Tianlong was about to slowly open his eyes when he realized something was off.
After his “Faith” gradually recovered, he could still sense many people who hadn’t been “drawn into dreams.” These individuals were scattered throughout his thoughts, their numbers vast and chaotic.
It seemed he had indeed slipped up earlier—how could he have overlooked so many?
Taking advantage of the lingering “Faith” that Qinglong had imposed on him, Tianlong began sweeping through all those he could perceive, pulling them into dreams. He continuously borrowed fragments of their memories to weave intricate, lifelike dreamscapes.
That sticky, clinging sensation of “Faith” resurfaced once more. With such an overwhelming number of people, Tianlong couldn’t afford even a moment’s rest.
His “dream-drawing” felt as though it was being sucked into something, forcing him to pour his “Faith” relentlessly into the process.
Some people’s “memories” were far more expansive than he had anticipated—they drained his “Faith” in an instant. What kind of place had these people been in during their last two days?
This time, no anomalies appeared. Each time a “dream” was born, it manifested as a bustling, complete world, teeming with life.
Yet after every large-scale “dream-drawing,” Tianlong inevitably discovered a few stragglers left behind, forcing him to repeat the process.
The excessive consumption of “Faith” left his thoughts increasingly muddled.
When the last person’s dream was finally crafted, he slowly opened his eyes and turned to glance at Qinglong behind him—only to find that even Qinglong’s face had turned deathly pale.
“What the hell… Tianlong…?” Qinglong weakly withdrew his hand, his voice frail. “Why did you need so much ‘Faith’…?”
Tianlong didn’t know the answer either, but at least they had managed to steer things back on track.
“Perhaps because I was forcibly awakened… My mind still struggles to shake off the haze,” Tianlong said. “So behave yourself. No more tricks. If you drag me out of rest again to clean up your mess next time, things could get far more dangerous.”
Qinglong could only shake his head helplessly in response, offering no words.
“At least it’s done now…” Tianlong swayed as he stood up. “While I still have a shred of sanity left… I’ll rest on my own…”
Worried he might collapse, Qinglong and Tiangui followed closely behind.
“Hey… start selecting new ‘Zodiacs’ as soon as possible…” Tianlong mustered his last ounce of strength to speak.
“Got it,” Qinglong nodded. “Go rest. Tianshe and I will handle it.”
“Tianshe…?” Tianlong paused.
Tianshe stood by the wall, his hair disheveled.
Adjusting his glasses with a flicker in his eyes, he replied, “I’m here. Don’t worry…”
“Mm… good…” Tianlong’s thoughts were still scrambled, but he nodded in satisfaction nonetheless.
Leaning against the wall, he staggered step by step toward the throne room.
The clamor in the corridors gradually faded as the Zodiacs began erasing every trace of the “rebels.”
They had two days to restore the entire venue. As for the shattered walls and floors, Dilong had already cordoned them off as temporary restricted zones, to be repaired slowly by Tianlong’s “Artifice” over several cycles.
Zodiacs moved about, declaring once again that the “Rulers” had emerged victorious.
A grand-scale rebellion had, unsurprisingly, met its end on the tenth day.
After two days of recuperation, the sun of the first day would rise anew.
No one could escape this land of despair—just as it had been in every cycle before.
The Zodiacs would greet the new “Participants” in pristine condition, and this cycle would never truly end.
……
……
……
……
Wait.
No… hold on.
Tianlong halted at the entrance to the throne room, an uneasy sensation creeping over him.
Something was off.
Where was Baiyang’s dream?
Not just that… the more he thought about it, the more inconsistencies surfaced.
Had things truly been resolved… brought back under control?
The sheer absurdity of it all rooted him in place.
A few seconds later, he turned stiffly, like a marionette, to look at the two behind him—his spine chilling with dread.
Qinglong and Tianshe stood a short distance away, staring at him with identical expressions of confusion.
Struggling to stay lucid, Tianlong narrowed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the source of his unease.
Had he overextended his “Faith,” plunging everything into chaos?
So… was his mind the problem…
Or was it the world itself?
His gaze slowly shifted to Tianshe.
Tianshe was still Tianshe—unkempt hair, thick glasses, evasive eyes.
But wasn’t that strange…?
“Tianshe…” Tianlong fought to keep his voice steady. “Have you… always been here?”
“Me…?” Tianshe looked baffled. “Tianlong… what’s wrong with you? There’ve only ever been two of us in this room…”
Tianlong’s expression froze momentarily before he turned to Qinglong.
Only two people in this room?
No… that wasn’t it. The issue lay elsewhere…
“Tianshe, did you say something earlier… like ‘precious grandson’…?” Tianlong’s voice trembled slightly—things were spiraling out of control.
“Me?” Tianshe blinked. “Precious grandson? What are you talking about?”
“I…” Tianlong pressed a hand to his temple, desperately trying to recall what had happened since entering the room.
Ever since he had unleashed “Dissociation,” everything had grown increasingly bizarre.
“Wait… you… just now…” A memory flickered in Tianlong’s mind. “Weren’t you Tiangui? How did you become Tianshe?”
“I *am* Tiangui,” the man before him said. “When did I ever say I was Tianshe…?”
Tianlong looked up in confusion—and sure enough, the obese figure of Tiangui stood before him.
An eerie silence settled over the room. Though none of them spoke, each wore an expression brimming with unspoken questions.
“Wait…” Tianlong took a step back, a wave of dread crashing over him. “Wait… hold on…”
“Tianlong… what’s wrong?” Qinglong asked. “Did you overuse your ‘Faith’?”
“This isn’t about ‘Faith’…” Tianlong muttered, his voice tinged with panic. “What’s happening to me…?”
“What ‘Faith’?” Tiangui chimed in. “Tianlong… you’ve been talking to yourself this whole time. Are you okay?”
Those words sent Tianlong’s thoughts spiraling into chaos.
He couldn’t afford to succumb to exhaustion now—there were far too many questions.
Focusing on Qinglong, he forced himself to stay lucid. “Qinglong… since we met earlier… has anyone else spoken to you?”
“What…?”
“It’s like only I can see you,” Tianlong said, his voice steadying. “You pretended to talk to others, but no one ever responded… right?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Qinglong frowned. “Can’t you tell if I’m real or not?”
Tianlong raised a hand to his forehead. “This isn’t right… Qinglong… Earlier, I asked you to cast ‘Silence’ on me, yet I could still hear the noise from the hallway. Now that I think about it, you haven’t used a single ‘Divine Art’ this entire time. You’re not Qinglong… What *are* you?”
“How absurd…” Qinglong chuckled softly. “I *am* Qinglong…”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage