"This is?"
Yang Lin's eyes lit up. Countless superimposed shadows materialized in the world before him. His brain, at this moment, became intensely excited!
Clear!
The world had never been so lucid!
Yang Lin opened "Snake's Dream." He didn't need to examine it closely. Just a single glance allowed him to directly internalize every word on the page!
Photographic memory, omniscient recall!
Yang Lin rapidly devoured the book and documents before him, turning page after page. Every detail was incredibly sharp!
He didn't need to fix his gaze on any single point. Everything appeared vividly in his sight. He could even see things on both flanks with perfect clarity!
This was akin to possessing a god's perspective!
...
The following day.
Yang Lin once again entered a snake's dream. This time, a colossal serpent, resembling a dragon, materialized before him.
But this was highly unusual. Shouldn't there only be twenty-four snake dreams?
This marked the twenty-fifth occurrence.
This was the final chapter of the narrative: Snake King Hierro.
It was vastly more powerful than any entity that had appeared in previous snake dreams—it was hardly comparable!
If the snakes appearing in earlier "Snake's Dreams" were low 3rd Step spiritual energy incarnations, then this Snake King was a 4th Step spiritual energy incarnation!
In this reality constructed purely by spiritual power, the environment was inherently hostile to life forms below the 4th Step, unless one specialized primarily in spiritual cultivation.
Because within this realm, no external abilities or inherent characteristics could be utilized. No matter how formidable one's physical body was, insufficient spiritual power rendered it useless.
But sometimes, coincidence played its hand. Although Yang Lin's physical constitution wasn't supreme, his spiritual power was exceptionally potent.
Now, Yang Lin manifested snake scales on both hands and across his back, plus three scales adorning each side of his face.
A full twenty-four snake scales. This was the sole ability usable within the snake's dream.
Yang Lin extended his hand. Spiritual power in his grasp condensed into a spiraling sword construct.
Without a word, he charged directly at Snake King Hierro!
Snake King was unlike the previous adversaries. It possessed countless arms sprouting from its body, and each arm wielded a massive greatsword!
Yang Lin immediately engaged Snake King. The fierce confrontation erupted, sword qi flew everywhere, and the resounding sounds of clashing steel and flesh being cut echoed repeatedly!
Initially, Snake King performed with practiced ease, but gradually, it was forced to utilize every single one of its arms!
Yang Lin's spiritual power, surprisingly, nearly matched its own?
...
The sky gradually darkened. This battle proved incredibly persistent. Yang Lin fought the Snake King in the snake's dream from dawn until dusk, finally felling the Great Serpent!
Puff, puff!
The Great Serpent let out a final bellow, then crashed heavily to the ground!
The snake's dream shattered. Yang Lin emerged from the dreamscape!
He opened his eyes. His black pupils, at this instant, elongated into a vertical slit, then began shifting from black to gold!
His eyes had actually transformed into a pair of snake eyes?!
At this moment, the "Snake's Dream" before him began to turn its own pages. The leaves fluttered back and forth until they settled on the very last page of the narrative.
At this point, the content of the final page underwent a radical change.
The original Snake King Hierro lay dead on the ground, a spear plunged deep into its corpse!
Yang Lin seemed to sense something. He slowly extended his hand, and from the page of the book, a long shaft gradually emerged!
Yang Lin gripped the shaft, then suddenly yanked, and a verdant long spear materialized in his hand!
This spear was two meters long; its overall color was deep black, laced with dark blue serpentine scale patterns spiraling up towards the spearhead.
And the spearhead itself was uniquely shaped like a snake's head—the serpent's eyes resembled emeralds, from which an extended tongue formed the very tip of the spear.
"Hierro's Spear?"
Yang Lin muttered to himself, only to see the accompanying text in the book below begin to highlight itself sequentially.
Hierro's Spear, a legendary weapon.
A brave warrior, wielding this spear, slew the Snake King Hierro within a dream. Hierro's power clung to the weapon, an essence of brutality capable of slaying souls.
Before Yang Lin could process further, the spear suddenly burrowed into his palm, and simultaneously, a coiled snake symbol manifested there.
And when he wished to summon Hierro's Spear again, with just a thought, the coiled snake pattern would spiral outward, once again transforming into Hierro's Spear!
Furthermore, the book recorded that this was a weapon specifically designed to target souls.
