Day and night tour

Chapter 409 The Goddess's Prophecy

Although Zhou Xuan had seen through some of Bi Fang's tricks, Bi Fang was not afraid.

He was like a cat that had caught a mouse, wantonly toying with his prey, and his sickly voice rang out again.

“Zhou Xuan, Zhou Xuan, I can tell you clearly that you can leave this dream at any time. You are the eyes of this dream, and this dream cannot truly stop you.”

Bi Fang said, "It's easy for you to get out of this dream. I'll tell you how. Go back to the temple and tell that young monk that you don't believe the Blood God will descend at all. He will then open a path for you and let you out of this dream."

"You sound like you're trying to be helpful."

Zhou Xuan responded with a cold laugh.

Bi Fang's voice held a hint of excitement as he said, "Of course you can get out of this dream, and any companion you find can also get out of this dream with you."

Zhou Xuan glanced around at Yun Ziliang, Xishan Wang, Peng Sheng, and the others, then looked up at the sky and said, "So, you're making me make a choice."

Should I take my friends and leave immediately, leaving my sister and master in my dreams? Or should I continue searching for my sister and master, and then die on Yuanbao Mountain?

"No, no, this dream was a life-or-death struggle between you and me. I have staked my life and everything I own. How could I be so merciful?"

Bi Fang, with the air of a victor, said with a smile, "In our storytelling troupe, there is an ancestral magical artifact: nine golden talismans. These talismans were originally used by me to seal the tree gate and prevent you from sending reinforcements."
Little did I expect you to outmaneuver me, setting up an ambush from all sides and burying your reinforcements in your dreams long ago. As for that tree gate, I no longer need to concern myself with it.

"Now, I offer my incense and lifespan to the golden token, which will then become an anchor in your dreams, locking all your helpers within those dreams."
Now, even if you go to find that little monk, you can still only exit the dream yourself. As for your companions whom you've already found, they're still bound by the golden token and can't escape.

"Therefore, in this dream, the choice I gave you has never changed—you live, all your companions die, or you all die."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan retorted sarcastically, "Bifang, you are a god-level being, yet you have such a vicious mind. How could you even come up with such a despicable dream?"

As Bi Fang said, the danger in this dream was not the sword fights, but the "choice between life and death".

If Zhou Xuan were to turn away, he would be plunged into the eternal agony of losing his friend, his sister, and his master.

But if Zhou Xuan doesn't leave, then Mount Jinbao will be a trap that Bifang has laid for him. Once he gets up the mountain, even his dream eye will never be able to get out.

Whether to turn back or forge ahead, Zhou Xuan didn't give this answer much thought. Instead, he gazed firmly in the direction of Jinbaoshan.

The number of people who enter a dream is the same number who must leave; this is a belief that will never be extinguished in Zhou Xuan's heart.

"You know it's a dead end, why do you still keep going?"

Bi Fang's voice, high in the sky, questioned Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan didn't answer, but instead held up two fingers and said, "The second time."

"You're just being mysterious again."

Bifang said.

“Bifang, you must remember this, the second time.”

After saying this, Zhou Xuan stopped talking and focused on admiring the scenery of the boundless sea of ​​suffering, no longer speaking to Bi Fang.

……

In the courtyard of Mr. Ye's main hall,

Bi Fang sat cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by nine golden sticks, each with dark bloodstains floating on it, giving off a chilling feeling just by looking at it.

However, if we're talking about sheer power, we have to mention Bifang's folding fan.

On the surface of the folding fan, surnames—Yun, Li, Hu, Peng, Di, etc.—are written crookedly.

Each surname represents a Zhou Xuan companion whose "fate" was nailed to the golden token.

Their fates are now intertwined with this "Celestial Dream".

The operation of these golden tokens also consumes Bifang's lifespan and flesh.

At this moment, his hair was completely white, and his already thin figure was now just skin and bones.

With cracked and parched skin, this god who had ruled over storytellers for three hundred years had lost all his former glory and was on his deathbed.

"The second time, what exactly is the second time?"

Bifang fell into inexplicable meditation.

It's no wonder he overthinks things. Ever since Zhou Xuan came to Mingjiang Prefecture, he's always come up with all sorts of tricks and endless schemes.

"Could it be that Zhou Xuan has a trump card up his sleeve this time? What is it?"

Bi Fang didn't want his desperate struggle to produce any mishaps that Zhou Xuan could seize upon and turn the tide of battle.

"This dream will be over once I survive until the Blood God descends. No matter what Zhou Xuan chooses, I will see the scene I want to see."

"But will I really be able to make it through?"

