The immense pressure was directed at him, and Long Meng could only watch helplessly as the middle-aged man's palm, carrying an aura of world-destroying destruction, attacked him.

In its despair, it couldn't help but wonder if its owner, upon learning of its death, would feel a pang of sadness, just as he did for Amber, and also feel a sense of loss for it.

Probably not... At most, people will just feel sorry for the loss of the amber and blame the maker for not protecting it.

Then he immediately forgot about that weak contracted magical beast, turned around and found another cute magical pet similar to Amber, and raised a powerful enough magical beast bodyguard to protect the new magical pet...

A sense of sorrow spread through his heart. If he weren't immobilized, Long Meng would have loved to deliberately run into that palm strike and end his life of being unloved by his master as soon as possible.

Fortunately, this pain will soon be over...

At the critical moment of life and death, Long Meng unexpectedly calmed down.

Unexpectedly, just as the middle-aged man's palm landed two inches above its head, a faint cracking sound suddenly rang out.

Then the middle-aged man's palm seemed to sink into a quagmire, unable to descend even a fraction further.

Before the middle-aged man could figure out what was going on, a red sword aura instantly pierced into his body from behind.

A bewildered expression froze on the middle-aged man's face as he fell straight backward, dying with his eyes wide open.

The oppressive force exerted on them vanished instantly, like a receding tide, leaving Long Meng and Amber feeling as if they had been granted a pardon.

With a struggle, he raised his head and saw two figures, one in red and one in white, emerge from a portal of light that appeared out of nowhere behind the middle-aged man.

When a magical beast that has transformed into human form dies, its transformation technique will instantly become ineffective because it no longer has the support of true energy.

The man in red raised his long sword and gently poked the enormous head that had reverted to its true form as a Qilin.

When the longsword was drawn, it also brought out the golden Ninth Realm Beast Core.

After casually storing the Nine Realms Beast Core into his storage ring, the man in red bent down to examine the black dragon lying on the ground.

The man frowned as he looked at the hideous wounds on the black dragon's body. When his gaze shifted to the five-tailed spirit fox that the dragon was protecting, his expression suddenly darkened.

He immediately took out a white jade porcelain bottle from his spatial ring, poured out two golden pills, handed one to the white-robed man beside him, and the other to the black dragon.

"Eat it."

The man in red spoke with an unquestionable tone, making it impossible to discern whether he was in a good or bad mood as he spoke those words.

It is said that there is a telepathic connection between contracted magical beasts and their masters, but Lingyao has a natural barrier that can block all mental probing. Therefore, Longmeng has no idea what his master is thinking and can only guess.

Normally, things are fine. It has never made any mistakes, so even if it can't figure out or guess its master's thoughts, Longmeng won't panic.

But now it hasn't done what its owner asked it to do...

Long Meng stared nervously at the stunningly beautiful face before him, and carefully swallowed the pill.

On the other side, the man in white gently stroked the five-tailed spirit fox covered in blood and put the golden pill in his hand into its mouth.

"Chirp chirp..." — [Master, I thought I'd never see you again...]

Amber gently rubbed against Yin Ming's left hand that landed on its forehead, and whimpered pitifully.

Upon hearing this, Yin Ming gently patted its still-fluffy head and soothed it:

"Don't worry, we're here, you'll be fine."

Seeing this, Lingyao also raised her hand and stroked its little head to comfort it.

Long Meng watched the two silently from the side, his dark eyes filled with envy.

When will my owner be able to stroke my head with such tenderness?

Unexpectedly, Lingyao suddenly turned around, startling it so much that it lowered its eyes in a panic.

Lingyao originally just wanted to carefully examine the wounds on Longmeng's body to prevent any hidden injuries that might cause future health problems.

But unexpectedly, I saw the envious look in its eyes that it couldn't hide in time.

Realizing what was happening, Lingyao raised her hand and stroked its little head.

