AUOF - 116

Ji Hengyu’s breathing grew faint, and with his eyes closed, he seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.

Sang Li wiped away her tears and got off the bed, preparing to go out and check if Qi had returned. However, just as she left Shuoguang Hall, she heard a deafening commotion coming from the front hall of Changlin.

“The Lord Tianheng is the overseer of Guixu Palace. How dare you from Tiange interfere in our affairs!”

“Exactly! All of us demon suppressors belong to Guixu. Whether it’s Tiange or the divine realm, none of you have the right to meddle in our affairs!!”

“We only listen to Lord Tianheng!”

“Lord Tianheng was negligent, causing the abyssal prison to open. The cause of the incident has yet to be determined, and Lord Tianheng is severely injured. Guixu cannot be without a leader for even a day. Before Lord Tianheng recovers, the divine realm specifically sent us to assist. Are you really trying to defy orders by blocking us?!”

The front hall of Changlin was crowded with people.

In the middle stood three immortals dressed in white robes with gold trimmings. Judging by their attire, they were clearly officials from the divine realm, all with considerable cultivation levels. At this moment, their expressions were stern, showing no retreat in the face of provocation from the disciples of Guixu.

Sang Li pursed her lips, carefully squeezing into the crowd while concealing her presence, observing the situation covertly.

The disciples of Guixu obviously wouldn’t accept this. Guixu Palace had always been at odds with Tiange. Even though they knew Ji Hengyu was severely injured due to punishment, they still didn’t want to obey these detestable Tiange officials.

They were too lazy to argue, and amidst the arguments, weapons were already drawn.

Just as tensions reached their peak, Yue Zhuqing’s timely appearance prevented a conflict.

She stepped forward in front of everyone, “You must not be disrespectful. Everyone, please step back.”

Her voice wasn’t loud but carried a chilling clarity akin to morning dew, instantly quelling the flames. A group of people glared fiercely at the few celestial officials, swallowing their anger reluctantly and retreating behind her.

The leading immortal sneered contemptuously at Yue Zhuqing.

She slowly performed a bow, neither humble nor arrogant, “So it’s Immortal Wenshan. Greetings.”

The governance of Tiange was complex. Below the Supreme Dao Lord were four great celestial sages, and below them were twelve golden immortals. Among them, Immortal Wenshan was mainly responsible for rules and regulations, well-known for his ruthless and harsh methods. Now that the Supreme Dao Lord had sent him, the intention was clear.

“Lord Tianheng hasn’t awakened yet, and your disciples here seem to be rebelling.”

This statement provoked those behind her.

Yue Zhuqing raised her hand to stop them, smiling, “Guixu Palace guards the outer heavens day and night. In the past, even a fly entering would put the entire palace on high alert. Your sudden arrival naturally made the disciples nervous.”

Immortal Wenshan narrowed his eyes, his tone turning dangerous, “Are you saying I’m a fly?”

Yue Zhuqing remained calm, “Immortal Wenshan is overthinking. I merely meant that whether dealing with external objects or outsiders, Guixu always remains vigilant. Only then can we protect the six realms well. After all...” She paused slightly, “...underneath the Guixu Sea are hundreds of layers of the abyssal prison, not a place where anyone can come and go freely.”

Her words were filled with sarcasm, yet her manner was impeccable, leaving no room for criticism.

Immortal Wenshan’s face turned black, green, then white, suppressing his anger. He raised his palm and tossed out an official document: “This is a personal decree from the Supreme Dao Lord. Considering Lord Tianheng’s injuries, he specially sent us to assist. During this time, the three of us will temporarily stay in Guixu. Does young immortal Yue Zhuqing have any objections?”

The so-called clearance of hidden dangers was false; the real reason was monitoring.

Yue Zhuqing’s smile didn’t waver, “Of course not.”

She turned to the disciples behind her, “Take the three immortals to settle in Tianqing Palace.”

The disciples were quite resentful, “But...”

