In the sky, that patch of vermilion also fluctuated visibly.
Clearly, Zhu Pan had not expected this outcome.
Chen Zhou then slowly looked up toward the sky.
"Let's make this short."
His voice remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
"This place is a dream within the Path of Hungry Ghosts."
"You, Yu He, and everyone present, have been dead for five hundred years."
"Your physical bodies have long since decayed, and your souls are trapped here, transformed into hungry ghosts."
"Everything you see now is merely a collective memory of all the hungry ghosts, an illusion projected outward."
"Your disciple, Song Zi'an, chased you all the way from Zhenlong Mountain to the provincial capital's imperial palace to find you, eventually breaking into the Path of Hungry Ghosts."
"We are here to take you out."
Chen Zhou paused, looking Yu He in the eye.
"So, tell me."
"Your true body, or your soul-body—where exactly are they now?"
Yu He listened blankly, his mind a complete void.
The Path of Hungry Ghosts? A dream? Dead for five hundred years? Hungry ghosts?
He understood every word, but when put together, they were incomprehensible.
And... this young man said he was his disciple?
Chased him all the way from Zhenlong Mountain?
How... how was this possible?
"I... I don't know what you're talking about..."
Yu He shook his head instinctively, but his gaze involuntarily drifted to his surroundings.
Yin Xuan was still gnawing on his own arm, but his movements had slowed, his eyes vacant.
Others had eaten themselves until only their heads remained, yet their mouths still opened and closed, letting out groans of "Hungry... hungry..."
All of this... was fake?
Just a dream?
"Impossible..."
Yu He murmured.
"They... they are all living people..."
"I watched them with my own eyes..."
"Watched them being tortured by hunger, watched them gnawing on themselves..."
"How could this be fake?"
His voice began to tremble.
Chen Zhou looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
"Whether it's fake or not, you'll know once we verify it."
He turned to the little pig on his shoulder.
"Quiet them down."
The little pig was always ready to help Chen Zhou. It snorted, indicating it was a piece of cake.
Everything here was just a dream; it was all fake.
As the Lord of a Thousand Dreams, manipulating illusions in a dream was as simple as breathing for it.
It lifted a small hoof, and another surge of fiendish qi gushed out.
But it was suddenly struck by a beam of vermilion light from the sky, ten times more intense than before.
The speed of this strike was too fast and its power too great. It directly pierced through the protective fiendish qi the little pig had just raised, slamming hard into its body.
"Hng—!"
The little pig let out a cry of pain. The fiendish qi surrounding it was instantly scattered, and its body was sent flying, tumbling several times in the air before it barely managed to steady itself.
Chen Zhou's expression changed.
This attack... something was wrong.
The previous red light was merely an illusion within the dream, a part of the memory projection. Although it looked terrifying, it had no actual substance.
But that strike just now had truly injured the little pig.
It wasn't a dream illusion.
It was... a real attack?
"Oh?"
In the sky, an interested voice rang out.
Unlike Zhu Pan's previous indifferent tone, this voice was much clearer.
It was as if the speaker were standing not far away.
"I was wondering why the little toy that helps me collect merit and sinful karma suddenly lost contact."
"So it turns out a few little bugs have broken in."
As the words fell, an indescribable, terrifying pressure descended from the sky.
Song Zi'an let out a muffled groan and collapsed directly to his knees, unable even to lift his head.
The Nine-Age Crane let out a mournful cry, its wings going limp as it sprawled on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Even Yu He felt it difficult to breathe, as if he would be crushed in the next second.
Chen Zhou's brow furrowed.
He sensed that this pressure... was real.
It wasn't a dream illusion.
Zhu Pan's will... had descended into the dream?
No, that wasn't right.
It wasn't a complete descent of his will.
It was merely a sliver of divine sense, using some special connection between dreams and reality to pierce through the boundary and project itself here.
But even if it was just a sliver of divine sense, the power it contained was beyond imagination.
Chen Zhou immediately expanded his Ghost Domain.
Defiled earth emerged, and grey-white death qi gushed out, forming a massive domain that enveloped himself, Song Zi'an, the Nine-Age Crane, the little pig, and Yu He.
"Hmm?"
A soft sound of surprise came from the sky.
"A mere evil from the lower realm can actually resist my divine might?"
"Interesting."
A hint of genuine interest entered Zhu Pan's voice.
"Was it you who destroyed my creation?"
"Mere death qi—how long can it hold out against my sinful karma divine fire?"
As the words fell, the vermilion light in the sky flared brilliantly once more, transforming into a sea of raging flames.
The flames collided with Chen Zhou's Ghost Domain.
"Sssss—!"
Chen Zhou discovered that his Ghost Domain was actually being whittled away bit by bit by the vermilion fire.
Chen Zhou's heart sank.
During the previous battle against the Judge outside, although he had won, he had consumed too much death qi.
His current state was not at its peak.
Meanwhile, Zhu Pan, across the boundary, could exert such power with only a single divine sense in a dream, putting even him under pressure.
This guy... was very strong.
Chen Zhou felt that dragging this out was not an option. The sense of hunger in the Path of Hungry Ghosts would only grow heavier. He could withstand it, but Song Zi'an, the little pig, and the old crane might not last long.
Pitting himself against a divine sense in a battle of attrition was not a wise move.
There was no other way.
It was time for a little exploit.
As long as he leveled up, he would be back at full health and mana.
Chen Zhou opened the system panel.
After the Judge died, both his corpse and soul were absorbed by the Domain of Defiled Earth. Combined with the accumulation from the Flesh-and-Blood Pasture and the Soul-Draining Well over such a long time...
The materials for an upgrade were finally sufficient.
Chen Zhou clicked rapidly, filling the requirements.
Soon, the sacrifice panel was full.
Chen Zhou then submitted the complete divinity of 【sin】 dropped by the Judge.
He clicked Breakthrough.
【System has detected that the host possesses an inner godhead, which can significantly enhance the effect of this sacrifice.】
【Would you like to consume one inner godhead to enhance this sacrifice?】
Chen Zhou was just about to read the description carefully when the system notification box suddenly flashed. It didn't even give him a chance to select "No."
【System has automatically consumed one inner godhead for you.】
【Breakthrough beginning】
【^_^】
Chen Zhou: "..."
Is this how godheads are used?
The system gave him absolutely no choice. During previous upgrades, he could choose which divinity to use.
But godheads were different. As soon as the system detected it, it merged immediately.
Chen Zhou figured the system probably wouldn't screw him over.
In that case, it only meant that a godhead was a truly good thing—so rare that there was no room for choice.
Chen Zhou felt a surge of surging power instantly flood into his body.
Symbiosis stage second contract—breakthrough.
Because of the enhancement from the godhead, his death qi surged once more, unexpectedly smashing directly through the third barrier of the Symbiosis stage.
Symbiosis stage third contract—breakthrough.
Rate on N.U.
