Seeing that Zhou Xu seemed angry, the group of male cultivators immediately stopped talking, looked at each other, and changed their expressions.

A more diplomatic person stepped forward and said, "Fellow Daoist, why are you angry? We were just joking, it was nothing more than a joke..."

"Why get angry over a female cultivator?"

Zhou Xu took a step back, not wanting to get involved with them.

Seeing the change in expression on the faces of the male cultivators, An Zhengzheng found it amusing.

She said to An Yirou, "Look, our An family and the Zhou family are both families that cultivate immortality. Although we are a bit inferior, our family strength can easily crush these people."

“They all come from families that can suppress them. When Zhou Xu gets angry, those male cultivators know to restrain themselves. The angrier we get, the more they want to kick us while we're down... Essentially, they just think we women are weak and easy to bully.”

Having spent a long time by An Zhengzheng's side, An Yirou instantly understood what she meant.

Her sister was teaching her about the difference in treatment between men and women.

An Yirou is to inherit the family business after her older sister, so she has to set high standards for herself.

She understood immediately and said, "Sister, I understand. I will work harder and strive to be as good as you."

An Zhengzheng nodded, her eyes sweeping over the group of male cultivators with a hint of excitement.

They spoke softly, and only Song Juan and Su Ying could hear them.

That's something incredible I've heard.

Su Ying said to Song Juan, "I noticed that Sister Zhengzheng's gaze towards those male cultivators is quite strange."

Song Juan, being rather easygoing, asked with a puzzled look, "What's so strange?"

"I don't know how to say it," Su Ying hesitated for a moment, "I have a feeling that Sister Zhengzheng has a backup plan."

Song Juan couldn't figure it out either.

Soon, someone appeared at the final stage; it was a senior disciple wearing a white Taoist robe.

He looked to be in his early twenties, at least at the Golden Core stage, appearing quite mature among the group of fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen-year-old children.

Everyone fell silent and respectfully went up to greet their senior brother.

The senior student nodded, surprised that so many people from this year's cohort had made it to the final stage.

What surprised him even more was that there were actually four female cultivators.

In the past, having two of them would be considered the absolute best; usually, they would just join the male cultivators' teams.

"The final hurdle is breaking the heart." He glanced at the only few female cultivators present without making a sound.

It's no wonder he couldn't help but look more closely, because since the new disciple trials began, only one female cultivator has been able to pass this test.

She is An Zhengzheng's senior sister, Wen Yu of the Ruthless Path.

After her, there was no one else.

As for Jian Lin, the legendary last female cultivator to successfully ascend to immortality, she was from the mortal realm and therefore had no opportunity to participate in the new disciple trials.

An Zhengzheng noticed the look in his eyes but didn't take it seriously. He simply asked, "What is meant by 'breaking the heart'?"

The senior brother then cast a spell and chanted incantations, and golden light appeared before everyone.

"Each person must go in alone, break the illusion in their heart, and kill the inner demons."

After saying that, he stopped talking and just smiled mysteriously.

"Sister, I feel a little scared." An Yirou had been relying on An Zhengzheng the whole way, and she was a little flustered about leaving her sister.

Song Juan and Su Ying were also unsure.

"What a coincidence! I'm scared too. Do I really have to go alone?"

"Oh no, my palms are sweating."

Both of them were somewhat frightened.

An Zhengzheng said very seriously, "You can't always rely on me; sometimes you have to believe in yourselves."

Su Ying was timid and easily embarrassed, and she was the most anxious person on the way. Now, hearing An Zhengzheng's words, she broke out in a sweat.

"But Sister Zhengzheng, what if we don't pass?"

“Yes, yes.” Song Juan also had some concerns.

An Zhengzheng said to them gently, "First of all, this is a trial for our sect, so there will definitely be no danger. The worst outcome is being eliminated."

"Secondly, being eliminated is not a big deal. It just proves that your strength is not enough. You can make up for it after you get out. It's not a big deal."

"In the end, it's already very good that you've made it this far. Although I was mainly leading the team and fighting, you did a great job with the rear support. I was very confident in entrusting the back to you along the way."

"So you guys are really great, and don't be afraid."

These words both analyzed the consequences and encouraged them.

After being praised by An Zhengzheng, the top scorer in the joint entrance examination, An Yirou and the others suddenly felt less worried.

"Well, I think we could give it a try..."

"That's right, we're already pretty good."

The girls quickly became less afraid.

An Yirou mustered her courage: "Sister, then I'll go in first!"

She had just told her sister that she wanted to improve herself, and she wanted to show her sister her determination.

An Yirou nervously entered the golden magic gate, which immediately closed and disappeared into the air.

Song Juan and Su Ying followed closely behind, disappearing behind Kinmen with hurried steps.

An Zhengzheng watched them go in, then looked around and saw that the male cultivators were also passing the final test one after another.

So she steeled herself and went inside.

The moment she stepped into Kinmen, countless pains surged from every part of her body.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and the surrounding sounds grew clearer and louder.

"Ah, there's a reaction! There's a reaction! Doctor, please help my daughter..."

"The patient is showing signs of waking up; proceed with the testing immediately."

"An Zhengzheng, can you hear us? If you can, please move your finger."

Hearing her mother's voice, An Zhengzheng forced herself to move her fingers, despite her discomfort.

Soon, she was able to open her eyes, and the white ceiling came into view, with her mother's and the doctor's faces clearly visible.

An Zhengzheng endured the pain, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Mom...Mom?" Has she returned to the modern world?

She just returned to the modern world like that?

The mother from her past life greeted her daughter, who had finally awakened from her vegetative state, with tears in her eyes.

"Zhengzheng, you've been in a coma for ten years, you've finally woken up!"

"Mom, where's Dad?"

“Your father, he’s still at the company. I… I asked him to come back, but no, he can’t come back yet. If he comes back now, the company will be finished.”

"What? What's over?"

Under An Zhengzheng's persistent questioning, she learned that she had been in a coma for ten years. During these ten years, the An family had a traitor, was suppressed, and almost went bankrupt.

Now all Dad has left is a company that's barely surviving; abandoning it is not an option.

Mother An wiped away her tears.

Over the next month, An Zhengzheng met her father, who had rushed over and looked old, just like her mother.

Despite her mother's objections, An Zhengzheng insisted on undergoing rehabilitation and recovered in just two months. She immediately joined the company to help her father manage his business.

As soon as she joined the company, she became the project team leader. Thanks to her tireless efforts in bringing business to the company, even to the point of drinking until she had a stomach hemorrhage, the company finally recovered.

They even made a considerable profit.

At this moment, a tremendous opportunity presented itself.