"Young man, there's no need to worry. This is real, not a dream."
The elderly man in the cyan robe smiled as he spoke.
"You are a junior of my old friend's bloodline. Since you've come here, it wouldn't be fitting for this elder to let you leave empty-handed.
Here, I'll give you two sticks of Dream Incense.
You'll understand the function of Dream Incense once you refine it."
With a wave of his hand, two sticks of incense that looked quite ordinary appeared before Ye Yunfei.
"Alright, young man. After you finish this cup of tea, you may leave."
The cyan-robed elder pointed at the teacup in front of Ye Yunfei.
"This old fellow wanted you to swallow pills earlier, and now he wants you to drink tea. I always feel he's up to no good. You better not drink it," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm sent a voice transmission to warn him.
"Young man, your vigilance is quite high. No wonder you were able to break out of the dream before.
Your thinking, willpower, comprehension, and other aspects are also much stronger than ordinary beings.
If this were in ancient times, I would certainly recruit you to cultivate under my tutelage. Unfortunately, the Dream Path Sect no longer exists."
Seeing Ye Yunfei's deeply guarded expression, the cyan-robed elder suddenly smiled and spoke.
"The Dream Path Sect?"
Ye Yunfei's heart stirred, as this was the first time he'd heard of it.
"Drink. This tea is beneficial for you."
The cyan-robed elder then spoke again.
Immediately after, before Ye Yunfei even realized what was happening, he lifted the cup of tea and drank it down in one gulp.
"Not good! Why can't I control my own actions?"
Ye Yunfei was profoundly shocked in his heart.
Boom rumble...
As the tea entered his stomach, Ye Yunfei felt boundless energy, as if erupting from a volcano, instantly surging forth within his body.
A terrifying tide of energy instantly flooded every corner of his body, including every cell. Ye Yunfei then felt his realm loosening.
Boom rumble...
Dark clouds gathered densely overhead, with rolling thunder.
"I'm going to undergo the Lightning Tribulation!"
Ye Yunfei was somewhat stunned.
Ye Yunfei was currently a mid-level True God. If he passed the tribulation and broke through, he would become an advanced True God.
"So powerful?
A single cup of tea makes you want to break through a realm?
This could be a dream. Be careful!"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm immediately warned.
But the next moment, Ye Yunfei discovered that the thunder above his head had already descended. Thick bolts of lightning and electric snakes rumbled down.
Ye Yunfei had no time to discern whether this was real or a dream. Forced by circumstance, he shot into the air and began enduring the tribulation.
Leize appeared by Ye Yunfei's side and started devouring the bolts of lightning striking down from high above. Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei stood amidst the raging storm of thunder. He did not evade or resist, allowing the massive bolts of lightning to strike his body continuously.
"This seems real, not a dream."
After sensing carefully, Ye Yunfei found that the current feeling was identical to his previous experiences during tribulations. There was no difference.
"Even now, I still can't tell if this is a dream or reality.
I can't see any flaws whatsoever. Perhaps this is truly real."
Hun Lao spoke.
"Master, I also can't tell if this is a dream or reality."
Hu Miao said.
Over the following time, lightning from high above continued to rain down relentlessly. Ye Yunfei and Leize were completely submerged in the overwhelming storm of thunder.
"Why do I feel this lightning is real?
This terrifying lightning energy is precisely the bane of the Ghost Path and Corpse Path I cultivate."
Huang Shang, hiding within the Phantom Tower, sensed the terrifying lightning energy outside and couldn't help but speak.
"Based on what I'm feeling, this probably isn't a dream, but something real happening," Huang Shang added.
"If this is real, then that old fellow might genuinely not harbor ill intentions towards us. On the contrary, he even offered help."
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said.
Over half a day later, Ye Yunfei's Lightning Tribulation finally concluded.
"Am I an advanced True God now?"
Ye Yunfei sensed the divine energy within his body, which had become stronger.
"Is this real or in a dream?
A single cup of tea made me break through a realm. This feels somewhat dreamlike."
Ye Yunfei couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"Alright, young man. You may leave now."
That cyan-robed elder stood in the distance, watching Ye Yunfei with a smile as he spoke.
"Thank you, Senior, for helping me break through my realm."
Ye Yunfei said respectfully.
Ye Yunfei increasingly felt that what had just happened seemed genuine.
"The two sticks of Dream Incense I gave you—do not use them lightly, only at critical moments.
If a knowledgeable person sees them, they might try to seize them. You must understand the principle that treasure invites disaster."
The cyan-robed elder said.
"Senior, rest assured. I will remember your guidance."
Ye Yunfei hurriedly replied. He then took the two sticks of Dream Incense gifted to him by the cyan-robed elder and respectfully bid farewell once more, preparing to turn and leave.
Before Ye Yunfei even took a step, a rainbow-colored, iridescent bridge appeared beneath his feet. It lifted Ye Yunfei and instantly returned him to the shore at his previous location.
Then Ye Yunfei discovered that the scene at the center of the small island had changed again, reverting to its state of scattered gravel and ruins.
The foundation of the small building and the tomb beside it had both returned to their original forms.
"We're back here again. Was our previous experience real or a dream?"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm couldn't help but speak.
"I feel it should be real."
Hu Miao spoke.
"I am indeed an advanced True God now, so our recent experience should be real.
That Senior likely holds no malice towards us. Otherwise, with his strength, killing us would have been too simple."
After thinking, Ye Yunfei spoke.
