Chapter 4 — Shattered Roots, Revealed Truths

All eyes in the grand hall turned toward Thien Thien. She staggered back, her face drained of color as she trembled. “Why are you asking such things? It must be… it must be because I was bullied in the past, my foundation was weakened, and my physical constitution was unstable, leading to the decay of my spiritual root!”

“Absurd!” The Master roared, his voice crashing like thunder. The entire hall fell into a suffocating silence; no one dared to breathe. An elder monk frowned and whispered, “Master, why are you being so harsh with the child? She has only recently returned. Would it not be better to teach her slowly?”

The Master let out a cold hiss, his voice laced with restrained murder. “Ancient scrolls clearly state that a spiritual root is a sentient entity. High-level roots, in particular, possess a will of their own. When they choose a host, they bond with the soul, not merely the flesh. If a body is stolen by an intruder, the spiritual root will immediately self-destruct to reject the imposter.”

The air turned icy, heavy with the weight of his revelation. The realization swept through the crowd like a gale—this was no longer a mere family reunion; it was an earth-shattering unmasking.

“So, that is why your spiritual root destroyed itself, isn't it?” the Master continued, his gaze piercing. “Thien Thien’s root was a Heavenly Fire Grade, just like her mother’s. It is exceptionally rare. Once it detected that the soul inhabiting the body was an anomaly it could not reconcile, it chose to self-destruct as a warning. So, I ask you… where is the real Thien Thien?”

Thien Thien’s expression crumbled, her breath hitching in panic. “I… I don't understand what you are talking about! Has someone been deceiving you? I am your true daughter! You should believe me! I am Thien Thien! I have already explained the matter of the spiritual root to you!”

The disciples exchanged wary glances. They knew the Master’s character; he would never make such a grave accusation in front of the sect without absolute certainty. Furthermore, the concept of a self-destructing root was unheard of unless the host was a complete violation of natural law. Combined with the bizarre, inconsistent behavior of this "Thien Thien" since her return, the truth became undeniable.

I did not give her room to continue her charade. I cast a Truth-Seeking Seal, binding her tongue so that no lie could pass her lips. Thien Thien shrieked, her eyes filled with venomous malice directed at me. “You bitch! Are you trying to drive a wedge between me and my father? What have you done to me?!”

I said nothing, standing silently beside the Master. He stepped forward, his voice frigid. “Speak! Who are you, really?”

The words that tumbled out of her mouth left the entire hall in stunned paralysis. “I… I am not from this world. I come from a future timeline where technology rules the world. I was in an accident, and when I woke up, I was already in this body… I became Thien Thien…”

The courtyard was dead silent. Some were horrified, others were enlightened. A traveler from another realm, usurping the daughter of the Master and nearly deceiving the entire cultivation world.

“There was a system that told me I was the destined heroine of this world,” she continued, her voice trembling. “I am a creature of fate, beloved by all. Every man should have knelt at my feet, and she—she is just a villainous side character who steals senior brothers and tries to take everything from me! That is why I targeted her!”

The truth was so absurd it defied logic. The senior brothers looked at each other, their faces filled with complex emotions. It finally explained why she had acted like a deranged fool, clinging to them incessantly.

The Master’s voice shook as he asked the question that haunted him. “Then… where is the real Thien Thien?”

The woman laughed coldly, her eyes flashing with cruelty. “That pathetic wretch? I shoved her soul into the deepest corner of this body! She is on the verge of being annihilated! As for that useless spiritual root, I had no use for it anyway. Once I seize the golden core and the spiritual essence of this villainous side character, I will be the strongest!”

Boom! A violent surge of energy erupted. The Master’s killing intent reached its peak. He channeled his divine sense, forcing a Soul-Retrieval Art to rip the invader out and save his daughter.

The woman writhed in agony, her face twisting like a beast. “No! You cannot do this to me! I am the protagonist favored by fate! You will be punished by the heavens! I came here to be pampered, not to be tortured! And you, you bitch! What kind of love potion did you give them?! Why does everyone stand on your side? Die, you villainous extra!”

Her screams were in vain. The disciples, now fully aware of the truth, joined forces to seal her, expelling the foreign soul while shielding the true Thien Thien. As the invader was cast out, a tiny, flickering light escaped with her. I struck instantly, snatching the spark before it could flee, locking it firmly within my sleeve. It was the "system"—a parasite brimming with evil, otherworldly malice. I stored it away to be destroyed once the immediate crisis was resolved.

The Master, meanwhile, summoned the Jade Spirit Vase and captured the intruder’s soul. He turned to the unconscious form of the real Thien Thien, his expression softening into one of profound grief. He cradled her in his arms, stroking her hair. “Thien Thien, I am sorry… I am late.”

With a wave of his hand, he banished the invader’s soul to the Ten Thousand Bone Pit, where it would suffer under the Eternal Lightning until it was reduced to nothingness.

When the real Thien Thien finally opened her eyes, she found us gathered around her bed, our eyes filled with warmth and hope. The moment her gaze met the Master’s, tears streamed down her face. No words were needed. She knew her father had been waiting for her all along.

From that day on, Thien Thien slowly recovered. Her spirit bloomed, and she became the cherished treasure of the sect. As for me, I eventually tracked the "system" to its point of origin—a fractured space between dimensions. Seeing the trapped, puppet-like souls within, my resolve hardened. I activated a grand formation, pouring all my spiritual power into a single blow that pulverized the base of the parasite. As the dark energy dissolved, I breathed a sigh of relief. From now on, no one would ever suffer this fate again.