
Finally, the entrance to the secret realm opened. The stronger individuals rushed in first. Tao Ran reassured Ye Tian, "No need to hurry. Take your time. We have a map. Let's go to the places with the best treasures first."
Ye Tian's face was complex as he said: "Although it feels quite cool, I still feel something strange is going on."
Once most of the others had entered, Ye Tian nonchalantly walked in. Tao Ran held the map and advised, "Avoid crowded areas. Take the small path on the right. There's a phoenix tree there. The nirvana fruits on it can change people's spiritual roots after eating."
Holy shit, aren’t things that change spiritual roots just legendary things? Ye Tian was thrilled. "How effective are they?"
Tao Ran said: "No matter what your original spiritual root was or how bad your aptitude is, after eating one you'll become one of the people with the top-tier good spiritual roots."
Upon hearing this, Ye Tian's mouth was watering. "Then what are you waiting for? Let's go quickly."
Following Tao Ran's guidance, he avoided everyone along the way and found that exceptionally hidden phoenix tree.
"Wow, there are two fruits on it," Ye Tian rubbed his hands together. "I wonder what happens if I eat both at once."
Tao Ran said: "Phoenix, phoenix, these are a male and female fruit. As a man, you should of course eat the male phoenix fruit."
"Ah!" Ye Tian walked over to pluck the fruits. "I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me."
He picked both fruits and was about to eat them when Tao Ran advised, "Eating them now would require sitting down for cultivation, which would be a waste of time. It's better to collect all the good stuff first and eat it later."
"That makes sense."
Tao Ran instructed, "Go to the left. There's a divine beast there that has been starving for many years. If you feed it something it likes, the divine beast will acknowledge you as its master."
Ye Tian was already trembling with excitement, "Oh my god, this is too awesome..."
He continued to advance, taking advantage of all the good opportunities. While others were struggling to unlock formations and restrictions,Ye Tian had already collected so much that he couldn't use it all.
Three days later, Ye Tian arrived at the central area of the secret realm, and Tao Ran warned, "Be careful; we're about to reach the Immortal Emperor's cave. Inside, you'll find the Immortal Emperor's inheritance, it's the most valuable treasure of this entire secret realm."
Ye Tian's eyes were bloodshot. "No more talking, I'm starting to feel jealous of myself."
As they approached the Immortal Emperor's cave, they witnessed two people engaged in a fierce battle. Ye Tian felt the fluctuations of their powers and commented, "Given the intensity of their fight, these two must be powerful Golden Immortals."
Tao Ran advised, "They're evenly matched, and they'll both be heavily injured. Use the invisibility talisman you just acquired to get close to them without being detected. You can take advantage when they're unable to move due to their injuries."
"Alright," Ye Tian used the invisibility talisman and stealthily approached the two Golden Immortals engaged in battle.
The two Golden Immortals were a man and a woman. The woman wore a simple white linen robe and had a cold demeanor.
"Holy shit, she's stunning," Ye Tian said. "Why is such a beautiful woman dressed like she's in mourning? What should I do if I want to take her into my harem?"
Tao Ran's whale-like eyes widened, because he recognized that female Golden Immortal. She was the female lead Qiang Wei from his first cultivation world experience. If he counted, the time he spent with Qiang Wei on a secluded island was the longest he spent as a mortal. Through the long road of cultivation, he still remembered that day had very nice weather, and his white-haired self was nearing the end of his life when Qiang Wei gave him her last bittersweet kiss.
Meanwhile, Ye Tian rambled on, "Do you think she'll be one of my concubines? She's so gorgeous, maybe later when we go accept the inheritance together, we'll get dosed with an aphrodisiac or something, and then things will happen and she'll become my woman?"
Tao Ran's anger flared, but at that moment, Qiang Wei was struck in the head by her opponent, causing her to spit blood and collapse to the ground. Ye Tian eagerly said, "The opportunity has come..."
Tao Ran pondered for a moment and said: "Go save that female Golden Immortal while she's down."