Yes, its destructive capability against physical matter was not potent, but it was uniquely effective against souls.
However, like those snake scales, it was a single-use item.
This spear would detonate upon a single successful strike. One would need to wait 24 hours before it could be utilized again.
But this was sufficient.
This spear could threaten a 4th Step soul, but it was not equivalent to a 4th Step spiritual energy strike. Its inherent power far exceeded a direct 4th Step spiritual energy impact.
But what the specific result would be, Yang Lin had yet to discover.
The confrontation with the Snake King had depleted Yang Lin's spiritual power to a critically low level. Soon, he felt a wave of dizziness.
Yang Lin collapsed onto the bed, immediately falling into a deep slumber. However, what awaited him was surely not a peaceful rest.
Upon entering the next dream, Yang Lin arrived in a forest littered with skeletons.
Bird Forest.
"I almost forgot about this."
Yang Lin sighed. Snake scales shimmered along the sides of his face. "When will this dream finally conclude?"
As Yang Lin materialized, dense Soul-Devouring Birds burst forth from the forest!
These Soul-Devouring Birds were stronger than the last time. Yang Lin clearly felt overwhelmed this time.
As time passed, Soul-Devouring Birds continuously harassed and bit at his body!
And Yang Lin's protective snake scales had been heavily depleted during his previous confrontation with the Great Serpent. After being gnawed a few times by the Soul-Devouring Birds, all his snake scales shattered.
Yang Lin saw this and gritted his teeth, directly drawing Hierro's Spear from his palm!
However, for some unknown reason, the moment he drew Hierro's Spear, all the Soul-Devouring Birds dared not approach him again!
The Soul-Devouring Birds all shied away from him; they were clearly afraid.
"They are afraid of Hierro's Spear?"
Yang Lin, spear in hand, knelt on one knee. The halt in the Soul-Devouring Birds' attack allowed him a critical moment to gasp for breath and recover.
One could only describe this situation as bittersweet...
The joy was because the Soul-Devouring Birds feared Hierro's Spear. The worry was that the Soul-Devouring Birds would grow continuously stronger later, and might gradually lose their apprehension towards Hierro's Spear.
And when that time arrived, Yang Lin's spiritual power would be insufficient to withstand the assaults of these Soul-Devouring Birds. This felt like an endless, inescapable loop.
Could it be that this Bird Forest was truly an unsolvable puzzle?
Yang Lin, after half an hour of catching his breath, finally stood up. "If there is no path to escape, then the only viable solution is to exert every effort to slay the Soul-Devouring Birds each time."
"This way, the Soul-Devouring Birds' spiritual power will increase, but my spiritual power will also rise, allowing for a relatively balanced state."
But this was far too idealistic.
Yang Lin couldn't guarantee he would always be at peak physical condition, nor could he guarantee that his spiritual power would escalate faster than that of the Soul-Devouring Birds.
At this moment, a voice suddenly echoed from above!
"Do you wish to escape this place?"
"Perhaps I can offer you assistance."
That voice was deep and hoarse, interwoven with many maddening whispers, akin to the murmurs of an Ancient God!
Who could it be?
Just as Yang Lin felt confused, a terrifying spiritual force suddenly plunged from the sky into the ground, directly shattering the entirety of the Bird Forest and annihilating every Soul-Devouring Bird!
This spiritual force fluctuation...?
What level does that represent?!
Yang Lin was stunned. If he compared his spiritual power and that of Snake King Hierro to a mere lake, then this spiritual force descending from the sky was an entire ocean with raging waves!
This immense spiritual force, potent enough to crush everything, was something he had never witnessed before!
"Who are you?"
Hearing Yang Lin's inquiry, the voice originated from the sky once more.
"I am a prisoner, an Old One. I was banished to the Dream World by a supreme will."
"Child, I believe you have encountered me before. That wooden carving—is it still in your possession?"
Wooden carving?
Did he mean that octopus wooden carving?
That object was indeed still tucked away in Yang Lin's bag. Although Reinhard had advised him to discard it, Yang Lin sensed the spiritual thread attached to it.
He felt this item was far from simple, perhaps even a crucial piece of evidence, so he had kept it safe.
"Is that thread on the carving connected to you?"