Suddenly feeling a touch on his forehead, Long Meng, unaccustomed to being touched, instinctively shrank back while looking up at Ling Yao in disbelief.

The fantasy that had just begun to emerge in its mind suddenly became reality, making it feel as if it were in a dream for a moment.

But after a moment of stunned silence, the expected punishment didn't materialize, which only made Long Meng feel even more guilty—

It had clearly betrayed its owner's trust, yet the owner still comforted it without holding a grudge...

Long Meng's eyes reddened, "Awoo..." — [I'm sorry, Master... I failed to protect Amber...]

Lingyao paused, as if she had thought of something, and a comforting smile appeared on her lips as she patted its little head.

"You've done a great job, there's no need to blame yourself."

The sudden praise left Long Meng even more stunned.

What's going on? Why didn't the owner scold it, but instead praised it?!

"Chirp chirp~" — [Yes, yes, Brother Yao, Mengmeng is really great! If it weren't for it, Amber would have been bitten to death~]

Amber echoed the praise.

Upon hearing this, Lingyao rubbed Longmeng's head again.

Longmeng squinted hesitantly, feeling the warm touch on his forehead, and realized that his master really didn't blame him. Only then did his tense nerves slowly relax.

Seeing Long Meng's relaxed and carefree expression, Amber also smiled foolishly, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

Suddenly remembering something, Amber turned her head and looked around the scene, then asked with a puzzled expression:

"Chirp chirp?" — [By the way, Master, why didn't Qingqing come back with you?]

"Who is Qingqing?" Yin Ming raised an eyebrow, but asked with a puzzled look.

"Chirp, chirp?" — [It's just a little nine-colored deer! Didn't Qingqing notify the master, and that's when the master came to rescue us?]

Yin Ming pursed his lips and shook his head with a solemn expression.

“We haven’t seen any Nine-Colored Deer. It was the protective array that A Yao placed on you that was shattered by an external force. We learned that you were in danger, so we rushed here through the Gate of Flowing Light.”

As for how they appeared here so precisely—Lingyao could pinpoint their location using the protective arrays on their bodies.

This is why they dared to let the two little ones play freely in the Forbidden Forest.

The protective array should have been triggered immediately when they were damaged, and Lingyao would have sensed it immediately.

For some reason, Lingyao only sensed a faint aura after the formation shattered.

As for why they didn't see Qingqing, whom Amber mentioned...

Either it never went to Firefly Manor to find them, or... something happened on the way.

Considering that there are many high-level magical beasts in the ninth level of the Forbidden Forest, and that this small beast has left its territory alone, the second possibility is probably more likely.

It might also be related to the fact that the protective array is partially malfunctioning...

Regardless, what's done is done, and what matters most now is what's in front of us.

"Senior Firefly's manor is very large. Perhaps it got lost by accident. Maybe it won't be able to find us and will come back on its own in a while."

Fearing that Amber would worry, Yin Ming could only offer this comforting remark for now.

"Chirp chirp~" — [Oh, I see~]

Amber nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Yin Ming's statement.

Seeing that it believed him, Yin Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, now is not the time to talk about this. Your injuries can't be left untreated any longer. We need to go back and find Senior Liuying as soon as possible."

As for the nine-colored deer, they can come back and look for it properly after they hand the two little ones over to Senior Firefly for treatment.

Yin Ming carefully picked up Amber and walked slowly and steadily toward the Gate of Flowing Light.

Lingyao was thinking of recalling Longmeng back into the monster space ring, so that it would be able to avoid tearing open its wounds and making them worse by moving around.

But just as he was about to cast the recall spell, he heard it unconsciously murmur:

"Awoo..." — [A protective array? So, I get a share of my master's affection too...]

Just as the middle-aged man's devastating palm strike was about to land on its head, Long Meng did indeed hear a strange cracking sound.

At that time, it inexplicably wanted to end its own life as soon as possible and had no time to think about anything else.

Now it seems that it must have been a protective array that its master had placed on it.

