The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 299 Ancient Dream Master, God of Ba Kingdom

Zhou Yan placed Zhong Boxi in a quiet room and set up a table there.

Zhong Boxi, a sixth-grade cultivator, was tightly bound and unable to move his wrists or ankles. Suddenly, a bright light flashed before his eyes, so intense that it stung his eyes and caused tears to stream down his face.

Zhou Yan placed an oil lamp on the table.

The flame flickered on the bronze-colored oil lamp, and the lamp wax fell, making a crackling sound.

The young Taoist priest sat opposite Zhong Boxi.

He looked at the other person calmly and said, "Tell me."

Zhong Boxi struggled for a moment, but found he couldn't move at all. He sneered, "Do you think I'd tell you? You just want to know who sent me and what our purpose is. But do you think that's useful?"

Zhou Yan swept his whisk across the ground.

The whisk was soft, but after being infused with magic, it became hard. The whisk strands were like thousands of steel swords, pointing at Zhong Boxi's brow and throat. A chilling aura pressed against his brow and neck, drawing blood.

However, Zhong Boxi's expression remained unchanged.

Zhou Yan said, "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Zhong Boxi sneered, "If I told you, would you spare my life?"

"Since I'm going to die either way, I might as well stay silent. If you don't get what you want, you'll spare my life. Whether it's for survival or for loyalty, not saying a word is the best choice, isn't it?"

He has undergone specialized training.

He chuckled, a serene yet manic laugh: "Besides, death is rebirth. Only by killing me can I truly live."

Zhou Yan lowered his eyes slightly. He could not detect any weakness or flaw in Zhong Boxi from the person in front of him, whether it was the subtle expression or the ripples of magical power. As his thoughts raced, the Taoist had a new idea: "Your movement and strength have traces of Fuxi."

"Langzhong is said to have an intricate connection with Fuxi. Are you doing right by him with your current actions?"

A slight ripple appeared on Zhong Boxi's expression.

It's like in a past life, when the boatman in court had to tell Mazu that he didn't owe anyone money.

Zhong Boxi said, "...Great God Fuxi, humph, Great God Fuxi."

He didn't answer.

Zhou Yan knew that torture would have no effect on this person.

A thought suddenly occurred to him:

"Then you can stay here."

He bound Zhong Boxi tightly and locked him in a dark room, seemingly intending to use silence, darkness, and stillness to exert pressure—a method of torture used in later generations.

Silence, darkness, and the collapse of one's sense of time can swiftly destroy even the strongest will.

However, Zhong Boxi was different. About a day after Zhou Yan left, he opened his eyes, breathing heavily, and a layer of golden light appeared on his palm as he slowly cut through the steel cables binding him.

"Hmph, did you think I had lost my magic power?"

"How could outsiders possibly know the mysteries of this place..."

Zhong Boxi slowly pushed open the door and saw a large crowd gathered at the antique shop. He was filled with hatred, but dared not linger. So he left and ran away. When he passed by, he saw Old Liu and Yuan Yufeng.

A ruthless, crazed glint flashed in his eyes.

He didn't dare to lay a hand on Zhou Yan; to be honest, he didn't have the guts. But killing two ordinary people to vent his anger wasn't a big deal.

As he brushed past Old Liu and Yuan Yufeng, he suddenly attacked.

With a single punch, Yuan Yufeng's chest was shattered. The young soldier opened his mouth, fell backward, and spat out blood. Zhong Boxi took the opportunity to raise his hand, his five fingers forming a hook, and grabbed Old Liu's throat. In just an instant, he tore Old Liu's throat off.

The two were merely mortals, no different from chicks in front of a sixth-rank Xuan official.

In comparison to the strength of the two, Zhong Boxi was no match for Zhou Yan and the others, but he was a great threat to ordinary people. After brutally killing the two, he finally felt much more satisfied, and the feeling of resentment dissipated.

After running and lying in wait in Langzhong City, they finally arrived at a magnificent pavilion.

After entering, they were led to the highest point, where they immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Prefect, we have failed. You have ordered us to deal with the unsettling elements in the dream world, in three locations in total."

"The Taoist priests are alright, but outside that damned shop, those people slaughtered our men. The leader, a Taoist priest who claimed to be from the Taishanglou Temple, is extremely skilled in martial arts and possesses supernatural powers; we must be wary..."

"Lu Yishan was killed. They wanted to torture me, but I managed to escape and came back immediately to report this news to you."

"what should we do?"

Zhong Boxi was filled with fear, afraid that his actions would be punished by the Lord. He knelt on the ground, his right fist pressed against the ground, his head bowed, not daring to look at anything.

