Junior sister, keep forbear for a while, I almost become invincible as soon!

「Central Continent!」

Eleven years ago, the current Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, while incognito on a personal expedition, traversed various lands and chanced upon a commoner woman, with whom he ultimately fell in love. He lived with her for several months in a small village before he departed. However, he was unaware that the commoner woman was already pregnant with his child. A year later, she gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Zi Ji.

When Zi Ji was three years old, the commoner woman brought her to the Emperor. The news of their arrival caused a sensation throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty. Speculation ran rampant within the royal family. Many officials in the imperial court, eager to protect the Emperor's reputation, repeatedly advised him to have the commoner woman and the child executed. The Empress at the time was even more ruthless, dispatching assassins to eliminate the commoner woman and three-year-old Zi Ji. Miraculously, they both narrowly escaped death each time. The Emperor, enraged upon learning of these attempts, was constrained by his imperial dignity and could not openly intervene. He could only secretly arrange for the commoner woman and Zi Ji to be sent away.

However, they could not escape their tragic fate. On a day of torrential rain, the commoner woman lay dying in a pool of her own blood, leaving behind only a letter with her last words: "You are well! I miss you."

The Emperor, consumed by imperial fury and no longer concerned with his imperial dignity, stormed with a group of Imperial Guards into a dilapidated courtyard. There, he found three-year-old Zi Ji. She was curled up in a corner, drenched by the rain, her small body trembling, her lips pale. She was diligently obeying her mother's instruction not to make a single sound. Only upon seeing the Emperor did she finally faint. When she awoke, the Emperor had brought her back to the Imperial Palace.

As the illegitimate child of a commoner, Zi Ji had no status to speak of. After entering the palace, she was repeatedly humiliated and bullied. Even some palace maids would beat and kick her, making her life one of constant suffering. Yet, Zi Ji endured it all without a word of complaint. The Emperor, consumed by guilt, visited her every few days. Still, Zi Ji never complained, silently bearing everything.

One day, she fainted. The Emperor happened to arrive just then and, upon seeing the scene, flew into a rage. He ordered a thorough investigation to find the perpetrator, vowing that if the culprit was found, their entire clan, down to the ninth degree of relations, would be exterminated. The true culprit, fearing discovery, framed a palace maid. In his fury, the Emperor did indeed order the extermination of the maid's entire clan; even distant relatives could not escape execution. After this incident became known, Zi Ji's life finally began to improve.

Thereafter, the Emperor ordered people to teach her to read, paint, play music, and dance, but Zi Ji remained unmoved, as lifeless as a piece of wood. Even when the Emperor spoke to her, she would just tilt her head, wearing a baffling expression. If not for a King Tao powerhouse in the palace who chanced upon Zi Ji's innate talent, it would have been completely overlooked. Zi Ji was no fool; she was an unparalleled genius.

As news of this spread, it once again caused an uproar throughout the imperial court and the land. The faction of the imperial harem was particularly displeased. Since Zi Ji had entered the palace, the Emperor had grown colder toward them, sometimes not gracing them with his presence for weeks. Now that Zi Ji's talent has been discovered, if she begins to cultivate, will we in the harem ever see the Emperor again? they wondered. And what about the Princes and Princesses? Will they be ruthlessly cast aside by the Emperor?

Driven by these fears, they tried every means to assassinate Zi Ji, even attempting to prevent her from accessing cultivation. Some, more vicious, schemed to cripple her Dantian. Fortunately, with the protection of the King Tao powerhouse, Zi Ji was spared from these calamities.

When Zi Ji was six years old, a powerhouse from the Martial God Academy arrived. Gazing at her, he lamented, "Such a vast Dantian, boundless as the ocean; such a dense soul, imposing as Mount Tai! If this girl embarks on the path of cultivation, she will surely soar to the heavens and become the foremost individual of her era. I wish to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?"

Everyone present was shocked. The visitor was from the orthodox lineage of the Martial God Academy—the true line of the Martial God himself. He had achieved the Realm of Divine King many years ago, and his strength was unfathomable. Usually, he roamed the continent, as elusive as a divine dragon, rarely glimpsed. It was unthinkable that upon arriving at the Great Zhou Imperial City and seeing Zi Ji, his first words would be an offer to take her as his disciple. Everyone in the Imperial City was astounded. The faces of those in the imperial harem turned pale.

