As before, there was no shelter, no buildings, only a solitary stone platform.

It floats silently, existing without a sound.

However, this stone platform is much larger than it was two years ago.

It is a perfect circle with a diameter of over one kilometer.

The surface is covered with strange patterns, which are not carved on.

It looks more like the natural patterns that grow from the stone itself, like the rings of a tree, or like some ancient and obscure language.

The hourglass device on the edge of the stone platform was as tall as two people and completely transparent.

The frame is cast from some kind of dark gray metal, with no seams on the surface, as if it were carved out of a single piece of metal.

The hourglass was empty, containing only a transparent cavity.

The Nightmare Land opens once every nine years, and Mingxi, being a foreigner, naturally doesn't know what's inside during the closed periods.

So she wasn't surprised at all that the hourglass didn't contain the golden sand that could bring different rewards and enhance mental strength.

"Difficult? Yes, it is."

Xue Qingting was entering this place for the first time. It flew around the stone platform curiously before finally stopping in front of the hourglass.

It asked Mingxi, "Was it like this before? So quiet."

Yes.

It's unusually quiet here.

There was no wind, no energy flow, and not even a trace of any regular fluctuations.

This space seems to have been forgotten by time, unchanged since time immemorial.

"It's different from before. It should feel fluid. Before, the air and energy were alive, but now they feel dead."

Mingxi did indeed sense the difference.

She stared at the hourglass, "It's most likely related to this hourglass."

"Jin".

Florence agreed.

It also said that in order to make this space move, they had to find a way to fill the cavity in the hourglass, otherwise they might be trapped here and die.

Mingxi wholeheartedly agreed, because after this space was reset, her connection with Guangguang was forcibly severed.

Clearly, even if they didn't move an inch, the real illusion and this place are very likely not the same space.

Moreover, the rules here may be even more restrictive than they were two years ago.

The fact that Guangguang 'disappeared' without giving any prior notice indicates that even it didn't notice.

well!

I am devastated to lose my light!

(￢︿̫̿￢☆)

Let's go back to that question: how do we solve the problem of the cavity in the hourglass?

Mingxi looked at the empty hourglass in front of her.

Seven little silver flowers surrounded her, all using their clever little brains together.

a long time.

Mingxi said, "Since there is no quicksand in the hourglass, then I will create quicksand."

The seven of them looked at her, blinking in unison with expressions of curiosity.

✧⁺⸜(●˙▾˙●)⸝⁺✧

"As? As?"

How do you build it? How do you build it?

Even though it was already of the Venerable level, the still lively Black Pearl flapped its big tail and swam up to Mingxi and Liangjingjing's heads.

Mingxi did not answer.

Let's give it a try and see.

She raised her right hand.

A ball of light appeared in her palm; without a doubt, it was her spiritual power.

Previously, Jinsha could refine spiritual power; now she wants to do the opposite, using her own spiritual power to refine Jinsha.

After all, things are different now; her mental power can now be materialized.

The silvery-white light was particularly dazzling in the darkness.

She closed her eyes.

The silvery-white light passed through the outer wall of the hourglass and entered the hourglass.

This process is naturally not going to be smooth sailing. This hourglass is clearly a rule-based object, equivalent to a rule-based prop, and is itself a complete entity.

Even though Mingxi sent in invisible spiritual energy, it still encountered resistance, and the strong sense of blockage made people frown.

Fortunately, Mingxi is someone who enjoys challenges.

They will not give up easily.

collision!

Break through the wall!

Being a spirit painter isn't too difficult.

Soon, her spiritual energy, like a babbling brook, flowed slowly but steadily into the 'ocean'.

The hourglass was filled with her deliberately colored spiritual energy.

Then they begin to change.

The flowing light mist gradually solidified into tiny, translucent crystals.

As more and more crystals accumulated, they gradually piled up into a small heap inside the hourglass.

The crystal fell into the transparent cavity, making a soft rustling sound.

Then--

The hourglass moved.

The first grain of golden sand leaked down from the top.

The moment it passed through the narrow passage and fell into the lower cavity, the lifeless space instantly came alive, with air flowing and energy surging like tides.

The strange patterns on the ground also began to glow, with golden halos spreading outward from the center.

The dark space surrounding the stone platform seemed to be illuminated, and the distant stars became even more dazzling.

The second one, the third one, the fourth one...

