"Not nearly thrilling enough? *Hssss...*"
Zhou Zhenhong simply could not find words to describe what he was feeling. Ever since he had become a dream expeller, whether it was himself, his fellow dream expellers, or rogue civilian expellers he had encountered, every single one tread with utmost caution whenever facing a nightmare, terrified of making the slightest misstep. Who had ever seen someone saunter in with leisurely ease like Huang Tian, to the point of grumbling that a mere Sui-rank nightmare was not nearly thrilling enough?
*With this kind of ability, he must be a Rank 2 dream expeller! A veteran Rank 2 at that!*
Zhou Zhenhong felt a surge of excitement.
With Mr. Huang here, vast Qingyang could finally find peace!
Zhou Zhenhong let out a long sigh of relief. Over the past year, several nightmare incidents had cropped up in Qingyang City one after another. Chenghong Kindergarten and General Temple had both appeared within this single year. He had clearly sensed that nightmares were occurring with increasing frequency, yet he was still only a Rank 1 dream expeller, falling far short of what was needed...
Now, he could finally catch his breath.
He sent a message: "Over on your end, cooperate with Mr. Huang's actions as fully as possible. Anything he needs, as long as our branch can provide it, grant it to him."
Wang Guangming: "Understood."
Zhou Zhenhong: "Also, if he shows any signs of mental strain, be sure to dissuade him immediately. Nightmare incidents can be handled later; there is no need to rush."
Wang Guangming: "Will do."
Putting down his phone, Wang Guangming glanced in the rearview mirror at Huang Tian, who was resting with his eyes closed. He said nothing and turned to look at the scenery outside. The road was wide, bustling with shuttling vehicles, lined with numerous street-side shops, and pedestrians strolled along the sidewalks...
The motorcade drove smoothly forward. After about half an hour, it turned into a secluded lane and traveled another several li, reaching the city outskirts before pulling up in front of a drab, dust-gray temple.
The moment the car stopped, Huang Tian opened his eyes, divine light gleaming within them. *Now that I've entered the Dao Foundation realm, the effects of a Sui-rank nightmare have weakened somewhat. However, if I "devour" five Sui-rank ones and one Xie-rank one, I should be able to reach Dao Foundation perfection, shouldn't I?*
With that thought, he stepped out of the black SUV and gazed at General Temple ahead.
The temple was not large, built of blue bricks with layers of gray tiles covering its roof. Its black-lacquered wooden doors were slightly ajar. Through the crack, one could faintly discern a painted clay statue of a general standing right in the center of the hall. Clad in armor and grasping a saber, the general glared fiercely with bulging eyes, as if ravenous for blood!
By now, everyone had stepped out of the vehicles and gathered around Huang Tian. Wang Guangming explained, "The nightmare inside this temple takes the form of a valiant ancient general with a furious temper. Say anything slightly offensive and you will be decapitated on the spot. However, if you comply with everything he says and flatter him, even an ordinary person has a chance of walking out of the temple alive..."
Huang Tian nodded slightly. "Wait here a moment. I shall return shortly."
With that, he walked straight forward, pushed open the temple doors, and stepped inside.
Wang Guangming and the others looked at each other in dismay. *Wait, why does that line sound familiar?*
The crew-cut young man rubbed his head. "I remember Mr. Huang said the exact same thing right before going into Chenghong Kindergarten. This time, could it be—"
*BOOM!!*
Before he could finish speaking, a tremendous roar erupted from within the temple, shaking the very ground beneath their feet.
"To speak in defiance warrants decapitation!!" a thunderous bellow blasted out.
Yet the very next second, with a deafening *bang*, the entire General Temple ballooned outward and blew apart with a cataclysmic roar!
Blue brick walls collapsed; tiers of gray tiles were blasted into the air; roof beams snapped one after another, crashing down in an avalanche of dirt, rubble, and dust. The black-lacquered doors, along with their entire frame, were slapped outward by a surging blast wave from the interior, only to be buried instantly beneath flying debris!
The clatter of landing masonry, the cracking of timber beams, and the shattering of tiles mingled together into a dull, rolling roar.
A cloud of yellow dust and smoke surged skyward like an abruptly blooming gigantic flower, swallowing the entire temple. Sunlight was blotted out as countless specks of dust drifted in the air, carrying the rank scent of earth and rotted wood.
