I Became Love Rivals with My Beloved GL - Chapter 1

White clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and lush green grass stretched beneath. Wind chimes beneath the eaves jingled melodiously, as if providing a musical accompaniment for the youths seated under the roof. Fresh-faced young disciples, dressed uniformly in emerald-green robes, gathered together boys and girls alike chattering excitedly about matters of the cultivation world.

A male disciple exclaimed, “The Sect Master of Xianmeng Sect is holding a matrimonial ceremony!”

Su Ling Yu, the Sect Master of Xianmeng, was a renowned figure in their cultivation world for two reasons. First, her mastery of magic was unparalleled. She had become a sect leader at the tender age of twenty, and now, her position in the cultivation world was unshakable. Second, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Anyone who had ever laid eyes on her was inevitably struck by her stunning appearance.

For such a legendary beauty and formidable sect master to hold a matrimonial ceremony. This naturally sparked their curiosity. Just what kind of person could possibly win the heart of Su Ling Yu, a flower blooming at the pinnacle of life?

A female disciple asked, “Is the Xianmeng Sect Master that exceptionally beautiful one?”

The male disciple confirmed it was so.

The girl’s eyes flickered, glancing in a certain direction before asking in a peculiar tone, “Is she even more beautiful than our Yingzhen shimei?”

Hearing this, the male disciple also looked in the same direction, his cheeks instantly flushing red. After a long pause, he stammered shyly, “The Xianmeng Sect Master is of such lofty status. How could I have ever seen her? But I believe when our Yingzhen shimei grows to the Sect Master’s age, she’ll surely be even more beautiful!”

The female disciple snorted at his expression and said mockingly, “Oh, so that’s what you call beautiful.”

A young maiden who had been meditating to regulate her spiritual energy slowly opened her eyes, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Her naturally rosy lips parted slightly as she calmly asked, “Mu shijie, do you really enjoy asking others whether I’m beautiful or not?”

She turned around slowly, her eyes clear and bright, sparkling with an allure that could steal one’s breath away. In her presence, every other disciple in the room instantly paled into insignificance.

This wasn’t the first time she had encountered such a situation. This Mu shijie loved asking the male disciples whether Yingzhen was beautiful. If they answered yes, she would respond with strange laughter and remarks, dripping with disdain. Whenever gossip about some great beauty arose, she would drag Yingzhen into the comparison, as if she wouldn’t be satisfied unless she could belittle her.

Yingzhen herself found it utterly exhausting and the more she heard, the more it made her want to snap.

—Oh, for heaven’s sake, Mu, get a grip! I’m playing the role of a peerless beauty here, universally adored! My face is drop-dead gorgeous, okay? If you’re not happy about it, why don’t you try transmigrating too?!

Yingzhen gazed at her and said, “Mu shijie, if you already have an answer in mind, there’s no need to ask. It’s just a waste of time.”

She turned away again and sighed softly. “No wonder Mu shijie’s cultivation hasn’t progressed, turns out all her time is spent on this. What a pity.”

Mu Qian’s throat tightened. Indeed, among their generation, none could match Yingzhen in cultivation. Though they were her senior martial siblings, she had long since left them far behind, to the point where even the elders urged them to learn from her.

Beautiful, talented, and favored by the elders. Was it any wonder Mu Qian gritted her teeth in resentment?

Fortunately, Yingzhen had one area where she couldn’t compare to them, family background. When she joined the Cangnan Sect, she had introduced herself as Yingzhen from an ordinary family, with no powerful clan backing her. Among these disciples from prestigious noble families, her status was naturally diminished.

No matter how talented she was, she was just a girl from a common family—short-sighted, what great achievements could she possibly have? The highest she could ever aspire to was probably just winning the favor of the Cangnan Sect’s elders.

Thinking of this, Mu Qian finally felt a little better and smirked mockingly, “Though Junior Sister Yingzhen is skilled in cultivation, she hasn’t had much chance to see the wider world. That truly pains this senior sister.”

Yingzhen smiled faintly in response.

The wider world? Have you ever experienced transmigration? I could scare you to death if I told you!

Yingzhen replied, “Oh? Senior Sister has had the chance to see the wider world? Then, will Senior Sister have the opportunity to attend the grand wedding ceremony of the Immortal Dream Sect’s leader?”

