Chapter 658: Bright Ghosts Invade Dreams (Extra Chapter for Almighty Saint Ming)

Chapter 658: Ming Gui Invades Dreams (Additional Chapter for Alliance Leader Shengming Shengming)

"It seems you people of the Eastern Palace aren't just about taking beatings without learning your lesson. Digging up my background so thoroughly—that's some real progress."

On the barren yellow earth, the sun blazed like fire.

The scorching heat seemed to boil the very air, warping everything within sight.

Zou Sijiu shaded his eyes with his hand, glancing left and right, weaving back and forth among the sand-and-clay terracotta soldiers, as if searching for something.

"So this time it's really just the two of you, no one else?"

He asked again in a serious tone.

Mou An looked like an old farmer who had spent years with his back to the yellow earth and his face to the sky, but his fiery temper was the exact opposite of the word "An" in his name. When he heard Zou Sijiu's words, the bile in his heart surged.

"Zou Sijiu, don't be too cocky. Even if you are a dream master of two principles, you won't escape this lord's [Eternal Suppression of Yellow Earth] today!"

"Why are you yelling? I never said I was going to run. And 'Eternal Suppression of Yellow Earth'? Isn't it just a reinforced stable dream? Look at you, acting so high and mighty. Anyone listening would think you could suppress even the Yellow Millet Dream. You're better at putting on airs than even your Uncle Zou. Pah, what a joke."

Zou Sijiu's tone was nothing short of caustic. His string of curses made Mou An's rough face flush black with green.

At the same time, a few strands of bright red hair in Zou Sijiu's mane seemed to tire of his chatter, quietly fading their color.

"See that? Even my wife can't stand to look at you. Out of sight, out of mind."

Zou Sijiu rubbed his chest, his movements extremely vulgar, muttering under his breath: "Yu, rest easy. It doesn't take a big shot like you to deal with these two small fry who only have one dream principle each."

Boom!

A giant hand formed from clods of earth suddenly erupted from the ground, its five fingers spread wide as it smashed down toward Zou Sijiu's head.

"Another sneak attack?"

Zou Sijiu let out a strange cry, tapped his toes lightly, and leaped through the gaps between the fingers, easily dodging Mou An's furious blow.

"Besides that old fraud Sheji peddling dog meat under a sheep's head, and including that adulterous pair done in by Zhang Siyuan, now with you two brothers—you Eastern Palace's nine lords have shown five faces. But your dream principles are all..."

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Spikes as thick as fists kept shooting up, but Zou Sijiu dodged them all with leisurely steps.

He thought while dodging, and after a moment's hesitation seemed to find the right word to describe his confusion: "How are they all so... flimsy?"

"Xi Jun's [Blood-Forbidden Cage], Yan Jun's [Time Flows Like a Shuttle], your [Long Night Seals Relics]..."

Zou Sijiu pointed at Hu E, who stood like a beanpole, then shifted his finger to the furious Mou An: "And that [Eternal Suppression of Yellow Earth] of yours—when you take them out one by one, they don't seem to be worth a damn."

"Is it that your skill in constructing principles is too poor, or are you plotting something behind the scenes?"

Confronting the enemy, clearly trapped in a cage, yet Zou Sijiu was surprisingly relaxed, even bluntly voicing the doubts in his heart to their faces.

This left Mou An and Hu E both baffled and, for no reason, a strong sense of unease rose in their hearts.

Because ever since being pulled into this dream, Zou Sijiu had not yet used his other dream principle [Eternal Life with Heaven and Earth], nor that imitation-god technique highly praised by the Eastern Palace—one rumored to be very likely to evolve into a brand-new dream principle.

What the hell was he up to?

Mou An's unease grew fiercer. Without further hesitation, he fully mobilized the sand-and-clay soldiers played by Mo Xu of the Eastern Court, sending them surging forward.

Without the restriction of [Eternal Life with Heaven and Earth], these sand-and-clay soldiers displayed powers no weaker than their true selves in the waking world. Though none exceeded rank five, their numbers were overwhelming—over a hundred strong.

Besides, Zou Sijiu couldn't really go all out against them. That was like tying his own hands. He could only dodge as much as possible, and the pressure immediately became far greater than before.

Bang!

Zou Sijiu crouched to avoid two soldiers lunging at him, swung an arm to shatter an incoming earth spike, dashed forward, and with a straight kick sent a mud-armored Mo Xu flying, crashing heavily into the crowd.

But before he could catch his breath, a chaotic flurry of blade shadows came slashing into his sight from all directions.