The formation not only shielded it from an attack by a ninth-realm cultivator, giving it a chance to survive, but it also alerted its master, who was thousands of miles away, allowing him to arrive in time to save it and Amber...

The emotions he had managed to suppress suddenly overflowed again, and the ever-expanding bitterness made Long Meng's eyes redden.

Did its owner actually care about it?

Or was this formation set up to better protect the amber?

If they truly encounter an incredibly powerful enemy, its death will buy its owner more time to save the amber...

Upon considering this possibility, Long Meng's expression darkened.

But regardless, at least the protection it received was real, wasn't it? So what's there to complain about...?

"?" Lingyao looked at Longmeng's complex expression, which was sometimes happy and joyful and sometimes painful and conflicted, with no idea what was going on.

Recalling its unconscious murmurs and previous unusual behavior, Lingyao understood immediately, and chuckled as he patted its head.

"I'll take you back for treatment first."

Having said that, Lingyao stopped casting the recall spell, and like Yin Ming, bent down and gently embraced Long Meng, walking steadily into the Gate of Flowing Light.

***

After the treatment, Long Meng was placed on a jade bed in a secret room.

The jade bed contains a large amount of pure spiritual energy, which can nourish its body and accelerate the healing of its wounds, making it an excellent healing object.

But Long Meng had no time to care about any of that.

It was lying on its side, staring blankly at the direction of the stone door to the secret chamber.

Even though the slightest movement now aches its wounds, it still feels a sense of unreality, as if it were in a dream.

Today, its owner not only patted its head and praised it, but even hugged it!

Is it possible that it actually died long ago at the hands of the middle-aged man, and everything it is now is just its post-mortem fantasy?

Otherwise, why would its owner suddenly treat it so well?

These are usually treatments that only amber can enjoy...

The more he thought about it, the more likely it was to be true. That's why, even though his body was very weak and he desperately needed to rest to recover his energy, Long Meng stubbornly fought against the drowsiness in his mind and refused to close his eyes and fall asleep.

It was really scared.

I'm afraid that after I close my eyes, the world will be nothing but unchanging darkness; I'm afraid I'll never wake up again; I'm afraid I'll never see my master again...

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of the mechanism turning began.

The stone door slowly opened from left to right, revealing the breathtakingly beautiful face behind it.

Long Meng's eyes lit up as he watched Ling Yao walk towards him step by step with anticipation.

Only when it sees its owner can its restless heart find peace.

But as they got closer, Long Meng suddenly realized something was wrong.

Although the master's expression was calm, his aura was somewhat disordered. Could something have just happened?

A hint of annoyance flashed in Long Meng's eyes.

It's all because it's too weak.

If it is strong enough, it can solve its own problems and also help its owner.

But now it can't help its owner in the slightest, and its owner has to step in to save its life...

As the master's contracted magical beast, it has been utterly derelict in its duty.

"Awoo..." — [Master, I will definitely strive to become stronger...]

...

After the stone gate opened, Lingyao saw the black dragon staring wide-eyed in his direction.

Its eyes did not move an inch, clearly indicating that it had maintained this posture for quite some time.

Having already guessed that it wouldn't fall asleep easily, Lingyao rushed back to check on it after resolving the matter.

Judging from its current reaction, his previous guess was indeed correct.

His contracted magical beast had indeed misunderstood him—

They misunderstood that he only liked amber and didn't like it.

Lingyao lowered his eyes, recalling the past, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Well, how should I put it?

At first, he didn't really like this magical pet that had attracted all of Yin Ming's attention as soon as it hatched.

The insistence on giving it the nickname "Mengmeng" was indeed partly due to some underlying feelings of annoyance.

The reason...

Its appearance during their first meeting was quite unpleasant for Lingyao.

Those who displease him will naturally not have an easy time either.

But the most important reason is something Yin Ming once said—

When Lingyao went to the God Clan to search for Yin Ming's whereabouts, he happened to hear about a fireworks display outside Qinghong Town.

As he continued to chug wine down his throat, he lay down on a patch of grass, half-asleep, just as he was about to drift off to sleep, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice in his ear.

The voice said, "Hello, let's get married. I hope our child will be named Mengmeng."

The sound was very soft, but the five senses of a ninth-realm cultivator are extremely developed, so Lingyao was naturally able to detect it.

Lingyao initially didn't intend to pay attention to the other party, but he suddenly realized that it was Yin Ming's voice, so he immediately opened his eyes to check.

Upon opening his eyes, he indeed saw the face he had longed for, leading Lingyao to momentarily believe that the wine jug in his hand contained a life of debauchery and decadence—

Aside from indulging in a life of debauchery, he never dreams of Yin Ming.

After learning that the encounter was real, Lingyao would often think of what Yinming had said back then.

Although there are many things Lingyao doesn't understand, he personally took Amber out of the belly of the nine-tailed celestial fox that died in battle.

He had also seen pregnant women with swollen bellies, and after their bellies shrank overnight, a new baby would appear in their homes.

Although some men also have large bellies, their bellies never shrink overnight, their condition is completely different from that of pregnant women, and they certainly don't suddenly have a child one day...

All of this seems to suggest that only women can give birth to new life.

Did Yin Ming say that because he wanted to have a child of his own?

But neither he nor Yin Ming are women, so how could they have a child?

Lingyao couldn't help but think more deeply.

Yin Ming seemed to think he was a strange woman, which is why she made the request so politely.

Could it be that he already knew about this, or even cared about it a lot? Otherwise, why would he have said that so readily?

If he hadn't come looking for Yin Ming, and Yin Ming had happened to meet a strange woman that day, would they have gotten together and had their own child?

Now that they're together, what if Yin Ming wants a child and abandons him for another woman...?

This speculation made Ling Yao extremely uneasy, especially since Yin Ming had been working long hours for the sect's martial arts competition.

This made Lingyao even more uneasy.

Later, as the sect competition was about to begin, and all the preparations were in place, Yin Ming, who should have been resting and recuperating in the courtyard, decided to go out again.

Lingyao could no longer bear it and finally couldn't help but question him.

What he actually wanted to ask was whether Yin Ming regretted being with him, which was why he had been avoiding him. But after speaking, he only dared to ask who Yin Ming was going to see on this trip—

He feared that Yin Ming's answer would be affirmative, which would mean that Yin Ming really didn't want him anymore...

Fortunately, he was just overthinking things.

Later, he finally managed to get close to Yin Ming, but this black dragon, which had to hatch at the exact moment, had to come out and interrupt his good time.

It would be a lie to say I have no resentment towards it.

But Yin Ming actually said that it should be called Mengmeng...

Lingyao immediately remembered that sentence—'I hope our child will be named Mengmeng'…

Since Yin Ming was willing to give this name to the dragon, does that mean he considers the dragon his child?

So it turns out he and Yin Ming can have children!

Lingyao's eyes lit up. Since it was their child, it had to be named Mengmeng!

...

As her thoughts returned, Lingyao shook her head with a wry smile, realizing how naive she had been back then.

Looking back now, it's clear that it put too much pressure on a newly hatched baby animal.

However, since then, Lingyao has never treated Amber and Longmeng differently again.

After all, both of them were children that he and Yin Ming wanted to raise with all their might, so that they could grow up healthy and happy...

Therefore, whether it's food, or elixirs and rare treasures beneficial to cultivation, Long Meng will also receive a share of what is due to Amber.

However, amber has inherent limitations; what Longmeng can do easily, amber usually needs to put in twice the effort to achieve the same result.

But Amber never complained about it; in fact, she was always cheerful, which made her even more endearing.

Feeling this way, Lingyao would subconsciously take extra care of Amber, while Longmeng was outstanding in every way, so he didn't need to worry about him too much...

But this caused it to misunderstand.

In Lingyao's eyes, Longmeng was excellent, composed, well-behaved, and polite.

He is a proud furry child.

Under his and Yin Ming's care, Amber was getting better little by little, and everything seemed perfect.

I thought they would continue to live such a harmonious and loving life together.

The illusion was finally shattered when Lingyao inadvertently caught a glimpse of Long Meng looking enviously at Amber, who was being touched and caressed by him and Yin Ming.

At first, Lingyao didn't notice anything wrong. He just thought that even the strongest person needs comfort after such a calamity, let alone Longmeng, who was just a small beast.

So Lingyao raised his hand and patted its head to comfort it.

Unexpectedly, its eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and it apologized, saying it had failed to protect the amber.

As always, she was well-behaved and polite.

But its appearance at that time inexplicably felt familiar to Lingyao.

Who does it resemble?

Lingyao suddenly recalled her trip to Shenyin Mountain a long, long time ago. When Yin Ming woke up after being injured, she apologized to him in the same anxious and uneasy manner.

Its cautious demeanor gradually overlapped with that of its younger self.

Even the longing in its eyes and the struggle between wanting to get closer and not daring to get closer are exactly the same as my own back then.

Having experienced it firsthand, Lingyao understood Longmeng's feelings better than anyone else.

Fear, low self-esteem, and sensitivity—

Fearing abandonment, she not only felt that everything was her fault, but also that she caused those she cared about to be hurt because of her.

But Lingyao became increasingly insecure because he was deliberately attacked and retaliated against by the villains. Why did Longmeng feel the same way?

Lingyao felt that he had always treated it well, and had never mistreated or humiliated it...

Lingyao initially couldn't understand, until Longmeng murmured something again, and he realized where the problem lay.

It could even be described as a sudden realization.

It turns out that in its heart, they only liked amber, and their kindness towards it was only because it was its contracted beast.

It feared being abandoned, so it tried its best to play the role of a contracted beast, obediently following orders and doing its duty to the best of its ability, never daring to overstep its bounds...

Lingyao was actually somewhat taken aback when he realized this.

No wonder I've never seen it as close to me as amber.

I thought it was just being polite, too shy to do anything too intimate.

Looking back now, isn't politeness also a form of alienation?

It seems that material satisfaction cannot bring a complete sense of security.

Children who don't clearly feel loved are more likely to become insecure, sensitive, and even self-doubting...

Should we blame it for being ungrateful, for treating him with such sincerity yet not being understood? But the root cause is simply that he didn't care enough about Long Meng, so how can we blame it?

Yes, Lingyao did not do it on purpose.

He simply felt that Long Meng was good enough, so he didn't need to pay too much attention to him.

However, they overlooked the fact that neither humans nor animals are born so outstanding.

It strives to do its best, just to draw the attention of those it cares about.

But this made him feel that Long Meng was so outstanding that he didn't need his excessive concern...

This is exactly the opposite of its original purpose.

It's easy to imagine how upset it must be when its efforts don't receive the response it expected.

Only then will they retreat to a deserted corner time and time again, silently licking their wounds and grieving alone.

Through day after day of disappointment, it has transformed into what it is today.

She appears obedient, sensible, and knows how to behave appropriately, but in reality, she no longer has any expectations for anything; the greatest sorrow is a broken heart.

Lingyao sighed softly. He thought everything was perfect, but he never expected that such turbulent undercurrents were lurking beneath this calm surface.

Fortunately, these events happened today, bringing all the problems to the surface.

Otherwise, he doesn't know how long it would take before he realized something was wrong, and by then, everything might be beyond repair.

In fact, Yin Ming had told him to pay more attention to Long Meng's condition before. When he turned around and saw that Long Meng was perfectly normal, he didn't care too much.

Looking back now, it seems that he was not as attentive as Yin Ming in raising children, and was able to take care of the children's emotions in every way.

However, this was his first time raising a child, and he had little experience.

He will certainly learn from this experience and never let the same thing happen again.