Under the gaze of so many onlookers, Senior Sister Mu couldn’t back down and lifted her chin haughtily. “Of course! The Mu family is a renowned noble house. The Immortal Dream Sect’s leader will surely send an invitation to my father. And since my father dotes on me so much, he will definitely take me along.”

“The Mu family, a renowned noble house?” Yingzhen turned to look at her again.

In this world, only a handful of families truly commanded respect as prestigious noble houses. The Tianquan Qu Clan being one of them. The Mu family was merely a minor household clinging to the Qu Clan’s powerful influence. Without the Qu Clan, they were nothing.

With such a fragile connection, one that could snap at any moment, how dare she boast like this? Wasn’t she afraid there might be someone from the Qu Clan present?

Mu Qian felt uneasy under Yingzhen’s piercing gaze, but for the sake of pride, she stiffened her neck and declared arrogantly, “Yes, what of it? Are you jealous?”

“Not at all. As long as Senior Sister is happy. Someday, I’ll come back and ask you who is more beautiful, me or the Immortal Dream Sect’s leader.” Yingzhen smiled faintly and stood up.

A male disciple, seeing Yingzhen about to leave, asked worriedly, “Junior Sister Yingzhen, where are you going?”

Yingzhen paused but didn’t turn back. “Home.”

Yingzhen returned home every five months, but this time was different. She likely wouldn’t return to the Cangnan Sect again, as her training period had come to an end.

When she left, several elders who had always treated her kindly and taught her wholeheartedly came to see her off. Behind them, many disciples peeked out from behind the heavy vermilion gates, including Mu Qian.

Finally, that eyesore was leaving the Cangnan Sect. Once Yingzhen was gone, those male disciples would finally notice her, Mu Qian. She was so thrilled she could set off firecrackers!

The elders were all regretful about Yingzhen’s departure. One female elder stepped forward and took her hand, saying, “My dear disciple, why not stay? You can come and go as you please in the future, no need to abide by the five-month rule anymore. What do you say?”

Yingzhen smiled back at her. “Elder Shuiru, even if I’m not at the Cangnan Sect, I will always be its disciple and the student of all the elders. Don’t worry, I’ll visit often.”

Elder Shuiru gazed at her with tender eyes and gently patted her head. Elder Muhe, standing beside her, reached out and tapped Elder Shuiru’s hand. “Let go already. If your dear disciple wants to leave, can you really hold her back?”

Elder Shuiru shot him a fierce glare before turning her gentle gaze back to Yingzhen. “How about I visit your parents and talk to them?”

Yingzhen was taken aback. “…My parents have already passed away. I only have an older sister and brother at home.”

Elder Shuiru exchanged an awkward glance with Elder Muhe and quickly said, “Master didn’t mean to bring up painful memories. Uh… I never asked before, where is your home?”

Yingzhen lifted her eyes and smiled faintly.

“Disciple is from the Qu Clan of Tianquan.”

At that moment, over a dozen black-clad figures descended from the sky on flying swords, landing in unison before standing respectfully in formation. The last to arrive was an extravagant chariot drawn by celestial horses. The driver was a tall, burly man dressed in black martial attire, with golden flames embroidered at the collar, the unmistakable emblem of the Qu Clan.

The man stepped forward, looking at Yingzhen’s back, and bowed deeply. “This subordinate is late. Please forgive this offense, Third Miss.”

Third Miss?

The crowd paused to think. Aside from his younger brother, the Qu Clan’s head did indeed have a younger sister, though she had always kept a low profile and rarely appeared in public.

Elder Shuiru looked at Yingzhen in astonishment. “Dear disciple, is the Qu Clan’s head your…?”

Mu Qian had already panicked the moment she saw the Qu Clan’s emblem. She couldn’t bear to listen further, frantically trying to hide in the crowd. She was terrified Yingzhen—no, Qu Pan Yan would notice her, and even more afraid of what she might say next.

But it was too late. She heard it—the answer, crystal clear.

“She is indeed my elder sister.”

Mu Qian froze, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her head, chilling her to the bone. What had she done before? How could she have offended Yingzhen—no, Qu Pan Yan?!

“Senior Sister Mu.” Qu Pan Yan’s voice rang out behind her, laced with amusement. Mu Qian didn’t dare turn around, only hearing her say leisurely, “We’ll meet again if fate allows.”

