the multi

Chapter 33

"Nyam, nyam… oooooh! My severed right hand has grown back! All the holes in my body caused by that wretched human's lightning attack have healed too!"

"Nom, nom. Quiet down, Long Linglu, nom, nom… you're too noisy."

"Nyam, nyam… I'm not noisy! I'm just happy my hand grew back! Nyam, nyam…"

"Haah… whatever—hey! You're eating too much of the fruit! Don't finish it all!"

"Nyam, nyam, don't worry! I won't eat it all! I'm just so hungry, let me eat!"

"Just make sure to leave some of the fruit. We need it. And hurry up and finish eating; we've been here too long. We need to get into the alternative realm to find Sister Xue."

"Nyam, nyam, of course."

When Ruan Xiaoyue and Long Linglu left the scene of the battle they had won and headed toward the cave where the portal to the alternate realm was, they remained unaware of a child's soul emerging from the body of the elder whose heart had been stabbed by Ruan Xiaoyue. The soul was watching them with murderous intent.

Shaking off the murderous gaze, the child's soul quickly flew away from the elder's corpse, which had a hole in its heart, heading toward an unknown destination.

Two hours later, the child's soul arrived at a large mountain, atop which stood many grand buildings inhabited by people wearing the same sect robes. The soul flew past everything around it, heading directly toward the most prominent building among the others.

It stopped at the gate of the building, hovering down to approach the gatekeeper standing at the entrance. The soul spoke, delivering an important message.

"Gatekeeper, please inform the sect master that I, Elder Kong, wish to speak with him. I have vital information."

"E-Elder Kong? W-why are you like this?"

"Quickly, tell the sect master! This information is crucial!"

"Y-yes, right away."

After being scolded by the child's soul—Elder Kong—the gatekeeper quickly went inside, returning shortly after to allow Elder Kong to meet with the sect master.

"The sect master has given permission, Elder Kong. Please, go in."

Nodding slightly, Elder Kong passed through the gate and entered the building where the sect master awaited. Without wasting any time, Elder Kong immediately recounted his encounter with Ruan Xiaoyue and Long Linglu in the Death Forest.

When he finished telling his story, Elder Kong waited for the sect master to process all the information. After a few moments, the sect master finally spoke.

"It sounds unbelievable, hearing this from you, Elder Kong, but seeing how you've returned to the sect with only your Nascent Soul in the form of a child's soul, I have no choice but to believe it. Who would've thought the child we've been targeting had such unimaginable power, and that the divine fruit we've been seeking comes from that child and the demon companion with her?"

"Even so, we still don't know where that fruit originated, Master. While I didn't see the human child wearing any sect clothing from this continent, it's possible that those two are serving a master with an exceptionally high cultivation level who's hiding here, possessing a vast treasure trove. Perhaps that's why they're able to carry the divine fruit we desire so easily."

"It's possible, as you suggest, that the children's master has an advanced cultivation level, allowing him to share the divine fruit with them. But I don't believe their master is as powerful a cultivator as we might assume. As we know, the Fellow Sun continent has far less qi compared to others, so it would be strange for a high-level cultivator to choose to live here. I think it's more likely their master is someone in the Body Integration stage who was fortunate enough to find a great treasure trove and distribute some to her disciples. However, due to her disciples' carelessness, we've become aware of the fruit."

"In that case, we have nothing to fear in capturing the two children. It's unlikely they have a powerful master, and even if their master appears, we can call upon the ancestors to aid us in defeating him. If we succeed in capturing the children, we must take all the divine fruit they possess, Sect Master. With the amount of fruit they have, our sect will undoubtedly prosper."

"Your suggestion is quite good, Elder Kong. As for the divine fruit, of course, we must possess it, considering how incredible its effects are, especially after one of our elders has tried it. How could we possibly let it slip away? But the problem, as Elder Kong mentioned, is that those two children may have already entered the alternate realm in search of the girl who survived the small sect we destroyed. As we know, the alternate realm has become a forbidden territory, even abandoned by the White Lotus sect after so many cultivators from their sect, as well as external cultivators, entered that realm and perished, their lives vanishing. We do not know whether those two children are still alive after entering that realm or if they have already died, leaving behind the storage rings containing the divine fruit."

"So what should we do, Sect Master? Do we let those storage rings be lost inside the alternative realm?"

"There's no way we'll leave such valuable treasures behind. We'll take all the sect elders at the Nascent Soul stage to the gate of the alternative realm, wait for the children to appear, and capture them. We'll also send outer sect elders and worthless outer disciples to serve as sacrifices to retrieve the rings inside the realm, whether the children are alive or dead."

"Then please allow me to join as well, Sect Master. Give me time to find a new physical body as a vessel for my Nascent Soul. I want to avenge myself against the two children for destroying my original body!"

"There's no need for you to seek a new body, Elder Kong. Fortunately, I have the intact corpse of a Golden Core cultivator from the sect we recently destroyed stored in my ring. Here, take this body and use it as your new vessel. With it, your cultivation won't suffer too much. Once we've captured the children, I'll let you have the pleasure of killing them for the damage they've caused to our sect. After you've possessed the new body, gather all the inner sect elders to convey your information so we can prepare to head to the alternative realm gate."

"Thank you, Sect Master. After I take possession of this new body, I will follow your instructions."

Once Elder Kong had possessed the body given to him by the sect master, he called upon all the Nascent Soul stage elders to discuss capturing Ruan Xiaoyue and Long Linglu. With the approval of all the inner sect elders, the sect master ordered them to gather the outer sect elders and disciples, preparing them to head to the alternative realm.

With the Great Thunder Sect planning to encircle the realm and capture Ruan Xiaoyue and Long Linglu, no one knew what fate awaited them should they be caught upon exiting the alternative realm.

_______

"We've been searching for hours, examining all the corpses we've come across. Have we still not found the body of that Xue person, Ruan Xiaoyue?"

"Long Linglu! Don't say Sister Xue is dead! We haven't even found her body! I'm sure she's still alive, and we'll keep searching until we find her! We're not going home until we do!"

"Ehhh?! But I'm tired of running around this alternative realm. We haven't found a single clue about Xue. Let's just go home already. My dragon instincts are telling me something bad is going to happen to us. This place has been weird ever since we entered—too quiet. We haven't seen a single human, beast, or demon. Plus, there are too many corpses of humans and demons with no visible wounds. Let's go back, Ruan Xiaoyue!"

"I know… I've felt uneasy ever since we came here too, but I can't leave Sister Xue behind, not knowing her fate. I owe her a debt. So, please wait a little longer, Long Linglu. Let's keep searching."

'I must repay Sister Xue for saving me from that group of arrogant men in this realm, even though I didn't really need to be saved. A debt is a debt. Not to mention, Sister Xue helped me find rare plants and animals when we were here together.'

"But Ruan Xiaoyue, we've already explored much of the forest in this realm, and we haven't found a single-oh! I just remembered, we haven't checked the ruins in this alternative realm that one of my underlings told me about! Let's go explore the ruins. We might find the body of that Xue person—ow! Ruan Xiaoyue! Why did you hit me?!"

"It's your fault for mentioning Sister Xue's corpse when I told you not to say such things."

"Why didn't you just say it nicely? That hit really hurt!"

"I did tell you not to say Sister Xue was dead! You were the shameless one for repeating it!"

"Guh! How dare you hit me and scold me, Ruan Xiaoyue! I'll get back at you for this insult, just you wait!"

"Haaaaah... I'm tired of your attitude. Just show me where the ruins are. Look, it's getting dark. We need to get there before nightfall, or we can rest here until morning if it's still far."

"Hmph! We're currently in the east, and it'll take about seven hours to reach the ruins in the west. Since I'm a descendant of the dragon race, the darkness of night doesn't affect my vision at all, unlike you who can't see... Hahaha! Ruan Xiaoyue, I remember you're just a human who can't see in the dark. Hahaha! How pathetic! Come on, Ruan Xiaoyue, let's run there even though it's night!" Long Linglu replied irritably, then gleefully mocked Ruan Xiaoyue for her inability to see in the dark.

"Ugh! I really want to punch you as hard as I can because of your insults, but you'd end up crying and that would only make me more frustrated. So shut up, damn it! Huft... haaaaah... let's just rest here and recover from our exhaustion. I don't want us to be in danger and unable to fight at full strength because we're tired. So zip it and help me set up a place to rest here."

"Yeah~"

Hearing Long Linglu's teasing reply, Ruan Xiaoyue held back the urge to hit the demon, redirecting her attention to gathering all the branches and leaves around them. After collecting everything, she built a small makeshift shelter, something she had learned from Sister Xue, to stay in temporarily.

That night, they quickly fell asleep in their makeshift shelter, unaware that from the moment they entered the alternate realm, they had been watched by someone.

Chapter 34

"Life-Devouring Thunder Formation, activate!"

BOOM!

"What is that soun—GYAAAA!" 

"…GYAAAA!"

"With this Life-Devouring Thunder Formation, which can kill even advanced Nascent Soul stage cultivators, those two brats should be dead by now, or at best, paralyzed. You three, go check on those kids. If they're alive, break their cultivation immediately so they can't resist when we take them out of this alternate realm. Also, grab that demon's storage ring while you're at it."

"Yes, elder!"

Ruan Xiaoyue's body was scorched and paralyzed by the sneak attack from the group of cultivators, whom she recognized as members of the Great Thunder Sect by their robes. She never expected that sect to hunt her down into the alternate realm, let alone find her in such a vast place.

