The chamber remained silent.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue stood near the entrance, motionless.
Neither dared to interrupt.
Neither dared to leave without permission.
Before them, the small white-scaled lizard floated quietly in the air.
Yet his attention had already shifted elsewhere.
Toward the newly acquired bloodline.
Toward dreams.
Toward souls.
Toward an aspect of existence he had rarely explored before.
The warning issued by the system still lingered within his thoughts.
**Soul injuries.**
**Risks.**
**Dream backlash.**
Reasonable concerns.
Under normal circumstances, he would have proceeded with extreme caution.
However, after a brief period of consideration—
Lizarius dismissed most of those concerns.
*Even injured...*
*I am still a Golden Core cultivator.*
His soul might have suffered damage, but its foundation remained vastly superior to that of ordinary Spirit Refining cultivators.
The difference was akin to comparing a vast lake to a small puddle.
Could dreams be dangerous?
Certainly.
Could a Spirit Refining cultivator seriously threaten him within a dream?
Unlikely.
Extremely unlikely.
What interested him more was something else entirely.
The process itself.
The system had mentioned extending one's Soul Perception.
Yet such an explanation held little value without understanding what Soul Perception actually was.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
*Explain Soul Perception.*
The response arrived immediately.
---
**[Soul Perception:]**
**[The ability to perceive existence through the soul rather than through physical senses.]**
---
Lizarius blinked.
"Divine Sense?"
The system responded without delay.
**[Soul Perception is the sensory capability of the soul.]**
**[It possesses similarities to Divine Sense.]**
The lizard remained silent.
The system continued.
---
**[Difference Between Divine Sense and Soul Perception:]**
### **[Divine Sense]**
A spiritual sensory ability generated through cultivation.
Used to observe the physical world.
Detect spiritual consciousness.
Scan environments.
Locate lifeforms.
Identify objects.
Perceive spiritual energy.
---
### **[Soul Perception]**
A sensory ability generated directly through the soul itself.
Used to perceive mental, emotional, dream-related, and spiritual phenomena.
Can detect:
• Mental fluctuations.
• Soul signatures.
• Emotional disturbances.
• Spiritual abnormalities.
• Dream activity.
• Mental interference.
• Spiritual consciousness.
---
Lizarius listened quietly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The system continued.
---
**[Most cultivators develop Divine Sense.]**
**[Few develop Soul Perception.]**
**[Soul-related abilities are uncommon.]**
**[Dream-related abilities generally require Soul Perception.]**
---
The chamber remained silent.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue still stood near the entrance.
Neither dared move.
Neither dared interrupt.
The small white-scaled lizard hovered quietly before them.
Yet his attention remained completely focused on the conversation unfolding within his mind.
Lizarius spoke inwardly.
*It sounds like Soul Perception is simply mental power.*
*And dream fluctuations are merely mental fluctuations.*
*That is the conclusion I have reached from your explanation.*
Silence followed for a moment.
Then the system responded.
**[Partially correct.]**
Lizarius waited.
The system continued.
---
**[Mental power and Soul Perception possess similarities.]**
**[However, they are not identical.]**
---
The lizard's eyes narrowed slightly.
*Explain.*
---
**[Mental power is a function of thought.]**
**[Soul Perception is a function of the soul.]**
---
**[Mental power governs memory, reasoning, imagination, concentration, emotional processing, and conscious cognition.]**
**[Soul Perception governs awareness beyond ordinary thought.]**
---
**[An individual may possess exceptional intelligence while possessing weak Soul Perception.]**
**[Likewise, an individual may possess extraordinary Soul Perception while lacking advanced reasoning abilities.]**
---
Lizarius remained silent.
The system continued.
---
**[Example:]**
**[A beast may possess little reasoning ability.]**
**[However, its soul may instinctively perceive danger, killing intent, spiritual disturbances, dream activity, approaching death, or hidden threats.]**
---
**[This is Soul Perception.]**
---
A brief pause followed.
Then another notification appeared.
---
**[Dream fluctuations are not merely thoughts.]**
**[They are manifestations created when subconscious processes interact with the dream layer.]**
---
Lizarius considered this carefully.
*Subconscious processes...*
The system continued.
---
**[Conscious thought represents only a small portion of mental activity.]**
**[Dreams are primarily generated by deeper subconscious structures.]**
**[Soul Perception allows observation of those structures.]**
---
The lizard's tail twitched slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
So dreams were not simply imagined scenes.
Nor were they random collections of thoughts.
