Heaven’s Way Revealed

“BOOM!”

The moment the thought crossed Lu Qiancha’s mind, a deafening thunderclap exploded in the cloudless sky.

The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth, once as docile as sheep, instantly erupted like ants on a hot pan doused with boiling oil.

“Hm?”

Xuan Ya instantly sensed the anomaly, her head snapping up to gaze into the depths of the firmament, her usually serene brows knitting together tightly.

Something was wrong.

In that fleeting moment, she had actually detected a trace of human-like annoyance within the violent fluctuations of spiritual energy.

It was as if the Heavenly Dao of this place… had just gotten angry?

Who within the sect could commit such an outrageous act that it would anger even heaven and earth?! Suspicion instantly clouded Xuan Ya’s mind, her gaze sweeping vigilantly across her surroundings.

Meanwhile, Lu Qiancha was breaking out in a cold sweat.

At the very instant the thunderclap sounded, she had heard the local Heavenly Dao transmit a sentence to her: “I didn’t do it, don’t spread rumors.”

The voice carried an indescribable sense of majesty, yet at the same time, its tone was thick with the intense grievance and dissatisfaction of being wrongly accused.

Lu Qiancha: “???”

Lu Qiancha was completely dumbfounded.

The Heavenly Dao was actually speaking to her? And it sounded incredibly wronged?!

She had cursed at the heavens more than once or twice in the past when her cultivation wasn’t going smoothly or when a tribulation lightning struck too hard, but it had never once acknowledged her.

Why today… after a single grumble in her mind, was the reaction so huge?! It had even sent a direct message to her.

This was unreasonable!

Wait…

A jolt went through Lu Qiancha.

Her identity, it was a matter of her identity!

She suddenly remembered that she was officially on the payroll now.

She was the Mountain God of the Peach Blossom Spring.

Although this Mountain God ranked at the very bottom of the Five Immortals—Celestial, Terrestrial, Human, Spirit, and Ghost—it was still a proper divine post, a legitimate deity with an official work ID (the Mountain God Talisman).

What had just happened was like a newly hired regional supervisor in a small company secretly complaining about the group headquarters’ big boss being a ruthless capitalist in the breakroom…

Only for the big boss to walk out of the adjacent lounge holding a cup of coffee!

Not only had he heard every single word clearly!

But he had also called her out using the company’s private internal channel!!!

It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!

Lu Qiancha’s heart pounded wildly, nearly leaping out of her throat!

Without any hesitation.

Swish.

Lu Qiancha instantly switched into the most standard Daoist bowing posture.

Her waist was bent to almost a perfect ninety-degree angle.

At the same time, she screamed frantically in her mind with a sincerity that was off the charts: ‘Lord Heavenly Dao, please calm your anger! This disciple spoke without thinking just now, it was pure nonsense. I had absolutely no intention of insulting you. It is this disciple’s Dao heart that is impure, making wild assumptions. This disciple is guilty. I beg you to forgive this disciple just this once!’

Hum…

As if sensing her heartfelt and sincere apology (born of a desperate will to live).

The wildly surging spiritual energy in the surroundings was instantly smoothed over as if by a great, invisible hand.

One second, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was bristling and roaring; the next, it had returned to its usual tranquility and peace.

The sun was bright, the breeze was gentle, the birds were chirping… no flowers were blooming at the moment, but it was indeed very peaceful.

Xuan Ya, who had been on high alert, keenly sensed that the unsettling celestial agitation had instantly subsided, and the worry in her heart quietly eased.

Just as she was about to retract her sharp gaze from her surroundings, she caught sight of her little disciple still holding that absurdly exaggerated bowing posture, as if performing a grand ritual to the heavens.

She looked at Lu Qiancha, perplexed.

“Hm? Qiancha, what are you doing?”

“Reporting to Master, this disciple just had a feeling and perceived a majestic pressure between heaven and earth. I fear it may have been the divine sense of a certain reclusive, powerful being sweeping past. This disciple remembers Master’s daily teachings to be courteous when encountering superiors, so I did not dare to be neglectful and made a special bow to show my respect.”

Lu Qiancha lied without batting an eye, her voice clear and steady, her expression showing not a hint of anything unusual, but the hidden tail behind her was whipping around uncontrollably, appearing very agitated.

“Your senses are quite sharp.”

Xuan Ya, however, did not suspect anything.

