There were plenty of rather stark differences between my former lives and this one, but if I had to name the one that stood out the most, then it would have to be the fact that despite being able to have more or less anything I wanted, I really didn't have all that much freedom.

Sure, I was generally free to roam the massive mansion and the beautiful garden that surrounded it when I didn't have anything else on schedule, but other than that, I wasn't exactly allowed to go outside despite me repeatedly showing myself to be vastly more mature than a normal three years old.

The few times I'd tried to do so, Elder Johan had, without fail, appeared out of thin air to not-so-subtly remind me that I wasn't allowed to go out until I was, in his own words, 'just a little bit older'.

And, well, truth be told, it wasn't like I didn't understand this restriction. For as much as I knew myself to be more mature than I looked, my father did not, and it wasn't unreasonable for him to believe that I needed to grow up quite a bit more before I could go out on my own.

Or at least, that had been what I'd believed before today, but as I walked alongside my father, my tiny slip of a hand securely held inside of his much larger one, I found myself needing to severely reassess my beliefs.

After our quick conversation yesterday, he'd apparently decided that I needed to socialize more, and despite my very lukewarm reaction to the whole idea, father had been set. Once he'd decided that something needed to happen, then by the Heavens would it happen.

And in this case, that little something just so happened to be making friends.

I clutched at his hand just a little bit tighter as I felt a wave of trepidation hit me, filling me with both hope and dread as we walked together toward the mansion's front gate.

I wanted to make friends. Being all alone sucked, and it sucked a whole lot. But... I was also honest enough to admit that I was scared, and it wasn't just for one reason.

What if the kids didn't like me? What if I couldn't stand them? What if they knew I wasn't actually a little child like them? What if I disappointed my father? What if-

"Eri." My father called out, his voice sharp and stern as his free hand gently landed on top of my head, startling me a bit and causing my eyes to dart up to meet his own. "Be calm. You are my daughter and my heir. Act as such."

I took a deep breath. Right. I was important this time around. I wasn't just a random orphan who could starve to death in the streets and no one would bat an eye. I... I could do this. I had to do this.

Squaring up my shoulders, I gave my father a firm nod. "Yes, father. My apologies." I said, and I’m proud to say that my voice was only slightly shaky.

Nonetheless, father smiled. "Good." He praised. It was such a simple and quick word, and yet despite that, I couldn't help but beam in happiness at the compliment.

And with that last word, father deemed the conversation done and over with and promptly resumed walking, more or less dragging me along with him, and within only a minute or so, we found ourselves standing before the ornate jade and gold gate that I was pretty sure was enchanted to keep unwanted visitors out... Or so I thought, at least. Heavens only knew what shenanigans cultivator magic could really do.

And of course, without missing a beat, father waved his hand without even halting his stride, and just like that, the gate dissolved into mist, a sight that I had become rather familiar with as of late.

What I wasn't familiar with, however, was the sight that lay beyond it.

For the entirety of this life, I'd never once seen what actually stood outside the imposingly tall walls that surrounded the mansion, a fact that hadn't really bothered me all that much considering there had been so much to explore inside of those very walls anyway.

However, as my eyes widened and a gasp unconsciously escaped my lips, I realized that perhaps that was a foolish feeling.

The first thing that I saw were mountains. Mountains so high that I couldn't even see their tips, hidden high above the clouds as they were. And it wasn't just one or two mountains, no.

There were just so many of them, each one as grand and majestic as the last.

And as my head swiveled like a loose screw, I couldn't help but let out yet another awed gasp as I realized something- The mountains weren't just there randomly, but instead, they were actively surrounding us, forming a great circle of stone and earth that kept out the outside world.

"You are curious, my daughter," Father spoke up, looking down at me with an approving look. "That is good. You should be curious, for one day, all that exists here shall be yours to rule."

I blinked in surprise, caught off guard by his words. "What do you mean, father?" I asked, only for a thought to strike me, one that had my eyes widening. "Wait, are you ok?"