They were manifestations created where the mind and soul intersected.
The system continued.
---
**[Dream Entry does not involve entering thoughts.]**
**[Dream Entry involves entering a dream-space generated through the interaction of the subconscious mind and the soul.]**
---
**[For this reason, Soul Perception is required.]**
---
Silence filled the chamber.
Lizarius slowly absorbed the explanation.
The ability suddenly appeared far more complex than he had initially assumed.
It was not merely the reading of memories.
Nor was it simply the observation of thoughts.
It was the act of entering an entire mental landscape constructed by both mind and soul.
A dangerous place.
Yet potentially useful.
Extremely useful.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue remained frozen near the entrance, uncertain whether they were permitted to move or speak.
The small white-scaled lizard, however, had already withdrawn completely into his own thoughts.
After a brief pause, he spoke inwardly once more.
*I understand the theory.*
*But theory and implementation are two different things.*
*If only I could observe it directly... witness the process firsthand... that would be far more useful.*
Silence.
Then the system responded.
**[Clarification: User is requesting an experiential simulation of Soul Perception usage.]**
Lizarius blinked.
*Hmm? What does that mean?*
---
**[System Function Available.]**
**[Projection Mode: Simulated Demonstration.]**
---
The lizard paused.
*Simulation?*
**[Affirmative.]**
**[A cognitive visualization will be generated within the user's consciousness.]**
**[Purpose: Demonstrate the practical execution of Soul Perception and Dream Entry.]**
---
Lizarius tilted his head slightly.
*So it creates a scene? Like a recording? A moving image?*
**[Correct.]**
**[Only the user may perceive it.]**
**[External time flow will remain unaffected.]**
---
A brief silence followed.
Then—
*Do it.*
---
The world shattered.
Not physically.
Not spiritually.
But perceptually.
The sealed chamber.
The stone floor.
The Ling siblings.
The surrounding walls.
Everything vanished in an instant.
Lizarius suddenly found himself suspended within an endless white expanse.
No ground.
No sky.
No horizon.
Only infinite stillness.
---
Inside the sealed chamber—
nothing changed.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue remained standing exactly where they had been.
Breathing carefully.
Waiting nervously.
Neither understood why the white-scaled lizard had suddenly become so silent.
To them—
only a few seconds had passed.
But within Lizarius's consciousness—
an entirely different reality unfolded.
---
The endless white space stretched beyond sight.
Boundless.
Silent.
Empty.
Lizarius floated within it.
His golden eyes calmly examined his surroundings.
Then—
he noticed another version of himself.
A perfect duplicate.
Standing several meters away.
Beside it lay a sleeping human figure.
Faceless.
Motionless.
Peacefully resting upon the white floor that had not existed moments earlier.
The sight was surreal.
Strange.
Almost dreamlike.
Lizarius observed silently.
*So this is the projection.*
*Interesting.*
The system's voice echoed through the void.
---
**[Demonstration Initiated.]**
**[Displaying Dream Entry Process.]**
---
Silence followed.
Then—
the projected Lizarius moved.
Not physically.
Not spiritually.
But through something else entirely.
The projection closed its eyes.
Immediately—
a faint ripple spread outward.
Like a stone falling into perfectly still water.
The sleeping human remained unchanged.
Yet Lizarius sensed something.
A new awareness.
An unfamiliar sensation.
Different from sight.
Different from hearing.
Different from Divine Sense.
---
**[Soul Perception.]**
---
The projected Lizarius remained motionless.
Then—
the white space began to change.
At first, nothing seemed different.
Then faint strands of light slowly emerged around the sleeping human.
Countless strands.
Countless ripples.
Countless fluctuations.
Thoughts.
Emotions.
Instincts.
Memories.
Desires.
Fears.
Regrets.
All woven together into an invisible network.
The sleeping figure appeared ordinary.
Yet around it—
an unseen world had suddenly become visible.
Lizarius watched carefully.
Every detail.
Every movement.
Every fluctuation.
The projection continued observing.
Patient.
Silent.
Methodical.
Then—
among the countless fluctuations—
one stood out.
A larger ripple.
More stable.
More active.
The moment Lizarius saw it—
he instinctively understood.
*The dream.*
The system confirmed.
---
**[Dream Fluctuation Located.]**
---
The projected Lizarius extended a claw.
Not physically.
Not spiritually.
But through Soul Perception itself.
The fluctuation trembled.
Then—
a connection formed.
A bridge.
A resonance.
A link between observer and dream.
