"The Dragon-Phoenix Purplegold Carriage?" Tara York's curiosity was immediately piqued.
Just last night, the three little systems had produced an astonishing pile of treasures. She hadn't even had time to inspect them one by one.
"All you have to do is call for it in your mind, Host," Little Two replied in an adorably sweet voice.
Following the instruction, Tara silently summoned it in her heart.
In the very next moment, a dragon's roar and a phoenix's cry echoed across the heavens.
In the sky, a five-clawed golden dragon and a nine-colored phoenix slowly appeared, pulling behind them a carriage crafted from purplegold. The body of the carriage shimmered with radiant, flowing light.
A Dragon-Phoenix Carriage—just seeing it made one's heart skip a beat. If she rode this out in public, it would definitely draw all eyes.
Given her current cultivation level, paired with such a flashy ride, anyone who saw her would likely drop to their knees in awe and scramble to curry favor.
But when it came to accepting disciples, natural talent was only half the equation — their character mattered just as much.
It would be wiser to scout quietly at first. Once she had picked the right candidates, she could bring out the Dragon-Phoenix Carriage for maximum impact. That would undoubtedly leave the entire region stunned.
"Little One, can outsiders see through my Emperor-level cultivation?" Tara asked.
"Host can freely conceal or reveal your aura," Little One answered promptly.
Little Three added,"Host, you're the only Emperor-level cultivator in this entire world. The highest anyone else reaches is Immortal Emperor, so they wouldn't recognize your true cultivation even if they tried."
"Also, this place is the Yongan City, which borders one of the Ten Great Forbidden Zones in Northern Qianzhou. The location is remote, far from civilization."
"Within a five-thousand-mile radius, the strongest cultivators only reach the Creation Domain level."
"I see." Tara rubbed her chin thoughtfully. It seemed this area really was a backwater. But of course, near a forbidden zone, few would dare settle.
"By the way, you mentioned earlier that the gear you and Little Two got from your sign-in rewards might be too advanced for the locals here. So what kind of items do they usually use?"
This question fell squarely into Little Three's wheelhouse, so Little One and Little Two didn't even bother chiming in.
"Let's take the four top sects of Northern Qianzhou as an example," Little Three explained."Their sect masters use Grade-9 Spirit Tools, the saint sons use Grade-8 tools, and the sect's treasure vault houses a single Yellow-grade Artifact as their ultimate trump card."
Tara immediately got the picture, and her smile widened.
"You two are seriously amazing," she praised Little One and Little Two.
Their most casually gifted items were already Earth-grade, while the so-called sect treasures here barely reached Yellow-grade.
What a delightful gap in standards.
Little One and Little Two were overjoyed by the compliment, their voices practically floating."As long as the Host is happy, we'll keep working hard!"
Feeling a little left out, Little Three's voice sounded sulky:"Host, I'll work hard too."
Thirty years east, thirty years west—don't underestimate the underdog system.
Once he grew stronger, he'd surely put these two in their place and become the big brother system. When that day came, he'd be the Host's most trusted and beloved system — without a doubt.
Sensing Little Three's gloom, Tara decided to console him:"Little Three, you're amazing too. The stuff in your system store will come in handy very soon."
That simple reassurance lifted Little Three's mood.
Even though he was the poorest system right now, the Host hadn't looked down on him. She'd even comforted him!
Sniffle, sniffle. Truly, she was the best Host ever.
He would definitely work hard.
"Alright, let's quietly scout things out first."
With a wave of her hand, Tara stowed away the Dragon-Phoenix Purplegold Carriage, then tore open a rift in space and crossed into Yongan City.
Yongan City
One of the mid-tier cities in Northern Qianzhou, its remote location meant the population was sparse. Within the city, six great clans co-governed alongside the City Lord's Mansion, forming a seven-way balance of power that had remained stable for years.
But five years ago, that balance was shattered.
