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Book 8: Chapter 92: Dreamscape Field?
Five Element Palace Hall, Borderless Heavenly Capital:
Long Wanyu, Lady Houtu, Ensnaring Performance, Longevity, and Purple Subtlety focused their attention on Mao Tianyun.
“Little Cat, you messed up big this time. We finally got you to do something, and you ended up getting controlled? If it weren’t for my master’s immense ability, calling you over this time would have backfired!” Ensnaring Performance remarked, cracking a melon seed between his teeth like a rubbernecker.
“Meow! How was I supposed to know? My head is still spinning!” Mao Tianyun replied in frustration.
“What happened to you? How did you get all confused and end up being controlled, allowing Lifespan Xiahou to take advantage of you?” Lady Houtu inquired.
“I can’t remember clearly. I went in, and of course, I was looking around. I broke through eight eight-trigram ritual arrays, and when I reached the ninth one…I don’t remember anything after that!” Mao Tianyun furrowed its brow.
“So, you had an accident in the ninth eight-trigram ritual array? You managed to escape, but Lifespan Xiahou captured you? What was inside that ninth eight-trigram ritual array? You should remember!” Longevity asked while munching on a chicken leg.
“I don’t remember. Inside, everything became hazy. It felt like I had a dream, but I can’t recall what I dreamed!” Mao Tianyun wrinkled its brow.
“This is…Sa’s Dreamscape Field?” Long Wanyu frowned.
“Dreamscape Field?” Everyone looked at Long Wanyu in confusion.
“That’s right. A Dreamscape Field. No matter what one runs into when one goes in, it would feel like a dream when one comes out, scattering immediately after one leaves,” Long Wanyu said while frowning.
“Uh…that seems right. I only recall small fragments, like I had a dream. The more I think about it, the more I forget,” Mao Tianyun said.
“Fragments? What fragments?” Long Wanyu asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I saw a cat that looked exactly like me. Everything was the same, and then we started fighting. After that, I can’t remember anything!” Mao Tianyun recalled.
“An identical you?” Lady Houtu was curious.
“Do you remember the location of this Dreamscape Field?” Long Wanyu asked.
“Yes, I remember. Just show me a map!” Mao Tianyun replied.
“Let’s go, then. We need to inform Brother-in-Law’s clone as soon as possible,” Long Wanyu said.
“Alright!” Mao Tianyun nodded.
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An eight-trigram ritual array, East Spiritual Fire Sea, the nether realm:
Yinggou, Jingwei, and others waited anxiously. Soon, Jiang Lianshan rushed over.
“Father, are you alright?” Jingwei asked with concern.
“I’m fine.” Jiang Lianshan shook his head.
“What about Elder Sister? Is she alright?” Jingwei pressed, still worried.
“That unfilial daughter is doing well! If I hadn’t given her everything, she wouldn’t be where she is today, yet she dares to defy me now! Humph!” Jiang Lianshan snorted, his face filled with anger.
“As long as Elder Sister is okay.” Jingwei smiled.
“Alright, Jingwei, this is the last eight-trigram ritual array. I need you to extract a drop of your essence blood and merge it with the energy of the Vermilion Bird Deity. Hurry!” Jiang Lianshan instructed.
As he spoke, he waved his hand, bringing the entire eight-trigram ritual array to life. A flaming mountain suddenly rose in the center of the eight-trigram ritual array, and atop the mountain was an altar.
“Do I have to release blood again, Father? Every time I do, I feel a sense of dread,” Jingwei asked uneasily.
“Dread?” Jiang Lianshan raised an eyebrow at Jingwei.
“Yes, these past few days, I’ve released a total of sixty-three drops. As I’ve told you, every time my essence blood drips into an altar, I suddenly feel danger getting closer to me. That danger feels heavier with each drop. Despite being in the sea of flames, I feel chilled. I’m so scared!” Jingwei confessed her fears.
“What do you have to fear with me here?” Jiang Lianshan reassured her gently.
“You’re right, Father. With you here, I have nothing to fear.” Jingwei nodded.
Approaching the altar, Jingwei squeezed out a drop of blood. However, before it could drip onto the altar, she suddenly trembled, her face contorting with terror.
“Ah!” Jingwei screamed in horror.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Lianshan asked.
“I…I saw a bird, or at least I think I did. It was terrifying. It glared at me, with its red feathers bristled, like it wanted to swoop down and eat me!” Jingwei exclaimed in fear.
