"I'm leaving now."

"Good luck."

At the door of Room 602, Yi Zhao stood bidding farewell to Fan Qiyu, then remained, smiling as he watched his new bride.

Fan Qiyu's pale face flushed slightly, but she still gracefully embraced Yi Zhao and gave him a light peck. He held her tenderly for a moment before leaving.

Christmas Day happened to be the date of Yi Zhao's teaching qualification exam at his academy.

After Yi Zhao left, the house suddenly fell quiet. Fan Qiyu tightened her shawl, preparing to return to her room to rest, when she noticed a dark furball in the cat bed.

Fan Qiyu walked over and stroked the Black Cat, gently calling, "Luna? Luna?"

Fan Qiyu was quite surprised; Luna hadn't gone outside to bask in the sun today.

She carefully picked up Luna. The cat was sleeping so soundly that she didn't awaken, feeling like a small baby in her arms.

A baby…

Fan Qiyu felt a wave of melancholy. Given her condition, merely managing daily life was a struggle; the risk of childbirth was far too great. Although Yi Zhao had comforted her, saying they could live as a couple for over a decade and then adopt a child, she still felt a sense of regret.

Speaking of which, she recalled raising Luna from a kitten. Now Luna was about a year old, and she hadn't had her spayed yet.

Cats, whether male or female, can be sterilized, and it's very beneficial for them. Not only can it reduce the risk of illness, but it also eliminates the heat cycle. This saves a lot of unnecessary time and is practically a major shortcut to a successful life for cats—and, of course, much the same applies to humans.

However, looking at Luna, Fan Qiyu immediately discarded the idea. She realized Luna was different from other cats. For example, Luna never went into heat, was exceptionally well-behaved, and possessed a remarkable Spirituality. So, she decided to let Luna have her own right to reproduce.

Still, Luna runs around all day; she's probably already hooked up with some other male cats...

Just as Fan Qiyu was touching the Black Bell, a sudden, bone-deep weakness invaded her entire body.

It felt as if the very tips of her nerves were frozen, and she couldn't muster any strength. Her body naturally began to fall. Shocked, Fan Qiyu tried to hold Luna tightly to prevent her from falling.

A pang of sadness struck her. I don't even have the right to hold her properly, she thought. I never know when an attack might rob me of all my strength.

She might never dare to hold Luna like this again. In the future, if she saw other adorable children, she would only dare to watch from afar. She lacked the confidence, the Ability, to protect these fragile lives…

At that moment, solemn and sacred hymns suddenly resonated beside Fan Qiyu's ears:

"In the name of the Great Being of Divine Compassion..."

Her calf muscles tightened, her thighs tensed, and her waist stabilized her body. Just as she was about to fall, Fan Qiyu suddenly straightened up, holding Luna securely in her arms. Luna's little ears twitched slightly in her sleep.

Fan Qiyu stood stunned for several seconds, then turned her head toward the balcony, but she saw nothing.

Meanwhile, in Room 402 below hers, a ray of Holy Light, disguised as sunlight, hovered outside the balcony. It watched as Dong Chengling suddenly flickered into existence, moved Ren Suo and Gu Yueyan's bodies to the bed, and then flickered away.

The Holy Light rushed in, swept over Ren Suo and Gu Yueyan's bodies, and uttered a faint whisper, "Can't save them. Wait for death. Goodbye."

Then, the Holy Light hovered over Ren Suo's head, its light flickering for a few seconds as it muttered to itself, "Not counting the one next to you, there are still four young, cute, and beautiful girls praying for you…"

"So, what the Truth Seeker, the Collector, and Ilina said was true after all! You really are a scumbag… almost on par with that stallion Magician!"

"And to think I bet my entire fortune on you having zero girlfriends! The adventurer bet on one, Old Ren on two, and the Magician and the Fairy Palace Assassin on three. We all lost! Only those three who bet on four or more women won!"

"They must have had inside information… Who could have guessed!"

「 」

"...Do you really want to play?"

Ren Suo looked at the Drop Tower in front of him, rising hundreds of meters high. Is this a trap set by an Apostle of the Moon God? he wondered.