She watched as three of the sect's cultivators approached her and Long Linglu, intending to destroy their cultivation, just as she had overheard. Ruan Xiaoyue, despite her paralysis, forced her body to move, struggling with all her might. Slowly, her paralysis began to lessen.

As she regained more mobility, Ruan Xiaoyue willed her limbs—her legs, arms, and head—to move more freely. When the three cultivators finally reached her, one of them knelt to examine her, preparing to destroy her cultivation with a hand movement.

Summoning all her strength, Ruan Xiaoyue managed to grab the cultivator's hands and crushed them.

"Why are you—gaaahkk! My hands! Y-you two! H-help me!"

"You brat! Let him go!"

The two Foundation-Building cultivators rained punches and kicks on Ruan Xiaoyue, trying to free their companion, but their blows felt like mere pinches to her. Taking advantage of their distraction, she continued to push her body to the limit, and finally, her paralysis was completely gone.

Ruan Xiaoyue stood up, much to the shock of the three cultivators. As they stood there stunned, she released one of the man's crushed hands and used her free hand to shove another's head into the first one's, smashing their skulls together with a resounding crack.

BAM!

"A m-monster!"

"Silence."

Without missing a beat, Ruan Xiaoyue leaped high into the air, still holding the cultivator whose hands she had crushed. She hurled him with all her might toward the rest of the Great Thunder Sect group, who were gathered nearby.

"Everyone, dodge!"

BAM!

The impact of the flying body killed five or six of the cultivators who hadn't moved in time, their bodies mangled by the force of the throw. Seeing the group in disarray, Ruan Xiaoyue took the chance to check on Long Linglu, who was still lying on the ground after being struck by the lightning.

"Long Linglu, are you still alive?"

"Ugh… Of course, I'm alive! Just wait a bit, Ruan Xiaoyue. My body's still a little paralyzed. I can't move yet. Damn humans, attacking us while we were asleep!"

"Brat! Everyone, don't panic! We must regroup so we can reactivate the formation! You six, advance and buy us time! We need to activate the Life-Devouring Thunder Formation again! Hurry!"

"Y-yes, Outer Sect Elder!"

Long Linglu sensed danger as the Great Thunder Sect cultivators began regrouping, pooling their qi to summon an enormous bolt of lightning above their heads. Unable to move freely, Long Linglu called out to Ruan Xiaoyue.

"Ruan Xiaoyue! Stop their formation before they strike us again!"

"Got it!"

As Ruan Xiaoyue charged toward the cultivators, six of them unleashed lightning techniques, rushing at her to buy their elder time to activate the formation. Unfazed by their attacks, which barely affected her, she quickly decapitated all six.

Ignoring the headless bodies spraying blood onto her tattered black robes, Ruan Xiaoyue sprinted toward the main group, led by the Great Thunder Sect elder. Closing the distance, she unleashed a powerful punch, using a technique she had learned from her master.

"All disciples, dodge!"

"Too late. My punch has a wide range. Die!"

THUUUMP!

"Nyam, nyam… Ruan Xiaoyue, your punch is terrifying! I'm pretty sure there were over forty people in that group, but your attack scattered their bodies so badly they're unrecognizable! Hahaha! Those humans deserved it. How dare they ambush us with such low cultivation! Nyam, nyam... Too bad my body was still paralyzed; otherwise, I would've helped slaughter them too for revenge!"

"Shut up, Long Linglu. You're too loud. Let's get out of here. We need to head to the ruins. I don't want us getting ambushed again like this. Fortunately, we're in the alternate realm, which suppressed their cultivation to the Foundation-Building stage. If they had all been at the Nascent Soul level, we'd be dead. So stop bragging."

"Mm, yeah, yeah, you're always so serious! Now I can't enjoy looking at those mangled corpses anymore! Fine, let's go. Follow me, I'll show you the way."

"Hey! Wait a minute! Give me one of those fruits; don't eat it all yourself. I haven't had breakfast."

"Here, take the fruit. Hurry up and eat it, so we can get moving!"

Grabbing a few fruits from Long Linglu, Ruan Xiaoyue quickly ate them before asking Long Linglu to lead the way. After running for six hours, she finally saw Long Linglu stop at a large, partially buried structure, which she assumed was the ruins she had mentioned.

The ruins looked ancient, overgrown with moss and unrecognizable green plants. Intrigued, she approached the structure, studying its walls, which were covered in strange characters she couldn't read.

Since she couldn't decipher the writing, she ignored it and searched the perimeter for an entrance. After running around and even jumping to different parts, she found that the entrance was hidden beneath a collapsed pillar. She descended through the doorway and noticed fresh bloodstains on the stairs leading down.

Ruan Xiaoyue touched the blood, confirming that it was fresh. This made her certain that Sister Xue was inside, hiding and injured. However, instead of continuing down, she turned back to find Long Linglu.

After leaving the entrance, she eventually spotted Long Linglu standing far from the ruins, trembling. Confused, she approached her and asked, 

"Long Linglu, why have you been standing here shaking like this? What's going on?"

"R-Ruan Xiaoyue, let's go back! My dragon instincts have been screaming danger ever since we arrived here! The aura wasn't this terrifying the first time I came here! And seeing so many of my former demon allies dead without a scratch only makes it scarier! Let's leave, I'm really afraid!"

"I've been feeling a heightened sense of danger ever since we arrived too, even worse than when we first entered the alternate realm. But I didn't expect you to be this scared. It seems your dragon instincts are sharp."

"Since you trust my instincts, let's go back. I'm really terrified. The danger here feels even worse than when I sensed my father's wrath after one of our dragon clan members died. So, let's just leave!"

Ruan Xiaoyue didn't want to leave the ruins. After seeing the fresh bloodstains, she was certain that Sister Xue was inside, wounded and hiding. But seeing Long Linglu so frightened, she decided to hold off on entering.

"I don't want to leave these ruins because I'm sure Sister Xue is in there, bleeding. I really want to save her, but seeing how scared you are, it's probably best if I don't push myself."

"Yeah, let's just go home. Forget about Xue; I doubt she's still alive with that terrifying aura inside these ruins."

"Alright, let's go back. I can't keep putting us in danger just to save Sister Xue, who might not even be alive. I'll ask Master for help in saving her, even though it's embarrassing to request her aid for something that's supposed to be my problem."

"Yes, exactly. You can ask for Master's help; after all, you're her disciple. So, Ruan Xiaoyue, let's just head ba—"

"You two cannot leave."

As Ruan Xiaoyue listened to Long Linglu, a man's voice suddenly echoed in her ear. Before she could ask Long Linglu whose voice it was, the trees around them morphed rapidly into a vast, dimly lit space, illuminated only by scattered torches.

Confused by the sudden change, Ruan Xiaoyue wanted to ask Long Linglu, who knew more, but she was startled when she saw Long Linglu sitting weakly, staring at something. Out of curiosity, she followed Long Linglu's gaze and saw a coffin beside which stood a man with a transparent body, and behind him, Sister Xue lay motionless on the ground.

Chapter 35

"Sister Xue!"

Seeing Sister Xue lying motionless behind the transparent man, Ruan Xiaoyue wanted to step forward to check on her. However, she hesitated upon noticing the strange things around her.

'Wait, I can't be careless. Something's off here. Who is that transparent man? Judging by his translucent body, he's a cultivator, right? And why is Sister Xue behind him? Could he be the one who moved us from near the ruins to this wide, dim space after I heard a man's voice in my ear before being transported? Seeing Long Linglu trembling in fear, it seems like he's dangerous. I need to figure out what he wants first.'

"Respected cultivator, do you know where we are? The horned girl beside me and I were suddenly moved here from a place not far from the ruins. I also want to ask, is the woman behind you still alive? She's a friend of mine, and we've been searching for her for quite a while. I didn't expect to find her here, where we were just relocated."

After speaking, Ruan Xiaoyue waited in silence for the transparent man to answer her questions. She wanted to see if his voice matched the one she heard earlier and to figure out whether he was an enemy or not. It didn't take long for him to respond.

"I did not expect this. Just as my soul had recently awakened, three very special guests entered the alternate realm I created. How fascinating it is to see a cultivator with a legendary divine physical body arrive here, accompanied by someone from the ancient divine dragon race, to rescue a cultivator with a pure yin physical body."

'T-this transparent man said he created this alternate realm? D-damn, he must be incredibly powerful! And we entered his realm without permission! How are we going to get out of here? It's clear now that he moved us here. He said his soul just woke up—could it be from that dead body in the coffin beside him? Is he planning to use our bodies as vessels? Damn it! That must be it! We have to escape! But how? Long Linglu's been frozen in fear all this time. What should I do?'

As Ruan Xiaoyue racked her brain to find a way out, her thoughts were interrupted when the transparent man did something to Long Linglu.

"Akh! My finger!"

"Hmm, even though the storage ring on this severed finger is trash, the divine fruit inside is truly absurd. It's a pity I can't eat it since I'm now just a soul, but I'll keep it anyway. Now, tell me—who is your master, and where did they find so many divine fruits?"

'This bastard stole our treasure! How did he know the fruits were inside Long Linglu's ring? Has he been spying on us from the start? What now? How can we escape when I couldn't even see his move that cut off Long Linglu's finger? Should I ask Long Linglu—'

"Why are you silent? Stop thinking and answer my question."

Before Ruan Xiaoyue could finish her thought, the transparent man gave her no time, unleashing a powerful aura that pressed down on both her and Long Linglu, forcing them to their knees in pain.

"Ugh!" "Ghak!"

