Chapter 64: The Secret Sanctuary of the Dragon-Bear Clan from Three Thousand Years Ago

Ref, what ref? Bastard? Lin Jiuge stopped thinking, shook her head gently to signal that she was fine. No matter how fierce a monster imprisoned for three thousand years might be, after being locked in a cage for so long, it had also grown foolish.

The two of them watched as the adult bear held its cub, its ice-blue eyes filled with reluctance. The two little fluffy bundles were enveloped in ice-blue light.

"This is..."

"A technique being passed down," Zhou Yan recognized, speaking up.

"It's planning to trade its own life for its child's life." Lin Jiuge noticed the changes in the two little figures, her eyes turning somewhat red.

After a short while, the adult bear pushed the bear cub toward Zhou Yan. The Spirit-Binding Rope turned into a golden cord, automatically floating up to Lin Jiuge's hair and tying itself neatly.

"Thank you both. Behind me lies the treasure trove of the Dragon Bear clan; you may take it as compensation for raising my child. Additionally, I bestow upon you a fortuitous opportunity." With that, the adult bear looked with lingering affection at the cub in Zhou Yan's arms, its body slowly dissolving into ice-blue light particles.

The two of them said nothing more. Lin Jiuge took the lead, with Zhou Yan holding the cub and following closely behind.

Inside a natural ice cave filled with countless ice-type treasures, Zhou Yan pricked the cub's finger and pressed a single drop of blood onto the forehead of a Dragon Bear sculpture near the edge of the cave.

The ice cave emitted a rumbling sound. With a loud crash, the entire ice cave shrank into a ring that firmly fastened itself around the cub's right paw. The cub stirred slightly and then grew quiet.

Having secured their gains, the two continued deeper into the ice cave, where the exit route was also located. Upon reaching the center of the cave, Lin Jiuge spotted the exact emblem she had previously seen on the monster's chest.

Curious, Lin Jiuge stepped onto it. Suddenly, she lost consciousness, and Zhou Yan hurriedly rushed forward, losing consciousness as well.

After a long while, Lin Jiuge slowly regained consciousness and rubbed her brow, only to be stunned by the sight before her: her hands were chubby, but not in this sort of round way!

Wobbling to her feet, Lin Jiuge discovered that she had turned into a little bear! The horns on her head were blue and pink, with one of them tied with a golden cord, and her small white paws were soft and squishy.

While Lin Jiuge was still in a daze, a tipsy little bear waddled close to her, prompting Lin Jiuge to swat at it out of reflex.

"Junior Sister, it's me," the little bear said aggrievedly, turning out to be none other than Zhou Yan.

"Senior Brother," Lin Jiuge hurriedly used her paws to help Zhou Yan up.

"Junior Sister, how did you turn into a Dragon Bear too?" Zhou Yan drooped his head, the light-blue horns on his head losing their luster.

"I was like this when I woke up." Lin Jiuge observed her surroundings, finding them somewhat familiar.

"This is the Star River Spring," Zhou Yan recognized the place, though it looked somewhat different.

"We must have turned into Dragon Bear cubs. Let's look around more," Lin Jiuge guessed. For both of them, walking on all fours for the very first time felt quite novel.

After walking for a long time, the two finally spotted a dozen or so Dragon Bear cubs.

"Come over here quickly!" one of the little Dragon Bears called out to Lin Jiuge and Zhou Yan. Not understanding the situation, the two obediently joined them.

However, the sensation of burying one's face in a fluffy ball of fur was truly wonderful. Soft and squishy, the two let down their guards in no time, burying themselves into the fur and lying flat—it was so comfortable!

"Jiuge, A-yan, why did you come here today?" one of the little Dragon Bears asked.

"Ahem, just passing by," Lin Jiuge exchanged a glance with Zhou Yan, and Zhou Yan replied.

"Oh right, the two of you came to the Dragon Bear clan to receive the starlight baptism and will be taken back soon. It's rare for you two to skip cultivation and play with us."

"Aren't we Dragon Bears?" Lin Jiuge asked in surprise, especially since their reflections in the water clearly showed them as members of the Dragon Bear clan.

