Chapter 2285: Dream Seed Birth

The Human World

I searched for him among the multitudes a thousand times.Then, there he was, where the lights grew dim.

Qin Sang had never imagined that Senior Sister Qinghong was actually Liu Li. He had searched so desperately, yet Liu Li had been by his side all along!

The anomaly intensified. Mount Yuji erupted with a blinding white light that shot skyward. Liu Li's eyes were tightly shut as she was bathed in the light, her figure gradually becoming translucent, veiled by the dense radiance. Her aura was also undergoing drastic changes, but this was overshadowed by the immense spectacle of Mount Yuji's transformation. The white light, with a momentum that seemed to pierce the heavens, surged beyond the highest clouds.

The phenomenon was astonishing, clearly visible even thousands of miles away. At that moment, countless mortals and cultivators gazed up at the sky, awestruck by the celestial event. They felt an inexplicable sense of dread and unease, as if a great disaster was imminent.

Upon seeing this, Qin Sang's eyes flickered. He realized that Mount Yuji and the white light were not adversely affecting Liu Li, so he did not act rashly. Mount Yuji, with which he had 'lived day and night,' also seemed to harbor a shocking secret. He had a premonition that the entire illusion might undergo drastic changes as a result.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Streaks of light shot out from Mount Yuji. The disciples of Mount Yuji were all startled by the anomaly. They didn't understand what was happening; some looked panicked, others bewildered. Suddenly, everyone stopped moving. Time froze at that moment. Their movements and expressions, along with everything around Mount Yuji, were suspended in time and gradually faded in the white light.

Qin Sang's expression subtly changed. The white light carried an unknown power, creating invisible vortices in the void that stirred the illusion. His gaze deepened. He abruptly looked up, staring intently at the sky, only to see an illusory scene appear within the white light.

The scene was blurry and indistinct, as if surrounded by mist or seen through a thin veil. Vaguely, the shadows of several mountain peaks could be discerned.

"This is... the Divine Mountain!"

Qin Sang's heart jolted, and he understood instantly.

The scene reflected in the white light was precisely the realm where the Divine Mountain resided! What secret did Mount Yuji truly conceal that it seemed capable of piercing the barrier between the illusion and that realm, causing the latter to manifest within the former?

"Something's wrong! It's not just a simple projection of a phantom image!"

Qin Sang noticed the changes around him, and his premonition grew stronger.

Immediately after, Qin Sang saw a hint of green appear at the peak of the Divine Mountain. He was all too familiar with it; it was the light emitted by the supreme treasure! Within the green glow, a tender sprout grew, swaying gently, unaffected by external forces, and growing at a visible pace. The supreme treasure was about to be born!

Qin Sang's gaze shifted, sweeping over Liu Li and Mount Yuji. There had been no prior omens, and they, as 'external demons,' had not yet entered that realm. The unusual emergence of the supreme treasure this time was clearly linked to Mount Yuji and Liu Li. Only after Mount Yuji's anomaly did that realm and the Divine Mountain appear, followed by the supreme treasure's birth. Liu Li's awakening might be the source of the anomaly, but Mount Yuji was undoubtedly playing the primary role. What was Mount Yuji's origin? Qin Sang vaguely guessed a few things; the answers to the mastermind he had always suspected might be found in Mount Yuji. However, Qin Sang still didn't know the full truth and could only connect his experiences and observations to make some deductions.

The only thing certain was that the invisible vortices around them truly existed, either about to drag them towards that realm or pull that realm into the illusion. In any case, a passage was being opened between the illusion and that realm!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Mount Yuji vibrated violently, its body cracking and rocks tumbling down. White light burst from the cracks, becoming even more dazzling. Eventually, the pavilions and towers on Mount Yuji, the cultivators and disciples of Yuanjing Mountain, including Shuang Luo... everything in the illusion disappeared before his eyes. Only Qin Sang, Liu Li, the two 'external demons,' and a white light mass remained!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

A fierce wind howled. Qin Sang saw the scenery between heaven and earth warp; he was caught in a chaotic vortex. The void was wantonly smeared into meaningless blobs of color, spinning endlessly around them. The light mass had flown out from within Mount Yuji, dazzling to the extreme; not even the Celestial Eye Butterfly could discern what was inside. At this moment, they seemed to be stripped from the illusion. The power of the illusion receded like a tide, while the scenery of that realm became increasingly clear, drawing closer to them.

"It's too late..."

Qin Sang gazed at the Divine Mountain, a thought flashing through his mind. The supreme treasure was growing rapidly, having already sprouted tender leaves in the blink of an eye. Once he entered that realm, he wouldn't be able to shatter the supreme treasure again. However, he had already found Liu Li, so there was no longer a need to shatter it. Only...