Yue Zhuqing gave them a meaningful look, and they reluctantly swallowed their anger, grinding their teeth as they gestured to lead the way, “This way, please.”

“Hmph.” Immortal Wenshan disdainfully glanced at everyone before leaving with a flick of his sleeve.

Taking advantage of the moment, Sang Li approached Yue Zhuqing.

Before she could speak, one of the nearby disciples vented indignantly, “Why did you let such people in, sister? You know...”

Yue Zhuqing’s expression suddenly changed, “You know that Lord Tianheng is still under discipline and hasn’t awakened yet. Knowing that the divine realm is using this as an excuse to target us, why do you still not know how to conceal your sharp edges and confront them directly?”

This questioning left several hot-headed youths speechless, their fiery tempers immediately subsiding.

They lowered their heads, “…We’re just angry. Our brothers risk their lives guarding the abyssal prison while those aloof elders in the divine realm do nothing. Why should they treat us so harshly today? I think they’re just relying on their power…”

Seeing the youth getting more agitated, Yue Zhuqing quickly cast a silencing spell to prevent the sound from reaching inside.

She was furious, losing composure for the first time in her life, “It’s only been six days since the loss of control in the abyssal prison. Do you want the divine realm to accuse Guixu of lax discipline and poor management again?”

No one dared to utter a word.

Yue Zhuqing sighed deeply, exhausted, “Everyone, behave yourselves for the time being. Once Lord Tianheng awakens, he will make the final decision.”

Yue Zhuqing’s words calmed the restless youths, who nodded and dispersed one after another.

Sang Li hadn’t spoken until now. Yue Zhuqing finally had a moment to attend to her. These days had worn her out, her eyes showing signs of fatigue. Yet facing Sang Li, she softened her gaze and smiled gently, “How is Lord Tianheng?”

Sang Li’s throat tightened, suddenly feeling reluctant to burden her with more pressure.

Yue Zhuqing gently squeezed the soft flesh on Sang Li’s wrist, “Brother Qi should be returning soon. Let’s go back to Shuoguang Hall.”

The two walked back to Shuoguang Hall together.

As luck would have it, the master-disciple pair, Qi and Li Ningxi, also returned at the same time. However, there was no sign of Zhaowu True God following them, and judging by their solemn expressions, the situation was likely unfavorable.

“True God Zhaowu...”

Li Ningxi shook his head, quite disappointed, “He has entered the state of Wuwo, making it impossible to meet him in person.”

The Wuwo state involves the unity of body and mind, diving into the illusory realm beyond the heavens. It takes thousands of years to awaken from it. Even if the physical body dies, the consciousness continues to roam beyond the clouds.

Unfortunately, this happened at this critical juncture…

Sang Li felt a heavy weight in her heart, contemplating whether to visit Shuiyun Tian again and seek help from Zhenren Wushan Du’e...

With heavy hearts, the four returned to the inner hall.

As soon as they stepped into the hall, they were shocked by what they saw.

Ji Hengyu had reverted to his snake form. His enormous body coiled layer upon layer, almost occupying all the space in the bedroom.

His snake head lay atop his body, eyes tightly shut, with a peculiar red glow swirling at his forehead.

Qi exclaimed softly, rushing forward to place his hand on Ji Hengyu’s forehead.

Seeing the situation worsen, Sang Li hurriedly asked, “Brother, what’s wrong with Ji Hengyu?”

Whether from anger or excitement, his tall figure trembled, “Qianhun Yin.”

Qianhun Yin?

Sang Li was stunned.

Yue Zhuqing and Li Ningxi were equally surprised upon hearing this.

Qi explained, “It’s the work of the Supreme Dao Lord.” Anger fueled his clenched fists, “He wants to use this to control Lord Tianheng.”

Sang Li looked at Yue Zhuqing in confusion.

She frowned, struggling to speak, but eventually, Li Ningxi calmly explained, “The so-called Qianhun Yin is controlling someone through dreams. The dream controller pulls their soul into their mental state, weaving a grand dream within it, reassigning personality traits, and rewriting their life according to a predetermined identity. When the person wakes up, they will completely forget reality and fully transform into the character from the dream, making it nearly impossible to change.”

Sang Li felt chills running down her spine.

To put it bluntly, isn’t this brainwashing?!

“Lord Tianheng has always had a strong mind. Perhaps the ordeal has given the divine realm an opportunity to exploit.”

Sang Li numbly took a few steps forward, unable to resist touching his cold scales.

He showed no reaction, his eyelids drooping peacefully, breathing steadily as if resting.

No wonder he kept shouting in pain and struggling. He must have known what the Supreme Dao Lord had imposed on him, thus resisting with all his might. However...

After a long silence, Sang Li suddenly turned to the three, “What if... I enter the dream?”

All eyes turned to her.

“I mean, I share the dream with him, disrupt the dream web, and pull him awake.”

The three exchanged glances, and finally, Qi cautiously spoke, “To ensure the dream net is sturdy and unbreakable, the Supreme Dao Lord will definitely send others into Lord Tianheng’s mental state to weave the dream net together. In theory, your idea is feasible, but...”

He hesitated.

Sang Li urgently asked, “But what?”

Qi looked straight into her eyes, “Although you won’t be affected by the Qianhun Yin, once you enter the mental state, you won’t remember your current memories either. In other words, you and Lord Tianheng won’t recognize each other. If you fail to wake him up, you’ll be in danger yourself.”

The reason Qianhun Yin is called the Thousand Soul Lure is because souls enter the dream.

When the soul dies, the body perishes. That’s the essence of the Qianhun Yin dream.

Even gods cannot control dreams.

In someone else’s dream, who you are, what kind of personality you have, and what life you’ve led are uncontrollable factors. Once they exceed expectations, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Sang Li’s fingers clenched tightly. She fixed her gaze on Ji Hengyu’s sleeping features, her resolve unwavering, “I’m going!”

Her mind was made up.

Sang Li forced a smile, “If the divine realm wants to turn him into an obedient puppet, I refuse to let them succeed.”

Sang Li knew exactly what kind of person Ji Hengyu was.

She didn’t believe that a mere Qianhun Yin could truly restrain Ji Hengyu. The more dangerous it was, the more she wanted to give it a try.

Sang Li’s eyes grew clearer, and without hesitation, she told Qi, “Brother, begin.”

Seeing that persuasion was futile, Yue Zhuqing sighed softly.

She had just taken a step forward when Li Ningxi blocked her path. Yue Zhuqing looked up in surprise.

“I’ll accompany Sang Li.”

She stared at him in astonishment.

Li Ningxi wore a faint, gentle smile, “Lord Tianheng has treated me well. As a disciple, it’s my duty to help, and it’s also good to have someone to rely on. Two people are better than one.”

Ji Hengyu was no ordinary person. The divine realm had always been wary of him. To gain better control, they might have sent many assistants.

Without hesitation, Sang Li agreed.

Qi extracted a drop of blood each from Li Ningxi and Sang Li, binding them with blood threads. This way, even if they lost their memories upon entering the dream, they would become blood-related family members. Their unshakable bond of kinship would ensure they stood firmly by each other no matter what.

After all preparations were complete, Qi and Yue Zhuqing simultaneously cast the formation, sending the two into Ji Hengyu’s mental state.

Her body, wrapped in a ball of magical light, slowly floated into the air.

Just before falling asleep, Sang Li suddenly remembered that people often dream about things they’ve seen or thought about during the day, especially those that leave a deep impression. To reinforce the suggestion, she took another deep look at Ji Hengyu, carefully etching his appearance into her mind. This way, even if she lost her memory, she would feel an immediate fondness towards him.

As the formation converged, drowsiness gradually overtook her.

Sang Li closed her eyes, continuously giving herself mental suggestions—

Ji Hengyu is a snake.

Ji Hengyu is a big snake.

Hmm, she likes Ji Hengyu.

...and also big snakes.