Remembering its earlier muttering about striving to become stronger... Lingyao walked to the jade bed, its shadow quickly enveloping the dragon's figure on the bed:

"Why are you thinking about all this nonsense instead of sleeping properly?"

Long Meng's eyes darkened, "Awoo..." — [Yes, Master, I'll go to sleep now.]

Seeing its suddenly dimmed expression and polite, distant, official tone, Lingyao realized that its words might have caused it to misunderstand something again, so it patiently sat down on the stone bench next to the jade bed and reached out to rub its head.

"What are you thinking about now?"

Long Meng was taken aback, and subconsciously denied it, "Awoo..." — [No, no... I wasn't thinking anything.]

Given its stubborn nature, it certainly wouldn't admit it easily. Lingyao sighed softly and took the initiative to break the deadlock, saying:

Do you think that my attitude towards you is completely different from my attitude towards amber, and that I only like it and not you?

A flicker of panic crossed Long Meng's dark eyes as he shook his head hastily, "Awoo..." — [No, Master, how could I dare to think such a thing...]

It's not that they can't, but that they dare not.

Lingyao's suspicions were confirmed once again, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

Given its current state, if I were to be too tactful, it might continue to overthink things. It would be better to be straightforward and tell it directly so that it can rest in peace.

“Listen carefully, Long Meng. In my heart, you are just as important as Amber.”

“It’s just that amber is inherently flawed and needs care, but you are excellent. I don’t need to teach you anything deliberately; you can quickly grasp the essence.”

“I am very pleased and trust that you can protect the amber in my stead, which is why I entrusted it to you.”

"This is not a task assigned by the master to the contracted beast, but a kind of trust in a close person."

"I just imposed this responsibility on you without asking your opinion, ignoring your feelings. You must feel very wronged, right?"

Long Meng's pupils dilated instantly, and he murmured in disbelief, "Awoo?"

[So that's how it is? I thought my master didn't like me at all...]

In the past, no matter what he did, his master's gaze would always be fixed on Amber.

Only when Amber mentions it will the owner follow Amber's gaze and look at it, then casually praise it for doing a good job...

But this only made Long Meng feel more frustrated and upset.

It was as if only through the charity of amber could it receive a sliver of attention from its owner.

The humiliation was even greater.

So it grew to hate amber even more, and hated itself even more for not getting any attention from its owner.

Unexpectedly, its owner now tells it personally that it is just as important as amber, and even praises it for being truly outstanding...

Lingyao looked at its overly shocked expression and chuckled as she pinched its cheek.

Although his contracted beast is all black, it sometimes shows very cute expressions, no less so than the fluffy Amber.

Thinking about the cause of today's trouble, and how this might be the origin of Long Meng's misunderstanding of him... Ling Yao patted Long Meng's head and earnestly explained in detail why he named it Mengmeng.

"I forced this name on you without considering your feelings, I'm sorry."

Lingyao added at the end.

"If you want to change your name, we will respect your wishes and change how you address me."

Longmeng looked up and met Lingyao's encouraging gaze. The sincerity and warmth contained within it quietly melted the frozen corner of its heart.

It turns out that the owner named it that not to deliberately make things difficult for it, but because they treated it like their own child...

"Awoo" — [No need, I actually...quite like this name.]

With the last bit of resentment gone, Long Meng, who should have been happy, didn't know what else to say.

It opened its mouth and remained silent for a long time, but in the end, it still couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing the bewildered look on its face, Lingyao knew that these words had overturned its previous understanding, and it would definitely need time to digest them before it could fully accept them. There was no rush.

But at least now it can get some rest.

Lingyao patted its head and told it the last thing.

“I just went to investigate the Misty Swamp. The reason you fought with those four little beasts is because a tenth-realm Dream Eater set up a resentment barrier around you.”

The Dream Eater itself has no physical form and has always relied on living in the bodies of hosts with lower cultivation levels to cultivate and survive by absorbing their dreams.

It doesn't show up normally, but it can control the host's mind and body whenever it wants.

