After my death, I discovered that my apprentice had a crush on me

Bai Yuheng, known in the ancient era as Emperor Hengluan, was the supreme cultivator who sacrificed her physical body a century ago to seal the demonic forces threatening the world. Her soul was fragmented, with a key essence preserved by the Tianyan Sect, while another part drifted for a hundred years until it merged with a mortal girl’s body. Upon regaining her physical form, she discovers that her spiritual power is severely diminished, leaving her with only a fraction of her former strength. The primary vessel for her seal, the Four Directions Mirror, is located in the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion on Tianyan Sect’s Mount Wangxian, and its protective barriers have weakened over the decades. To investigate the mirror and the growing threat of the demons without revealing her true identity, she decides to enroll in the sect’s disciple recruitment process under her original mortal name.

During the entrance trials, Bai Yuheng effortlessly defeats numerous high-level demons, shocking the sect elders with her unprecedented results. When she tests her aptitude on the Spirit Testing Stone, the artifact explodes from the sheer density of her spiritual energy, marking her as a heaven-bestowed genius. The three reigning Emperors of Tianyan Sect—Dongxuan, Lingzhen, and Yuanguang—compete fiercely to claim her as their personal disciple, unaware that she is the very founder they revere. Bai Yuheng strategically chooses Pei Yuan, her former disciple from a century ago, to remain close to Mount Wangxian and the sealed demons. Pei Yuan, now a cold and aloof man, harbors deep resentment and jealousy, believing that his master abandoned him for the sake of the world. He has guarded her memory and her peak in isolation for a hundred years, convinced that she favored other talented individuals over him.

The core conflict arises from Bai Yuheng’s need to recover her power and secure the Four Directions Mirror while navigating the complex and hostile dynamics with Pei Yuan. She learns that rumors have spread throughout the sect claiming Pei Yuan fell in love with his master and built a tomb for her, a narrative that deeply unsettles her. As she begins her training under Pei Yuan, she maintains a facade of ignorance and humility, deliberately acting as a novice to avoid suspicion. Meanwhile, Pei Yuan struggles with his mixed emotions, oscillating between his duty as a master and his lingering attachment to the woman he believes is dead. He is particularly tormented when the Emperor’s spirit familiar, a golden snake, recognizes and bonds with Bai Yuheng, reinforcing his belief that she has moved on.

A critical turning point occurs when Bai Yuheng sneaks into the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion at night to inspect the mirror. She discovers that the seal is being actively sabotaged by a mysterious figure in black who intends to shatter the mirror and release the imprisoned demons. During her investigation, the mirror is struck by dark energy, causing it to crack and scatter into five fragments that vanish into the world, leaving only one piece in her possession. The incident draws the attention of the sect leadership, and Pei Yuan arrives to investigate the breach. He detects traces of blood and golden light, suspecting an intruder, but Bai Yuheng narrowly avoids detection by hiding her aura and claiming her injury was from a sparring accident.

The story moves forward with Bai Yuheng realizing that the demon threat is far more immediate and organized than she anticipated. The black-clad saboteur’s ability to damage the mirror indicates that the demons have allies within the cultivation world or have developed new methods to bypass ancient seals. With the mirror shattered, the remaining fragments are scattered, and Bai Yuheng must retrieve them before the enemy can use them to fully break the seal. She is forced to rely on her limited power and her new disciple, Cui Mingcan, while continuing to endure Pei Yuan’s cold scrutiny. The narrative sets the stage for a journey where Bai Yuheng must reclaim her lost strength, uncover the identity of the saboteur, and confront the emotional baggage of her past with Pei Yuan, all while keeping her true identity hidden from the sect she once ruled.