He frowned at my departure from his stiff and formal method of speech but answered my question nonetheless. "I am in good health, yes." He confirmed. "However, my prospects for advancing my cultivation are... small, to say the least." He looked as though it physically pained him to admit such a thing. "As such, one day or another, I shall die, be that by the sword or spell of another cultivator, or simply due to my lifespan running short."

His steps halted, almost causing me to trip due to just how intensely I'd been focusing on his words, so much so that I'd lost track of our surroundings.

Not that I had the time to examine them quite yet as he kneeled in front of me, putting his hands on my shoulders and staring straight into my eyes. "When such a time comes, it shall be your duty to take up my mantle as the Master of the Nine Heavens Sect." His eyes practically bore into mine. "Remember that well, Eri, for that is your duty, no, your destiny."

I swallowed dryly, practically frozen in place as my father regarded me with perhaps the single most intense stare I'd ever received in any of my lives. "N-Nine Heavens Sect?" I only barely managed to squeak out.

Thankfully for my health, my words managed to break him out of whatever trance he'd fallen into as he blinked once, causing the pressure I'd been feeling to suddenly vanish.

"Apologies, daughter." He said as he got back to his feet, his voice holding just the slightest bit of regret, one so hidden that even I wasn't sure whether I was imagining things or not. "I do not know what came over me. Do ignore my previous words- You are far too young to worry about such things yet."

"Um... It's ok..." I mumbled, shuffling on my feet as I looked up at him with more than a little trepidation. "But, um, what's the Nine Heavens Sect?" I asked again.

His brows furrowed. "Has Johan not yet taught you that?" He asked, and I quickly shook my head in response.

So far, most of my tutoring had been fairly standard things, and while it was all leagues above anything I'd been taught in my previous life, compared to the education I'd gone through during my first life, it wasn't anything ever remotely hard.

Mostly, Elder Johan had focused on math, etiquette, writing and finally reading. Nothing advanced, of course, only having me do very elementary-level things so far.

"Unacceptable." Father nonetheless declared with an angry clench in his jaw. "I shall show you exactly what the Nine Heavens Sect is." He said before promptly scooping me up into his arms, an act which had me yelping in surprise.

Then, without hesitation, we abruptly began shooting up into the sky so quickly that it took me a second to realize what was even happening.

I'm proud to say that I didn't scream or otherwise embarrass myself. I'm less proud of saying that I did hold onto him for dear life as we flew through the sky together, my eyes so wide they might as well have become dinner plates.

However, as second after second ticked on by without me falling to my death or any other such horrible thing happening, my fear gradually gave way to awe, and before I even knew it, my eyes were practically glued to the distant world below us, my mouth unconsciously letting out small and childish noises of pure awe.

Because below us was a vision that I had only been able to dream of in both of my past lives, once as a mere fantasy and the other as an unrealized ambition.

The sect below us was a massive flat plain, one that was surrounded by the ginormous mountains I'd seen before. A great river cut the plain in half, its waters so clear that it felt like I could see my reflection even with how high up I was.

If that had been it, then perhaps I wouldn't have been so impressed, but of course it wasn't, because then there were the cultivators and their buildings.

There were jade-colored temples so shiny and beautiful that it was almost painful to look at them, pagodas that floated along with the river atop massive water lilies, streets that were inlaid with rubies and sapphires, homes and mansions smaller than our own and yet still highly impressive to my mortal senses, and countless other wonders both big and small that I didn't even know the names of.

"Now then, daughter." My father whispered in my ears, startling me somewhat and causing me to glance back at him. Noticing my gaze, he smiled ever so slightly, clearly amused. "What would you say? Is the Nine Heavens Sect to your liking?"

I looked at him for a second longer before tilting my head down once more. "It's..." I hesitantly started, struggling to find the right word that would encompass the veritable maelstrom of emotions I was feeling.

And then, just like that, I had it.

"... Glorious."