I stared at Mona Ouyang, puzzled.
"Mr. Ouyang, you want me to ask each Chimera Beast, but what exactly am I supposed to ask them?"
Mona Ouyang pondered for a moment before replying.
"Every world has its origin, and the birth of the Dreamworld begins with a living being falling asleep and starting to dream. From the first creature that ever dreamed to now, the world of dreams has grown boundless. The dreams they've had never truly disappear; instead, they remain as part of the Dreamworld itself."
I nodded.
At that moment, Mona Ouyang smiled.
"By the way, Ethan Zhang, how did you actually come to this world? Do you remember anything at all?"
I shook my head.
"When I woke up, I was already beside a pond. At that time, my body was still made up of light and shadow."
Mona Ouyang smiled thoughtfully.
"The reason I was able to enter this world is because I finally found a small crack at the edge where the Dreamworld and Illusory Realm intersect—likely caused by friction between the two realms. In the Dreamworld, I also found some low-level Chimera Beasts from the Illusory Realm and extracted some illusory power from them, which allowed me to come here. But I can't stay long; being in this world consumes illusory power, and once it runs out, I'll be forcibly cast out."
I finally understood how Mona Ouyang came to this world. The thought that such a method existed made me glance at the colorful light band behind her.
Mona Ouyang shook her head and said.
"Powerful Chimera Beasts like you can't cross here. The only reason some Chimera Beasts managed to pass through is, according to what I've heard, because the Realm Keeper of the Illusory Realm authorized their passage through this narrow gateway."
I was startled. I turned to look at Eugenia and the Nine-Tailed Fox behind me. Both Chimera Beasts shook their heads.
"These are just rumors from the middle and lower levels—about the Realm Keeper. But it's impossible. Even if there is one, it would just be a powerful Chimera Beast. I've met every Chimera Beast in the Illusory Realm, and none of them could be called the Realm Keeper."
The Nine-Tailed Fox giggled, her gaze wicked as she looked at me.
"You actually believe what those weaklings say, Ethan Zhang? They're just a bunch of feeble creatures who can only survive by clustering together. The so-called Realm Keeper is nothing but a fantasy born from their own weakness. I've heard far more rumors than that."
The Nine-Tailed Fox continued, recalling how, long ago, she disguised herself as a small fox and wandered the middle levels. Whenever she encountered someone who wanted to eat her, she'd pretend to flee desperately, only to revert to her true form and devour them once they revealed their fangs.
Among all the stories the Nine-Tailed Fox had heard, the most common was that the Illusory Realm had a Realm Keeper. If you could meet him, you'd earn the right to enter the living world. But the Realm Keeper hid himself, leaving clues behind, driving countless middle-level Chimera Beasts to do everything they could to find him. It was like a game—a cryptic puzzle left by the Realm Keeper, whose ultimate goal was for a Chimera Beast to find him.
There's another rumor—someone once found the Realm Keeper, and afterward, that person went to the living world. Many Chimera Beasts claim their friends or elders witnessed it firsthand, that the person truly returned to the living world through a passage.
Then there are odd rumors that the Realm Keeper scattered clues across the upper, middle, and lower layers. If you find all of them, it's like piecing together a treasure map—you can locate where the Realm Keeper is hiding.
"Those are basically the rumors. But after all these years, I've never found anyone who actually saw him. I went to the middle layer because of these tales, but all I found were Chimera Beasts claiming they'd witnessed someone go to the living world. It turned out they were lying, so I ate them out of frustration."
I smiled helplessly. At that moment, Mona Ouyang shook her head.
"Rumors don't come from nowhere. Perhaps the Realm Keeper is the Principle of this world itself. If you want to break the Principle, you have to find it first. Ethan Zhang, the Principle within you is the same—you must understand what your own Principle truly is. After all, your arrival here wasn't an accident."
I immediately understood what Mona Ouyang meant.
"So I came here because of some opportunity, or maybe because of someone's actions? I do know that Mother Goddess Nuwa once told me she used her last bit of strength to preserve my consciousness."
Mona Ouyang thought for a while, then smiled.
"Maybe it's a convergence of many forces—a unique opportunity. Ethan Zhang, when you return, you should ask around about the Realm Keeper. Time's almost up; I have to go. Remember, if you want to leave here, you must find the Principle. Only by finding the Principle of the Illusory Realm can you figure out how to break it. I'll come back in a week—make sure you're here. This time, I'll absorb more illusory power so I can stay longer."