Just like the commercial street, the amusement park on The Dark Side of the Moon was insanely designed. It featured an 800-meter Drop Tower from which you couldn't see the ground, a double-helix roller coaster with nearly thirty loops, waterfall Surfing, and excavator bumper cars. Although not quite reaching the level of fantasy, such dangerously thrilling rides would never exist in reality.

He wasn't scared, but he thought Gu Yueyan might be, so he offered her a way out. However, Gu Yueyan didn't appreciate the gesture and retorted, "Are you scared?"

Ren Suo blinked. Gu Yueyan was being surprisingly playful. It seems Lin Xianyu's wildness is rubbing off on her, he thought. Even Gu Yueyan is showing such a bold and daring side.

At that moment, the Drop Tower completed its cycle, and both kids and adults, looking pale from the ride, staggered out. The amusement park, apart from the shops, was unstaffed; all the rides operated automatically. Moreover, there weren't many visitors, so queuing was almost unnecessary.

Ren Suo went over and sat down; the chair automatically locked him in place without him having to lift a finger. Seeing Gu Yueyan hadn't joined him, he called out, "Come on, over here, it's fun!"

"I'd better not," Gu Yueyan shook her head, smiling at Ren Suo as she said, "I'll watch you, and it'll be as if I've ridden it too."

"Huh?" Ren Suo tried to lift the chair's safety restraint, but it was automatically locked and wouldn't release until the ride ended. Helplessly, he said to Gu Yueyan, "But then we'll be separated. What if something happens and you get lost?"

"That won't happen," Gu Yueyan waved her hand and said, "Just enjoy your trip to heaven."

Ren Suo: "..."

Ren Suo resignedly waited for the Drop Tower to start. As it ascended to 800 meters, the wind grew stronger and colder, but his attention was captivated by the scenery unfolding before him—the bizarre, grotesque, yet vividly real Moon Night Market was fully exposed to his view.

The Great Wall, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, Stonehenge, the Leaning Tower of Pisa...

Himeji Castle, Hagia Sophia, Disney Castle, the Venice Waters...

All the world's famous landmarks were present in the Moon Night Market, and every architectural style Ren Suo could name could be found there. He even saw Sword Light flashing in the distance; it looked like Taoist You Jian was out committing arson and murder.

No matter how grand they appeared in games, it wasn't as shocking as seeing them with his own eyes. This was The Dark Side of the Moon, the dream world of all beings, a mirror world of reality. If someone could control this world, how powerful could their Magic become?

But as far as Ren Suo knew, humans couldn't actively enter The Dark Side of the Moon. Though they might become part of the dreams here, it didn't mean they could truly enter this place. In fact, they could only be observers; the development of dreams was solely influenced by their personalities and Desires, without giving them any choice.

The only ones who could think consciously on The Dark Side of the Moon were the Apostles of the Moon God and their group of companions.

Wait a minute, if Luna becomes the Moon God someday, does that mean I can enter here anytime?

That means, even if I fall asleep and entrust my body to 'The Lazy Body of Diligence' for Cultivation, I can still come here to eat, drink, and be merry! And I wouldn't even need to poop!

Ren Suo suddenly felt exhilarated. He hadn't anticipated such benefits from completing this game. Although there was no internet here, having more time for Enjoyment was quite satisfying. It was as if his life had magically gained an extra third!

Perhaps she could continue to role-play character tags in The Dark Side of the Moon to grind experience?

Perhaps he could also ask Luna for a few perks? After all, it's a dream. Even if Ren Suo did whatever he wanted in a dream, no one would get hurt, and no one would know. He could be a bit more daring, try some insane things he wouldn't even dare to think about in reality, like…

Playing live-action games!

Dungeon crawls! Character tags could be used as classes. Ren Suo had long wanted to run that Goblin Slayer module!

Werewolf! Character tags as roles. Play a real Werewolf and kick down villagers' doors at night! Play a real Witch, grab an opponent, and shove a vial of poison down their throat!

The World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament! Ren Suo didn't particularly want to participate in this one, but he was curious to see which Transcendent from around the world was the most formidable.