"So, this is where your stronghold is."

!!!

Zhong Boxi's expression froze as he slowly raised his head.

He saw the surrounding environment collapsing layer by layer, saw the table in front of him, and the Taoist priest behind the table. He saw a lamp in the Taoist priest's hand, the flickering light making the Taoist priest's figure appear even more distant and ethereal, his eyes deep and unfathomable, like a god or a demon.

Everything that just happened was a dream.

The wicks on the lamp haven't even fallen yet.

It shook and made a crisp cracking sound.

Zhou Yan tapped his fingers on the table, speaking slowly and deliberately: "There's no point in interrogating someone like you; it's better to let you think you've successfully escaped..."

"How about I give you a dream?"

"Oh right, this move is exactly what your great god Fuxi used before."

Outside Mount Li, Zhou Yan used the same methods Fuxi used to deal with the Golden Heavenly King quite skillfully. It must be said that Zhou Yan employed this guy's techniques with great ease.

These words further blew Zhong Boxi's spirit away.

Behind the young Taoist priest, a girl suddenly appeared. She had a cascade of black hair, bright eyes, and was wearing a checkered shirt, a detective's cloak, and a light brown painter's hat, just like the ones Zhou Yan remembered.

Holding up a pair of glasses to his eyes, scrutinizing Zhong Boxi, Ba said with disdain:

"Oh yeah, you're so stupid, you can't even tell the difference between a dream and reality."

His emotions crumbled little by little as he realized he had inadvertently revealed the prefect's location and true purpose. In this state of mind, he seemed to have given up on himself, and he sneered, "This is impossible, absolutely impossible! This is Langzhong!"

"You, you're being insolent!"

"We will resolve any issues that may disrupt the order of dreams."

He broke free from this place, made a ruthless move, and fled. He then rushed to two other nodes, one a Taoist temple and the other a Buddhist temple, where he killed the Taoist priests and Buddhist monks. Each time he completed a mission, he would return to this house.

Along with it came the crackling sound of the lamp wick.

Zhong Boxi finally couldn't take it anymore and broke down, shouting:

"...So what if I know?"

"Reinforcements? You might fool those mortals, but you can't fool me!!"

"It's impossible for the Tang Dynasty's reinforcements to get in."

Zhou Yan said, "Oh? You're so sure?"

"Huh, that's natural."

Zhong Boxi laughed maniacally, saying, "What do you think—"

"Are we still in the human realm!?"

Zhou Yan frowned slightly. Not in the mortal realm?!

No wonder the fog outside is so thick that even the Enlightened True Eye cannot see through it. No wonder Li Zhenyue and the others cannot fully grasp the earth's veins. No wonder Zhou Yan cannot even summon the Earth God.

Zhong Boxi burst into laughter: "True Man of Louguan Dao, you can't escape. We have an Immortal among us!"

"He is a true immortal descended to earth, and this place, Langzhong, is about to be upgraded to a blessed land."

"The people of Langzhong can all live forever!"

"You outsiders, don't try to ruin our good plans!"

"You, and those who are asleep, are all sacrifices. Only when your souls are scattered can this blessed land be preserved and exist forever!"

"Besides, it's just a dream. A mere dream, where do you think this is?!"

Zhong Boxi gasped for breath. He had just experienced at least ten cycles of dreams, each with the same beginning but different experiences, and then, accompanied by the flickering lights, he returned to this place.

Every single time, it's exactly the same!
Zhong Boxi's eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to be going crazy. The strangely dressed but aloof and charming girl hid behind Zhou Yan. Zhong Boxi didn't care anymore. He didn't know what method he used to break free of the seal.

Extending his fingers, one pointing to the sky and the other to the ground, he said:
This place is Langzhong—

"In ancient times, this place was an ally of King Yu. During the Zhou Dynasty, it was the State of Ba, and during the Shang Dynasty, it was the State of Ba."

"Xia was an ally of King Yu, and was granted the territory of Liangzhou by imperial decree!"

"Tracing back to the legend, it is the dream of the ancient gods [the dream of Huaxu]. After the ancient gods went into hiding, the authority of the dream evolved into humankind, and its esteemed name is revealed here."

Zhong Boxi formed a hand seal, and a unique divine aura emanated from his body. His hair came loose, his black hair danced wildly, but his expression was extremely solemn. He said, word by word, "With sincere devotion, I pay homage!"

"The Land of Illusion, a Great Dream of Mystery and Truth."

"Holding the rainbow banner, he patrolled the nine fortresses; holding the mirage mirror, he illuminated the three thousand."

"Adjusting the jade candle before Red Armor Peak, refining the true form in Salt Spring Cave."

