The helicopter carrying Li Ding and Guan Fu touched down at the Qingyang City branch. The moment they stepped out, the head of the Qingyang City branch, Zhou Zhenhong, along with Wang Guangming and others from the emergency squad, were already standing aside to greet them.
"President Li! Brother Guan!"
"Brother Zhenhong."
After exchanging brief pleasantries, Li Ding looked at Zhou Zhenhong and inquired, "Have you had any contact with that person lately?"
"That person" naturally referred to Huang Tian.
Zhou Zhenhong answered, "We did before. But ever since He wiped out the Holy Light Society and manifested His divine presence to transmit His voice across the land, we haven't spoken with him again. We've been waiting for instructions from headquarters, not daring to act rashly."
At this point, he hesitated for a moment and added, "In my view—cough, this is strictly my personal opinion—Mr. Huang is actually a fairly mild-tempered person. Well, assuming we can still call him a person. As long as you don't provoke him, he's quite easy to get along with."
*Fairly mild-tempered?*
Li Ding and Guan Fu exchanged a glance, both recalling how Huang Tian had obliterated the Holy Light Society from thousands of li away. Still, that kind of temperament wasn't necessarily bad; it meant he clearly distinguished gratitude from grudges.
Li Ding pondered briefly, then said, "My purpose here is to make initial contact with him on behalf of headquarters. Zhenhong, what do you think would be an appropriate gift for our visit?"
Zhou Zhenhong was taken aback. "A gift? Well... Mr. Huang doesn't seem to lack anything, nor does he appear to have any special hobbies. Oh, right! I remember now! The day before yesterday, after clearing the Shande Nursing Home nightmare, he mentioned wanting some dream relics—"
Guan Fu's eyes lit up. "In that case, he does have a need for dream relics."
Li Ding grew thoughtful, then suddenly said, "Zhenhong, recount the entire process of your interactions with him once more. Make it as detailed as possible."
Zhou Zhenhong was slightly surprised, unsure why Li Ding would ask for this, but he started from the beginning and described everything in meticulous detail.
After listening, Li Ding fell deep into thought. His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and enlightenment dawned on his face. "His power isn't static—it's growing at an astonishing rate!
"At the very beginning, he didn't possess the strength he has now. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to run around and personally visit the sites to eliminate nightmares. He could have simply responded to prayers from afar and purged evils across tens of thousands of li, just as he proclaimed to the world!"
At this point, Li Ding looked at Zhou Zhenhong. "You said earlier that after clearing the Shande Nursing Home nightmare, no leftover dream relics were found at the scene?"
Zhou Zhenhong recalled carefully, then shook his head. "None. I'm certain there were none."
Li Ding felt a jolt of excitement. "I understand now! He can destroy nightmares at their very root! He devours the power of nightmares to nourish himself! That's why no dream relics were left behind! And that's why his strength could advance by leaps and bounds in just a few short days! That must be it! It has to be!"
As soon as this conclusion was spoken, everyone felt a tremendous shock reverberate through their hearts. For over a century, countless people had attempted to destroy dream relics, but every single attempt had ended in failure without exception. As long as dream relics remained indestructible, the shadow of nightmares would forever loom over humanity's head.
Yet now, dream relics could actually be destroyed?!
Guan Fu murmured, "It makes sense. It makes complete sense... Just because we mortals cannot destroy dream relics doesn't mean that exalted being has no way to do so."
For a mortal avatar of the Great God Zhonghuang Taiyi, wouldn't it be stranger if he *couldn't* completely kill nightmares and destroy dream relics?
The men looked at one another, immensely thrilled.
Li Ding thought for a few seconds. "I have one Xie-rank dream relic and one Sui-rank dream relic with me. Does your Qingyang branch have any spare dream relics?"
Zhou Zhenhong replied, "Only one Sui-rank relic."
"Bring it along. We'll present them all as our greeting gift to that being." Li Ding waved his hand. "Have someone fetch it, and then we set out!"
"Understood!"
Zhou Zhenhong gave a couple of instructions to Wang Guangming, who hurried off. Then Zhou Zhenhong pulled out his phone, found Huang Tian's Feixin contact, thought for a moment, and sent a message: *Mr. Huang, Vice President Li Ding of the Dream Expeller Association has arrived in Qingyang and would like to pay you a visit. May I ask if it is convenient for you?*
Before long, a reply came back: *You may come.*
Receiving this permission, Zhou Zhenhong felt a surge of joy. Li Ding and Guan Fu also breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he was open to meeting, it was a promising start.
A few minutes later, Wang Guangming returned, carrying a small golden box in his hands.
Taking the box, Li Ding got into a car with Guan Fu and Zhou Zhenhong, heading toward the residential community where Huang Tian lived.
In less than twenty minutes, they arrived at the location. Stepping out of the vehicle, the men stood beneath the apartment building and looked up, feeling a wave of nervous tension.
Taking a deep breath, Li Ding said in a low voice, "Let's go up!"
The other two nodded and followed him into the building, climbing to the third floor and arriving before the door of Room 301.
*Click—*
The door opened on its own, revealing a young man sitting cross-legged inside.
The young man opened his eyes, rose to his feet, and offered a warm, gentle smile.
Li Ding immediately extended both hands, his usually stern face breaking into an eager, beaming smile. "Mr. Huang, hello! A pleasure to meet you! I am Li Ding, humbly serving as the vice president of the State of Dongping's Dream Expeller Association."
Guan Fu followed with his own introduction. "Guan Fu, head of the Pingfeng City branch."
After shaking hands with them, Huang Tian said, "A guest is a guest. Please, have a seat."
Li Ding gave a glance, and Guan Fu took out three small golden boxes from the bag he had brought, placing them on the round table in the room. Li Ding said with a genial laugh, "A modest token of our respect. Please forgive its inadequacy..."
Huang Tian glanced at them and did not refuse.
Seeing that he accepted the gifts, the smiles on Li Ding and the others' faces grew even more sincere. They sat down and exchanged a few pleasantries, gradually warming the atmosphere until Li Ding finally asked the question weighing heavily on his mind.
He did not ask about Huang Tian's origins, nor did he ask whether he truly was the Great God Taiyi. That was unimportant, because whatever the answer might be, they had no way to verify it anyway. It was better left unasked.
The crucial point lay elsewhere: "Mr. Huang, may I ask if you are capable of completely eradicating nightmares and destroying dream relics?"
At those words, Guan Fu's and Zhou Zhenhong's breathing grew ragged, their hearts pounding as they nervously awaited Huang Tian's response.
Huang Tian smiled and nodded. With a beckoning gesture, one of the golden boxes on the table floated into his hand. Opening it, he revealed a rust-encrusted copper coin within.
This copper coin was a Sui-rank dream relic. Once fused, it allowed the wielder to transform their body into a specter form for fifteen minutes.
Holding the coin between his fingers, Huang Tian gave it a gentle pinch. It instantly shattered, dissolving into countless motes of white powder that scattered and drifted through the air.
Seeing this, the three men were overcome with ecstasy. Their eyes went wide, and their breaths came heavy and fast.
A dream relic—an object that no method known to man could damage in the slightest—had truly been destroyed!
It took a long while for Li Ding to calm his racing emotions. Pursing his lips, he looked at Huang Tian, a flicker of hesitation appearing in his eyes before being replaced by resolve.
"May we ask what we can do for you, so that together we may save the world from ruin?"
A hint of appreciation flashed in Huang Tian's eyes. "I need dream relics. Furthermore, let everyone in the world know my name, so that whenever they find themselves in desperate peril within a nightmare, they may chant those eight words. My divine intent will descend to purge the evil and banish the specters."
Li Ding thought to himself, *Just as I suspected, my guess was largely correct. He feeds on nightmares and dream relics to continuously grow his power...*
Yet even knowing this, he harbored no other thoughts. On the contrary, he felt immensely fortunate that Huang Tian did not feed on human lives. Otherwise...
Suppressing the myriad thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Ding pledged, "Beginning tonight, all information regarding nightmares, dream expellers, and everything related will be made public. Your name will also be spread far and wide. However, for now, this can only be done within the State of Dongping. We have no authority over other nations."
Would making this information public cause chaos? Without question. But keeping it secret was no longer an option.
First, the video of Huang Tian's divine manifestation had already gone viral across numerous platforms, and countless citizens were urgently demanding an official explanation and a clear response. Second, the frequency of nightmare occurrences was climbing ever higher; continuing to conceal the truth would only lead to more citizens dying inside nightmares.
As for the chaos? That would merely be temporary. Li Ding believed the authorities could swiftly stabilize the situation.
"In addition, our Dream Expeller Association does hold a collection of dream relics, but most are Sui-rank and Xie-rank. E-rank relics can be counted on one hand, and we possess not a single fierce-rank relic."
Li Ding continued, "I will discuss the matter with the president and deliver a portion of our dream relics to you. However, as to the exact number, I cannot provide a definitive figure just yet."
The value of dream relics was immense, as they represented the only known path to extraordinary power in this realm. Even though fusing with one inevitably corroded one's sanity, countless people still threw themselves forward without hesitation.
Moreover, dream expellers within the association relied on dream relics to advance. Even if Li Ding wished to hand over all the association's relics to Huang Tian for destruction, he could not do so; factions within the association would never agree to it.
Huang Tian understood this clearly and had no intention of forcing their hand. Let the bullet fly a little longer...
***
That very evening, after Li Ding and the others departed, videos of Huang Tian's divine manifestation were pinned to the top of every major online platform across the State of Dongping. At the same time, the authorities published an extensive official statement, explaining the origin and nature of nightmares in full detail.
This announcement instantly threw countless netizens into an uproar.
"Holy shit! The government confirmed it! Supernatural powers really exist! I want to become a dream expeller too!"
"Idiot above me, being a dream expeller is definitely no walk in the park. Your body and mind get corroded by dream relics, and you could kick the bucket any day!"
"To think humanity has been so close to extinction all this time? Thank the heavens immortal gods have descended upon our world! Great God Zhonghuang Taiyi, please protect this humble believer from calamity!"
"Protect from calamity +1 +1 +1..."
"Hahahahaha, you've all lost your minds! Lost your minds! How could gods, immortals, and nightmares exist in this world?! Haha, hehe, crazy, everyone's crazy!"
"Does God Taiyi take disciples? I'm willing to offer my entire family fortune in exchange for a chance to step onto the path of cultivation!"
"Mundane wealth is nothing more than dirt to an immortal deity. Why would a god care about your money? Keep dreaming!"
***
That night, the entire State of Dongping boiled with fervor. Some were ecstatic and fanatical, overjoyed at the reality of supernatural power. Some felt their worldview shattered, finding the world suddenly and disturbingly alien. And others were struck with profound awe and astonishment—including the members of the Dream Expeller Association itself.
Beneath the bright moonlight, Qiu Wu and Gu Xiaoshan stood before an ancient, weathered temple on the outskirts of the city. Qiu Wu spoke with a grave expression, "Over the past five days, more than twenty people have vanished in this area. The source should be this temple."
Gu Xiaoshan furrowed his brow as he scrutinized the temple, faintly sensing a chilly aura. "It's basically certain to be a nightmare. I just don't know what rank it is."
Qiu Wu said calmly, "We'll know once we head inside to scout it. Even if it's Xie-rank, the two of us can still pull back safely."
Both were seasoned Rank 1 dream expellers. They had no fear of ordinary Sui-rank nightmares, and even against a Xie-rank, their combined coordination was enough to protect themselves and retreat.
"I'm just worried it might be an E-rank..." Gu Xiaoshan mumbled.
Qiu Wu glared at him. "Stop jinxing us!"
Gu Xiaoshan gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Just a joke, Old Qiu, why take it so seriously? Besides, even if it really is E-rank, we might not be out of options."
Qiu Wu looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Gu Xiaoshan replied, "Didn't headquarters say so? Whenever we encounter a nightmare, praying to God Taiyi will grant us protection."
Just this evening, the Dream Expeller Association headquarters had issued an official directive:
Headquarters advised all local branches that upon discovering a nightmare incident, they should immediately chant the eight words—"*Zhonghuang Taiyi, deliver both dark and light!*"—to petition God Taiyi to strike down the nightmare specters from afar, rather than putting themselves in danger and risking injury or death.
Qiu Wu remained silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "Responding to prayers from across boundless distances... Such an ability sounds far too miraculous..."
He did not say whether he believed it or not, only adding, "If it's just a Sui-rank nightmare, we can resolve it ourselves."
"Right," Gu Xiaoshan agreed with a nod.
Raising their vigilance, the two walked slowly toward the temple. The moment they stepped through the gate and entered the courtyard, a veil of mist rose behind them.
"It really is a nightmare. Stay sharp," Qiu Wu said, his gaze sharp as he surveyed the surroundings.
"Don't worry, I've been on six or seven missions by now. How could I be careless?" Gu Xiaoshan replied in a low voice.
They advanced a dozen more steps, passing beneath an arched gateway. What met their eyes was a scene of utter decay: the main hall was rotting, weeds grew knee-high, and broken Buddha statues lay tumbled in the overgrowth. The moonlight was a sickly pale, and there was not a single insect chirp—only dead, suffocating silence.
*Rustle, rustle...*
Abruptly, the sound of shuffling footsteps arose, like many pairs of feet dragging along the ground, accompanied by low, guttural growls.
Hearing the noise, the two did not panic. They merely watched the source with heightened caution. From the pitch-black main hall, figures began to emerge—one, two... dozens of them.
They wore bloodstained monastic robes, beneath which were skeletal, emaciated frames. Their eye sockets were sunken, their cheeks withered and hollow, and their mouths stretched back in hideous grins to reveal sparse, blackened-yellow teeth.
"A... mi... tuo... fo!"
Facing Qiu Wu and Gu Xiaoshan, the dozens of monk specters stared with greedy eyes, raspy Buddhist chants forced through their dry throats.
"A... mi... tuo... fo..."
The chants dripped with chilling malice, boring into their ears and inducing waves of dizziness and nausea.
*Hiss—*
Looking at the dozens of specters, Gu Xiaoshan drew in a sharp breath and lowered his voice. "Old Qiu, this temple is at least a Xie-rank nightmare. Let's get out of here, fast."
Qiu Wu nodded slightly and began backing away step by step.
Seeming to sense their intent to flee, the chorus of monk specters abruptly shrieked at the top of their lungs, abandoning their chant in favor of a shrill, synchronized screech:
"Meat to eat!"
"Meat to eat!"
"Hungry! Hungry! Devour them!!"
Their previous stiffness vanished in an instant. Carrying a foul, bloody stench, they lunged straight at the two men!
"Holy crap!" Gu Xiaoshan cursed. Gritting his teeth, he thrust his left palm forward, where a blood-red eye materialized. The moment the spectral eye flashed, the monk specters' movements froze, and several tumbled directly to the ground.
"Move!"
Seizing the opening, Qiu Wu grabbed Gu Xiaoshan's arm and sprinted toward the exit. At the same time, he flicked his right arm outward, transforming it into a stark white bone blade radiating bone-chilling cold.
Yet before they had covered more than a few meters, both abruptly halted.
Standing right at the exit of the temple's dream domain were two five-meter-tall Buddha statues!
Both were ash-gray, their features rigid and their eyes chillingly cold. The statue on the left gripped a black Zen staff, while the one on the right held a massive monastic blade. Towering five meters high and blocking the only exit, their sheer presence exerted suffocating pressure without them even moving.
Qiu Wu glanced at the statues, then looked back at the closing monk specters, his scalp tingling. "Gu Xiaoshan, you really are a jinx!"
With a setup like this, even if it wasn't an E-rank nightmare, it wasn't far off!
Gu Xiaoshan swallowed hard. "Cut the chatter! Let's figure out how to get out of here first!"
*Whoosh!!*
A dark shadow tore through the air as the statue holding the Zen staff moved. Raising the staff high, it swept across horizontally like a falling pillar, whipping up gale-force winds. The two men threw themselves into a desperate roll across the ground, barely evading the strike.
"Roar—!"
Seeing them on the ground, the monk specters scrambled over one another to pounce, eager to crush them beneath their weight and feast on their flesh.
Gu Xiaoshan rolled awkwardly away and thrust his left palm toward the incoming horde once more. The spectral eye flashed, freezing the specters in their tracks again.
Seizing the chance, Qiu Wu slashed with his bone blade, cleaving the foremost specters in half at the waist.
"We can't keep this up!" Gu Xiaoshan's face was deathly pale; using the spectral eye twice in quick succession had clearly taken a severe toll on him.
Qiu Wu looked equally grim, his breath coming in heavy gasps.
*Boom!!*
Even as they spoke, the statue with the monastic blade stamped the earth and swung its massive weapon downward with a thunderous roar!
Neither dared meet the blade head-on, having no choice but to dodge with everything they had.
Immediately after, both statues charged forward in unison. The Zen staff fell with crushing weight, and the monastic blade struck with savage fury, whipping up fierce gusts. Meanwhile, the swarm of monk specters surged forward again, hemming the two men in until there was nowhere left to run.
"Damn it, are we really going to die here?!" Qiu Wu stumbled back two steps, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Gu Xiaoshan supported his arm, and an idea suddenly struck him. "There's still a way!"
Qiu Wu paused for a fraction of a second, instantly realizing what method Gu Xiaoshan was referring to.
Sure enough, after clumsily ducking beneath another sweep of the monastic blade, Gu Xiaoshan summoned every ounce of his remaining strength and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Zhonghuang Taiyi, deliver both dark and light! We pray the God Taiyi subdue these nightmare specters!!"
As the words fell, the monk specters continued their guttural roars, and the two statues raised their staff and blade high. The light faded from Qiu Wu's and Gu Xiaoshan's eyes, and despair gripped their hearts.
*Whoosh—*
Suddenly, as if a gentle gust of wind had passed, everything within the temple froze, as though someone had pressed a pause button on the world.
And then...
The heavens tore open!
Above the temple, an incomprehensibly colossal palm seemed to cross the boundless void, tearing through the dream domain to descend upon the temple!
Azure, crimson, yellow, white, black!
Five-colored light coiled like five divine dragons, interweaving and radiating brilliantly. It illuminated the decaying temple, illuminated the stunned, frozen faces of Gu Xiaoshan and Qiu Wu, and illuminated the greedy, terror-stricken expressions of the frozen monk specters and towering statues.
The palm pressed downward—appearing slow, yet impossibly swift. It landed lightly upon the temple, yet the earth shook violently beneath it!
Piercing screeches echoed through the air as the monk specters disintegrated into gray mist where they stood, and the towering statues were crushed into fine powder!
Like a creased scroll being smoothed flat, the entire temple was pressed into a level expanse of ground!
The chilling, foul, and corrupt aura lingering over the area was swept away by the vast divine radiance, evaporating in an instant like lingering snow beneath a blazing sun. A cool night breeze swept through, carrying fresh, clean air.
Standing amid the flattened ruins, Gu Xiaoshan and Qiu Wu stared at the annihilated temple and the vanished horrors, their minds completely blank.
Only after a long silence did Gu Xiaoshan finally utter an incredulous curse:
"Holy... shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!!"
Chapter 174