Ye Luqing had experienced the Dream-Building Lotus’s power deeply enough already.
Within the constructed dream, she had virtually no room for independent action. She was like a puppet following a script; her body would react before her brain even registered it.
Moreover, the moment she entered a different scene, relevant background information was forcibly poured into her memory, greatly increasing her immersion.
Touch, temperature, taste, even emotions—all would synch with the original host’s experiences.
In this state, pulling Xiao Qingxuan into the dream was out of the question. Even maintaining her own sense of self was extremely difficult.
She closed her eyes, thinking of a way to break this situation.
Faced with a Half-Step Spirit Transformation cultivator wielding a Heavenly Rank Immortal Plant, there was absolutely no way she could actively pull Xiao Qingxuan into the dream.
Therefore, she had to make Xiao Qingxuan enter the dream of her own volition.
To achieve that, she needed to create a “variable” within the dream.
A variable beyond Xiao Qingxuan’s expectations.
Break the original pre-set plot and act in a way inconsistent with the “Ye Luqing” in Xiao Qingxuan’s heart.
In that situation, Xiao Qingxuan would either have to stop the memory-reshaping process or enter the constructed dream to investigate the truth and correct the error.
Knowing Xiao Qingxuan as she did, the Destined Female Lead would likely choose the second option.
She opened her eyes, her goal gradually crystallizing.
“There’s a way…”
After stripping away all the complexities, the method she saw to break the situation was to perform actions in the dream that the original Ye Luqing would never do.
Inside the dream, she actually could retain a certain degree of autonomy.
For instance, independent thought, internal inspection to check her cultivation stage, and judging which year of Xiao Qingxuan and Ye Luqing’s relationship the dream depicted.
But that’s where it stopped—limited to minor details that didn’t affect the “script.”
As for changing the original host’s actions from Xiao Qingxuan’s memory, that was absolutely impossible.
To break free from the script, she needed a stronger ability to control.
The ability to control her own “self-awareness.”
In the next moment, something suddenly occurred to Ye Luqing. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
“Six Desires Triggering Array!”
The Seven Emotions Branch instantly appeared in her palm. When she first comprehended this array, she had realized a crucial point.
The Six Desires Triggering Array could not only affect the emotions and consciousness of others but also her own.
Combined with her frequent use of this array on Pei Ruyi recently, she had now advanced the Six Desires Triggering Array to the Major Achievement stage, enough to apply it to herself.
Her plan was to refine an extreme peak of her own emotion or memory into an “anchor point,” then seal it within her consciousness. It would enter the dream constructed by the Dream-Building Lotus along with her.
At the right moment, she would trigger it, using that potent emotion to overturn her behavior within the dream.
“It is indeed a reasonable and feasible method.”
“However, I’ll need a few tries to figure out the specifics…” she murmured.
Details like what degree of emotion was needed, whether she could actively trigger the emotional anchor within the dream… such specifics would only become clear after actually entering the dream again.
Fortunately, there were still five years of memories left to reshape. Xiao Qingxuan had also said the next session would only cover half a year, taking things slowly.
But even so, based on the feeling from her first attempt, Ye Luqing had already established a vague baseline.
At most, she could endure three to three-and-a-half years’ worth of memories. If it was any more, she would be assimilated by the original “Ye Luqing.”
That was something she absolutely could not accept.
Therefore, she had to figure out these details and the limits of the Six Desires Triggering Array as quickly as possible.
Just in case the array didn’t work, she needed to prepare other methods.
Ye Luqing stood up, picked up the Jade Spirit Sword, and went to the courtyard to practice the One Qi Sword Art.
Last night she had planned to push the sword art further towards Minor Achievement, but Xiao Qingxuan had delayed her.
A few minutes later, an unexpected person appeared outside her small courtyard.
“Senior Sister Pei?”
Ye Luqing looked with some surprise at the blue-eyed Cold Fairy in a plain robe.