Bi Fang recalled Zhou Xuan's mention of a "second time," and a sense of unease crept into his heart. Ever since he was born, he had enjoyed all the glory.

He was born into an official family and lived a life of luxury from a young age. Later, he joined the storytelling troupe and rose rapidly through the ranks in the arts of incense and deities.

From the time it takes one incense stick to the time it takes nine incense sticks to cultivate, he almost never stopped. His master praised him as "the storyteller with the most powerful cultivation talent in thousands of years."

His life of glory shaped his arrogant and unrestrained personality. Before ascending to the heavens to slay the gods, he first beheaded his master.

“My life has been without blemish. You, my incompetent master, are my greatest blemish. Only by wiping away my own stains can I ascend to the position of a god.”

Bifang beheaded his master and ascended to the heavens, slaying the old gods. His already glorious life shone even brighter.

Amidst the dazzling, multicolored light, Bifang felt somewhat worried.

A person who has never lost is more afraid of losing than a normal person.

He didn't want to lose, nor was he willing to lose, so he blocked anyone who could threaten him.

He blocked the lineage of the storytelling hall and planted a trap in the path of incense offerings. From then on, the storyteller's hall never produced eight sticks of incense in three hundred years.

"No one can threaten my supreme glory."

Bi Fang was always so self-satisfied, but Zhou Xuan's sudden emergence broke his rule over storytellers.

“I have the Book of Willpower, and so does he; I am famous throughout the world, but his fame is even greater than mine; he is also more popular with the people than I am.”

"He has everything I have, and he has things I don't have."

Bi Fang was very jealous, and jealousy breeds malice, so he wanted to kill Zhou Xuan.

however,
Zhou Xuan gained even greater fame and won the choice of the "Book of Will".

Where is Bifang?

With the collapse of the Book of Will, he was constantly humiliated by the Great Demon Huangyuan, and even his life was in danger. If he did not kill Zhou Xuan, the broken Book of Will would definitely turn against him.

"That's why I'm going down to the mortal realm to kill you, Zhou Xuan."

Even the matter of "forcibly killing Zhou Xuan" was full of obstacles... two Nine Incense Sticks, a Celestial God-level being, and the Tattoo Ancestor, who could summon the Peach Blossom Ancestral Tree at any time... as well as two geniuses from the Zhou family this generation—Zhou Xuan and Zhou Lingyi.

After Zhou Xuan used the Turtle Breath technique of the Escape Technique to hide for a thousand years, and then used the "Star Law" to take the hit for Yun Ziliang, he understood the outcome of the battle.

In terms of mere weapons and incense offerings, he would certainly be no match for this group of ferocious masters.

"I have no choice but to risk my life and give up the dream of the Celestial Venerable that I have been guarding, which is the supreme will of the Celestial Venerable."

“I, Bifang, can die, but… I cannot lose… If I win today and kill you, Zhou Xuan, then I will have never lost a single time in my life.”

Thinking of this, Bi Fang felt a little more invigorated. The little bit of energy he had finally regained made him daydream again.

"What exactly is the second time Zhou Xuan mentioned?"

……

The dream of the Celestial Venerable continues to operate according to its own logic.

The boat carrying Zhou Xuan and his companions was getting closer and closer to Jinbao Mountain.

On the boat, everyone urged Zhou Xuan to leave the dream.

King Xishan said, “Master, if you leave this dream, we will all die, but if you don’t leave this dream, you will die with us. Why bother?”

“That’s right, sir, you should leave first,” Li Changxun said.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan immediately smiled and said, "Li Shanzu, you cowardly god, are you so magnanimous now? Let me go first, don't you care about your own life or death?"

"A true man dies, so be it; a head lost leaves only a scar..." Li Changxun only managed half a sentence before his bravado crumbled, and he said with a forced smile, "Sir, this is what I'm thinking: once you're out of the dream, you can try to find a solution."
"Didn't Bifang say that the golden token was used to nail us down? That means the Zhou family's tree gate will finally have a use."

Di Tong also said, "This sounds like a good idea, Master. You can use the tree gate to pull Lord Arrow over to kill Bi Fang. If that doesn't work, find every single wandering spirit in Mingjiang Prefecture."

While Di Tong and Li Changxun were talking enthusiastically, Zhou Xuan and Yun Ziliang looked dejected.

Mr. Bai Liu, who was also a storyteller, said with a swaying head, "Whether the great master can come back after having this dream is a question. This dream is too powerful."

