Ruins in the Dream

Even after more junior brothers and sisters joined later, Luo Qingchen, despite being a senior sister, didn't act like one at all. She still followed behind her Master; wherever her Master went, she followed.

Ten years later, her Master left the Tianyao Pavilion and went to the Demon Realm.

She cultivated while waiting for his return.

Later, she learned that her Master had established factions in both the Human and Demon Realms.

She began to wonder what her fellow disciples were like.

Would they be more outstanding than her? Would they take away her Master's attention?

And then—

Her Master disappeared.

For one thousand one hundred years.

During those one thousand one hundred years, although her heart endlessly yearned for her Master, she never showed the slightest weakness in front of others.

Together with her fellow disciples, she held up the Tianyao Pavilion, expanding and glorifying the foundation their Master had left behind.

Her personality also changed over those one thousand one hundred years.

She went from being a clingy little girl to the calm, reliable Third Ancestor of the Tianyao Pavilion.

After her Master returned, she learned from senior sisters like Tushan Youyao, deliberately restraining her reliance and no longer clinging to him as unscrupulously as before.

But deep down, she had never let go of that deeply buried dependence and attachment.

To think that after so much time had passed, she could still be held tightly by her Master just like when she was a child, sharing the same bed with him and feeling this warmth and security that belonged solely to her.

In that moment, she truly didn't want to wake up, wishing only to stay in this instant forever.

Luo Qingchen thought silently to herself, her cheeks growing increasingly hot. The scent of Gu Changyuan lingered at the tip of her nose, filling her heart with tenderness.

Just then, Gu Changyuan slowly opened his eyes. His profound gaze fell upon Luo Qingchen, who was nuzzling against his chest, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Luo Qingchen suddenly felt a warm gaze on her and subconsciously looked up, meeting Gu Changyuan's eyes from up close.

An incredibly close distance.

So close that she could clearly see her own reflection in her Master's eyes.

Gu Changyuan looked at her, instantly noticing the change in her eyes.

Are you awake?

He wasn't just asking if she had woken up from her sleep, but also if she had awakened from her amnesiac state.

Luo Qingchen nodded gently.

Yes, Master.

She didn't choose to distance herself from Gu Changyuan. Instead, she remained pressed against his chest, her small hands lightly gripping his robes.

There was a trace of probing in her heart, wanting to see if her Master would mind such intimacy.

Gu Changyuan did not push her away. Instead, he reached out and gently rubbed her head, his tone as gentle as ever:

How do you feel?

A gentle smile appeared on Luo Qingchen's face, her eyes full of warmth. She shook her head slightly:

I am completely fine. The bloodline evolution went very smoothly, and there is no discomfort in my Sea of Consciousness. Please rest assured, Master.

Gu Changyuan nodded slightly, then propped himself up, preparing to rise.

Only then did Luo Qingchen reluctantly let go, sitting up from his embrace and straightening her clothes, a faint blush still on her cheeks.

Then let's go see your fellow disciples first. They have been quite worried about you these past few days.

Luo Qingchen nodded in response:

Okay!

Gu Changyuan stood up and turned to look at Luo Qingchen, who was still sitting on the bed, looking as if she wanted to say something but was holding back. A hint of confusion appeared in his eyes:

What is it? Is there something you want to say?

Hearing Gu Changyuan's words, Luo Qingchen immediately snapped back to reality. She looked up at him with a burning gaze, her eyes carrying a trace of apprehension and anticipation, and asked softly:

Master... in the future, can we still get along like this?

A gentle smile graced Gu Changyuan's face, as if he had just heard something incredibly silly. His tone was full of doting affection:

When have I ever refused?

Luo Qingchen froze.

Looking at the smile on her Master's face and hearing those understated words, a certain place in her heart was suddenly filled by something.

It felt warm.

She nodded vigorously, a radiant smile blooming on her face:

Mhm!

Then, she immediately stood up and quickly walked to her Master's side.

Gu Changyuan glanced at her and turned to walk outside.

Luo Qingchen followed behind him with light, cheerful steps.

...

Top Floor of the Tianyao Tower

Gu Changyuan and the disciples sat down. All eyes simultaneously fell on Luo Qingchen, filled with curiosity.

They were all wondering what exactly she had experienced during this recent period.

Feeling the burning gazes of the crowd, Luo Qingchen took a deep breath and slowly began to speak, recounting her recent experiences in detail.

A while ago, when I was cultivating, I kept feeling a restlessness in my bloodline, yet my cultivation had hit a bottleneck.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't break through the shackles. Even the circulation of my bloodline power became sluggish.

Then, after Cai You helped me enter the Dream Spirit state once, I found myself in a completely unfamiliar place.

Luo Qingchen paused.

I can be certain that, at least at that time, I had never been to that place before.

But I could feel that the aura of that place was very ancient and pure.

My bloodline seemed very familiar with it, and the tight, binding sensation I previously felt had noticeably loosened.

She said, a trace of reminiscence appearing in her eyes.

So, I explored that place for a long time. It was huge, like an abandoned ancient ruin.

I walked inside for a long time, took many detours, and finally—

She paused for a moment:

I found something.

As for what it was, I can't say for sure.

It didn't have a fixed form; it looked like a ball of light, yet also like a drop of blood, floating in the deepest part of the ruins.

The moment I touched it, my entire bloodline began to boil, as if it was about to break through some kind of shackle and step into a completely new level.

However,

Luo Qingchen changed the subject.

A dream is ultimately just a dream.

In the dream, I did successfully complete my bloodline evolution, but Cai You's 'Floating Life Like a Dream' can only reflect comprehension and experience. Things on the bloodline level cannot be fed back through a dream.

Therefore, I needed to find that thing in reality.

She paused and continued:

I found a way to leave that place in the dream, and then I realized that the surrounding environment was a barren mountain in the Western Region.

So, relying on my memory, I wanted to return to the Tianyao Pavilion first.

On the way, the dream disconnected.

After waking up, I didn't hesitate and immediately set off for the Western Region.

Relying on the memories from the dream, I found that barren mountain, found the entrance, and entered the ruins. And then—

Her tone lowered slightly:

I found that thing again.

However, unlike in the dream, there were three Half-Immortal realm demonic beasts stationed there guarding it.