Archfiend-Chapter 417: Dharmadhatu (21)

Divine ability amplification was only one aspect. Some magik treasures attached importance to offense, so naturally divine ability amplification was even greater. Some magik treasures attached importance to defense, so perhaps all kinds of unyielding shields would inexplicably jump out when one often attacked it. And there were some that attached importance to “weirdness”, and various kinds of modes. For example…

The Azure Winged-Demon Mask!

What was there to say about its offensive power?

None. Embarrassingly, it didn’t have any.

However…

If it fell into the hands of a cultivator who was skilled at spiritual sense attacks, then this wasn't just the polishing of a blade, it was moreover a blood groove!

In the modern world, there weren’t many remaining divine abilities that attacked spiritual sense. These attacks in themselves left no trace, and were extremely hard to guard against. Despite this though, they couldn’t kill an opponent. Their use was in confusing the enemy, and a cultivator’s divine ability would immediately follow. But once the Azure Winged-Demon Mask was worn, one could instantly launch a divine ability in sync with a spiritual sense attack!

Because at the time, the enemy would be completely stripped of their senses! In a flash, the enemy’s “radar” would go from worldwide satellite to an ordinary person. Not to mention whether they could hit a target, such psychological terror would be enough to make some cultivators fall to turmoil!

Furthermore… this was a magik treasure set that he’d never heard about! He didn’t know any artificing methods that could make three magik treasures mutually support each other and turn them into a set!

This was practically amazing! Both he and Gao Muya were comparable to sludge!

“Huff…” Xu Yangyi looked at his two winnings with a complicated gaze. One was concealed in his mind, and one was an advantage in his hand. Of the three Gems of Dreaming, two were related to Butterflymother Southflower. Or could it be said… that as long as it was a dreamland, as long as Southflower wanted to enter, there were no dreams she couldn’t enter?

“Maybe…” A chilly glint flashed through his eyes. “This is a clever trap. But an opportunity to completely defeat the Dream Walker might be hidden inside!”

Black space was already starting to collapse inch by inch. A streak of azure light rocketed out from within, and Xu Yangyi and Rocjourney stormed towards the extremes of their dark surroundings with all their might. This was their destination.

“Fellow Daoist… you really have a way to defeat the Dream Walker?” From time to time, Rocjourney stole glances at Xu Yangyi’s expression. As he recalled the conversation just now, he couldn’t contain his trepidation!

The demon slayer had said there was a chance. A way to exterminate the Dream Walker!

Not even he and Enihilus had found this ‘possibility’ in their entire lives! They hadn’t even dared to enter the second level!

“On Earth, there’s something called manga. Considering it as a time-waster is pretty much right.” Xu Yangyi’s gaze smoldered as he flew. “A couple decades ago, I just happened to go through a manga. Its set-up was interesting: the Zodiac Knights in Saint Seiya wouldn't use the same move twice.”

“???” Rocjourney didn’t understand what meaning this held.

“I have an ill-fated relationship with the will that just descended.” He licked his lips. “Last time, I comprehended her combat style for myself. Quite obviously, her egg was placed inside me. Afterwards, her will crossed over endless mountains and waters, and almost consumed me. The position was set, and there would be no fortuitous escape.”

Rocjourney inhaled deeply. “But… you’re still alive?”

With crystal clarity, Rocjourney sensed that terrible will moments ago! He didn’t have the least bit heart of resistance against such an existence!

“I’m still alive.” Xu Yangyi’s gaze became increasingly frosty. “She… can be considered an old ancestor that fools around with dreamlands. Her realm is numerous times greater than the Dream Walker’s, but from what I saw when she attacked me last time, she needs a designation point. Afterwards, she leaves a brand inside the body. Then, her real attack comes later. Of course, that’s only my guess.”

Rocjourney nodded. He knew that Xu Yangyi spoke easily, but one couldn’t survive from that existence unless they had great wit and great courage. All kinds of lucky encounters were also needed. Only then was there a return to life after a hundred deaths.

