Mirror Dream Tree

A moment later, Kanoru stepped in and took the stage, facing them all with calm indifference.

"I don't think I need to introduce myself," Merin said in a flat voice.

"You can all call me Dragon Master — there's no need to know my name."

The class went quiet at his words.

None dared to object, sensing the immense difference in strength and status between themselves and him.

And those who were powerful enough to understand knew his lack of interest was natural — one of the changes that happened after the body became a rule body and the focus shifted solely to cultivation, research, and strength.

Merin asks, "Are there any students here who haven't completed their study of human anatomy? If you haven't, this will be your last class. Without a solid mastery of human anatomy, you cannot perform any transformation."

Merin senses the disappointment in most of the room—nearly seventy per cent of them—and the jubilant relief in the others.

Human anatomy is not a popular subject; only those who intend to become healers take it seriously.

Most young people, especially during a war, want to gain power to defeat their enemies.

Even after becoming a spiritual core realm spiritualist, they rarely appreciate the value of anatomy.

And most teachers do not stress this to every student, but only to their most trusted disciples.

Yet Merin wants them to understand one truth: there is no useless knowledge.

Every skill matters because they never know what situation they might face.

He then explains, "There are four stages in the transformation technique—first, Superficial Transformation; second, Master Transformation; third, Origin Transformation; and fourth, Human Transformation."

He elaborates on each stage carefully so they can truly grasp what lies ahead.

When he finishes, he asks, "Do any of you have questions?"

Many hands go up.

He points to a girl, and she rises and asks, "Teacher, is human anatomy really so important for transformation?"

Merin replies, "Do you not understand what I just explained? Without knowing your body, how can you transform it properly?"

The girl sits, satisfied, and he answers four more questions.

Finally, a boy stands and asks, "Sir, if one reaches the fourth stage, would they become like those traitorous half-Yao?"

Silence falls across the auditorium as students glance nervously at one another.

Merin's eyes hardened.

"I will not tolerate anyone calling half-yao traitors," he says.

"You must understand that they rebel because we spiritualists never showed them a proper path."

"And yes, at the fourth stage, you would be a beast in human form," he continues, "but it will be your own creation, without the shackles of inherited bloodlines or the purity that most half-yao must struggle with."

He lets his gaze sweep the room before concluding.

"That is enough for today. I have submitted a level-one transformation spell."

"If you are interested in my class, go and practice it."

With a brief nod to Haruto and the other masters, Merin walks away.

Merin, coming out of the room, receives a message from Haruto.

--

Bai Yanli sighs as Kanoru disappears before she can speak with him.

The students begin to leave, and Yanli blends into the crowd, heading for another class.

She plans to meet Kuro and Nora afterwards, as this is her last class of the day.

When class ends, she hurries outside, only to see her cousin Yue running toward her with tears on her face.

Yanli's eyes widen.

"Yue, what happened?"

Yue sobs.

"Sura and his gang are beating my brother and cousins."

Yanli's hands clench as she hears her cousins being beaten.

Today, she decided she has enough of Sura and his gang. They are only spiritual apprentices and she is an ascendant realm cultivator.

They are no match for her. She didn't engage them but let them bully her because she doesn't have a background, and any reaction would cause her family situation to worsen.

But now she has a background.

She still doesn't know if Kanoru would honour the marriage contract between them. But she is very well aware, Kanoru would protect her if she is not in the wrong.

With the decision made, she asks, "Where?"

"Inside the black bamboo forest," Yue says, breathless.

"Lead me," Yanli replies without hesitation.

Yue takes off at a run, and Yanli follows closely with her friends right behind them.

As they near the forest, they hear jeers and curses hurled at the half-yao.

Yanli pushes through the gathered crowd and freezes at the sight of Sura and his gang attacking her cousins.

Rage surges within her, and her ancestral blood responds.

Her cultivation erupts.

Spectral hands of ice materialise and sweep Sura and his gang away like debris.

They crash to the ground, gasping under the pressure radiating from Yanli.

Yanli strides toward Sura and grabs him by the neck, lifting him off his feet.