"A white deer carrying flowers conveys profound truths, and a blue phoenix flapping its wings reveals the spiritual essence."

"Unbind the soul from its trance and dispel the endless night; govern the sleeping soul and ferry it across the abyss of suffering."

"Great compassion and great vows, great holiness and great mercy."

"The ancient dream master, the divine ruler of the Ba Kingdom!"

This is an ancient and mysterious method to awaken the ancient Dream Lord, who once ruled over the Illusory Realm, the Abyss of Sleeping Souls, and wielded the Mirage Mirror and Rainbow Banner. It can shatter all illusory dreams. Zhong Boyi activated it with his own blood.

Gasping for breath, she used her blood and sixth-grade Dao foundation power to transform into the form of a goddess.

His body was ethereal, and he sat sideways on a white deer, embracing a mirror. Beside him, mist supported a banner. His face was not visible, but his temperament was aloof, proud, and carried the composure and dignity of a god.

Zhong Boxi gasped for breath, and then he saw that the ritual he had summoned with all his soul blood and Dao foundation had suddenly changed. All the flowing light rippled with a subtle aura and surged toward the girl's side.

It is clear that Ba benefited from this.

It's like a deity receiving incense offerings and sacrifices.

Zhong Boxi's thoughts froze.

What? ! !
Zhou Yan looked at the girl, and his lips twitched.

An absurd thought arose simultaneously in both of their minds.

The Land of Illusion, a Great Dream of Mystery?
The ancient dream master, the divine ruler of the Ba Kingdom!
Ba, who was helping Zhou Yan, hid behind the young Taoist priest. After a moment of silence, he stretched out his hand, curled his four fingers around his thumb, and placed it to the side of his face, facing Zhou Yan:

"Meow?"

"Yan, I don't know."

"Ba doesn't know."

Zhong Boxi watched this scene, looking at the legendary goddess of Langzhong, aloof, proud, and majestic, who sacrificed herself for the sake of the common people and summoned good dreams. She was the second generation of the Dream Lord after Huaxu, and she looked obedient and cute.

The stark contrast between the long period of worship and veneration and the resulting reaction is striking.

This specially trained, powerful, and utterly speechless Zhong Boxi, who could only deceive him with dreams, opened his mouth, spat out a mouthful of blood, knelt down on the ground, and fainted, murmuring:

No, this is not true.

This must be a dream.

This time, his Dao heart truly collapsed.

Zhong Boxi disappeared; this was just a dream after all. Zhou Yan sighed, reached out, and placed his hand on the head of the seemingly obedient girl, rubbing it gently. He said in a gentle voice, "I won't ask. No matter who you are, no matter what your past identity was, to me, you are just a girl."

Ba said, "I helped you, so I need to collect some as a reward."

Zhou Yan: "Hmm?"

Ba asked, "Open your arms?" Zhou Yan did as she said, and the girl opened her arms and hugged him tightly. Her arms were soft, like embracing the wind or clouds. Her hair fell down, and Ba hugged Zhou Yan tightly, pressing her chest against his chest.

Zhou Yan quieted down for a moment, then subconsciously pulled his arm back and paused.

His palm simply rested on the girl's black hair.

After a moment of silence, Ba pushed Zhou Yan away forcefully, her face flushed and her ears burning. She stammered, "I... I just need to replenish my energy. I consumed too much energy just now when I activated the Cycle Dream."

"Yes. That's right, I didn't want to hug you."

"That's it."

"Alright, Ayan energy replenished!"

The girl made a gesture of showing off her arm muscles, and then told Zhou Yan to leave the dream immediately—she already knew the other party's location, purpose, and actions, and the next move was what Lord Zhou was best at.

Looking at this dream, Ba exhaled and murmured:

"...Suppose that I regain incense, sacrifices, believers, and dreams."

"Could I also have a physical form?"

she thought.

I feel like I should hug him in real life too.

Ah Yan, I like it, I like it, I like it!
do not leave Me.

........................

In reality, Zhou Yan opened his eyes, looked at the almost insane Zhong Boxi, stretched out his palm, and the flowing light gathered, transforming into a simple map of Langzhong, on which dots lit up.

[Prefect] [Dream Interference Node] [Fog Coverage Area]

[The Position of the Dragon and the Tortoise]

Several key positions appeared, and Zhou Yan's eyes flashed.

Finally, we've figured out where you are.

It's time to take action.

However, not in the mortal realm, immortals...?

Zhou Yan traced simple marks on the ground; he was about to give it a try—

Watch the [Taishan Fujun Festival].

Can you still sense Mount Tai?
(End of this chapter)