'My body feels like it's being crushed by a huge boulder! Damn it! This bastard isn't giving us any time!'

"Little girl, it's fascinating to see you withstand the pressure of my aura, while your divine dragon friend is coughing up blood. As expected of someone with a legendary divine body—their resilience is simply unreasonable."

'It hurts so much! I can't think for too long—Long Linglu is vomiting too much blood. I have to try apologizing for entering his realm. Hopefully, he'll listen.'

"Honored cultivator, I'm sorry for trespassing into the realm you created. Please, release us. You've already taken our divine treasures; we have nothing left. I beg you, just let us go."

Ruan Xiaoyue attempted to apologize and plead for their release, but the transparent man didn't respond. Instead, he intensified the pressure on her, causing her to collapse completely.

Thud!

"Guugh!"

"Don't speak unless it's to answer my question. Now, where did your master find these divine fruits? It's impossible to find this many in the qi-poor Fellow Sun Continent. Even on larger continents, divine fruits are extremely rare. So tell me—who is your master, and where did they find these fruits?"

Seeing Ruan Xiaoyue in agony, unable to move, Long Linglu, trembling with fear, took the initiative to try negotiating with the transparent man to save them.

"H-h-honored cultivator! I-I'm L-long Linglu of the ancient divine dragon race, as you said. P-please let the two of us go! I-I am the daughter of the leader of the divine dragon race. Y-you don't want to be hunted by my entire race, do you? So please—aghh! My right hand is severed! Hiks, hiks…"

"Silence! How dare you threaten me? Do you think I'm afraid of your divine dragon race? As long as you're in the alternate realm I created, your race can't reach you to help. Speak again, and next time, it'll be your neck that's severed."

"Hiks, hiks…"

"Long Linglu! Damn you! You were supposed to be strong! How can you intimidate children like us and steal our treasures? Just let us go! We've already apologized! Where's your honor?"

"Hahaha! You naive little girl, you're like someone who's just become a cultivator. Don't you know that stealing another cultivator's treasures is normal if they can't protect what's theirs? Cultivators wouldn't even care if a baby were turned into a pill if it could enhance their cultivation. So, intimidating and taking precious treasures from weak little kids like you is perfectly normal."

"Enough of this lesson. Little girl, I have an intriguing offer for you. How about becoming my disciple? Judging by your refusal to mention your master, it seems they're weak. So, if you accept, I'll spare your life. It would be a shame to kill someone with a legendary divine body here. What do you say—are you interested?"

'This bastard dares insult my master! If I didn't want to burden my master with my problems, I would've told her so this bastard could die miserably! But I can't involve my master in this. I'll have to handle it myself. He says if I become his disciple, he won't kill me. Does that also mean he'll let Long Linglu and Sister Xue go? I should ask him.'

"...If I accept you as my master, what will happen to my two friends?"

"Hmm… well, your friends will die here. The little dragon is useless to me; her cultivation is too weak to serve as my guardian. Keeping her alive would be dangerous if her race finds out. And making her my pet is impossible—divine dragons are known for their pride. As for the girl behind me, she'll serve as a furnace for me to break through. So I'll keep her for now. I've told you their fate. What will you choose, little girl?"

'This damned bastard is so cruel! He wouldn't even spare Long Linglu and Sister Xue if I accepted him as my master. Damn it! I have no other choice, I'll have to pretend to accept him as my master. Forgive me, Master, for pretending to accept someone else as my master, but I have no choice. I'm doing this to help Long Linglu and Sister Xue escape from here.'

"...I'll accept you as my master."

"Hmm, a wise choice. Now come closer and perform the ritual of respect."

After the translucent man approved her choice, Ruan Xiaoyue felt the heavy pressure on her lift. Standing up despite the pain, she walked slowly towards the translucent man and then knelt down when she was close to him. Not long after kneeling, Ruan Xiaoyue heard the translucent man speak kindly to her.

"Very good, my disciple. You no longer need to kneel. Stand up. After I kill your friend and take her whole body to use as material so you can cultivate faster, I will teach you a powerful cultivation technique."

Hearing the cruel translucent man say he would kill Long Linglu, Ruan Xiaoyue hid her furious expression while following his command and stood up slowly. But unexpectedly, Ruan Xiaoyue suddenly threw a powerful punch wrapped in qi toward him. Seeing her strike blocked by a solid transparent wall, Ruan Xiaoyue didn't stop. She quickly ran behind the translucent man, approached Sister Xue, and lifted her body while throwing punch after punch at the translucent man to buy herself some time to get closer to Long Linglu, so the three of them could escape.

She hadn't run very far from the translucent man when suddenly, she fell while carrying Sister Xue, tumbling and feeling intense pain in her legs. After rolling to a stop on the ground, holding onto Sister Xue to prevent them from being separated, Ruan Xiaoyue, overwhelmed by the pain, tried to look at her legs and saw that both of them had been severed.

"Argh! My legs are gone! Urgh! Long Linglu! Stop crying! Take Sister Xue and get out of here!"

"Hiks, hiks… I-I caught her, but what about you, Ruan Xiaoyue?"

"Leave me behind! You have to escape!"

"But I can't leave you! We have to escape together!"

"Don't be stupid, damn it! Go! If you manage to escape, bring Master here so this bastard can die! Hurry!"

"Enough playing around."

"Argh!"

"Ruan Xiaoyue! Damn it! Let her go! Urgh!"

After the translucent man spoke, a large hand made of qi appeared in the air, moving toward Ruan Xiaoyue to grab and squeeze her tightly, causing her to scream. Shifting his gaze to Long Linglu, who had insulted him, the translucent man became irritated. He conjured a massive spear made of qi in the air and shot it toward Long Linglu, impaling her. Ignoring whether she was alive or dead, he turned his attention back to Ruan Xiaoyue.

"Little girl, I gave you a chance to become my disciple, yet you deceived me and even attacked when I was slightly off guard. Luckily, I deflected it in time, or your strange technique could have damaged my soul. I intended to train you to become as strong as I am, so that when I absorb your soul and take your body, my cultivation would skyrocket."

Still angry at Ruan Xiaoyue's betrayal, the translucent man made a slight squeezing motion with his hand, causing the giant qi hand to mimic his action, squeezing Ruan Xiaoyue harder and making her scream even louder. He continued speaking to the bloodied, near-death Ruan Xiaoyue.

"ARGHH!"

"Since you've refused me, I will now absorb your soul. Your earlier technique and all the information you possess will become mine. Once you die, I'll use your divine body as my new vessel. Despite the drawbacks, like the gender difference which might cause some rejection of my soul, it shouldn't be an issue if I can obtain a divine body as my vessel. Even though my cultivation will decrease after using your body, I'll be able to overcome that weakness after absorbing that pure yin furnace woman. Hahaha! Even the heavens favor me by bestowing so much fortune! Hahaha! Now I'll absorb your soul, die, little girl—what!"

As the translucent man moved his fingers in a complex manner to unleash a mysterious technique that could absorb Long Linglu's soul, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. He turned his gaze and was shocked to see Long Linglu, whom he had ignored, assuming he was dead after being pierced by a spear. Long Linglu had transformed into a massive and lengthy white dragon, her entire body covered in a yellow, smoke-like light. The dragon, or Long Linglu, was so enormous that the ceiling above them collapsed because it couldn't contain her.

GRAAAAAHH!

Long Linglu, now a dragon, roared, destroying many surrounding walls before unleashing a massive concentrated beam of light from her mouth, sending a barrage of powerful beams toward the translucent man.

Seeing the incoming attack, the translucent man was forced to defend himself from the countless beams of light. Long Linglu took advantage of his distraction, flying swiftly with Xue Lanting in her hand, and bit down on the large qi hand that was gripping Ruan Xiaoyue.

Since the translucent man was preoccupied with defending himself from the light barrage, the qi hand he conjured weakened. Long Linglu managed to destroy it with her bite and escaped, carrying Ruan Xiaoyue in her mouth, flying upward through the crumbling walls above.

Chapter 36

Looking above, there were no longer walls but a blue sky. Long Linglu quickly surveyed her surroundings to ascertain her location, discovering that she was still near the ruins in the alternative forest. Knowing where she was, Long Linglu immediately took flight to escape towards the exit gate of the alternative realm, leaving behind the translucent man who was still underground in the ruins. 

Feeling the abundance of liquid that tasted like blood on her tongue, Long Linglu anxiously encouraged Ruan Xiaoyue not to give up despite her injuries.

"Ruan Xiaoyue, stay with me! I'll get you home! Don't die!"

"...Long... Linglu, did you... turn into... a dragon?"

"Don't talk! Focus on healing! Your wounds are too severe!"

"...Sister Xue... did you bring her...?"

"I brought her! She's in my hands! So, be quiet!"

"...Am I... in your mouth now? It's... wet and warm..."

"Be quiet, Ruan Xiaoyue! Heal yourself! Don't say another word!"

"...I'm sorry for... dragging you here... Because of my selfishness, you almost... died... I also apologize for... hitting you so often... I actually consider you... my friend. My awkwardness... not having friends before made me... act harshly towards you... Though it was partly your... arrogance that annoyed me... I still apologize. I miss master... Has she abandoned me?"

"…"

Hearing Ruan Xiaoyue still talking and not heeding what she was saying, Long Linglu did not respond to her words but instead accelerated her flying speed. Too focused on increasing her speed out of concern for Ruan Xiaoyue's condition, Long Linglu failed to notice a giant hand made of qi descending rapidly towards her from above.

"What! Akh!"

