Eternal Dream

"Ha ha ha, I might as well tell you—the only exit from this Dark Realm is the blood moon above us. I’d love to see how you plan to escape under our siege," a green-faced yaksha roared with laughter.

"You’ve misunderstood," Gu Qingfeng shook his head, then grinned savagely. "This venerable one is afraid you’ll run away."

The group of demons and monsters burst into uncontrollable laughter, as if they had just heard the funniest joke.

"Did I hear that right? Did he just say he’s worried we’ll flee?"

"Ha ha ha, I heard it too! Suddenly, I don’t even want to hand this guy over to the Holy Envoy. Let’s keep him for our own—"

Bang!

The sound of chains snapping cut off the demons’ laughter. Before they could react, Gu Qingfeng shot into the sky like a bolt of lightning.

The sheer speed of his movement left the demons stunned.

"Stop him! Don’t let him escape!"

"Trying to run? Not a chance!"

The demons unleashed their supernatural abilities, chasing after Gu Qingfeng with everything they had.

But Gu Qingfeng was too fast—and he had the advantage of striking first. No matter how hard they pursued, they couldn’t catch up.

As Gu Qingfeng reached the edge of the blood moon, just a step away from freedom, the demons erupted in fury and frustration. Some even turned on the green-faced yaksha, cursing him: "Why the hell did you tell him about the exit?!"

The yaksha snapped back, "How was I supposed to know this brat could run so damn fast?!"

"Damn it! We have to catch him, or how will we explain this to the Holy Envoy?!" Jue Mingzi bellowed in rage.

But just then, Gu Qingfeng suddenly halted at the edge of the blood moon.

He turned back, bathed in the crimson glow, his face hidden in shadow—only his bared teeth gleaming with a sinister light.

His abrupt stop left the demons momentarily speechless.

"Ke ke ke... You’re all surrounded by this venerable one. Today, not a single one of you will escape!"

The howling winds at this height whipped Gu Qingfeng’s black hair and robes wildly, making him look like a demonic overlord as he glared down at the monsters with savage arrogance.

The demons were enraged. They never imagined Gu Qingfeng had been serious—he really dared to block the exit alone! Such audacity, such contempt!

"Arrogant fool! You don’t know your place!"

"A mere beast dares to spout such nonsense!"

......

In the true Dark Realm.

Inside a grand hall, over a dozen ethereal, immortal-like figures sat gathered together—Jue Mingzi, with his long white beard, among them. Before them stood a massive bronze mirror, several meters tall.

The scene reflected in the mirror was none other than Gu Qingfeng, standing alone at the exit, effectively surrounding the horde of demons.

Jue Mingzi and the others stared at the mirror in stunned silence, exchanging bewildered glances.

After a long pause, a scholar-robed man finally spoke up. "Daoist Jue Mingzi, just what kind of monster have you brought back this time? His behavior in the Eternal Dream is... truly... unfathomable."

The others all turned to Jue Mingzi, their expressions equally strange.

Jue Mingzi coughed awkwardly. "I’ve only just met Daoist Gu. He’s a bit... frugal, but he seemed quite amiable at first glance. Who knew he’d be so... brutal against the dream demons?"

Truthfully, they had tested many newcomers through the Eternal Dream. Some had begged for mercy on their knees, others had fought desperately, and they had even uncovered spies sent by the demons.

Those spies, faced with a demonic siege, would immediately reveal themselves as allies.

But never had they encountered someone like Gu Qingfeng—so vicious he seemed less than human!

Just then, footsteps echoed from the hall’s entrance. Everyone turned to look.

A figure clad in a dark golden robe, wearing a golden mask, strode in unhurriedly.

The group straightened slightly. "Dark Emperor."

The masked Dark Emperor nodded. "How did Gu Shenghui perform in the Eternal Dream? Is he a demonic spy?"

The others exchanged uneasy glances, none sure how to answer.

If this newcomer were a spy, why would he act like he wanted to slaughter every demon in sight? But if he weren’t...

His demeanor, his words, his actions—everything about him was more monstrous than the monsters themselves!

Seeing their hesitation, the Dark Emperor frowned. "What’s wrong? Is he truly a spy?"

"Dark Emperor... it’s better if you see for yourself. It’s hard to explain," Jue Mingzi said awkwardly.

The Dark Emperor’s frown deepened. He had been standing with his back to the mirror, unable to see its contents.

He stepped forward, looked into the mirror—and froze.

The scene showed Gu Shenghui, face twisted in a savage grin, spewing colorful language as he single-handedly surrounded the demons.

After a long pause, the Dark Emperor finally spoke. "Gu Shenghui’s behavior is... unusual. But based on his actions, he likely isn’t a demonic spy."

The others nodded in agreement. "That’s our assessment as well. We don’t know why this newcomer acts so bizarrely, but the chance of him being a spy is slim."

Then, a young man with a sword strapped to his back—Daoist Wei—spoke up. "Daoist Jue Mingzi, didn’t you say Gu Shenghui had just entered the Divine Realm? Yet the power he displayed in the Eternal Dream rivals that of a peak Divine Realm expert. How is that possible?"

"Daoist Wei, you haven’t been with the Dark Realm long, so you may not fully understand the Eternal Dream. Strictly speaking, it isn’t an illusion—it’s more like a dream.

Illusions leave traces, making them easier to detect. But dreams? They’re formless, seamless. In dreams, people instinctively overlook inconsistencies and act purely from their hearts. That’s why it’s the perfect method for testing spies.

The Eternal Dream was forged by the combined efforts of the entire Dark Realm over decades. Its power is immense—even a peak Divine Realm expert would fall under its influence without realizing it.

But it has one flaw: unlike illusions, the dream cannot be easily controlled. Because it belongs to the dreamer. We can only set specific scenarios; the rest is beyond our interference.

Dreams follow the heart. Those with extraordinary talent can even manipulate their own dreams, becoming omnipotent within them. Simply put, if you fear nothing in the dream, you cannot be defeated. And if you will it, you can become as strong as you desire—after all, it’s your own dream."

The questioning man, Daoist Wei, nodded slightly, then felt a surge of astonishment in his heart. He too had only recently joined as a newcomer and had undergone the trial of the Eternal Dream. Though he had barely passed the test of the heart by fighting desperately, only those who had experienced it firsthand understood the terror—when facing a horde of demons far surpassing one’s own strength, even the fiercest resolve couldn’t erase every trace of fear from the mind.

This newcomer, Gu Shenghui, possessed a mental fortitude that was almost unimaginable.