"You're asking how the bronze dream tree came about?" Ghost Doctor scratched his curly long hair, looking puzzled.
"I don't know. I discovered it by accident, and then slowly explored it, only gradually figuring out some ways to use it."
Looking at Ghost Doctor's sincere expression, Kaka always felt something was off, but he had no proof.
"Gentlemen, if you have nothing to do, then help me boil the medicine. See? Those stoves over there, don't let the fire go out, and don't let it get too big. Just keep it burning."
Ghost Doctor added various strange herbs to a medicine pot, instructing the others to work.
Kaka and Feng Yuanzheng exchanged a glance, asked no more questions, and pulled the bewildered Feng Jianye off to work.
"What, what's going on? Weren't we supposed to ask Ghost Doctor what he was hiding from us? Why aren't we asking anymore?" Feng Jianye looked confused.
"Do your work!" Feng Yuanzheng shoved a small axe into his hand. "Chop wood!"
"???" The dumbfounded Feng Jianye subconsciously held up a block of wood and chopped it into thin strips with the small axe in his hand.
Seeing Feng Jianye's bewildered look, Kaka sighed and explained in a low voice, "If there really is a problem, then Zhou Ming and Ghost Doctor must have already planned it. Asking directly like this won't get us an answer."
"But we can't just ignore it, can we?"
"Of course not. I'm looking for an opportunity," Kaka said, carefully tending the fire. "An opportunity to make him speak willingly."
..."So you've all decided to enter the dream, even if it means dying inside?"
Zhou Ming looked at the five people in front of him, none of whom had backed out, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.
"Are you sure? You've just entered the Reincarnation World, and the first three novice missions aren't difficult. There's no need to gamble on this one-in-a-million chance."
The five people remained silent, only nodding in unison. Perhaps they were truly all so determined, or perhaps some who had second thoughts felt too embarrassed to back out when no one else did, or perhaps they had ulterior motives.
But, since a decision had been made, how they thought no longer mattered.
"Ah hahahaha, medicine soup is here!"
Ghost Doctor carried a pot, followed by Qiu Shuang and Shangguan Nianci, who were carrying an even larger pot.
Shangguan Nianci only fell into the dream at the very beginning but was immediately rescued by Ghost Doctor. As for the others who fell into the dream, Ghost Doctor completely ignored them; they were all woken up by Zhou Ming.
This was also why they didn't see Shangguan Nianci after they woke up.
"Are these two also entering the dream?" Zhou Ming pointed at Shangguan Nianci and Qiu Shuang, asking Ghost Doctor.
"Hey, don't underestimate me! I've lived here for over ten years; no one understands dreaming better than I do!"
Qiu Shuang puffed out her chest and said indignantly.
Gulp.
The undulating scenery made several men swallow hard.
Shangguan Nianci pursed his lips and said, "I want to save my father."
Though his words were few, his eyes conveyed an incredibly stubborn determination.
"So, all of us, except for Ghost Doctor, are going to enter the dream, right?"
Zhou Ming looked around at everyone.
"You said that the more people there are, the greater the disturbance to the dream, so wouldn't that make our entry into the dream more effective?"
Kaka smiled.
Zhou Ming nodded; it was indeed so.
Although the power of the bronze dream tree was to create dreams, it was not a living thing and could not create dreams autonomously. All elements in the dream were products of the consciousness of the creatures who entered the place.
Every creature that entered this place and was pulled into the dream by the bronze dream tree would leave behind some fantasy elements, making the dream shaped by the bronze dream tree more rich and colorful.
For example, the dream everyone first fell into when they entered this place was generated by the collective thoughts of the group. Although each person's dream was independent, the elements within were interconnected.
That's why they hadn't seen Qiu Shuang before, yet Qiu Shuang still appeared in the dream. It was because Qiu Shuang had already lived here for over ten years, so elements related to her naturally appeared in the dream.
Therefore, to disturb Shangguan Wuji's self-contained dream, what was needed was a greater accumulation of elements, not a high requirement for quality.
Even the weakest newcomers, their decades of rich and colorful life experiences, when added to the dream, would be a powerful impact on Shangguan Wuji's dream world.
"Alright then, since everyone is mentally prepared, let's begin."
On the bronze dream tree, Zhou Ming and Feng Yuanzheng had broken off branches to create a dozen platforms for those entering the dream to lie on.
"First, drink this bowl of medicine. It will allow you to remain conscious even while in the dream."
Ghost Doctor ladled out bowl after bowl of medicinal soup from the large vat and gave it to everyone.
Then, Ghost Doctor took out fish-eye-sized pills from the small pot and distributed them to everyone.
"Then eat this. It will synchronize your dreams and allow you to enter Wuji's dream together under the guidance of young friend Zhou Ming."
Everyone followed the instructions, and one by one, they walked into the range of the bronze dream tree's influence. Soon, one by one, they fell to the ground and sank into sleep again.
Zhou Ming and Feng Yuanzheng took turns placing everyone on the platforms of the bronze dream tree, until only the two of them were left.
