Chapter 465: Long Dream

This small town floated above the Realm of Eternal Life, an unrooted, suspended island.

Golden butterflies fluttered all around the town. Since there was no sun in this world, they became countless glowing bodies, like fireflies gathered in lanterns, illuminating the world.

Ye Changong took his hand and leaped into this world.

The world opened for them.

Ning Changjiu leaped from the island-like town, spreading his arms like a bird as the wind whispered in his ears.

They fell from a great height, descending all the way to the ground.

The Realm of Eternal Life was crystal clear, radiating a spiritual beauty.

The ground here was composed of soft, silvery particles, incredibly yielding. The trees were like towering crystal sculptures, majestic as palaces. Golden deer, like the butterflies, ran through the forest, retaining only their instincts from life, neither eating nor drinking, oblivious to life and death.

Ye Changong led Ning Changjiu through this beautiful dream-like forest.

“The Sea of Reincarnation is a sea, and the Realm of Eternal Life is a forest. Death is merely a process of returning to nothingness; it is never particular about its medium,” Ye Changong said.

Her gentle words were like a gentle breeze rustling through the forest.

Ning Changjiu looked up at the towering forest. Even knowing he was in a dream, he still felt a sense of unreality.

Other than the deer, he saw no other living beings.

Even fierce jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards had transformed into such gentle creatures after death.

Ning Changjiu also noticed faint, shimmering threads of varying lengths above the heads of these beings.

“Are these the threads of life?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Ye Changong replied, “Yes, they are the threads of life. When their threads become infinitely short, they can no longer maintain the form of a deer and will transform into butterflies fluttering in the sky... Even the eternal life in the Realm of Eternal Life is illusory. There is never true eternal life in this world.”

Her gentle words carried a faint sense of melancholy, as if ground plants were watching a blizzard fall from the sky, powerless to stop it.

Golden deer bounded past them.

Ning Changjiu asked, “Then resurrection must also come at a great cost, like my own resurrection?”

Ye Changong did not reply. She simply walked straight ahead, past trees that slowly gave way to the outline of a Taoist temple.

The temple, neither too large nor too small, was hidden deep within the forest, its design and structure strikingly similar to the Unseeable Temple.

Ye Changong stopped.

Looking at the temple, she said, “We’re home.”

Ning Changjiu knew that this temple was not built from wood and bricks, but from dreams.

Ning Changjiu gazed at the familiar temple woven from dreams, feeling as if a lifetime had passed. Back then, his second senior brother had led him out of the Realm of Eternal Life to the Unseeable Temple. Now, his master had brought him away from that small town, but could not take his fragmented soul out of the Realm of Eternal Life.

They would live here and slowly restore his soul.

When he was killed by Yuanfu previously, the Realm of Eternal Life had spent over a thousand years nurturing him.

Even with his master's help, it would still take at least several years.

Ning Changjiu ascended the steps with Ye Changong and entered the temple.

After arriving at the Unseeable Temple, Ye Changong's demeanor became even more serene and aloof. She seemed accustomed to living there, maintaining a pure and sacred master's aura even within the dream.

Ning Changjiu walked behind her and gently closed the door.

They walked forward together.

At the very front was the Mercy Release Pond. It held no water, but fish with patterned bodies and wings floated through the air, each with a clear thread of life above its head.

Beyond the Mercy Release Pond was the Hall of Laws. Past the empty Hall of Laws was the Scripture Pavilion. Behind the pavilion, past two Lotus Halls, lay a small courtyard. In this courtyard stood a large tree, beneath which Ning Changjiu and Zhao Xianger had once sat back-to-back, reading together in a dream, with vibrant flowers and plants growing in the dappled light and shadow.

“From now on, we will live here,” Ye Changong said.

Ye Changong stood before the main temple hall.

A strong wind blew, carrying a vast current of golden butterflies overhead.

Ning Changjiu sat beneath the translucent tree, looking up along its veins. The golden leaves rustled silently in the wind.