The ripple expanded.
Growing larger.
Larger.
Larger.
Until it resembled a doorway.
The projection stepped forward.
And entered.
The scene changed instantly.
---
The white void vanished.
A new world emerged.
Mountains.
Rivers.
Forests.
Clouds.
A complete landscape.
A seemingly real world.
Yet something felt wrong.
Subtly wrong.
The colors shifted unnaturally.
Distances stretched and compressed without reason.
The sky flickered occasionally.
Reality itself seemed unstable.
Like a painting continuously redrawing its own existence.
The sleeping human stood in the center of the dream.
Completely unaware.
The projected Lizarius remained nearby.
Watching.
Observing.
Invisible.
The dreamer continued moving.
Speaking with dream figures.
Interacting with dream environments.
Experiencing dream events.
Living within the illusion.
Never once noticing the observer.
The system spoke again.
---
**[Level One: Observation.]**
---
Lizarius stared thoughtfully.
*Interesting.*
He watched the projection move throughout the dream.
Studying.
Observing.
Following.
Like a silent ghost wandering through a world that did not belong to him.
Minutes passed.
Then the demonstration shifted again.
The projected Lizarius ceased hiding.
A faint pulse spread outward.
Immediately—
the dreamer stopped.
Slowly turning around.
Confusion appeared upon his face.
His eyes searched the surroundings.
Looking directly toward the projection.
Yet unable to truly perceive it.
The system spoke.
---
**[Level Two: Presence.]**
**[Dreamer subconsciously detects intrusion.]**
---
The dreamer frowned.
Unease spread across his expression.
Then the scene shifted again.
The projected Lizarius raised a claw.
The sky immediately changed color.
Mountains moved.
Forests twisted.
The landscape warped.
Reality bent.
The dreamer stared in shock.
The system spoke.
---
**[Level Three: Influence.]**
---
The scene accelerated.
The projected Lizarius moved once more.
Entire regions of the dream instantly obeyed his will.
Rivers flowed backward.
Mountains collapsed and reformed.
The heavens cracked apart.
New worlds emerged.
Old worlds vanished.
Reality itself became clay beneath his claws.
---
**[Level Four: Manipulation.]**
---
Then—
everything froze.
Completely.
Mountains.
Rivers.
Clouds.
Dream figures.
The dreamer himself.
Even time seemed to halt.
The projected Lizarius stood alone at the center of the dream.
One thought—
and the entire dream transformed.
Absolute control.
Absolute authority.
Absolute dominance.
The system spoke.
---
**[Level Five: Domination.]**
---
Silence followed.
The demonstration gradually faded.
The dream collapsed.
The white space returned.
Lizarius remained staring into the endless void.
Thoughtful.
Very thoughtful.
After several moments, he spoke inwardly.
*Useful.*
The system remained silent.
Lizarius continued replaying the demonstration.
Every step.
Every transition.
Every action.
Most importantly—
the activation of Soul Perception itself.
That first step fascinated him the most.
The foundation.
The beginning.
The key that allowed everything else to become possible.
Slowly, the projection dissolved into countless particles of white light.
The sleeping human vanished shortly afterward.
Then—
the endless white world itself began to fade.
The system spoke one final time.
---
**[Demonstration Complete.]**
---
The white space shattered.
---
Back inside the sealed chamber—
Lizarius's eyes focused once more.
Only a few seconds had passed.
Ling Wei and Ling Yue remained exactly where they had been.
Heads lowered.
Waiting silently.
The small white-scaled lizard continued floating before them.
Motionless.
Quiet.
Yet behind those golden eyes—
understanding had deepened considerably.
For the first time—
he possessed a practical understanding of how Dream Entry was performed.
Not merely explained.
Not merely theorized.
But witnessed.
Experienced.
Observed step by step.
---
Lizarius's gaze slowly shifted toward the two humans before him.
Ling Wei.
Ling Yue.
Both connected to him through a complex web of threads.
Golden threads.
Black threads.
Purple threads.
Gray threads.
And faint traces of crimson-red.
His newly awakened senses could perceive them all.
A strange sight.
An unnatural sight.
Yet undeniably useful.
And now—
another possibility entered his mind.
Dreams.
Not as mysteries.
Not as vague concepts.
But as places.
Places that could be entered.
Observed.
Influenced.
Manipulated.
Perhaps even dominated.
The thought lingered within his mind.
Quiet.
Patient.
Calculating.
And beneath those calm golden eyes—
curiosity slowly began to grow.