Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 1

Boom!

A thundercloud crashed violently against the faintly yellow protective barrier.

The sheer force of the strike shattered Song Cheng’s defenses, causing her to lose her balance and lurch to the left.

She braced herself with one hand on the ground, gazing up at the dark clouds overhead as she wiped the bl00d from the corner of her mouth with her other hand. “Is that all you’ve got?” she taunted. “This is barely a tickle.”

Before the words had even left her lips, a thundercloud nearly ten feet thick slammed down.

Without giving Song Cheng time to react, the cloud shattered her weakened barrier and plunged straight toward her.

She immediately channeled her true qi to resist.

“Eldest Senior Sister, this is the final tribulation! Once you succeed, you’ll be the youngest cultivator in our Sword Sect to reach the Transformation Stage!”

“Something’s wrong… Eldest Senior Sister can’t hold out much longer! Where’s Master? How much longer until he arrives?”

The thundercloud’s power was overwhelming. Within moments, Song Cheng’s defenses crumbled. Her dissipating Nascent Soul whispered that she would soon join the ranks of those who had perished beneath the thunder tribulation.

A glance at her Junior Brothers and Sisters, their faces etched with worry hundreds of meters away, steeled her resolve. I am the Eldest Senior Sister, she thought. I won’t let them see me fail.

She gritted her teeth and mustered all her strength to resist the Thundercloud, which was pressing down on her with suffocating force.

The Thundercloud seemed determined to kill her, its pressure intensifying relentlessly.

As her Nascent Soul rapidly dissipated, her cultivation level plummeted. This gave the Thundercloud its opening, allowing it to focus its full force on her, crushing both her body and soul.

Through the haze, she heard the anguished cries and sobs of her Junior Brothers and Sisters.

She forced open her heavy eyelids, wanting one last look at the home that had nurtured her for decades, and at these Junior Brothers and Sisters who lacked ambition and only knew how to play.

If only she could see her Master, who was so often absent, one last time.

Perhaps it was a hallucination, but she saw her disheveled Master unhesitatingly retrieve the Soul-Protecting Pearl from his storage pouch—a treasure he had always cherished.

The Soul-Protecting Pearl lived up to its name, safeguarding one’s soul in times of peril. For cultivators like them, as long as the soul remained intact, life could be preserved.

Her Master had reached the peak of the Void Refinement Realm, just one step away from the Body Integration Realm. With the Soul-Protecting Pearl, he could undoubtedly overcome the tribulation and become one of the few Body Integration Realm experts in the Sword Sect, and even the entire cultivation world.

How could such a precious artifact be wasted on a useless disciple like her, who couldn’t even break through to the Transformation Stage?

She wanted to take one last look, but her soul was sucked into a black hole.

Just as she was about to investigate, someone shoved her shoulder.

“Your turn! Get on stage!”

She quickly turned her head, subconsciously channeling her true qi. When her gaze landed on the red-haired woman, the flow of qi faltered slightly. She discreetly scanned her surroundings, noticing that the seats were filled with people wearing unfamiliar clothes, their hair varying in length and color.

This isn’t the cultivation world.

Where am I? Didn’t my soul scatter?

Recalling what she had seen before her consciousness faded, her eyes flickered. *Master actually used the Soul-Protecting Pearl on me. How will he overcome his tribulation now?*

“Those netizens are right—you’re a complete idiot! You’re right at the door! Just go up there, and you can share the stage with your idol!” The red-haired woman glanced impatiently at the stage and shoved Song Cheng again. “Hurry up!”

Song Cheng couldn’t tolerate a mortal laying hands on her again. She immediately reversed the direction of her palm, channeling a wisp of true qi toward the woman.

The red-haired woman tumbled backward uncontrollably, landing on her rear with her legs dangling over the chair. Her face twisted into a comical grimace as she wanted to scream but dared not, making her look utterly ridiculous.

Seeing this, Song Cheng’s lips curved into a faint smile. As she turned, she overheard a hushed conversation between two people three meters away.

“The production team must be desperate for money to let that country bumpkin Song Cheng skip the auditions and buy her way into the top twenty.”

“Don’t worry! No matter how much money that hick throws around, our Xu Wei won’t even bat an eye. After all, he’s backed by a centuries-old family with deep roots.”

“But what if that bumpkin keeps clinging to Xu Wei?”

“Relax. I’ve already rallied Xu Wei’s fan club. After today, she’ll be completely disgraced!”

Song Cheng wanted to hear more, but a sudden sharp pain shot through her head, followed by a forced insertion of memories.

Combining what she’d just heard with the memories, she pieced together her current situation. She had transmigrated into the body of someone with the same name as her. This was indeed not the cultivation world, but the 21st century.

Two days ago, the original Song Cheng had been exposed for bribing the production team and deliberately using the show to get close to her idol, Xu Wei. The public had erupted in condemnation, and for the past two days, she had endured relentless mental torment from the online backlash, unable to sleep. She had stubbornly dragged herself to the show, determined to fulfill her dream.

Tragically, before her dream could come true, she had collapsed and died. The Soul-Protecting Pearl, sensing a similar magnetic field, had transported Song Cheng’s soul into this body.

The person who had shoved her just now was Hongxia, the original owner’s manager.

“Please welcome contestant number 10, Song Cheng, to the stage!” the host announced again.

Hearing her name, Song Cheng’s eyes flickered slightly. Cultivation emphasized cause and effect; regardless of whether she had chosen to be here, she had now inhabited this body. Having done so, she must shoulder the responsibilities that came with it, fulfill the original owner’s long-cherished wishes, and settle her unresolved grievances.

With this thought, she strode confidently up the steps and took her place at the center of the stage.

To her left and slightly ahead sat the panel of five judges.

Behind the judges’ seats, the audience section curved around the stage in a vast arc, creating a spectacle even grander than a martial arts tournament.

“Song Cheng, do you wish to invite Xu Wei, Teacher Xu, as your external support?” the host asked.

Knowing full well that the original owner had suffered two days of relentless online harassment after Xu Wei’s private fan exposed her, the host’s suggestion that she invite him as her support was truly malicious.

“With so many judges here, why would I specifically choose Xu Wei?” Song Cheng shifted her gaze to the judges’ panel, bypassing Xu Wei’s darkening expression to focus on the woman beside him.

The woman’s delicate heart-shaped face was lightly made up, her eyebrows arched like willow leaves. Though her expression remained impassive, she exuded an unparalleled grace. A natural beauty, her innate allure was tempered by a cool, aloof aura, lending her an air of untouchable purity that deterred ordinary people from even thinking of defiling her.

But Song Cheng was no ordinary person. She longed to tear down the Best Actress’s icy facade, to see more emotion on that exquisite face. Wouldn’t that be far more captivating than Xu Wei’s pretty-boy looks?

Song Cheng stepped forward, her gaze locked on the Best Actress. “I’m tone-deaf,” she said. “Would you be willing to be my external support, to become my partner?”

The moment the words left her lips, a wave of gasps and mocking laughter erupted from the audience.

Online viewers watching the live stream flooded the screen with comments:

Has she lost her mind? Didn’t she keep claiming she entered the industry because of Xu Wei? As his die-hard fan, shouldn’t she stop dragging him down and leave the Best Actress alone?

Disgusting nouveau riche! Just wait until my Zimang slaps you down hard!

My Zimang despises people who resort to dirty tricks. The last person who tried to use her to climb the ladder was publicly shamed out of the industry. This nouveau riche is next!

Can’t wait to see Zimang slap the nouveau riche’s face!

Besides the audience and online viewers, the host, standing just half a meter away from Song Cheng, tensed up, as if suppressing laughter.

Even the two mentors seated nearby leaned in to whisper, their faces etched with mockery at her delusional ambitions.

Little did they know, their ridicule only fueled Song Cheng’s excitement. Her bright eyes sparkled with anticipation as she kept her gaze fixed on Liu Zimang, waiting for an expression to cross that exquisite face.

Instead of the expected reaction, Liu Zimang rose to her feet. “Then what can you do?”

Song Cheng blinked, momentarily speechless.

Shouldn’t she be angrily refusing me?

Now… this was even more intriguing.

A faint smile curved her lips, revealing shallow dimples on her baby-fat cheeks. Her two small fangs gleamed under the stage lights as she replied without hesitation, “Life in the mountains was harsh. I only learned a bit of swordplay from my elders.”

“Then show me your sword skills.”

The moment these words left Liu Zimang’s lips, the audience erupted, leaping to their feet.

The four mentors’ faces were etched with shock and disbelief.

The live stream chat exploded with comments:

Maman, why did you agree to this upstart’s challenge?

I bet a hundred packs of spicy noodles she’ll lose.

Maman, you’ve disappointed me. Three hundred packs of spicy noodles on the line!

Just wait till this country bumpkin bleeds on stage!

I believe in Maman’s choice! Waaah… fifty packs of spicy noodles on Maman to win!

Song Cheng remained blissfully unaware of the online uproar. All she knew was that Liu Zimang’s straightforwardness resonated deeply with her, fueling her curiosity to see what kind of charm Liu Zimang would possess once she shed her aloof demeanor.

As she withdrew her gaze, a staff member swiftly delivered the sword to her.

One glance was all it took for her to recognize it as a fake.

She snatched the sword from the staff member’s hand, twirling it playfully. With a slight exertion of the Inner Force she had learned in the mortal realm, the fake sword shattered into pieces. Before the host could react, she seized the initiative, declaring, “I donated to your program. Why are you trying to fool me with this cheap imitation?”

Tilting her head slightly, she regarded the host, whose expression had shifted subtly. “Do you need me to donate more?”

She shook her head dismissively. “That won’t work. Look at the audience—they’re practically itching to tear me apart.” She patted her chest lightly. “I’m terrified!”

Liu Zimang, who had left the mentor’s seat and was walking toward them, glanced at the shattered sword on the ground, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Standing here, facing public criticism, and still admitting to being tone-deaf required no small amount of courage.

Foolish, yet refreshingly genuine.

But what truly convinced her to become Song Cheng’s partner was catching the pride in Song Cheng’s eyes when she said “dance with swords.”

Born into an ancient martial arts family but lacking any talent for martial arts, Liu Zimang had always outwardly pretended not to care, yet inwardly she remained deeply resentful. This made her subconsciously pay attention to those who excelled in martial arts.

Song Cheng’s display just now, combined with her effortless manipulation of the production team into getting involved, forced Liu Zimang to reconsider her initial judgment of Song Cheng.

The host cleared his throat, exchanging glances with the staff below the stage, and forced a dry laugh. “Teacher Song has a keen eye! She can tell the real from the fake at a glance. It was a staff error—the real sword will be here shortly.”