Chapter 2915: Dreaming Within a Dream

Chapter 2915: The Meng Dao

"Respectfully seeing off the senior."

Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang stood side by side, bowing with clasped hands. One had tears welling up, the other's eyes brimmed with sorrow.

The Da Cheng Sheng Ti and the Dong Huang Nv Di paid their respects. This farewell was the highest honor imaginable. One might ask, besides the ancient Nv Di of the ancient Tian Court from eons past, who else had received such distinction?

"The fortunes of the heavens shall endure eternally."

In the haze, a faint echo seemed to linger—Yan Fei's final glance back. Xuan Chen had defended the heavens with his life, and she walked the same path, summoning a guardian deity through her death.

"They have emerged."

Both the Tian Emperor and Ming Emperor murmured, their eyes still alight with hope. Ye Chen's complete exit from the dream did not mean full revival; he must comprehend the Meng Dao to turn illusion into eternity.

For a long time, the desolate starfield remained silent.

Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang stood like statues, unmoving for what felt like ages.

Their figures were equally ancient and weathered, both in white robes with white hair, even the shadows they cast etched with the marks of time.

Only after some time did they turn and walk away, hand in hand, growing more distant with each step. Every glance they exchanged revealed undried tears in each other's eyes.

"Is that the Nv Di?"

"And the one beside her, the Tenth Emperor of Da Chu?"

"It's him, it's him."

Many figures in the starfield gazed from afar, their expressions stunned.

It was only after the two had gone far that the onlookers snapped out of their daze.

"The Sheng Ti has emerged from the dream."

Soon, this news spread like wings across the myriad domains and heavens. All who heard it rushed from every direction to see if that war god remained as formidable as in the past.

That night, Ye Chen's name once again echoed throughout the human realm.

Countless people flocked to Da Chu, and countless shed tears like rain, for Ye Chen's emergence and for Yan Fei's death.

"Respectfully seeing off the ancestor."

As they received Yan Fei's memorial tablet, Xie Yun and Nian Wei knelt on the ground, crying inconsolably.

In this life, the empress of Chen Huang was their great-aunt, and they both bore another surname, Ruo Tian. They also had another homeland, Zhu Que Star.

At the heroes' tomb, Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang came to a stop.

The towering stele was inscribed with countless names: the nine emperors of Da Chu, the Di Zun divine generals, the four great sword cultivators, the various heavenly emperors' sons, the Sheng Zun, the Di Ji, and so many more.

Under the moonlight, the wine was rich and mellow, yet laced with sorrow, a welcome for Ye Chen and a tribute to the fallen souls.

Ye Chen surveyed his surroundings, as if gazing all the way to the edge of the sky, missing far too many familiar faces.

Normally chatty as he was, today he remained silent.

A catastrophe that swept across the heavens seemed to have quieted everyone, fearing that speaking would disturb the memories.

That night, too many people drank themselves into a stupor.

Ye Chen left quietly, reappearing at Yu Nu Peak, deep in the bamboo grove.

At Ye Fan's grave, the tears flowed endlessly.

Ji Ningshuang and the others were there too, their eyes misty.

If Ye Fan were still alive and saw this, he would surely smile. His death had been worthwhile, forcing his father to achieve heavenly Da Cheng and his mother to attain the heavenly Dao.

The night grew deeper.

Ye Chen ascended the mountain peak alone.

This time, no one accompanied him, no one disturbed him. Though the Sheng Ti had emerged from the dream, it did not mean revival; there was still a path to walk. Success in Nirvana would bring rebirth; failure would mean burial.

No one knew how much time Ye Chen had left, and no one dared ask. They only hoped he could comprehend the Meng Dao before the limit, truly returning to the world.

Under the starlight, his state was wondrous, sometimes solid, sometimes illusory, like a figure in a dream, blurring between reality and illusion in certain moments.

"Mother, will Father revive?"

Ye Ling asked softly, gazing at the mountaintop.

"He will."

That was Ji Ningshuang's answer, and also the answer of Nan Ming Yu Shu and the others, spoken with firm resolve.

Ye Chen stood there for three full days.

In those three days, he never moved, quietly gazing up at the vast sky, pondering the essence of the dream. His life had been exchanged by Yan Fei, and he needed to live on for that elder.

In this state, no one could help him—not even the Tian Emperor and Ming Emperor. It all depended on him. As for Ji Ningshuang's Meng Dao, it differed from Yan Fei's; they were separate paths.

Fortunately, Ye Chen had some foundation in this realm.

At one point, he closed his eyes and fell asleep while standing, descending into a dreamscape where he was alone.

From outside, his form appeared even stranger, like a Yuan Shen body, his figure twisting unnaturally, swaying with the wind.