The delighted Emperor asked, "Zi Ji, are you willing?"

However, Zi Ji merely shook her head without speaking.

The Divine King expressed his regret. After waiting for several days and seeing no change of her mind, he hastily departed. Before leaving, he told the Emperor, "If she ever wishes to join the Martial God lineage, she can come to the Martial God Academy to find me."

When the news spread, the entire world was shaken. This was especially true for the Martial God lineage. They firmly believed in their esteemed elder's judgment. From that moment on, they began to consider Zi Ji their own Junior Sister, assuming she had refused the elder because she was still young and did not yet understand the profound significance of the title 'Martial God.' They believed that once she was older, she would naturally join the Martial God lineage.

Three years passed.

When Zi Ji was nine, the Tianxuan Saintess traveled from afar. The Great Zhou Imperial City was once again thrown into a commotion. Numerous young geniuses, including several Princes, emerged, hoping to catch her attention, but the Saintess's gaze was fixed solely on Zi Ji. Upon seeing the girl, she asked, "Are you willing to take me as your master?"

Everyone was shocked once more.

On the vast and boundless land, young talents were countless, as numerous as hairs on an ox, but few were truly memorable. The Saintess was one such individual. Even in her early years, she had displayed astonishing talent. At the age of nine, she had opened her Dantian. Her Dantian surged like ocean waves, her soul emitted a radiant light, and her divine aura was exceptionally potent.

Many powerhouses speculated that she bore a Reincarnation Mark, making her very likely the reincarnation of an unparalleled expert from a past era. Facts later proved their speculations correct. In her subsequent cultivation, the Saintess consistently displayed an invincible demeanor. No matter how powerful her opponents were, they could never shake her in the slightest. At the age of twenty, while still in the late stage of the Supreme Mystery Realm, she was able to slay King Tao experts.

After that battle, the Saintess achieved Divine Enthronement. The following year, she entered the King Tao realm. Although she had not made a public move since then, no one doubted her strength. On the contrary, as time passed, she projected an increasingly formidable and unfathomable aura.

No one had imagined that the Saintess's first words upon entering the Great Zhou Imperial City would be an offer to take Zi Ji as her disciple.

People exclaimed in awe, "If Zi Ji becomes the Saintess's disciple, her future achievements will surely surpass even those possible within the Martial God lineage!" After all, she was the Saintess, backed by an entire Sacred Land.

But Zi Ji still shook her head.

Unable to hold back, someone in the crowd asked, "Why?"

Rejecting the Martial God lineage was one thing; perhaps the Martial God's cultivation path isn't suitable for a woman, some mused. But to reject even the Saintess...

Everyone was astonished, staring intently at Zi Ji, eager to hear her explanation.

Yet, Zi Ji remained silent.

The Emperor above was also extremely anxious, thinking, My dear daughter, why must you refuse the Saintess?

The women of the imperial harem each revealed subtle smiles. The imperial court officials were collectively speechless. She had rejected two precious opportunities in a row. Could it be that she truly is a fool? they wondered. Of course, she was not.

The perplexed Saintess asked, "In the Central Continent, my Sacred Land is revered above all. Its heritage, foundation, and strength are sufficient to overwhelm any other power on this land. Why do you refuse?"

She was a peerless beauty, her elegance unmatched. Every frown and smile from her was like a hundred flowers blooming in unison, causing heaven and earth to dim in comparison. Throughout her past cultivation, she had never shown a hint of emotion, exuding a sense of seasoned maturity, calm as still water, composed, and steady. In this, she was very similar to Zi Ji.

But now, she genuinely could not understand—why would Zi Ji refuse her? To cultivate in the Sacred Land is the dream of tens of millions of cultivators. To become my disciple is an unattainable dream for countless individuals. Generally, I do not accept disciples. Yet, I came here alone, disregarding worldly opinions, and openly declared my intention to take you as my disciple, only for you to refuse. I simply do not understand.