The more Ren Suo thought about it, the more he realized the endless possibilities that mastering a dream world could offer. As the Drop Tower repeatedly shot him skyward, he cheered for Luna from the bottom of his heart.

Luna, go for it! You can do it!

Just then, Ren Suo saw the Waning Moon shrink to a slim crescent, and in the distance, a silver-white pillar of light pierced the heavens.

Another Silver Moon Crystal had appeared!

Ren Suo's mind was no longer on the Drop Tower; instead, he was fixated on the direction of the silver-white light. The battle there was incredibly fierce. A building exploded in an instant, followed by a sudden cloud of dust. A huge man in a white shirt with a beer belly stood on the ground and issued a 'pay up' Furious Roar, as warriors from League of Legends hurriedly surrounded him from all sides…

Although he couldn't see it, Ren Suo knew Luna had achieved another brilliant Victory.

The Drop Tower slowly came to a stop on the ground. Ren Suo, still a bit dizzy from the ride, was immediately grabbed by the hand by Gu Yueyan, who pulled him in another direction.

"Where are we going?"

"I just saw a really cute doll over here—"

Gu Yueyan led him into a shooting gallery. Such stalls were common in amusement parks, usually involving tourists using shoddy guns to shoot at prizes, mostly small dolls. But this was The Dark Side of the Moon. The shooting gallery here offered rifles like AKs and M4s. Although they only fired BB pellets, their rapid-fire capability was quite impressive. The prize dolls were normal enough, but the challenge was a robot wielding six Tachi swords positioned in front of them.

When Ren Suo arrived, he saw the robot deflecting dozens of BB pellets with its swords. The couples who came to try the shooting game left empty-handed...

Gu Yueyan pointed to a triangular prism-shaped, solid steel sign at the farthest and highest point. To win the doll she wanted, one had to shoot down that sign. It cost 10 Wealth Points for a magazine of 40 bullets. Are these extended magazines standard issue here or what?

A highly stable triangular prism is bad enough, but it's solid steel too…

Ren Suo said tactfully, "Maybe we should just put on masks and rob the owner..."

Gu Yueyan bit her lip slightly, looked him straight in the eyes, and whispered, "I just really want that one… I just do…"

Ren Suo, who had never heard Gu Yueyan speak so softly and coaxingly, blinked, feeling as if someone had whacked his head with a Skull-Crushing Hammer. He was a bit dazed.

At that moment, the shop owner brought out a gun and said loudly, "Why are you still hesitating, young man? If you're so timid, you'll always end up as a target! Don't say I didn't look out for you; this is the best gun in my shop. The rest is up to you!"

The shop owner was so enthusiastic, even bringing out his prized Fire Kirin AK, that Ren Suo felt he had to give it a try.

Although he had never played with a replica gun, his "Insight into the Mortal World" combined with the Physical Condition of a Third-turn Cultivator was enough for him to steady his stance and aim.

But that defending robot was truly formidable, almost capable of conjuring Sword Qi out of thin air, and it intercepted most of his bullets!

When Ren Suo had only 10 bullets left, he suddenly noticed the robot's attack frequency decreased, and his hit rate significantly improved. The triangular prism was being pushed back with each hit.

Is the robot out of power?

"Think carefully about what you've done in the past!"

With a shout from Ren Suo and a loud SNAP!, the triangular prism fell to the ground. The shop owner looked at him with a complex expression.

Ren Suo clenched his fist and exclaimed, "Aha! Yueyan!... Huh? Where'd she go?"

Gu Yueyan had suddenly disappeared. Ren Suo looked around, only seeing other visitors and a Black Cat.

At that moment, the shop owner pulled a rope inside the shop, and a large gift box wrapped with a Red Ribbon descended from above, landing right in front of Ren Suo.

Ren Suo wasn't particularly interested in the gift and turned to look for Gu Yueyan. However, just then, a hand suddenly reached out from the gift box and grabbed his!

"Ta-da! It's me!"

The lid of the gift box was pushed open, and Gu Yueyan stood up from inside, holding a birthday cake. Her face was flushed, her eyes curved into joyful crescents, and she looked at him with tightly pursed lips.