I replied with a hum. Mona Ouyang turned into a wisp of violet dust and vanished into the colorful light band before me. After thinking it over, I decided to go ask Mother Goddess Nuwa.
"I think you shouldn't waste your effort, Qingyuan. This rumor only started circulating after we'd been living here for tens of thousands of years—about four hundred years ago."
I looked at Eugenia in confusion. She waved her hand and shook her head.
"Probably just some bored Chimera Beasts making up stories to mess with the others in the Illusory Realm."
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"That's way too casual a fabrication."
Smiling, I sat with the Nine-Tailed Fox on Zephyr's back. Eugenia's body glowed faint blue, and in an instant, my consciousness was flooded with shifting scenes.
I returned to Mother Goddess Nuwa's Illusory Realm. Without waiting for Eugenia to join Blueflame Warden, who was already preparing ingredients, I flew straight to Nuwa. Before me, a giant furnace blazed, and the Heaven-Mending Stone was now only a third of its original size. Yet Nuwa still wasn't satisfied—she needed to refine it further.
"Mother Goddess Nuwa, do you know anything about the Realm Keeper?"
I asked. Mother Goddess Nuwa nodded, and I looked at her in surprise.
"You came to ask about this—does that mean you've realized something?"
I looked at Mother Goddess Nuwa, confused.
"Realized what?"
"The existence of the Realm Keeper."
My eyes widened in shock.
"Eugenia and the others say it's just a rumor. Is there really a Realm Keeper in the Illusory Realm?"
Mother Goddess Nuwa quietly turned to face me. After a long moment, she spoke.
"You've been to that darkness. That darkness has its own will. It's the same for every world—when a world grows vast enough, a so-called will of the world is born."
I swallowed. I did know that the dark world had a will of its own. Though I couldn't recall exactly what happened there, I knew it had its own awareness—and I'd even heard it before.
"Go and find the Realm Keeper—like that person who wandered into the Illusory Realm centuries ago. Only by finding the Realm Keeper can you earn the right to leave this place."
I stared at Mother Goddess Nuwa in disbelief.
"Are you sure these rumors are true? Plenty of Chimera Beasts say they're fake."
"I'm sure."
Mother Goddess Nuwa's cold expression gave nothing away. I had no idea where to even begin my search.
"The reason the lower-level Chimera Beasts want to leave the Illusory Realm is because it's too cruel for them. You've seen it yourself, Ethan Zhang."
I responded with a hum. I had indeed seen the Merfolk Tribe, who, to survive, were forced to offer their children as food to powerful Chimera Beasts. Such things likely happened among other tribal Chimera Beasts as well.
"Then I'll go check on the Merfolk Tribe first."
For now, that's all I can do. But thinking about my current state, I still couldn't match the strength of the Chimera Beasts. I decided to keep training with the three Chimera Beasts remaining in Mother Goddess Nuwa's Illusory Realm—any progress would be enough.
"By the way, Mother Goddess Nuwa, who was that person centuries ago who found the Realm Keeper and left the Illusory Realm?"
"I only know his name was Fan Xiaoran."
I looked at Mother Goddess Nuwa in confusion. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't recall who it was, so I turned and returned to the stone where the three Chimera Beasts were gathered.
As soon as I mentioned Mother Goddess Nuwa's claim that the Realm Keeper really existed, the Nine-Tailed Fox burst into laughter.
"You actually believe that? Ethan Zhang, are you out of your mind? If the Realm Keeper really existed, the powerful Chimera Beasts would've found him long ago. Why would it be your turn? Besides, if we Chimera Beasts could enter the living world in our true forms, what do you think would happen to it?"
I swallowed—she was right. If any Chimera Beast entered the living world, it would cause a disaster, given their world-shattering power.
"Alright, Qingyuan, hurry up and make something to eat."
I smiled and hummed in response. The Nine-Tailed Fox was right—the powerful upper-level Chimera Beasts were all clever. There's no way they couldn't find clues to the Realm Keeper.
"A Chimera Beast I used to be close with once tried, but found the rumors about the Realm Keeper were just fake."
Blueflame Warden hefted a pile of meat and fruit, and I hummed in response, following him to a floating stone nearby to cook.