Qin Sang had been continuously observing the changes in Liu Li. At that moment, he saw Liu Li suddenly move, flying above the light mass and sitting cross-legged. Liu Li's eyes remained tightly shut, and her aura subtly showed signs of merging with the light mass. "Could this be... is she refining the treasure within the light mass?" Qin Sang noticed some clues. He didn't know how long Liu Li's state would last; it seemed she didn't need his help. However, the struggle for the supreme treasure was imminent, and that would be a huge test!

The anomaly caught everyone off guard. Qin Sang's expression was solemn as he heard the mysterious Green Luan's inquiry. "I sense... a tremor in the heavenly secrets... the aura of the supreme treasure... What have you done?" Qin Sang took a deep breath, attributing the change to the supreme treasure. "It's probably because we've shattered the supreme treasure too many times, reaching a limit. With no prior omens, the supreme treasure suddenly appeared, and now this junior is involuntarily being drawn into that realm!" After a pause, he said solemnly, "Since we can't stop it, we don't need to waste any more energy! This junior has always remembered the oath between us, Senior, and I hope you can fully assist me in acquiring the supreme treasure from now on!"

"Has it finally... come?" The mysterious Green Luan's tone carried a hint of anticipation and emotion. Suddenly, a massive surge of power transferred to him. Qin Sang's eyes flashed with brilliance; he did not resist but fully accepted it, allowing this power to flow through him and into the Bone Luan. With a sharp cry, the Bone Luan shot out from Qin Sang's sleeve and circled around him.

Meanwhile, anomalies appeared in various locations within the illusion.

In a valley, a babbling spring created a serene scene. Two figures sat cross-legged on the rocks by the spring: Xi Rui and another disciple of the Old Ancestor. This disciple had been severely wounded in the battle to ambush Qin Sang; although Xi Rui had rescued him, he had been struck by lightning and fire, which had yet to be fully expunged from his body. Xi Rui sensed something amiss, his expression changing. After a moment of contemplation, his face turned pale, and he flicked his hand, sending out two streaks of light. The streaks of light flew out of the valley and vanished into the horizon.

A moment later, two streaks of light arrived almost simultaneously: the Winged Race Prince and the Merfolk Queen. After their devastating defeat, they knew that their only hope of dealing with Qin Sang was to wait for the supreme treasure to emerge and for their Old Ancestors to be able to intervene in the illusion. So they obediently stayed in this place, recuperating and letting Qin Sang do as he pleased. However, they did not fully trust each other, so they each established their own cave dwellings, though not far apart.

The Winged Race Prince was slightly faster and entered the valley first. "We just woke up; do you know what kind of omen this is?" The Merfolk Queen followed closely behind; when her light landed, two figures appeared. It turned out that after abandoning the ambush on Qin Sang, they had fully sought out helpers upon entering that realm. Although few had survived, the Merfolk Queen had managed to rescue a powerful water-element expert. This expert had persisted until now by relying on a bloodline divine ability, but each use of the ability consumed some vitality. Now, the blood in his body was almost dry, and he was slowly recuperating with the Merfolk Queen's help. They arrived one after another, both looking at Xi Rui, as various facts indicated that Xi Rui knew many secrets of the illusion.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves, I suspect..." Xi Rui's words were cut short as he suddenly noticed the anomaly. They looked around in astonishment, seeing a scene similar to that at Mount Yuji, except there was no Mount Yuji here; only they themselves were being stripped from the illusion. Through the unknown void, they saw the events unfolding on the Divine Mountain.

"Haha..." The Winged Race Prince burst into laughter, repeatedly exclaiming, "Good! This treasure has finally appeared! This time, that Qin fellow can't stop it. Let's see how long he can remain so arrogant!" His laughter vented the frustration in his heart. As the noble Prince of the Winged Race, a candidate for the next Winged King, when had he ever been so discomfited? He had been beaten by a cultivator of the same rank, fleeing in panic and daring not show his face. What was more hateful was that they had set up an ambush in advance, ganging up on him. The others were also eager to try, vowing to teach Qin Sang a lesson. Only a hint of worry flickered in Xi Rui's eyes. The dream's development had completely deviated from the Old Ancestor's instructions. He didn't know what he should do and could only take things one step at a time.

Northwest of Yongtu Immortal City, an oasis was being engulfed by a sandstorm. Amidst the swirling sand that filled the sky, one person hovered in mid-air. The sandstorm seemed to actively part to either side, unable to disturb him in the slightest. This person was none other than Patriarch Yuanxiang. He seemed to sense something from within the sandstorm and smiled, saying, "Fellow Daoist Jixia, you've finally arrived."