Though these Mo Xu had become Mou An's puppets, their innate instincts for creation still remained—they could spontaneously construct all kinds of weapons to attack.

Shadows twisted, sand flew.

Trapped in the siege, Zou Sijiu lost his earlier composure. His greasy, shiny hair was now streaked with dirt, matted into clumps, making him look thoroughly bedraggled.

He bent down, grabbed a soldier by its right leg, and swung it around, toppling everyone within ten feet, finally seizing the chance to leap out of the encirclement.

"Pah!"

Zou Sijiu spat out a mouthful of sand, cursing, "I've been putting on a show and acting a fool all this time here. Looks like the Eastern Palace really did only send you two this time. What a waste of the big gift I prepared so carefully—I was hoping to trap a few more..."

"Rambling nonsense, playing tricks. Zou Sijiu, you're nothing special."

Mou An's face twisted savagely. He raised both hands before him, pulling upward. With his motion, the entire dream fell into violent turmoil.

A sudden fierce wind bowled over the sand-and-clay soldiers, sending lumps of earth rolling everywhere.

From the ground, countless spikes shot up like a forest of spears and swords, swiftly closing in from all directions to trap Zou Sijiu.

Hu E, who had sealed one of Zou Sijiu's dream principles, was not idle either. Black currents flew from his robe, winding around Zou Sijiu's body like layers of shackles, restricting his techniques and dream-casting abilities.

Zou Sijiu paid no attention to his surroundings. Squinting, he gazed into the distance.

A wave of black and yellow surged from the horizon, reaching up to the sky and down to the ground, rolling in with unstoppable force.

"A sandstorm..."

In this stable dream constructed as a yellow-earth world, Mou An could seal and suppress anyone who entered it—unless they possessed a principle ability like [Boundless Dream], even a dream master could not break free from this dream.

Besides, as the dream-caster of this place, he had a higher privilege here, free to create all manner of natural disasters to strike his enemies.

And that sandstorm, capable of swallowing everything, was just one of them.

This was the true might of [Eternal Suppression of Yellow Earth].

A barely concealed excitement showed on Mou An's face, his mouth twisted in a manic grin.

A series of deafening muffled booms exploded. A massive figure emerged from the sand, appearing in this treacherous world.

It was a huge face—exactly like Mou An's—its brows touching the sky, its jaw connecting with the earth. Its mouth opened wide like a whale swallowing its prey, and its interlocking jagged teeth seemed ready to crush Zou Sijiu in a single bite.

"You messed up my hair. Disperse."

Amid the terrifying, heart-stopping spectacle, a calm, indifferent voice suddenly rang out.

To Mou An and Hu E's bewildered shock, Zou Sijiu merely raised his hand and waved it lightly forward, his casual manner no different from shooing away an annoying fly.

And the terrifying sandstorm and dirt wave actually collapsed and scattered. The stones and grit swept into the sky fell like a pattering rain, bringing a "dry" downpour to this land.

"It's the privilege..."

Hu E was the first to realize. Under the restriction of his [Long Night Seals Relics], for Zou Sijiu to still manage this—there was only one possibility.

He possessed a privilege even higher than Mou An's, the dream-caster of this place.

"Get out!"

Mou An understood now too. He barked, and the sand at his feet rose without wind, swirling to cover him and Hu E.

"Thinking of running now? Isn't that a little too late?"

Zou Sijiu raised a finger and pointed. Mou An and Hu E, whose figures had already faded nearly to the point of vanishing in the sand, grew clear again.

They had one foot out of the dream, but Zou Sijiu dragged them back.

"The Yellow Millet Dream forms its own heaven and earth; its meaning is that of the mother of creation."

Citing a couple of literary lines, Zou Sijiu grinned at the terrified pair. "They say dream masters are the Yellow Millet's own sons. Well, Uncle Zou here is coming clean—I quit being the son. I'm now the Yellow Millet's old..."

Before the words were finished, a flash of red hair passed before his eyes. Zou Sijiu's expression remained unchanged, but the words in his mouth shifted urgently: "At the very least, it has to be Huang Liang's brother-in-law and cousin!"

Zou Sijiu's aura suddenly soared, crashing into the canopy above like a tangible force, like a drop of thick ink splashed into the sky, spreading into dense black clouds at a visible speed, quickly covering the blazing sun and enveloping the entire dream.

The sudden descent of night also shrouded the figures of Mu An and Hu E, and a bone-piercing chill surged from their hearts, causing their bodies to tremble uncontrollably.

That group of disheveled sand soldiers seemed not to understand what had happened, scrambling up from the ground with hands and feet, their hollow eyes still fixed on Zou Sijiu.