…

Tianquan earned its name from the perpetual sea of azure clouds that swirled around it, creating an ethereal, heavenly atmosphere. The Qu Clan stood proudly amidst this boundless mist, its exquisite pavilions rising from the earth, adorned with intricate carvings and golden splendor, exuding grandeur at every turn.

When Qu Pan Yan returned to the Qu Clan, her elder sister—the clan head, Qu Muqiu was in the middle of receiving a guest. Normally, Qu Pan Yan wouldn’t have cared to ask who her sister was meeting, but today was different.

Because they had been talking for so long! She was waiting for them to finish so she could finally catch up with her sister after so much time apart!

Outside the reception hall stood an ancient thousand-year-old tree, its thick branches supporting an ornately carved swing. Qu Pan Yan sat there, swaying gently.

Qu Pan Yan asked, “Yan Wu, Sister has been talking for ages. Who’s the honored guest inside?”

The man who had escorted her back replied promptly, “It’s the Sect Master of Xianmeng. She came to deliver an invitation to the Clan Head.”

Ah… so it was the Sect Master of Xianmeng. Su Ling Yu and Qu Muqiu had been close friends for years. It wasn’t surprising that she would personally deliver the invitation or that they would talk for so long.

Girls always have plenty to talk about. Back in the real world, she could chat with her best friends for hours on end, never worrying about running out of topics. Because with your closest friends, conversations naturally flow one after another.

That said, although Su Ling Yu had a good relationship with her sister, she had never actually met Su Ling Yu before. Suddenly recalling the gossip from the Cangnan Sect disciples before she returned, she grew a little curious about Su Ling Yu’s appearance.

Qu Pan Yan’s gaze followed the stone steps upward, pausing at the grand entrance of the hall as she absentmindedly swung on the swing.

As she swayed back and forth, a dark shadow flashed before her eyes, and the next second, she collided headfirst into Yan Wu’s sturdy back, leaving her completely dazed.

Yan Wu’s deep voice rang out toward the front, “Young Master An, it is highly improper to stare at our Third Miss like this.”

Young Master An? Qu Pan Yan had heard of this title wasn’t he supposed to become Su Ling Yu’s cultivation partner?

Her curiosity piqued, Qu Pan Yan peeked half her head out from behind Yan Wu to size up the man opposite them, only to withdraw her gaze almost immediately, unimpressed.

Average. Not even half as good-looking as her brother, Qu Changye.

An Cheng, seeing those bright eyes glance at him before retreating, couldn’t help but break into a smile. He raised his hands in a respectful salute and said, “My apologies for the impropriety. I beg the Third Miss’s forgiveness.”

Before Qu Pan Yan could respond, a gentle voice called out from the hall entrance, “Yan’er is back? Come quickly and greet your Ling Yu sister.”

The next moment, a tall figure slowly emerged from the hall. With just one glance, Qu Pan Yan froze.

In that instant, it was as if spring had arrived, the east wind blowing gently. Qu Pan Yan felt as though she could see a hundred flowers blooming in full splendor behind the woman yet none could steal even a fraction of her radiance. Instead, they only served to highlight her beauty.

Qu Pan Yan thought, setting aside her own body’s appearance, Su Ling Yu was truly stunning more beautiful than any woman she had ever seen before, like a celestial maiden descending to the mortal realm. The world had not lied to her Su Ling Yu’s beauty was something anyone who saw her would praise.

Qu Pan Yan sat dumbfounded on the swing. She had been in this world for over twenty years, and ever since learning about her “universally adored, peerless beauty” buff akin to a Mary Sue protagonist. She hadn’t paid much attention to others’ looks. After all, no one could be more beautiful than her current body.

At the same time, her heart had remained as still as a dried-up well, undisturbed by ripples. Because unlike a typical Mary Sue protagonist, her buff had one key difference. Men with strong wills or unwavering devotion to their loved ones were immune to its effects. Thus, any man who fell under its spell couldn’t give her a sense of security.

She had assumed she would remain single for the rest of her life under this buff, but she never expected everything to change today.

The dormant deer in Qu Pan Yan’s heart suddenly awoke, its antlers ramming wildly against her chest, refusing to settle down.

Oh no.

She clutched her chest.

This feeling… it’s love…

Instinctively, she glanced at Su Ling Yu’s future cultivation partner, Young Master An.

But the deer that had been prancing around just a second ago immediately dropped dead on the spot.

Damn it, this love came and went way too fast…