Immediately, a miniature figure arrived, riding a bamboo leaf magic boat. Jixia and Patriarch Yuanxiang were closer to each other and decided to meet up before heading to Mount Yuji together. Jixia enlarged the magic boat and invited Patriarch Yuanxiang aboard, then looked at him and said, "Patriarch Yuanxiang's injuries..." Patriarch Yuanxiang smiled bitterly, "Although it can't kill me, it constantly attacks me, causing my injuries to accumulate. However, after taking many elixirs, my injuries have stabilized. When the time comes, I ask for your and True Lord Qin's joint help to heal me, and I will recover completely."

"That's good!" Jixia nodded, about to say something else, when his expression suddenly changed. "This..." Both quickly realized what was happening; they exchanged glances, seeing solemnity in each other's eyes. "It seems True Lord Qin can no longer suppress the supreme treasure. We can only rendezvous with True Lord Qin in that realm," Jixia said solemnly. Patriarch Yuanxiang immediately took out a jade bottle and swallowed the elixirs whole, saying, "Please, Fellow Daoist, guard me. Every bit of recovery counts..."

Similar scenes were continuously playing out throughout the illusion. Besides Xi Rui and Jixia's groups, others elsewhere also encountered this anomaly. However, only a few understood the inside story; most were utterly bewildered, not comprehending what was happening.

By a large river, several people were fishing. In the distance, several small boys from the same tribe were playing in the river, bare-bottomed, catching fish. They all had black beast tails, indicating they were descendants of deities.

Splash!

"Ah! I caught it!"

Suddenly, one little boy excitedly shouted, raising his hands high. He had caught a large fish, a full foot long, drawing envious glances from the fishermen. The boy was quite strong; he gripped the fish tightly, and the large fish couldn't escape. He ran ashore, not bothering to put on clothes, and sprinted home.

"Dad! Mom! I caught a big fish!""Dad! Mom!"

Just as he was about to reach home, the anomaly suddenly descended upon him. In his final moments, his face was filled with terror. He only saw his parents running out of the house, shouting, but he couldn't hear anything.

At this very moment, in a certain cave dwelling within the illusion, which was dark and silent, a cultivator, also with a beast tail, was cultivating in the darkness. He suddenly opened his eyes, which gleamed with sharp light, revealing a cruel smile. "My true self, you've finally appeared..." He was precisely the little boy's demonic shadow.

The little boy's true self had been undergoing reincarnation in the illusion because he had failed to ascend the Divine Mountain. The demonic shadow was not in a hurry to find its true self, knowing it would appear eventually. It only needed to wait patiently, absorbing the power of the illusion to strengthen itself. This day had finally arrived!

"Ah!" The little boy was enveloped in white light, felt an excruciating headache, screamed, and countless memories and images flooded his mind. "So, I am Yao Rong of the Lushu clan..." Finally, Yao Rong understood his identity. His strength began to recover, but it was all too late. Yao Rong saw a figure appear in front of him, another self grinning cruelly at him. Yao Rong was grabbed by his demonic shadow by the neck; his meager, newly recovered strength was no match for it. One must remember that when the supreme treasure first emerged, so many powerful individuals fell victim to the demonic shadows, let alone Yao Rong, who had been lost until now. Under Yao Rong's horrified gaze, the demonic shadow burrowed into his head and vanished with him.

Most other powerful individuals from the alien races who had been lost in the illusion met the same fate as Yao Rong; only a handful were able to resist their demonic shadows. Liu Li was an exception. Her demonic shadow appeared, looking somewhat startled and uncertain upon seeing its true self on the light mass. Then, its heart tightened as it saw Qin Sang and immediately fled in terror. Qin Sang raised his hand and pointed a finger at the demonic shadow from afar. Crack! A bolt of green lightning struck the demonic shadow directly in the back. No matter how the demonic shadow tried to dodge, it couldn't escape this bolt of green lightning. Qin Sang was preparing for a major battle and did not wish to be distracted; this strike, containing the power of the Green Luan's true thunder, instantly obliterated the demonic shadow.

Outside the Heart Lake, Hong Tian and other powerful individuals from the alien races were startled by the changes in the dream realm. Unlike before, this time the dream realm's anomaly was intensifying and showed no signs of forcibly stopping. This meant that the Dream Seed was finally about to emerge!

Boom!

The first surge of aura erupted. Then, surges of aura exploded one after another, each one incredibly powerful. Magic treasures and divine abilities flashed continuously, firmly locked onto the direction of the Divine Mountain. The skies above the Heart Lake suddenly changed, and the atmosphere instantly became incredibly tense. Hong Tian was no exception; his divine abilities remained concealed, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. He secretly anticipated how great a surprise Qin Sang would bring him.