More golden quicksand began to fall at a steady speed, probably because they were formed from Mingxi's spiritual power, so Mingxi didn't even need to do anything.

Each grain of quicksand falls naturally, leaving an extremely thin golden trail in the air.

Those trails lingered, intertwining to form a golden curtain of light.

Within the light screen, familiar rule-based characters could be faintly seen flickering in the darkness.

Mingxi took a deep breath.

"...Let's see if the rules of this Nightmare Land will be honored."

The golden quicksand continued to fall.

The golden light released as the quicksand fell seemed to have a life of its own, slowly drifting towards her.

The light touched her skin, immediately penetrated it, traveled upwards along her meridians, flowed into her brain, and finally returned to her mental space.

The golden light merged into the spiritual space, transforming into even finer golden particles.

The particles rotate, collide, and merge in the mental sea, and each fusion increases the purity of the mental space.

This process was like her soul being repeatedly tempered; the incorporation of each golden particle was like someone branding her soul with a hot iron.

Mingxi didn't feel much.

After all, he was a god who struggled to the shore from the vortex of the mask of pain.

But she didn't resist. Although the process was different, the result was unexpected... and it seemed quite perfect.

Meanwhile, Mingxi didn't forget to keep track of the amount of sand flowing in the hourglass.

Although some sediment was deposited, a small portion dissipated as it flowed.

So Mingxi didn't forget to add that she had a feeling that the more golden sand gathered in the lower cavity, the better the rewards given by the Nightmare Land.

Don't ask her how she knew.

The answer is always the same: "A girl's sixth sense!"

And so they began their peck and sip.

The golden quicksand continued to fall.

Every grain of quicksand is an opportunity.

Time passed second by second.

The lower layer of the hourglass was almost completely filled with golden quicksand.

Mingxi's breathing was a little rapid, but she was in good spirits.

Just then, the last grain of quicksand fell from above.

The hourglass turned upside down.

A surge of pure energy rushed toward Mingxi, flowing into her mental space like the golden particles before, giving Mingxi no right to refuse.

The next moment—

"Buzz—!!!"

It felt like fireworks were exploding inside her, giving her a refreshing and enlightened feeling.

It's like it's growing a new brain.

The layers of golden light that spread out illuminated the ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) entire stone platform and the surrounding dark space.

The golden light dissipated.

Mingxi slowly opened her eyes.

She could feel that her brain development had improved a little more, though it might only be a number of decimal places followed by another 9.

But even the smallest step is a giant leap for her on the path to breaking through her limits!

"...As expected, the rules and mechanisms of this Nightmare Land are quite mature and stable."

Mingxi expressed her satisfaction.

"continue!"

Now that she has successfully disguised her mental abilities, she should take advantage of the situation and make the most of what she has.

Regardless of what secrets are hidden here, the Land of Nightmares is indeed a good place.

...

One hour, five hours, ten hours...

One day, two days, four days...

While the outside world was intensely investigating Gui Xun and the five Red-Eyed individuals, and treating the more than a thousand tragic survivors, Ming Xi and her seven companions were enjoying a buffet in the Nightmare Land.

They ate with such gusto, their mouths practically dripping with oil.

The five that benefited the most were Lan Yue Liang, Hei Zhen Zhu, Chi Yu, Liang Jing Jing, and Xue Qing Ting, as they all successfully entered the demigod stage thanks to the hourglass reward.

It's just one step away from truly evolving into a god-level being.

Mingxi, Xiaoyinhua, and Feilengcui's gains were relatively modest due to their inherent limitations, but for them, even the smallest amount of progress was still a significant step forward.

"Jin?"

Florence stood beside Mingxi, her expression calm and composed, but her blue eyes held an unwavering vigilance and wariness.

Time stands still in the land of nightmares.

But as gods, they are extremely sensitive to the passage of time.

They have been in this Nightmare Land for twenty-three days. Compared to the last time they stayed in the Nightmare Land, it is indeed not long, but this time the situation is different.

It could already sense the restlessness of its little human.

The reason is simple.

Jin Yuanbao and Yao Xuan are not with the little humans!

For both the beast tamer and their pet, being separated for too long is harmful to both of them. The better their relationship and the deeper their bond, the more anxious and uncomfortable they will feel when separated.

Unfortunately, this place is a nightmare realm, and the connection between Jin Yuanbao, Yao Xuan, and the pet space has been severed, making it impossible to summon them back.