"Indeed, it is that very thread that allowed us to meet in this dream, child. There is no need for surprise. I deeply desire inner peace. I long to bring an end to the worldly conflicts and disputes."
"But for me now, that seems like a distant fantasy."
"I disdain begging favors from others, so let us discuss a transaction."
"You wish to escape from here, to end this nightmare-like Samsara. I can facilitate that for you."
That voice seemed to possess a certain corrosive magic, subtly corrupting, infecting, and eroding Yang Lin's spiritual power, making him irresistibly inclined to believe in the existence of this unseen Old One.
This realization was quite terrifying. Yang Lin's spiritual power was already considerable, yet he still felt such an influence.
Then, for an ordinary person with weaker spiritual power, perhaps a single sentence from this entity would be enough to cause them to utterly collapse.
"The last entity who offered a deal promised cooperation, and then immediately attempted to kill me."
"Now, an existence I cannot perceive, and whose power I cannot even begin to fathom—how dare I enter into a pact with you?"
Hearing Yang Lin's hesitation, a low, muffled laugh emanated from the sky.
"Your concerns are unnecessary, child."
"I detest deceiving beings weaker than myself, for there is absolutely no requirement to do so."
"If you are momentarily disoriented, you may take time to reflect. When you have reached a conclusion, I will remain here within the dream."
...
Dream World.
Chino retracted his dispersed consciousness, only to observe Angel rubbing a mass of blood between two fingers. "Strange abilities. The evolutions of those two are rather peculiar."
Angel referenced Principal Starry and Zero's unusual powers, a point Chino himself had also perceived.
Their capabilities were both peculiar and potent, unlike anything derived from standard evolutionary potions.
However, even if their potions were powerful, they should still be newly evolved entities.
They hadn't even fully assimilated their abilities before coming to confront Chino, which felt notably hasty.
Of course, if it had been two against one, Chino would indeed have been outmatched by the pair.
But Angel's timely intervention into the fray, shifting the balance to a one-on-one engagement, exposed the inherent weakness of Zero and Principal Starry.
They had yet to fully adapt to their new powers. In a direct confrontation, they were no match for Chino and Angel, both established 5th Step beings.
But this situation was only temporary.
Zero and Principal Starry's ascension to the 5th Step, to a significant degree, undermined Chino's initial strategy. This was hardly an auspicious beginning.
"Do you have any thoughts on this development?"
Hearing Chino's query, Angel stated coldly, "Their evolution this time is unusual. My sovereign is absent. May I inquire how those two managed their advancement?"
This was precisely Chino's own point of confusion. He considered a possibility: perhaps this was an arrangement orchestrated by Mei?
But this methodology didn't quite align with Mei's known style.
So, what exactly was transpiring?
Chino shifted his gaze toward the sky. Unnoticed by anyone, within a hidden compartment of his own body, rested a potion vial.
Angel also looked to the side. Similarly, no one observed that tucked within her curled feathers was another potion bottle.
"It's safe to assume that the two will definitely return soon. Our current abilities place us slightly behind them. How about we temporarily pool our strength against the immediate threat?"
"Precisely my thinking."
The two exchanged knowing glances. "You haven't, by any chance, acquired any strange potions yourself, have you?"
"Certainly not. Have you?"
"Do you truly believe such a fortunate thing would simply fall into my lap?"
"It appears, this time, both of us are rather out of luck."
...
Reason World.
This place was not as paradisiacal as the Dream World. Instead of mist-shrouded fairylands, it was filled with desolate ruins.
It was clearly an apocalyptic landscape.
The Frost King sat atop a crumbling skyscraper. His Frost Dragon circled beside him. White snow blanketed thousands of miles in every direction. Gazing upon the chaotic realm before him, he exhaled a breath of intense cold.
He felt a profound chill.
Not physically, but resonating deep within his soul.
Since returning from the other world, whenever he sat here alone, gazing out at the pristine white snow, he would experience an inexplicable wave of melancholy.
It had no identifiable origin, just a pervasive emptiness.
"What if it's Absolute Freeze? What if it can halt time itself? Even frozen dead things cannot be preserved."
The Frost Dragon looked up, its blue eyes gleaming intensely. It nudged its head affectionately against the Frost King's flank.
The Frost King turned to regard the Frost Dragon. He gently stroked the giant dragon's head. "Absolute Freeze—what exactly does it lock down?"
