Gender: Female.

Age: Seventeen

……

Chapter 7: The Wheel of Formless Yin and Yang

Jade-tiled domes, golden pillars, walls of white jade.

Grace Smith looked around the grand hall in a daze. In her entire life, she had never seen such a beautiful palace.

Not even in movies or on TV!

She looked down at her feet and saw a pool of water, its surface gently rippling, shimmering with light.

Grace Smith hesitated for a moment before stepping down. She immediately felt a cool sensation on her legs, along with a soft, slightly resistant feeling, as if she were truly wading through water.

She marveled, “This dream feels way too real…”

Growing up, Grace Smith had all sorts of absurd dreams, but never had she experienced such delicate details within one.

Grace Smith took a couple of steps in the pool, spun around, and only then noticed two people standing behind her.

Startled, she instinctively assumed a defensive posture, cautiously sizing them up.

One was a man, the other a woman. The girl in white was very pretty, especially her bright, sparkling eyes, which were particularly lively and spirited.

Her hair was styled in a Daoist bun, and her white robe was also in the Daoist style, giving her an ethereal, otherworldly aura.

The man beside the girl in white, however, was rather intimidating.

He was tall and slender, with a golden crown binding his hair, dressed in a long golden robe. He looked just like an ancient emperor from a TV drama.

But his attire seemed to be made of actual gold, looking exceptionally magnificent and dazzling—even a bit blinding.

What drew the most attention, though, was his face—it, too, seemed to be made of gold!

The upturned corners of his smiling mouth appeared frozen in place, making his smile seem a bit frightening.

Even his narrow eyes were golden!

The more Grace Smith looked, the more unnerved she felt, yet she couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.

She thought it wasn’t a real face, but a mask.

Or perhaps, this person was a statue.

But then she realized that wasn’t right, because his eyes showed subtle changes—clearly, he was alive.

Thanks to her lifelong caution, Grace Smith observed very carefully.

But the environment here was so unusual, she couldn’t tell where she was, or even if she was dreaming.

She remembered clearly that just moments ago, she was sleeping in her own bedroom. How had she ended up here in the blink of an eye?

If someone had killed her, that wouldn’t be strange. But no one would abduct her to such a bizarre place!

Out of caution, Grace Smith didn’t speak. She just tried to observe as much of her surroundings as possible.

Emily saw Grace Smith standing there warily and waved with a smile, “Sister Zhou, come over here.”

“And you are?” Grace Smith asked softly, hesitating.

Rationally, she felt this wasn’t a dream—everything was just too real. That made her even more cautious.

“My name is Emily.”

Emily was very enthusiastic. Seeing Grace Smith still hesitating, she took the initiative to run into the pool and pull Grace Smith out.

Grace Smith wasn’t used to being so close with strangers. When Emily reached out her small hand, Grace Smith even made a subtle evasive movement.

When Emily grabbed her wrist, her whole body tensed slightly, instinctively ready to react.

But out of awe for this mysterious, magnificent palace, out of respect for the enigmatic man in the golden robe, and perhaps because of Emily’s sweet, adorable smile, she decided not to resist.

The two girls walked out of the pool hand in hand, as beautiful as a painting.

As for this new apostle, James Carter was also observing very carefully.

Grace Smith was a bit taller than Emily, just over 1.6 meters.

She wasn’t tall, but her proportions were balanced—slim waist, long legs, her steps light, graceful, and steady, much like a cat.

Grace Smith had delicate, arched brows and curved eyes. Compared to Emily’s bright, ethereal beauty, she was more refined and elegant. Her gaze was cool and clear, naturally giving off a distant, aloof vibe that kept strangers at bay.

In terms of overall aura, Grace Smith was also a bit like a cat—alert and guarded in unfamiliar places and around unfamiliar people, with a proud air of not wanting to bother with anyone.

Emily was quietly introducing James Carter to Grace Smith: “That is the master of this palace, His Highness Taiyi.”

“His Highness Taiyi?”

This title filled Grace Smith’s eyes with confusion. The empire had been overthrown for nearly a hundred years—titles like ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Your Highness’ only appeared in novels or TV dramas.

No normal person would call themselves that.

Still, the title did match the splendor of this golden palace. But calling someone ‘Your Highness’ just felt a bit embarrassing!

She simply couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Emily seemed to sense Grace Smith’s thoughts and gently said, “Sister Zhou, you were chosen by His Highness from among billions of living beings to be his apostle.

“In that sense, you are His Highness’s personally taught disciple. You can call him teacher.”

“Apostle? Teacher?”

Grace Smith was even more confused. She looked at Emily, her eyes full of questions.

Grace Smith’s eyes weren’t as big as Emily’s, but they were more refined and cool. The clarity in her gaze made her thoughts easy to read.

Emily didn’t explain further. She simply said seriously, “Sister Zhou, trust me—you won’t be wrong.”