A Dream Like a Different Lifetime

The whole morning was spent in an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation. Since Chu Lian spoke, she hadn't said a word. When she finally came back to her senses, it was already lunchtime.

Unexpectedly, she had spaced out for the entire morning again. It seemed that this restarted campus life didn't hold much attraction for her. Hopefully, she wouldn't continue to be so absent-minded during class time in the future.

After having lunch with Li Xiuer on the third floor of the cafeteria, Chu Lian slowly returned to the top floor of her teaching building. She lay down on the clean ground, gazing at the light blue sky. There were no clouds, and a gentle breeze brought a drowsy feeling.

Turning her head, she saw that Li Xiuer, lying beside her, had already fallen asleep. Indeed, the weather and temperature in May were most conducive to sleep, especially with such a gentle breeze. As she thought about it, she too couldn't resist the drowsiness and slowly fell into sleep.

In her ears, she seemed to hear a gentle woman's voice, "Oh, you've fallen asleep?" However, she couldn't open her eyes no matter how hard she tried and didn't know who was speaking.

"Hey, I'll go out for a while. You rest well, okay..." Her heart tightened with a feeling that she didn't want the woman to leave. It was as if she would lose her if she did. However, the heavy feeling continued to press on her eyelids, making it impossible to open her eyes.

"Ah, Lian'er, run, run... As long as you can keep Lian'er alive, our deaths won't be in vain..." In the distance, there were screams, followed by the voice of the woman who had spoken to her earlier. She picked her up and, panting, gently said, "Lian'er, it's okay, we're leaving..." Her tone was light and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing her.

In her embrace, Chu Lian could feel her chest getting wet, like sticky blood soaking through her clothes.

Blood... She suddenly understood something. A wave of fear surged in her heart. She didn't want to lose this person, even though she didn't know who she was. But a voice inside her told her that she must not lose her.

However, ever since she gained consciousness, she had been unable to open her eyes, or even move her body. She was like an outsider, only able to listen to this story, unable to see, touch, or feel it.

Finally, after an unknown period of time, she felt the woman carrying her walking slower and slower, and the liquid on her began to coagulate. By now, her nose had developed a sense of smell, and she could tell that the viscous liquid on her was indeed blood.

"We've arrived… the Moon Goddess's Gate… Lian'er, you must remember, you are the daughter of… and you are destined not to be an ordinary person, so you must live on, live on, and never come back…"

The name of Chu Lian's father was blocked out, so she couldn't hear who it was. It seemed that a mysterious force was preventing the name from being spoken.

She desperately wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't lift them even a fraction.

Not only couldn't she see, but she also couldn't speak. She had many questions: she wanted to ask the woman's name, ask who she was, ask where they were, and ask what was happening. But none of these were possible.

Because that woman, after holding her tightly for a while, heard the distant sounds of roars, screams, explosions, and low, soul-penetrating laughter, knowing that she could no longer delay.

She lifted Chu Lian up, placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and warm tears fell on her face. A heart-wrenching pain suddenly surged from Chu Lian's heart. She didn't want to lose her, she wanted to save her...

"Goodbye, my child, you must live bravely. I don't want you to remember this memory someday, so forget it... Live well, my child…"

She lifted her up, turned to look at the thousands of monsters blocking the Moon Goddess's Gate, who dared not enter. She smiled gently, "Lian'er, below the Moon Goddess's Gate is the human world. Once you're there, no one will know who you are anymore, and you'll be completely safe. You must live well, you must..."

Her body suddenly floated up and then fell downward. At this moment, she realized she could open her eyes, but it was too late.

What she saw was an elegant figure in a white ancient dress walking toward the magnificent white gate, facing an endless horde of monsters, beasts, and resurrected dead. There was also a man dressed as a clown standing far above in the sky...

"Whoosh..." She opened her eyes to the endless blue sky and touched her forehead, feeling her hand wet with sweat. She looked at the sleeping Li Xiuer beside her, sighed softly, then stood up and walked to the railing, gazing at the green mountains behind the school, murmuring, "That dream felt so real. But, in the end, it was just a dream. After all, if it were real, how could I have been a man in my previous life..."

"Yawn, silly, of course it's fake. It's just a dream you had because you've been worrying too much about your origins these past few days. If you stopped thinking about these things, how could you have such a dream?"

Ayase's lazy figure appeared on the railing, her beautiful legs lightly swinging beneath her long skirt, the sound of her red high heels tapping against the metal railing below.

"Then why did I dream of this scene now? Logically, wouldn't it be easier to dream at night?" Chu Lian's complicated thoughts cleared up instantly upon hearing Ayase's words. Although Ayase kept many things from her, she never lied about such matters. It was probably just her own overthinking.

"This is the problem with that little girl. She has a natural phantom spirit body. People with this constitution can unconsciously bring those who sleep with them into the dreams they most want to know about, creating a perfect and realistic scene. The phantom spirit body is also very suitable for practicing spiritual techniques. In this aspect, her talent might even surpass yours." Ayase pointed to the sleeping Li Xiuer and said lightly.

"If such a constitution were in someone with a complicated mind, it would be a disaster. Conversely, if it belongs to someone with a pure heart, it will be a blessing to many. I suggest you find an opportunity to let her get in touch with spiritual cultivation techniques in the future. I have a feeling she will be of great help to you."

Ayase's beautiful legs swayed, her body moving slightly with them. Her graceful demeanor was mesmerizing, and even Chu Lian was entranced until she realized Ayase had been watching her for a while.

"Ayase, although you say that, I don't want to hurt her. Xiuer is my fan and my friend. If she gets involved in these things, she will inevitably attract bad luck."

"I can bear these burdens myself. I don't want to share this heavy load with others, no matter how much she could help me. Aside from the normal life in the surface world, I don't want her involved in anything else." Chu Lian gazed at Li Xiuer for a long time, then said softly.

Ayase quietly watched her, saying nothing. Suddenly, a gentle breeze lifted the hair around her ears, brushing against her cheeks and giving Chu Lian an ethereal look.

Ayase's pupils contracted slightly, then returned to normal. She brushed her own wind-tossed hair behind her ear and replied, "This is just a suggestion. Whether you follow it is up to you; I won't interfere with your decision."

"But you must be aware that you can't show extraordinary powers in front of her, at least not let her see or notice. Otherwise, she will get entangled in karma, and it will be impossible for her to escape it." Her tone was unusually serious, and Chu Lian knew she was genuinely warning her.

"I will be careful. As long as I don't have too much contact with her outside of school life, there shouldn't be any occasions for me to use extraordinary powers..." Chu Lian showed a playful smile, her tone relaxed.

"Maybe, there will be..." Ayase thought this but didn't say it out loud.

They chatted for a while, and soon it was almost time for the afternoon classes to start.

Ayase leaped and disappeared from Chu Lian's sight, returning to the system space. Chu Lian woke up Li Xiuer, who was still a bit groggy, and led her downstairs.

In the sky, a white bird flew by, its low chirping carried far by the wind...