"Mu An, you said earlier we'd compare who has more people, right? No problem, then let's see whether you have more soldiers or I have more Ming ghosts."

Zou Sijiu brushed aside a lock of dusty hair, slicked back his temples with both hands, and pressed the messy strands back to the top of his head.

After leisurely finishing all this, he slowly raised his right hand and lightly snapped his thumb and index finger together.

Snap!

The space behind Zou Sijiu twisted wildly at the sound of the snap, and a crack emerged, like a door, slowly opening left and right.

A fair, slender leg stepped out first, revealing a voluptuous, beautiful woman, her figure graceful and charming, her demeanor lazy yet seductive, a beauty mark dotting the corner of her eye, and her smile, though faint, captivating like an autumn wave.

The woman did not go far but stood to the left of the door, waiting quietly.

Next came a strikingly beautiful woman, no less in appearance but taller and more slender.

She wore a long, flowing red dress that trailed the ground, but her upper body was clad in a tight, short top, with her midsection writhing like a snake, her heavy bosom quivering like waves, exuding a seductive and blatant sensuality.

The woman stood to the right of the door, joining the beauty in welcoming those who followed.

Thump!

A dull sound like a giant beast's footfall came from behind the door.

Two muscular arms thrust through the door, and knotty fingers pressed against the panels, tearing them apart fiercely.

The narrow gap instantly widened to several zhang, and fervent howls poured forth.

The man's shoulders were draped in a fiery red cloak, with a spirited warhorse prancing on it; beneath the cloak was a bare, robust torso, with clear, symmetrical lines, layered with scars old and new, like armor.

Looking up, his features were chiseled like carved by knife and axe, his eyes reflecting the vicissitudes of life, and his clean, short gray hair highlighted his fierce and formidable aura.

"Master Ma, long time no see."

Zou Sijiu laughed heartily: "Well, you look like you've been recovering quite well during this time."

"Not bad, just a bit bored with leisure, thinking of finding someone to stretch my limbs with."

Master Ma, appearing in his true form, spread his arms wide, and two beauties of distinct charms immediately nestled into his embrace.

Even the taller one had to bend her knees and lower her posture, her fiery figure exuding a clinging, delicate charm.

Zou Sijiu glanced over with envy, discreetly giving a thumbs up.

"It seems quite a few from the East Yard have been caught."

Master Ma cast a glance around, then jutted his chin at the stiff-faced Hu E and his companion: "Them? From the Eastern Palace?"

"Yes, just two small fish caught."

Zou Sijiu sighed: "Master Ma, I'll leave the rest to you."

"No problem."

Master Ma raised his hand and beckoned backward, and one by one, fierce figures charged into this dream.

"Except for those two odd-looking ones, the rest are our people, so be careful with your blows."

"Yes!"

The eager Ming ghosts all answered in unison, and with wild laughter, they rushed at the dumbfounded sand soldiers, each vying to be first, as if afraid that if they were a step slower, these fun toys would be snatched by their companions.

"Master Ma, your Ming ghosts won't take personal revenge, will they?"

Zou Sijiu watched the East Yard disciples tumbling under the blows and couldn't help worrying.

"Rest assured, this is the East Yard, not the Central Yard; there's no deep enmity between artisans and rangers."

Master Ma smiled calmly, "Your two small fish can't escape now; how about you come with me to the East Yard's Ming Ghost Realm for a visit?"

"That might not be good."

"What's not good about it? Your two aunties here have several pretty nieces; I can introduce you to them."

"Then I definitely can't go!"

Zou Sijiu suddenly shuddered and refused with righteous indignation.

Master Ma saw the five fingers wrapped around Zou Sijiu's throat and the faint trace of red hair, and his smile instantly stiffened.

"Eh? How is Shou Yu here too?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Zou Sijiu rolled his eyes, then frantically made oaths and vows to the air, barely managing to pacify Shou Yu, who was on the verge of rage.

"I, Master Zou, wasn't killed by the Eastern Palace, but I was almost done in by you!"

Zou Sijiu caught his breath, still with a lingering fear, and said to Master Ma, who looked at him with pity, "Alright, stop looking at me like that. Not everyone is like you, who enjoys leaving traces everywhere."

"Is that so?"

Master Ma smiled ambiguously, tightening his arms, eliciting a chorus of coquettish complaints and giggles.

"You shameless scoundrel!"

Zou Sijiu's throat moved, he swallowed hard, forced himself to look away, and then said, "Master Ma, this time I came to you, actually there's another small matter I need your help with."

"What is it?"

"Find a way to help me scrape out the dream master rules of these two!"