…
…
…
Chu Tianqiu stumbled again amidst the deafening noise, but he knew he couldn’t stop now.
Perhaps, after all these years, he was the only “participant” who had ever managed to stand on this step—
The Celestial Dragon was right before him!
He pulled out the “Dreamwalk” from his pocket and crushed it between his teeth. His consciousness teetered on the edge of delirium.
Never before had he swallowed so many eyeballs at once. Time itself seemed to slow for a second.
Something had already been set into motion.
Summoning every ounce of willpower to stay lucid, he reached out his right hand toward the Celestial Dragon—but the room began shaking violently again.
A mere palm’s breadth still separated them. After seventy years, this final step was proving more arduous than any before.
“Considering I’ve never done anything evil in my life…” Chu Tianqiu gritted his teeth, “…just once, let things go my way…”
The Celestial Dragon’s brow furrowed deeply, his form swaying unsteadily, as if he were moments from opening his eyes.
Amid the violent tremors, that last gap was finally bridged.
Chu Tianqiu’s fingertips lightly brushed against the Celestial Dragon’s.
A surge of elation washed over him. Though this step had been the hardest, he had truly done it.
How perilous and endless had this single step been?
A mere mortal had touched the supreme “god” of this place.
Instinctively, Chu Tianqiu looked up. Everything was falling into place—all that remained was to—
Before he could even finish strategizing, time froze.
The Celestial Dragon’s brow relaxed slightly. The room stopped shaking. Even the three figures locked in combat behind him fell utterly still.
All sound ceased abruptly. Chu Tianqiu turned to see the trio frozen mid-motion, as if time itself had paused.
What…?
“Chu Tianqiu.”
A voice spoke beside him, sending a shiver down his spine.
He turned—and there stood Qi Xia.
True to his word, he had been waiting here all along.
“Qi Xia… just what are you—?”
“Swallowing so many eyeballs really does trigger the most unhinged version of ‘Dreamwalk,'” Qi Xia muttered, clutching his wounds. “Chu Tianqiu, the ‘dream’ is about to begin. There’s no time—listen. Leave everything to me. Just focus on stabilizing ‘Dreamwalk.’ Right now, help me remove the Azure Dragon from the dreamscape…”
“Wha—?” Chu Tianqiu stiffened. “You mean you’re taking this on alone? Do you even realize who you’re up against?”
“It’s fine… this is a ‘dream,'” Qi Xia murmured. “The subconscious reigns here. I’ll make the Celestial Dragon believe I am the Azure Dragon.”
“You—” Chu Tianqiu hesitated. “You’re talking about psychological suggestion…”
The sheer difficulty of it unsettled him.
“The timing and rhythm of the suggestion have to be perfect. Only I can pull it off.” Qi Xia gripped Chu Tianqiu’s arm. “Leave the hardest part to me. Go hide.”
“Qi Xia…” Chu Tianqiu stared at him with concern. “Our goal was just to crack the Celestial Dragon’s dream, wasn’t it?”
“Right.” Qi Xia nodded. “But I’m not just cracking it—I’m shattering it. And I’ll make sure you escape safely.”
“What about you?” Chu Tianqiu pressed.
“I— No time for that. Move!”
…
Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan watched as Chu Tianqiu closed his eyes the moment he touched the Celestial Dragon. Beside him, the Celestial Dragon’s expression slackened, as if sinking into deeper slumber.
“He did it…” Zhang Shan wiped blood from his lips. “Chu Tianqiu… hell yeah…”
“Tianqiu, mate…” Qiao Jiajin lay on the ground, clutching his chest in agony.
But the Azure Dragon’s fury erupted anew. Abandoning “Heavenly Strength” entirely, he unleashed the full force of “Soul Snatcher.”
He was determined to tear Chu Tianqiu away from the Celestial Dragon.
Instantly, Zhang Shan and Qiao Jiajin felt their limbs bind. Even the sleeping Chu Tianqiu furrowed his brow slightly, sensing an invisible force pulling him backward.
“Big guy…” Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth from the floor. “I’ve got this bastard pinned… hurry up and kick the shit out of him…”
“Damn it…” Zhang Shan groaned. “You’re the one who got knocked down… read the damn room…”
Neither could move. Despite their immense strength, they were utterly powerless.
Who could possibly intervene now?
Anyone who heard the Azure Dragon’s voice fell under “Soul Snatcher’s” control. No one entering this room could turn the tide. Despair began to swallow them whole.
Yet fate had other plans.
Who said the Azure Dragon only had three “Heavenly Strength” users to contend with?
Just as the Azure Dragon raged, just as Chu Tianqiu and the others lay paralyzed—
A “Deafened Heavenly Strength” appeared.
As the saying goes, a warrior dies for those who understand him.
A single “character” shot out from Qiao Jiajin’s pocket.
Like a lethal shuriken, it hurtled toward the Azure Dragon with unstoppable force.