“It’s just a hallucination. Nothing’s there!” Yinggou tried to comfort her.
On the other hand, Jiang Lianshan was excited. “That’s right. It seems I was right. After searching for eight hundred thousand years, I’ve finally found it!”
“Father, I’m scared. Can I please not drip in my essence blood?” Jingwei was sweating profusely.
“Are you no longer interested in leaving here with me, Jingwei? I need you now, and only you can help me!” Jiang Lianshan said, trying to soothe Jingwei.
Jingwei’s eyes wavered with uncertainty. After all, the hallucination she just experienced was too terrifying. A giant bird about to rend her to shreds? Its terrifying visage had left her trembling.
“Hurry up!” Jiang Lianshan urged impatiently.
At his furious shout, Jingwei turned to her father, startled. Father raised his voice at me?
Jiang Lianshan realized he had lost control and decided to drop all pretense of being a kind father.
“Jingwei, hurry! Drip in your blood!” Jiang Lianshan commanded coldly.
“Father, you’re not… You weren’t like this earlier!” Jingwei stared at her father in shock.
Jiang Lianshan grabbed Jingwei’s right hand, where a drop of essence blood clung. He forcefully shook her hand, causing the essence blood to drip onto the altar.
Screech!
When the blood plopped onto the altar, Jingwei again saw the hallucination, or rather she saw it through the Vermilion Bird Deity. The giant red bird with sharp claws seemed poised to swoop down and tear her apart.
“Ah!” Jingwei screamed in terror.
Rumble…!
The altar, now stained with Jingwei’s essence blood, trembled and sank into the ground.
“Is it done?” Yinggou asked expectantly.
“That’s it! It’s all coming together now. Jingwei’s Vermilion Bird Deity has sensed the Vermilion Bird Prime. We’re just one step away! One final step away!” Jiang Lianshan suddenly looked at Jingwei, his eyes gleaming with excitement and cruelty.
At this moment, Jingwei was drenched, so scared by the hallucination that she had broken out in a cold sweat. She suddenly looked up and met Jiang Lianshan’s ferocious and terrifying gaze.
“F-Father, what’s happened to you? I’m scared!” Jingwei’s voice trembled with fear.
“No need to be afraid; everything will be fine soon. Come, I’ll take you to the Dreamscape Field,” Jiang Lianshan said in an icy tone.
At this moment, there was no trace of the caring father he used to be. Instead, he looked at Jingwei with cold indifference, as if she were an inanimate object.
“Father, please don’t look at me like this,” Jingwei pleaded, her eyes filled with terror.
“Let’s go. No more talking!” Yinggou immediately grabbed Jingwei.
“Don’t touch me!” Jingwei tried to push Yinggou away, but Yinggou’s strength far surpassed hers, leaving her helpless.
“Father, please, save me!” Jingwei cried out in fear.
However, Jiang Lianshan paid her no attention. He stepped forward, and Yinggou followed closely behind, firmly holding Jingwei.
Jingwei suddenly shivered in realization at Jiang Lianshan’s indifference.
She immediately thought of Ba. Earlier…earlier, Elder Sister did her best to rescue me, but I…
Although she did not know what had happened to her father, she already regretted her actions. She regretted her earlier decision and her previous willfulness.
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The East Spiritual Fire Sea:
Hou Yi had chased Jingwei and Yinggou for a while but lost them due to his unfamiliarity with the area. He had no choice but to turn back.
However, when he returned to the previous battlefield, he found a group of people led by Gu Hai standing in front of Ba.
“Your Holy Eminence, this official is incapable. I apologize for losing track of them,” Hou Yi confessed, bowing his head.
However, Ba paid no attention to Hou Yi. Her gaze was fixed firmly on Gu Hai and his companions, particularly the Divine Farmer Hoe.
“Greetings, First Princess!” the Divine Farmer Hoe gasped.
Greetings, First Princess? 𝚏𝗿𝗲ew𝐞b𝐧o𝚟𝚎𝗹.com
Ba and Hou Yi exchanged puzzled glances. They had no recollection of this old man.
“Do you not remember, Your Highness? The first time Your Highness sneaked out to mingle with the citizens incognito, this old man helped you hide it from His Holy Eminence,” the Divine Farmer Hoe said in a bitter tone.