When the smoke and dust had settled slightly, everyone finally saw that where the temple had once stood, nothing remained but broken walls and mountains of crushed brick, splintered wood, and rubble. The head of the ferocious, glaring general statue had already rolled to the ground, and the saber in its hand lay broken among the ruins, inconspicuous amid the rubble.
With an untroubled expression, Huang Tian walked out from the ruins. His clothes were spotless, completely unsoiled by the flying dust.
"Let's go. To the next one."
Hearing his words, the crowd stood slack-jawed.
*This... it's barely been thirty seconds, and the nightmare is already taken care of?!*
*And what on earth just happened inside the temple? How did that decapitation-obsessed monstrosity end up beheaded, and why did the temple blow up like it had been struck by a missile...*
Wang Guangming swallowed hard, forced himself to appear calm, and waved his hand. "What are you all standing around gawking for? Back in the cars! Head to Minghe Factory!"
Only then did the others snap back to their senses. The shock in their eyes only deepened as they climbed into the cars, glancing at Huang Tian, then looking back at the headless general statue, towering waves crashing in their hearts!
*Is this what a high-ranking dream expeller is capable of?!*
*This is ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! Is he even human?!*
Once settled in the vehicle, Wang Guangming said, "Drive."
The crew-cut youth nodded heavily.
The car slowly began moving, heading toward Minghe Factory.
In the vehicle, Huang Tian remained with his eyes closed, guiding the freshly absorbed spiritual energy through his meridians in full systemic circulations. Wang Guangming, meanwhile, carefully pulled his phone from his jacket pocket and sent a message to Zhou Zhenhong.
Wang Guangming: "Brother Zhou, the General Temple nightmare has been resolved as well."
Zhou Zhenhong: "!! By my count, you only just arrived, didn't you?"
Wang Guangming: "We did just arrive, and the moment we arrived it was over... Thirty seconds! Thirty seconds!!!"
Zhou Zhenhong stood up with a start. "Explain clearly!"
Wang Guangming glanced at Huang Tian from the corner of his eye, his gaze filled with awe and reverence. "From the moment Mr. Huang walked into the temple, it took barely thirty seconds for him to eliminate the nightmare inside. On top of that, the entire General Temple blew up—it literally exploded! Just like it had been hit by a missile, it blew apart with a roar, and the ground was shaking violently!"
Zhou Zhenhong was dumbfounded. "You're not joking, are you? Something on that level... even a veteran Rank 2 dream expeller might not be capable of it..."
Wang Guangming: "Everyone present can attest to it. We watched General Temple explode with our own eyes. Right now, nothing is left on the site but ruins."
Zhou Zhenhong felt his brain buzzing. He muttered to himself, "Could Huang Tian not be a Rank 2 dream expeller, but a Rank 3?!"
*Yet how could that be possible!*
Rank 3 dream expellers worldwide were few enough to count on one's fingers. In the State of Dongping where he resided, there were a mere three or four in total, each holding immense power and authority, guarding an entire domain!
How could a tiny place like Qingyang City suddenly produce one out of thin air?
Yet if he were not a Rank 3, even a veteran Rank 2 would be hard-pressed to eliminate a Sui-rank nightmare in thirty seconds, let alone level General Temple into ruins with such apparent ease...
Shaking his head, unable to make sense of it, he set aside his speculations for the moment and messaged back: "Are you heading back now, or moving on to the next site?"
Wang Guangming: "Currently rushing to Minghe Factory."
Zhou Zhenhong understood. "Same instructions as before: cooperate fully with Mr. Huang."
Wang Guangming: "Understood! Though, it doesn't look like he needs any cooperation from us. Right now, we're purely drivers and guides..."
Zhou Zhenhong was speechless. "Isn't that a good thing? It shows Mr. Huang has plenty of room to spare."
Wang Guangming: "Indeed. Going on missions with Mr. Huang feels incredibly reassuring."
Zhou Zhenhong: "...At any rate, contact me immediately if anything comes up."
Wang Guangming: "Roger that!"
Before long, the cars arrived in front of Minghe Factory, pulling up on a wide concrete lot. Huang Tian stepped out of the vehicle and walked into the factory without the slightest hesitation.
Roughly a minute later, accompanied by a horrifying shriek and a tremendous rumble, a vast surge of air blasted violently out from the factory. Amidst the gale, Huang Tian's clothes whipped in the wind as he strolled out at an unhurried pace.