All of a sudden, his mind turned bright, and he quickly looked at Xu Yangyi. “A fixed point… a brand… Don’t tell me that ‘opportunity’ just now was…”

“If my guess isn’t wrong, then she’s already anchored my mark.” The chilling light in Xu Yangyi’s eyes was bitingly cold. “The Azure Winged-Demon Mask looks like a sweet trap, the same as Zhuang Zhou’s cocoon back then… but the butterfly imprint in my mind is her brand… The brand this time might take you back to Death Valley!”

Rocjourney gritted out, “Then.. has she been here?”

“Yes.” Xu Yangyi took a deep breath. “I knew earlier… Something else calling itself the ‘Realm Spirit’ told me. I just didn’t expect that she actually left things in someone else’s dream. It looks like not even the Dream Walker knew!”

“This isn’t a single-level organism in itself…” Rocjourney called back to the world-shaking terror just now. He couldn’t help but shiver coldly.

“Don’t waste words…” Xu Yangyi’s gaze focused ahead. “It looks… like we’re already at our destination.”

Huuummm… Space trembled ceaselessly. Countless Nightmares hiding in the neighboring darkness flew out, blotting everything out in sight. Like scattered black clouds, the beasts couldn’t fly too far without meeting other hordes of Nightmares. The tearing of spatial cracks caused the dreamland to break apart. And they, who existed within the dreamland’s crevices, were no longer able to conceal their whereabouts.

Nonetheless, there were a hundred packs at most, and there was no Nightmare that was like the previous one at Foundation Establishment. Although, the Nightmares put up quite the mess, Xu Yangyi and Rocjourney didn’t slow down.

Presently, an ancient palace was ahead of them. It was about ten thousand square meters in size, spinning in the darkness. It hadn’t collapsed, and its surroundings were quite stable. The style was certainly not Chinese, instead carrying the strong air of another different culture. It appeared to be Persian in style.

The space around it was firm, without one mark of collapse. From everywhere, four criss-crossing chains seemed to hang it in midair.

In the palace, countless delicate light beams soared into the sky. They were sky-blue in color, making the structure look like a celestial temple. It was simply unlike the heart of the nightmare.

“This place… I can sense it’s inside!” Rocjourney sped up. Thirty minutes later, he and Xu Yangyi stepped foot onto the palace.

However, no one whatsoever could’ve expected the scene before them!

They had originally believed that there would be all kinds of mechanisms inside the palace, that they would even run into a similar Foundation Establishment Nightmare like the one from before. Or maybe… a Nightmare nest was here! There wasn’t though!

There were only four chains. The chains passed through the four great gates of a Vermilion Bird, a White Tiger, an Azure Dragon, and a Black Tortoise. From the mouths of the four godbeasts, an arm-thick chain extended out, and all of them led to the middle. And in the middle, there was a very strange circle of talismans. Unexpectedly, a man was kneeling down at the center!

He was an old man, age spots all over his skin, akin to a ruined candle in the wind. He was already bald, but the pale hair he did have hung over his shiny forehead and into the surroundings. He cut a slender figure, and it could almost be said that he was all skin and bones. Still, his eyes were like an eagle’s, even giving one an inviolable feeling.

The four chains ran through his four limbs, and a dreadful scar was located where his qi sea was. It appeared someone had extended their hand into his qi sea and then taken it out again after crushing said location.

But in this plaza’s surroundings, three other people were standing.

Bladevessel, the three-eyed spirit ape-puppet… and Moonless!

Xu Yangyi’s gaze flickered. He’d originally predicted that between Bladevessel and the puppet, one of them was a fake. Regardless, he hadn’t expected that Moonless would also be able to make it here!

In the instant Xu Yangyi entered the plaza, everyone sent their gazes over. No one spoke, however.

Xu Yangyi swept his eyes through everyone. He merely took a few glances and moved on as he met the old man’s gaze, but he then promptly shifted back!

This man was familiar!

