Chapter 563: Above the Dao Fruit

(Supplement)

The school bell rang.

"Makoto, would you like to have lunch together?"

"Hmm, I'll just go to the bathroom first, wait a moment."

Makoto stood up from her seat.

"You can't afford to neglect your state—your focus was clearly scattered during today's lesson," said Xiao Mei Yan, slightly reproachful.

"You noticed, huh? Hehe," Makoto smiled awkwardly.

"After all, I've been watching you," Xiao Mei Yan gently smiled, watching the flustered look on the other's face, and softly said: "I'm joking—go ahead."

Makoto exhaled in relief; after she left the classroom, Xiao Mei Yan withdrew her gaze. She took out a cute creature with cherry-red eyes from her desk drawer and rubbed its head.

"It seems there's no problem, but you'd better not appear casually in little Maki's line of sight."

The cute creature gave no reply and made no movement, merely submitting to the other's handling.

Inside the bathroom stall.

"It's not an illusion," Maki stared blankly at the exquisitely crafted item in her hand, resembling either a bookmark or a blessing charm.

"Is it real?"

What should I do? Should I tell Xiao Mei Yan?

Will she think I'm weird?

'The world suddenly grew so quiet, I dared not breathe deeply.'

Huai Shi stood in a corner of the temporary kitchen; the previously lively scene now felt quiet as he silently observed, secretly snacking on the gossip.

Too bad none of them were big shots from my world—if these gossip items were sold to Tomorrow News, Huai Shi couldn't imagine how rich he'd become.

"Huai Shi, could you bring me the Rumbling Sword? Yes, that one—thank you."

"Dada Liya, help me out."

"A kiss."

A light, fleeting kiss, touching and separating instantly; through that instant of magical link and the permission granted by Su Lin, Weigong Shilang reentered the Supreme Sword Sect realm!

Embodied information and aetheric elements enveloped the Rumbling Sword, upgrading it into the very one held by Gilgamesh, the Golden Emperor of the Servant Universe.

Inserted into five cosmic origins within the stainless steel basin.

Hummmmm—!

Stir and crush until uniform, then sprinkle in wheat flour.

Weigong Shilang, who constantly felt he had embarked on an irreversible path, silently took out the dough and began kneading.

Meanwhile, Huai Shi, observing and learning nearby, thought: What's the point of learning this?

The Heavenly Dada Liya route?!

Has the Minor Character Protection Law for Second-Life Games been revised again? Can the White Emperor's Daughter, designed as a fifteen-year-old, now become a romance target?

Cough, cough—got carried away.

As a minor himself, Huai Shi could only multitask: helping in the kitchen, snacking on gossip, and slowly reading and comprehending the story texts on the Book of Fate.

But as he flipped through it, something strange emerged.

Because first-person perspective and godlike perspective are entirely different experiences.

So while reading, reviewing the past and arriving at the present, Huai Shi realized a terrifying problem—he seemed entangled in unclear relationships with several sweet, soft girls.

Honestly, in this day and age, there's no way someone still has harem rivalries and palace intrigues, right?

I am indeed a male entertainer, but I only perform—I don't sell my body. Even if I did, I'd have principles: after selling to one girl, I'd stick to male virtue.

After all, the so-called "shared bed" and "equal harem" were from the start illusions that brought nothing but suffering to everyone.

But!

Why, the more I read forward, the more I feel a sense of stomach-pain rivalry in that plain, unadorned legendary life?!

Pure love harem?

Leaving aside how likely such a thing is, the primary concern is: how do I make myself seem less awkward facing this future stomach-pain scenario?

Amid the girls' encirclement, appear natural, thereby controlling the situation.

So that one day, when these suspected heroines—princesses—accidentally gather, they don't literally dismember me.

But how?

In reality, no one has ever managed to make such a gathering of affectionate characters feel natural, and still calmly chat harmoniously together, right?

My script isn't "Rebel Devil God."

Huai Shi gradually drifted off, until a tray of glowing dishes was taken out—he helped carry them over. When he neared Su Lin, he heard:

"This is what you call bringing trouble upon yourself?"

Yi Leina stirred her tea, speaking casually: "Let work unfold naturally."

"Isn't this the moment for a knee pillow to comfort the wounded?" Su Lin gazed upward.

