The chirping of birds stirred Lauren awake. She blinked against the sudden blaze of sunlight and instinctively raised her arms to shield her eyes.
Warmth poured over her.
The sun.
She froze for a heartbeat, then her lips broke into a grin. She was out. She had escaped—and not a single bolt of lightning had struck her down.
Joy surged through her chest. She stared up at the endless blue sky, the drifting clouds, and burst out laughing.
She’d done it. She had actually won.
Hahaha! The battle between the time traveler and the so-called heroine was over. Indiana was dead—slain at the very beginning. From now on, she would be the heroine of this life.
“Fourth Miss? Fourth Miss, is that you?”
Lauren looked up to see a young girl sprinting toward her. She blinked. Uma?
The little maid had grown into a young woman over these three years.
“Uma, it’s me.”
“It really is you!” Uma’s eyes welled as she cried out, her voice trembling. “Thank heavens, you’re alive.” She turned and shouted, “Wolfe! Eli! The Fourth Young Lady has returned!”
An older servant rushed forward, face flushed with relief. “Truly? Oh, this is wonderful. Fourth Young Lady, I have waited here three years for this day.”
“Quickly,” Uma urged, “tell Grandpa the news!”
Lauren’s heart warmed as she pieced it together.
When her grandfather had returned, he had stationed the servants to guard this place—every single day for three years. Because the Sky-Covering Valley was known as a place of no return, where those who entered never came out.
But she had told him, before stepping in, that she would return in three years. And he had believed her.
When the news reached Preston, he came in person. He had kept to seclusion, quietly counting the days, waiting for this moment.
The instant he saw his granddaughter, his composure broke. Tears streaked down his weathered face. “Good. You’re safe. You made it out.”
He pulled her to the side, his expression turning solemn. “Lauren, from the moment you defied the heavens, I knew your life would never be ordinary. You can’t return to Mistvale. Surviving the Sky-Covering Valley will shake the entire cultivation world. Our little home is too small to contain what’s coming for you. You must fly to a wider sky.”
He drew out a sealed letter and pressed it into her hands. “This is a letter of introduction I secured through my connections. Take it to Hogwarts—find Jack, the owner of the Hogwarts Alchemy Shop, and give him this letter. He will recommend you for this year’s Ascension Conference.”
In other words, she couldn’t go home. Not yet.
Back then, Indiana had only returned to Mistvale after she had grown powerful and wealthy enough to exact revenge. She hadn’t just toppled the Evercrest family—she had crushed Mistvale itself, drowning it in blood.
So be it. Lauren didn’t need to go back now. One day, she would return—on her own terms.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“Alright, Grandpa. I’ll listen.”
She then drew out the inheritance Tyler had left her—the Alchemy Sect’s knowledge. She copied the simple refining methods for common Grade Three and lower elixirs onto a jade slip and handed it to Preston.
In a remote place like Mistvale, giving them something too rare or advanced would only attract the greed of stronger sects. But recipes for everyday elixirs? Those would fill the Evercrest family’s gap in alchemy and keep them firmly at the top of Mistvale.
Preston’s eyes widened. “Where did you get this?”
Lauren only smiled. “Grandpa, didn’t you say it yourself? From the moment I defied the heavens, my life was destined to be extraordinary.”
Preston barked out a laugh, full of pride. “That’s right. That’s exactly right. If this is the case, then I have nothing more to fear for you.” He handed her a storage pouch. “Take this. Be careful on your journey.”
Inside were some spirit stones, but mostly the Evercrest family’s finest talismans.
Lauren accepted them without protest. After all, she would need everything she could carry. With a deep bow, she said her goodbyes, then turned and left.
Prague, the nearest city with a teleportation array, was still hundreds of miles away. Taking advantage of the night, Lauren chose a secluded route and used her flying boat. Walking—or even riding the talisman lion—would’ve been far too slow. If she missed the Hogwarts Ascension Conference, it would be a nightmare.
The boat cut through the sky like an arrow, covering the distance in just one night.
Once she reached Prague, she went straight to the teleportation hall marked on her map.
“Excuse me, I’m going to Hogwarts. How long will it take?”
The attendant didn’t even look up. “Today’s transfer is already full. You can pay the deposit, register, and come back tomorrow.”
“What?” Lauren blinked. I need to make an appointment?
Then it hit her—the Ascension Conference was about to begin. Of course the place was packed.
.......
Prague might be better off than Mistvale, but it was still a backwater. Its teleportation array was weak—long-distance transfers could only take ten people at a time.
Lauren sighed, paid the deposit, and received a jade token before leaving.
The demand for the array meant the inns nearby were overflowing. She searched three before finally finding one with a single vacant room.
“Miss,” the innkeeper said eagerly, “we’ve got the finest spirit beast meat tonight. Would you like a serving?”
“No thanks.”
Lauren headed straight upstairs.
She’d read enough books to know the cultivation world was steeped in darkness. For a young woman traveling alone, every unnecessary interaction was a risk. Even food was a danger—too easy to tamper with.
A sip of Flower Wife’s flower dew was enough to keep her full for ten days anyway. And the fewer worldly meals she consumed, the fewer impurities would accumulate in her body. Win-win.
Inside her room, she sealed the door with a talisman to guard against spying cultivators, then sat cross-legged on the bed. One by one, she took out the gifts she’d carried from the Sky-Covering Valley.
First was the little sword Devourer had given her—ice-blue, delicate, beautiful. But a chip marred the blade.
A pity.
She set it aside.
Next came the butcher’s weapon. Ugly as sin, but sharp enough to terrify. She tested it by laying a strand of her hair on the edge—the hair snapped in two the instant it touched the blade. Combined with the sword manual he’d given her, it would do well enough as a temporary self-defense weapon.
Then there was the formation disk Jaxon and Cade had pressed into her hands. She’d known from the beginning it was no ordinary item, but she’d never had the time to study it properly.
Now, sitting in silence, she probed it carefully. A faint chill spread through her fingers, seeping into her bones. Her eyes widened.
“This… this is a domain?”
Domains were the stuff of legends—abilities cultivated only by the strongest. Mutated spirit roots often birthed them, though some who pushed a single root to the absolute extreme could as well.
Drake of the Thunder Sect, the most feared man in the entire cultivation world, was said to wield a thunder domain. When he activated it, everything within range was reduced to ash by his lightning.
Domains weren’t just flashy powers—they were decisive. If two cultivators of the same level fought, the one with a domain gained the strength of a higher realm within it, while their opponent would be suppressed by a full realm. That one difference often decided life and death.
Lauren turned the icy disk over in her hand, her mind racing. She had never even heard of someone fusing a domain into a formation disk.
In the original story, Indiana had entered the Sky-Covering Valley too—but she hadn’t received this treasure.
Did they give it to me because of my mutated ice root?
She shook her head. Doesn’t matter. Best not to overthink it.
Still, she couldn’t help but smile faintly. If paired with the Hidden Spirit Talisman, this thing would let her impersonate a powerhouse. Sometimes, bluffing could save your life as surely as a sword.
