My Xianxia Harem Life

”Is that… who I think it is?”

”But that’s impossible!”

”We must be going crazy.”

”That’s Riley fucking Mason!”

The disciples gathered around the sect looked up in awe as Riley descended from the sky, landing in front of the Scripture Pavilion with an air of absolute grace and skill.

His arrival was nothing short of spectacular.

The sect had been mocking him for years, and now, here he was, exuding an overwhelming presence that made everyone question what they thought they knew about him.

No one dared to approach him immediately. The fact that he had arrived without the use of a flying sword, instead soaring through the sky on his own power, meant only one thing: he was likely already in the Golden Core Realm.

That was a level of cultivation no one had expected him to reach so quickly. The former ”trash” had now surpassed them all, becoming a senior in cultivation.

It would be a grave offense to speak first to someone of higher rank, especially without being spoken to. The disciples could only murmur amongst themselves, eyes wide with disbelief.

”Ohoh…”

An old man stood guard at the entrance to the Scripture Pavilion, a thick cigar dangling from his lips as he watched Riley land. His eyes widened with shock.

Just yesterday, Riley had been in the Body Refinement Realm. Now, he had achieved something far beyond that.

This could only mean one thing: the sect master must have used precious resources to elevate the boy’s cultivation. It was the only explanation for the drastic change.

The old man’s suspicions were confirmed when he saw the powerful, youthful aura emanating from Riley.

”You’ve created a miracle, fellow daoist,” the old man said, his voice tinged with admiration.

”Congratulations on breaking through so many realms in just one night. The sect master must really care for you a lot.” He added the last part with a subtle jab, though his tone remained respectful.

This was no longer the naive boy stuck in the 5th Stage Body Refinement Realm—this was a rising powerhouse, now standing on equal footing with his own realm.

Riley smiled lightly.

”Thank you, Elder William. The sect master truly knows how to care for his juniors.” He paused, then continued, ”I wish to read in the second floor of the pavilion.”

Elder William nodded.

”You may, but be aware that, now that you’ve entered the Golden Core Realm, your status must change as well. You’re eligible to become one of the sect’s elders. However…” He eyed Riley’s Golden Phoenix mantle with a thoughtful look.

”Since you’re wearing that today, we should wait for the sect master’s decision. In the end, his words will always be obeyed here.”

”I understand, Elder William,” Riley said with a respectful nod.

”I’ll wait for the sect master’s decision, but for now, I still have much to learn.”

With that, Riley turned and ascended the stairs to the second floor of the pavilion. The disciples around him were still buzzing with shock, their whispers filled with awe and speculation.

They craned their necks, eager to overhear every word of the conversation.

But Riley wasn’t concerned about them. He had already ascended to a level where he could shape his future, not just within this sect, but perhaps even beyond its walls.

A dragon does not trouble itself with the struggles of ants, after all.

After Riley ascended to the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion, the entire sect was filled with a mix of disbelief, envy, and whispers.

Disciples couldn’t help but talk about him, their eyes full of admiration and curiosity.

They had witnessed Riley’s transformation from the most ridiculed disciple in the sect to someone who could now easily surpass them all.

The elders, however, were not as enthusiastic.

They seethed with anger, their faces contorted in frustration. How could the sect master waste so many precious resources on someone like Riley, who had once been nothing but a young trash disciple?

The sect master should have bestowed such resources upon one of the prodigies among the core disciples instead!

”That fool!” one elder spat, shaking his head in disbelief.

”He must be afraid that someone will break through to the Nascent Soul Realm and threaten his hold on the sect,” another elder grumbled, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

”Perhaps,” a third elder murmured thoughtfully.

”But what can we do? All of us are still in the Golden Core Realm. Even combined, we wouldn’t stand a chance against the sect master. We have to accept that we’re powerless.”

A heavy silence fell over the group of elders. Their resentment simmered beneath the surface, but they knew they were trapped in their positions.

The sect master had power that far surpassed theirs as he was already in the Nascent Soul Realm, and they were unable to challenge him directly.

But one elder, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up, his voice laced with cunning.

”Hmmm… we may be helpless, but there is someone who could act on our behalf,” he said, his eyes gleaming with a hidden agenda.

The others turned to him, their expressions curious.

”You mean his d…?” one elder asked, trailing off as realization dawned upon them.

”Yes,” the elder replied with a nod.

”I’ll send a message at once.”

The elders’ meeting ended shortly after, their minds preoccupied with the plan they had set in motion. It was a long shot, but it was the only option they had left.

Meanwhile, Riley had no interest in the plotting of the elders. He was lost in the vast sea of knowledge within the Scripture Pavilion.

His hunger for information was insatiable, and he quickly dove into the texts, studying them with a fervor he hadn’t known before.

His first focus was the dangers of cultivating to the Void Tribulation Realm.

The more he read, the more he realized how precarious this stage of cultivation was, where even the slightest misstep could lead to disaster.

But his curiosity didn’t stop there—he then searched for anything beyond the Void Tribulation Realm, hoping for insight into the realms that lay after.

To his surprise, he found nothing. The texts seemed to stop at the Void Tribulation Realm. It was as though there was no path beyond it, or perhaps such knowledge was deliberately hidden.

Riley felt a sense of frustration rise within him as he skimmed through countless pages, but there was nothing more to uncover.

The Void Tribulation Realm was where every cultivator’s journey seemed to end, and beyond that, there was no trace of further realms.

He spent the next three hours devouring the records, learning everything he could. Time passed in a blur as his mind absorbed information faster than he could comprehend it.

His body ached in boredom, but his thirst for knowledge was stronger than any physical fatigue. Just as he was about to lose himself entirely in the endless books, a sudden voice broke through his concentration.

”Is that really you, Riley?”

The voice was soft, melodic, and unmistakably feminine. It sounded as though it had come from nowhere and everywhere at once, filling the space around him with an inexplicable warmth.

Riley’s concentration snapped. His brow furrowed in surprise as he turned toward the sound, his thoughts racing. He had been so absorbed in his studies that he hadn’t noticed anyone enter.

Standing before him was a woman, her beauty undeniable. She had an air of elegance and grace, and her features were delicate yet striking.

Her eyes glimmered with recognition, but there was also a hint of disbelief, as though she, too, had trouble believing what she was seeing.

”Ava?” Riley gasped in realization, finally placing the woman’s face from the fragmented memories he had assimilated from the original owner of this body.