Chapter 42: Dao Heart

I woke up.

I woke up from that story of the older and younger sisters— the one that left me unsure whether it was a dream or something that had really happened.

After waking, I just sat on the ground in a daze.

What the hell was that? That dream hit way too hard! It totally messed me up emotionally.

I stiffly turned my neck.

Not far away, the petite and adorable Cluru was hugging a big tree.

She was poking it repeatedly with her tentacles, her lips pouting high, muttering with a pitiful little voice:

“Stupid god, stupid god, stupid god, bullying little Luo Xian, bullying little Luo Xian…”

Emmm… So because a third party showed up in the final battle of the dream, Cluru switched her target?

The dream ended with Cluru versus the god, but since there’s no god here, now it’s Cluru vs. tree.

Poor tree—looked like it had run into a deranged woodpecker, full of holes from all the jabbing.

.

I looked away and shook my head at myself, chuckling bitterly.

“This weird little octopus… always full of surprises…”

Even though things got a bit dangerous before, I was never really worried about dying here.

Anyone who’s spent time in the cultivation world’s gotta have a few trump cards to stay alive!

And I’ve got plenty of them.

The fact that Cluru could push me into using one— even triggering the “Primordial Qi Life Technique”— is already pretty impressive.

—The Primordial Qi Life Technique activates upon sensing danger.

It then enhances one of the spells I’ve preset and automatically casts it.

For example, if the body takes a serious injury, it’ll trigger a boosted healing spell and protective barrier.

Last time, it sensed a mental disturbance, so it triggered a boosted calming incantation.

“This little thing, just started cultivating and already awakening all kinds of strange techniques… she’s got a promising future.”

I was impressed by Cluru’s talent.

But I also felt a tiny bit… concerned.

I helped cleanse her meridians and set her on the cultivation path… did I accidentally awaken a monster?

What’s that saying again? Something like…

“Teach your disciple too well and they’ll kill the master”?

Hiss—

What if next time Cluru inhales some kind of hypnotic dust, or drinks some sleep-inducing tea… Am I gonna have to play out another dream murder mystery with her?

This time was just a little emotionally heavy… but what about next time? A true tentacle play scenario?

Cluru’s dreamworlds are never shy with the content! I’m not throwing myself in there again!

.

“Eh?!”

While thinking, I checked in on my physical state.

No lingering injuries— just a shift in my Dao heart.

And not a bad shift, either.

Logically, after being stabbed up like that, my Dao heart should’ve weakened.

But instead, after the dream, my thoughts were clearer. That lingering uncertainty in my heart was significantly lighter!

As for the problem that had been bothering me all this time— choosing what kind of life path to follow— I think I’ve finally found a bit of direction.

If I go through a few more of these dreams, my Dao heart might become incredibly firm! Like, unprecedentedly solid!

No no no no—please, no more! One dream was more than enough.

Though… What if the next dream isn’t a nightmare?

What if I transmigrated into ancient times as a female emperor, with three thousand beautiful consorts and a palace full of wives… hehehe…

Who am I kidding?! This is a tentacle monster! Who knows what kind of sanity-shattering “three thousand beauties” we’re talking about?!

Scram! All you weird thoughts, get out of my head! Out of my precious potato-brain now!

.

“Mmm…”

At that moment, Cluru raised a tentacle and rubbed her temple, slowly waking up from the ground.

It was already the next day.

The drug had worn off, and she was awake.

“Waaah!”

The moment she woke up, she started crying—just like a little kid.

All her tentacles launched at me like lightning, wrapping around me tightly.

“What are you doing?” I grumbled as I pried my arm free.

“I had a nightmare.”

“You’re not a kid anymore. Crying over a nightmare, seriously.”

“I dreamed you died.”

Didn’t you die too, you dummy of a big sister?

Looking at that teary-eyed loli face— so delicate and heart-wrenching, already charming enough to captivate the world— I lowered my head.

Just like what my sister did to me in the dream.

Smiling, I gently kissed Cluru on the forehead. “Don’t be afraid, it was just a dream. This is reality— no one can hurt me, and no one can hurt you either. I promise.”

“Guu—”

Cluru didn’t seem to realize we were dream-linked.

And I didn’t bring it up.

“Okay, okay, no more crying. We’ve got to hurry back. Mr. Ishida and class president Xinyue are still in danger.”

“Mm…” Cluru still clung tightly to my hand, not letting go.

Hiss— so tight, it’s like my bones are gonna snap.

Even though I was grimacing in pain, I didn’t pull away.

Because I understood how she felt.

I knew what she was thinking.

And more importantly… my tail was clinging even tighter than she was.

…

“Aaahh it hurts, it hurts so bad, help me—! Teacher! Yun Luo Xian! Cluru! Where are you guys? I don’t wanna die—!”

Sen Daluo’s screams echoed from time to time inside the cave.

His voice grated on the nerves of the criminals.

“Let’s just stew him and feed him to the lion-turtle already.”

Sen Daluo immediately fell silent.

“No rush. We’re about to open the gate anyway. We’ll toss him out first to check for traps.”

Inside the cage, listening to the bloodthirsty tone of the criminals—so used to killing—the students were all scared stiff.

They were just students. Sure, sometimes they fantasized about saving the class in a dangerous crisis…

But facing real bloodshed and cruelty, their minds went completely blank with fear.

