Chapter 1:

Today is the disciple recruitment assembly of the Tai Xuan Sect.

Xue Ying stood in the grand hall, idly counting the pearls on the drapes.

This was the main hall of the Tai Xuan Sect—the Liangyi Hall.

As the face of the sect, Liangyi Hall was extravagantly decorated. Rows of palace pillars lined both sides, adorned with mermaid silk, while wide slabs of green jade paved the floor, stretching all the way to the end.

At the front of the hall sat several elders, smiling warmly at the newcomers below, their gazes as affectionate as doting parents.

A little farther away, a disciple in green robes held a register, calling out names one by one. Each time he announced a name, a new recruit would step forward and be led away.

But this had little to do with Xue Ying. The roll call nearly lulled her to sleep—it felt like a tedious meeting where one pretends to listen while their mind wanders.

“Liu Junzhuo…” The green-robed disciple paused at this name before continuing, “Born with Sword Bones.”

Instantly, countless eyes turned toward Xue Ying—or more accurately, toward the person standing before her: her master, Yuhengzi.

The Tai Xuan Sect was one of the top sects in the cultivation world, renowned for producing sword cultivators—or rather, battle maniacs. In terms of cultural heritage, Daoist traditions, or spiritual veins, the Tai Xuan Sect ranked near the bottom. But when it came to fighting?

No one dared to provoke the Tai Xuan Sect.

And Xue Ying’s master? He was a Sword Immortal.

When a group of freaks gathered together, standing out became exceptionally difficult. Yet Xue Ying’s master had done just that—he had risen above the rest, becoming the ultimate freak.

Naturally, someone so formidable had high standards for disciples. Over the years, Yuhengzi had only taken Xue Ying as his disciple—solely because she was born with Sword Bones.

And now, another one had appeared.

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Yuhengzi finally reacted—by passing the buck to Xue Ying. “Do you want a junior brother?”

His tone was eerily reminiscent of parents cautiously asking their child if they wanted a younger sibling after the two-child policy was relaxed.

Xue Ying absolutely did not want one.

Who was Liu Junzhuo? The male lead of *The Great Dao*—a gloomy, possessive, and abusive man, Xue Ying’s destined love.

Just thinking about *The Great Dao* filled Xue Ying with rage.

*The Great Dao* was a dog-blooded novel disguised as a xianxia story. The female lead, Xue Ying, was sweet and delicate, a disciple of the Sword Immortal Yuhengzi. She mastered superb sword techniques, was stunningly beautiful, and had incredible luck—every outing resulted in stumbling upon rare treasures or befriending powerful figures.

Perfect in every way—except for her brain and eyes.

The story started normally enough. The female lead gained a junior brother, and she was naturally curious about him.

Yuhengzi was the type to take in disciples but not raise them, merely tossing them manuals and sword techniques before leaving on business for six or seven years. The one who truly taught Liu Junzhuo was Xue Ying.

Both under Yuhengzi’s tutelage and both born with Sword Bones, the two quickly grew close. Though Liu Junzhuo started late, his talent allowed him to catch up swiftly. They lived together, trained together, and as young man and woman, feelings inevitably blossomed.

Up to this point, it was a sweet romance. Then the story took a sharp turn into the bizarre.

During a mission outside the sect, Xue Ying met the Demon Lord Shen Jin. As a righteous cultivator, she saw no issue befriending the leader of the demonic path—even inviting him to join her party on an adventure.

But disaster struck. Xue Ying and Shen Jin fell into the Endless Sea and never resurfaced.

The Endless Sea drained a cultivator’s spiritual energy, vitality, and life—earning its nickname, the Bone Burial Ground. Once you entered, you never left.

Losing Xue Ying drove Liu Junzhuo to despair, twisting his personality into something dark and brooding. He entangled himself with several female side characters, uttering the classic line:

“You resemble her most when you don’t smile.”

Why not say she resembles her most when crying?

As the protagonist, Xue Ying naturally didn’t die. Five years later, she returned from the Endless Sea—but with no memories.

Already naive, she was now outright foolish—the epitome of a dumb, sweet girl.

Having drunk Shen Jin’s demon blood in the Endless Sea, Liu Junzhuo mistook her for a demonic seductress upon their reunion.

He didn’t kill her. Instead, he imprisoned her and… well, the scenes that followed were quite explicit.

Over time, Xue Ying fell in love with Liu Junzhuo and even became pregnant with his child. Just as she was reluctantly settling into this twisted life, Shen Jin arrived, rescued her, and confessed his love. Upon learning of her pregnancy, he declared he didn’t mind and was willing to raise the child as his own.

They even held a grand wedding. But on the day of the ceremony, Liu Junzhuo led a righteous alliance to attack the demonic path. Xue Ying was captured, and upon discovering her pregnancy, the blackened Liu Junzhuo stabbed her in the stomach.

Losing the child restored Xue Ying’s memories, and she vowed revenge.

At this point, the story was only halfway done. After the female lead regained her memories, the male lead lost his. Then every male side character fell in love with her while the female side characters seethed with jealousy. Misunderstandings and melodrama ensued.

The two leads also had a Conan-like effect—anyone who helped or opposed them ended up dead, all in the name of “advancing the romance.”