Even now, Ning Changjiu could still hear the sound of the meteorite's destruction in his ears and feel the excruciating pain of his limbs shattering. He used his breath to regulate his physical sensations, allowing his Taoist heart to gradually find peace in this dreamlike world.

Ning Changjiu closed his eyes, unable to stop thinking of Jiajia, Xueci, and the others. Their faces and voices seemed right before him, yet they were untouchable.

Aside from still possessing consciousness, he seemed no different from the countless butterflies fluttering in the sky.

Ning Changjiu extended his hand, and a butterfly landed on its back. He brought his hand closer to himself, but the butterfly was not startled; instead, it quietly opened and closed its wings.

Ning Changjiu noticed tiny patterns on the inner side of the butterfly's wings. The most peculiar thing about these patterns was their asymmetry; they appeared on only one side of the wing.

He frowned slightly, but before he could ponder it, the main hall doors opened, and Ye Changong emerged, dressed in a long white gauze dress.

The ancient, imposing hall and the slender, fair maiden came into view.

The butterfly flew away, and Ning Changjiu was momentarily lost in thought.

Ye Changong held two scrolls. She walked onto the soft grass, hesitated, then tucked the books into her arms. Bending her leg, she used a finger to slip off her embroidered shoes and white socks, placing her bare, delicate feet on the soft grass. Like a moonlit stream flowing across the field, she approached Ning Changjiu, sat down beside him against the tree, her knees slightly bent, with the two books resting diagonally.

She handed one of the books to Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu expected it to be a Taoist scripture, but when he opened it, he found it was a storybook.

Ye Changong said, “You have no more Taoist arts to learn. You've worked too hard these past years; just read a book.”

Ning Changjiu's gaze rested on the book, but his mind couldn't focus.

Ye Changong looked at him and asked, “Is something on your mind?”

Ning Changjiu nodded slightly. After a moment's thought, he slowly voiced the doubt in his heart.

“In my previous life, my second senior brother took me from the Realm of Eternal Life. If that's the case, then how did I become a young Taoist priest in this life?” Ning Changjiu asked.

“Didn't you already guess the answer in your letters with Xianger?” Ye Changong said. “I didn't actually turn back time; rather... I leaped to a brand new timeline.”

Ning Changjiu nodded slightly, looking at the myriad butterflies. An uncontrollable sense of fear arose in his heart: “But even if it's a new world...”

Ye Changong watched him silently.

Ning Changjiu suppressed his thoughts and did not continue.

“Don't worry too much about these things,” Ye Changong said. “With infinite power, anything seemingly absurd or beyond common sense is possible. This is the boundlessness of time and space; it defies logic, yet it can shape reality.”

Ning Changjiu hummed in acknowledgment, temporarily putting aside his many thoughts.

The butterflies in the sky cast down light as they sat together under the tree, reading.

After they had read for a while, Ning Changjiu suddenly placed his hand on Ye Changong's book. He gently took it from her, closed it, and set it on the grass beside them.

“Let's read the same book together,” he suggested.

As Ning Changjiu spoke, he laid his own book open between them.

Ye Changong hummed softly in agreement.

Their gazes fell on the same book, and their reading pace, with deep unspoken understanding, was remarkably consistent.

As Ning Changjiu read the story, his eyes would occasionally drift to Ye Changong's face when they reached a happy or sad part, hoping to see a flicker of emotion. Yet, her expression remained serene throughout.

There was no night in the Realm of Eternal Life; they felt no passage of time.

Unknowingly, they finished a book. After sharing their thoughts on it, they continued to sit together under the tree, chatting idly.

“Is there anything you wish to do?” Ye Changong asked.

“Hm?” Ning Changjiu didn't understand her meaning.

Ye Changong said, “My authority is dreams; I can accomplish many things.”

As if to prove her words, Ye Changong stood up, resting a hand on the tree trunk. With a slight movement of her fingers, the power of the dream swept across the land like a wind. The crystal palace-like temple became solemn and majestic, the golden butterflies turned colorful, the grass became green, the tree trunks brown, and the leaves verdant.

This dream version of the Unseeable Temple transformed into its real-world counterpart.