A direct descendant of the Zhao family, Zhao Wuwei, had been accepted as an inner disciple of the Misty Sect — one of the four major sects.
Thanks to Zhao Wuwei's meteoric rise, the Zhao family had soared in status, becoming the undisputed number one clan in Yongan City. The City Lord's Mansion and the other five clans were powerless to resist.
Unless, of course, one of their own was also recruited into the four major sects.
And today, such an opportunity had finally arrived.
As long as a child could test for a Six-Grade Spiritual Root, they could become an inner disciple of the Misty Sect.
That would give their family the power to challenge the Zhao family's dominance.
And if fate was truly kind, if a Seven-Grade Spiritual Root emerged, their family could even dethrone the Zhaos and claim Yongan City for themselves.
The recruitment square was packed with people, the air electric with tension.
Seated in the place of honor were the representatives from the Misty Sect. To their left sat emissaries from the Scarlet Feather Sect and the Azure Cloud Sect, and to their right, envoys from Twin Extremes Palace and the Radiant Sun Pavilion.
Further back were the minor sects, barely worth a mention.
The children from the six great clans and the City Lord's Mansion, aged ten to fifteen, had all assembled in the square.
The Zhao family stood at the very front, followed by the City Lord's Mansion, the Lin, Xiao, Jia, and Geng families. At the very back were the members of the Jiang family.
The Jiang clan had long been marginalized, both isolated by the other five clans and ruthlessly suppressed by the Zhaos.
The root of the feud? Beauty.
The Zhao family's current patriarch, though skilled at preserving his youthful appearance, was still over eighty years old — and even in his prime, he wasn't exactly a looker.
He had set his sights on Jiang Wanwan, the thirteen-year-old daughter of the Jiang family, hoping to take her as a concubine.
The Jiang family, however, had refused, standing firm in their principles.
Had it not been for the upcoming recruitment ceremony, which required all sides to maintain peace, the Zhao family would've likely wiped out the Jiangs by now.
The Zhaos, ever since Zhao Wuwei joined the Misty Sect five years ago, had become an official vassal family of the sect. Backed by abundant sect resources, their power had skyrocketed.
If the Zhaos wanted to crush someone, it wasn't a matter of if — only when.
Today was the Jiang family's final hope.
If no one among their children displayed exceptional talent, they would be erased from Yongan City's history.
Tara had concealed her aura and gathered all this information through some discreet scouting.
The world of cultivation was brutally straightforward: survival of the fittest. The weak either submitted or were annihilated.
Unless they were lucky enough to stumble upon some miracle and soar to greatness.
The recruitment ceremony began soon after.
A young man, no more than twenty, representing the Misty Sect, took out a dark-golden stone roughly a meter tall. A faint spiritual energy pulsed from within it.
"The root bone test begins now," the man announced."A Five-Grade Spiritual Root qualifies for outer sect. A Six-Grade root qualifies for inner sect."
The tension on the square soared as all the waiting children clenched their fists. Everyone dreamed of standing out.
The Zhao family was first.
Out of thirty candidates, only one measured up to a Five-Grade root, while the rest were below that threshold.
"As expected from Senior Brother Wuwei's clan." The Misty Sect envoy smiled as he handed the boy a token.
The Zhao family rejoiced as though it were the New Year.
Even though it was only an outer sect placement, this meant the Zhaos had secured a second foothold in the Misty Sect.
A few more candidates had Four-Grade roots, qualifying them for lower-tier sects, which still left the other clan leaders burning with envy.
The test soon concluded.
In the end, only the Zhao family produced a Five-Grade Spiritual Root cultivator.
The Jiang family's patriarch looked utterly defeated, his face pale and tight.
This was their last shot, and even Jiang Wanwan, the family's brightest hope, had been tested.
Her result: a One-Grade Spiritual Root.
The lowest of the low. Not even worthy of joining a minor sect.
Biting her lip until it bled, Jiang Wanwan turned to her grandfather, her voice trembling as though her heart were breaking:"Grandfather... I'll marry him."
Every word was like a dagger, soaked in silent, desperate tears.
The patriarch of the Jiang family, Jiang Huai, shook his head and let out a long, bitter sigh.
At this point, even if Wanwan agreed to marry, it was already too late.
Tonight, the Jiang family would likely meet its end — and it would happen under his watch. He felt utterly ashamed of facing their ancestors.
Meanwhile, upstairs at a small teahouse near the recruitment square, Tara York sipped her tea calmly while observing the girl named Jiang Wanwan from afar.
"System One, Two, Three — is it just me, or does this Jiang Wanwan seem... different from the others?" Tara asked silently in her mind.
"You're absolutely right, Host," System One replied without hesitation. "That girl possesses the Cold Marrow Physique — ranked twenty-ninth among all Sacred Bodies."
"A Sacred Body?" Tara blinked in surprise.This was clearly a new term to her, another gap in her knowledge. After all, she had only transmigrated into this world yesterday. While her cultivation level had skyrocketed, her understanding of this world was still catching up.
"There are a hundred known types of Sacred Bodies in the cultivation world," System One explained patiently. "Anyone who possesses one can cultivate faster than their peers and has far greater potential for advancement."
"So it's that powerful, huh?" Tara nodded, intrigued. "Ranked twenty-ninth isn't too shabby."
"Twenty-ninth is nothing, Host. You, for instance, possess the Myriad Dao Sacred Body — the number one ranked Sacred Body," System One added proudly.
"Wait, I have a Sacred Body too?" Tara's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"System Two acquired it for you during yesterday's sign-in. It's already fully integrated with your body," System One confirmed.
"System Two, I could just kiss you!" Tara exclaimed with unfiltered joy, using the most straightforward phrase from her old world.
"Host, I love you too!" System Two responded playfully, her voice soft and sweet.
Tara's mind quickly returned to Jiang Wanwan. "But if she really has a Sacred Body ranked that high, why did the test show her as having only a first-grade root bone?"
"That's because her Cold Marrow Physique hasn't been awakened yet. The intense cold energy in her body suppresses her natural root bone, and ordinary testing stones can't detect it," System Three finally chimed in, eager to contribute.
System One backed him up: "Exactly. Once the cold energy is cleared, her true grade is actually eighth."
In Northern Qianzhou, an eighth-grade root bone would qualify someone to become a personal disciple of a sect elder — a highly sought-after rank. But in Tara's future sect, the Star-Moon Sect, it was barely enough for an ordinary outer disciple.
That was the power gap when your sect had a Supreme Emperor backing it.
Tara opened her system panel and quickly found the recruitment task tied to an eighth-grade root bone. It matched the criteria for an "ordinary outer disciple."
Without hesitation, she accepted the mission, placed her tea money on the table, and strolled leisurely toward the square.
At that moment, Jiang Huai stood in the center of the crowd, enduring waves of ridicule and humiliation from the Zhao family and the other five clans.
Jiang Wanwan stood silently at his side, tears welling in her eyes, yet not daring to end her life. She knew that dying would only make her family's fate worse — the Zhao family wouldn't stop until her entire clan was wiped out.
"What a lively scene," Tara said casually as she walked over.
One of the Zhao clan members immediately glared at her, scanning her from head to toe. Though her cultivation was hidden, the quality of her clothing and accessories hinted that she wasn't ordinary.
But Tara ignored him, her gaze settling directly on Jiang Wanwan."Would you like to join my sect as an outer disciple?" she asked with a faint smile.
Jiang Wanwan looked up in shock, barely daring to believe what she'd heard."M-me? But I only have a first-grade root bone."
"That's not a problem," Tara replied warmly. "The only question is — do you want to or not?"