Ren Suo was stunned for several seconds before responding, "...But my birthday was over twenty days ago."

"But I didn't celebrate it for you that day," Gu Yueyan said. "And I didn't give you a present... so I'm making up for it now."

"And celebrating birthdays is an important activity between Childhood Sweethearts."

Ren Suo, cupping his chin, said, "But celebrating a birthday twenty days later feels a bit odd..."

"Then... just consider it an early birthday celebration for me, even though my birthday isn't for another six months." Gu Yueyan held the cake with both hands, gently blew out the candles, then used her Moonlight Finger Blade to cut a slice, holding it up to Ren Suo's mouth. "Open wide."

Ren Suo was the kind of person who, if you were soft with him, could be even softer in return. He graciously ate the cake in one bite. He watched Gu Yueyan delicately lick the cream from her fingertips as she sat down at an outdoor table. After cutting the cake, she pushed it towards Ren Suo. "It's your turn now."

Ren Suo knew what she meant. Since Gu Yueyan had been so bold as to feed him, he naturally wasn't shy. He picked up a slice of cake and fed it to her. He actually had quite a bit of experience with feeding others. As a child, he used to feed his sister porridge spoonful by spoonful in the hospital. Later, when he was older and needed his sister's help to rank up in games, he'd be ready with cola, chips, and sausages, waiting on her hand and foot.

Moreover, his Cultivation was increasing very rapidly, almost to the point where the Qi Cyclone trembled. Ren Suo's enthusiasm for playing this character role was growing ever higher.

"So, you took advantage of me being on the vertical Drop Tower to conspire with the owner and trick me?"

"It's called a surprise! The owner is a great guy; he didn't even charge me."

"That's because I already gave him 10 Wealth Points when I was shooting, and he didn't even have to give out a prize... So, shall we go on the thirty-loop double-helix roller coaster next?"

"Sure."

"But you have to ride it too."

"Then let's just ride the merry-go-round instead."

"Eek... Scaredy-cat."

"If you're not a scaredy-cat, you can go by yourself."

The two of them were like genuine Childhood Sweethearts, laughing and teasing each other as they explored the amusement park.

Actually, the one who changed the most during this process was Gu Yueyan. Ren Suo had never been one to let a 'teacher' label dictate his actions; he had always been the type to immerse himself in any kind of fun. In contrast, Gu Yueyan, who was initially more reserved, gradually eased into the Childhood Sweetheart role under Ren Suo's guidance.

Feeding each other birthday cake...

Holding hands while wandering around...

Teasing each other without reservation...

Complaining together about how insane the previous rides were...

The sense of distance between them gradually diminished, almost to a negative value. Gu Yueyan found that even holding hands tightly with Ren Suo didn't embarrass her anymore. Everything felt so natural, as if they had indeed been Childhood Sweethearts for many years.

It's about time, Gu Yueyan thought, watching Ren Suo animatedly discuss the pirate ship swing they had just ridden.

It's time to take things further.

We've held hands, fed each other... so the next step should be…

Recalling scenes from movies, Gu Yueyan's heart suddenly began to race. Just then, Ren Suo unexpectedly let go of her hand, squatted down, and hugged a small orange cat that was passing by.

Although small, the orange cat was rather chubby. It didn't seem scared when Ren Suo held it and simply meowed twice.

Gu Yueyan leaned in and stroked the little orange cat's ears, saying, "There are cats in dreams too?"

Ren Suo didn't answer. Gu Yueyan turned her head and saw a thoughtful expression on his face.

Just as she was about to ask him something, she saw a hand land on Ren Suo's shoulder. Ren Suo turned his head and greeted, "Nice to see you again, Luna."

Luna?

Gu Yueyan turned her head and saw the blue-haired girl, Luna, staring intently at Ren Suo. What is she doing at the amusement park? she wondered.

Before Gu Yueyan could react, a silvery Radiance suddenly emanated from Luna. Then, she reached out, cupped Ren Suo's head—

And kissed him.

Gu Yueyan turned to stone.

I'd already whittled Ren Suo's health down to critical, how could you suddenly rush in and steal the kill?