Ning Changjiu looked at the familiar surroundings and smiled faintly. “Master, please retract your divine power. I'm afraid that in time, I won't be able to distinguish reality from dreams.”

This seemingly real world was a dream, while the dreamlike world was, at this moment, real.

Ye Changong hummed softly. Though petite, she was like a true deity; with a wave of her hand, the world reverted to its original state.

Ning Changjiu said apologetically, “Master, you don't need to go to such trouble. I'll be fine simply resting quietly.”

Ye Changong said, “You blocked the meteorite and saved the world. Now you are a patient. You don't have to regard me as your master, but as a healer. My duty is to cure you and keep your heart cheerful.”

Ye Changong was in the form of a young girl. Although her voice was naturally aloof, it also had a delicate, soft quality, sounding like a naive promise made between a young boy and girl.

Ning Changjiu looked at her, then smiled faintly. “Master is simply Master, not a healer. Having Master by my side is better than any remedy in the world.”

“Mm... Thank you,” Ye Changong said, pressing her lips together as if to express a smile.

Her coldness was innate, like a solitary star in the sky. Though her divine face was exquisitely beautiful, it couldn't clearly convey any emotions.

She said, “Take good care of yourself. You can tell me any requests you have, and I, your master, will grant them all. My only request of you is to keep your Taoist heart steady, free from excessive worry or anxiety, and not to be troubled by gains or losses.”

Ning Changjiu nodded seriously.

He could foresee that the days ahead would be tranquil, as peaceful as the stream flowing through this place.

With tranquil days, one would find things to do.

In the courtyard, Ning Changjiu and Ye Changong made a chessboard and began to play.

Ning Changjiu's skill at chess had always been considerable; he had once outmatched Xianger in Zhao and impressed the multitude at the Sea Kingdom banquet. He was quite confident in his abilities.

The two leisurely placed black and white pieces on the board in the courtyard.

When the first game concluded, Ning Changjiu narrowly won by half a piece.

They began to review the game, contemplating their ingenious moves.

After gathering the pieces, they played another game, and Ning Changjiu again narrowly won by half a piece.

He sensed something was amiss.

In the third game, Ning Changjiu still narrowly won by half a piece.

Gathering the pieces, he looked at Ye Changong and said, “Master, you don't need to let me win. Just play as you normally would. I can't be happy with a victory handed to me like this.”

“Is that so...” Ye Changong murmured softly, then nodded. “Alright.”

They began placing their pieces once more.

Ning Changjiu's moves grew slower and slower.

He didn't know how to describe his master's true chess skill. If Xianger was the baseline, then it was roughly the equivalent of twenty-four Xiangers.

The game reached its middle phase.

Ning Changjiu looked at his scattered pieces on the board and sighed. His computational ability was already very strong, but against such a powerful opponent, he was utterly helpless, completely routed.

Ning Changjiu picked up a handful of pieces, about to place them on the board in resignation.

Ye Changong, however, held his hand. Her small hand was cool and soft, yet it held an unyielding firmness.

Holding the hand with which Ning Changjiu held the pieces, she took them from him, picked out one, and placed it on the board for him. Then she said earnestly, “You are not allowed to surrender. Never surrender, not even when playing against me.”

Ning Changjiu looked into her eyes, coming to his senses with a start. “Your disciple obeys.”

“You can continue to call me Master, but you no longer need to refer to yourself as my disciple,” Ye Changong added.

“Why?” Ning Changjiu asked, puzzled.

“Because now, there are only two of us left in this world,” Ye Changong said. “When there are only two people in a world, their relationship is certainly not that of master and disciple.”

Ning Changjiu seemed to understand, yet not quite.

If only two people remained in a world, what would they do?

Create a new race, or even a new world?

Ning Changjiu sensed his fragmented soul and smiled faintly.

They played a few more games, all ending in Ye Changong's decisive victory.

Ye Changong couldn't bear to keep winning. She looked at Ning Changjiu and asked, “Is there anything else you wish to do?”