"I don't mind at all," said Mount Penglai Shan Huiye, patting her knees: "Lie down and choose the side quest."

Xing lowered her head, thought briefly, then asked: "Should I join in and provide dialogue options?"

"..." Su Lin sighed silently and said:

"I truly wish to see the harem drama I read about—where you all compete for me, jealous and fighting fiercely, then stage palace intrigue on the TV screen."

"That would be so interesting."

"You're truly a scumbag," Yi Leina sipped her tea and added simply: "Keep working—I'll bring you a souvenir when I return from my trip."

Su Lin, hearing this, felt as if struck by a devastating blow, sinking into gloom, completely unaware that Huai Shi was now gazing at him with a mix of admiration and contempt.

'So this is how it's solved? Amazing!' Huai Shi set down the glowing item and turned away.

When Teacher Yan Sen handed him a contract covered in fingerprints, Su Lin felt utterly unwell.

They're all insane.

"Actually, if I had a proper teacher, I'd love to bring my senior brothers along—but I never got the chance."

Lu Mingfei said awkwardly: "I plan to dig out Principal Anghe and have him teach combat skills."

After being pulled into the Sea of Wishes, Anghe's Wish-Projection lived for a time.

The King of Sky and Wind was sentenced to life imprisonment; Anghe, who died in duel, truly died when the ember of his obsession went out.

But Lu Mingfei thought that after so many years as principal, Anghe must still have some passion for teaching—like needing a squad of hexagonal warriors to prevent the Multiversal Devourer from destroying Earth.

"I need to close off to assimilate my gains. To prevent operational issues, I plan to enter the Tower of Time."

Ye Fan said: "After I emerge, I'll be able to stand on my own and teach disciples without issue. Besides, we can develop the market over at Teacher Yan Sen's place—their Longevity Pills are edible as rice."

You only need to say the last line.

"He said you can learn their divine arts and try the pills," Shi Hao said.

Where are you from?

This stranger shouldn't be on the founding list of Tianyi Sect.

"I am about to attain the Legend Dao. The Jade Void will reopen, and I will soon be taking disciples and teaching."

Meng Qi said: "When that time comes, teaching one is the same as teaching many."

So you just gave up entirely?

"This matter has only benefits and no drawbacks," Zhong Li thought and said: "It benefits everyone and advances the sect's development."

By general reason, indeed.

Su Lin signed his name, then waved his hand: "I teach physical education."

The contract in Teacher Yan Sen's hand was split into many copies and distributed to others.

Thus, Tianshen Sect not only gained high-quality disciples and strengthened its revival, but Tianyi Sect also filled its gaps, benefiting from exchanges of cultivation methods and teachings.

Joyful indeed, joyful indeed.

Today is truly a good day.

Teacher Yan Sen's mood was extremely cheerful; he voluntarily replaced the tea with wine.

"Pleasure doing business."

"Um… is this a meetup for online friends?"

A slightly timid voice sounded.

Without noticing when its presence appeared, only turning at the sound, a girl stood beside Su Lin, her side hair bound by a pair of snow-white butterflies, her pupils glowing golden.

A portal had just closed; she wore a timid expression, glancing at everyone, then at herself.

Her face was full of confusion.

"Not a magical girl…"

Lu Mingfei's mouth opened wide; he pounded his chest to restart his stalled heart: "Is it… Round God?!"

Huai Shi clutched his chest: "This one is even more heavyweight!"

Divine Gear—actual Divine Gear has appeared!

"Isn't this posture meant to purify a magical girl's Soul Gem?" Mount Penglai Shan Huiye asked in confusion.

Su Lin instinctively looked toward Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei: "…"

No, bro.

Isn't there another magical girl from Syria over there?

"A witch-transformed magical girl…" Su Lin paused, murmured softly: "To be honest, I personally prefer black-haired, golden-eyed magical girls!"

OK, shut up!

Lu Mingfei was beginning to wonder if that old pervert's magical girl version had mixed in some Soul Gems…

"What's wrong with me?" Lu Lu Mu Yuan raised her hand, puzzled: "There's something… I can't remember…"

She stood in place, her individual presence strangely odd.

Su Lin frowned, rose, stepped before the pink-haired girl, confirmed she was still a human girl, then condensed a set of information and pressed it to her forehead.

"Forgive the rudeness."

