In the time that followed, Ye Yunfei took out a large batch of cultivation resources and began to cultivate.
Ye Yunfei did not enter the Shadow Tower. The experience that had just taken place — so much like being drawn into a dream — had put Ye Yunfei on his guard regarding this small island.
Meanwhile, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hu Miao, and the others did enter the Shadow Tower to cultivate in seclusion.
He did not know how much time had passed, but Ye Yunfei felt his condition had now fully recovered to its peak.
"I wonder how long those fellows from the Guardian Faction will keep their vigil outside?"
Ye Yunfei slowly opened his eyes and gazed out towards the direction beyond the Ancient Desolate Sea, letting out a soft sigh.
He knew those Heavenly Gods of the Guardian Faction must certainly still be on guard outside.
"That old wizard deployed so many Heavenly Gods to chase after me. He wouldn’t give up so easily."
Ye Yunfei sighed.
"It seems that old wizard holds you in high regard," Hun Lao said bitterly. "Just to deal with a junior like you, he's actually dispatched that many Heavenly Gods. And not just from one force either — a number of different forces' Heavenly Gods are chasing you together. He even sent people to enter the Ancient Desolate Sea to pursue you. It’s clear they won’t stop until you’re dead."
"That old bastard has been scrying and tracking me for a long time," Ye Yunfei said. "Back when I arrived in the Sixth Void and began killing the Guardian Faction’s True Gods, he was already targeting me. Later, I went on to kill many more of their people and destroyed many of their subsidiary strongholds, inflicting huge losses on them. So of course he wants to be rid of me."
"Let him try. Someday, the tables will be turned. Maybe it’ll be me hunting him."
Ye Yunfei gave a cold laugh.
"Did you guys notice? The scenery of this island has suddenly changed drastically!"
It was at this moment that the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm suddenly exclaimed in shock.
Hearing his words, Ye Yunfei immediately turned to look, and an expression of astonishment spread across his face, for the island’s appearance truly had changed completely.
Previously, the island had possessed exquisite scenery: flowers and grass carpeting the ground, bees and butterflies dancing amongst them, the trees lush and abundant. But now, the small island was bare and barren in every direction, revealing only yellow-brown gravel and rocks weathered by the sea wind into bizarre shapes.
The center of the island was strewn with the collapsed ruins of abandoned buildings, making it look like a veritable wasteland.
"Look! That small building we visited in the dream earlier is actually collapsed, only its foundations remain."
Pointing to the location at the island's center where the little building had once stood, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm cried out in amazement.
Before, that building had been nestled amidst dense woodland. Now, however, it lay exposed upon a patch of sandy mud, leaving only its foundation behind.
"It seems our experience earlier should have been in an illusionary realm after all," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm mused.
"But after arriving on this island, I haven’t sensed any trace of Illusion Dao Energy nor any Illusion Dao Laws," Hu Miao said, puzzled.
"Maybe the Illusion Dao Energy and Illusion Dao Laws present on this island are too advanced. They might just be beyond your ability to perceive with your current strength," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm replied.
"I am a member of the Primordial Heavenly Fox clan! The Illusion Dao is an inborn talent for our kind. I believe the number of illusions in this world that surpass those of our race cannot be many. No matter how profound the Illusion Dao Energy or Illusion Dao Laws are, I should be able to sense at least a little trace of its aura. It's impossible for me to feel nothing at all, right?"
Hu Miao declared. As a member of the Primordial Heavenly Fox clan, she truly possessed such confidence.
"Hu Miao makes a reasonable point. As a Primordial Heavenly Fox, no matter how profound the Illusion Dao Energy or its Laws, she should feel something. If it's not Illusion Dao Energy, then perhaps it's a different, extremely special and rare form of energy and Law found only in legends."
Hun Lao opened his mouth to speak.
"Hun Lao, have you thought of something?"
A flash of insight struck Ye Yunfei's heart, and he quickly voiced the question.
"Legend speaks of something called Dream Laws. I suspect our earlier experience, so much like being pulled into a dream, was likely the work of Dream Energy and Dream Laws. In other words, extremely profound Dream Energy and Dream Laws might exist upon this small island."
Hun Lao said.
"Dream Energy and Dream Laws?"
Hearing Hun Lao's words, Ye Yunfei felt a surge of astonishment, for he had little understanding of Dream Energy and Dream Laws.
"That actually makes sense," Hu Miao said, shocked herself after hearing Hun Lao's words. "Within my racial memory, there are also some fragments about Dream Energy and Dream Laws. That's because Dream Energy and Dream Laws share similarities with our race's Illusion Arts. The Illusion Dao and the Dream Path are quite close. However, Dream Path Energy and Dream Path Laws are even rarer and more scarce than the Illusion Arts cultivated by our race. They may have already been lost from the world. To think this small island actually possesses Dream Energy and Dream Laws..."
"This *is* the Ancient Desolate Sea. It's only natural there are many strange and bizarre occurrences. Nothing is impossible here," Hun Lao said.
"Dream Energy and Dream Laws! Hearing you speak of it, that must be it. Our previous experience truly felt exactly like a dream."