She nodded slightly, her tone softening with a hint of reassurance, “That was a manifestation of the Heavenly Dao. Such an existence is unfathomably profound. It is never wrong to hold it in reverence and treat it with some courtesy.”

“This disciple will remember Master’s teachings.”

With that small interlude over, Lu Qiancha nodded gently before returning to the main topic.

“Master, then how should one overcome this great heart demon tribulation?”

“In your view, this heart demon, at its very source, what is it in reality?”

Xuan Ya did not answer directly, her gaze profound as she posed a question in return.

“According to Master’s teachings just now, a heart demon should be the demonic thoughts formed from the accumulation, sedimentation, and mutation of notions that go against the Dao heart, found within a cultivator’s vast memories,” Lu Qiancha replied after a moment of contemplation.

“Only half right.”

Xuan Ya shook her head slightly, tapping lightly with the jade handle of her whisk.

She continued, “The heart demon is indeed derived from memory… However, it is not a purely external demon, nor is it a perverse, sinful thought.”

She looked directly into Lu Qiancha’s eyes, her words holding a deep meaning, “At its core, the heart demon is a mirror image of your own divine soul. In other words, it is your ‘opposite aspect’!”

“Opposite aspect? This disciple is dull-witted and cannot comprehend the true meaning of this. I implore Master to explain…”

Lu Qiancha’s brows furrowed slightly, and she then asked respectfully.

“Simply put,” Xuan Ya’s voice was gentle and clear, like a spring washing over jade, “this demon is born from the heart and is an inseparable part of your Dao body and divine soul. To forcefully reject it is to senselessly fragment yourself, adding only more attachments and obstacles. The more you deliberately try to suppress its existence, the more it will be like pouring oil on a fire, burning ever more fiercely.”

“This disciple understands. Rather than fighting it, it is better to accept and integrate with it?”

Lu Qiancha’s eyes suddenly brightened, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, and she instantly understood.

“Good.” Xuan Ya nodded with a smile, approval in her eyes.

“Since you have no other questions, you should head back early.” Xuan Ya looked towards the small courtyard on Tianquan Peak, a hint of helpless yet doting amusement in her eyes. “That precious junior sister of yours has already been chattering in my ear for days. She misses you dearly.”

“Yes, Master. Please take your time.”

Lu Qiancha obediently stepped aside on the mountain path, watching as her master’s blue robes drifted away and disappeared into the depths of the forest, before she picked up her pace and briskly headed for the small courtyard.

The moment she pushed open the gate, she saw Gan Tang draped over the stone table in the center of the yard in a most unladylike fashion.

Her face was dejected, and she was muttering, “It’s over, it’s over, this time it’s really over.”

What happened?

Lu Qiancha was a little puzzled.

She approached slowly, only to hear Gan Tang muttering, “Senior Brother… where on earth are you…”

“Without Senior Brother’s fluffy, soft, and warm tail fluff to pull, to nuzzle, to hug…”

“I’m really going to die!”

Lu Qiancha’s steps came to an abrupt halt. “…”

As expected, she never should have held any expectations that this foolish junior sister of hers was “worried about her senior brother’s safety.”

Just as Lu Qiancha lifted her foot to step forward and wake Gan Tang.

An enticing thought suddenly wormed its way into her mind—what if she revealed her true form directly?

The moment that foolish girl pounced on her with eyes full of joyous surprise…

She would switch back to the calm and steady Senior Brother Qiancha with a swish…

Tsk.

Just imagining Gan Tang’s instantly frozen expression of joy, and the immense disappointment that would follow…

Lu Qiancha instantly felt that she was truly wicked.

Hmph, hmph, who was to blame but this foolish junior sister for thinking about her tail all day long.

Lu Qiancha glanced around—confirming it was safe. Master Xuan Ya was long gone, and the courtyard’s barrier was intact.

Everything was so perfect!

She formed a hand seal, and her body trembled slightly—

The light of the Myriad Phantoms Mirage Art flowed. The illusion of the young man shrouding her body dissipated like blue smoke, revealing the small, blue-furred loli with her fluffy, soft fur that gleamed in the sunlight.

Even the delicate, peach-pink lace choker around her neck was completely exposed.

Lu Qiancha padded silently to the stone table.

She looked up at her junior sister, who was still lost in her own world…

Lu Qiancha cleared her throat.

“Ahem.”