Ning Changjiu said, “I'd like to travel around the Realm of Eternal Life.”

Ye Changong agreed.

Ning Changjiu asked, “If we go too far, will we still be able to return to the Unseeable Temple?”

Ye Changong said, “No need to worry.”

So the two of them walked together into the Realm of Eternal Life.

Ye Changong uprooted the entire Unseeable Temple, and it floated behind them, like a leviathan in the air.

Legend tells of someone who, unwilling to part with the sweet well water of their hometown, used divine power to carry the entire well on their back when leaving. Now, because Ning Changjiu feared getting lost, Ye Changong moved the entire Unseeable Temple with them, a deed surprisingly similar to that legend.

The Unseeable Temple floated in the air as they walked ahead.

Ning Changjiu asked, “We're in the Realm of Eternal Life now, but if the Dark Lord destroys the Thunder Prison Star, won't our world also collapse?”

Ye Changong said, “The Realm of Eternal Life is part of the Thunder Prison Divine Kingdom. It originates from the Candle Dragon, not the Dark Lord. If the Thunder Prison Divine Kingdom ever collapses, the Thunder Prison will carry the Realm of Eternal Life away with it to the Unseeable Temple. In River Town, there are still many ancient gods who have old ties with the Thunder Prison.”

Ning Changjiu then asked, “What exactly is the relationship between the Thunder Prison... and the Candle Dragon?”

Ye Changong said, “The Candle Dragon was the Thunder Prison's mentor. When the Candle Dragon crashed into the sky and fell to the earth, it was barely alive. Many wanted to feast on its body, but while the Thunder Prison fought desperately to protect its mentor's body, it also used a sharp sword to sever its last breath.”

Ning Changjiu sighed. “To personally kill one's own mentor... was it another act of feigned submission, to show loyalty to the Dark Lord?”

Ye Changong nodded. “Yes. Afterward, the Thunder Prison took possession of the Candle Dragon's remaining power, becoming the new leader of the dragons. It was only natural for it, as the King of the Dragon Race, to occupy one of the twelve divine thrones.”

Ning Changjiu's steps slowed slightly. The dragon's roar echoed in his mind once more.

The Dark Lord had not yet fully infiltrated this world. When he selected divine lords, he judged them by their actions, not their hearts. Thus, Thunder Prison and Jufu, bearing such heavy hatred, seized a divine lord position, using it to lie in wait until their rebellion.

Five hundred years ago, Jufu entered the Thunder Prison Divine Kingdom. At that time, Jufu and Thunder Prison must have made agreements and plans for the next few centuries, including how to deal with his shattered soul.

The two walked through the lush forest, vast swarms of butterflies sweeping past them like wind.

They didn't look like master and disciple, nor lovers, nor siblings. They existed in a delicate balance between intimacy and unfamiliarity, a balance that surprisingly harmonized with this dreamlike, quiet world.

Ning Changjiu looked at the forest before them and asked, “Why are there no lakes in this world?”

“Because lakes contain water,” Ye Changong replied. “Water is the source of life, but it is not a necessity for the deceased.”

“Then why are there trees and flowers?” Ning Changjiu asked again.

“Because trees and flowers are their home,” Ye Changong said.

“Even after death, can all spirits lose everything yet still not leave their home?” Ning Changjiu asked thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Ye Changong said. “Because home is the vessel of life; things that exist need a vessel to prove their existence.”

“So the Unseeable Temple is my home?” Ning Changjiu turned, looking at the floating temple behind them, and asked.

“Perhaps,” Ye Changong said.

Ning Changjiu remained silent for a moment, then shook his head. “No, it's because Master is in the Unseeable Temple that it is my home.”

The myriad butterflies swept through the dense forest like wind once more. On their fluttering wings, faint patterns resembled ripples of laughter.

They traveled through the forest and arrived in a deep valley, filled with white flowers where butterflies rested.

They found an empty spot and placed the Unseeable Temple there.

The two returned to the temple, like travelers returning home after a long journey.

The Realm of Eternal Life knew neither life nor death, nor weariness.