"Of course not, Jiuge, did you forget? You were brought over by the elders of the clan. Look, your little sister is still soaking in the Star River Spring over there," a chubby little Dragon Bear pointed with its paw.

They saw a tiny, newborn-like Dragon Bear cub floating on the surface of the Star River Spring, sporting the same blue-pink horns.

"Jiuci!" Lin Jiuge was shocked! How could Jiuci be here?

"That's right, your sister Jiuci is too young, so she can only soak in the Star River Spring," the little Dragon Bear cub said with a hint of regret.

At the same time, Lin Jiuci, exhausted from crying, had fallen asleep and was having a dream. In the dream, she had turned into an adorable animal of a rather strange appearance, soaking in water while her older sister watched from the shore. A sweet smile lingered at the corner of Lin Jiuci's mouth.

"Did she dream of Jiuge, I wonder?" Li Yun spoke softly.

"Hush." Wu Dao Yuanzun glared at them, and the two slipped out silently. Lin Jiuci, who had cried all day, was far too difficult to comfort! At least she was quiet when asleep.

Lin Jiuge and Zhou Yan were left in a daze, unsure of where this place actually was—whether it was a dream or reality. It was one thing for the two of them to appear here, but why had Lin Jiuci shown up as well?

The two decided to wait and see how things developed, spending their days playing with the fluffy balls of fur from time to time. On this particular day, Lin Jiuge finally discovered a clue.

"Senior Brother, is that fluffy ball over there the bear cub?" Lin Jiuge's chubby paw pointed toward a little Dragon Bear with ice-blue horns on its head.

"Then this place is... the Star River Spring from three thousand years ago," Zhou Yan stated the answer.

Both of their storage pouches had failed, and only the blood-bound storage pouch Lin Jiuge had kept was still functional. Looking at the supplies inside, the two managed to avoid starving to death.

It turned out there were small, transparent fish living in the Star River Spring; eating them caused a warm current to flow through the body. Not only did the two eat them themselves, but they also fed them to Lin Jiuci, who had never yet opened her eyes, while managing to consume and collect quite a few along the way.

"Jiuge, A-yan, hurry over and bring Jiuci with you," the little Dragon Bear called out.

"Alright." Sensing that something major might be happening, the two could no longer hesitate. Lin Jiuge skillfully used her horns to nudge Lin Jiuci onto Zhou Yan's back, and the two of them scampered off to catch up.

Soon, a group of little balls of fur reached a totem. Moonlight poured down into the totem, bathing the two of them—along with Lin Jiuci on Zhou Yan's back—in the moonlit design.

The light emanating from their horns resonated with the moonlight, and a warm current rose from the totem beneath their feet, coursing through their bodies. It was warm and deeply comforting.

All the little Dragon Bears were immersed in this warm current when suddenly, a chilling aura swept over them. Lin Jiuge keenly sensed it and saw a pitch-black ball of light slowly sinking into the body of the bear cub.

Every single Dragon Bear cub was immersed in the radiance, and no one else noticed this change. What should she do?

"Junior Sister, what is it?" Sensing Jiuge's unease, Zhou Yan opened his eyes.

"Senior Brother, look."

Following the direction of Lin Jiuge's hoof, Zhou Yan also spotted the black orb.

"Use your horns." A familiar voice belonging to the nameless sword sounded out.

Left with no other choice, Lin Jiuge could only comply. She charged forward directly, pressing her sharp horn against the black orb.

The black orb let out a miserable wail, jolting the group of Dragon Bears awake.

"Call out!" Zhou Yan shouted.

The group of little Dragon Bears began to shriek, prompting a group of adult Dragon Bears to rush over.

Because Lin Jiuge's horn was corroded by the black orb, the horn that had just grown a little longer instantly melted away by more than half.

Upon seeing the bear cub, one of the adult Dragon Bears let out a roar filled with a sense of helpless despair.

The bear cub whimpered softly, and Lin Jiuge felt as though her horn was about to shatter.

"Junior Sister..."