Truly, the road to true love was paved with corpses.

The most infuriating part was the author’s final twist: Xue Ying had an epiphany, broke up with Liu Junzhuo, and married a forgettable side character.

The justification? “Escaping an abusive relationship.”

And she even achieved enlightenment.

Was this enlightenment awarded by the God of Dog Blood or the Women’s Federation?

Back then, Xue Ying had sought out the novel out of curiosity and stayed up all night reading it.

At dawn, sleep-deprived, she left a scathing review:

“What kind of trash is this? Just randomly mashing keys on a keyboard—if you can’t write, don’t. Throw some rice on the keyboard, and even a chicken could do better. Who do you think you are, daring to charge for this? Even a grade-schooler writes better. Crawl back into the womb and rewire your brain. Quit writing—no, quit the entire industry.”

She didn’t think she was wrong. Wrongdoers deserved punishment—otherwise, what were the police for?

But when she transmigrated into *The Great Dao*…

*Dad, I’m sorry, I was wrong! Waaah, Dad, I don’t want to be here! I want to go home!*

*I’ll be the author’s loyal fan forever, showering them with praise!*

*Author, you’re amazing! Your hands must have been kissed by gods! I love you!*

*So please…*

*Let me go back.*

Going back was impossible—now and forever. Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. After mourning the loss of modern conveniences, Xue Ying quickly immersed herself in the xianxia life—wearing the prettiest clothes, wielding the coolest swords, and flirting with the most beautiful people.

The Tai Xuan Sect was filled with beauties—men and women, from handsome uncles to pretty boys, all available for the picking.

The most beautiful belonged only to the strongest.

Perhaps Xue Ying’s life was too good. On her eighteenth birthday, Heaven sent her a coming-of-age gift—to remind her of its special favor for this transmigrator.

Xue Ying: *Pah!*

And now…

Her life was following the original Xue Ying’s path exactly.

Born with Sword Bones, apprenticed to Yuhengzi from childhood, the most beautiful in the Tai Xuan Sect—and now Liu Junzhuo had appeared…

She had no desire to be the female lead—to fall from grace, lose her memories, suffer a miscarriage, and end up unable to return to her sect.

Xue Ying immediately turned her face away, fiercely defending her only-child privileges.

“I alone can inherit Master’s legacy.”

Yuhengzi’s reaction mirrored that of most parents—after hearing her out, he accepted Liu Junzhuo anyway.

*I was just asking, not taking suggestions.*

Naturally, Xue Ying’s expression darkened.

This master-disciple pair were the sect’s top powerhouses—Yuhengzi crushed the elders, while Xue Ying bullied the juniors. Now that the two were at odds, the onlookers exchanged glances, buzzing with gossip.

The recruitment assembly ended in this strange atmosphere. After Yuhengzi and the others left, the remaining disciples grew lively. Liu Junzhuo glanced toward Xue Ying, attempting to greet his senior sister. But Xue Ying didn’t even look at him, turning on her heel and walking away.

Whispers spread. “Senior Sister seems really unhappy.”

“Well, Master Yuheng only had her as a disciple for so many years.”

“Where do you think she’s going?”

“Probably to find someone to spar with…”

Everyone knew Xue Ying’s temper—when upset, she sought fights. As the Sword Immortal’s disciple, many challenged her. In her early days, people enjoyed bullying the newbie for an ego boost.

But then the newbie became a battle maniac, and no one dared provoke her.

So… if they were all in Liangyi Hall, who was Xue Ying going to fight?

—

Xue Ying walked back to the Contemplation Peak, her anger unspent.

Mostly because her “dad” had ignored her.

Though she knew she had no right to interfere with Yuhengzi’s disciple selection, his flip-flopping attitude infuriated her.

*If you weren’t going to listen, why ask?*

She stopped before the cave abode. Yuhengzi hadn’t returned yet, and the area was quiet. Xue Ying steadied her breathing, found a spot to meditate, and prepared for the upcoming duel.

The Contemplation Peak was perpetually snow-covered. Xue Ying sat motionless, soon buried under falling snow, her white robes blending seamlessly into the landscape—a breathtaking sight.

Before long, Yuhengzi returned, strolling toward the cave. Spotting the snow-covered figure, he paused. “What is it?”

Xue Ying shook off the snow and bowed respectfully. “Master, I seek a duel.”

Yuhengzi’s expression shifted slightly as he regarded his beloved disciple. “Are you displeased that I accepted Liu Junzhuo? The sect leader mentioned you’ve grown unmatched among your peers. Liu Junzhuo is born with Sword Bones—a rare talent. With him, you’ll have a worthy opponent in the future.”

His usually aloof face softened as he reached to brush snow from Xue Ying’s hair. But she stepped back, sword intent swirling around her.

“Today, Master’s actions have left this disciple dissatisfied. I understand respecting elders and upholding propriety, but my heart remains unruly. Thus, I ask for punishment.”

With that, her sword, Bailu, left its sheath. A sweep of sword qi sent the surrounding snow flying, clearing a space. Xue Ying met Yuhengzi’s gaze and bowed. “Master, your move.”

*Draw your sword, Dad!*