"Huh? Like this?" Ye Tian completely trusted the system and thought that its advice must be sound. So, he immediately rushed forward. The male Golden Immortal suddenly seemed to sense something, and a golden seal flew from his hand that slammed into Ye Tian, instantly knocking him out.
However, the effect of the invisibility talisman was still in effect, and the male Golden Immortal only knew that he had hit something, but he couldn't see where it was.
To ensure the safety of the host, the system could forcibly take over the host's body when the host was unconscious. The moment Ye Tian fell unconscious, Tao Ran immediately possessed Ye Tian's body. He dashed to Qiang Wei's side, pulling her into his embrace, and the two of them instantly became invisible.
The male Golden Immortal was furious. Behind Tao Ran, a tremendous commotion ensued, frightening him into fleeing.
After reaching a safe place, Tao Ran gently placed her on the ground. She was severely wounded, with nearly half of her internal organs damaged. Tao Ran took out the Nirvana Fruit and was about to feed it to her. However, a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist, and Qing Wei, with her eyes wide open, asked, "Who are you?"
Tao Ran hesitated for a moment, realizing he was currently in Ye Tian's appearance. He replied, "This is the Phoenix Nirvana Fruit. Have you heard of it? Eating it will benefit you."
Qiang Wei, who had already reached Golden Immortal cultivation, was one of the top figures even in the Immortal Realm, so she was naturally familiar with Nirvana Fruits. She glanced at the fruit, determined that it was safe, and asked, "Such a precious phoenix nirvana fruit, and you're just giving it to me?"
Tao Ran replied, "This is the Phoenix Fruit, and honestly, it's of no use to me. So, I'd rather give it to you."
Qiang Wei looked at Tao Ran with a puzzled expression. "What's your motive?"
Tao Ran twitched the corners of his lips and said, "You... meeting you is fate. I don't have any ulterior motives."
Supporting her injured body, Qiang Wei held the Nirvana Fruit in her hand but hesitated to eat it. She intently stared into Tao Ran's eyes with suspicion. Tao Ran felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny and laughed awkwardly, "Why are you looking at me like that? Have you taken a liking to me?"
"Is it you?" Qiang Wei suddenly asked.
Tao Ran: "Huh?"
"Xuan Qing," Qiang Wei grasped Tao Ran's wrist. "Is it you?"
Tao Ran stiffened for a moment, then tried to act casual, "Xuan Qing? Senior, you must be mistaken."
"You're lying," Qiang Wei said. "I know a technique that can sense if the person is lying."
Tao Ran: "..." What a waste of time to cultivate such a technique. No wonder your strength is so lacking that you get beaten like this.
Tao Ran looked at her in silence, then gazed into her eyes and said, "I am not Xuan Qing."
Tao Ran certainly wasn't Xuan Qing, so he wasn't lying. Qiang Wei couldn't sense it, so she was puzzled and said, "Strange, I shouldn't be mistaken."
Tao Ran suggested, "You should eat the Nirvana Fruit. Otherwise, you won't be able to leave the secret realm."
Qiang Wei forced a smile, "My mental state is unstable now. How can I cultivate? I might end up going astray." Saying this, she suddenly added, "Why don't we do dual cultivation? With your help, I won't be in danger of going astray."
Tao Ran's mind brain short circuited. He thought, here we go with your old habit again. You're forcing people to practice dual cultivation again, and this person is Ye Tian now. Can Ye Tian be more handsome than Xuan Qing, huh?!
Tao Ran was on the verge of exploding with anger. He pointed at her nose and scolded, "What's wrong with you? You don't love yourself at all. Can you just casually propose dual cultivation with anyone? Have you forgotten what you said before?? You're so shameless! You… you piss me off!"
Tao Ran unleashed a torrent of scolding, not pausing for breath. Qiang Wei listened quietly, and as she heard more, her eyes welled up with tears. She reached out and hugged Tao Ran. Startled by her action, Tao Ran stiffened, "What are you doing? I won't practice dual cultivation with you."
Qiang Wei said, "You're back. You don't need to deny it anymore. How else would you know what I was like before?"
Tao Ran was stunned. In the end, he stubbornly said, "Anyway, I'm not Xuan Qing."