"You don't know, and neither do I."
"I just intensely desire to... see her again."
The giant dragon emitted a low, gurgling sound, almost like a mournful cry.
Just then, a blood-red figure flapped its wings and flew before the Frost King.
008.
Looking at the white-haired man before him, the Frost King said calmly, "Don't bother attempting it. Even if your Philosopher's Stone is potent, analyzing an absolute characteristic is impossible. It remains futile."
008 True Ancestor's crimson pupils gleamed sharply. "But I refuse to believe there is anything absolutely unsolvable in this world."
The True Ancestor's Philosopher's Stone was exceptionally powerful. It could analyze all incoming attacks and even allow for infinite self-adaptation and evolution.
But it alone could not analyze absolute characteristics.
No matter how many times he attempted the process, the outcome was identical.
Normal characteristics were akin to a simply structured machine; grasping the inner workings of that machine was straightforward.
But an absolute characteristic was like a machine with zero seams, functioning as a monolithic block. One could discern no internal structure, grasp no governing principle, and thus, it remained unintelligible.
Yet, the True Ancestor refused to yield!
He had to analyze absolute characteristics and make them usable by himself. Only then could he feel confident engaging Chino in battle!
Recalling the profound humiliation of being helplessly pinned down by merely a single thought from Chino, the True Ancestor became even more desperate!
Absolute characteristics!
He absolutely had to possess absolute characteristics!
Otherwise, he would never manage to defeat Chino!
The Philosopher's Stone's capability could only affect the physical form; it had no effect on the spirit.
Facing Chino, even with a physically strong body, any boast would be hollow!
But the Frost King was different. His absolute characteristic could even immobilize spiritual power!
The True Ancestor was consumed by this objective. In his mind, only one directive mattered.
Become stronger, eliminate Chino!
Thus, further discussion with the Frost King was useless.
He relentlessly and frantically pestered the Frost King day and night, again and again attempting to analyze Absolute Freeze, but this was fundamentally an unsolvable conundrum.
Even granting that absolute characteristics could be analyzed, he still couldn't dissect Absolute Freeze.
This followed a very simple and easily grasped principle: when he was frozen, he couldn't even formulate a thought, so how could he possibly analyze anything?
...
On the other side of Reason World.
Ye Long was still actively searching for the cocoon chamber.
What was the cocoon room? In essence, it was the sanctuary where The Vermin's sibling resided.
It was called the cocoon room because The Vermin's sister enveloped herself in protective threads. As the barriers and shackles of Reason World gradually weakened, she could be credited with playing an indispensable role in that process.
However, recently, an increasing number of entities sought to cause trouble.
For instance, Computer.
He had successfully initiated the industrial automation revolution on the moon, even surpassing Earth's own technology, and was planning a counterattack against Earth.
If the populace on Earth were all eradicated, Ye Long's growth in power would cease. Therefore, he naturally took action to intercept one of Computer's spaceships.
That, apparently, was Computer's inaugural spaceship, and his only one to date. To this day, he had yet to construct a second vessel.
But this specific detail wasn't the most critical point. What mattered was that Ye Long was actually able to bridge a connection from Reason World to the Manifest World.
Although not on Earth itself, the three worlds should theoretically encompass the entire Solar System. Now, operating beyond Earth, Ye Long could actually interact with the Manifest World.
To a certain extent, beyond Earth, the Reason World's barrier was almost entirely nullified.
If this trend persisted, before long, these 4th Step monsters would breach back into the human world.
And the first action they would take upon re-entering the human realm would undoubtedly be to slaughter mortals.
This scenario was paralleled by Computer's attempted invasion of Earth. Killing humans on Earth essentially equated to weakening Ye Long's power source.
For this very reason, Ye Long absolutely had to stop The Vermin.
It was just a pity that his current predicament mirrored the True Ancestor's desire to obtain absolute characteristics.
Ye Long found it incredibly difficult to locate The Vermin's true hidden body.
The Vermin's true form would constantly shift its location. Every so often, it would relocate to a different area. Once, it even concealed itself on Mars.
If the search scope covered the entire Solar System, then stating Ye Long was looking for a needle in a haystack would not be an exaggeration.
Moreover, he was the sole entity opposing this descent.
Manifest World.
Kitsune Headquarters.
Within the O5 Council.