Just as she realized there was a massive qi hand above her, it was already too late. Her body was pressed down by the enormous qi hand with such force that she crashed hard to the ground.

BAM!

GRAAAH! ROARRR!

"RUAN XIAOYUE! DAMN IT! LET ME GO! DAMN THE HAND!"

Due to her unpreparedness to withstand the attack, Ruan Xiaoyue, who was in her mouth, was thrown out and fell hard to the ground. Long Linglu, pressed to the ground not far from the seemingly dying Ruan Xiaoyue, roared and struggled wildly to free herself from the qi hand that was pinning her down. However, it was all in vain, as ultimately, her struggles could not free her from the grip of the qi hand, and the translucent man who had caused it reappeared in front of her without a scratch.

"Hahahaha! I didn't expect you could actually transform into a dragon. As I recall, your race has a very difficult lineage to awaken the divine dragon bloodline you possess. Yet you, even though still small, have managed to awaken your lineage, which has raised your value in my eyes from very low to quite high."

"I can't let an ancient divine dragon like you go so easily, so dragon girl, surrender and bow down to me! It's pointless to resist; even in your dragon form, you can fight against cultivators at the early stage of Body Integration, and your body can withstand attacks from peak Body Integration cultivators without killing you. Yet it's still useless to fight me, whose cultivation is at the peak stage of Cross Tribulation! Especially after I possess the body of that almost dead girl, absorb the furnace you hold, and consume the divine fruit you brought, my cultivation will surely reach the Mahayana level coveted by many cultivators! With that level of cultivation, I will help you seek all the treasures to elevate your cultivation to the Mahayana level like mine, and after that, the two of us can easily dominate this world!"

"I will never serve you! You're insane! The fact that you're a wandering soul hiding in an alternate world you placed on this weak Fellow Sun continent proves you're just a coward who fled from the great continent! Let me go, damn it! You've messed with the wrong people! Our master won't let you get away with this! Gaaahk!"

"It seems I've been too kind by merely pressing you down with my qi hand. Since you're so stubborn and even insult me, I'll have to discipline you by slicing your body into pieces and healing you repeatedly with the divine fruits you carry. Luckily for me, there are plenty of those fruits, so I can torture you until you submit to me."

With those words, the translucent man transformed the qi hand pinning Long Linglu into chains and conjured numerous qi swords to use as instruments of torture on her.

___

"Aghk! Gaahk! Arrrgh!"

"Surrender! You're incredibly stubborn! I've tortured you five times until you were on the brink of death, wasting five divine fruits in the process!"

"Arrrgh! Urgh! ...I will never submit to you! My master will avenge this! Arrrgh!"

'...That voice... Is it Long Linglu? ...She's being tortured... I want to help her, but... my body won't move...'

Ruan Xiaoyue, who had been unconscious after falling from the sky, awoke upon hearing Long Linglu's screams of pain. She wanted to help but couldn't move her injured body. Helpless, she could only watch as Long Linglu suffered.

"Stubborn dragon!"

"Arrrgh! GRAAAH! ...I will kill you! Arrrrgh!"

"Your roars are useless against me."

'Stop… Long Linglu… She could die… my body won't move… w-why is Long Linglu and everything around her blurry? It's d-dark, I can't see! My body feels nothing! M-master, RuanRuan is scared. Please, master! RuanRuan doesn't want to die here…'

After crying out for help to her master in her thoughts, her breath gradually faded away little by little. In the end, Ruan Xiaoyue died from blood loss; unfortunately, her master, Vheena, could not hear what she was thinking.

*

**

***

****

*****

Strangely, just before Ruan Xiaoyue's soul faded away, the tattered black robe she wore, a gift from her master, emitted a deep purple qi that enveloped her entire body.

The deep purple qi that surrounded her body miraculously healed all her wounds and even regrew her severed legs as they were before, without a single scar, as if she had never been injured. Not only that, but her fading soul gradually began to recover, causing her, who had been dead, to awaken as if she were gasping for breath.

"Haaaaaaah… haa, haa, haa, am I still a-alive?"

While the translucent man was torturing Long Linglu, he heard the sound of Ruan Xiaoyue's heavy breathing not far from him. Curious, he shifted his gaze and saw Ruan Xiaoyue, who had been on the brink of death, now completely enveloped in deep purple qi. The sight of that purple qi filled the translucent man with a great sense of danger.

"What kind of purple qi is that surrounding your body? D-danger, I can't let you live! Die!"

"Damn it! I didn't have time to escape!"

Ruan Xiaoyue, unprepared for the translucent man's sudden attack, could only block with her hands as he unleashed a barrage of qi swords and spears.

"Damn! Damn it! What's with that purple qi? Where did you get it?!"

Seeing the panic on the translucent man's face as his countless qi weapons failed to harm her, Ruan Xiaoyue marveled at the power of the purple qi. But she had underestimated its strength. When the qi fully absorbed into her body, her cultivation rapidly soared from the advanced Golden Core stage to an unknown realm.

"This is impossible! How could your cultivation rise from Golden Core to Mahayana in an instant?! This doesn't make sense!"

"Hehehehe... Didn't I tell you our master wouldn't let you get away? Since you've tortured me, her pet, and Ruan Xiaoyue, her disciple, my master will ensure you die here!" Long Linglu sneered through her pain.

"Damn it! I need to escape!"

As the translucent man tried to flee, Ruan Xiaoyue dashed with teleport-like speed and grabbed his neck, coating her hand with qi to prevent him from escaping.

"Ghak! How can you touch my spirit form?! Damn it, let go!"

"You were the one who revealed it when you said my attack could wound your soul, so of course, I tried to capture you using my master's technique."

"Ghak! Damn you!"

"Don't move too much, or I'll destroy your soul! Now hurry up and return the ring containing our divine fruit!"

"Ghak! I won't! Ghak! Ugh! L-let me go!"

"If you refuse again, I'll squeeze your neck so hard your soul will be crushed!"

"H-here, take it!" replied the translucent man in fear as he saw Ruan Xiaoyue's terrifying expression and felt the grip on his neck tighten.

After taking the ring from the translucent man, Ruan Xiaoyue walked toward Long Linglu, dragging the translucent man by the neck as she went. Once in front of Long Linglu, Ruan Xiaoyue easily shattered the qi chains that bound her and then stuffed several divine fruits into Long Linglu's mouth, seeing the miserable state of her dragon form with her legs and tail severed.

"Long Linglu, eat these fruits. You're in a pitiful state."

"Ugh! Th-thank you, Ruan Xiaoyue... I'm healed!" replied Long Linglu after swallowing all the fruits Ruan Xiaoyue had given her.

"Where is Sister Xue? I don't see her."

"The human called Xue is under the pile of my severed limbs. You can find her there. And what about that bastard you're dragging? Aren't you going to kill him? If you don't, give him to me! I want revenge for all the times he tortured me!"

"Damn it! Let me go! If you kill me, that woman named Xue will die too, with her soul shattered like mine, because I've already inscribed my soul secret technique onto hers!"

Ignoring the translucent man's threatening words, Ruan Xiaoyue didn't respond and continued talking to Long Linglu.

"…Can you turn back into your half-dragon human form? Your voice is too loud when you're a dragon."

"Of course I can, watch." Long Linglu's dragon body glowed brightly, and then she transformed back into her horned loli form.

Seeing the two little girls ignoring him and appearing distracted by their conversation, the translucent man seized the opportunity. He silently conjured numerous qi swords in the air and shot them rapidly toward the dragon girl and the girl with the Pure Yin physique.

Because his attack targeted both of them simultaneously, the little girl released her grip on his neck to swiftly protect her friends, allowing him to flee quickly.

"Ruan Xiaoyue! Are you okay? I saw you suddenly run so fast, almost disappearing, and then you were already carrying that human called Xue."

"Didn't you see that bastard's attack? He unleashed many qi swords aimed at you and Sister Xue, so I had to let him go to block the attack aimed at you two."

"Woah! Y-yeah, you're right. Looking around, I can see many qi swords about to disappear. But what about that damned human? He's fled so far away, I can't even see where he's gone."

"It's fine, now that that bastard has fled, I can try unleashing the full power of the Mahayana-level cultivator he mentioned. I'm also curious to see how strong I am now."

'Although that transparent bastard's words worry me, since he said Sister Xue's soul is marked with his secret technique, which could destroy her soul. Should I stop trying to unleash my full power? No, I can't stop. That bastard might've lied to trick me into letting him go by claiming he's done something to Sister Xue. I have to kill him; it'll be dangerous if I let him escape!'

Having made up her mind, Ruan Xiaoyue asked Long Linglu to carry Sister Xue. Then she focused on the direction the translucent man had fled, assuming a combat stance and gathering a massive amount of golden qi in her hands. After gathering enough qi, she attempted to enhance her master's technique by adding an outer layer of qi to her right hand that moved in wave-like rings. With this enhancement, she unleashed her usual technique and triggered the ripple rings just as her punch was about to hit, causing an impact she couldn't have imagined.

Shuu... FuuBOOAaAAMMM!!

With just the power of her Mahayana level alone, her punch would have obliterated everything in the alternate realm. But after adding the new enhancement to her master's technique, the impact spread in waves, causing the alternate dimension to shatter, unable to withstand her attack. The remnants of her strike burst through the severely damaged gateway to the alternate realm, causing a massive explosion that eradicated all the Great Thunder sect cultivators waiting for Ruan Xiaoyue's group to emerge.

The numerous fragments and cracks in the alternate dimension made Ruan Xiaoyue sense danger. She wrapped her entire body in qi and embraced Long Linglu and Xue Lanting to protect them from the collapsing dimension. A few moments later, after being tossed around in the chaotic dimension for a while, Ruan Xiaoyue finally found a small exit crack in the Death Forest and managed to escape the ruined alternate realm with Long Linglu and Xue Lanting.

"Huuuuuft, w-we almost died in there. That was terrifying."

"Y-You're right, Ruan Xiaoyue. Th-that shattered dimension earlier was terrifying. If you hadn't been as strong as you are now, we might have been torn apart by the numerous cracks and chaotic rifts in the dimension. I never want to experience that again."

"You're right. I don't want to feel that again either—huh? M-my power is fading! I'm back to Golden Core!"

"Ruan Xiaoyue, it seems like your cultivation earlier was only temporary, but that tattered robe you're wearing is glowing purple. Could that be the source of your power?"

"Yes, you're right. The power I had earlier came from this old robe, which belonged to our master. Wow, even though the robe was badly torn, it's restored to its original state. Ugh, but unfortunately, the power wasn't permanent."

"Damn it! I'm really jealous that you're wearing our master's old robe, especially one with such amazing abilities! And yet you're complaining that the power isn't permanent—so ungrateful! Give that robe to me!"

"How bold of you to ask for the robe that master gave to me. Besides, she already gave you a ring, so—"

"R-Ruan Xiaoyue! T-this person named Xue isn't breathing! H-her heart isn't even beating anymore!"

"Th-that can't be, d-did that translucent man tell the truth? D-damn, there's no breath! What do we do now? It's pointless to have saved Sister Xue if she's going to die! Ugh! Why did you hit me?"

"Idiot! Why are you panicking like that? Get the divine fruit from your storage ring. Isn't that fruit supposed to heal everything?"

After hearing Long Linglu's words, Ruan Xiaoyue followed her advice and took out the divine fruit from her storage ring. Once she had the fruit, she was unsure how to give it to Sister Xue.

"I-I can't give it to her! H-how do I get Sister Xue to eat this? She's not even moving!"

"T-try chewing it yourself first and then pass the chewed fruit into Sister Xue's mouth."

Following Long Linglu's advice, Ruan Xiaoyue chewed the divine fruit. After crushing it in her mouth, she put the chewed fruit into Sister Xue's mouth.

"I-it's no use! The fruit won't go into Sister Xue's body! We need water! Go find some, Long Linglu, you can turn into a dragon."

"O-okay, wait a moment... Here! I've got it! O-open her mouth! I'm carrying the water in my mouth!"

Pouring the water from her mouth into Xue Lanting's, which Ruan Xiaoyue had opened, the two of them watched as the severe wounds on Sister Xue's body healed instantly. However, although Xue Lanting's body was restored, her soul did not return, even after they waited for a long time. Ruan Xiaoyue, seeing that Xue Lanting couldn't be revived, remained silent, saddened by the situation.

"...It's no use. We've done everything we could. Sister Xue can't come back to life. ...I'm sorry, Sister Xue, I tried my best to save you, but this is how it turned out."

"Don't give up yet, Ruan Xiaoyue! Take this person named Xue and get on my back. We'll take her home and ask our master to bring her back!"

"B-but how could master revive her? Even that damn translucent man said Sister Xue's soul would be shattered if we killed her!"

"Just get on already! Why are you doubting master? Didn't she save you earlier when you were on the brink of death?"

'Long Linglu is right, why would I doubt master when she even brought me back to life after I died? I'll apologize to master for doubting her, and then I'll beg her to bring Sister Xue back.' Ruan Xiaoyue thought.

After that, Ruan Xiaoyue, carrying her Sister Xue on her back, climbed onto the back of the enormous dragon Long Linglu, who then flew swiftly toward her master's house. A few minutes later, Long Linglu, carrying Ruan Xiaoyue and Xue Lanting, arrived at her master's home and flew to the backyard upon seeing her master sitting leisurely.

"...A-a dragon?"

"Master! Please help us save this human!" "Master! Please save Sister Xue!"

"T-that voice... Long Linglu and Ruan Xiaoyue? ...What do you need help with?"

Hearing her master's words, Ruan Xiaoyue got down from Long Linglu's back while carrying Sister Xue's lifeless body. Meanwhile, Long Linglu transformed back into her half-dragon human form.

"RuanRuan asks her master to save Sister Xue, whom RuanRuan is carrying."

"Hmm? Is this woman sleeping?"

"No, master, Sister Xue is—eh?"

Just as Ruan Xiaoyue was about to tell her master that Sister Xue was dead and not sleeping, suddenly Sister Xue began to breathe again, as if she were merely asleep. Witnessing this miracle filled Ruan Xiaoyue with immense gratitude towards her master.

"T-thank you, master, for saving Sister Xue! You're truly amazing! Thank you, master!"

"Woah! Ruan Xiaoyue, you're right! She's breathing again! Master is incredible! This woman named Xue isn't going to die! Thank you for saving her, master!"

"O-oh, y-yes. What have I done—uhum! Ruan Xiaoyue, take this woman to your room and let her rest for now. After that, come back here; I want to hear the story of the two of you who have been away for five days."

"Alright, master."

Chapter 37

BOOOOOOOMMM…

"Hmm? That sounds like an explosion, but where is it coming from? Could it be from Death Forest? D-don't tell me it's not far from here. H-hopefully it's not caused by some cultivators fighting. If it really is a battle, I might get caught up in it. Damn! RuanRuan, Xianxiu, Linglu, where are you all when I need protection?"

"C-calm down. Since it was only one explosion, it probably wasn't a fight between cultivators. But then, what was it? Could a cultivator have caused that? …well, whatever. The fighting sounds or explosion have stopped, so there's no need for me to overthink it. I'd better finish my lunch."

Having no reason to worry about the source of the explosion, Vheena nonchalantly shrugged it off and returned to her unfinished lunch.

"Yawn, ahh... after lunch, I feel sleepy for some reason. It seems like it would be nice to take a nap in the backyard. Luckily, I've already washed the dishes and utensils, so I can just head to the backyard to relax before my two disciples and pets return!"

Feeling excited, Vheena went to the backyard, grabbed a rocking chair that was there, and placed it near a shady tree to enjoy the rest she had been looking forward to.

Sitting on the chair and closing her eyes to savor the tranquility, Vheena tried to relax, but even after lounging for a while, she still couldn't fall asleep. She began to think of trivial things to keep her mind busy, hoping it would help her drift off.

'Feeling the cool breeze around the garden while sitting on my rocking chair is so soothing. I would never have done something so boring in my old world. Is it because I don't have a cellphone in this world that I've come to enjoy these lazy, old-people hobbies?'

'It seems like that's the case. Besides, this world is so boring with so little entertainment compared to my old world. That's why I don't have any hobbies other than lazing around every day—hmm? Why does it feel like there's a shadow over me, making my closed eyes feel even darker? Is it because it's about to rain? S-something's strange. I hear heavy breathing nearby. Whose breathing is this? I-it's better if I open my eyes and check—'

"…A-a dragon?"

'Scary! Scary! Scary! W-why is there a dragon right in front of my face? A-and it's enormous! A-am I going to die here, eaten by this dragon?'

As Vheena felt a wave of despair, seeing a dragon looming above her as if it were about to devour her, she suddenly heard two familiar voices coming from the dragon.

"Master! Please help us save this human!" "Master! Please save Sister Xue!"

"T-that voice... Long Linglu and Ruan Xiaoyue? ...What do you need help with?"

'It seems this dragon is Long Linglu, while Ruan Xiaoyue might be on its back? Thank goodness, it's really them. I was so scared just now, thinking a random dragon was going to eat me. But still, why are they, who've been gone for five days, suddenly asking me to save Sister Xue? W-woah! Long Linglu has transformed back into a half-dragon human! I-it's unbelievable how such a huge dragon just became a loli dragon girl!'

While Vheena was marveling at Long Linglu's transformation, her disciple Ruan Xiaoyue, who had been carrying Xue Lanting, came down from Long Linglu's back and approached her to ask for help.

"RuanRuan asks her master to save Sister Xue, whom RuanRuan is carrying."

"Hmm? Is this woman sleeping?"

'What's with this stunning beauty RuanRuan is carrying? She's too gorgeous! Her skin is flawless and without any injuries, so she must just be asleep or unconscious, right? Why on earth is RuanRuan asking me to save her? Is she expecting me to kiss this woman to wake her up?'

"No, Master, Sister Xue is—eh?"

"T-thank you, master, for saving Sister Xue! You're truly amazing! Thank you, master!"

"Woah! Ruan Xiaoyue, you're right! She's breathing again! Master is incredible! This woman named Xue isn't going to die! Thank you for saving her, master!"

'W-what? What's going on? W-why are the two of you suddenly thanking me? I didn't even do anything! Is it just because I had the fleeting thought of kissing that sleeping beauty that you're thanking me? No, that can't be it. There's no way they're thanking me for something that strange. At the very least, I should respond to these two little girls. It would be weird if I just stayed silent while they're so energetically expressing their gratitude!'

"O-oh, y-yes. What have I done—uhum! Ruan Xiaoyue, take this woman to your room and let her rest for now. After that, come back here; I want to hear the story of the two of you who have been away for five days."

"Alright, master."

'Ugh! Now that they're both back, my brain will have to work hard again. I need to think of a plan to trick them, and I hope my stomach doesn't hurt from the stress caused by my disciples and pet.'