Yesterday afternoon, they had just finished the blindfolded “placement play” and “stool play.” Surely Pei Ruyi needed more time to digest that session. Was she so insatiable already?
Seeing Ye Luqing’s increasingly strange gaze, Pei Ruyi’s pretty face flushed slightly.
“It’s not what you’re thinking…”
“I saw Senior Sister Xiao heading up the mountain, and since she didn’t return all night, I thought she might have come to your place.”
Hearing this, Ye Luqing paused slightly.
That Xiao Qingxuan came to Azure Sky Peak to spend the night, or that she went to Xiao Qingxuan’s place to spend the night—shouldn’t that all be a normal occurrence in Pei Ruyi’s mind?
Now that their affection had reached a double-arrow status, she couldn’t tell for a moment if Pei Ruyi was jealous that Xiao Qingxuan came to find her, or jealous that she had spent the night with Xiao Qingxuan.
Looking at the dazed Ye Luqing, Pei Ruyi added:
“Senior Sister Xiao didn’t do anything to you, right?”
Hearing this, it was as if Ye Luqing’s nerves were pricked by the exhaustion of last night’s memory reshaping. A flicker of evasion crossed her eyes.
“Nothing, just a transaction.”
She had traded an earlier memory-reshaping schedule for an Earth Rank sword sheath.
“By the way, help me return this to her.”
Ye Luqing took off the ring Xiao Qingxuan had placed on her finger. She only removed her own belongings and that sword sheath. All of Xiao Qingxuan’s other items remained untouched inside the ring.
Since Pei Ruyi was here, it was convenient to have her return it.
“Junior Sister Ye, are you… alright?” Pei Ruyi suddenly asked, her voice tinged with urgency.
Ye Luqing froze at the question, her hand holding the ring stopping mid-air.
She looked Pei Ruyi up and down. Her gaze traveled up the plain robe to the slightly pursed lips from concern and the gently furrowed brows.
Pei Ruyi… was worried about her?
“What, not in the mood for orders today, so you’re checking up on me instead?” she scoffed with feigned nonchalance.
However, she expected Pei Ruyi to lower her head as usual or cover up with flustered words. Instead, Pei Ruyi just stood there, her icy blue eyes staring directly at her, uncharacteristically unwavering.
“Senior Sister Xiao’s aura was a bit disordered,” Pei Ruyi said softly. “She wanted to enter the Direct Disciple Hall but couldn’t get in without her token. I opened the door for her, so I observed her closely.”
Finishing, she reached out and took the ring. The cool touch in her palm made her fingertips tremble slightly, inevitably reminding her of Ye Luqing after her amnesia.
That cynical, nonchalant demeanor, even doing those kinds of things to her.
On the surface, she seemed to have everything under control, but beneath that strong exterior lay detachment and vulnerability.
In a way, she and Ye Luqing were somewhat similar.
Pei Ruyi subconsciously looked up, meeting Ye Luqing’s gaze.
That usually teasing look in her eyes now held a trace of confusion, as if pondering something unbelievable.
“You’re… that worried about me?” Ye Luqing suddenly asked.
Her tone lacked its former sharpness and mock teasing, replaced with a bit of seriousness.
Hearing this, Pei Ruyi, suddenly aware of her own status, blushed. She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t speak.
Finally, she only managed a weak voice.
“After all… you can’t beat her…”
Ye Luqing choked at this, then burst out laughing.
“Haha…”
She understood now. Pei Ruyi had come to find her this morning because she was genuinely concerned.
She looked with a touch of emotion at Pei Ruyi’s flushed face. Just days ago, this woman had been blaming her for dragging Xiao Qingxuan down, for causing Xiao Qingxuan to risk stabilizing her Spirit Transformation Stage to go to the Illusion God Sect seeking a way to restore Ye Luqing’s Primordial Spirit.
Now, here she was, worried that Xiao Qingxuan had forced herself on Ye Luqing in her quest to recover memories.
For the first time in a long while, Ye Luqing’s heart was genuinely moved by Pei Ruyi.