Ning Changjiu and Ye Changong sat quietly facing each other in the temple, as if engaged in a Taoist debate. Yet, they spoke no profound or abstruse words, but merely chatted about ordinary past events.

“Am I... a boring person?”

Ye Changong suddenly said this.

Ning Changjiu's heart trembled slightly, and he chuckled. “Master, why would you think that?”

Ye Changong said, “In the three-year dream, you, Xianger, Siming, and Jiajia were very happy, with laughter never ceasing. Three years passed in a blink, feeling brief and regrettable afterward. But I cannot be like them. I can barely manage a simple smile or cry. I should be behind the scenes, not on the stage, I...”

“...am a boring person.”

As Ye Changong spoke, her expression was like that of a young empress, sitting in a desolate hall, gazing up at the royal ceiling, lamenting a lonely life that could be forgotten in a glance.

Ning Changjiu interrupted her thoughts, smiling. “People enjoy the richness of stone pot dishes, the clear bitterness of tea, the sweetness of stream water. All of these are beauties of life, with no superior or inferior. Having been saved by Master, it is already my good fortune to be able to experience these things. To be picky beyond this would truly be wicked.”

“Is that so?” Ye Changong murmured, as if to herself.

Ning Changjiu nodded with a smile. “Yes, Master, you don't need to think about things like interesting or boring.”

Ye Changong shook her head. “I was wondering if *you* are truly wicked.”

“Ah.” Ning Changjiu paused, then looked up, meeting Ye Changong's clear eyes that held a hint of a smile.

Ye Changong lowered her head and said, “I tried to make a joke. Was it still... boring?”

Ning Changjiu immediately shook his head. “No, it was very interesting!”

“The joke was interesting?”

“Mm... Master is very interesting.”

“Oh,” Ye Changong said, mimicking a sigh, her voice still moving. “You truly are...”

“...wicked,” Ning Changjiu completed her sentence for her.

Time flowed slowly.

The following days remained just as peaceful, like a melody with no significant rises or falls.

They would sit under the tree together and read, or tell each other stories. Sometimes, they would take the Unseeable Temple on a journey spanning a thousand miles, yet although this world was beautiful, it remained monotonous and lifeless.

Ye Changong was like a delicate porcelain doll; her appearance and words were always unhurried. Unlike Lu Jiajia, she didn't deliberately put on a master's airs; on the contrary, she tried her best to be approachable and gentle, yet still gave off a sense of lofty detachment.

Ning Changjiu would sometimes try to deliberately annoy her, to see the limits of her composure.

Ye Changong, however, would only show a slight expression of helplessness. Sometimes, she would even grab him and symbolically spank his palm, just like Lu Jiajia used to do.

They saw no passing of spring or autumn and had no idea how much time had truly passed. Eight years was a definite deadline, but to Ning Changjiu, it felt indistinct. He always remembered his promise to them.

One morning.

Ning Changjiu woke up from his bed. He suddenly noticed that his clothes had become a little smaller, and when he tied his sash, it felt visibly loose.

He mentioned this to Ye Changong.

Ye Changong said, “You must have been thinking day and night, which caused you to lose weight.”

Ning Changjiu was puzzled. “Can a soul lose weight too?”

Ye Changong replied, “Perhaps.”

Ning Changjiu then asked, “How much time has passed now?”

Ye Changong said, “One month.”

“One month... only one month?” Ning Changjiu was slightly stunned. He had thought at least half a year had passed.

Ye Changong said, “Does being with me make the days feel like years?”

“Of course not,” Ning Changjiu shook his head.

Ye Changong mused quietly for a moment, then added, “Perhaps it's not my boring nature.”

“Hm?” Ning Changjiu was puzzled.

Ye Changong said, “This is our dream, after all. Dreams should be unrestrained; they ought to be more exciting.”

As she spoke, Ye Changong took a rose-red piece of paper from her sleeve. She drew something on it with her finger, and the paper grew increasingly vibrant.

She handed the paper to Ning Changjiu and asked, “This is a marriage contract. Will you accept it?”