47: Chapter 47 Breaking Through the Heart Barrier

Xing Yaoyan's voice was soft and sweet. If not for the fact that she was still in her wolf form, Qian Mo wasn't sure if he could have controlled himself...

Actually, even a wolf isn't... Bah! Stop! Don't let your mind wander!

Qian Mo quickly recited the Heart-Clearing Incantation his Master had taught him in his past life, finally steadying his mind.

After settling down the seemingly "broken" Xing Yaoyan, he hurriedly asked the System:

"System, what's wrong with her?"

[Ding! The Host can view the status of his Spirit Pet through the personal data panel.]

Without another word, Qian Mo immediately opened his personal attribute panel and quickly scrolled down to the Spirit Pet section.

[Spirit Pet: Xing Yaoyan (Star Beast, species unknown) (Current Status: The Host can understand it as a cat having had too much catnip.)]

?

"So you're saying I've become catnip? No... this didn't happen when I hugged her before. The only thing that changed is..."

"Star Body!"

Qian Mo instantly found the root cause.

"System, can you hide my Star Body?"

[Ding! The System Rank is too low to fulfill the Host's request.]

Just as Qian Mo was about to shake his head and sigh in frustration...

[Hint: The Host still has an incomplete Red Mission. If successful, the System will upgrade directly.]

"Red Mission?"

Qian Mo quickly searched through the mission list and soon found the "Put on the Collar" mission.

It seems this System has been constantly urging me to complete this mission...

He took out the collar from the System space; it was an item the System had given him on his first day in this world.

The item description was just a short sentence: "This collar can be large or small; the key lies in the choice..."

"Eh? Qian Mo... what happened to me just now..."

Xing Yaoyan shook her still-dizzy head and slowly stood up, only to see the young man holding a collar and looking at her with some surprise.

"You... what are you doing! Didn't I say I would never wear something like this!"

The moment Xing Yaoyan saw the familiar collar, she snapped awake. She performed a sudden tactical retreat, looking at the flustered boy as if he were a pervert.

"No... no, let me explain... it's the Sys—"

[Ding! Warning: If the Host reveals the existence of the System, the System will perish along with the Host!]

"What? You're even threatening me with self-destruction now!"

After silently complaining about the System, Qian Mo quickly changed his tune.

"...It's just that during the Awakening ceremony, I awakened another Superpower called 'Star Body.' That might be what affected you..."

"Star Body..."

Upon hearing the name, Xing Yaoyan felt scattered fragments of memories flash through her mind.

Those images moved fast, ultimately leaving behind two words in her heart: Food.

"So, creatures with a Star Body are food for us Heaven-Swallowing Star Wolves..."

"But... I still want to discuss this with you. If you go with me to the Longxiang Ability University in Kyoto, it might be best to wear it... After all, it's a form of status, letting everyone know you have my backing..."

Qian Mo spoke very tactfully.

The real reasons were the System's upgrade and his own need to hide his strength.

Although his white wolf had already said she didn't want to, he still wanted to try and persuade her. After all, she wouldn't have to wear it all the time; it could just be for emergencies in special situations later on...

"I..."

Hearing the boy's words, Xing Yaoyan was about to snap back, but she froze at the sincerity in his eyes.

She knew Qian Mo meant well. Back in the sterile room behind Qian Mo's high school classroom, she had already noticed that almost all Spirit Pets wore various collars.

She had raised small animals in her past life, so she knew how significant a collar was for a pet.

Dog catchers won't take a dog with a collar because they know the dog has an owner backing it up.

So, while a collar was a form of restraint, it was actually a great form of protection.

Xing Yaoyan closed her eyes, and as memories of everything since meeting Qian Mo flashed through her mind, she couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

Because she was a Star Beast, she didn't dare go out casually or do things openly. She had relied entirely on Qian Mo's help to get through crises. Even her only attempt to go out on her own failed and indirectly landed Qian Mo in the police station, forcing him to clean up her mess.

In that case, her current identity was really just Qian Mo's Spirit Pet. If she wore this collar like a Spirit Pet, she could stay with him forever, following the person she trusted most and hiding under his wings for the rest of her life, never having to worry about danger again...

So... why not just calmly accept her role? Why be so stubborn?

The white wolf, who had been standing still, lowered her head and slowly walked toward the boy.

Qian Mo, who had been expecting a scolding, saw her like this and immediately assumed she had silently agreed to his request, so he gently picked up the collar...

Suddenly!

Boom!

A majestic Aura suddenly erupted from Xing Yaoyan's body, sending the caught-off-guard Qian Mo flying back.

The white wolf was glowing with golden light, and complex, beautiful golden patterns suddenly appeared on her pristine white fur.

Xing Yaoyan's eyes also shone with golden light, and she uttered unintelligible, complex syllables.

"I don't want to hide behind the scenes! I don't want to be someone's trophy! I am Xing Yaoyan, a Heaven-Swallowing Star Wolf, and the 'Navigator' that Little Chaos speaks of. My goal... is the sea of stars!"

As the last syllable fell, Xing Yaoyan felt her thoughts become clear, entering a wondrous Realm. Her strength began to skyrocket accordingly.

After an unknown amount of time, she finally emerged from this peculiar state.

"Congratulations, 'Navigator,' on breaking through your Heart Barrier! Little Chaos is very happy!"

Within her spirit sea, the Chaos Beast's voice rang out, catching Xing Yaoyan's attention.

She quickly sank her consciousness into her spirit sea and was surprised to find that it had more than doubled in size, with her Power Of Will reserves surging proportionally.

In the spirit sea, the radiance of those two Holy Marks was brighter than ever. The Chaos Beast's Star Soul swam joyfully within, its soul body appearing noticeably more solid than before.

"So I just broke through my Heart Barrier..."

Xing Yaoyan smiled slightly; she would no longer be lost...