Trying to maintain a flat expression on her face despite feeling sad, Vheena sat up, adopting the demeanor of an expert. Unfortunately, her facade was shattered when Long Linglu approached her and immediately sat in her lap, hugging her.

"Master, you saw Linglu's transformation, right? What do you think? Is it cool?"

'Cool? Yeah, it was definitely cool. Linglu's dragon form resembles a Chinese dragon, but with white skin and horns, her body enveloped in blazing yellow light like fire. I think that's really cool. Especially the size of her body when she transformed, which might have been about 40 meters tall and an absurd length of around 200 meters, making her look truly dominant. But as an ordinary human, I find Linglu's dragon form quite intimidating. I felt like I was a character from a certain game facing a massive dragon god boss with just a sword! But aside from that, why is this dragon girl hugging me? Whatever, I might as well praise this silly girl.'

"…Of course, your dragon form was incredibly cool. I even want to try riding on your back and experiencing what it's like to fly in your dragon form."

"Hehehehe, if Master wants to ride on Linglu, all Master has to do is command it. Linglu belongs to Master, so I'll follow all of Master's orders." Long Linglu responded shyly, wagging her tail happily.

BASH!

'Linglu-chan, I was just complimenting you to lift your spirits. Why are you blushing like that? Look at the dent your tail left next to my foot. It wasn't intentional, but the ground is caving in! Is this dragon girl getting stronger? H-hey, why is your big tail wrapping around my legs? Let go! I'm scared my legs are going to get crushed!'

As Vheena, who was being hugged by Linglu, stiffened in fear at the thought of her legs being crushed by Linglu's big tail, she remained unaware that RuanRuan had just finished moving Sister Xue to her room and had returned.

Seeing her master being affectionately embraced by Long Linglu, with a flushed face while sitting in Vheena's lap, RuanRuan felt a pang of hurt in her heart, which quickly turned into anger. She immediately shouted at Long Linglu to let go of her master.

"Long Linglu! What do you think you're doing? Get off Master's lap! Where are your manners?"

"Ck! Why are you upset when I'm with Master? Besides, I'm her pet; it's only natural for me to want her affection!"

"You! Get off Master's lap right now! She belongs to me! I've never even sat on her lap!"

"Don't pull me! Let go of me, Ruan Xiaoyue! I'm her pet! Master is mine! You, as a disciple, should behave like one and not be jealous of me!"

'Ugh! Linglu, don't hug me so tightly; your soft body is making me feel all flustered! And RuanRuan, stop pulling at her; it only makes Linglu hug me tighter, making me feel her softness even more! Oh no, I feel my Lolicon parameters rising!'

"Long Linglu, let go of Master! Ugh! Why can't I pull you away? When did your body get this strong?"

"Hahahahaha! Ruan Xiaoyue, ever since my divine dragon bloodline awakened, of course, my strength has grown tremendously! With this power, I can surely defeat you! Let's duel to see who's the strongest! If you lose, you have to lick my feet and obey my every command! If you win, I'll let go of Master. How about it? Are you brave enough?"

"You brat! That's not a fair bet! Why do I have to lick your feet if I lose, while all you have to do if I win is let go of Master? That's not fair! Let go of Master now!"

"Hahaha! I won't let go of Master until you agree to a duel with me!"

"Ugh, damn it, why can't I break free! Long Linglu, let go of Master!"

"…That's enough, you two. Stop messing around. And Linglu, get off my lap. It's time for you both to explain to the master where you've been for the past five days."

"Yes, Master!"

'Phew, luckily I told Linglu to get off my lap. Still, it's embarrassing that I, as their master, let them argue for so long just so I could keep feeling Linglu's body hugging me. Could it be that without realizing it, I've truly become a Lolicon? Somehow, this doesn't feel right,' Vheena thought with a sad expression.

After Linglu got off Vheena's lap, RuanRuan, now calm after seeing Linglu no longer sitting on her master's lap, began to tell the story of what she and Long Linglu had experienced in the alternate realm.

"So, it started when RuanRuan was exploring Death Forest—"

"Stop, Ruan Xiaoyue. Let me tell the story quickly. So here's what happened, Master. While Linglu was gardening, Ruan Xiaoyue suddenly invited Linglu to enter an alternate realm to look for a human named Xue. After that, we explored the alternate realm, encountered some scumbags from a scumbag sect, and then we were captured by these scumbag who threatened us to follow them. Then, those scumbag and he alternate realm were destroyed by Ruan Xiaoyue's attack. Because of that, we managed to escape from those scumbag and also successfully brought back the human named Xue. That's the story, Master!"

"…Huh? Is that it? Is that really how it happened, Linglu?"

"Yes, Master. Even though Long Linglu rudely interrupted RuanRuan's story, what she said is true. Although there are many details she left out, the main point is that we managed to bring back Sister Xue and survived that scumbag cultivator."

'I'm getting a headache listening to their story. Also, why does Linglu keep using the word "scumbag" so much? And RuanRuan, how can she agree with Linglu's version of the story so easily? Am I just too dumb to understand what they're saying? After hearing this weird story from these two little girls, how should I even react? Ugh, my stomach hurts. I'll just try to praise and criticize them. Time to act like a proper master again.'

Standing from her chair with graceful movements, Vheena turned her back to the two girls, raising her gaze toward the sky to act like an expert. But seeing only thick foliage above instead of the sky, Vheena quickly turned back around and gently patted the heads of her confused disciples, wearing a loving expression to hide her embarrassment from failing to act like an expert.

"Uh, y-you two, I'm really glad to see your willingness to help your friend, even though it was very dangerous for you. However, that's still not a wise decision. You both underestimated your enemies, which led to multiple attacks against you and even nearly getting killed. If a situation like this arises again in the future, I want you both to think things through first to avoid it happening again. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Master!" "Understood, my Master!"

'Phew, even though those words feel cheap, at least they look serious while listening to me, so they should be fooled, right? So, to keep these two little girls from talking any further, it's better to invite them for lunch.'

"Hmm, yeah, since we've finished the story, it's better if I take you both for lunch. You two haven't eaten yet, right?"

"Not yet, Master!" "Of course not, my Master! Please make your pet some delicious food as a reward for awakening my bloodline, Master!"

"O-okay."

After that, Vheena led RuanRuan and Linglu to the dining room and instructed them to sit and wait while she went to the kitchen to prepare a simple lunch for the two little girls.

Chapter 38

"Here is your lunch, you may eat it now."

"Thank you, master, but why are there only plates for RuanRuan and Long Linglu? Where's your plate? C-could it be that the plates ran out? I-if that's the case, master can share a plate with RuanRuan, RuanRuan wouldn't mind sharing with master!"

"Huh? Yeah… actually, I already had lunch before you two came home, so it's just you two who are eating. I'll sit here and watch you both eat."

"That's too bad..."

'Why do you look so sad, RuanRuan? Do you really want to share a plate with me that much? Of course, I wouldn't mind—I mean, as your master, I have to maintain my dignity, so it's impossible for me to lower myself to share a plate with my student, maybe?'

"Nyam, nyam, Master, why is my food the same as Ruan Xiaoyue's? Nyam, nyam, where's the special food as a reward for awakening my bloodline?"

"Uh… Linglu, y-your food was made to look like RuanRuan's on purpose. But, if you're observant, you should be able to feel that your food has a secret only you can sense."

"Really? Hmm... Nyam, nyam... W-whoa! Turns out what you said is true, master! At first, Linglu just felt the usual benefits from this food, but when you mentioned there was a secret to it, Linglu tried to focus more deeply on it, and indeed, there's a new benefit Linglu just discovered! Thank you, master, for making this food just for Linglu!"

"O-of course."

'Is there something wrong with this little dragon girl's brain? It's obvious that the food she's eating is exactly the same as RuanRuan's. How could she be fooled by such a ridiculous excuse? A new benefit? Haha, I even tasted it earlier before giving it to these two little girls, and there's nothing special about it, except that it's a bit salty. Besides being noisy and arrogant, Linglu is easy to trick. I like her innocence, makes it easier for me to deceive her.'

"Long Linglu, let me have a bit of your food, I want to experience the benefits Master talked about. Nom, nom..."

"Hey! Who said you could take from mine! Didn't you hear what Master said? Only I can experience its benefits!"

"Nom, nom, I only took a little. Why are you so stingy? Didn't Master give you a lot of food?"

"Still, you can't just take what's mine! You even grabbed it without asking for my permission! Give me back my food!"

"Let me go! Don't embarrass me in front of Master!"

"I won't let go until you give back my food!"

"You're being unreasonable! How am I supposed to return it? Besides, it's already in my stomach! Just let me go, don't cause trouble!"

"No! You must give back my food! I won't stop until it's returned!"

'Ugh, these two little girls are always arguing over trivial matters. Even though it's noisy, I quite enjoy the chaos they bring. It makes my home feel lively.'

"Excuse me."

As Vheena sat with a smile, watching RuanRuan and Linglu bicker, she heard someone ask for permission to enter the dining room. Turning to look, she saw the voice belonged to the beautiful woman recently saved by RuanRuan. Xue Lanting, the beautiful woman, also looked toward the three people at the dining table. As her gaze shifted from RuanRuan and Linglu to Vheena, Vheena noticed her expression of shock upon seeing her face.

Ruan Xiaoyue, who also heard Xue's voice, stopped her argument with Long Linglu and approached her to ask about her condition.

"Sister Xue, you're awake. Is your body still hurting?"