That was Xu Yangyi’s first reaction. He was very familiar with this old man! Moreover, he’d definitely met him before! His impression was even quite deep!

He stared directly at the old man for a few seconds and abruptly cried out in surprise, “Daomaster Floatingcloud?!”

This old man was shockingly Zhang Guangyao! Earth’s Daomaster Floatingcloud! The Motionless Wisdom Monarch!

“Dao Master?” The old man’s voice was raspy like an owl. Without warning, he flung his head back and began to cackle madly. “Dao Master… Dao Master!!! He became a Dao Master! HAHAHAHA! Zhang Guangyao… you won’t have a good death!!!”

His voice was terribly miserable, causing the surrounding torches to faintly shake. Afterwards, he became completely despondent. It appeared he hadn’t been this excited for so long, and he erupted in a coughing fit.

“You’re an Earth cultivator…” Nonetheless, the old man didn’t care, instead looking at Xu Yangyi with a strange gaze. “How many years has it been… How many years has it been? Today, This Throne actually looks upon two Earth cultivators…”

“Fellow Daoist…” At first, Xu Yangyi wanted to call the old man ‘Dao Master’, but the old man no longer had a scrap of qi. He mumbled to himself and said, “Are you really Floatingcloud?”

“Yes…” The old man parted his wizened lips. The yellow teeth inside his mouth were all crooked. He laughed dryly, “If there is not a second Floatingcloud on Earth, then I am him! However, I am no Dao Master. That year, I merely had the hope for Dao Master, but I suffered that mongrel’s treacherous attack!”

Xu Yangyi took a deep breath. “That ‘mongrel’... was Zhang Guangyao?”

“Correct…” Floatingcloud burst into laughter. “I didn’t expect it… how could I ever expect it? A cultivator of a Lesser Thousand Realm actually imprisoned a cultivator of a Greater Thousand Realm for centuries! And he ran off to a Greater Thousand Realm with my identity!”

His wretched laughter drifted through black space. Xu Yangyi and Moonless shared a glance, both making out the shock in each other’s eyes.

“Zhang Guangyao was middle Foundation Establishment at best. How did he catch you?” Moonless took a step forward and said in a deep voice.

Floatingcloud let out several cold chuckles. From Moonless, his gaze then shifted to Xu Yangyi. “You still don’t have the qualifications to ask me.”

Xu Yangyi trained his eyes on Floatingcloud. “It’s a waste of words. Let’s just call it a day here.”

“Tell me where the Dream Walker is. After I seal it, I’ll save you.”

“Heh…” Just as Xu Yangyi’s voice fell, Bladevessel was no longer able to conceal his laughter. The three-eyed puppet didn’t utter a word. Floatingcloud, however, looked at him with a pitiful gaze.

A wisp of surprise appeared on Floatingcloud’s face. Soon afterwards, he began to roar with laughter. The madness of his laughter caused the entire plaza to faintly reverberate.

“Save me?” He seemed to have heard the greatest joke. “Save me? Hehe… such a great tone…”

“I know what you are here looking for… The Dream Walker, huh? Heh heh…”

All of a sudden, he spat at Xu Yangyi’s face. Xu Yangyi sneered and sent the spit flying elsewhere with a cold snort.

“Lowly cur-thing.” Floatingcloud stepped on his chains and walked over step by step. He looked into Xu Yangyi’s eyes, his own eyes carrying unconcealable killing intent and contempt. “Don’t you see that my qi sea has been broken? Yet you dare to speak such conceited words in a piteous manner?”

“Who do you think you are? You’re nothing more than an insect of a Greater Thousand Realm, your eyes obscured by a single leaf.” He strode in front of Xu Yangyi, the sneer on his lean, old face in plain view. “Even though it was in the past, I was still Great Circle Foundation Establishment with hope for Core Formation. With this pitiful tone of yours, I would then find a secluded place to tear apart you limb from limb.”

“Now, you think you can stand before Great Circle Foundation Establishment because my qi sea has already been broken? Thus, you have the qualifications?”