…
…
…
Amid the deafening roar, Chu Tianqiu stumbled once again, but he knew he couldn’t stop now.
Perhaps after all these years, he was the only “participant” who had managed to step onto this platform—
The Celestial Dragon was right before him!
He pulled out the “Dream Entry” from his pocket, crushed it between his teeth, and his consciousness began to fade.
He had never tried swallowing so many eyeballs at once before. Time itself seemed to slow for a second.
It felt as though something had already been activated.
Summoning every ounce of his focus to stay rational, he stretched out his right hand toward the Celestial Dragon. But the room began shaking violently once more.
That mere palm’s breadth between them felt insurmountable. The final step after seventy years was more difficult than any that had come before.
“Considering I’ve never done anything evil in my life…” Chu Tianqiu gritted his teeth, “Could you just let things go smoothly for me this once…?”
The Celestial Dragon frowned, its form swaying unsteadily as if it were on the verge of opening its eyes.
Amid the violent tremors, that palm’s distance was finally closed.
Chu Tianqiu gently touched the Celestial Dragon’s fingertip.
A look of ecstasy flashed across his face. Though this step had been harder than any other, he had truly done it.
How perilous and drawn-out that one step had been!
A mere mortal had touched this place’s supreme “god.”
Chu Tianqiu instinctively looked up. Everything was going according to plan. All that was left was to—
Before he could even finish strategizing, he realized time had stopped.
The Celestial Dragon’s brow relaxed slightly. The room ceased shaking, and even the three people fighting behind him fell silent.
All sound vanished abruptly. Chu Tianqiu turned to look and saw the three frozen in place as if time had stopped.
What… is this?
“Chu Tianqiu.”
A voice rang out not far from him, sending a slight shiver down his spine.
He turned to look—it was Qi Xia.
He hadn’t been lying; he really was waiting here for him.
“Qi Xia… What exactly are you…”
“Taking this many eyeballs really does trigger the most insane ‘Dream Entry’,” Qi Xia said, clutching his wounds. “Chu Tianqiu, the ‘dream’ is about to begin. We don’t have much time. Listen to me—leave everything that comes next to me. You just focus on maintaining the stability of ‘Dream Entry.’ Now, help me remove the Azure Dragon before us from the dream…”
“Wha…?” Chu Tianqiu was stunned. “What do you mean…? You plan to handle this alone? Do you have any idea who you’ll be facing?”
“It’s fine… This is a ‘dream’…” Qi Xia murmured. “This is a world ruled by the subconscious. I’ll make the Celestial Dragon believe I am the Azure Dragon.”
“You…” Chu Tianqiu paused. “You mean using ‘psychological suggestion’…”
He couldn’t shake the feeling that this would be incredibly difficult.
“The timing and rhythm of the suggestion have to be perfect. I’m probably the only one who can pull it off,” Qi Xia said, gripping Chu Tianqiu’s arm. “Leave the hardest part to me. Go hide, quickly.”
“Qi Xia…” Chu Tianqiu looked at him with concern. “Isn’t our goal to crack open a fissure in the Celestial Dragon’s dream?”
“Exactly,” Qi Xia replied. “Not only will I crack it open—I’ll shatter it entirely. In the end, I’ll make sure you escape safely.”
“What about you?” Chu Tianqiu asked.
“I… Let’s not talk about that. Time is too tight. Get ready to move!”
…
Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan watched as Chu Tianqiu closed his eyes the moment he touched the Celestial Dragon. The expression on the Celestial Dragon’s face beside him had also relaxed, as if it had fallen into an even deeper slumber.
“We did it…” Zhang Shan said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. “Chu Tianqiu… Thank goodness…”
“Tianqiu, lad…” Qiao Jiajin lay on the ground, clutching his chest with difficulty.
But at that moment, the Azure Dragon flew into a rage once more. He completely abandoned using “Heaven’s Strength,” instead unleashing his most powerful “Soul Snatcher.”
He was determined to tear Chu Tianqiu away from the Celestial Dragon’s side.
Zhang Shan and Qiao Jiajin instantly felt their limbs grow heavy and restrained. Even Chu Tianqiu, deep in slumber in the distance, began to frown slightly, as if some force was pulling him backward.
“Big guy…” Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth from the ground. “I’ve got this bastard Azure Dragon pinned… Come over here and give him a good kick…”
“Damn it…” Zhang Shan also clenched his teeth. “You’re clearly the one who got knocked to the ground… Can’t you read the situation?”
Both of them were completely immobilized. Despite their immense strength, they couldn’t move a muscle.
Who could possibly help now?
Anyone who heard the Azure Dragon’s voice would fall under the control of “Soul Snatcher.” No matter who entered the room, it wouldn’t change the outcome. A sense of despair began to loom over them.
But as fate would have it—
Who said the Azure Dragon’s opponents were limited to three “Heaven’s Strength” users?
