6 years old

Xia Tao

Descending from the peak of the fortress was quite the challenge. After Mei and I had "trained" my muscles were sore for the first time in a long while, feeling as if they were filled with lead. I even managed to strain the muscles in my ass—seriously, what the hell? As a result, my descent looked extremely comical. Mei insisted on walking behind me to ensure I remembered the route. Yeah, right, like I believed that. There was only one route, and it was straight.

But every time I awkwardly placed my foot on a step and almost stumbled, I heard an occasional cough from behind me. I could feel her amusement, which made it even more embarrassing!

"Mei, as soon as you master the technique we obtained, please let me know."

"Yes, Master" she said, catching up to me.

"By the way, I wanted to discuss something. Do you remember that book Ye Chen brought?"

"Yes, I remember. What about its restoration and the crystals for it?"

"That's what I wanted to mention. Right now, our priority is preparing the pyramids, and I'm afraid we might not have enough time. Either we need to bring in more people besides Lin Qing, or I'll think about who else we can recruit."

"Hmm, what's there to think about? That short girl who was sitting at the entrance seems very diligent. Recruit her; she might become another trusted member. By the way, what's her name?" I asked innocently.

Mei gave me a curious look. "Her name is Hui Ying. I'll consider it, but there's also a long-term assignment we need a disciple for..."

"No" I said unexpectedly, then continued, "I mean, I've already noticed her. She seems smart, so let her work here. No need to send her far away for a long time."

"As you wish, Master" Mei said, and we continued walking in silence, each lost in our own thoughts.

Shu Ying (Former Goddess)

God, I'm so sick of all this. I'm tired of being small! I'm tired of not having my powers! I can't even sit or fart without being watched! Being stuck here, powerless, is driving me insane.

AARGH!

I'm tired of being a baby, though thankfully that period ended quickly.

It's all that boy's fault. I can just feel it. When I get my hands on him, I'll make him pay.

I've been in this world for six years, and in all that time, I've seen nothing but the mansion and the small area around it. I haven't even seen my parents—just nannies. Judging by the power I sense from them, they're generally weak, only slightly stronger than that idiot who made the wish on Earth.

What's more intriguing is that despite my powers being gone (or sealed), I can tell we're in a pocket dimension, with an accelerated time flow. At least the nannies who take care of me "smell" like they're from a different time stream. Interesting.

One day, my nanny explained to me that it has historically been this way—to raise children here until they are 6 or 7 years old to keep them safe. No cultivators are allowed here because if a cultivator enters, they might simply die due to this place rejecting them or something similar. That's why I can't meet my parents and only interact with my peers and the nanny. When the time comes, we will be taken out into the big world and meet our parents there.

They didn't give me many details, but from what I understood, it's due to the disharmony between spiritual energy and the accelerated time flow. Hence, we are raised by ordinary people and not cultivators, because it affects them and us to a lesser extent. Pff, simpletons, we know how to fix this problem long ago.

At 6 or 7 years old, according to local traditions, it's time to start cultivating. That's why we've been put here until we reach that age.

For these six years, I wish I could say it was fun or eventful, but in reality, it's been nothing but sleeping, eating, pooping, and sleeping again. Eventually, they added lessons—language, some useless gymnastics, and writing.

Even that idiot I blame for my situation crosses my mind less often now. I only curse him about four or five times a day, and it makes me feel a bit better.

I hope he pulls a muscle in his butt, that jerk!

There are 32 children here, and it seems that our statuses are different. We are subtly shown our place in the social hierarchy even from this young age. To my satisfaction, I am at the top of the food chain. At my level, there is one boy named Long Hao and three sisters—Nao Xiao, Nao Mei, and Nao Xue. The others are below us in rank, judging by how the nannies treat us.

Long Hao declared that he is the leader here and will protect us, though he didn't specify from what. The sisters are noisy, lively little engines of chaos, but I've grown accustomed to them.

Today was another uneventful day, which seemed like it would remain that way until we were told that we would soon be going to the big world and meeting our parents. Now, all the children are excited and can think of nothing else. Finally, we are going to the big world! Pff, parents who haven't spoken to their child in six years—I hope they don't expect much love and affection from me! Pff, I already have a mother who deserves a good spanking herself!

Just as I thought this, I heard a faint laugh in the distance that I recognized immediately.

"And stop laughing, I can hear you! You left your daughter in some random place for who knows why! I'll get to you, just wait!"

We gathered in front of the portal arch along with the nannies.

Passing through the portal—though calling it a portal feels generous, more like some makeshift construct—not like the majestic portals I was used to, true works of art. As we stepped through the arch, we found ourselves on a small clearing atop a mountain, surrounded by a beautiful red forest.

The red forest was breathtaking. The trees had deep crimson leaves that shimmered like rubies in the sunlight. The branches intertwined, creating a canopy that cast a warm, scarlet glow over everything. The forest floor was carpeted with vibrant red moss and delicate flowers, adding to the enchanting atmosphere. It felt like stepping into a painting, where every shade of red had been carefully chosen to create a masterpiece.

A man in a red robe approached us. His robe was intricately embroidered with silver threads, depicting celestial patterns and mythical creatures. The silver embroidery caught the light, making the designs seem almost alive, as if the dragons and phoenixes were moving on the fabric.

"Children, welcome to the Red Forest Mountain Palace, your home. Now, you will be taken to meet your parents and finally be introduced to them" he announced.

We were led towards the palace, which truly deserved the name. It was a grand structure, with towering walls and elegant spires. The architecture was a blend of ancient majesty and refined elegance, with intricate carvings and inlaid gemstones that sparkled in the sunlight. It was a sight to behold, a place that spoke of power, tradition, and a long history. Well, at least that was the intention. In my opinion, they went a bit overboard with the grandeur and pomp.

Great, more pretentious nonsense. I rolled my eyes.