Her voice is cold and sharp.

"Sura, you crossed the line this time."

Then she throws him aside as easily as tossing a sack onto a bamboo trunk.

He grunts in pain, and his friends scramble backwards.

Yanli could kill them all, but she knows the consequences for her family would be severe.

So instead, she punches and kicks them until they can hardly move.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle from the academy law enforcement pierces the forest, and Yanli freezes.

Black-robed officers led by a true core realm spiritualist stride into view, their eyes fixed on her and the injured boys.

Without so much as an investigation, one of them declares, "Arrest the Bai family members. For half a year, we allowed them to study at our esteemed academy, and they repay us with violence."

Yanli's expression darkens as she realises this was all a setup, but she holds her tongue, knowing it would be useless to argue.

Her hands are quickly bound behind her back.

Yue and the others step forward in protest.

"What are you doing? Sura and his gang started the fight!"

One of the law enforcers scoffs.

"Is that so? The report says the Bai family initiated the fight, and we witnessed Bai Yanli attacking them ourselves."

Murmurs rise from the gathered crowd.

"Yes, the Bai family started it," someone shouts.

Sura, rubbing his aching ribs, staggers up to Yanli with a smug expression.

"Yanli," he hisses, "just admit you started the fight, and we'll drop the complaint."

Yanli stays silent, her lips pressed into a thin line.

More angry shouts erupt as Nora pushes her way into the clearing.

"What is going on here?"

A law enforcement officer steps forward.

"The Bai family broke academy rules and is being taken into detention."

Nora glares at them.

"You're making a false accusation. Release them now—or I'll file a formal complaint against every one of you."

The lead officer sneers, "Don't falsely accuse us. You'll be taken into detention as well."

The true core realm officer steps forward, his gaze sharp. "Arrest her too—sympathisers of half-yao deserve the same fate."

Nora's eyes narrow as she takes a step back. "Do you even know who I am?"

The officer replies coldly, "Doesn't matter."

With a sharp voice, Nora shouts, "Brother, your sister and your fiancée are being taken into detention."

As her voice fades, Kuro enters the clearing.

Seeing him, Sura laughs. "And what could he possibly do?"

But Kuro only smirks. "You're all finished."

Before anyone can react, a pressure like a mountain crashes down.

Both Yanli and the true core realm spiritualist sense it first—a mental domain belonging to a spiritual master floods the clearing.

In an instant, all law enforcement officers are lifted into the air and thrown backwards like straw.

A voice echoes directly in their minds: Get lost.

The law enforcement officers scramble away as fast as they can, and Nora can't help but laugh at their retreat.

Kuro and a few others quickly untie the Bai family members.

Sura and his gang stare in terror, suddenly realising who they just crossed.

Everyone now knows that Kuro and Nora are siblings of a spiritual master, and Bai Yanli is his fiancée; from today onward, no none would dare touch them.

Yanli, preparing to leave, hears a mental message telling her, simply: Come to my office.

Merin, after sending the message, returns to the gathering with the spiritual masters.

After the class ended earlier, Haruto had introduced him to the other spiritual masters at the academy.

They discussed their research, exchanged knowledge and materials, and noticed Merin spreading his mental domain—but none questioned him.

After a polite excuse, Merin took his leave.

He reaches his office just as Yanli arrives.

He opens the door, sits behind his desk, and gestures for her to enter.

With a direct gaze, Merin asks, "Do you wish to honour our marriage contract?"

Yanli responds without hesitation. "Yes."

"When is your birthday?" Merin asks calmly.

"The sixteenth day of the ninth month," Yanli replies.

Merin leans back. "Then our wedding will be on the seventeenth. From tomorrow onward, come to my office after class."

Yanli nods, still standing in front of him.

"You may go," Merin says simply.

Still dazed, Yanli bows and steps outside.

When she reaches home, she finds her entire family gathered, waiting for her.

Her ancestor looks up. "What happened?"

Yanli, her thoughts still swirling, replies softly, "My wedding will be one day after my birthday this year."

And her family erupts in joy.

She sees a smile appear on her ancestor's face after three years.