"Eat this. You currently have resistance to the bronze dream tree's dream-entering ability. Eating this will help you fall asleep faster."
Ghost Doctor took out another pill and gave it specifically to Feng Yuanzheng.
Feng Yuanzheng looked at the pill in his palm and swallowed it without hesitation. He then lay down on his platform with Zhou Ming.
"Now I'm going to begin activating my power," Zhou Ming's voice came.
"Wait," Feng Yuanzheng suddenly said. "I've eaten the medicine. Now you can tell me what secret you've been hiding from me, right?"
"Oh?" Zhou Ming chuckled softly. "You guessed it long ago, but to gain my trust, you were still willing to take that pill?"
"Only then would you be willing to speak, right?" Feng Yuanzheng snorted coldly. "Hurry up, I don't have much time!"
"Alright, then I'll tell you the truth," Zhou Ming no longer concealed. "Isn't your mission to protect the Dragon Vein? Well, I'll tell you, the Dragon Vein is right beneath our feet, right here in Yunxia Mountain!"
"The bronze dream tree grew out of the Dragon Vein, which is why it possesses such incredible power."
"However, I'm sorry, I don't know what the Dragon Vein specifically is. Digging through the earth still reveals only earth. Ghost Doctor doesn't know either; he only saw it recorded in ancient texts."
"Is that all? Then why did you need to hide it from me?" Feng Yuanzheng's voice was a little surprised, then he suddenly realized.
"You're worried that if I knew this was the Dragon Vein, I would oppose your plan?"
"Because our mission is to protect the Dragon Vein, I would stop anything that might threaten it. Is that what you thought?"
"It's not just that," Zhou Ming chuckled softly. "We're all sinking into the dream, and the defensive power here will only be Ghost Doctor. If enemies were to destroy the Dragon Vein at this time… But I do need your participation. You are veteran Reincarnators, and the rich experiences you bring to the dream are incomparable to those of the newcomers."
"I didn't say anything before because I was worried that once you understood this, you would refuse to enter the dream. But it doesn't matter now; your two teammates have already entered the dream, and you are about to…"
"Screw you!" Feng Yuanzheng leaped up, spitting out the pill that had been enveloped by Qi and not digested at all.
"You think I wouldn't be on guard against you?" He sneered, leaping towards Zhou Ming's high platform.
"What I've strengthened is the Qi in the Dragon Pearl. You understand the destructive power of this enhancement path, right?"
"If I don't beat you so badly your own mother wouldn't recognize you this time, then I'm not named Feng…"
The next moment, Feng Yuanzheng froze.
Before him was emptiness. There was no Zhou Ming, no bronze dream tree, not even heaven and earth existed anymore; all things returned to darkness.
"A dream? When did…"
The next moment, Feng Yuanzheng's consciousness was swept up by a mysterious force, rushing into an unknown, ineffable place.
In reality, Zhou Ming glanced at Ghost Doctor, who held a lit soul-bewitching incense in one hand and made a 'V' sign with the other towards him, then chuckled softly, activated the Hell Soul Cleansing Scripture, and slowly lay down.
An invisible force spread out from him, enveloping everyone around… A thousand li away from Yunxia Mountain, Yagyu Killing God stood on a mountain peak, overlooking the magnificent mountains and rivers below.
"My Lord!"
A masked ninja suddenly appeared behind him, kneeling on one knee.
"Has Xue Ji returned?" Yagyu Killing God didn't turn around, gazing at the rolling clouds, his voice cold.
"Lord Xue Ji… she has sacrificed herself!" The masked ninja lowered his head, his voice trembling.
"Hmm?" Yagyu Killing God tilted his head slightly, glancing back.
"What happened?"
The masked ninja pulled a slip of paper from his Pregnant and presented it with both hands.
"This is a message from our secret agent. Please take a look, My Lord!"
Yagyu Killing God took the slip of paper, read it, and snorted coldly.
"Xue Ji is useless; she couldn't even handle such a small matter!"
He casually tossed the slip of paper off the cliff. The mountain wind swirled the paper, and in the air, thousands of invisible blades seemed to slice through, instantly tearing the paper to shreds.
"Have the identities of those mysterious people been clarified?"
"Not… not yet. We've scoured all the records of Martial Forest masters from recent years, and none of them match those people. It's as if they appeared out of thin air…"
"In that case, you are also useless," Yagyu Killing God's voice was indifferent.
The ninja's heart leaped in alarm, and he looked up in terror, shouting, "My Lord, please give me another chance! My L—"
Rip!
The ninja was completely split in half by invisible blades. His two halves flew in opposite directions, blood and internal organs splattering everywhere.
"Caw! Caw!"
Several vultures landed with harsh cries, pecking at the blood and flesh scattered on the ground.
"Prepare. Since we can't find Shangguan Wuji, then let's go destroy the Central Plains Dragon Vein first!"
Yagyu Killing God turned around, stepping over the messy remains, and strode forward. His subordinates, standing on either side, followed in pairs.
"This magnificent and fertile land, it's time for it to have a new master!"
It's going to be put on the shelves, so suddenly. Do you think I should write a thank-you note or something for it?