Classmate Li was arrested on the spot

The Demon Summoning Sect, the Altar of Sinful Shadows.

Under a sparse moon and bright stars, crows cawed raucously as they flew past the temple ahead, their pupils reflecting the distant waterfall.

Despite it being the dry season of winter, the waterfall cascaded down with force, its waters tinged faintly with a bloody hue.

"Join me in worshipping our Ancestral Gods."

The Demon Summoning Saint led the way, carving a piece of flesh from his arm and tossing it into the pool below.

"Worship the Ancestral Gods!"

The disciples chanted with devout fervor.

Hmm...

Truth be told, offering the power of the masses didn’t actually require carving flesh—this was the Saint’s idea.

After all, they were a demonic sect. It added to the atmosphere.

And people often became more deeply convinced of things they had paid a price for...

Within the waterfall stood three sacred shrines, their statues bearing an uncanny resemblance to those in the Ying family’s ancestral home. These were the three founders of the Demon Summoning Sect, deities worshipped by generations of its followers.

Legends said their origins predated even the Great Shang Dynasty.

"Saint! The Ancestral God’s statue!"

Suddenly, one of the Dharma Kings beside him pointed at the waterfall, his voice trembling.

Hmm?

The Demon Summoning Saint jerked his head up, his gaze locking onto the leftmost shrine, now glowing faintly.

"The Dream God... the Dream God..."

The Dream God had been dormant for years, no longer absorbing the power of the masses, as if it had completely vanished.

Yet today, it had stirred once more!

"Where is the power of the masses converging?"

The Saint urgently ordered the Dharma King beside him to sense its flow.

After a moment of silence, the man opened his eyes and uttered three words:

"The Eastern Wasteland Domain!"

......

Qinghe County, the Li Residence.

Li Mo gasped for air, his head buzzing as he lifted it and realized where he had been sleeping—nestled in the arms of the Ice Block.

Ying Bing’s eyes were tightly shut, her lashes trembling faintly, a hint of moisture glistening at their tips.

He remembered what had just happened.

He had entered the Ice Block’s dream, met her parents, encountered that terrifying Nian beast, and even met the younger version of her—convincing her to call him "brother"...

But Li Mo couldn’t understand.

Why had that Nian beast sought out the Ying family ten years ago and slaughtered them all?

And why had it haunted them relentlessly, even a decade later?

"......"

Young Li fell silent for a moment, deciding to set aside these unanswerable questions for now.

Because if his parents caught him in this position—yikes...

And the Ice Block would surely remember everything from the dream too...

Li Mo glanced at Ying Bing.

The dream had shattered, but she had expended a great deal of spiritual energy. She must have truly fallen asleep this time.

"Time to go back."

Li Mo stood up. Dawn was approaching, and he decided to return to his own room.

But the moment he stepped outside, his feet froze—his spiritual senses had picked up something.

Yep.

Guess what?

In the darkened garden, two shadowy figures were sneaking toward his room.

It was none other than Comrade Old Li and Ms. Xueqin, and they were already close to his door. If he went back now, he’d be caught red-handed.

In the blink of an eye,

Genius Li Mo recalled his newly acquired divine ability—

Doppelganger Projection!

He slipped back into the Ice Block’s room, gritted his teeth, and plucked a single strand of his hair. Instantly, his spiritual energy drained, leaving him lightheaded—but he could still sense the strand’s presence clearly.

He channeled his true essence into it, controlling its movements.

At the door,

The couple squinted into the pitch-black room, unable to make out anything. Suspicion crept into their voices.

"Husband, is Little Mo in there?"

"I don’t hear breathing, but he’s a Divine Observation martial artist now—his cultivation surpasses mine. It’s normal I can’t detect him."

"Then... should we go in and check?"

Gu Xueqin peered inside, but the room was backlit, and the bed was hidden behind a folding screen.

The couple had always respected their son’s privacy—they’d never snuck into his room before.

"Fine, I’ll take a look."

Li Dalong crossed his arms, his face stern in the darkness.

"If the brat suddenly wakes up, I’ll pretend I got lost on my way back from the toilet."

Like father, like son.

Unfortunately, as the couple whispered, they failed to notice a single strand of hair drifting through the window and settling onto the bed.

Li Dalong stepped inside, circled the screen, and saw his son lying peacefully on the bed.

His breathing was so faint that one had to lean in to hear it.

"......"

"Was my sixth sense wrong?"

After a brief glance, Li Dalong tiptoed back out.

"Well?"

"The brat’s in his room."

"Alright, let’s go back to bed then."

Gu Xueqin nodded, relieved—yet inexplicably a little disappointed.

Li Dalong glanced at Ying Bing’s quarters, still feeling something was off.

"Wife, you go ahead. I’ll stay a bit longer."

.....

Meanwhile, in the side chamber,

Li Mo, still lying beside the Ice Block, relaxed his focus and dispelled the Doppelganger Projection. At the Divine Observation stage—and after just emerging from Ying Bing’s dream—maintaining the technique was exhausting.

Beside him, Ying Bing’s breathing steadied.

"It’s the first time she’s slept this soundly."

Li Mo watched her sleeping face for a while before his own eyelids grew heavy.

[Congratulations, Host. Successful investment in ‘Ying Bing’—her nightmares have been dispelled.]

[You have a pending reward to claim.]

The system’s notification chimed.

But sleep was paramount. Li Mo hadn’t rested properly in ages, and the night was short—after dealing with the Ice Block, Princess Little Jiang still waited in the World Seed.

"I’ll check tomorrow..."

With that thought, he sank into a deep, dreamless slumber.

He didn’t know how long he slept.

When he next opened his eyes, morning light seeped through the paper window, and the Li residence was quiet—likely still early.

"Huh? This isn’t my room..."

Li Mo yawned, realizing he’d been so exhausted the night before that he’d fallen asleep in the Ice Block’s quarters.

Before his parents woke, he rose and pushed the door open—

"You brat!"

A figure leaped out from the bushes—Li Dalong, his face stern.

"!! Dad?! What are you doing here?"

Li Mo stiffened.

Li Dalong narrowed his eyes.

"Finally caught you, huh? Thought you could slip past your old man’s sharp eyes? I knew something was off this morning—why are you in Little Bing’s room?"

"Eh? This is the Ice Block’s room? I went to the toilet last night—maybe I took a wrong turn?"

"?"