Lu Lu Mu Yuan's pupils blurred; scenes resembling manga and colorful anime flickered one after another.

Finally, she slowly closed her eyes—and as she fell, Huiye suddenly appeared and caught her in her arms.

"The real little Round!" Mount Penglai Shan Huiye rubbed her cheek against the girl's, utterly satisfied: "My life has been without regret."

True otaku are terrifying…

The information didn't take long to assimilate; a normal person wouldn't collapse like this—but perhaps contact with something profoundly significant triggered a reaction.

After about several minutes, fragments of memory flashed before Lu Lu Mu Yuan's eyes; she slowly awoke from a sea of white.

She now understood the entire cause and effect, comprehended everything.

"What you call magic is also tied to the crystallized technology of the Incubator civilization—the heavier one's karmic burden, the stronger the power gained as a magical girl," that familiar voice continued:

"I recommend trying the Cause of All Results. Consider it—I'll go get stock for you later."

"Why bother with reduction to emptiness? Go straight for the Dao Fruit—no, beyond Dao Fruit, to a new realm's Dao Fruit!"

"Remember to look out for us guys when that happens."

Laughter erupted; Lu Lu Mu Yuan rubbed her eyes, threw off the velvet blanket, and rose. Before her, a long table was piled high with exquisite, sweet foods.

Around her, vessels, utensils, and decorations blended classical Eastern and Western styles with modern designs.

Only then did she notice the slowly floating orbs and bookshelves drifting past, lending the place an air of mysterious, exquisite beauty.

"If Dada Liya signs a contract with QB, could she become that strong too?!"

A girl's eager voice rang out.

"Even severing eternity wouldn't be a problem, Lord Hun Tian Di—you have that talent!"

"Come to think of it, severing eternity..."

"Didn't someone once command all heavens and myriad Dao under the name of Huang, taking all karmic retribution upon himself?"

"Su Lin, restock fast! I'm giving this immense opportunity to Huang Tian Di!"

When Homura Akemi looked up nearby, she saw a man wreathed in lightning and a Daoist holding a long blade, their faces grim, smiling without warmth as they stared at the others.

There was no choice; according to speculation, only these two had the heaviest karmic ties in the group.

A witch's potion from the Assassin Sequence, plus a Soul Gem—maybe it really could work.

"Stark, want to give it a try?"

"A man in iron holding a wand!? I'd throw up my leftover dinner."

As if spoken by a celebrity she'd seen on TV.

"Homura, you're awake?"

As Houraisan Kaguya spoke, the others fell silent and turned to Homura Akemi; several coughed to mask their awkwardness.

"Hello everyone," Homura Akemi rose, hands clasped before her, bowing slightly: "I am Homura Akemi."

Her voice was gentle, radiating an aura that put others at ease; it was hard to harbor true malice toward her.

"Don't be formal—eat something if you're hungry. Today's dish is Zhaoguang Fragment Bread," Su Lin smiled. "Make yourself at home."

Lu Mingfei slammed his fist on the table: "No boosting Yuan Shen's favor here!"

Meng Qi sneered: "Three years minimum, death penalty maximum!"

"Ignore them—I'm a Yuan Yan fan," Su Lin said dismissively. "How are you feeling now?"

Homura Akemi clenched her hands, puzzled: "I haven't reverted. I should have a mission to fulfill—Xiao Mei Yan... she..."

"Don't rush, take it slow—sit down first," Su Lin deliberately modulated his tone to sound steady, calming her panic.

"The others have analyzed this too: as a personality, you have not returned to the Law of Cycles."

"Perhaps due to the great distance, and because the Law of Cycles is currently under Xiao Mei Yan's interference, your connection is temporarily severed. When you leave here with your memories and return to your own world, you should awaken immediately."

Su Lin glanced at Teacher Yan Sen, then said:

"Another possibility: when the chat group appeared within your soul, it brought changes that made your soul harder to recall."

"It can suppress the wrapping around her from being torn off."

Homura Akemi sensed an invisible ripple fading from her body; her inner unease began to recede.

"I feared you'd return immediately upon awakening your memories, so I had my own Heaven's Dao wrap you up first."

Su Lin pulled out a piece of Creation Gold he'd obtained from Xiao Yan, gazing tenderly at the empty air beside Homura Akemi: "Eat your meal before you sleep."