Just as the Azure Dragon was madly unleashing “Soul Snatcher,” just as Chu Tianqiu and the others were completely paralyzed—
The “deaf Heaven’s Strength” user made his appearance.
As the saying goes, a scholar would die for one who knows him.
A single “character” flew out from Qiao Jiajin’s pocket.
Like a supremely powerful shuriken, it burst forth with immeasurable force, shooting relentlessly toward the Azure Dragon’s body.
Having completely abandoned “Heaven’s Strength,” the Azure Dragon’s body was exceptionally vulnerable. The character “士” (schrior/warrior), as if awakened by some memory, spiraled straight toward his heart.
The Azure Dragon never saw it coming. There was no time to dodge. In an instant, a tremendous force struck his chest.
He stared blankly, looking down at the bloody hole in his chest. Before he could even utter a curse like “ant,” the character had already embedded itself deep within him.
Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan regained their mobility instantly. Summoning their last reserves of strength, they gritted their teeth and stood up. Seizing the moment while the Azure Dragon was immobilized, they launched a frenzied barrage of missile-like punches at his body.
A deafening roar erupted as the Azure Dragon’s internal organs suffered devastating blows in rapid succession.
He staggered backward, unable to withstand the ferocious assault any longer.
“Big guy!” Qiao Jiajin shouted, dashing toward Zhang Shan. He leaped into the air, aiming a flying knee strike.
Zhang Shan understood immediately. He stepped forward, caught Qiao Jiajin mid-air, and using leverage, spun him around several times before hurling him toward the Azure Dragon like a human missile.
The Azure Dragon had just regained his senses and forced his eyes open when he saw a knee, hard as steel, flying toward him with unimaginable force, crashing directly into his face.
This time, there was no way to defend against their combined assault. His torso bent backward almost ninety degrees, and blood arced from his mouth.
In the end, the Azure Dragon slowly collapsed to the ground.
His powerful physique kept him alive, but blood continued to flow from his mouth.
Qiao Jiajin steadied his breathing and walked slowly toward the Azure Dragon.
In disbelief, he reached out and pulled that “character” from the Azure Dragon’s chest.
The character was now mangled and shattered beyond recognition. It lay motionless, nothing more than a piece of ordinary scrap metal.
“Damn…” Zhang Shan looked at him in astonishment. “You’re really full of surprises, huh? You even had a hidden weapon up your sleeve?”
“Uh… well…” Qiao Jiajin didn’t know how to respond. He had only taken a souvenir from the “Cangjie Chess” game—how had it turned into such a powerful hidden weapon?
Bearing their injuries, the two stood together, noting that the Azure Dragon had completely lost the ability to fight and was merely vomiting blood on the ground.
But they didn’t dare finish him off now—not while Chu Tianqiu was still in “Dream Entry.” So what was the situation now?
With neither Qi Xia nor Chu Tianqiu in the room, the two of them were left like headless flies, utterly lost.
Caught off guard, the Azure Dragon had no time to dodge. The impact struck his chest like a cannon blast.
Stunned, he looked down at the gaping wound in his torso. Before he could even curse them as “ants,” the character embedded itself deep within him.
Qiao Jiajin and Zhang Shan regained movement instantly. Summoning their last reserves, they staggered to their feet and unleashed a barrage of missile-like fists on the Azure Dragon’s battered body.
The sound of impact was deafening. Organs ruptured under the relentless assault.
The Azure Dragon staggered back, unable to withstand the onslaught.
“Big guy!” Qiao Jiajin shouted, dashing toward Zhang Shan before leaping into a flying knee.
Zhang Shan understood immediately. He stepped forward, caught Qiao Jiajin mid-air, and used the momentum to spin him like a discus before hurling him at the Azure Dragon like a human missile.
The Azure Dragon barely had time to react before Qiao Jiajin’s iron-hard knee collided with his face at full force.
This time, there was no defense. His torso bent backward at a brutal angle, blood arcing from his mouth.
Finally, the Azure Dragon crumpled to the ground.
His superhuman vitality kept him alive, but blood gushed from his lips in an unending stream.
Qiao Jiajin steadied his breathing and approached the fallen figure.
In disbelief, he reached into the Azure Dragon’s chest and pulled out the now-mangled “character.”
It was twisted, shattered beyond recognition—just a lifeless scrap of metal.
“Hell…” Zhang Shan gaped. “You really are full of surprises. Since when did you pack a hidden weapon?”
“Uh… well…” Qiao Jiajin had no answer. He’d only taken a memento from the “Cangjie Chess” game—how had it turned into something so deadly?
Battered but standing, the two men watched as the Azure Dragon lay helpless, coughing up blood.
Yet they hesitated to finish him. With Chu Tianqiu still in “Dreamwalk,” what was the next move?
The room held neither Qi Xia nor Chu Tianqiu. For now, they were just two lost souls, adrift in the chaos.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage