Part 2Returning to the otherworldly realm on the day of the lord's bride selection.

Moreover, Declan was extremely sinister. When in a bad mood, he would lock me in the dark, dreary basement of the Castle to torture and vent his anger. In this life, since Nora chose Declan for me, I was finally free.

The next day, the wedding entourage arrived. The Vampire Clan brought a flying carriage, surrounded by a sea of flowers, to welcome Nora. Declan stood imposingly in front of the carriage. In a flash, he teleported to Nora, looking like a perfect couple. Declan's alluring, pale face and deep features were indeed captivating.

"A Vampire loves only once in their lifetime. I, Declan, promise the Spirit Clan I will never marry again." Amidst the cheers, Nora looked at me triumphantly, gripping Declan's hand tightly. "Cora, you must be so jealous of me." I looked at Fiona expressionlessly. She had no idea her hard days were just beginning...

I closed my eyes, recalling the days when a slight offense would lead to a beating. The dungeon filled with torture tools had pierced my fingers and knees. If I hadn't seen his true nature in my past life, I might have been fooled by Declan's pretense. Fortunately, later on, I refined my blood to the purest level, benefiting the entire Vampire Clan, so they dared not torture me anymore. Refining that technique required sleeping on an ice bed daily. Nora, pampered since childhood, would never work so hard.

The Tentacle Monster Clan only had a simple Spaceship. I was summoned inside without any ceremony. In the dark spaceship cabin, eight black tentacles spread out like a giant flower with shiny black nodules. I screamed in fear. The tentacles quickly retracted, revealing a man's strong, handsome features. His black, bright eyes studied me.

"Did I scare you? I'll keep the tentacles away in the future." I looked at Asher. His gaze was icy, completely different from Declan's sinister nature, but his eyes held no emotion. It seemed true that the Tentacle Clan didn't understand love. I shook my head quickly, "It's okay. Do whatever makes you comfortable. No need to accommodate me." The tentacles weren't that scary. I was just nervous about boarding the spaceship.

Looking at Asher's handsome features, I wondered why Nora always called him ugly in the past life. Maybe she only saw his tentacle side. "Leader, let's perform the Soul Contract ceremony." Asher nodded, extending a tentacle towards me among the clan members. I shrank back in fear, warily watching him. "Don't worry. It won't hurt much." I obediently closed my eyes, feeling Asher's tentacle slide into my clothes, wrapping tightly around my waist, smooth and slippery. Another tentacle explored my chest.

Finally, the tentacle adhered to the soft part of my chest, causing a tingling sensation. A strong white light shone from my chest, and the clan members exclaimed, "This girl's Mental Strength is so strong! A rare talent in a thousand years!" "Yes, with her, our victory is assured." The tingling made my legs weak, and I collapsed, but Asher's strong arms caught me securely. His eyes were as deep as a pool, unreadable, but he gently carried me to the rest cabin, preparing Spirit Clan food for me.

If you need anything, just call me. "Bad news! Clan Leader, the Vampire Clan broke the peace treaty and attacked multiple bases during the Political Marriage!" I knew the events from the previous life were unfolding early, and Fiona must have revealed the Tentacle Clan's plans. In the original story, Declan's sneak attack severely damaged the Tentacle Monster bases, and Asher nearly died in the battle.

Luckily, Asher survived, biding his time, growing stronger, and eventually conquering the Vampire Clan. However, after we entered the story, my blood helped the Vampires resist the silver light, making them invincible. Thinking of this, I grabbed Asher's hand, "I have Spirit Stones to help you. Let me go with you." Asher glanced at my hand holding his, nodded slightly, pulling me into the transporter, and we arrived at a base.

The base was swarming with bat minions from the Vampires, feasting on the Tentacle Clan. The Tentacle Clan members were turning to stone due to lack of Mental Strength. I tried using the Spirit Stones but couldn't activate them. "I suddenly can't use my power!" I shouted anxiously to Asher, who seemed to sense my mental state. But Asher had already joined the battle with his eight tentacles. I watched him worriedly. Though the Tentacle Clan had strong combat abilities, they heavily consumed Mental Strength. Without my support, he wouldn't last long.

Sure enough, he soon fell due to lack of Mental Strength. He was captured by the Vampires, and I was tied up too. We were taken back to the Castle, where Fiona lay seductively by Declan's side, enjoying the scene. She looked at me smugly, "Sister, how do you like the effect of the Spirit Dissolving Powder I gave you? It's your own fault for being careless, deciding the outcome from the start." I remembered the time Fiona tampered with the Spirit Stone while I chose the technique. But only Father had the Spirit Dissolving Powder, so was he involved too?