Over those nights, most of Heng Yue stayed awake, watching the peak of Yu Nu Peak, fearing that figure might suddenly vanish. They were all waiting for his true return.

Under the old tree, the women were there too.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

These sounds came frequently.

They were from the fragments of the Zhu Xian Jian. Earlier, Ji Ningshuang had pursued and struck it, knocking loose many pieces from its blade.

Now, the Nv Di had channeled her divine power to envelop the fragments, intent on forcefully refining them to prevent any chance of reformation.

Looking at the Zhu Xian Jian, it was in a pitiful state.

In the darkness, it no longer had a blade, only a hilt remaining. Truly, each time it emerged, it suffered more wounds than the last. Though it had narrowly escaped the Nv Di's chase, its current form was unbearable to behold.

It had become obedient this time.

With no supreme beings in the heavens, they couldn't take down Ye Chen, let alone with an emperor present, along with Ye Chen's Da Cheng Sheng Ti. Two supreme figures standing guard made any attempt futile.

The Zhu Xian Jian's mindset must have been melancholic. Reflecting on it, ever since its first chaos in Da Chu years ago, since Ye Chen's rise, it had known no peace. A fine sword reduced to a hilt—if its master were still alive, it would likely be driven to fury.

On the ninth day, Ye Chen, with eyes closed, descended from Yu Nu Peak.

He was like Yan Fei before, sleepwalking.

Behind him, many followed discreetly, not daring to get too close or speak, fearing to wake him.

Ye Chen became a wanderer, unconsciously traversing many places in Da Chu, pausing at each.

Thirty years later, he returned to Tian Xuan Gate.

Before the Ling Xiao Treasure Hall, he stood like a statue for three full days. The hall trembled—with joy and shock. The later heavens truly teemed with talents.

In the hall, Chu Xuan and Chu Ling were already in tears, sensing Ye Chen's subconscious sorrow.

In the distance, the son of the realm was watching.

Even farther, Di Xuan was watching too. From Ye Chen, she glimpsed the shadow of Di Zun. The stronger Ye Chen grew, the clearer Di Zun's shadow became. She wondered if, once Ye Chen became emperor, her brother might return. She waited in silence.

Those watching were not just them; there was also Hong Chen Xue, though Chu Ling Yu was absent; and Qian Shang Yue, Xing Yue Sheng Nu, and the descendants of the nine Dao bodies, all seeking traces of their shared warmth in Ye Chen. They had once been one.

"How much time does he have left?"

The Ming Emperor whispered, glancing at the Dao Zu.

The Dao Zu said nothing, glancing back at the Ming Emperor, as if to say, Whom should I ask?

On the fourth day, Ye Chen left Tian Xuan Gate and departed Da Chu.

Entering the starfield, he wandered like a lost soul or a ghost. Cultivators training in the stars spotted him multiple times, eyes closed, sleepwalking along.

He seemed rootless, as if searching for his origins in the dream, visiting You Ming Continent, lingering in various domains, crossing star rivers, and arriving at Xuan Huang Continent.

"Seal the forbidden zones."

Tian Xu Di Zi transmitted word across all directions.

In that instant, all forbidden zones activated barriers—not out of fear of Ye Chen, but to prevent him from wandering into the five great forbidden zones, lest their depths disturb his dream and state.

Unfortunately, those barriers were mere facades.

Ye Chen entered anyway, wandering through Purgatory, the Underworld, Wang Chuan, and skimming over the Yellow Springs, finally drifting into the Tian Xu forbidden zone.

That day, Tian Xu trembled, ancient visions manifesting frequently, with brilliant halos spreading from Central State across all sides, carrying heavenly sounds—an ancient melody.

"The Sheng Ti is as troublesome as ever."

Many watched, unaware of what the sleepwalking Ye Chen had done in the forbidden zone to cause such upheaval. The entire Xuan Huang Continent shook, with lightning and thunder in many places.

When Ye Chen emerged again, it was five days later.

Behind him, Tian Xu Di Zi's face was darkly ashen, and the few remaining old figures were fuming, beards bristling. Including Tian Xu Di Zi, over ninety percent of Tian Xu's people were bruised and swollen, some lying on the ground.

Sleepwalking was one thing, but fighting was another.

After Ye Chen left, Ji Ningshuang appeared. She had been following all along and, seeing the chaos in Tian Xu, felt somewhat embarrassed. Her Ye Chen was unruly even in his dreams.

Like the wind, she continued after him.

This time, as Ye Chen walked, he suddenly vanished.

As the Nv Di walked, she vanished too.

Those following could no longer find them.

Ye Chen reappeared in Wu Lei City.