So even though the little human seemed very composed, it knew she was suffering terribly.

Not only did it sense it, but the little silver flowers and the others sensed it too!

The 23-day separation kept her in a state of constant tension, on the verge of breaking down at any moment.

This is definitely not a good thing.

But now, even if the little humans stop adding gold sand into the hourglass, the gold sand no longer decreases by even a fraction.

The hourglass keeps turning, and time is like a raging horse that cannot be stopped even if the reins are pulled tight.

"fine."

Mingxi knew Florence was worried, but she was indeed not in a good mood. She hadn't expected the hourglass to keep going on and on from the very beginning.

She felt like she was about to have a mental breakdown.

I'm happy that Lan Yue Liang and the others are getting stronger, but I'm worried about Jin Yuan Bao and Yao Xuan who are alone out there!

Here, they have no shortage of food, drink, or resources.

But there are no gold ingots or Yaoxuan here.

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

It's obvious that there's something wrong with this Nightmare Land; otherwise, it wouldn't have developed into this situation.

She couldn't even take back the golden sand that had been transformed by spiritual power.

It was as if the connection between them and her had been completely severed.

"Lolo?"

Little Silver Flower squeezed between Bright Dawn and Florence and loudly suggested that they blow up the place.

Mingxi rubbed its head. "That's a good idea."

Moreover, it's not that they can't do it. Even though Jin Yuanbao and Yao Xuan aren't here, Xiao Yinhua alone has the ability to destroy this place.

Moreover, Lan Yue Liang and the others are not bad either.

The reason we cannot destroy this place lightly is because it is the land of ghosts and nightmares, the most central and important place of the Great Sili Kingdom.

Destroying this place would almost mean destroying the very foundation of the Great Sili Kingdom.

Mingxi may trespass and take advantage of others, but she cannot ignore the relationship between Longhua Kingdom and Dasi Kingdom.

Despite the commotion, we can't afford to damage our friendly relations.

Therefore, unless it truly reaches the point of cataclysmic destruction, the Ghost Nightmare Land cannot be destroyed.

but--

Mingxi smiled and said, "That's a really good idea!"

"Florence, you'll be in charge."

Sensing Mingxi's intention, Florentine turned her head slightly.

There is no need for words between the beast tamer and the beast. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

One look is enough.

In the depths of Florence's eyes, a glimmer of light, only Mingxi could decipher, flashed.

"Jin".

Florence stepped forward.

Beautiful and delicate wings unfolded behind her.

Emerald green light of life and grayish-white flames of reincarnation erupted simultaneously from its body.

Its body suddenly swelled, not in size, but in the expansion of its aura.

Ten meters.

Fifty meters.

One hundred meters.

500 meters.

A phantom image, five hundred meters high, rapidly formed in the dark depths of space.

Each flap of its wings caused a tremor in the surrounding space.

Mingxi's voice rang out again, this time with a resolute chill: "Life and death are a cycle, and time comes to an end!"

The energy around Florence surged even more violently, and the gray-white flames of reincarnation soared into the sky.

A jet-black light followed closely behind.

It wasn't ordinary black; it was the kind of deathly black that could devour even light, as if it could absorb all life.

Death and life intertwine, but do not merge; rather, they are like two entangled giant snakes, coiling around each other and fighting against each other.

At this moment, Florence is like a colossal tower reaching to the heavens, standing on a stone platform, illuminating this eternally dark space as if it were daytime.

But this is just the beginning.

Florence slowly raised her right claw, her five fingers spread wide, and countless illusory creatures surged out from the darkness at the bottom of the stone platform: extraordinary beings, birds, fish, flowers, trees, mountains, and rivers...

The cycle of life!

Beneath the stone platform, something else was also surging.

Death in the Cycle of Reincarnation!

Countless illusory souls drifted down from the dark depths of the sky—old people, infants, fallen soldiers...

Life and death, up and down, green and black, all form a giant vortex centered on Florence.

Chiyu had long ago released a honeycomb barrier around Mingxi and them, and Xiaoyinhua's barrier also enveloped them.

The atmosphere is tense!

Tension at its maximum!

The dark space surrounding Shi Tian was pulled and began to distort. The distant stars trembled violently, and cracks began to appear on the outer edge of space, spreading to the surface of the stone platform with creaking sounds. Even the hourglass began to groan under the weight of the pressure...

"Jin!"

In the darkness, the scattered stars began to converge.