"Next!"
With that, he climbed back into the car.
Everyone present flushed red with excitement. Even Wang Guangming was no exception. He pumped his fist hard. "In the cars! Onward! Next stop: Baifeng Apartments!"
"Let's go!!" the crowd cheered in unison.
Zhou Zhenhong had never in his life felt the world to be so bizarre and absurd. In just a few short hours, he had received several successive messages from Wang Guangming:
"Chenghong Kindergarten nightmare resolved!"
"General Temple nightmare resolved!"
"Minghe Factory taken care of!"
"Baifeng Apartments handled!"
"Liangfeng Junior High School nightmare resolved!"
Five messages had completely knocked him senseless!
Five nightmares that had entrenched themselves in Qingyang for months, even years, had been disposed of just like that, effortlessly.
Even more remarkably, of these five Sui-rank nightmares, the one that held out longest against Huang Tian was Liangfeng Junior High School—and even that lasted a mere three and a half minutes!
In other words, Huang Tian's method for handling nightmare incidents was simply: walk in, attack, kill, walk out.
Ridiculous!
Utterly effortless!
Looking at the messages on his phone, he could not resist raising a hand to lightly slap his own cheek.
It stung a little.
*I'm not dreaming...*
Wild joy instantly surged through his chest. "Good! Excellent! Absolutely wonderful!"
He paced back and forth in his room in agitation. At a certain point, a thought struck him, and he hurriedly messaged Wang Guangming:
"All the Sui-rank nightmares have been cleared. Are you on your way back?"
Wang Guangming: "We are currently heading toward Shande Nursing Home."
Shande Nursing Home was currently the only Xie-rank nightmare in Qingyang City!
Zhou Zhenhong's brow furrowed deeply. "Mr. Huang has cleared five nightmares back to back; his spirit and energy must have suffered no small toll. Going to Shande Nursing Home in such a state... did you not try to dissuade him?"
Wang Guangming: "We tried, but Mr. Huang's mind was made up; there was nothing we could do. Besides, I'm not sure if my eyes are deceiving me, but after purging five nightmares, his spirit and vitality actually look better than before..."
*Huh?*
*His spirit and vitality are even better?*
Zhou Zhenhong was utterly baffled. He did not think Wang Guangming would mistake something like that, because the exhaustion suffered by a dream expeller after utilizing a dream relic was painfully obvious. Take himself, for instance: if he activated his dream relics in rapid succession over a short span, his spirit would instantly plummet into haggard despondence, making him look to outsiders as though he had gone three days and nights without sleep.
Such a state was almost impossible to conceal. In other words, Huang Tian's multiple outings had incurred practically no drain whatsoever, and his vigor remained in peak condition.
*Still, even if that's the case, heading rashly into Shande Nursing Home alone is simply too risky...*
Mulling it over, he gritted his teeth, strode swiftly out of his room, hurried downstairs, and drove off toward Shande Nursing Home.
The nursing home was located in the northwest outskirts of the city, not particularly far from his residence. In about twenty minutes, he arrived.
Parking on the roadside, he looked up at "Shande Nursing Home."
The nursing home occupied a sizable area. An iron gate enclosed an exceptionally wide courtyard, containing four buildings. Viewed from outside, every single building looked drab and gray, dark-green vines crawling halfway up the walls. The windowpanes were shattered, reflecting the dull grayish-white skylight to cast a profoundly depressing pall.
Near the nursing home, a few scattered figures loitered about. All of them belonged to the emergency squad, tasked with monitoring the nightmare here for any anomalous activity and keeping reckless, thrill-seeking youths from venturing inside.
Catching sight of Zhou Zhenhong, a young man in a black jacket immediately ran over. "Chief Zhou!"
Zhou Zhenhong nodded to him and asked, "Has there been any abnormal activity inside so far?"
The youth in the black jacket shook his head. "None. Though over the past few days, there have consistently been a few young people trying to sneak in, claiming they want to go exploring and uncover mysteries. Fortunately, this place is out in the open, so we spot and intercept them the moment they approach."
He added helplessly, "Youngsters these days just love chasing thrills. The more we urge them to leave, the more determined they are to get in..."
Zhou Zhenhong was not surprised. "Last month, someone ignored the warnings and snuck into Liangfeng Junior High School under cover of night, only to lose their life there... Some people cannot be reasoned with. All we can do is keep ordinary people from wandering into nightmares by accident."
The youth in the black jacket replied, "Understood."
As they spoke, several cars approached from the east and pulled to a slow halt beside them.
Huang Tian, Wang Guangming, and the others stepped out of the vehicles.
"Brother Zhou!"
"Chief Zhou!"
Wang Guangming and the others called out one after another. Zhou Zhenhong nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his gaze toward Huang Tian and extended a hand. "Zhou Zhenhong. Humbly serving as the head of the Dream Expeller Association's Qingyang City branch."
Huang Tian shook his hand.
Clasping Huang Tian's hand firmly, Zhou Zhenhong said with heartfelt sincerity, "Mr. Huang Tian, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for resolving five Sui-rank nightmares and making an immense contribution to the peace and stability of Qingyang City!"
"You are too kind."
Releasing his grip, Zhou Zhenhong said, "I heard from Vice Captain Wang that you intend to strike while the iron is hot and purge the nightmare within Shande Nursing Home as well, Mr. Huang?"
"Indeed."
"Would you consider taking a brief breather to restore your spirit and build up your strength?" Zhou Zhenhong measured his words carefully. "That way would be far safer."
Huang Tian smiled faintly. "I have merely warmed up. My spirit and energy are at their peak; there is no need to rest and recharge."
Zhou Zhenhong appraised him briefly. Sure enough, Huang Tian's eyes were clear and bright, showing not the slightest hint of fatigue. Seeing this, he could not press further, and instead said, "In that case, let me go in with you. Please rest assured, I won't hold you back—I possess two dream relics, one of which allows me to turn my body to stone, giving me decent survivability.
"Furthermore, I've entered Shande Nursing Home before. Although I failed to resolve the nightmare and only barely escaped with my life, I have some familiarity with what's inside and should be able to assist you."
Meeting his resolute gaze, Huang Tian considered for a moment and nodded. "Very well."
Receiving an affirmative answer, Zhou Zhenhong felt a surge of spirit. From the trunk of his car, he took out a bag of spirit candles and spirit incense, as well as a gold box.
"Let's go," Huang Tian said, seeing that he was ready.
"All right."
Side by side, the two pushed open the rusted iron gate. Under the tense, uneasy gazes of the onlookers, they stepped into the nursing home. A murky gray fog rose in their wake, blotting them from the sight of Wang Guangming and the others.
"I hope Mr. Huang and Chief Zhou smoothly resolve the nightmare and return safely," the youth in the black jacket murmured.
"They will."
"Mr. Huang is at least a Rank 2 dream expeller. With him there, even if they can't destroy the nightmare, escaping shouldn't be difficult."
The moment they stepped into the nursing home, the sky instantly turned blood-red. A stench of gore and decay rushed into their nostrils. Under the glow of the bloody canopy, the four grayish-yellow buildings appeared exceptionally dark and eerie.
Stepping across withered grass, Zhou Zhenhong lowered his voice. "Once anyone enters the nursing home, it immediately alerts the security guard inside. He is hardly weaker than a Sui-rank nightmare.
"But don't worry. When confronting him, as long as we do not take a single step forward for ten minutes, he won't make a move against us and will leave on his own. He won't appear again for another thirty minutes."
*Thud—*
Hardly had his voice fallen when heavy, muffled footsteps sounded. A figure stepped out, clad in a baggy, worn security uniform. Its eye sockets were hollow, its lips chapped and purple-bruised, and its face looked as though it had been hacked dozens of times—a mangled mess of shredded flesh and shattered bone.
It came to a halt several meters before them, motionless and utterly silent.
"We just have to wait, and—"
Before Zhou Zhenhong could finish his sentence, he saw Huang Tian stride forward. A fist swirling with five-colored radiance crashed down like an avalanche, slamming with a thunderous roar straight into the roaring, snarling guard's head!
*Splat!*
The head burst like a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer. Purple and white filth splattered across the ground. The headless corpse swayed violently before collapsing with a thud, promptly dissolving into a cloud of gray mist that dissipated into the air.
"Ah! ...Wha?!"
Zhou Zhenhong's eyes widened in utter shock, his mouth hanging agape, unable to close for a long time.
Chapter 167