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"W-What...! What is this bizarre world?" The Heavenly Demon peered into Laura’s Immortal Domain.
"It’s the neighborhood where I ca from, master," Laura said. "Sohow, my Immortal Domain manifested as... my own mories of ’ho’ or sothing."
"...?!" The Heavenly Demon struggled to comprehend. "This... has never happened before... It seems your Immortal Artifact has the power to influence the appearance of your Immortal Domain. Incredible... I wonder what abilities it holds."
"I’ll have to find out on my own. Ti’s up," Laura said.
"Yes..." The Heavenly Demon smiled gently. "You haven’t seen your sister for two weeks after you asked her to leave you alone until you reached the Immortal Realm. So let’s go see her."
"Yeah!" Laura said eagerly. "Let’s go, master."
Laura took her master’s hand. The Heavenly Demon noticed her soft, gentle smile.
He looked down, feeling a faint fluster despite his age.
"Laura..."
"I know... but at least let hold your hand? For now... as a reward?"
"..."
The Heavenly Demon smiled lightly.
"Okay, as a reward. But despite what you may think, these are the hands of a very old man. You’re young and have your whole life ahead. Is it really fine to give this old man so much attention? I’m quite literally a wrinkly grandpa."
"Hahaha! Like your son?"
"Hey, Wu Lieng is quite young-looking compared to how I should look, hahaha!"
"Eh?!"
Laura was shocked, but she didn’t let go of her master’s hand.
More than just a crush, she had co to see him as a truly admirable man who had endured so many horrors.
Yet he never lost hope and never stopped moving forward.
He was like her. She could see her own struggles in his, and her own relentless spirit reflected back.
"You’re a truly admirable man, master. I wish I could have t you sooner."
As the two walked back to the pagoda, Maria finally greeted them after so long.
She was most amazed by Laura’s growth.
"Laura! You did it! You finally did it! I knew you could do it! Hahaha!"
Fran hugged Laura with a huge smile. Laura laughed and patted her head.
After ascending, Laura had grown even taller and more muscular. Her long, wild black hair with red stripes, sharp draconic eyes, tanned skin, and powerful physique truly made her resemble a beautiful amazoness.
"And you changed so much too!" Maria gasped, admiring her sister’s body. "Damn it! You’re so hot, hahah!"
"I know!" Laura laughed. "So this is what it ans to beco an immortal, huh? I practically beca a supermodel now or sothing, hahahah!"
"Yeah!" Maria laughed loudly. "You look like the Ice Giant ladies from Yggdrasil! It’s incredible! Are you over two ters now?"
"Heh, yep," Laura nodded. She flexed her arms, showing off the muscles that left Maria fascinated by her super-strong sister.
"Auntie’s back!"
"Aunt Laura, you’re so tall now!"
"Wow."
Nyx, Celes, and Arachne ca running to greet her. They climbed over Laura and hung from her huge, muscular arms, giggling cutely.
"Heheh! Don’t worry about anything now, Nyx. Your big auntie is going to always protect you," Laura said with a bright smile.
"But this muscle growth is incredible...!" Eraldine said. "We also underwent Immortal Ascension, but we never got that muscular..."
"Yeah! Kinda unfair!" Partner added.
"Hahah, it has to do with training," the Heavenly Demon explained. "The training of my sect is hellish and almost demonic in nature. She also took many supplents in the form of elixirs and pills. Every mber of my sect will always look muscular and strong. Despite my long robes, I am also quite large!"
The Heavenly Demon removed the robes covering his chest, revealing a chiseled, diamond-hard muscular body. He was still rather slender, but incredibly defined—like a swimr’s build, yet even more intense.
"Wooow! What the hell?! I want that too!" Maria complained.
"Hahaha, perhaps you could exercise using our regis now that you’ve recovered your living body," the Heavenly Demon suggested.
"Yeah, but even then, I tested it, and I couldn’t learn new cultivation thods anyway— Well, that doesn’t matter!" Maria quickly changed the subject. "Okay then, Laura. Let’s go get ready for your second awakening."
"What? Aren’t I strong enough?" Laura asked.
"Everyone has it, so I wanted to give it to you. Co," Maria said.
Laura stepped into a large, empty room. A heart-shaped pink crystal glowed brightly in the center, radiating mysterious energy.
"What’s that?" Laura asked.
"A Dream Crystal," Maria explained. "It was a reward I obtained on Floor 49, Azure Star... where Alma cos from?"
"Oh." Laura sat down in front of it.
"Touch it," Maria said.
"...Okay?" Laura trusted her sister completely and touched the crystal without hesitation.
FLASH!
Bright pink radiance burst from the crystal, enveloping her like dream clouds.
The clouds spiraled around her body, then she inhaled them deeply.
"Ugh! Cough, what the hell is— Ah!"
Laura’s eyes widened as sothing within her crystallized.
For a split second, all her mories, emotions, and dreams fused into one inside her chest.
She felt the power of Dreams surge through her entire being.
"It’s done. You just developed a Dream Heart! It’ll help you grow even stronger, Laura," Maria said. "Everyone has one. People of Azure Star develop them naturally."
"What? Ah... okay..." Laura sighed, looking more annoyed than happy.
"W-Why are you angry?" Maria asked, confused.
"Fran..." Laura sighed. "I don’t want this."
"...Why not?" Maria was puzzled.
"You’ve already given enough, and now you give even more?!" Laura asked angrily. "This power is amazing but... I said I was going to walk my own path. My master taught so much, and even now I still have yet to learn more. I think that’s more than enough, Fran."
"But... are you sure? It’s nothing really bad... I don’t get it," Maria said.
"I just don’t want to take more favors from you... It’ll make feel bad..." Laura said. "Maybe it’s my dumb pride..."
"But Laura, reconsider it! Dream Hearts are the key to even more growth... everyone has it, and so develop them naturally. Alma did. And so did we all when we visited Azure Star."
"Hm..." Laura sighed, crossing her arms. "Okay... but this is the last thing I accept from you, Fran! No more, okay?"
"Wait! The Martial Arts Manual!" Fran tried to stop her. "This is my Martial Arts; it’s also a Cultivation thod that uses your soul and emotions and combines them with your Dream Heart! Please use it, Laura! I made it with so much dedication and love... You’ll understand a lot more if you read it. Please? I beg you..."
"..." Laura sighed. "Okay, okay, you don’t have to beg . But that’s enough, alright? I am your big sister, so I will be the one helping you from now on."
"Geez, okay," Maria rolled her eyes. "I know you want to protect and everything, but you don’t have to get so prideful about what it ans to be a big sister or sothing."
"But for over twenty years that’s all I had, Fran..." Laura sighed. "It’s what drives forward."
"And that’s amazing and admirable," Maria said. "But... there’s much more to it than you think. I know you always worry about others, putting and Mom above yourself... but I just want you to think about yourself too, to be a little selfish."
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