Upon hearing Ruan Xiaoyue's concern, Xue Lanting quickly suppressed her surprise and shifted her gaze from Vheena to Ruan Xiaoyue, who had come closer.

"...Little Ruan, was it you who saved me from the alternative realm cultivator who captured me?"

"Yes, it was me and Long Linglu, but we were only successful thanks to Master's help."

Upon hearing Ruan Xiaoyue's answer, Xue Lanting immediately bowed deeply toward all three of them in gratitude for saving her life.

"Thank you, Little Ruan and Miss Long Linglu, for going through the trouble of saving me even though we've only just met. And I also owe you a deep debt of gratitude, Miss immortal, for saving me."

"It's alright, Sister Xue, especially since you've saved me before. Of course, I would save you when you're in trouble."

"Hmph, it's nothing, human named Xue. I saved you to repay my debt for convincing Ruan Xiaoyue not to kill me. Because of you, I'm still alive and even became the pet of a magnificent master."

"...No problem."

'What help did I even give her? Why is RuanRuan exaggerating my role in all of this? I was just lazing around at home.'

"...Truly, I'm very grateful for the help of the Miss immortal, Little Ruan, and Miss Long Linglu for saving me."

Seeing Xue Lanting bow even deeper in gratitude, placing her palm over her fist, made Vheena feel a bit embarrassed. She walked over and placed a hand on Xue Lanting's shoulder, inviting her to join them for lunch.

"That's enough; you're being too formal. Come sit here. You haven't had lunch yet, have you? Let me, as the host, serve you some food."

"Oh, no, Miss immortal, I don't want to trouble you any further."

"It's no trouble at all. Just sit down, you're a friend of my beloved student."

"Hehe, I'm Master's favorite student~"

Ignoring RuanRuan's strange comment, Vheena went to the kitchen to get some leftover food to serve to Xue Lanting. While she was preparing the meal, RuanRuan, who had returned to normal, started speaking to Xue Lanting, asking why she had been targeted by the Great Thunder Sect.

"Sister Xue, why was the Great Thunder Sect after you? Was it because we killed that scumbag in the alternative realm? And where are your junior disciples? Are they being targeted too?"

"Actually—"

Xue Lanting stopped herself from answering when she saw Vheena return with the food. She walked over to help take the plate from her.

"Miss immortal, let me carry that."

"Alright. And RuanRuan, Linglu, you two finish your meals first before you continue talking."

"Yes, Master." "Alright, Master!" 

After the three of them finished eating, Vheena, who was gathering the plates to wash them, was stopped by RuanRuan and Xue Lanting, who insisted on doing it, leaving her to sit alone as Linglu was also forced to help with the dishes. A few moments later, the three of them returned to the dining room and sat back at the dining table, listening to Xue Lanting's story.

"Actually, it's purely my fault for trusting one of my juniors too much. I didn't expect that after eating the divine fruit and feeling how amazing its effects were, one of my juniors who saw the effects didn't eat it but instead made an excuse to eat it the next day. It turns out she took the divine fruit to the Great Thunder sect and exchanged it to become an inner disciple of the sect."

"Because of my junior's betrayal, the Great Thunder sect sent many of its elders to the White Lotus sect to threaten our sect master to hand me and three of my junior sisters over to them, claiming we had stolen their divine fruit. My sect master, fearing their threats without thinking further, sold the three of us to the Great Thunder sect. Seeing our sect master not helping but instead trying to capture us and even insulting us as thieves in front of the elders and many disciples without anyone defending us made the four of us heartbroken by the betrayal."

"When the sect master tried to capture us in front of the disciples, one of my junior sisters, also heartbroken by the betrayal from our own sect, chose to self-detonate her early Golden Core to give us time to escape. Thanks to that opportunity, the three of us managed to flee."

'I may be just an ordinary person, so I don't really know what a cultivator's life is like, but hearing this woman being betrayed by her junior, her sect master, and all the disciples just for a divine fruit—it's truly ridiculous. Even though I've seen clichéd stories like this in cultivation novels, it's still funny to see it in real life. All because of a fruit? Pfft, I can't even take her sad story seriously.'

"Since the ones chasing us were elders from the Great Thunder sect, most of whom had Nascent Soul cultivation, my two junior sisters chose to sacrifice themselves so I could escape. Although I managed to flee thanks to their sacrifice, I was left with many severe injuries. Fortunately, I chose an alternative realm as my destination, so the Great Thunder sect's Nascent Soul-level elders couldn't pursue me. Even so, I was still unlucky as I was captured by the cultivator who owned the alternative realm, interested in my Pure Yin Physique that had just awakened—something I didn't even know I had."

'Pfft, m-must hold my expression, th-this is so weird if I imagine Nascent Soul cultivators running around chasing a woman just for some fruit she got. Hahaha, m-must hold it in. I-I heard this woman has a Pure Yin Physique? No wonder her face is so beautiful and her body is so perfect, she even got captured by a powerful cultivator to be forced into a sex. H-her life is so miserable, going through one calamity after another. I really shouldn't be laughing at her story.'

"I'm truly sorry, Sister Xue. I didn't expect that giving you the divine fruit in the alternative realm would lead to such calamity for you," said Ruan Xiaoyue apologetically after hearing Xue Lanting's story.

'Ruan Xiaoyue! It turns out all this woman's problems were caused by you! I was even laughing at Xue Lanting's tragic story, and the cause was you! Since you are my disciple, I'm sure I'll also suffer the karma from this! Guh, don't tell me the entire Great Thunder sect will come here to capture RuanRuan and me, her master? P-please let my deceiving face scare them when that happens.'

"I told you, Little Ruan, that this was entirely my fault. You even warned me to eat it right away, but I underestimated it, and that's why this happened."

'Even though it may have been your own carelessness for not listening to RuanRuan, I'm also pretty sure RuanRuan is partly to blame since she's probably an MC. I'm saying this from my experience reading novels and manga where everyone close to the MC always suffers. That's probably why you've had such calamity, maybe?'

"In that case, let me help you get revenge, Sister Xue! I also have a grudge against the Great Thunder sect since they almost killed me in the alternative realm. We also need to go to your sect to demand justice for their betrayal. And your junior sister who betrayed you can't be left alive. I can't stand knowing a traitor like her is living comfortably!"

"Ruan Xiaoyue is right, Xue Lanting! I also hold a grudge against them, so I will definitely help you get your revenge! We can't let your sect off the hook! You must demand justice from your sect master for selling you out like that!"

"…Actually, my junior sister who betrayed me is already dead, killed by one of the elders of the Great Thunder sect because she was no longer of use to them. She was truly foolish to think the Great Thunder sect would keep their promise after giving them the divine fruit. The Great Thunder sect has long been known for pillaging and destroying small sects they don't like, yet my junior sister foolishly chose them just because they are the number one sect on the continent. As for my sect master and all the disciples of my sect, they were all massacred, and my sect can now be considered destroyed from the information I got after killing one of the Great Thunder sect disciples who was chasing me in the alternative realm," replied Xue Lanting in an empty voice, without expression on her face.

"Those Great Thunder sect bastards are truly cruel! They acted too high-handed, destroying your sect! Let's go, Sister Xue, to their sect—I'll help you destroy them! People as evil as they are shouldn't exist in this world!"

"I'll come too! I'll destroy and kill them all, for the evil they've done! Let's go, Xue Lanting, we'll kill them all!"

'Uwah, RuanRuan and Linglu are too ruthless, wanting to take revenge by destroying the Great Thunder sect. Is this really how all cultivators are when they get strong, that they easily choose to slaughter and annihilate entire sects?'

"Master, please allow RuanRuan and Long Linglu to help Sister Xue destroy their sect. We can't let them—"

"There's no need, Little Ruan, I won't destroy their sect. Besides, I'm already satisfied avenging my junior sister by killing many of their inner disciples who chased me. As for my sect, I won't avenge them after the sect master and elders tried to capture us, and the disciples only insulted and mocked us when we were about to be captured."

'Eh? This woman doesn't want revenge? Even though RuanRuan and Linglu are ready to help her get her revenge. Is she scared?'

"But Sister Xue, we can't just let them go. We must destroy their sect! A life for a life—they must die!"

"That's right! Xue Lanting, don't be a coward looking for excuses; you've already killed plenty of their disciples! I won't accept such a cowardly excuse! We also need to destroy their sect!"

"I don't want to! I'm afraid of suffering again! I'm tired of all this! I've never liked fighting! How long do you expect me to keep fighting just for revenge? We don't even know if the Great Thunder sect has someone strong backing them or if they have many connections. I don't want revenge to cost all of us our lives! I don't want to experience any more loss! Besides, I also have a Pure Yin Physique—if the Great Thunder sect finds out, they'll surely capture me and use me as a cultivation furnace!"

'Her attitude... could it be that this woman was born into the wrong world? How can a cultivator be traumatized? Aren't cultivators usually known for their arrogance and pride? How could she be so cowardly?' Vheena thought, confused as she watched Xue Lanting trembling in response to RuanRuan and Linglu's words.

Unable to bear Xue Lanting's cowardice, Long Linglu forcefully dragged Xue Lanting to the backyard to take her to the Great Thunder sect after transforming into a dragon.

"Let me go! I don't want to go! You don't know what it's like to be betrayed by your master, elders, and sect members, especially when you watch your junior sister sacrifice herself to help you escape! Let me go! I don't want to be chased again just because of someone's greed! Please, let me go! I just want to live peacefully!"

"Ruan Xiaoyue, hold her! Don't let her escape! I'll transform into a dragon, and then we'll force her to come with us and destroy the Great Thunder sect!"

