Chapter 2: The Girl Beneath the Mountain

The night wind swept across the Azure Mountain Range.

Shen Yue followed the group of disciples down a narrow stone path.

Moonlight illuminated the cliffs surrounding them.

Behind her walked several disciples from the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.

Ahead stood Zhao Tianming.

As always, he occupied the center of attention.

Several female disciples gazed at him admiringly.

Shen Yue nearly rolled her eyes.

The novel had described him as a peerless genius destined to shake the heavens.

In reality?

Arrogant.

Self-important.

And completely convinced the world revolved around him.

The System suddenly spoke.

[Observation.]

"What?"

[Target Zhao Tianming has spent the last thirteen minutes admiring his own reflection in a sword.]

"...You're joking."

[System does not joke.]

Shen Yue glanced ahead.

Sure enough, Zhao Tianming was staring at his sword blade.

Using it as a mirror.

She sighed.

Maybe the System was right.

Human garbage.

The group eventually arrived at a mountain valley.

Ancient ruins rested between the cliffs.

Broken stone pillars stretched toward the sky.

Faded symbols glowed faintly across cracked walls.

The disciples immediately became excited.

"Ancient inheritance!"

"There must be treasures inside!"

"Perhaps spirit techniques!"

Zhao Tianming raised a hand.

Everyone instantly fell silent.

His expression was proud.

"Remain calm."

"As the strongest disciple present, I shall lead everyone."

Shen Yue resisted the urge to laugh.

The strongest?

There were elders in the sect who could flatten him with a sneeze.

Yet he spoke as if he were already immortal.

The group entered the ruins.

The air immediately became colder.

Shen Yue felt a strange sensation.

Something was watching her.

The feeling came from deep underground.

Ancient.

Hungry.

Patient.

Her heartbeat accelerated.

"System."

[Yes.]

"Do you feel that?"

A brief pause followed.

Then:

[Unknown presence detected.]

[Recommendation: Do not die.]

"Very helpful."

[Thank you.]

Shen Yue rubbed her forehead.

The ruins became increasingly dark as they advanced.

Ancient stone corridors twisted beneath the mountain.

Torchlight flickered against the walls.

After nearly an hour, the group reached a massive underground chamber.

Everyone gasped.

At the center stood a crystal altar.

Golden light radiated from its surface.

Floating above it was a jade token.

The inheritance treasure.

Exactly as described in the novel.

Shen Yue's eyes narrowed.

This was where everything began.

In the original story, she would help Zhao Tianming obtain the treasure.

Afterward, he would accuse her of stealing other resources.

Her reputation would be destroyed.

The road toward death would begin.

Not this time.

Zhao Tianming stepped forward confidently.

"The inheritance belongs to me."

No one objected.

Most disciples already believed he was destined for greatness.

As he approached the altar, ancient symbols suddenly illuminated.

The chamber shook violently.

Cracks spread across the floor.

Several disciples screamed.

A stone guardian emerged from the darkness.

The creature stood nearly four meters tall.

Its body was covered in ancient runes.

Golden eyes glowed like flames.

"Guardian puppet!"

Someone shouted.

Panic erupted.

The stone guardian attacked immediately.

Its massive fist smashed into the ground.

The impact sent several disciples flying.

Blood sprayed through the air.

The inheritance trial had begun.

Just like the novel.

Except one detail was different.

The guardian turned.

Its glowing eyes locked directly onto Shen Yue.

The temperature in the chamber dropped.

An unfamiliar voice echoed inside her mind.

"Found..."

Shen Yue froze.

Nobody else seemed to hear it.

The voice continued.

"Found you..."

Cold sweat appeared on her back.

"What the hell?"

The System reacted instantly.

[Warning.]

[Unknown consciousness attempting contact.]

[Emergency Mission Activated.]

[Mission: Survive.]

[Reward: Continued existence.]

"That's not a reward!"

The stone guardian suddenly roared.

Instead of attacking Zhao Tianming, it charged directly toward Shen Yue.

The entire chamber erupted in shock.

"Why is it targeting her?!"

"Run!"

Shen Yue cursed internally.

She dodged sideways.

The guardian's fist shattered the ground where she had been standing.

Debris exploded everywhere.

The impact nearly knocked her off balance.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

None of this happened in the original story.

Another attack followed.

Then another.

The guardian ignored everyone else.

It only wanted her.

Zhao Tianming frowned.

Instead of helping, he stepped backward.

Shen Yue wasn't surprised.

The novel constantly praised his righteousness.

Yet whenever real danger appeared, he conveniently let others take the risk first.

The guardian swung again.

This time Shen Yue couldn't completely evade.

The attack struck her shoulder.