After the great catastrophe, Wu Lei City had suffered total devastation except for Wu Lei herself. The entire city remained cold and desolate, constantly shifting in the void, even eluding the Tian Emperor and Ming Emperor at times, its mission ongoing.

Seeing Ye Chen, Wu Lei's expression was peculiar, her eyes full of meaning: The Tenth Emperor of Da Chu, the dominant Huang Gu Sheng Ti, you're truly impressive! To enter here so easily.

Wu Lei glanced at Ji Ningshuang but said nothing, knowing Ye Chen was in the midst of enlightenment and not wanting to disturb him.

She might not disturb him, but he disturbed her.

Ye Chen climbed the mountain where she was, circling around her endlessly, lap after lap without stopping.

Wu Lei took a deep breath and looked at Ji Ningshuang, as if asking: May I hit him?

Ji Ningshuang gave a slight apologetic smile, implying: Please bear with it, senior.

Ye Chen circled for half the night before pushing Wu Lei aside.

What followed was rather undignified.

The Tenth Emperor of Da Chu squatted down and began digging in the ground with his hands, as if searching for treasure.

To put it bluntly, he dug through the entire mountain.

Wu Lei watched, fighting back a laugh. Without even looking, she knew what dream Ye Chen was having—likely something sneaky and mischievous.

Indeed, that was the kind of dream he was having.

Three days later, he emerged, covered in dirt, holding a muddy tree root that seemed to be his so-called treasure.

In the following days, he stayed in Wu Lei City.

Those days left Wu Lei on the verge of exploding.

The dream of Da Chu's Tenth Emperor was unusually long, as if he had endless treasures to steal in it.

In short, he dug through every mountain in Wu Lei City without exception.

The city, already ravaged by the heavenly catastrophe, was now reduced to ruins because of him.

Only on some unknown day did he finally leave.

Looking at Wu Lei, her stunning face was completely darkened, feeling that Ye Chen hadn't come for dreamwalking but to cause trouble. Why hadn't he just flipped the whole city upside down?

At the far end of the star river, Ye Chen stopped again.

After standing for three to five moments, he turned and stepped through the void to Ji Ningshuang's side.

The scene from Wu Lei City repeated.

Earlier, he had circled Wu Lei.

Now, he circled the Nv Di.

Ji Ningshuang said nothing and didn't move, waiting for him to finish his circles before wandering elsewhere.

Passersby who saw this were taken aback.

A Nv Di and a Da Cheng Sheng Ti, quite the sight—one standing still, the other circling around.

It was quite a visual feast, drawing many spectators, all peering through telescopes as if watching a show.

Under their gaze, Ye Chen stopped circling and casually tossed away the tree root in his hand, then rolled up his sleeves.

What followed was even more entertaining.

This certain emperor rummaged over Ji Ningshuang's body, as if searching for treasure; his movements were quite skilled.

Not to mention the world, even a supreme like the Dong Huang Nv Di felt a bit overwhelmed. What was once a pristine immortal robe was now smeared black by Ye Chen's dirt-covered hands.

That was nothing; she was just afraid he might do something improper, like touching what he shouldn't, or even stripping her clothes—that would set the three realms ablaze.

In the end, the Ming Realm's certain great emperor did harbor such a hope.

Of course, it depended on whether Ye Chen could pull it off.

"Weirder things happen every year, but today there are plenty."

The Dao Zu didn't speak, but his expression perfectly conveyed this sentiment. He really wanted to peek into Ye Chen's dream to see what he was dreaming—such antics, one after another.

If even the two emperors thought so, the various heavenly cultivators were even more so.

One by one, their corners twitched endlessly. Was that emperor demonstrating how to search someone? No need to hide it; we all get it.

It was fortunate it was Ye Chen; if it were anyone else rummaging over the Nv Di, a single slap could send them flying out of the galaxy. But who asked them to be a couple?

In the end, Ye Chen withdrew his hands and turned to leave.

Before going, this fellow's hand was still naughty, touching his wife's cheek and pinching it for good measure.

The Nv Di's cheek wasn't clean anymore either.

All of this was done in his sleepwalking state.

Too many elders remarked meaningfully that seeing the true person in a dream—Ye Chen had portrayed it to the fullest.

In the starfield, Ye Chen gradually faded into the distance.

Behind him, Ji Ningshuang still followed, though her demeanor seemed slightly unnatural, even awkward.

Another star river away, Ye Chen stepped across.

However, this time, Ji Ningshuang did not follow.

Or rather, she couldn't. For Ye Chen had gone to a place she couldn't yet reach.

That was the Ming Realm. Her Ye Chen had, in his sleepwalking, stepped from the heavenly human realm straight into the underworld.