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said with dawning comprehension.
"Look over there. It looks like there's a grave there, with words carved onto its tombstone! That grave's position is right beside where the small building in our dream was located earlier."
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm suddenly cried out, pointing towards the island's center.
"Yes, I see it too. There is indeed a grave there, with writing on its tombstone."
Ye Yunfei focused his gaze and soon made out the characters carved on the stone: Burial Site of Elder Tianmeng.
"Elder Tianmeng!"
Reading the words on the tombstone, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but voice them aloud, somewhat surprised.
"Quite the peculiar moniker," Hun Lao said. "It seems a certain expert who excelled at the Dream Path is buried here. When we arrived at his burial site, we likely disturbed this ancient individual who has long since fallen. That's why we received a minor warning. Fortunately, earlier, within the dream, you didn’t swallow those pills. Otherwise, we might have been trapped within that dream, unable to leave."
"Trapped within that dream?"
Hearing Hun Lao's words, Ye Yunfei grew alarmed.
"Yes. Within my racial memory exists some recollection concerning the Dream Path. Those formidable experts who command Dream Energy can forcibly pull others into a dream and imprison them there, forever unable to escape."
Hun Lao answered.
"That's right, master. Experts skilled in Dream Energy can eternally imprison others in a dream, making escape from the dreamscape impossible. This point is somewhat similar to our race's Illusion Arts. If a member of our race masters Illusion Art to its peak, they can also effortlessly trap others in an illusion forever."
Hu Miao voiced her agreement.
"So that means our earlier experience was definitely a dream after all. I was so excited for nothing, thinking I was about to strike it rich and get Sovereign God Pills. Turns out it was all just a dream."
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm grumbled, displeased.
"And you were thinking of striking it rich? The fact that we managed to walk out of that dream was incredibly lucky," Hu Miao retorted.
"Since this small island is the burial place of a Dream Path expert, we should avoid disturbing him. It's best if we just stay by the shoreline."
Ye Yunfei stared at the grave at the island's center and spoke gravely.
He knew that powerful figures, even after their fall, often left behind formidable remnants of their souls or even Soul Power imprints. This was the Ancient Desolate Sea after all. Anyone capable of occupying a small island here could not be weak. Unless absolutely necessary, Ye Yunfei did not wish to provoke such an entity.
"So we’re going to keep waiting here, then? Until those fellows from the Guardian Faction outside leave, and only then will we depart? But how are we supposed to know when they’ll go? If they never leave, won’t we be stuck here forever?"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm protested.
"No other choice. Let's wait a bit longer and see. Alternatively, we can cultivate here in seclusion, striving to increase our strength. Once our power is sufficient, we’ll just fight our way out directly."
Ye Yunfei thought for a moment, then gave a bitter smile as he spoke.
"Little friend, your body carries the aura of an old acquaintance of mine."
Right at this moment, a voice rang out, reaching Ye Yunfei's ears.
Ye Yunfei was suddenly startled. When he looked towards the grave at the island's center, he saw that a blue-robed elder had, at some point, appeared standing atop the burial mound.
This elder in blue robes was, in fact, the very same elder Ye Yunfei had encountered earlier within his dream.
"No way! It’s that old guy again! Did he drag us into another dream?!"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm cried out, startled.
"From this moment on, we must be careful," Hun Lao warned hastily. "If we truly have been dragged into his dream, then within the dream, he becomes its master. We absolutely must not believe any words he says. We absolutely must not do anything he instructs us to do, or else we will fall completely under his control. Furthermore, starting now, we need to meticulously scrutinize every scene within this dream. According to my racial memory, the only way to leave the dream is to find its flaw. Once we can uncover the flaw of the dreamscape, it will become very easy to regain our clarity and escape the dream."
"The flaw of the dream... What constitutes a dreamscape's flaw? How should we go about looking for one?"
Hearing Hun Lao's words, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm immediately asked.
"The so-called flaw of a dreamscape is anything within the dream that is illogical or clearly erroneous — an event, a place, or an object. After all, there are distinctions between a dream and reality. If we can identify such distinctions, then we can be considered to have found the dream's flaw. From then on, it should be easy to see through the dream and walk out of it."
Listening to Hun Lao, Ye Yunfei, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hu Miao, and Huang Shang all sharpened their vigilance and concentrated their awareness completely. They began paying acute attention to everything around them, searching for the dream's flaw.
"Hehe… Little friend, there is no need to be tense. This is not a dream now. Earlier, little friend, you were actually able to emerge from that dream despite your young age. Your wisdom is indeed remarkable. Many beings possessing greater strength and higher realms than you who came here previously proved unable to leave their dreams. They remained trapped within them for eternity, ultimately turning to a pile of dry bones."
That blue-robed elder gazed at Ye Yunfei and spoke with a smile.
No sooner had his words finished than Ye Yunfei realized that the entire small island was indeed now piled high, everywhere, with one cluster after another of skeletal remains. These bones belonged to living beings from different races — humanity, beastfolk, Demon Race, Devil Race, along with a variety of other rare and unusual species.