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But he quickly came to his senses. His face darkened as he looked around. "Can all of you hear that voice?"

Everyone exchanged glances and nodded.

The sect master knitted his brows. "Who could be doing this? They can transmit their voice across such a wide area, and they sound like a little girl. That other voice is strange, too. I've never heard anything like it."

Just then, the voice sounded again.

[System, I really don't get what these immortals are doing. Why did they all suddenly scatter? Is an enemy coming? Then I'd better run. When gods fight, mortals suffer. My little body can't take that.]

Well, that was awkward.

The way they had suddenly sprung up, seeing enemies in every rustle of grass and bracing for battle, had indeed been rather strange.

The disciples below had stopped moving, too. They stared up at them, dumbstruck, some bewildered and others frightened.

They might not know what the immortals were doing, but the immortals surely had their reasons.

The system's mechanical voice was kind of cute.

[Nope. I checked. Everything around us is safe. There aren't even any powerful spirit beasts.]

[But, Host, has your Mind Reading cheat activated yet? I spent points to unlock it for you. Hurry and see if you can hear the heroine's and the male leads' thoughts. We've got to survive until the ending, at least.]

Li Zi had transmigrated here.

She had landed in an idiotic xianxia reverse-harem novel.

In this world, everyone had love on the brain.

After the heroine, Ran Zirou, entered the Spirit Sword Sect, she became everyone's darling.

Every senior brother fell in love with her. They gave her every spiritual treasure and magical artifact they had to help her cultivate, fought one another over her, and even destroyed their own paths to immortality for her sake.

From princes in the mortal realm to the Demon Lord and the Buddha's chosen one, all fell at her feet.

And she, Li Zi, was nothing more than an ordinary vicious supporting character in this story.

Her part existed only in the novel's early chapters. Her sole purpose was to give Ran Zirou the Myriad Flower Divine Bone.

In the novel, Li Zi had abysmal talent for cultivation. Ran Zirou had dragged her into the sect in tears, where she became an ordinary outer disciple.

Ostracized and insulted within the sect, she had gradually grown bitter. Jealous of all the care Ran Zirou received from men, she had tried every way she could to make Ran Zirou's life difficult.

During one training expedition, Li Zi successfully cleansed her marrow and awakened the Myriad Flower Divine Bone, a supreme Root Bone for cultivation.

But after she returned to the sect, Ran Zirou egged on the inner disciples to carve her Root Bone out of her body. They then tossed her into the Ten Thousand Beast Cave, where spirit beasts tore her apart and devoured her.

The thought of that ending sent an involuntary shiver through Li Zi.

Growing anxious, she said, [It's not working. I can't hear anyone's thoughts. Is this thing broken?]

Even the static in the system's voice turned a little unsteady. [It shouldn't be. Anything the system produces works perfectly. My hand slipped earlier, though, so I might have tapped the wrong thing. But... it clearly says Mind Reading is active.]

Li Zi asked, [What does this level restriction mean? Golden Core stage and above?]

The system said, [Dunno.]

Li Zi said, [How do you not know anything?]

The system said, [I just started this job. I'm still learning the ropes.]

At that, the elders and powerful cultivators felt somewhat reassured.

So it was Mind Reading.

Some rare technique, most likely.

They still did not know who was speaking, but at least they could be sure they were in no danger.

After all, a host and system who could not even use a technique properly did not seem particularly bright. They were nothing to fear.

Those two blockheads had used Mind Reading backward, hadn't they?

Everyone could hear their conversation.

Golden Core stage and above?

They looked at one another.

Now they understood.

It meant cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above could hear her thoughts.

Since she was not an enemy, they all returned to their places.

The sect master swept out a hand, signaling the disciples below to continue the competition.

The elders' stern gazes swept over the crowd. They were determined to find the girl whose thoughts would not stop chattering.

Li Zi was so anxious she could have run in circles. [Little System, I really think I'm doomed. I can't stand another day in the cultivation world. Why don't we go to the palace in the mortal realm? You're a gossip system. As long as there's gossip, you get energy and points. The palace must be full of it. We could live it up there. What do you say?]

The system had failed her, and even its mechanical voice sounded a little glum.

[We can, Host. We can go anywhere. But we know the plot in advance, so perhaps we could save the Spirit Sword Sect and become revered by thousands. I'd still rather cultivate immortality. The longer we live, the more gossip we get to enjoy.]

[Oh, give it a rest. As long as Ran Zirou is here, the whole sect will revolve around her. From the elders and sect master down to every senior brother, they'll fight tooth and nail for one night of passion with her. If I stay, won't I just be cannon fodder?]

The elders on the dais could not help exchanging glances before hastily looking away.

Was she serious?

They were centuries-old fossils. They were going to fight over a woman?

What would become of their dignity?

The second elder was the first to lose his composure and immediately defended himself.

"As you all know, I've had someone I adore for over two hundred years! How could I do something so disgraceful over a female disciple? That little wretch is spouting utter nonsense! Once I find her, I'll punish her severely!"

The next instant, he heard the system's voice.

[Host, speaking of nights of passion, there's another juicy story in the Spirit Sword Sect. It's about the second elder.]

Li Zi rose onto her tiptoes and peered up at the dais.

[Which one is the second elder? There's a whole bunch of old men up there.]

The system said, [The one with the gaudy red belt around his waist.]

The second elder jolted, his entire body going rigid.

Dozens of scrutinizing gazes landed on him.

Everyone studied the red belt around his waist with knowing looks.

That damned thing!

Why did it have to start digging up gossip about him now?