Pain exploded through her body.

She crashed into a stone wall.

Blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Several disciples gasped.

They clearly expected her to die.

The guardian advanced slowly.

Its eyes remained fixed on her.

"Found..."

"Found..."

"Found..."

The voice became louder.

Something deep inside Shen Yue responded.

A strange warmth spread through her chest.

Then she heard another sound.

A heartbeat.

Not her own.

Something ancient slumbered within her.

And it was waking up.

The System suddenly shouted.

[Host!]

[Control yourself!]

"What do you mean?"

[Unknown bloodline activity increasing.]

[Warning.]

[Warning.]

[Warning.]

Black shadows flickered beneath Shen Yue's feet.

For a brief moment, something moved inside them.

Like tentacles.

Then the phenomenon vanished.

Nobody appeared to notice.

Except one person.

A young woman standing near the back of the chamber.

Simple white robes.

Ordinary appearance.

No extraordinary aura.

No powerful cultivation.

Yet her clear eyes widened slightly.

She had seen it.

Shen Yue noticed immediately.

Their gazes met.

The young woman quickly looked away.

Lin Qingxue.

The future female lead.

The mortal cultivator.

The girl who should have been nothing more than a background character.

Why was she here?

In the original story, Lin Qingxue didn't appear until much later.

The plot was changing faster than expected.

The guardian attacked again.

This time Shen Yue prepared herself.

She forced spiritual energy through her meridians.

Pain shot through her body.

Then she moved.

The attack barely missed.

She slid beneath the guardian's arm.

For a brief moment she reached its blind spot.

A memory surfaced from the villainess's body.

Sword techniques.

Battle experience.

Instinct.

Shen Yue immediately struck.

Her sword flashed.

Cracks spread across the guardian's leg.

The giant stumbled.

The surrounding disciples looked shocked.

Even Zhao Tianming seemed surprised.

Nobody expected Shen Yue to fight this well.

The guardian roared.

Then something unexpected happened.

A small figure rushed forward.

Lin Qingxue.

The mortal girl.

Without hesitation she threw a spirit talisman toward the guardian.

The talisman exploded.

Bright light filled the chamber.

The guardian staggered.

An opening appeared.

Shen Yue reacted instantly.

She launched herself forward.

Her sword pierced directly into a crack near the guardian's chest.

The entire chamber shook.

The guardian froze.

Then thousands of cracks spread across its body.

Boom.

The massive construct collapsed.

Silence followed.

Everyone stared.

The inheritance trial had ended.

The treasure remained floating above the altar.

Zhao Tianming immediately stepped forward.

As if he had contributed the most.

As if he had defeated the guardian himself.

Shen Yue almost laughed.

Typical.

However, before he could touch the inheritance, another voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Ancient.

Powerful.

Terrifying.

"Heir..."

The entire mountain trembled.

The voice was not directed at Zhao Tianming.

It was directed at Shen Yue.

Every disciple looked confused.

Zhao Tianming's expression darkened.

The floating jade token suddenly abandoned the altar.

Instead of flying toward Zhao Tianming...

It shot toward Shen Yue.

The inheritance chose its owner.

The chamber erupted.

"Impossible!"

"Why her?!"

"Senior Brother Zhao should receive it!"

Zhao Tianming's face became ugly.

For the first time, Shen Yue saw genuine hostility in his eyes.

Not affection.

Not possessiveness.

Hostility.

The kind that eventually killed people.

The jade token landed in her hand.

A flood of information entered her mind.

Ancient symbols.

Forgotten languages.

Fragments of memories.

Then she saw it.

An enormous creature sleeping beneath a black ocean.

Countless tentacles stretched endlessly through darkness.

Golden eyes slowly opened.

And stared directly at her.

The vision vanished.

Shen Yue nearly lost her footing.

The System immediately activated.

[Congratulations.]

[Hidden Quest Completed.]

"What quest?"

[Survive long enough to confuse destiny.]

"...That was a quest?"

[Yes.]

"How was I supposed to know?"

[Host never asked.]

Shen Yue wanted to scream.

Instead she took a deep breath.

Across the chamber, Lin Qingxue quietly watched her.

Unlike everyone else, there was no greed in her eyes.

Only concern.

A strange feeling stirred inside Shen Yue's chest.

Perhaps because she had spent years reading stories where everyone betrayed the villainess.

Seeing genuine kindness felt unfamiliar.

The mountain trembled again.

The ancient voice echoed one final time.

"Heir..."

"We shall meet again."

Then everything became silent.

Nobody understood what had happened.

Nobody except Shen Yue.

Whatever monster slept beneath this world...

It knew her.

And sooner or later...

It would come for her.

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