Chapter 1021: Reality Beyond the Dream
Chapter 1021: Reality Beyond the Dream
"As for those other disciples with unremarkable talent..."
A flicker of reluctance crossed Liu Ruchen's eyes, but his voice was grave as he finally declared, "Then we shall sever their cultivation and have them switch to the Common Lives Spirit Essence Art!"
Hearing this, Li Fan clapped his hands in satisfaction.
"Sect Master Liu's understanding is indeed profound. This saves me a great deal of trouble."
Liu Ruchen offered a wry, strained smile in return.
After receiving the list of every cultivator within the cauldron, Li Fan reviewed it and decided to awaken the Dao Integration elders first.
After all, cultivators below the Dao Integration realm, especially those who practiced the ancient methods, were of limited use.
Within the Medicine King Cauldron, six Dao Integration masters and twenty-three Soul Transformation cultivators slumbered.
Naturally, he chose to awaken them first in this new era.
"Perhaps we can use the power of elixirs to resist that formless killing intent," Liu Ruchen suddenly remarked before deactivating the Great Dream Spring and Autumn Array.
"However, since I have not experienced it firsthand, I cannot be entirely certain," Liu Ruchen added with great caution.
"No matter. If it works, all the better."
Liu Ruchen retrieved several pills radiating a cold, blue light from the Medicine King Cauldron and carefully administered one to Liu San.
A moment later, Liu San's eyes slowly fluttered open.
The first thing he saw was the stranger, Li Fan.
"Who are you?" Liu San's vigilance was sharp; his form blurred as he retreated.
But the moment he saw Liu Ruchen, the wariness in his heart dissolved completely.
"Master..."
"Have we arrived at the Xiaoyao Realm?" Liu San asked, a hint of joy on his face.
Liu Ruchen sighed and shook his head before briefly recounting all that had transpired.
Liu San was understandably stunned, but with Liu Ruchen serving as his cornerstone, he quickly regained his composure.
Next, they awakened Jiang Yushan.
Her reaction, in contrast, was far more composed.
She rapidly adjusted to the new circumstances, a thousand years into the future.
"Sect Master Liu, I will follow your lead," Jiang Yushan stated coolly, her voice like the grinding of metal.
"You two, circulate the World Saving Longevity Scripture," Liu Ruchen instructed the two cultivators before him.
Liu San and Jiang Yushan complied at once.
After a moment, they both frowned in unison.
"How does it feel?"
"There is indeed a vexatious, murderous urge that surfaces from time to time, but it's manageable. Perhaps it's the effect of that 'Pill of Unknowing'," Liu San replied after a moment of contemplation.
Jiang Yushan, however, remarked, "The Pill of Unknowing was wasted on me. Compared to what I endured in the Indeterminate Prison, this is utterly trivial."
Only then did Liu Ruchen turn to Li Fan. "It seems the pill does help suppress the killing intent. However, the ingredients required for the Pill of Unknowing are quite precious. The reserves within the Medicine King Cauldron are likely only enough for a few more batches..."
Li Fan waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about raw materials. In that regard, our Federation of All Worlds is quite affluent."
"Let us continue. We need to see how many can be sustained at most."
Liu Ruchen nodded.
Following that, they awakened two more Dao Integration cultivators in succession: Ceng Qianran and Ou Kui.
By this point, suppressing the murderous impulse in their hearts had become a considerable struggle.
"It seems this is the limit. Let's leave it at this for now. As for the last one, Fan Zhuo..."
"There is also Elder Fang. His situation is rather unique—he never cultivated the World Saving Longevity Scripture, so there's no harm in waking him," Jiang Yushan interjected before Li Fan could finish.
Liu San shot a brief glance at Jiang Yushan.
Li Fan simply smiled and, at last, released Fang Zaiji from the Great Dream Spring and Autumn Array.
With that, the top-tier combat power of the Medicine King Sect was more or less assembled.
Counting Liu Ruchen himself, there were six Dao Integration cultivators. Even if they followed the ancient cultivation path, they represented a considerable force for the current Federation of All Worlds.
Furthermore, since they all specialized in alchemy, their value might even exceed that of ordinary Dao Integration masters.
Under Liu Ruchen's guidance, the members of the Medicine King Sect quickly familiarized themselves with the general situation in the Spirit Wood Realm.
They were all weighed down by heavy thoughts—all except for Fang Zaiji.
When Fang Zaiji heard that there were cultivators from the Tianji Realm present, and that Liu Ruchen's own body was a puppet they had crafted, he became instantly ecstatic. He clamored to meet Master Qiaogong at once.
Master Qiaogong, who was deeply engrossed in his study of Tianyang, was initially none too pleased with the unexpected visitor.
However, after a brief exchange, the two found an instant camaraderie.
Although Fang Zaiji's skill in artifact refinement was far inferior to Master Qiaogong's, his extensive travels across the Xuanhuang Realm in his youth had granted him extraordinary knowledge.
He was even able to contribute to the research on Tianyang's Body Transformation Dao.
Beaming with excitement, the two sealed the door to their workshop, forbidding any outside disturbances.
Li Fan simply let them be.
After a discussion among the newly awakened Dao Integration masters of the Medicine King Sect, they finally presented Li Fan with a list containing thirty names.
"These disciples are all exceptionally talented. It would be a true shame to force them to switch to the Common Lives Spirit Essence Art. We propose keeping them in their slumber for now, until we can find a better way to suppress the killing intent."
"As for the other disciples..." Liu Ruchen declared with grim resolve, "They are at the Emissary's disposal."
It was a cold, ruthless decision, but at least their lives would be spared.
As for the notion of uniting their Dao Integration powers to fight back...
After witnessing the wonders and might within the Spirit Wood Realm, they decisively buried that thought in the deepest corners of their minds, not daring to let even a hint of it show.
"Actually, I have another solution," Li Fan said suddenly, his gaze sweeping over the members of the Medicine King Sect. "It's not necessary to turn all these disciples into mindless machines for circulating techniques."
"They are slumbering within the Great Dream Spring and Autumn Array, are they not? What if I were to modify the array, making the dreamscape perfectly consistent with reality?"
"They would not need to awaken, yet they could still perform all their required tasks in the real world."
Hearing this, Liu Ruchen asked with uncertainty, "The Emissary means..."
"Sleepwalking?"
Li Fan nodded.
"One moment."
The Final Dissociation Disc spun within his sea of consciousness, and in an instant, the modified Great Dream Spring and Autumn Array materialized in his mind.
When he transmitted the new formation to Liu Ruchen, the sect master's eyes widened in sheer astonishment.
It was as if this impossibly complex array had been deduced in the span of a single conversation.
"This... should work," Liu Ruchen said slowly, taking a deep breath to compose himself.
Not long after, as the new Great Dream Spring and Autumn Array began to operate, Li Fan and his companions appeared within the collective dream of the Medicine King Sect's disciples.
The original dreamscape had vanished entirely, replaced by a perfect replica of the Spirit Wood Realm.
Liu Ruchen did not reveal to his disciples that they were still dreaming.
He simply explained that their attempt to escape the Xuanhuang Realm had failed and that they had now pledged allegiance to the Federation of All Worlds.
Though a wave of panic swept through the disciples, they were ultimately relieved to be alive.
The initial commotion soon subsided, and a sense of normalcy returned.
Following Liu Ruchen's instructions, they began to settle down in the Spirit Wood Realm.
Meanwhile, in the world of reality, their physical bodies moved in perfect synchrony with their dream selves.
(End of Chapter)
Comments