“We still need to get out first.” Di Tong turned around and glanced at Mr. Bai Liu. “Old Bai, are you up to no good? Are you jealous that Master can escape? You’re unwilling to die in your dream and want to drag Master down with you?” These words almost made Mr. Bai Liu swear an oath: “Heaven have mercy! I wish Master could live, but his sister and master are still in the dream…”

"do not talk."

Zhou Xuan gestured to stop the argument and said, "I won't go out. Just like Lao Bai said, once this dream is out, it's questionable whether it can come back in. It's not a simple dream."

"How extraordinary is it?" Di Tong asked.

"When I first entered the dream, I saw a witch's altar. Then I passed by a Buddhist temple, and then by the sea, I met the man carrying an ancient well and a Taoist priest who could move mountains."

Zhou Xuan looked at Di Tong and said, "Haven't you figured it out yet? There are shamans on the mountain, Buddhas on the mountainside, Taoists in the water, and wells on the boats."
These correspond to the four Heavenly Venerables of the Well Kingdom: the Dao Ancestor, the Witch God, the Ancient Buddha, and the Blood Well.

Zhou Xuan paused here, then continued, "Among the methods we storytellers employ, we have two: one is to summon Buddhas in dreams, and the other is to have deities enter our dreams."

However, both of these methods correspond to the divine level; even celestial gods cannot be created in dreams, let alone celestial venerables.

At this moment, Yun Ziliang, who was standing to the side, also explained: "Di Tong, judging from the current situation, I am more inclined to believe that this dream is a sealing artifact, rather than a dream created by a storyteller."
Such a grand-scale artifact could not possibly have originated from the Bifang.

"Whose magic weapon is this?" the Earth Child asked. "Ancient Buddha? Celestial Venerable? Blood Well? Or the Witch God? Or one of those celestial gods?"

Yun Ziliang glanced at Di Tong and said, "You fatso weighing over 500 pounds, can't you use your brain and think about what a storyteller is? They are people who convey divine pronouncements on behalf of the supreme will."

Among the celestial beings, only storytellers have the briefest contact with the supreme will. Therefore, this dream artifact is most likely the work of the supreme will.

Mr. Bailiu also said, "Since it is the work of an supreme will, how can one simply enter and exit at will?"

"Forget about any talk of supreme will or anything like that. You dragon-seeking Taoist, you said I'm a 500-pound fat guy? You've fucking crossed a line!"

The Earth Child roared, his entire body of fat trembling, determined to teach Yun Ziliang a lesson.

Yun Ziliang wasn't intimidated and said, "So what if I offended you? When I was still in Jingchuan Prefecture, your Mr. Ye was nothing."

"Oh, you're being stubborn?"

The Earth Child threw the Soul Banner at Yun Ziliang, and Yun Ziliang unleashed the Great Dragon. The two fought fiercely.

However, it was all bark and no bite. The incense-burning contest was just a pretense; the real purpose was to have fun. Everyone else was just watching the spectacle, and they didn't seem like people who were going to Jinbaoshan to die.

This can be considered a characteristic of disciples of the Human World Hall—in order to accumulate incense offerings, they not only have to fight in the martial arts world, but also venture into evil and treacherous places. They are doing business with their heads on the line, so they are relatively open-minded about the matter of "death".

In addition, their original intention was to slay a god.

Slaying gods is not a dinner party, nor is it child's play. If they were not prepared for a one-way trip, they would never embark on this journey.

Zhou Xuan didn't join in the commotion. He pulled Li Changxun aside and asked, "Old Li, you've been in the heavens for many years and know a lot. Have you ever heard of the Blood God?"

"Of course I've never heard of it. What Blood God? I've only heard of Ancestral God."

"And who is the Ancestral God?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"It's me. I am the Ancestor of Xunlong Mountain. I call myself the Ancestral God. I cheer myself on every day." Li Changxun said, clenching his fist to encourage himself again: "Come on, Ancestral God, you are the best. The little dream of Heavenly Venerable cannot imprison you."

Zhou Xuan: "..."

A disgrace to the gods, truly a disgrace to the gods. You rely on self-motivation instead of incense offerings; no wonder you've been trapped in the abyss for decades.

"The Blood God is the greatest deity in the vast starry sky. If he were to descend upon the Nine Li Kingdom, it would be a blessing for the Nine Li Kingdom."

The man carrying an ancient well on his back and wearing a straw hat suddenly interjected.

"Jingzi, what do you know?"

Zhou Xuan now knows that this is the dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables, and the person carrying the ancient well on his back must be the Blood Well, right?
To be precise, it should be a blood well from ancient times.

