Entering the Tower

“How is this possible? I haven’t seen you interact with Qin Yue at all these past few days. Chengying, how could you suddenly develop feelings for such a lowly, disrespectful man?” Gu Caihe’s face was filled with disbelief, as if she were questioning reality itself.

“Feelings… aren’t something you can explain,” Yi Chengying stammered, her face flushed. “Besides, I have no intention of competing with you, Sister Caihe. I just hope you’ll stop humiliating Qin Yue in public. It makes me feel bad too.” Even Yi Chengying couldn’t believe the nonsense she was spouting. Deep down, she was praying that Gu Caihe wouldn’t provoke Qin Yue further. If the truth came out, her dear Sister Caihe might end up being crushed by the Heavenly Master’s Divine Feather Avatar.

Gu Caihe gritted her teeth. “Compete for what? I’ve never had any interest in that brat, Qin Yue. He disgusts me! If you like him so much, take him away. Just seeing him puts me in a foul mood.”

“Please, you two, stop fighting over me!” Qin Gou suddenly exclaimed, his eyes filled with feigned sorrow. “I understand your admiration for me. As the saying goes, a virtuous gentleman naturally attracts fair maidens. But my heart already belongs to someone else. If following my heart makes me a heartless scoundrel, then so be it—I’ll be the most unfaithful man in the world!”

—

All eyes turned to Qin Gou. This “Qin Yue” was no ordinary man. On his first day at the Mystic Maiden Palace, he had almost been taken by Gu Caihe. Now, just a few days later, he had Yi Chengying openly vying for his attention. If this continued, would even the Palace Master, Ye Qishuang, fall for his charms?

The thought sent chills down the spines of many Mystic Maiden Palace disciples. Could this be the legendary “blue-faced disaster”?

“Qin Yue, shut up right now!” Gu Caihe snapped, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel.

Yi Chengying, meanwhile, couldn’t help but laugh internally at Qin Gou’s antics. His playful, carefree attitude as he toyed with everyone around him was both frustrating and amusing. “Sister Caihe, let’s just let this go for now. Do it for me,” she said softly.

Gu Caihe turned to Yi Chengying, her expression pained. “Chengying, I can let it go for your sake. But as your sister, I must warn you—stay away from Qin Yue. His cultivation may be insignificant, but when it comes to manipulating women, he’s a master.”

Yi Chengying forced a bitter smile. If only Gu Caihe knew the truth. Compared to Qin Gou’s actual cultivation, his talent for manipulation was the least of her worries.

—

The Rebirth Tower only allowed ten challengers at a time. Once someone failed and was ejected, another could take their place. When Qin Gou’s turn finally came, he felt a prickling sensation on his back. Turning, he saw a petite girl glaring at him.

It was Jiang Qiu.

Her sharp eyes burned with determination. “You beat me with your puppet last time, but in the Rebirth Tower, you won’t have that crutch. I’ll make sure you lose.”

Jiang Qiu had clearly recovered from her previous injuries, a testament to how much Gu Caihe valued her.

“Let’s see how it goes,” Qin Gou said with a smile. He bore no grudge against Jiang Qiu; she was merely following orders.

With that, the two entered the Rebirth Tower together.

—

Inside, Qin Gou found himself in a pure white space. Before him was a long table with ink, paper, and a brush. Written on the paper in bold characters was the question: What is the essence of the Forging Realm?

This was the same question Chi Yu had encountered, though she had faced it on the second level. It seemed the challenges were randomized, making the tower even more difficult for most challengers.

But for Qin Gou?

As a former Avatar Realm cultivator, his understanding of each cultivation stage was unparalleled. This question was child’s play. Without hesitation, he picked up the brush and began writing. Time was limited, and he couldn’t afford to waste a second.

—

Outside the Rebirth Tower.

Each challenger appeared as a glowing white dot on the tower’s surface. Spectators could easily track their progress through the levels, though they couldn’t identify the challengers.

Within half a cup of tea’s time, three dots had already reached the second level.

Gu Caihe’s face lit up with pride. “Jiang Qiu must be one of them. She’s living up to my expectations.”

Yi Chengying nodded, smiling faintly. “My disciple, Fu Yan, also entered the tower earlier. This is her fourth attempt, and the first level shouldn’t pose any difficulty for her.”

“Who’s the third?” Gu Caihe asked, puzzled. “Are there any other talented disciples challenging the tower today? I didn’t see any of the other sisters here to cheer for their disciples.”

Yi Chengying hesitated before replying, “It’s probably Qin Yue. He’s the only other one who could have made it this far.”

“Qin Yue?” Gu Caihe scoffed, her eyes filled with disdain. “Impossible. This is his first time in the tower. He’d be too scared to even pass the first level.”

Yi Chengying chuckled. “Sister Caihe, I think you’re underestimating Qin Yue.”

“Oh?” Gu Caihe gave her a sharp look. “They say love makes you blind. I didn’t understand that saying before, but seeing you now, I get it. I can’t believe you actually have feelings for that shameless scoundrel.”

“Sister Caihe, you misunderstand. I genuinely believe the third person is Qin Yue. He’s not as simple as you think.”

“Impossible. I won’t argue with you. When Qin Yue gets kicked out of the tower in disgrace, we’ll let the facts speak for themselves.”

—

“Saintess Caihe, why are you so sure Brother Qin can’t succeed in the tower? I believe he’ll surpass all the other challengers—he’s always been like that!”

A voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. It was Chen Keshua, his face red with indignation.