My heart sank, feeling betrayed by Father. I saw Asher's worried gaze. Was he concerned about me? Perhaps our Soul Contract made him empathetic towards me. Declan studied me, sniffing my neck, smirking, "How about you both serve me?" Fiona quickly cooed, "Isn't having me enough, my Lord? I am the Spirit Clan Heiress!"

I recalled the moment I was selecting a cultivation method, and it struck me that Fiona had meddled with the Spirit Stone. However, only my father possessed the Spirit Dissolving Powder. Could he be a part of this conspiracy too? My heart sank, as if I had plunged into an abyss of cold despair. I couldn't fathom that my father would scheme against me this way.

Looking up, I caught Asher's gaze filled with concern. Was he worried about me? Perhaps our Soul Contract allowed him to share in my emotions. Declan hovered close, a smirk on his lips, "How about both of you serve me?"

Fiona quickly feigned innocence, "Isn't having me enough, Lord? After all, I am the Spirit Clan Heiress!" I knew she wasn't trying to help me; she was simply afraid I'd take the position of the Lord's wife from her. Declan laughed fiercely, pulling Fiona close and biting her neck. She whimpered in pain, and he pushed her aside with disinterest, wiping his mouth. "Maybe Cora's blood is more to my liking?"

Fiona hurried to defend herself, "I'm the Spirit Clan Heiress, with a pure bloodline. Cora's blood is a mess and would weaken your power." Declan raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, and carried Fiona into the bedroom. Soon after, sounds of passion echoed from within.

Declan imprisoned us beneath the Dungeon, waiting for his chance to develop a weapon against the Tentacle Clan. In a past life, Declan was aware that the Tentacle Clan couldn't be killed, only sent into a dormant state. Once revived by sufficient Mental Strength, their resurgence would be inevitable.

But back then, Fiona refused to sacrifice herself as the book instructed to revive the Tentacle Clan, insisting on returning home. "I am the Spirit Clan Heiress; how could I become exhausted and frail?" Asher fought to grant Fiona her freedom, only for her new lover to extract information from her and betray the Tentacle Clan's base location, leading to its downfall.

The Tentacle Clan often remained in stasis pods, making the base's secrecy vital. While I was confined in the Dungeon, I discovered a massive ice bed filled with girls from my Spirit Clan. Fiona had incited Declan to capture my people to practice this cultivation method for her gain. I shook my head with a bitter laugh. Oh, Fiona, don't you realize? Our ancestors branded this cultivation method, and only those of royal blood could master it.

Every glory demands a price. So why do you, as the Heiress, believe you are inherently noble? Declan visited the Dungeon one day, ordered my clanswomen to be cut for their blood, but spat it out in disgust. He called Fiona over and kicked her face with his foot. "Didn't you claim this method would purify the blood? Why is it still the same?"

Fiona frowned, inspecting my clanspeople like livestock, muttering that it couldn't be true. Watching this betrayal filled me with trembling rage. I always thought she was merely spoiled and willful, but I never expected her to betray her race in this manner.

As fury consumed me, a pair of warm hands enveloped mine. I looked up to meet Asher's compassionate eyes. It felt as though he was silently reassuring me, "Cora, don't worry, I'll get you out soon." I was taken aback. His Mental Strength was depleted; how could he save me?

Fortunately, as I channeled my power, I realized my Spirit Power had recovered by eighty percent. Even without a Spirit Stone, my strong Mental Strength could support Asher in our escape. Sadly, the other girls couldn't be saved.

After they left, Asher seized his moment, using all his strength to unfurl black tentacles, wrapping around me to break through the siege. He intended to sacrifice himself to help me escape, warming my heart. In a past life, Nora manipulated his innocence to lead him to his demise. I must protect his pure heart this time.

I seized the moment, quickly cutting my finger, letting blood drip onto the Spirit Stone. The Spirit Stone instantly emitted a dazzling light, flying toward Asher. He immediately became agile, his tentacles powerful, slaying enemies left and right.

My Mental Strength was formidable due to my Heaven Clan bloodline, more potent than the pure Spirit Clan, capable of maximizing the Spirit Stone's power. Yet, the Spirit Clan always valued pure lineage as the noble standard. Asher glanced back gratefully at me, then plunged into battle.

I steeled myself, cutting my wrist, letting more blood flow to the Spirit Stone. Asher could then fight ten at once, sweeping through the enemies. I watched him with relief but fainted from overexertion. In my daze, I felt someone securely catch me.