Having spent every day with the Blood Well, he developed a fondness for it as well. Initially, he didn't like the man in the straw hat, always thinking he was a sleazy jerk. But now that he knew the truth, he found the man in the straw hat much more pleasing to the eye.

“I am not Jingzi, I am Chenghuang.”

The man in the straw hat immediately rejected Zhou Xuan's title.

"Are you Cheng Huang?"

Zhou Xuan recalled what the little monk had said in the temple—"Chenghuang" was born from blood, with the appearance of a dragon and the body of a horse, feeding on human brains and marrow. They were the messengers who guided the "Blood God" in legend.

"Yes, I am Cheng Huang, and so is he."

The man in the straw hat pointed to the young Taoist priest below the boat and said.

“None of you look like Chenghuang,” Zhou Xuan said.

"Because the Blood God has not yet descended. When he does, I will grow to look like Chenghuang."

"And what about the well behind you? What is it?"

Zhou Xuan asked again.

The man in the straw hat said, "He is the Blood God's token in the human world. Only by carrying him can one sense the Blood God."

As Zhou Xuan listened, he fell into deep thought—the four Heavenly Venerables were gathered in a real ancient dream, where they were welcoming the arrival of the Blood God.

Could it be that this Blood God is the Supreme Will?

The entire "Dream of the Four Heavenly Venerables" is a history of the creation of the Jing Kingdom.
“Young man, I find you pleasing to the eye, so I’ll tell you something.” Seeing that Zhou Xuan hadn’t spoken for a long time, the man in the straw hat, perhaps out of boredom, leaned closer and said, “Someone just said that you all have to die.”

"Yes, it was said by a man named Bi Fang."

Zhou Xuan responded.

“No, you will not die,” the man in the straw hat said. “You only need to convert to the Blood God, and you will not die.”

"The Blood God possesses immense power; he will ensure your survival."

Next, the man in the straw hat began to speak in a series of missionary-like words, such as "The Blood God is immortal and indestructible," "The Blood God is the master of heaven and earth," and "The Blood God will bring true light."

Zhou Xuan's ears were tired of hearing it, and he became more and more sleepy. The man in the straw hat, on the other hand, became more and more interested, and even lost all sense of boundaries, wanting to "get close" to Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan immediately felt nauseous and pushed the man in the bamboo hat away.

But the man in the straw hat suddenly became serious: "The well has moved, the Blood God will surely descend. Taoist, row the boat faster."

"Yes, yes."

The Taoist priest, who was like a water ghost underwater, swam even faster in the water...

……

After the boat reached Jinbaoshan, everyone went up the mountain.

Zhou Xuan also led his men up the mountain at an extremely fast pace.
This mountain is quite peculiar, resembling a golden leaf, dotted with Buddhist temples, Taoist monasteries, shamanic altars, and ancient, simple-looking wells.

The mountains were filled with believers, shoulder to shoulder. After Zhou Xuan climbed the mountain, he embarked on his journey of "I am the master of dreams," determined to find his sister and master.

The group followed Zhou Xuan up the mountain quickly, and as they climbed higher, the number of believers decreased exponentially.
When they reached the summit, only a few dozen believers remained.

The young monk, the young Taoist priest, and the man in the bamboo hat were all lined up next to a witch clan altar.

"Little monk, didn't you say you didn't believe the Blood God would descend?"

While searching for his sister and master's location with his eyes, Zhou Xuan asked the little monk.

The young monk looked up, bewildered, and asked Zhou Xuan, "Benefactor, have we met before?"

"We just met not long ago?"

"Then you've mistaken me for someone else. I've been here to greet the Blood God since early this morning."

After saying this, the little monk pointed to the coffin not far away and said, "Do you see that coffin? The high priest of the witch clan is opening it. Inside the coffin is the goddess of the witch ancestor."

"The goddess will bring divination, divination of the descent of the blood god."

Zhou Xuan looked in the direction the little monk pointed, and there he saw that the high priest of the witch clan who opened the coffin was none other than his master, Yuan Buyu.

"My master became a priest?"

Zhou Xuan ran towards Yuan Buyu, and the duration of his "I am the master of the dream" was up, and his grand dream shattered immediately.

"I'll have another dream."

Just as Zhou Xuan was about to strike the gavel, Yuan Buyu finally opened the coffin, and a pretty woman sat up from inside.

She was none other than Zhou Lingyi.

"We've found my master and sister."

Zhou Xuan reached out his hand to the gavel, about to strike it, but Zhou Lingyi, who had become the goddess in the "Dream of the Heavenly Venerable," said to Zhou Xuan, "Blood God, I see you."

(End of this chapter)