"You are you. It doesn't matter if you're Xuan Qing or someone else, knowing that it's you is all that matters," Qiang Wei's tears soaked his shoulder. "Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?"
Tao Ran's lips trembled for a moment, and he pushed her away, saying, "You should heal your injuries."
After consuming the Nirvana Fruit, Qiang Wei began healing herself, and Tao Ran sat nearby to protect her. His mind was in turmoil. He couldn't fathom how she recognized him, but after all these years, she hadn't forgotten him. He used to think this place was a virtual world, and people here were virtual too. But seeing Qiang Wei remembering him for so long, the feeling was truly indescribable.
After finishing her cultivation, Qiang Wei opened her eyes to meet Tao Ran's complex gaze. Tao Ran turned his head away. Qiang Wei held onto his hand and leaned closer, "These past years, did you ever think of me?"
Thinking about inhabiting Ye Tian's body made Tao Ran feel repulsed. He pulled his hand away from her and asked, "No. Are you ready to leave the secret realm now?"
Qiang Wei's expression dimmed for a moment and she said, "I will go wherever you go."
Tao Ran thought, as expected. He stood up and said, "Let's go then."
Tao Ran planned to take her to the Immortal Emperor's Cave to help her obtain the inheritance. Along the way, she kept trying to get closer to him, but he would always evade her and push her away.
Finally, they reached the Emperor's Cave, and Qiang Wei said, "There seems to be a powerful barrier here. Let me try with my Golden Immortal cultivation; I might be able to break it."
Tao Ran replied, "Go aside, have you forgotten the pain after wounds heal?"
Following the instructions on the map, Tao Ran effortlessly broke the barrier using a mysterious technique. Qiang Wei asked curiously, "Have you been here before?"
"No," Tao Ran answered. They entered the magnificent hall and saw the remains of the Immortal Emperor.
The Immortal Emperor's remains seemed lifelike as it began to speak, "You two..."
But before he could continue, Tao Ran shattered an incense burner in the hall with a single punch. The Immortal Emperor's words abruptly ceased, and his remains rapidly withered away. Tao Ran waved to Qiang Wei, "Go and receive the inheritance."
Qiang Wei: "......"
How rude, at least let the person finish speaking......
Qiang Wei said, "I've already reached the level of Golden Immortal. You probably need this inheritance more."
Rolling his eyes, Tao Ran looked at her with disdain. "Do you really think I need this inheritance?"
Qiang Wei recalled how Tao Ran casually gave away Nirvana Fruit to her and how he seemed to stroll into the Emperor's Cave as if it were his own home. What to do? Even though his cultivation is so low now, he is becoming more and more mysterious and unfathomable.
In the mortal world before, Xuan Qing's cultivation was profound but it was still possible to speculate. Now, Tao Ran appears to know everything. Who is he, really?
Seeing her lost in thought, Tao Ran urged, "Hurry up; it won't be good if someone comes."
She had no time to think more, and went to accept the inheritance.
If Tao Ran claimed he wasn't excited to see her or didn't want to do intimate activities with her, that would be impossible. However, his current body belonged to Ye Tian, and he didn't want Ye Tian to take advantage from this situation, so he remained conflicted.
Unfortunately, he didn't have Xiaomei with him now, otherwise he could also ask Xiaomei if there was any way ah.
Qiang Wei focused on accepting the inheritance, while Tao Ran sat there, sighing in deep sorrow. It's too unfair, why can't the system have a physical form?
Tao Ran took out the map, which displayed the movements of everyone within the secret realm. More people were heading in their direction towards the cave. After Qiang Wei completed her inheritance, they needed to leave quickly. In fact, Ye Tian could have woken up long ago, but Tao Ran had been suppressing him. He would have to make Ye Tian believe that he had been unconscious for many days, and still needed to think of an excuse as to why the inheritance had been stolen along with the Nirvana Fruit.
Ten days later, more and more people were coming here, and finally Qiang Wei completed the inheritance. With the loss of the Immortal Emperor's inheritance, the entire secret realm lost its support, and began to crumble.
Everywhere, it was filled with cracks and ruins. A powerful figure looked towards the direction of the cave mansion in the distance, saying: "The inheritance has been taken. Let's leave quickly; don't be buried alongside this dying secret realm."
When Qiang Wei opened her eyes, her whole bearing was completely different than before. Tao Ran said, "Let's go quickly; we can't stay here anymore."
Qiang Wei sensed the situation and understood it. She grabbed Tao Ran's hand and instantly disappeared with him from where they were, and reappeared outside the secret realm.
Qiang Wei held his hand and said, "Come with me this time, we will never separate again, okay?"
Tao Ran pushed her hand away and shook his head, "I have to leave now."
"Leaving?" Qiang Wei asked, "Where are you going?"
Tao Ran showed a bitter smile and said, "I'm not Xuan Qing; you must have mistaken me."
Qiang Wei panicked and reached out towards him. Tao Ran detached himself from Ye Tian's body, transforming into an invisible little whale and was looking at Qiang Wei. Ye Tian's eyes flickered with confusion, and he woke up, asking, "Huh? Where am I?"
Qiang Wei's outstretched hand paused, and when Ye Tian saw her, he was surprised and said, "Aren't you the mourning beauty?"
Qiang Wei's expression changed subtly, as if understanding something.
Calling a Golden Immortal a "beauty", Ye Tian came to his senses and almost scared himself to death. He laughed awkwardly, "Uh, that senior... How did I end up here?"
Qiang Wei stared at Ye Tian as if trying to bore a hole through him. He really left, just like that....
Watching Qiang Wei stare at him in bewilderment, then leave just as inexplicably, Ye Tian scratched his head and asked, "Kun, what exactly happened after I passed out?"
Tao Ran replied, "That female Golden Immortal took your Nirvana Fruit to heal herself and then saved you and took you out."
"F**k, my Nirvana Fruit!" Ye Tian exclaimed in shock. He opened his storage bag and sighed in relief, saying, "Fortunately, she only took one Nirvana Fruit in exchange for saving my life. It's still a good deal."
At this point, Tao Ran was reminded that Ye Tian's system, the pangolin, had been repaired. Tao Ran could finally clock out and go home.
Tao Ran was too lazy to deal with Ye Tian and left without saying a word. Ye Tian looked at the familiar pangolin system, and deeply missed Tao Ran. He thought it was better to stick with Kun; this pangolin system was always hiding things.
The pangolin system said, "I can hear you."
Tao Ran returned to reality. She was still sitting by the lake, fishing.
Xiaomei said, "Your salary has been deposited into your account."
Just as she was about to leave, Tao Ran stopped her and asked, "Is it possible for me to permanently stay in a...uh, one of the worlds where I used to do missions?"
Xiaomei blinked and replied, "It's possible, but unofficial employees don't have that privilege."
Tao Ran excitedly grabbed Xiaomei's paws, "Then how can I become an official employee?"
Xiaomei chuckled, "Why are you so excited? If you want to become official, just work hard."
One hundred years had passed, and during that time, the standout figure in the Immortal Realm was none other than Ye Tian. He spent one hundred years cultivating himself from an insignificant lower immortal to a powerful Golden Immortal who shook the Immortal Realm.
Qiang Wei also silently observed him for a hundred years, and finally, she gave up because Ye Tian had never become the person she held in her heart.
Qiang Wei returned to her wooden house in silence. After all, living alone with a heart as lifeless as ashes wasn't so bad. She had survived for so many years like this; so why couldn't she continue down this path?
As she returned, she suddenly discovered a stranger in her cave. The man, the moment he suddenly appeared out of thin air, reached down to touch himself and yelled with excitement, "I'm a man again! I'm finally a man again!"
Qiang Wei pushed the door open, and when the man turned to see her, he revealed a smile that was all too familiar to her, "Um... Do you recognize me? I'm back, and I'll never leave you again."
Qiang Wei silently looked at him, thinking to herself, not only do I recognize you, but I also seem to have discovered an incredible secret.
Translator's Note:
This concludes the translation of the novel. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the patrons and supporters who have made this translation possible. I hope you enjoyed this novel as much as I did translating it. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for reading!
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