Bang! Bang! The sounds echoed as I stared at the Blueflame Warden before me. Slits had already appeared across my skin. His speed was monstrous—so fast I couldn't react. My senses and Karmic Force had already warned me where the next blow would land, but I still couldn't dodge.
"It's still not enough, Ethan Zhang. What you lack is animal instinct—a wild, primal sense. Humans don't have it naturally, but it can be trained. The Ghost Ancestor you'll face next has powers beyond even that. If you can't master it, you'll never be his match."
I replied with a hum and looked over at the stone slab in the distance, where Eugenia sat chatting with the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Blueflame Warden and I walked straight over.
"I'm going over to talk to that guy in a moment. Eugenia, I'll need your help."
As I spoke, Eugenia clapped his hands, wiped the crumbs from his mouth, and stood up.
"Leave it to me."
The woman who called herself Ms. Ouyang—her real name was Ouyang Meng—had only appeared briefly that day before leaving. She'd agreed to meet me at a certain time today. There’s no such thing as time here, but the beasts remember exactly how much has passed—every single second. That always struck me as uncanny.
"Ethan Zhang, you can't go on like this. Your power and attack methods are far too straightforward. Look at many of the beasts here—their attacks aren't singular, and they're cunning. If you fight so naively, it just won't work."
The Nine-Tailed Fox started lecturing me again. I could only smile politely.
"I wish I could be like you—come up with clever ways to fight. But I can't. If something's impossible for me, then it's impossible. I have my own way of fighting."
As I spoke, I stood up. Eugenia smiled.
Sit for a while, Ethan Zhang. It's not time yet.
I gave a soft reply, but impatience was already gnawing at me. Ouyang Meng seemed to know my past, and she bore no hostility—on the contrary, she was genuinely delighted. It had taken her tremendous effort to enter, yet within moments, the power of the Illusory Realm had forced her out.
Or rather, it was the Principle of the Illusory Realm. Every world has its own Principle, and these cannot interfere with one another, lest chaos ensue. So, only beasts born of human imagination, or rare exceptions like myself—kept alive by longing in the mortal world and the aid of many forces—can enter here. Achieving this is nearly impossible. I’ve discussed it with the beasts, and there’s no disagreement—like many of them say, the only explanation is a miracle.
The reason I can exist in the Illusory Realm is because of a miracle. My very existence is miraculous: my body contains four distinct powers, my body, soul, and memories have all been shattered, yet I survived.
Ethan Zhang, you might as well give up on returning. With you here, our days are more interesting.
The Nine-Tailed Fox picked up a pastry and ate it. I could only shake my head helplessly, gazing at the distant sphere of my condensed memories, still unable to touch it—lacking a physical vessel.
If I finish the business I left behind in the mortal world, maybe I'll have a chance to return. Honestly, life here isn't so bad—the world is vast, and because of your relationships, all sorts of strange things are born. There’s so much I’ve never seen before.
At that moment, Eugenia stood up, stretched, snapped his fingers, and soon Zephyr flew over.
If you have nothing to do, make something to eat. Tonight, I'll cook grilled fish for you.
As I spoke, anticipation shone in the Nine-Tailed Fox's eyes, and the Blueflame Warden laughed happily and nodded.
Go ahead, I'll have everything prepared.
I replied with a hum, and the Nine-Tailed Fox climbed up, seemingly unwilling to be left behind and intending to follow us.
Hold on tight.
Eugenia said, and in an instant, strange visions flashed through my mind as we traversed one Illusory Realm after another. This smooth passage was possible because I had asked most of the beasts to open their realms, allowing me to travel freely. Whenever I visited, I would teach them a little about cooking.
Many beasts agreed cheerfully. Soon, we arrived at a place surrounded by a Rainbow Cloud and darkness. Eugenia had already set the location. I waited quietly as a wisp of Violet Miasma drifted in and condensed into a human form, and Ouyang Meng appeared before me.
You're right on time, Ethan Zhang. I can only stay for an hour. I'm here to tell you a few things, though there are some matters about you I can't reveal.
I nodded and replied.
Ms. Ouyang, first tell me how you crossed into this place.
Ouyang Meng looked at me in confusion, then nodded and smiled.
I actually crossed through The Principle. Though Dreamworld and the Illusory Realm border each other, each has its own Principle. Dreams and fantasies are different. Let me put it this way, Ethan Zhang: Dreams have boundaries, limited to what the subconscious creates during sleep. Fantasies are boundless. Dreamworld and Illusory Realm are like two independent spaces, yet not entirely.
I listened, confused, as Ouyang Meng explained. He continued.
Long ago, when Ouyang Meng first gained the ability to enter the Dreamworld, there was only a small area. He wandered there repeatedly, encountering strange things born from his dreams. It was limited and had boundaries.
At the time, Ouyang Meng wondered: If his consciousness could enter his own Dreamworld, could it also enter someone else's?
Driven by this strong idea, Ouyang Meng began searching for a way to enter other people's Dreamworlds. This search lasted years. While alive, Ouyang Meng had severe narcolepsy—he slept constantly except for daily necessities.
Gradually, Ouyang Meng's body failed. He longed to sleep forever in his beautiful Dreamworld, for he found he could fully control it and shape it as he wished.
After countless attempts, Ouyang Meng finally discovered a way to enter other Dreamworlds—he found The Principle.
Today, what I want to tell you is this: you must find the Principle of this world. Only by finding it will you have a chance to return to the mortal realm. I discussed the method with John Chou.
At the mention of John Chou, a wave of nostalgia washed over my consciousness.
I understand. Can you tell me how you found the Principle of the Dreamworld?
Ouyang Meng nodded and, after sitting down, began to speak.
Entering someone's Dreamworld is never easy. First, you must distinguish whether their dream is pleasant, strange, or a nightmare.
Possessing the power to control dreams, Ouyang Meng could change anything in his own Dreamworld, but for others, their Dreamworlds were beyond his control.
At first, Ouyang Meng found the Dream Passage, which connects all Dreamworlds. He was overjoyed, thinking he could finally enter others' dreams and see what they dreamed of.
However, upon entering the first Dreamworld, Ouyang Meng found himself in a nightmare. The dreamer saw disaster, and Ouyang Meng struggled and suffered until the dreamer awoke, finally escaping back to his own Dreamworld, barely surviving.
Ouyang Meng realized something was wrong, but his curiosity prevailed. After a brief rest, he entered another Dreamworld. This time, the dream was odd but not dangerous.
On his third visit, Ouyang Meng finally encountered a pleasant dream—a woman's romantic dream. He was stunned by the beauty of it and decided to keep trying, this time to see if he could change someone else's Dreamworld.
On the fourth attempt, Ouyang Meng truly died in someone else's Dreamworld—a nightmare filled with man-eating ghosts. He was chased and barely survived until dawn, returning to his own Dreamworld, almost dying in the nightmare.
After several more tries, he nearly died again in a nightmare. He began to learn to distinguish pleasant dreams, nightmares, and strange dreams.
With repeated attempts, Ouyang Meng realized his own power was insufficient to control others' Dreamworlds. He gradually understood the Principle of non-interference between Dreamworlds. To break this Principle, one's power had to be strong enough to gradually place one's own power into another's Dreamworld and shatter the Principle.
Eventually, I succeeded and became the ruler of the Dreamworld.
So, Ms. Ouyang, what do you think the Principle of this world is?
I asked, and Ouyang Meng smiled.
You can ask every beast what the Illusory Realm means to them. Perhaps you'll find the answer.