After her illness, the girls who knew Nian Yao noticed a change in her. She was no longer withdrawn, nor as sharp-tongued as she had been recently. Instead, a gentle warmth cloaked her, and though she didn't draw attention to herself, she revealed a sharp intelligence at crucial moments. The instructors who taught them quickly took note of Yao Ji. Just as the previous instructor had said, Yao Ji's features were striking among the girls. She was intelligent, and though stubborn, now that she had tempered her pride, her composed demeanor was even more captivating.

Soon, the insults directed at Yao Ji lessened, replaced by increasingly intense training. Every three months, after an assessment, the number of girls dwindled. The instructors said those who failed were eliminated. Where they went, the others didn't know. Yao Ji knew, but the thought was too painful to bear.

This fueled her determination. She endured every hardship, every pain. She not only wanted to survive but to escape Green Abyss Valley and find him.

Eleven years seemed like a long time, yet looking back, it felt like a fleeting moment. Now, only thirty remained from the hundreds of girls. These thirty were the elite, their beauty, willpower, intelligence, and martial arts skills unparalleled.

They wore the finest silks and satins, adorned themselves with exquisite cosmetics, and mastered the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Presented to the outside world, anyone would mistake them for noble ladies from prestigious families, not orphaned girls trapped and manipulated in Green Abyss Valley.

They weren't even considered disciples of the Boundless Sea Pavilion. They didn't address each other as sisters, and the instructors called them simply "girls." Yao Ji, with the wisdom of her past life, couldn't help but wonder: what did the master of Boundless Sea Pavilion hope to gain by investing such immense resources in their training?

Beyond the usual scholarly and martial arts, they were also taught medicine, toxicology, and even… Yao Ji's eyes darkened… even er0tic arts.

And these er0tic arts were the subject of the final assessment.

Eleven years of harsh treatment would have left any ordinary girl terrified of the Boundless Sea Pavilion and its power over their lives, unwilling to resist in the slightest. But Yao Ji was different. Her spirit remained unbroken, just as it had always been. While she adapted to her circumstances, she never allowed herself to be completely subdued.

So, as she thought about the assessment that awaited her inside the chamber, while the others were numb, she still felt a deep sense of shame.

But this humiliation had to be endured. Her name, Nian Yao, was called from the roster. She suppressed her shame and anger, smoothed her sleeves, and gracefully entered.

Inside, several large night-glowing pearls illuminated the chamber, revealing every detail. A canopied bed stood in the center, its sheets freshly changed, the faint scent of a woman's perfume lingering in the air. Yao Ji lowered her head as she approached the bed. Instructed to look up, she tilted her face slightly, only to find a man in blue robes seated on a jade throne facing the bed.

Her heart skipped a beat. The man was strikingly handsome, but his expression was cold. The instructor spoke, "Quickly, greet the Young Master."

In the entire Boundless Sea Pavilion, only one person was addressed as Young Master: the master of Boundless Sea Pavilion himself, known in the Jianghu as "Eastern Monarch," Ye Chonglou.