"Yes, I do!" Jiang Wanwan nodded eagerly, but her joy quickly gave way to concern. "But... my family has a grudge with the Zhao clan. I'm afraid I'll only bring trouble to your sect."
"Zhao clan? Not worth worrying about," Tara said lightly, appreciating the girl's honesty.
The Zhao clansman, overhearing this, instantly flew into a rage."Who the hell are you, daring to spout such nonsense? Which garbage sect do you belong to?!"
Tara slowly lifted her gaze, and with just a single look, the man collapsed like a pile of rotten meat, unconscious on the spot.
The entire square fell into stunned silence.
This Zhao clansman wasn't a weakling — he was at the ninth level of Qi Condensation, a respectable figure in a small city like Yong'an. And yet, he'd been flattened by a single glance. Even a Core Formation expert wouldn't be capable of that.
Tara flicked her wrist, producing a black token etched with the symbol of the Star-Moon Sect, a single bold character — "Outer."
"From this moment forward, you are an outer disciple of the Star-Moon Sect," she said.
Jiang Wanwan instinctively accepted the token. The moment it touched her hand, she felt an inexplicable warmth spread through her body, clearing her mind and calming her heart.
Unbeknownst to her, the token came with a hidden bonus: once she began cultivating, it would accelerate her progress significantly.
"Come here," Tara gestured to her softly.
Jiang Wanwan, still in a daze, walked over.
"This might sting a little," Tara warned, raising her hand over the girl's head.
The moment her hand hovered there, an icy force surged through Jiang Wanwan's body, freezing her limbs and bones to the marrow. It felt as though she might die from the cold at any second. Frost spread across her skin, and even the ground within a ten-meter radius became coated in a fine layer of ice, as though winter had descended upon the sunlit square.
Only Tara stood unaffected, the warmth around her untouched by the cold.
Just as Jiang Wanwan was about to collapse, a comforting warmth bloomed from her brow, dispelling the chill in an instant.
A sharp, crystalline cry echoed through the air as a giant phantom of an Ice Luan — a mythical frostbird — unfurled its wings behind her.
The spectacle immediately caught everyone's attention.
The recruiter from the Misty Sect, a man named Cao Ren, was stunned. He had just been standing with the Zhao family, but upon seeing the Ice Luan's phantom, he rushed over, eyes wide in shock.
"Holy hell — that's the Cold Marrow Physique!" Cao Ren blurted out.
The crowd erupted into hushed gasps.
They might not fully understand what a Cold Marrow Physique was, but judging from Cao Ren's reaction, it had to be something extraordinary.
The Ice Luan phantom slowly faded. Just as Jiang Wanwan began to regain her senses, Cao Ren shoved a new test stone in front of her.
"Quick, place your hand on it — try again!"
Jiang Wanwan hesitated and glanced at Tara, who gave her a reassuring nod. She placed her hand on the stone.
In an instant, the stone burst into brilliant red light, shooting past grades five, six, and seven, and finally stopping at grade eight.
"An eighth-grade root bone…" Cao Ren stammered, barely able to believe his eyes.
The crowd fell silent once more.
Five years ago, Zhao Wuwei had only possessed a sixth-grade root bone — and that alone had earned him the rank of an inner disciple at Misty Sect.
But Jiang Wanwan? She had an eighth-grade root bone, combined with the Cold Marrow Physique. This was a game-changer.
The power dynamics in Yong'an City were about to shift once again.
After a long pause, Cao Ren straightened up, trying to compose himself."With your talent, you'd be eligible to become a personal disciple of one of our Misty Sect elders. Congratulations, Senior Sister Jiang."
As an inner disciple himself, he addressed her by the respectful title fitting her potential new rank.
But Jiang Wanwan shook her head, stepping back politely."Thank you for your offer, but I've already accepted the Star-Moon Sect as my sect."
Cao Ren froze on the spot.
The Misty Sect — one of the Four Great Sects of Northern Qianzhou — had just been refused.
For the first time ever.