Chapter 348: Dream Infiltration (2)

Chapter 348: Dream Intrusion (Part Two)

Sun Qianyuan surveyed his surroundings, and upon seeing that the seal on the bright yellow box remained intact, he let out a silent sigh of relief, smiling as he asked, "Master Daoist, where are we?"

"On the way to Songming Mountain."

Zou Sijiu gave a vague reply, his tone tinged with helplessness.

Perhaps because Sun Qianyuan’s subconscious still recalled his wretched state in reality, after he lost consciousness, the weather within the entire yellow liang dream realm grew even more hostile.

Zou Sijiu had originally intended to make a swift dash for Songming Mountain, to fulfill Sun Qianyuan’s obsession.

But not long after setting off, he was drenched by a sudden rain and snow that poured down relentlessly.

Having simulated a fragment of Li Jun’s physical essence through the ‘backdoor,’ Zou Sijiu was clearly indifferent to such cold.

Yet Sun Qianyuan’s constantly fidgeting body left him feeling a chill that ran to his marrow.

To prevent the ‘dream master’ from believing he had frozen to death, and to hastily end this dream, Zou Sijiu had no choice but to abandon the idea of a quick resolution, seeking refuge in a dilapidated earth temple to regroup.

This temple had clearly witnessed its own share of carnage; bullet holes from arquebuses still scarred its broken walls, and banners of various family crests lay scattered about. The mangled remains of bodies had been gnawed beyond recognition by wild beasts.

"Still lacking in authority, unable to transcend the temporal constraints of the dream’s background while maintaining its stability. Otherwise, I could wield an unlimited ‘Wei Wu Zi,’ and each shot would be fatal!"

Zou Sijiu lamented inwardly, while Sun Qianyuan, nestled by the fire, drifted into a drowsy stupor.

"Sun Qianyuan’s obsession is clear—he still seeks immortality, to become a disciple of the Dao sequence. He mentioned Songming Mountain earlier; it is one of the Daoist sect’s celestial abodes. It seems that bringing him there would smoothly complete the severing of his authority."

"But if I do that, wouldn’t I be doing Black Dragon Capital’s bidding for free? That won’t do!"

Zou Sijiu stroked his chin, his eyes flickering in the firelight’s glow.

"I must find a suitable opportunity to awaken Sun Qianyuan’s consciousness. Let him quietly transfer his authority to me—this would provide sufficient evidence that Black Dragon Capital orchestrated this."

"But now, Mingyi Nagano is watching from outside. Opening the ‘backdoor’ has already posed significant risks. To awaken Sun Qianyuan without drawing suspicion from the dream’s fluctuations, the challenge is daunting."

The icy night wind seeped through the temple’s cracked fissures, emitting eerie, ghostly wails.

The torn curtains scattered within the temple fluttered in the wind, while flames wrapped around the firewood trembled ceaselessly.

Amidst the swaying shadows, the bright yellow box beside his hand emitted a faint glow, and a vast, awe-inspiring divine might radiated outward!

At the same time, Zou Sijiu suddenly felt a bone-deep chill, and spun around to face the temple door.

In the howling darkness of wind and snow, a crisp sound echoed.

A hunched, diminutive old woman in a kimono emerged stealthily, her wooden clogs scraping the ground producing the sound.

Her gaunt face, painted thickly with powder, twisted at the corners of her mouth, revealing a set of pitch-black teeth that oozed malevolence.

"Master Daoist, have you seen my chance for immortality?"

As her words fell, a massive shadow materialized silently behind her—a white fox standing nearly as tall as a human!

The temple, the blizzard, the beast, the old crone.

These four elements together sent a foreboding scent of trouble to Zou Sijiu’s toes.

"How much do you hate these barbarians, that you’ve even dragged that yellow liang host into this dream?"

Zou Sijiu sighed, turning his gaze to the fire’s edge.

Sun Qianyuan had already fallen into a deep slumber, a serene smile on his lips, sleeping with unusual tranquility.

"Hey, what did you ask just now?" Zou Sijiu prodded with his blade, rising to his feet.

"Master Daoist, have you seen my chance for immortality?"

Zou Sijiu smirked, flicking his fingers against the blade, mocking, "Look at this blade—does it resemble your chance? Come on, let me strike it. I’ll guarantee your immortality!"

Clang!

A sliver of icy light burst through the temple doors, cleaving toward the detestable old woman.

"Roar!"

The white fox’s claws shielded her head, its sharp talons gripping the descending blade.

The old woman lifted her face, white powder dusting down from her cheeks.

She gazed calmly at the blade mere inches from her, her turbid eyes rolling with thick mockery.

"To withstand a strike from the deity of Inari, you’re no ordinary Daoist. But that’s all you’ve got. Hand over the chance, and I’ll spare you!"

"I’ve said it so many times—I’m starting to get curious myself."