Not to mention, these criminals were masters at intimidation and psychological manipulation.

“Open the door. Did you find the tomb?”

In critical moments, it had to be the class president who stepped up.

Xinyue had fought in underground fight clubs before— she’d faced real life-and-death fear. 

That’s why, in situations like this, she was the only one who could stay calm.

She tried to strike up a conversation with the criminals.

“When we came in, I saw these murals.”

Xinyue looked toward the murals and murmured her analysis: “One-legged firebirds gathering in the grand hall, bringing fire and destruction… sounds like the legend of the Bi Fang…”

“Oh? What legend?” The criminal showed interest.

“In the seventh year of Yuanhe, fires broke out frequently in Yongzhou. P

eople reported seeing many one-legged strange birds gathering on temple roofs.

The imperial court sent masters and mystics to Yongzhou to subdue the beasts. 

After that, the birds vanished and were never seen again.

And Yongzhou returned to peace, no longer plagued by mysterious fires.

The year this story happened— Yuanhe Year Seven— was over 1,200 years ago… 

Could this be a grand tomb from 1,200 years ago? And related to the Bi Fang and those mystics?!”

That speculation was enough to stir anyone’s excitement.

Based on the strength of the spiritual artifacts unearthed so far, the older the artifact, the more powerful it is.

Take the divine relics from the Sanxingdui site, for example— each one capable of blasting a mountain apart.

If this place is a tomb, and it holds such divine relics, then after being buried for 1,200 years, they’re definitely priceless legendary weapons in the making!

“You’re quite clever, being able to figure out the background of this cave.”

The bandit leader walked up to the cage.

In his spirit-enhanced form, his face was covered in shaggy golden fur, his massive body marked with beast-like patterns across his bulging muscles.

“You’re better than those cowards from No. 1 High,” the leader remarked approvingly. “It’s a shame you’ll die here.”

Huh?

Huh???

The students from No. 1 High immediately exploded in outrage.

You can beat us, curse us, kill us— but saying No. 2 High is better than No. 1? That’s crossing the line!

“What’s the point of knowing so much? You’re still going to die here with us,” the class rep from No. 1 High sneered sarcastically, standing beside Xinyue.

“Tch— You think we’re as weak as you guys? Your teacher’s already dead, but ours is still alive. He’s going to come save us.”

“Oh please, don’t think I didn’t see it. Your teacher abandoned you… Back at the entrance, he ran off without even looking back, left you to be captured.”

“…Mr. Ishida was… preserving the group’s strength!”

“And your two classmates— those so-called top-tier fighters from No. 2 High, the legendary cultivators— where are they now? They didn’t even hesitate before ditching you all.”

“…They… they…”

At the mention of it, the students from No. 2 High were overwhelmed with guilt.

They were the ones who drove them away.

If Qilin were here, with the abilities of a legendary cultivator, maybe— just maybe— these bandits could have been defeated.

But too bad.

They had all been blinded by dreams of riches, followed Sen Daluo’s lead, and marched themselves straight into a trap.

Now look.

According to the agreement, those two definitely wouldn’t come into the cave. 

They weren’t coming back to save anyone.

And if Mr. Ishida really had run off for good, abandoning them…

Then all that was left for them was to die.

Despair began to spread.

The class reps of No. 1 and No. 2 High, Muyan and Xinyue, sat back to back.

The mood was grim.

“By the way, I still don’t know your name,” said the No. 1 High rep.

“Xinyue.”

“Muyan.” Muyan from No. 1 High smiled. “Well, at least before dying, I finally know the name of the annoying girl who always blocked my way.”

“Right back at you.”

…

Meanwhile, outside the cave.

Two petite shadows were tangled together.

My tail was wrapped around Cluru’s arm.

Cluru’s tentacles were wrapped around mine.

Like two kids being stubborn, neither of us would let go first.

“It’s dangerous there. If anything happens…”

I didn’t even get to finish before Cluru cut me off firmly:

“If it gets dangerous, you come hide in my arms.”

“Tch, you? The hell, you bratty little sister.” I scoffed with pure disdain.

“You’re the bratty little sister.”

“I’m done arguing with you. You’re so childish, seriously. I’m in a terrible mood right now, just looking for a fight to vent.”

“Same here.” Cluru casually lifted a piece of granite with her tentacle and gave it a gentle twist— turning it into powder.

I felt my scalp go numb.

With strength like that, her tentacles could probably squeeze me into jelly, right?

“Then let’s do it together… But you let go first.”

“You first.”

“You.”

“No, you.”

“……”

Neither of us would give in. Soon we were tumbling on the ground, wrestling.

I tried to peel her tentacles off my arm, but for every one I pulled off, she climbed back on with seven more.

This damn girl— why didn’t she just turn me into a nine-tailed fox? Then I’d have one more appendage than her!

“Let go!”

“No, you let go.”

We rolled and scuffled in total focus, clothes getting messy, panting mixed with frustration.

And not far away, hidden in the forest—

Under the cover of leaves, a crane with green feathers, a sharp beak, and only one leg widened her eyes in shock.

She had been secretly tailing us all the way, and now…

She accidentally stumbled into some paywalled content.

Her face turned bright red as she stared at me and Cluru, cheeks flushed, and her cloaca… started to itch.