"Recently, a large number of Objects have manifested across the globe. Aside from North and South America, the containment situation in Asia, Europe, and Africa is verging on uncontrollable!"
"So, it appears 009's fission ability has recovered."
"But is this truly the work of 009?"
"Indeed, it is dissimilar. These Objects' negative ramifications far outweigh any positive impacts. Almost all are unusable, entirely unlike the Objects 009 previously generated."
"But besides 009, I cannot conceive of any other entity capable of this."
"Are you certain?"
"Have you forgotten about that other entity?"
"You mean, Mad Hatter?"
Mad Hatter was an organization that developed rapidly two years prior. Their posture towards Kitsune was notably friendly.
They operated under the premise that 'we are both containment organizations, thus let us coexist peacefully.'
They spoke well, but that didn't mean Kitsune would automatically grant them recognition.
Furthermore, the individual orchestrating this organization was a known monster.
Number 040: Gold King.
Specific ability information remains unknown. It is speculated that, much like 009, he can autonomously fabricate various Objects.
However, his Objects differ from 009's; his creations possess almost no negative side effects.
Previously, a direct conflict erupted between Kitsune and them. The opposing side once displayed numerous Objects. To avert a mutually assured destructive outcome, Kitsune eventually had to yield ground, formally acknowledging their status as a containment entity.
Currently, both organizations operated as containment bodies, and both generally favored humanity.
"Most of Mad Hatter's Objects are harmless. Their impact only depends on the user, so I doubt it's them."
"Whoever it is, aren't we currently discussing the uncontrollable containment zones across Asia, Europe, and Africa?"
"Headquarters has already deployed numerous containment specialists. If we continue sending reinforcements outward, North and South America will become unmanageable."
"If Headquarters truly cannot spare any more personnel, then how about we authorize Mad Hatter and their faction to participate in these containment events to alleviate some of the pressure?"
"That wouldn't be a poor strategy either."
Listening to the heated deliberation, Byakuya yawned. "Just dispatch every single Headquarters containment specialist outwards."
Huh?
Hearing this, everyone's faces registered sheer disbelief.
"If Headquarters is left unstaffed, what consequences will arise for the containment zones there?"
Byakuya looked up. "Their current tactic of releasing Objects is precisely designed to disperse our forces. Once they ascertain they have spread us thin enough, those aberrations will launch a full-scale assault on Headquarters."
"So, we will directly execute the decisive maneuver and send all Headquarters personnel away. Then, they naturally won't need to deploy Objects just to thin our ranks."
"Doesn't this resolve the issue of containment failures everywhere?"
"Then what about Headquarters itself?!"
"Headquarters defenseless! Are we just going to hand it over to those monsters?"
"Hundreds of Objects, Kitsune's achievements accumulated over years! Not a single misstep can be afforded!"
Thud!
Byakuya slammed his hand onto the table and stood up. "Headquarters being defenseless does not equate to Headquarters falling."
"Everything is relative. Strength and weakness are certainly so."
...
At the same time, Beiling City.
At night, Yang Lin entered a dreamscape, arriving once again at the Bird Forest.
Chino also arrived punctually. He simply released a small surge of spiritual power, instantly suppressing all the Soul-Devouring Birds onto the ground.
"Now, you can deliver your answer."
"I concur."
"A wise choice."
With that, a spiritual imprint descended from the sky, instantly striking Yang Lin's forehead!
It was a curved octopus mark, deeply etched into Yang Lin's spirit.
"With this, no spiritual means will be able to affect you again, unless that person's spiritual power surpasses mine."
"Of course, its benefits are not limited to this."
Yang Lin reached out to touch his forehead. "What is the required action on my part?"
"Very simple."
"Acknowledge me."
Acknowledge... him?
Yang Lin was momentarily stunned. The other party's condition was merely to recognize him?
With that declaration, the Bird Forest instantly shattered. A colossal, indescribably terrifying entity suddenly materialized before Yang Lin's eyes!
It was a monstrous being possessing an octopus face, towering like a giant reaching to heaven and earth in the boundless darkness!
An ineffable fear rushed to his head. Its two enormous eyes, resembling suns, calmly gazed upon Yang Lin!
What... what is this thing?
"Do not be afraid, child."
"This is merely a physical vessel. You have witnessed my true form. Thus, our pact is concluded."