Zou Sijiu held the blade with one hand, gradually increasing the pressure, "What exactly is this ‘chance for immortality’ you speak of?"

In his earlier calculations, Zou Sijiu believed that bringing Sun Qianyuan to Songming Mountain and guiding him into the Daoist sect would fulfill his obsession.

But from the implications of this ‘malicious intent’ before him, Sun Qianyuan’s true obsession had always been at his side.

Click.

The blade trembled, sparks flying as it scraped against the beast’s claws.

The old woman, seemingly oblivious to the pain flickering in the fox’s eyes, remained haughty, "A chance recognized by the Shinto teachings—it can only be the White Jade Ascension Platform!"

"Ah, that thing. I thought it was a Daoist artifact capable of advancing one’s sequence, but this fits his old-school cultivator’s identity."

Zou Sijiu suddenly understood, a plan to awaken Sun Qianyuan’s consciousness forming in his mind.

"Deluded and unrepentant, the deity of Inari has devoured him!"

The old woman, seeing Zou Sijiu’s reluctance to lower his blade, grew increasingly grim.

Upon hearing his words, her expression shifted as he smiled, "A mere yellow liang ghost, yet you put on such a show? And by the way, haven’t you noticed this fox is terrified?"

As his words fell, Zou Sijiu’s left fist struck the blade’s back, shattering the stalemate between blade and claw. With thunderous force, he slashed toward the old woman’s head.

"Ah!"

The old woman shrieked, and at the last moment, recoiled backward, narrowly avoiding the blade by a hair’s breadth, ducking beneath the white fox.

"The deity of Inari has devoured him—quick, devour him too!"

Her eyes wide with lingering fear, she clutched the fox’s hind legs, her face contorted in madness as she screamed.

The fox’s maw gaped in fury, its sharp teeth dripping with a noxious stench as it lunged at Zou Sijiu.

Bang!

Zou Sijiu kicked the beast’s jaw, its snapping teeth like a guillotine, severing a crimson tongue.

The splattering blood stained the fox’s chest fur red, its eyes flashing crimson. Amidst a muffled snarl, it charged again.

Zou Sijiu sidestepped gracefully, easily evading the assault, his expression relaxed.

Though he had only simulated a fragment of Li Jun’s prowess through the backdoor, he far surpassed the limitations Sun Qianyuan had imposed on this yellow liang dream realm.

Here, he was the undisputed war god!

Thud.

The fox’s claws struck empty air, leaving two sizable pits in the soft snow. As it turned to renew its attack, a headless corpse still steaming with heat was hurled before it.

"Is that what you call the deity of Inari?"

A long saber rests on his shoulder, his foot planted firmly on the severed head.

Zou Sijiu laughed, saying, "Not very impressive, are you?"

"Roar!"

Only half a tongue remains, trembling violently, as a surge of fresh blood mingles with a furious roar erupting from the white fox's maw.

Zou Sijiu retreats, guiding the frenzied beast back into the earth shrine.

Thud!

The white fox charges wildly, and the already precarious pillars of the shrine teeter on the brink of collapse.

Loose tiles rain down, clattering against the crackling bonfire.

The firelight wavers, casting alternating glints of light and shadow across Sun Qianyuan's face, his tightly shut eyelids quivering, on the verge of opening.

Splinter!

Zou Sijiu darts beside the white fox, his blade flashing with icy light as he slashes, severing half a beast's claw with brutal precision.

"Roar!!!"

The fox's rage drives it to lunge wildly at Zou Sijiu, its severed claw's agony making it unsteady, yet its feral ferocity remains unabated.

This time, Zou Sijiu doesn't retreat but waits until the beast's maw nearly reaches him, then abruptly sidesteps.

Behind him, a glowing yellow chest materializes before the white fox!

Crack!

The box splits open, its seals scattering into the flames about to die out.

Zou Sijiu steps forward with his left foot, muscles in his back taut, his right arm extending as the earth-shattering blade cleaves the air!

Splinter!

A thunderous clash! The fox's massive head drops to the ground, the blade's edge gleaming like a mirror, the flesh and sinews still writhing as if unaware of their fate.

Amidst the dissipating heat, the rushing blood fails to notice the passage ahead has been severed, surging into the frigid, bone-chilling air without hesitation.

Zou Sijiu wipes the blade clean with his hand.

On the other side, Sun Qianyuan, now seated upright, gazes hollowly at the splintered box.

A Daoist statue, knee-high and seated in lotus position, is revealed, its palms upturned, cradling a yellow talisman inscribed with serpentine characters.

The talisman's glow pulses in rhythm with the person's breath.

Zou Sijiu lifts his head, gazing through the shrine's shattered dome at a star twinkling beyond the wind and snow.

"The box was shattered by your own malice, not mine. Besides, this is a realm of the former Ming's Yellow Millet Dream. You wouldn't strike me with lightning, would you, Bai Yujing?"