Lin Yu entered the channel to the dream world. Immediately, he felt a terrifying energy descending upon him. It surrounded him like a thick fog. He struggled to move, but his body was immobilised. Panic gripped him as he contemplated his fate. If this energy continued, he feared his existence would be wiped out.
In his mind, he frantically searched for a way out. He opened his field, preparing to fight back against the energy. As he did, he felt his law beginning to crumble. Despair washed over him. Thoughts raced through his head. "I am going to die."
In the world of cultivation, dying meant something different. Before entering the ascension channel, Lin Yu was on the brink of the sixth stage of cultivation. This gave him hope. If he could manage to protect his True Spirit, he could return.
Determined, Lin Yu stopped fighting the energy. Instead, he focused inward. He gathered every ounce of himself into his True Spirit. He concentrated his vitality, spirit, and soul into a core. His Law was what held these elements together. However, the energy was relentless.
As he faced it, his core began to crumble under pressure. Lin Yu realised he had to adapt. He forged his Law by merging it with the energy around him. Each moment consumed his focus and power.
As he gave everything to this process, he noticed something changing. The traces of other Laws began to fade from his own. They were replaced by a unique existence that was becoming his own. This transformation was taxing but crucial.
Then, all at once, the energy that enveloped him disappeared. Lin Yu found himself floating in a vast black void. Confusion set in. The sudden absence of energy felt strange. Was he still in danger?
Before he could comprehend his situation, a black hole appeared above him. It opened wide, its dark centre swirling ominously. Lin Yu felt its force pulling him toward it. Despite the instinct to resist, he calmed himself. He made an intuitive guess. This precious energy was likely a trial for ascenders like him.
The Dream World was known as a Great World. Not just anyone could enter it. The black hole must serve as a portal to that realm. Trusting his instincts, Lin Yu surrendered to the pull.
As his True Spirit approached the black hole, a sudden rush of energy surrounded him. He felt as if he was being transformed. The darkness of the void embraced him, and he fell into the black hole.
Instantly, Lin Yu felt a jolt. The world around him shifted. Moments passed as he was thrust through the darkness. It felt like an eternity compressed into mere seconds. Each heartbeat echoed in his mind, filled with anticipation and dread.
Lin Yu was suddenly expelled from the black hole. He tumbled onto solid ground. Reality rushed back in with full force. He blinked, trying to adjust to the bright light surrounding him. The environment was unlike anything he had seen before.
As he looked around, he found himself in a dense forest. The spiritual energy here was faint, almost nonexistent. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. He gazed up at the sky and saw only one sun. "I cannot be in the Dream World," he concluded.
To confirm his situation, Lin Yu took flight to scout the area. However, he quickly felt tired. His only remaining strength was from his True Spirit. "I need to find a body," he thought urgently.
Just then, he spotted a sparrow flying toward him. In a moment of instinct, he shot toward the bird and entered its body. The sparrow froze mid-air and began to spiral downward. After a moment, it regained control and continued flying.
As Lin Yu entered the sea of consciousness of the sparrow, he felt an overwhelming connection. He swallowed the sparrow's soul completely. This brought him not just the bird's consciousness but also its memories. Within those memories, he discovered images of hairless, two-legged creatures.
"They must be humans," he deduced. With that realisation, he directed the sparrow toward a nearby settlement. As he flew out of the forest, the spiritual energy around him faded further, raising more questions. Where had the Dream World thrust him?
After a while, he spotted a settlement surrounded by fields. He descended toward the village, landing on a branch of a tree. From this vantage point, he observed the villagers and their lifestyles. The state of the village suggested it was a pre-industrial civilisation.
Lin Yu decided to wait until nightfall to explore more. However, as minutes passed, he began to feel hungry. He took off once again, heading back into the forest in search of food. As he navigated the forest floor, he spotted a small rabbit scurrying about.
Meanwhile, far away in a bustling city, a man suddenly opened his eyes. A sense of urgency gripped him as he jumped from his bed. He immediately rang the bell beside him. Swinging open his closet, he retrieved a robe and began to dress.
As he prepared, the door swung open. Two female servants entered the room, heads bowed in deference. The man commanded, "Inform your majesty that his loyal servant wishes to meet him. It is vital concerning the fate of the dynasty."
As the sun set and the moon rose, the village fell into a deep silence. Lin Yu, perched on the branch of a tree, patiently awaited the cover of night. His senses heightened as he contemplated his next move in this unfamiliar world.
With the arrival of darkness, he made his way into the home of an older man. This man was known as a respected figure in the village. Although Lin Yu could not understand the villagers' spoken language, he could interpret their body language. He stood quietly on the headboard, peering down at the old man who slept next to a young woman.
Using his True Spirit, Lin Yu probed into the old man's spiritual essence. What he discovered shocked him; the old man's consciousness was absent from his body. This bewildering situation raised countless questions in Lin Yu's mind. He turned his focus to the young woman beside the old man, only to find her consciousness was also missing.
Driven by curiosity, he delved into their memories. This exploration quickly clarified the mystery. He learned that in this world, there existed a hidden realm known as the Dream World, which could only be accessed through dreams. However, only a Dream Magician could remain conscious in that realm. Others would awaken without any memory of their experiences.
Upon grasping this critical information, Lin Yu quickly exited the house and returned to the tree. He found a small crevice in the trunk, lodged his essence within, and closed his eyes to fall asleep.
As his consciousness drew inward and began to fade, an ethereal thread materialised, connecting heaven and earth to his True Spirit. Following this thread, Lin Yu found himself back in the village, but it appeared entirely transformed. The wooden and mud structures were replaced with buildings made of gold, crystal, and precious metals.
The villagers were no longer simply human; they had morphed into beings with animal heads or monstrous shapes. Their forms fluctuated, just like the structures, which shifted from magnificent palaces to dilapidated huts. Intrigued, Lin Yu began to investigate the phenomena.
He quickly discovered that the village's appearance was influenced by the dreams and thoughts of its inhabitants. Each villager's perception shaped the reality around them. For instance, if half the villagers viewed someone as a wolf in sheep's clothing, that individual would manifest as such in the Dream World.
Exploring further, Lin Yu learned that a protective bubble surrounded the village. He remembered that there were dream monsters in the Dream World. If a person remained alone without nearby companions, these monsters could attack them in their dreams, potentially leading to death or body possession. It was only when enough villagers gathered that a dream shield was formed to provide protection from these menacing creatures.
Curious about the nature of dream monsters, Lin Yu stepped outside the protective bubble. As he ventured beyond its boundaries, a black mist struck him, enveloping his being. In the Dream World, he felt no energy constraints. Seizing this opportunity, he captured the monster effortlessly, activating his Digital Law to analyse it.
The creature did not even reach the first stage in strength, allowing Lin Yu to uncover its nature. It was a nightmare monster, known for inducing nightmares in individuals and capable of affecting even those within a dream shield. However, it lacked the power to directly kill. Instead, it drove individuals to madness through relentless nightmares, making it difficult for them to distinguish between reality and dreams.
If such a person appeared in a small village, they would be cast out, leaving them vulnerable to a nightmare monster's attack. Understanding its weaknesses, Lin Yu crushed the nightmare monster with ease and continued his exploration, seeking other monsters lurking around the village.
Just as he delved deeper into his investigation, he felt the village begin to fade away. Reacting swiftly, he followed the ethereal thread back to his physical body.