Ruan Xiaoyue, who also went to the backyard confused by Long Linglu's actions of forcibly dragging Sister Xue, immediately restrained Xue Lanting tightly so she couldn't escape after Long Linglu instructed her to hold Sister Xue.

"Forgive me, Sister Xue, but I will force you to come along. Don't worry, we won't get hurt. We'll show you the completely destroyed Great Thunder Sect for messing with us. If something unexpected does happen, don't worry, Sister Xue, because I'm wearing our master's robe, which has incredible powers!"

'Huh? Did RuanRuan say my robe has incredible powers? Is she talking about that old worn-out robe she got from me? How is that possible? I mean, it was just a hand-me-down from a villager in Stone Village, who was definitely just an ordinary person. But how could it have powers? I've been wearing that robe for two years and never knew it had any abilities. Could it be because RuanRuan is the MC, and that's why the robe has powers now? But where could the powers of this worn-out robe come from? C-could it be that there was a powerful cultivator in Stone Village secretly giving me this robe to curry favor with me? O-or maybe some immortal hiding in disguise was fooled by my looks and gave me this powerful robe to befriend me?'

"...Master... master... master... master!"

"Huh? What is it, RuanRuan?"

"Are you okay, master? I saw you spacing out just now. If you're thinking about something important, I apologize for disturbing you."

"It's fine. Why were you calling me?"

'I should be more careful when I zone out. I didn't expect RuanRuan to snap me out of it. As a (fake) expert, I can't let weaknesses like that show.'

"RuanRuan was calling you because I wanted to ask for your permission for the three of us to go and destroy the Great Thunder Sect."

"...Are you sure you can defeat them all?"

"Of course, master! Now that Linglu has awakened the bloodline of the divine dragon, there's no one on this continent who can defeat Linglu! Rest assured, master, Linglu will protect both Ruan Xiaoyue and Xue Lanting!"

"Why do you think you're stronger than me? Remember, you lost once, and even now, you're still my subordinate, Long Linglu!"

"That won't be for long! After we destroy the Great Thunder Sect, I'll challenge you again, Ruan Xiaoyue! I'll show you my true strength!"

"That's enough, stop arguing. If you're confident, then go. Just be careful in battle, and don't kill any innocents. Let them go if the cultivators surrender."

"Understood, master." "Got it, master!"

'Since RuanRuan and Linglu seem confident, it should be fine to let them take revenge, right? Seeing how big Linglu's dragon form is and how strong RuanRuan's punches are, I trust they'll succeed. Well, let's hope they do.'

Watching Linglu's dragon body, carrying the anxious-looking RuanRuan and Xue Lanting, disappear from view, Vheena returned to the house and resumed her usual activities, though a slight worry about their safety lingered in her mind.

Chapter 39

"Master! We're back!"

"Hmm? Have you finished your revenge?"

Just as Vheena had finished bathing and was sitting in a chair illuminated by candlelight, she suddenly heard the voices of RuanRuan and Linglu in the front yard as they entered the house, leaving her confused because they shouldn't have returned so quickly.

'Why are they back? It's only just turned night; did they flee because they couldn't destroy the Great Thunder sect? D-don't tell me they actually succeeded in destroying the Great Thunder sect, b-but it's only been four hours, how could they destroy it so quickly!'

"It's done, Master! Hahahaha, it was so funny; they were pathetic because many of their elders and disciples had already died from the explosion caused by Ruan Xiaoyue's earlier attack from the alternative realm gate! That made it very easy for us to wipe out the rest of them. Even their ancestors at the early Body Integration stage came out to fight us, but of course, Linglu is so strong that Linglu just sent them to their graves. Hahahaha, the fight was so exciting!"

"W-what about those who didn't resist? Did you let them go?"

"Of course, Master. While Long Linglu fought fiercely against their ancestor, RuanRuan and Sister Xue instructed those who had no will to fight to surrender. After evacuating those who didn't resist, RuanRuan then destroyed their mountain and sect with your attack technique."

'Hearing these two little girls talk about destroying the sect leaves me unsure how to react. Should I just praise them? But they just slaughtered and destroyed a sect, which is definitely not a commendable act. W-well, I guess I'll play it safe and praise these two little girls.'

"W-well, Master doesn't care too much about their sect because you're confident you'd win. Just seeing both of you return without injuries is enough for me." Vheena replied with a caring expression as she extended her hands to RuanRuan and Linglu's heads and gently patted them.

"Hehehehe…" "Hnnhn~ yes, Master is near Linglu's horn."

'I praise them while petting their heads as a sign that I care. But Linglu, what's with that expression? Is that a signal for me to attack you while we're sleeping together? Forget it, I also need to ask about Xue Lanting's condition; it's sad to see her quietly like she's been ostracized.'

"Miss Xue, how about your revenge? Has it been satisfied? Is your trauma healed now?"

"Eh? It's okay, Miss immortal. When I saw their faces pleading for mercy because Little Ruan threatened the elders and disciples of the Great Thunder sect, it was enough to erase my trauma. I'm truly grateful to your disciples and pets for alleviating that fear; otherwise, I would have had trouble raising my cultivation level since that trauma would have caused the demonic seed in my heart to grow."

"Y-yeah, it's good that your trauma is healed. Meanwhile, RuanRuan and Linglu, go take a shower, and then head to the dining room; I'll prepare dinner for you."

"Hehehe, y-yes, Master." "Hnnh~ o-okay, Master."

Seeing RuanRuan and Linglu head to the bathroom with disappointed expressions after Vheena stopped patting their heads, Vheena turned her attention to the nervous Xue Lanting to invite her for dinner.

"I'm sure Miss Xue hasn't had dinner yet, so you should join us for dinner here."

"N-no need, Miss Immortal, I don't want to trouble you."

"It's fine; I can't let you just be here as my guest."

"If that's the case, let me help you cook, Miss Immortal."

'This woman wants to help me cook? Is she really good at cooking? I'm afraid she's just like RuanRuan and Xianxiu, who only know how to peel onions. Should I just refuse her help? No, it's better if I ask her first; it wouldn't be polite to turn her down outright.'

"Can you cook, Miss Xue?"

"I can cook, Miss Immortal."

"Where did you learn to cook?"

"I taught myself when I was a senior in my sect because, as a senior of a small sect, the sect master and elders sometimes asked me to prepare food for the junior disciples with low cultivation. That's how I learned to cook, do laundry, and handle other household chores."

'Hmm, this woman says she can do all household chores? Is she just bragging in front of me? No, it's better to ask her to cook so I can gauge her skills. Maybe her cooking is better than mine, which always ends up tasting salty.'

"Uhum, Miss Xue. Since you say you can cook, I want to see if what you say is true. Well… if you really want to cook, just make whatever you're good at."

"Alright, Miss Immortal, I will cook for you, Little Ruan, and Miss Long Linglu."

Seeing Vheena nod in agreement, Xue Lanting went to the kitchen to prepare the food. After half an hour of waiting with RuanRuan and Linglu, who had finished bathing, she finally saw Xue Lanting return with food that smelled incredibly fragrant into the dining room.

"This is the food, Miss Immortal, Little Ruan, and Miss Long Linglu."

"Thank you."

"Thank you, Sister Xue."

"Hmph, even though your food is very tempting, I prefer Master's food. But since you went through the trouble to make it, I'll accept it."

'Whoa! What is this food? Even though the ingredients she used are mine, how could she make such beautiful and fragrant food? I-I have to try it… th-this…'

"Nyam, nyam, damn, your food is better than Master's! I can't stop; this is so delicious! Why did you make so little for me! Ruan Xiaoyue, I want yours!"

"Nom, nom, this is so good! This food is mine! Don't even think about taking it, or I'll hit you!"

"Hey! Just this afternoon, you took my food! Now it's my turn to take—"

"Miss Xue!"

Hearing her master shout, RuanRuan and Linglu stopped their argument and turned their attention to Vheena to find out why she yelled.

"y-yes, w-what is it, Miss Immortal?"

"Would you—uhum… you don't have any objectives after this, right? If you really have no objectives, you can stay here and be my maid. I'll make sure to take care of you if you become my maid."

'I can't let this onee-san type wife go! Her cooking is so good! Plus, she can also do laundry and other household chores! I can't lose her! My face, unleash your strongest deception skill so she becomes my maid!'

"Of course, I will! B-but is it alright for me to become your maid, Miss Immortal? With my Pure Yin physique, I'm afraid it will attract too many cultivators who will target me."

"Hmph! This is for your cooking—I mean, flies like them are easy to crush if they annoy me, so you don't need to feel guilty."

"W-well then, I'd be happy to be your maid, Miss Immortal."

"You don't need to call me Miss Immortal; just call me like RuanRuan and Linglu do."

"Alright, Master."

'Yeah! I managed to get a maid who will always cook for me, and on top of that, I also have a Princess as my savings! Hahaha! My life is no longer sad, but somehow I feel like crying because this achievement was gained by deceiving someone. W-well, it should be fine as long as they benefit from me too, right?'

Since there was nothing else to do after dinner, Vheena asked RuanRuan to share her room with Xue Lanting while she took Linglu to her room to sleep together. RuanRuan, seeing Vheena take Linglu away, felt very upset and jealous as Linglu turned her back to her and looked at her with a proud expression while Vheena wasn't watching.

That night, Vheena slept very soundly, happy to have a maid who could cook well. While Vheena slept soundly, she was unaware that a certain dragon-blooded owner was mischievously licking her hands and face while she was deeply asleep.