"Alright, let's leave quickly. This place is too eerie, both real and illusory. I simply can't tell if it's a dream or reality. Perhaps we've been in a dream ever since we stepped onto this small island."
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said.
"Alright then, let's leave now."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
In truth, if it were possible, Ye Yunfei would willingly stay on the shore, cultivating in seclusion here while waiting for the Heavenly Gods of the Guardian Faction outside to depart before exiting directly from this place.
But that cyan-robed elder was too strange, and Ye Yunfei had already verbally bid him farewell, so he had no choice but to leave.
Ye Yunfei then turned and stepped into the sea.
Boom rumble...
Upon the surrounding sea surface, huge waves immediately rose and rolled towards Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei immediately swung his fists, striking out like lightning. With several consecutive punches, he blasted apart several of the massive waves.
"I am indeed an advanced True God now. My divine energy has increased significantly."
While swinging his fists, Ye Yunfei sensed the various powers within his body and discovered that his realm was indeed that of an advanced True God. He felt somewhat excited.
"Since my realm has truly broken through to become an advanced True God, then the Dream Incense gifted to me by that Senior earlier must also be real.
A gift from such a formidable expert should be extremely precious.
Good, I'll refine the Dream Incense right now to see what kind of treasure it is and what functions it possesses."
Ye Yunfei thought to himself.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Power immediately enveloped the Dream Incense as he began trying to refine it.
Ye Yunfei advanced across the sea surface, swinging his fists continuously to fend off the ceaseless waves crashing towards him.
Having already recuperated on the small island, consumed a large batch of divine pills to restore his energy, and broken through a realm level, Ye Yunfei now felt much more at ease facing the waves on the sea.
A single casual punch could block the waves attacking from all sides.
One of Ye Yunfei's Soul Bodies was refining the two sticks of Dream Incense gifted by the elder.
During his journey, Ye Yunfei encountered several aggressive sea creatures, including over a dozen green sea serpents.
These serpents were enormous. When their heads emerged from the sea, seen from afar, they resembled massive green mountain peaks.
Fortunately, Ye Yunfei detected them from a distance. When those dozen or so green sea serpents spotted Ye Yunfei and wanted to charge and attack, Ye Yunfei had already taken a detour, giving them a wide berth.
There were also hundreds of giant conches, their shells incredibly hard, and they could emit strange wailing sounds.
These strange sounds could attack the Soul Bodies of living beings, causing intense pain that was worse than death.
Hundreds of these giant conches directed their strange wails at Ye Yunfei together. The rolling sound waves churned up towering waves on the sea surface, forcing Ye Yunfei to not even consider resisting head-on. He fled in a disorderly retreat.
Ye Yunfei's two Soul Bodies, dozens of Soul Power planets, and the soul-nourishing tree combined to resist the conches' strange wails. Yet, he was still left dizzy and disoriented, nearly falling into the sea.
"Too terrifying!"
Only after fleeing far away did Ye Yunfei dare to stop when the conches' wails grew much softer. Looking back at the sea area where the conches had gathered, his heart still held lingering fear.
"I've finally successfully refined the Dream Incense gifted to me by that Senior."
At this moment, a surprised and joyous expression suddenly appeared on Ye Yunfei's face.
Ye Yunfei then learned the specific functions of this Dream Incense.
First, after refining the Dream Incense, when needing to use it later, one could ignite it to gain the ability to manipulate others into entering dreams and control their dreams.
Second, one could use Dream Incense to cultivate Dream Path Energy and comprehend Dream Laws, as Dream Incense contained a vast amount of Dream Path Energy and advanced Dream Laws.
Third, Dream Incense could help enhance a person's comprehension and even allow them to enter a dream state for cultivation. The effectiveness of cultivation in this dream state surpassed that of cultivating in the real state.
Additionally, Dream Incense was a very high-level treasure, incredibly hard. During battles, it could be used as a weapon to counter and block other high-level treasures.
"Igniting Dream Incense allows me to manipulate others into entering dreams?"
Ye Yunfei was somewhat pleasantly surprised.
Previously, on that small island, Ye Yunfei, Hu Miao, and the others had suddenly entered a dream. It wasn't until the cyan-robed elder repeatedly persuaded Ye Yunfei to swallow the pills that Ye Yunfei began to sense something amiss.
If such an ability were used against enemies, making them suddenly fall into a dream on the battlefield, wouldn't that allow Ye Yunfei to dispatch them at will?
"Also, I can cultivate Dream Path Energy and Dream Laws through Dream Incense.
The Dream Path is a rare and peculiar cultivation method. If mastered, it would undoubtedly become one of my trump cards.
It seems that Senior holds no malice towards me. Not only does he harbor no ill intent, but he even helped me break through my realm.
He even gifted me a rare treasure like Dream Incense. That's quite good towards me."
Feeling grateful in his heart, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but speak aloud.
"Had we known that old fellow treated you so well, we shouldn't have left the island. Staying there, cultivating safely in seclusion, would have been much more comfortable."
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said.
"Indeed, staying on that island would have been much more comfortable than venturing into the sea."
Hu Miao also nodded in agreement.
"Let's search around a bit more and see if we can find a safer place for closed-door cultivation."
Ye Yunfei said.
"Master, should we turn back then? After all, that Senior means us no harm."
Hu Miao suggested.
"Go back now?
Forget it. I already bade that Senior farewell earlier. It would be quite awkward to run back now. Let's search for a while first."
Ye Yunfei shook his head.