Song Wanníng stood on the deck, her crimson robes blazing like the sun. The hem of her gown swirled in the wind, silken strands of hair caressed by a gentle breeze. Her breathtaking face, bathed in golden light, seemed touched by divinity, yet carried a hint of dangerous allure.
Below, many people stared in a daze, eyes filled with awe.
"Why is it this woman again, stealing my spotlight?!"
Jiang Cen's expression twisted for an instant.
There were several important male leads among those gathered, and she had dressed meticulously to charm them. She had already suppressed Zhang Shuning, only for Song Wanníng to walk in and steal every bit of attention.
"This woman really is here to ruin me! These men are mine and mine alone! No one is taking them from me!"
From the moment Jiang Cen had entered this story, she had sworn to craft a harem battlefield where she was the unrivaled darling. Even if she didn't want a man, she would never allow him to like someone else.
A grating voice rang out again, shattering Song Wanníng's good mood in an instant. She swept Jiang Cen a cold glance, when suddenly, another voice—one she recognized—echoed in her mind.
"System, it's Song Wanníng!!"
Xiao Heyun.
Song Wanníng's gaze instantly searched the crowd below, scanning each disciple in turn.
"Host, this woman has advanced! The alchemy inheritance must still be with her!"
This time, the voice was unfamiliar.
Her expression shifted. Was Xiao Heyun speaking to someone else?
Could it be a fragment of soul attached to his Primordial Soul?
Her eyes darted rapidly through the crowd until they locked on a plain-looking cultivator.
So Xiao Heyun had taken over this man's identity to slip in unnoticed.
A clever trick.
She narrowed her eyes. Both intruders had arrived—this meant the treasures hidden in the Lingxi Secret Realm were no ordinary prize.
The disciples of Guhan Sect soon began disembarking from the spirit vessel.
Xiao Heyun's gaze never left Song Wanníng. It had been a long time, and she had only grown more beautiful.
Judging from the scene, her standing within her sect was anything but low. But when his eyes shifted to the man leading the group—Liu Xingzhi—his expression darkened.
"It's that Liu Xingzhi again. Last time, because of him, my junior sister's favorability toward me dropped to 80! I was this close to winning her over and claiming my reward, but it all went to waste!"
Xiao Heyun silently ground his teeth, hating Liu Xingzhi to the bone.
"System, you must help me find the treasures inside the secret realm. Once I get them, I'll win back my junior sister's favor… and then I'll take Song Wanníng into my harem as well!
This is my best chance. That woman is too beautiful—whether she's a target or not, I must have her!"
"Rest assured, Host, this time our intel is solid. Last time was only an accident."
The mental chatter faded. Song Wanníng stood quietly among the crowd, her mind already working.
Favorability? Target?
Was this the "target" she thought it was?
She lowered her gaze, lips curling coldly. Take her into his harem?
That would depend on whether she agreed.
Her thoughts sharpened. She sent a message talisman to Xie Qinglan, then began praising Liu Xingzhi in front of her, painting him as unmatched in heaven and earth.
Moments later, a voice chimed.
Target Xie Qinglan's favorability -2. Current favorability: 78. Host must hurry and advance the strategy. If favorability drops below 60, you will be penalized!
Xiao Heyun: "…"
He hadn't done a thing. Why had it dropped again?
His expression twisted, eyes blazing with frustration.
"What's going on? Why did it drop again??"
"Host, I… don't know…"
Both man and system were baffled. At this distance, with nothing happening, how could her favorability still go down?
"Damn it, this is cursed!
She was supposed to be the easiest to win over. What's happening?
If this continues, I'll have to start working on the others first…"
The more Xiao Heyun thought about it, the more dissatisfied he became with Xie Qinglan. She was supposed to be the most obedient, the one he'd planned to make his main wife.
Hearing this, Song Wanníng's lips curved slightly, her suspicions confirmed. So Xiao Heyun had to win over certain women in order to earn system rewards.
She had never heard of this "system," but it was clearly something extraordinary—something capable of giving an intruder great opportunities. Her gaze flickered between Xiao Heyun and Jiang Cen.
If she could maneuver these two intruders into clashing, which side would the Heavenly Dao of Mùsù star system favor?
Just imagining it was amusing enough.
…
A few Mahayana seniors exchanged polite greetings before turning their attention back to guarding their disciples, awaiting the opening of the secret realm.
The cultivators stood in small clusters, eyeing one another warily. Once inside the secret realm, they would become enemies.
Song Wanníng paid extra attention to a few men because Jiang Cen was silently cursing them.
From her thoughts, these men were "deeply devoted male leads" who would fall hopelessly for Zhang Shuning during this secret realm expedition.
But Jiang Cen intended to steal them away.
Song Wanníng: "…"
Sometimes, hearing other people's thoughts was nothing but a headache.
But soon, someone else caught her notice.
It was Yun Yunzhu, daughter of the Piao Miao Sect's Supreme Elder, and an admirer of Liu Xingzhi.
In Jiang Cen's words, she was a "vicious female supporting role"—and also one of Xiao Heyun's targets.
So someone had unknowingly linked both intruders together.
Song Wanníng's expression shifted slightly. Their goals were surprisingly aligned: both aimed to sever any possibility between Yun Yunzhu and Liu Xingzhi.
This was getting more interesting.
Guhan Sect, Piao Miao Sect, Yunshang Sect, Taigu Sect, and Canglan Sect were known as the five great sects of the Southern Region.
As the Grand Elder's daughter, Yun Yunzhu's standing matched Jiang Cen's.
But both women were "vicious female supporting roles" with equally tragic fates—downfall orchestrated, it seemed, by Liu Xingzhi himself.
…
Suddenly, threads of golden light fell from the heavens, drawing every gaze upward.
Everyone straightened, looking toward the sky.
The clouds above began to disperse, revealing the faint image of a heavenly palace.
Like a mirage, it shimmered beyond reach.
A sudden beam of light descended from the palace, striking the air.
In an instant, a luminous gateway formed, glowing with mystery.
The entrance to the Lingxi Secret Realm.
"The secret realm has appeared!"
"Don't rush, enter one at a time!"
A Piao Miao Sect Unity elder reminded the crowd, but excitement was already rippling through them.
One cultivator surged forward, vanishing into the gateway.
The rest quickly followed, each eager but careful not to cause a crush, slipping through the gaps one by one.
Song Wanníng stayed toward the back, moving casually until she drew close to Xiao Heyun.