“You stay behind.”
The Dream Demon stopped in its tracks, all of its dozen-plus eyes turning toward Chen Zhou in unison.
Chen Zhou said to Tuoba Feng, “You go on ahead. I still have something I need its help with; I'll be there shortly.”
Tuoba Feng nodded, and his figure vanished into the secret realm entrance.
Once everyone was gone, the thirty-foot-tall Dream Demon closed all the nightmare eyes on its body, retracted its fangs, and reined in its fiendish qi. Its massive frame shrank rapidly, turning back into a little pink pig in the blink of an eye.
“Oink!”
The little pig lunged into Chen Zhou's arms, its short limbs scrabbling desperately while its snout nuzzled against his chest. Its tail wagged so fast it looked like a propeller.
Chen Zhou chuckled and poked its snout. “It's only been a month or so; is all this really necessary?”
“Oink, oink!”
The little pig refused to listen and continued to nuzzle him.
Helpless, Chen Zhou let it frolic in his arms for a while before saying, “In a moment, I'll need you to weave a dream. I need to visit the deep dream.”
The little pig looked up, and purple fiendish qi seeped from its body. The qi condensed in mid-air, slowly forming the shape of a beast's maw. Its interlocking fangs looked incredibly fierce.
Then, the maw spoke.
“Piggy... missed Milord.”
The voice was deep and resonant, like muffled thunder echoing from an abyss, making the surrounding air hum with vibration.
“Missed you... couldn't sleep. Missed you... couldn't eat.”
“Thinking of you... even in dreams.”
“You're speaking more and more fluently,” Chen Zhou remarked.
“Piggy... works hard,” the maw said earnestly. “Milord was away... so Piggy practiced speaking. Practiced many times... wanted to give Milord... a surprise.”
“I'm certainly surprised, and happy too.” Chen Zhou rubbed the pig's head. “Not bad. You've made great progress.”
The little pig's eyes squinted into slits with joy. The maw asked, “Milord going to... the Fallen Dream?”
“Yes, to take care of some business.”
“Piggy... leads the way. Piggy is... very strong now. In dreams... Piggy is King.”
Chen Zhou smiled. “Alright, I'll be counting on you.”
The little pig puffed out its chest, looking proud.
Carrying the little pig, Chen Zhou first went to the General-Summoning Platform.
The system panel popped up, and Chen Zhou retrieved the Jianmu Origin Core and the origin of Purity and Filth, placing them into the panel.
The emerald crystal and the dust-yellow bead slowly merged with a cluster of grayish-white mist, causing the General-Summoning Platform to vibrate.
【You have obtained a first-stage Ghost Attendant — Jianmu (Divine Tree)】
【You have obtained a first-stage Ghost Attendant — Huangfeng (Yin Commander)】
With the contracts complete, Chen Zhou turned and walked down from the platform.
Next, he needed to visit Dingnai Hall.
Dingnai Hall was a three-story wooden building located next to the Gathering Fortune Pavilion.
This was Yu He's domain.
The Heavenly Chef Noble from five hundred years ago had now returned to his old profession in the City of the Wrongfully Dead, specializing in the research of various spiritual meals.
As Chen Zhou entered Dingnai Hall, a rich aroma wafted toward him.
Yu He was busy in the kitchen. Upon seeing Chen Zhou, he quickly set aside his work and bowed respectfully.
Chen Zhou waved him off and gave Tao Tuantuan's flat peaches to Yu He, telling him to research them as he pleased. Then, he asked for some Golden Buddha meat and a Nine-Age Crane Feather.
Finally, Chen Zhou returned to the Gathering Fortune Pavilion.
The unaging pine and the Qianqiu Locust seemed to have reconciled, and Jianmu had finished absorbing the pine cone. Chen Zhou scooped up Jianmu, placed it on his shoulder, and then had the little pig begin weaving the dream.
The small and cute pink pig instantly expanded, transforming into a hideous nightmare beast.
Countless eyes opened on the pig's body, each pair containing a nightmare powerful enough to drive one mad.
The Dream-Weaving Shuttle emerged in mid-air, pulling the fiendish qi to weave the dream.
A passage leading to the dream interlayer slowly opened before Chen Zhou's eyes.
Chen Zhou stepped inside.
It was still the same familiar path.
Countless colorful ribbons of light represented the dreams of the world, and in the gaps between these ribbons, a fork in the road was faintly visible.
The little pig led the way grandly, its billowing fiendish qi creating a powerful presence.
Chen Zhou followed behind with his hands clasped behind his back.
In the shadows flanking the road, the deformed monsters born from shattered dreams sensed the Dream Demon's aura from afar. They immediately began to tremble, shrinking into corners and not even daring to breathe loudly.
They passed the fork, crossed the ruins of the ancient battlefield, and passed through the gates of the Immortal-Slaying Shrine.
Everything inside remained as it was.
The purplish-red sky, the grayish-white ash earth, and hundreds of Wanchuan ponds emitting an eerie aura.
The three people within the Immortal-Slaying Shrine were still standing by the massive blood pond in the center, holding fishing rods as if to pass the long, almost endless stretches of boredom.
Suddenly, A Yao seemed to sense something and looked over.
Seeing Chen Zhou, she gave a bright smile, tossed her fishing rod aside, and walked over gracefully.
“The young man is back so soon?”
She reached Chen Zhou and looked him up and down, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.
“Wow, already at the seventh-stage fifth symbiosis contract?”
“What were you raised on to grow so quickly?”
Yuheng and Mo Cang also approached.
Yuheng flicked his horsetail whisk, looking amazed.
“The last time you were here, you had just broken through to the seventh stage. How long has it been, and you're already at the fifth contract?”
“As expected of you. I imagine my precious whisk must have played a huge role.”
Chen Zhou smiled and was about to speak.
However, the small branch on his shoulder suddenly began to flash frantically.
The emerald-green light flickered as it tried to jump around, attempting to catch A Yao's eye.
But A Yao was staring at Chen Zhou and didn't notice the inconspicuous little branch at all.
The little branch grew even more anxious.
It hopped onto Chen Zhou's head, then in front of his face, its emerald-green light flashing like a strobe light.
Yuheng finally noticed.
“Eh? What's this?”
He pointed at the frantically flashing little branch in front of Chen Zhou.
Only then did A Yao follow his gaze. She reached out and picked up Jianmu from in front of Chen Zhou.
“Why does this... feel a bit familiar?”
Jianmu trembled gently, letting out tiny whimpers—soft and thin, like the rustling of wind through leaves.
But to A Yao's ears, it sounded like a clap of thunder.
“Jian... Jianmu?”
Jianmu flashed desperately as if nodding.
Then it hopped from A Yao's palm and dived into her embrace, its twigs tightly wrapping around her fingers as its emerald-green light pulsed.
“It's really you?”
“How did you become so small?”
Jianmu cried even harder.
The Golden Dragon's voice echoed in Chen Zhou's sea of consciousness, tinged with a bit of a smile.
“My Lord, Jianmu wants you to pass a message to A Yao.”
“It says: A Yao, I've waited for you for forty-seven thousand three hundred years. I thought I would never see you again in this life.”
Chen Zhou relayed the words exactly, and A Yao's eyes instantly reddened.
She reached out and gently stroked the little branch.
“Silly child.”
“Why wait for me?”
“I've been dead for so many years.”
The little branch shook its head frantically.
The Golden Dragon continued to relay.
“It was afraid that when you came back, you wouldn't be able to find it. It was afraid you would be lonely all by yourself.”
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