New Mission: “The Unusual Kingdom”

Gu Jinghong furrowed his brows, deep in thought. After a moment, he politely declined, “Becoming a cauldron for the Mystic Maiden Palace may indeed be a dream for many cultivators, offering great benefits. However, for our disciples, suddenly transitioning to dual cultivation techniques could negatively impact their cultivation progress.”

—

“Lord Gu, you misunderstand,” Gu Caihe replied with a soft smile. “The Mystic Maiden Palace has no shortage of cauldrons. The real issue is one known to everyone in the cultivation world: the Palace is overwhelmingly dominated by women. From time to time, cauldrons die mysteriously at the hands of their partners. Discrimination against men runs rampant, a trend the Palace Master deeply despises. Despite her repeated decrees emphasizing equality and mutual respect between cauldrons and their partners, the toxic culture persists. The weaker cauldrons simply can’t control the unruly young women in the Palace.”

She continued, “The Palace Master’s solution is straightforward and effective: to recruit top-tier young male disciples from allied sects. These men will teach the unruly girls a lesson, showing them that men can be just as outstanding as women among their peers. Ultimately, whether these male disciples choose to stay as cauldrons will be entirely up to them. The Palace Master has personally guaranteed that no one will be forced.”

—

Hearing this, Gu Jinghong hesitated before asking, “The Saintess mentioned earlier that disciples who agree to this request will receive significant benefits. What exactly are these benefits?”

Gu Caihe replied calmly, “The Rebirth Tower.”

—

Gu Jinghong’s eyes lit up at the mention of the legendary artifact. However, he remained cautious, his expression serious. “I’ll need some time to discuss this with the disciple in question before making a decision.”

“Of course,” Gu Caihe said with a gentle smile, though inwardly she was surprised. For a mere disciple, the Sect Master himself needs to consult them directly? This disciple must hold an extraordinary position within the Seed Demon Holy Sect.

—

Two Hours Later.

Qin Gou was summoned to the main hall.

Gu Jinghong wasted no time. “There’s an urgent task that requires you to visit the Mystic Maiden Palace. Are you willing to go? Don’t worry, you won’t be sent there to become a cauldron.”

—

Mystic Maiden Palace? Ye Qishuang!

Qin Gou’s eyes flickered, but he remained silent.

Gu Jinghong continued, “Once there, you’ll have access to the Rebirth Tower. You may not know what it is, but it’s a rare treasure in the cultivation world, capable of fundamentally improving one’s aptitude. Your aptitude may not be poor, but surely no one would complain about having better potential.”

—

Not poor? Qin Gou thought bitterly. He knew all too well that he had the worst possible four-element lower-grade aptitude. Only after refining it with the Enlightened Body did it improve to a mediocre four-element mid-grade. Even Chen Keshua probably had better potential. It was only through sheer luck and various opportunities that he had managed to reach the Hidden Artifact Realm.

“May I have some time to consider?” Qin Gou asked, cupping his hands respectfully.

—

He did want to visit the Mystic Maiden Palace, to meet Ye Qishuang, and to uncover how a woman with the Stone Maiden Spirit Body—a condition that should make dual cultivation impossible—had become the founder of such techniques. What methods did she use?!

But not now. Even though Qin Gou had mentally prepared himself, his current cultivation level wasn’t sufficient for such a bold move.

—

“Ding. New Mission: ‘The Unusual Kingdom.’ The Mystic Maiden Palace is infamous for its corruption and chaos. It needs a wise ruler to restore order. The Host is tasked with becoming the Palace Master of the Mystic Maiden Palace! Rewards: 3 lottery chances, 20,000 merit points, and access to the ‘Exemption’ feature in the lottery wheel. Time limit: 6 months. Failure will result in the Host being ‘rewarded’ with the position of an ordinary female disciple in the Palace.”

—

Become the Palace Master?!

Qin Gou’s mind raced. Does this mean I have to overthrow Ye Qishuang?

The coincidence was too uncanny. He suddenly recalled something Chi Yuchao had mentioned in the Forgotten Self Mystic Realm and began to piece together who Gu Feiyan’s future husband might be.

—

“Fine. You have two days to decide,” Gu Jinghong said, waving him off.

—

Back in his cave, Qin Gou’s thoughts were in turmoil.

The mission was absurd. How could he possibly contend with Ye Qishuang? Become the Palace Master of the Mystic Maiden Palace? What sect would allow a Hidden Artifact Realm cultivator to take such a position?

And the punishment for failure was downright cruel. If he couldn’t become the Palace Master, he’d be turned into an ordinary female disciple? The system had truly outdone itself this time.

—

“Little Qin, I’ve heard about it.”

Gu Feiyan entered the cave, her black dress swaying gracefully. Having removed her luxurious phoenix crown, she looked both elegant and approachable.

She hesitated before asking, “I want to know what you’re thinking. Have you decided to go to the Mystic Maiden Palace?”

Qin Gou wanted to say “no,” but the circumstances left him no choice. Smiling bitterly, he replied, “Yes.”

—

“Oh.”

Gu Feiyan’s expression darkened slightly, and Qin Gou quickly tried to reassure her. “Don’t worry. I’m not going there to become a cauldron. Even if I go, I promise I won’t flirt with anyone.”

To his surprise, Gu Feiyan snorted. “Whether you become a cauldron or flirt with the women there has nothing to do with me. Don’t think so highly of yourself—you don’t need to explain anything to me.”

—

“Just trust me,” Qin Gou said helplessly.

Gu Feiyan didn’t respond. Instead, she stepped closer, raised her hand, and knocked him on the head three times. Giving him a meaningful look, she turned and left, leaving only her lingering fragrance behind.

—

Due to the difference in their cultivation levels, Qin Gou was left seeing stars. Rubbing his head, he regretted ever telling Gu Feiyan the story of how Sun Wukong became a disciple of the Bodhi Patriarch.