“The Divine Farmer Hoe?” Ba’s eyes widened in recognition.
The Divine Farmer Hoe nodded. “I am now a rotting stick and may not look the same as before. Cough! Cough!”
“The Divine Farmer Hoe? You’re His Holy Eminence’s Divine Farmer Hoe?” Hou Yi was astonished.
Ba’s expression turned uncertain. Suddenly, she recalled Gu Hai’s earlier words. She narrowed her eyes and fixed them on Gu Hai. “You said earlier that the person we encountered was not Jiang Lianshan?”
“We just found out ourselves. We heard the commotion from your side earlier, so we came over, but alas, we were a step too late, and he escaped,” Gu Hai replied, nodding.
“You’re sure he’s not Jiang Lianshan?” Ba asked again.
Gu Hai nodded. “Perhaps it’s best if the Divine Farmer Hoe explains.”
After all, Divine Farmer Hoe was the most convincing person to shed light on the situation.
Ba turned her attention to the Divine Farmer Hoe, who nodded and sighed lightly. “His Holy Eminence died eight hundred thousand years ago. That person earlier was not His Holy Eminence, but…”
The Divine Farmer Hoe then recounted the story of Jiang Lianshan and his fire deity.
“No wonder…no wonder…he knew even the most secret things about the old man, yet his behavior was so different. He is just the fire deity impersonating the old man!” Ba’s face hardened.
Hou Yi, standing on the sidelines, goggled in shock. The Jiang Lianshan we encountered was an imposter? Dread flooded Hou Yi’s heart as he realized how close they had come to being deceived.
“That’s right, First Princess. Don’t blame His Holy Eminence. I experienced the passing of eight hundred thousand years, and I know everything from back then. Plus, considering what Gu Hai just told us about your resentment towards His Holy Eminence, it’s actually not his fault. It’s all him, His Holy Eminence’s fire deity. He deceived His Holy Eminence. His Holy Eminence benefited greatly from him back then, and His Holy Eminence never forgot about you. His Holy Eminence wanted you, Chiyou, Nuwa—all of you—to benefit as well. He was the one who designed those methods. If it weren’t for your good fortune, you would not be here today. His Holy Eminence was innocent. His Holy Eminence had no idea of the hardships you would endure, no idea you were in mortal danger. His Holy Eminence’s fire deity swore that everything would be safe, which was why His Holy Eminence acted according to the fire deity’s instructions. His Holy Eminence was deceived, even by himself. He’s the Holy Eminence’s fire deity, the one who knows His Holy Eminence best, and that was how he managed to deceive His Holy Eminence. First Princess, please don’t blame His Holy Eminence,” the Divine Farmer Hoe explained sorrowfully.
Ba’s expression shifted from confusion to a mix of emotions. It turned out it was not Jiang Lianshan who had caused their resentment over the years. Her father was still the same loving figure, but he had been deceived by his fire deity. This fire deity had manipulated her father, taken advantage of his vulnerabilities, and almost caused their deaths. Was all the suffering she endured because of him?
Ba’s eyes flashed with fury, but she also felt a sense of relief. Her father was still the same loving parent. All the wrongs she had attributed to Jiang Lianshan had actually been the deeds of this fire deity.
Suddenly, Ba’s expression changed again. “You mentioned Vermilion Bird Prime is sealed, and he has been preparing for eight hundred thousand years just for the Vermilion Bird Deity. He wants to use Vermilion Bird Deity to locate the seal and break it? Does he intend to use that sacrificial method?” Ba’s pupils constricted.
“That’s what I suspect,” the Divine Farmer Hoe replied bitterly.
Ba’s face sank. “Oh no! We must find Jingwei immediately; she’s in danger!”
“However, Your Holy Eminence, how can we find her in the vast East Spiritual Fire Sea?” Hou Yi asked, his tone sullen.
Ba and the Divine Farmer Hoe wore grim expressions.
“I might know where they are heading,” Gu Hai suddenly said, narrowing his eyes.
Mao Tianyun had already marked a location on the map at Gu Hai’s skeleton clone’s side. Despite its earlier mishap, Mao Tianyun had inadvertently helped Gu Hai find a crucial location—the Dreamscape Field.
“Oh?” Everyone turned their attention to Gu Hai.
“Follow me. I know the place. Hurry!” Gu Hai declared and set off in a certain direction.