The dream-eating tapir had been lurking inside the nine-colored deer for some time.

It happened to see Long Meng having a conflict with the four small beasts, so it came up with this plan to use someone else to do its dirty work and take the opportunity to eliminate future competitors.

As the Nine-Colored Deer was about to leave its territory, the Dream Eater took control of its body, hiding in a corner and watching the six small beasts kill each other. That's why Lingyao and Yinming didn't wait for its plea for help at Liuying's manor.

Being within its barrier of resentment will amplify all negative thoughts in your mind.

That's why the six little beasts started fighting at the slightest disagreement, even to the point of fighting to the death.

The protective arrays on Long Meng and Hu Po were also suppressed by this barrier until they shattered and the warning aura intensified, at which point Ling Yao was able to detect them.

Lingyao lowered his eyes. This was, in truth, his oversight. Once he strengthened the aura of the formation, such a mistake would not happen again.

Upon learning the truth, Long Meng showed an expression of sudden realization.

No wonder, it later realized how strange it had gotten into a fight with them over such a trivial matter.

Normally, it would be unhappy when teased, but it would never be as impulsive as it was today.

Furthermore, its fluctuating emotions at the time were so extreme that it considered ending its own life and could not muster any will to resist. In fact, it even... wanted to take the opportunity to kill Amber.

It turns out that everything was the work of that Ten Realms Dream Eater.

“I’ve already pulled it out of the Nine-Colored Deer’s body and killed it. This won’t happen again.”

"As for your statement that you want to become stronger..."

Lingyao's lips curved into a gentle smile as he looked earnestly at Long Meng and said:

"Do whatever you want, live freely according to your own ideas."

"But don't be too hard on yourself... Even if you are not strong enough, I will protect you for life."

Lingyao tried to tell Longmeng all her inner thoughts so that Longmeng could feel the power from them and struggle out of the pain of self-doubt as soon as possible.

Looking into Ling Yao's undisguised gaze, Long Meng opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word. Finally, he dared to sneak into Ling Yao's arms and sob softly.

Lingyao quietly stayed with it, vaguely recalling how Yinming had also gently persuaded him, giving him the power to say goodbye to the past.

He never imagined that the warmth he once felt would one day be passed on to the people he cared about.

This feeling is truly wonderful.

After venting for a while, Long Meng's mood finally improved.

Just as Lingyao was about to get up and let it rest, the sound of the mechanism turning rang out, and the stone door opened again.

Lingyao turned her head and saw Yin Ming carrying Amber, walking slowly towards them.

“Amber kept insisting on coming to see Mengmeng, and I really couldn’t persuade her otherwise.”

Yin Ming began to explain.

"Did I wake Mengmeng up?"

Yin Ming looked apologetically at the black dragon on the jade bed.

The black dragon poked its head out from Lingyao's arms and gently shook its head, "Awoo..." — [Nothing...]

"Chirp chirp~" — [Mengmeng said no, Master, I knew it! Mengmeng won't blame me~ Master, please carry me over, I want to sleep with Mengmeng~]

Amber translated in a timely manner, and urged Yin Ming to quickly carry it to the jade bed.

Yin Ming reluctantly placed Amber on the jade bed and instructed, "Mengmeng's injuries are more serious than yours, so be careful not to crush it."

"Chirp chirp~" — [Yes, Master, I will take good care of Mengmeng~]

Amber carefully extended her five tails to encircle the black dragon, and the black dragon obediently rested its head on her orange and white tails.

"Chirp chirp~" — [Let's go to sleep, Mengmeng~]

Seeing the heartwarming scene before them, Lingyao and Yinming exchanged a smile and quietly stood up.

Long Meng watched the two figures leave the secret chamber from his now fluffy orange-white fur.

It nuzzled its cheek against the fluffy tail, and with the even breathing of the fox beside its ear, it finally closed its eyes in peace.

The nightmare has been dispelled; from now on, all dreams will surely be pleasant.