Douluo Dalu 2: Way of Heaven

"Gulp~"

An Zhen admired the shy yet alluring older sister.

With a beauty by his side, regardless of who occupied her thoughts or what she pondered, enjoyment was pure comfort. Having been reborn into this life, why overthink? Happiness mattered most.

After savoring the morning with the older sister, An Zhen headed out to manifest cultivation for Wang Dong and Huo Yutong.

Eat. Attend class.

Soon, Ning Tian and Wu Feng arrived at the classroom, their faces clearly drowsy.

Manifest cultivation. Refresh their states.

"Thank you!"

A glint flashed through Ning Tian's sapphire-blue eyes.

"Mmm..."

Flame-like eyes gazed at An Zhen, complex emotions swirling within.

She'd asked her young mistress this morning; Ning Tian said An Zhen had been with her all last night.

Was it an inner demon?

Amidst the envious stares of other students, the three laid their heads on their desks.

Identical attire to yesterday, yet the usually vibrant crimson dragon maiden now seemed distracted, her sheer black-stockinged legs casually crossed.

"Young Mistress."

Wu Feng suddenly called out.

"!"

The golden-haired girl started, her fair hand slipping from An Zhen's grasp as she turned naturally to Wu Feng. "Feng-mei, what is it?"

"Young Mistress, you wish to lead the sect, right?" Wu Feng asked with earnest seriousness, a question that surprised Ning Tian.

"Mmm." The girl's eyes shone with future aspirations. Delicate fingers brushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she clasped Wu Feng's hands. "Feng-mei, I believe you'll help me."

"Mmm."

The crimson dragon maiden nodded heavily, a heartfelt smile blooming on her adorable face.

Yes, her young mistress's hopes were her own. She would definitely help the best Ning Tian achieve her dream.

Absolutely!

As long as Ning Tian was happy, everything was worth it.

An Zhen quietly observed the beautiful bond between the girls.

Love and affection truly were the world's wonders.

What made humans human was their rich tapestry of emotions. They drove people to fearless devotion, even redeeming wayward souls.

Pity.

An Zhen only liked being loved.

"An Zhen."

"Mmm."

Ning Tian felt this was a good opportunity.

Sapphire eyes met the boy's gaze. The golden-haired heiress extended an invitation, hope brimming in her words and expression, "An Zhen, will you help me?"

"Of course."

The boy agreed without hesitation.

"We're friends, after all. I'll naturally help where I can."

But for now, that was the limit.

"Thank you."

A radiant smile spread across Ning Tian's face.

This answer wasn't what she desired.

The crimson dragon maiden watched silently, red lips pressed tight.

For the rest of the class, An Zhen didn't play with the girl's hand but instead feigned attentiveness.

Playing hard to get was an art.

Especially when the other desperately needed him.

Still, he needed to stoke the fire further.

Morning classes ended.

"An Zhen, want to eat lunch together?"

"No. Earlier, Dean Yan granted me the status of a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department. I've asked Senior Zhang Lexuan to find me a rather unique cultivation technique."

The smile froze on Ning Tian's face.

Core disciple status of the Martial Soul Department?

When did that happen?

Of course, Ning Tian knew An Zhen's talent deserved it, but…

It felt like her favorite toy was being snatched away by someone else.

...

An Zhen returned to his dorm, greeted by the aroma of delicious food.

Jet-black hair tied into a sleek ponytail. A black trench coat shielded her enchanting figure. Plump, slender legs clad in black knee-high boots. Today, she was an imposing, heroic elder sister.

Very much igniting the desire to conquer.

"Mmm."

The predatory, lustful gaze stirred strange feelings within the black-haired, straight-haired senior. Suppressing her inner impulses, Zhang Lexuan addressed the matter at hand.

"A secret art created by a former Super Douluo senior might meet your requirements, An Zhen."

Technically, even An Zhen's current core disciple privileges couldn't access something of this level, but the Sea God Pavilion's master had granted special permission.

Zhang Lexuan gently produced three manuals.

She had brought three similar options.

The senior presented her recommendation: "That senior's martial soul was 'Dream.' Half his consciousness lived in reality, half in dreams. However, cultivating this requires immense soul power. Otherwise, one might lose grasp of reality and illusion, descending into madness."

Zhang Lexuan thought of herself.

Once confused between real and false, she had stolen An Zhen's first kiss and hurt him.

"I have great confidence in my soul power."

The remaining two: one created by someone with a Shadow martial soul—later stages even allowed splitting into two distinct individuals. Another by someone with a spatial-attribute gourd martial soul, who enjoyed hiding inside the gourd to attack.

An Zhen decided to try the first manual—Who Wakes First from the Grand Dream.

But at this perfect moment, he had something even more important to do.

The boy reached out and grasped the senior's boot-clad calf. "Senior, I read about an interesting… game in a book."

...

"Mmm~"

The heroic head senior strolled along Shrek Lake. Yet, a lingering trace of peculiar discomfort marred her beautiful brows. Anyone observing closely would notice her gait was off—as if her foot was numb, or perhaps injured.

And she was still wearing her boots.

"Head Senior?"

A cool, clear voice rang out. A stunning beauty with snow-white hair glided over the ice. Her skin rivaled snow in fairness. Though her delicate face was adorable, it bore an aloof expression. Her frail figure seemed weightless, like an ice princess from an ancient kingdom.

"Luochen."

The gentle, serene senior nodded softly.

"Head Senior, are you taking a walk?"

"Mmm. Nothing pressing today. Felt like strolling by Shrek Lake."

This was An Zhen's task.

...

Afternoon class.

Virtual World.

Under Wu Feng's puzzled gaze, the usually active boy simply placed a book on the desk and began reading intently.

For the sake of wonderful nights to come… Ahem... for the sake of his future powerful self, An Zhen was forcing himself.

Who Wakes First from the Grand Dream had three layers:

Entering the Dream: Finding the boundary between dream and reality—not splitting into two consciousnesses. Imagine a line: left side reality, right side dream. "Entering the Dream" meant standing on that line, left half in reality, right half in the dream. Stabilizing on this boundary marked completion.

Illusory Dream: Prolonged residence on the boundary, simultaneously controlling both the dream body and the real body. This adaptation phase was lengthy.

Awakening: Becoming the boundary itself—the division between dream and reality. Freely manipulating both selves at will.

The technique wasn't hard; the difficulty lay in the skill and the required immense soul power.

"Now, while activating the Virtual World, find its point of contact with reality."

"I wonder if my soul power is enough."

Point of contact…

The thought solidified.

The Heavenly Dao conveyed its command to the world.

A plain, unadorned wooden door materialized before An Zhen. A sign hung upon it: Reality.

(End of Chapter)