Neither of them seemed to pay much attention to the “precious grandson” mentioned by Pegasus. Tianlong merely asked in a calm tone, “What about the ‘Interview Rooms’?”
“Oh… the ‘Interview Rooms’… they’re all back,” Pegasus replied. “I had people check each room one by one. Everything is restoring, just like before. The ‘Participants’ have returned, and since we need to select interviewees, the ‘Interview Zodiacs’ have come back too.”
“Good,” Tianlong nodded. “Stand by for now.”
Pegasus acknowledged and slowly walked behind Qinglong, carefully taking his place.
Qinglong frowned slightly after hearing this. “You’re going to ‘Enter the Dream’ here?”
“Yes,” Tianlong nodded again. “This time, I’m feeling unusually exhausted—like there’s a weight pressing on my chest. I’ll enter the ‘Dream’ as soon as possible. The rest is up to you. Just remember—no noise.”
Pegasus hesitated at Tianlong’s words. “What… do you mean? Us?”
“Tianlong is tired,” Qinglong explained, turning to Pegasus. “After the ‘Dream’ ends, you and I will escort him to the throne.”
Pegasus, however, seemed to ignore Qinglong entirely, his gaze fixed intently on Tianlong.
Tianlong took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. All the ‘Participants’ on the ‘Train’ appeared in his vision like scattered stars.
Steadying his mind, he summoned his ‘Conviction,’ and a vast ‘Dream’ surged forth.
In this boundless void, he stood like a true deity, gazing down upon the memories of countless lives.
“Everyone… ‘Reality’ is coming…”
Tianlong began constructing a massive dreamscape for all. But this time, the exhaustion was overwhelming—within moments, more than half of his ‘Conviction’ had drained away.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Something felt off—his ‘Conviction’ was stuck, as if glued in place, making withdrawal impossible. He could only press on, laboriously recreating each dream.
Time blurred. Tianlong’s consciousness began to waver when suddenly, an eerie voice whispered in his ear:
“He can barely breathe.”
The voice abruptly severed the sticky resistance in his ‘Conviction,’ igniting Tianlong’s fury. His eyes snapped open, locking onto the source of the sound.
It was Tiāngǒu—the portly, timid figure standing behind Qinglong.
“Tiān… gǒu…?” Tianlong glared at him, his expression darkening. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke in a low voice. “Tiāngǒu… you… Did I not explicitly tell you to remain silent?”
“I… I’m sorry… I just…” Tiāngǒu stammered from behind Qinglong.
Qinglong’s face twisted in anger. “How dare you! Do you not know the rules when Tianlong initiates the ‘Dream’?”
Tiāngǒu trembled like a leaf. “T-Tianlong… please don’t be angry… This is the first time I’ve seen you perform the ‘Dream’ in this room, so…”
“And you’ve never heard of it before?” Qinglong cut in sharply. “Is your ‘Spiritual Hearing’ just for show?”
“I truly apologize… but I still haven’t found my grandson…” Fear flickered across Tiāngǒu’s plump face, stirring Tianlong’s suspicion.
“Silence!” Qinglong roared. “Tiāngǒu, even if you die of fright, you’ll die quietly right here.”
Tiāngǒu immediately fell silent, retreating to the wall in terror.
Tianlong scoffed and closed his eyes again, but his mind felt unusually chaotic—something was wrong.
Precious grandson…?
But that wasn’t the priority. The dreams of countless lives demanded his attention.
This time, the ‘Dream’ seemed to consume far more ‘Conviction’ than usual. Even a fleeting thought drained him dry. The strange stickiness of his power was also troubling—he couldn’t exit the ‘Dream’ state at will.
Without opening his eyes, he surveyed the dream worlds he had just crafted. His ‘Conviction’ had been interrupted—what unforeseen consequences might that bring?
Shrinking into an inconspicuous bystander, he stepped into the dreams of a few random ‘Participants.’ The problem was immediately evident.
The world was built—skyscrapers, streets, vehicles—but there wasn’t a single living soul.
Apart from himself and the dreamer, the entire world was devoid of life.
Empty streets. Empty schools. Empty prisons. Empty plazas. Empty buildings.
He traversed dream after dream, only to find the same eerie void.
The dreams were complete… but where were the people?
It was as if his ‘Dream’ had been severely weakened.
When had he become so feeble?
Despite unprecedented exhaustion, he had only managed to create broken, lifeless dreams.
Outside the room, noise erupted again as numerous ‘Zodiacs’ began cleaning up in the hallway. Their murmurs echoed faintly in his ears—distant, indistinct, grating.
The suffocating sensation returned, and Tianlong’s patience was wearing thin.
“Enforce ‘Silence,'” he ordered, eyes still closed.
“Huh? ‘Silence’…? Me…?” Tiāngǒu stuttered.
“Shut your mouth,” Tianlong said coldly. “Tiāngǒu, from now on, one more word from you will be your last.”
Confused but terrified, Tiāngǒu pressed himself against the wall, sealing his lips.
“Why do you need ‘Silence’?” Qinglong asked.
“The noise is too much…” Tianlong’s brow furrowed. “Lend me your ‘Silence.’ And if possible… whatever ‘Conviction’ you have left.”
Qinglong sighed and stood slowly. “Tianlong, you’re pushing yourself to the brink for these insects.”
“Enough… If I fall, you won’t fare any better,” Tianlong muttered, eyes shut. “If I don’t perform the ‘Dream’ now, everyone will realize their ‘rebellion’ worked. Those who retain their memories will keep repeating it, and we’ll be in even greater danger.”
Qinglong stepped behind Tianlong and said softly, “I must warn you—my ‘Conviction’ may not be stable. But I’ll do my best.”
“Your ‘Silence’ is always reliable when you’re hiding things from me,” Tianlong remarked. “No more delays. I need to focus.”
Qinglong nodded and placed a hand on Tianlong’s shoulder.
The touch was startlingly light—like a sheet of paper. Qinglong was clearly weakened too.
But Tianlong wasn’t in much better shape. He concentrated, scrutinizing every dream.
Then, a surge of ‘Conviction’ flowed from Qinglong’s palm into Tianlong’s body. His strength began to return.
Though faint noises still seeped in from the hallway, Tianlong felt revitalized. With Qinglong’s aid, they worked together to mend the dreams.
The ‘Dream’ finally took its proper form—not just towering buildings, but bustling streets teeming with ordinary people.
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