Dream Barrier

Sure enough, there was a message from Fu Qingyang in the chat app: “Elder Gaofeng and Elder Ganlu of the Hang City branch have gone missing. Hang City has requested aid from Songhai. I am heading over to investigate. As soon as you return, come provide backup immediately.” Two elders had gone missing at the same time? Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow and immediately dialed Fu Qingyang's cell phone, only to get an automated voice prompt informing him that the number dialed was out of the service area. That meant Fu Qingyang was currently inside a barrier, an illusion realm, or somewhere similar. Given Fu Qingyang's intellect and strength, there was nothing to worry about unless a peak Dominator threw honor to the wind and ambushed him. Furthermore, Elder Gaofeng possessed a rule-based item—the Coward's Quilt. It was reputed to be indestructible even to demigods. So Zhang Yuanqing was not in a panic. He hung up and dialed Elder Dog's number instead. After a few rings, the call connected, and Lady JoJo's voice came through: “Yuanshi Tianzun?” *Why are you answering Elder Dog's phone?* Zhang Yuanqing muttered internally before saying in a deep voice, “Put Elder Dog on the line.” “Just a moment,” Lady JoJo replied in high spirits. After a dozen seconds, Elder Dog's gentle greeting sounded from the speaker: “Fu Qingyang mentioned you were tackling a high-difficulty dungeon with the White Tiger Corps recently. How do you have time to call me?” Zhang Yuanqing got straight to the point: “Elder Gaofeng and Elder Ganlu of Hang City have disappeared. Fu Qingyang went to rescue them, and he's currently unreachable.” Elder Dog's gentle voice turned solemn. “I know. Fu Qingyang and Elder Skyfire were assigned to lead this rescue mission. Gaofeng was most likely targeted by the evil faction. Lately, the evil faction's movements have grown increasingly brazen. They've been launching frequent attacks on official Dominators. If you checked the forums, you would know that three official Dominators have already returned to the Spirit Realm.” “The evil faction has gotten that arrogant recently?” Zhang Yuanqing frowned. He had been keeping an eye on external developments, but his focus had been on the grand scheme of things rather than local skirmishes. For now, the evil faction's demigods and high-tier Dominators were lying low, maintaining an outward calm as before. As for individual casualties among Saints and Dominators, they fell outside Zhang Yuanqing's immediate purview. Besides, he trusted Fu Qingyang. Whenever something major occurred or a huge conspiracy was detected, Fu Qingyang would always tell him. Elder Dog said gravely: “Ever since the Morality Points disappearance incident, everyone has known the balance was shattered. Low- and mid-tier Spirit Realm walkers suspect a massive conflict between factions will erupt in the near future, though they don't know the exact scale it will reach. “But for the Dominators on both sides, the final battle is on a countdown. Everyone wants to enhance their strength and survive before that day arrives. “Elder Gaofeng owns a rule-based item. As an early Stage 8 Earth Monster, he has exceptional defense but weak offensive capabilities, so it was inevitable that the evil faction would target him. Forget evil classes—even I covet that item of his.” The faction war had not even begun, yet undercurrents were already raging among the Dominators. *I haven't shown my face out in the world for a little while, and these evil Dominators have grown bold enough to hunt Elder Gaofeng!* Zhang Yuanqing asked: “How long has Elder Gaofeng been missing?” “Six hours!” Elder Dog said. “He and Elder Ganlu lost contact with the Hang City branch while dealing with a certain cult.” Missing for six hours... Zhang Yuanqing's expression relaxed slightly. “The Coward's Quilt can protect him for four hours, and the boss left two hours ago, so they should be safe for now. Elder Dog, remain stationed in Songhai. I'll handle this matter.” Yuanshi sounded completely confident. Tiaozhan Gaofeng was an eighth-stage Dominator, after all; the evil classes hunting him would not be low in level, nor would they be few in number... Elder Dog suddenly felt a poignant sense of time's passage and the turning of ages. Back then, this kid had been a greenhorn who, after vigorously rubbing Elder Dog's head, had dropped to his knees in terror and prostrated himself. He had been so raw, so tender and inexperienced. In the blink of an eye, he had become a towering figure in the Spirit Realm world. Equaling or even surpassing his father, Zhang Zizhen, was now merely a matter of time. With that thought, he heard Yuanshi Tianzun ask through the speaker, “How is the investigation into Huo Zhengkui's case going?” Elder Dog was silent for several seconds before sighing. “It is a cold case, and there's nowhere to start. Lady JoJo and I compiled a list of Spirit Realm walkers who were confirmed Dominators at the time and capable of threatening Huo Zhengkui. It includes members of both the orthodox and evil factions. “Today, every single one of them holds a high position. They are either demigods or peak Dominators wielding immense power and authority. “Given our rank, Lady JoJo and I simply lack the clearance to investigate them. Furthermore, after Huo Zhengkui was assassinated, there was no tangible beneficiary. The official organizations were only established over the past twenty years. “If the Covenant of Freedom's goal was merely to delay the founding of the Second District's official organizations, then the suspect pool for Huo Zhengkui's assassination expands drastically. Dominator-tier experts from the First District would also fall under suspicion.” “It truly is an unsolved mystery. After so many years, uncovering the truth is exceedingly difficult.” Zhang Yuanqing did not press further, switching topics instead: “How are you and Lady JoJo getting along?” Elder Dog let out another sigh. “We get along decently, but her temper isn't particularly... docile. She's far too willful. Haven't you seen the news? She's become an internet celebrity.” An internet celebrity? Zhang Yuanqing froze for a moment. “What happened?” “She tamed the dogs in the pet house. During the day, when she tours the zoo, she has a large hound carry her canopy bed while a pack of dogs follows behind. Sometimes she drops into the lion enclosure, sometimes into the tiger habitat, and other times she patrols the monkey yard. When she encounters tourists, she doesn't hide at all, so people filmed her and posted the videos online.” Elder Dog sounded utterly helpless. “Fortunately, she has some restraint and didn't slam her paws around while swearing at the tourists; otherwise, the zoo would have had no peace. Even so, it attracted tremendous attention from the outside world. The zoo's official explanation was that this civet cat had been infected with a virus that granted her the ability to make animals submit to her. “And just like that, she became a viral sensation. Crowds of tourists visit the zoo every day just to see her. Whenever she perches on her bed and is carried out by the hound, the tourists start screaming.” Zhang Yuanqing pictured the scene in his mind and could not help snickering inwardly. *An animal version of a courtesan's grand procession?* He chuckled. “She spent decades in loneliness within Pan's Labyrinth. Let her have her fun. For all we know, the end of the world might arrive tomorrow anyway. If the existence of Spirit Realm walkers gets exposed, so be it; there's no need to hide anymore. The old rules no longer apply. “The government will understand, and even if they don't, it doesn't matter.” Hastily hanging up the phone, Zhang Yuanqing picked up a thick-bottomed glass from the lounge area. This was the glass Fu Qingyang used for drinking. Pulling out a tissue, he wiped the rim. Next, he summoned the Red Dancing Shoes and stuffed the tissue inside. The Money Prince's bedroom and bathroom were cleaned daily, with every strand of hair and skin flake thoroughly eliminated. Only the study was cleaned in the evening, and since the Money Prince enjoyed wine, the glass was the best way to obtain his DNA. *Tap, tap, tap...* The Red Dancing Shoes took long strides, phased through the window, and sprinted away from the villa. Zhang Yuanqing was in no hurry to follow. Elder Gaofeng had definitely disappeared in Hang City or somewhere within Jiangnan Province. Given the speed of the Red Dancing Shoes, traveling from Songhai to Jiangnan Province would take at least an hour. For Zhang Yuanqing, however, a quarter of an hour was plenty. Taking advantage of the spare time, he drafted a message containing the list of Saints who had entered Pan's Labyrinth and sent it to his uncle. He included each Saint's class, analyzing what kind of items they might require based on their combat habits, class weaknesses, and other factors. By the time he finished compiling the information, half an hour had passed. Without waiting for his uncle's reply, Zhang Yuanqing switched off his phone, slipped it into his pocket, and vanished into starlight. Guided by the bond between item and master, he caught up with the Red Dancing Shoes in under ten minutes and trailed behind by riding the wind. Another dozen minutes later, they arrived at an industrial park on the outskirts of Hang City. The Red Dancing Shoes spun around in circles within the park like a headless fly. *The boss is in this area, but the Red Dancing Shoes can't get in... If it were a barrier, given its nature, it would already be kicking like mad. That means the boss didn't enter a barrier...* Transparent ripples surfaced in Zhang Yuanqing's eyes as he scanned the industrial park from above, yet he found no sign of an illusion realm. “In a dream?” He immediately dismissed his own conjecture. Fu Qingyang was not a Dream Master and lacked the ability to enter dreams. If he had been pulled into a dream, his physical body should have remained in reality. Yet the Red Dancing Shoes had not found his body. Not a dream, nor a barrier? What else could it be? *The Red Dancing Shoes couldn't locate the boss's body, which means he isn't in reality. If he isn't in reality, he must be in a dream... But the boss couldn't possibly enter a dream unless this dream is extraordinary?* At that thought, Zhang Yuanqing activated his Dream Leap skill, and a handful of dreams materialized before his eyes. Each was bizarre and kaleidoscopic, ranging from nightmares to erotic dreams to pleasant reveries. At that moment, the entire industrial park beneath him drained of color, turning into a black-and-white photograph. The buildings, streets, and greenery twisted and warped, transforming into collapsed ruins. Amid the ruins stood Fu Qingyang, gripping the Golden Dragon Sword and draped in his Swordsman Cloak, exuding dashing valor. A few dozen meters behind him lay a tattered quilt spread over the ground. Sheltered beneath it were Elder Gaofeng, a blood-soaked and unconscious Elder Skyfire, and an attractive, mature woman. She had to be Elder Ganlu of the Hang City branch. Confronting Fu Qingyang were four individuals. Two hovered in midair, swathed in black robes distinctive to the Southern Sect. Of the other two, one stood before an altar table lit with candles and lined with straw dolls, copper coins, a wooden sword, silver needles, talismans, ceramic bowls, and assorted bottles and jars containing various materials. The remaining figure was hideous and terrifying: stag antlers sprouted from his head, green scales covered his face, and his slit pupils burned with malice. Wings extended from his back, armor-like horn plates covered his body, and his limbs ended in black talons and cloven hooves. A thick, agile tail extended from his tailbone, tipped with a sharp, pitch-black venomous stinger. This monstrous Gu hybrid stood atop the head of a forty-meter-long, black-scaled giant serpent. The collapsed ruins crawled with rustling venomous snakes and Gu insects, encircling Fu Qingyang in a sea of vermin. Both sides appeared to have just finished a fierce clash and were catching their breath. The rubble was streaked with blood and littered with the carcasses of Gu insects and beasts, alongside shattered soldier puppets. *He really is inside a dream?* Zhang Yuanqing was stunned. This sight had only appeared after he activated Dream Leap; it was completely invisible to normal sight. In other words, Fu Qingyang truly was inside a dream. Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized the evil faction Dominators, cross-referencing them against the intelligence dossiers on evil Dominators. He identified the antlered Gu hybrid: Spirit Realm ID Snake Breeder, an elder of the Spirit Society's Southern District Branch and a Stage 8 Foul Spirit. The other Foul Spirit bore the Spirit Realm ID Tie Gua Duan Ming, at Stage 7. As for the two cloaked Nihilists, their features were obscured, making identification impossible. Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing leaped toward the dreamscape. However, a formidable barrier blocked his path. The Dream Leap failed. He had encountered a restriction akin to a barrier. Though he could see this dreamscape, he could not enter. Zhang Yuanqing realized what was happening: where Fu Qingyang stood was a domain that merged a dream with a barrier. At its core, it was a barrier, but constructed upon the foundation of a dream. It required a Dream Master to initiate. That explained why the Red Dancing Shoes couldn't even deliver a kick. This domain could only be perceived by a Dream Master, and entering this dream barrier required the status of a Stage 8 Nihilist. The conditions were exceptionally stringent. Zhang Yuanqing deduced that the power generating this domain likely stemmed from a high-grade item belonging to the Southern Sect. A genuine Nihilist lacked the ability to weave such a specialized domain on their own, but an item could achieve it; items always possessed bizarre and wondrous capabilities. *Elder Skyfire looks severely injured, which is why he retreated under the quilt. Elders Ganlu and Gaofeng appear largely unharmed, but once the Coward's Quilt is used, it cannot be lifted until four hours have elapsed.* *The boss has the Seven Star Lamp Array and the Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger, yet he hasn't deployed a single trump card. He must be waiting for me.* Zhang Yuanqing noticed a large bloodstain on Fu Qingyang's chest. He hurriedly produced the Yata no Kagami and summoned an avatar, then retrieved the Thunder God Set and equipped it onto the avatar. The avatar activated the set skill. Crackling lightning swirled around his body, making him resemble a fallen Thunder God descending upon the mortal realm. Pressing his palm against the restriction, the avatar rapidly charged a railgun. *** “What a terrifying junior!” The Foul Spirit atop the serpent's head marveled, “You ascended to Dominator only last June, yet in a mere half-year, you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us. The three major organizations view Yuanshi Tianzun as a thorn in their side, but in my eyes, you, Fu Qingyang, are the true scourge of the Freedom faction.” Advancing rapidly from Ultra to Saint was one thing. Upon stepping into the Dominator realm, advancing an entire stage in half a year was downright horrifying. How many Dominators required five to ten years just to progress from Stage 7 to Stage 8? Even those endowed with great talent who relied on guild dungeons only advanced slightly faster. Yet advancing from Stage 7 to Stage 8 in just six months had been accomplished by only two people since the dawn of the Spirit Realm: the Demon Lord and the Grand Marshal. “Save the chatter!” Fu Qingyang said coldly. “The break is over. If you won't make a move, then I will!” The cloak behind him billowed abruptly. The antlered Foul Spirit broke into wild laughter. “So eager to throw your life away? Well, with two Nihilists supporting us, the longer you stall, the easier it is for your emotions to spiral out of control. Do you plan to drag us down with you before you die?” Even a prodigy like Fu Qingyang could not possibly prevail against four evil-class Dominators. Before a Nihilist, no matter how formidable sword qi was, it remained a paper tiger. Furthermore, the curses, Fortune Diminishment, and defilement of a Foul Spirit were spells no swordsman could withstand. Fu Qingyang replied impassively: “Drag you down with me? I was merely using you to hone my swordcraft. You are the ones who need to wrap this up quickly. The longer this drags on, the more dangerous it gets for you.” The moment his words fell, a blinding beam of bright blue light punctured the restriction, and arcs of lightning tore through the entire domain. The corners of Fu Qingyang's mouth curved upward. “Danger has arrived!”