Ye Yunfei noted that Yan Xiaoquan had reached a state of impending slumber. Though she was still fighting to hold on, maintaining the last shred of her consciousness, it was clear she was on the verge of truly falling asleep.
"This law is truly terrifying! Master, its principle is almost identical to that of Illusion Dao Laws!" Hu Miao exclaimed softly.
"I think I can guess what kind of creature this fellow belongs to!" Hun Lao suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? Hun Lao, you know what race this thing is?" Ye Yunfei felt a flicker of pleasant surprise.
Hun Lao was a part of the Chaos World Tree, possessing some of the racial memories of the Chaos World Tree lineage. He knew many of the world's secrets, so it wasn't strange for him to recognize the origin of this dark shadow.
"Yes. There is a peculiar creature in the world called a Dark Dream Demon. Dark Dream Demons possess a terrifying ability—they can stealthily lull living beings into sleep and then guide them into dreams. The Dark Dream Demon will seize the opportunity to enter the living being's dream, controlling them through the creation of all sorts of bizarre dreams, using them for its own purposes. Furthermore, Dark Dream Demons specifically feed on the Soul Bodies of living beings. Every being controlled by a Dark Dream Demon ultimately becomes its food. In short, it is a dreadfully eerie and sinister creature," Hun Lao explained.
"A Dark Dream Demon... such a bizarre creature actually exists in the world," Ye Yunfei was somewhat astonished upon hearing Hun Lao's words.
"Yes, I believe this fellow is most likely the legendary Dark Dream Demon. It truly is a fearsome creature," Hun Lao said.
To silently make others fall asleep and control their dreams—this ability was not only bizarre but also extremely terrifying. The fact that four Perfected Mystic Immortals were already under control was proof enough of how dreadful the Dark Dream Demon before them was.
"But I don't seem to feel sleepy at all," Ye Yunfei said, examining his own consciousness. He found he had no drowsiness whatsoever.
"I believe that's because you are proficient in Mental Force energy. Mental Force can keep your consciousness and willpower alert," Hun Lao thought for a moment and conjectured.
"Makes sense," Ye Yunfei nodded, agreeing with Hun Lao's explanation. Mental Force energy was, in essence, a form of energy generated during conscious thought processes. Strong Mental Force could indeed keep consciousness clear.
"If this Dark Dream Demon can't make me fall asleep, I won't produce a dream, which means it can't control me. Or perhaps I can use Mental Force to resist this Dark Dream Demon," Ye Yunfei mused, speaking to Hun Lao.
"Yes. You are proficient in Mental Force; perhaps you truly don't have to fear this creature. However, legends say Dark Dream Demons are extremely formidable creatures. Regardless, it's better to be cautious," Hun Lao advised.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei noticed that the eerie law was growing increasingly powerful, continuously invading his Soul Sea in an attempt to forcibly put him to sleep. However, Ye Yunfei's Mental Force was powerful, and his Soul Body remained in an alert state.
"I'd better pretend to fall asleep first. This Dark Dream Demon has been watching me all along," Ye Yunfei thought to himself.
"I'm so sleepy. I want to sleep." Ye Yunfei pretended his eyelids grew heavy while he made his Soul Body simulate a state of gradually fading consciousness.
"This human brat is starting to fall asleep too." The Dark Dream Demon made a pleased sound.
"Alright, now, all of you, come to me." The Dark Dream Demon spoke in an ethereal, hollow voice, brimming with a hazy, seductive quality.
"Yes, I'll come." Zhou Ye spoke first, now completely in a sleepwalking state, lifting his foot to walk towards the Dark Dream Demon.
Next, Wu Wang and Wu Tianyu also walked over.
Yan Xiaoquan's face showed a struggling expression. Her strength and Soul Power were slightly higher than Wu Wang's trio, so she still retained the last shred of clarity for the time being.
"Their dreams have already been controlled by this Dark Dream Demon! Now, whatever the Dark Dream Demon commands, they will obey without question. In their dreams, this Dark Dream Demon has probably taken the form of their closest kin or most trusted person," Hun Lao said to Ye Yunfei.
"Fine, I'll come too." At this moment, Yan Xiaoquan seemed unable to hold on any longer and also began walking towards the Dark Dream Demon.
"I have to act. If the four of them fall into the hands of this Dark Dream Demon, the consequences are unthinkable." Seeing this, Ye Yunfei knew he couldn't wait any longer.
"Prepare yourselves!" Ye Yunfei instructed Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm via sound transmission. Then, putting on a dazed expression, he strode towards the Dark Dream Demon.
Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm both locked onto the Dark Dream Demon, seeming ready to support Ye Yunfei in making a move. No one knew exactly how strong this Dark Dream Demon was—besides its ability to induce sleep and control dreams, it might possess other potent methods.
Soon, Ye Yunfei overtook Yan Xiaoquan, then passed Wu Wang and the other two, walking at the very front.
"Huh? This human brat seems deeply entrenched in the dream I've woven." The Dark Dream Demon, seeing Ye Yunfei walk towards him so quickly, felt a touch of delight. Just now, he had implanted a bizarre dream into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea—a dream in which Ye Yunfei became his servant, obeying his every command without question.
"Brat, weren't you acting all tough just now? Now you know how formidable I am. Come, kneel before your master." The Dark Dream Demon looked at Ye Yunfei and spoke arrogantly. Its voice sounded extremely strange, almost like a woman pinching her throat to scream sharply.
"I'm making my move!" Ye Yunfei quickly walked several steps forward, closing the distance to the Dark Dream Demon, then transmitted a message to Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
With a wave of his hand, Ye Yunfei tossed out a large handful of Formation Flags, directly constructing over twenty formations!
BOOM!
A mighty tide of Mental Force energy crashed violently towards the Dark Dream Demon.
*Shing!*
Sharp sword beams shot towards the Dark Dream Demon's body, aiming to slice it apart.
*ROAR*
A gigantic palm imprint appeared high in the air, emanating resplendent Buddhist light as it pressed down towards the Dark Dream Demon with crushing force.
At the same moment, Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm unleashed their spatial secret arts, forcibly twisting and warping the space where the Dark Dream Demon stood in an attempt to seal it forcibly.
The Dark Dream Demon, believing Ye Yunfei was already under its control, was completely caught off guard. Faced with this sudden turn of events, it was momentarily stunned.
"Mental Force! Brat! So you cultivate Mental Force—no wonder my Dream Dominion Art couldn't control you!"
"Ah! This... this is a Buddhist palm technique! Damnable Buddhist arts!" The Dark Dream Demon shrieked in shock.