The two of them found themselves in the same location as in reality: Gu Yun's second-floor bedroom.
The room was empty at the moment, the sky slightly dim.
"September third... ten days before the actual timeline? Weren't we supposed to go further back in the memory?"
Zhong Yi glanced at the calendar on the wall and couldn't help but pause in surprise.
According to the effect of the dream-weaving technique, the two of them were supposed to reach Gu Yun's childhood years, planting hints through the art to alter the course of his life.
"Old Master's breath is weak; we can't push the technique too hard. Building too many memories at once would overwhelm him... We'll have to push forward little by little within the dreamscape."
Qin Li'en replied casually as she looked around for any sign of Gu Yun.
"Besides, we still need to ask the Old Master about his reason for wanting to go to the moon realm, don't we?"
"You're right... Thank you for the clarification, Senior Sister!"
Zhong Yi nodded in agreement, cupping his hands toward Qin Li'en with a smile.
Though Qin Li'en never minced words, she was a responsible senior sister, and he held her in deep respect.
Zhong Yi went down to the first floor.
The layout of the old house was unchanged from reality. In the center of the first floor stood an exquisitely crafted seven-stringed zither.
Beside the zither lay a sheet of sheet music.
【"Recalling the Forest Stream": a composition by Gu Yun, with a melodious tune.】
"Forest Stream? The Old Master really loved his late wife deeply..."
Zhong Yi thought of the modest tombstone he had seen beneath the lighthouse, and a flash of insight struck him.
"Senior Sister! I think I know where Old Master Gu is!"
...
This time, there was no need for them to run.
As the architects of this illusion, they simply focused their thoughts—and instantly arrived at the base of the lighthouse.
Just as Zhong Yi had guessed, Gu Yun was sitting on a bench beneath the lighthouse, accompanied by his servant Chen Lili. He stared vacantly at the bright moon in the night sky.
"Good... At least we've found him now."
Qin Li'en let out a sigh of relief. Tracing her finger through the air, she recorded Gu Yun's presence.
This way, they could track Gu Yun's movements at will from now on.
"Who might you two immortal masters be?"
Startled by Zhong Yi and Qin Li'en's sudden appearance, Gu Yun shot up from his seat on the bench.
"Hello, Old Master Gu. I believe this is our first meeting."
Qin Li'en smiled gently, signaling for him not to be alarmed.
"I'm Qin Li'en, and this is my junior brother, Zhong Yi. We're disciples of the Dream-Weaving Sect."
"The Dream-Weaving Sect?! What a coincidence—I was just about to commission you..."
Gu Yun stared at the pair in astonishment.
Qin Li'en glanced back at Zhong Yi and said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Zhong, why don't you take this chance to get more familiar with using the dream-weaving technique?"
【Main quest updated:】
【Demonstrate the dream-weaving technique to Gu Yun to convince him of your abilities.】
On Zhong Yi's skill interface, several abilities suddenly lit up.
Having seen a fair share of techniques, Zhong Yi quickly realized that this was a tutorial stage designed to teach him how to use the dream-weaving skills.
After skimming the skill descriptions, he gained a rough understanding of the technique: it allowed him to alter the state of anything within the illusion.
"Lili, please brew some tea for our guests... Lili?"
Gu Yun called out a few times before realizing something was off.
Chen Lili, who had been standing beside him, was frozen still as a statue.
"In truth, we've already accepted your commission."
Zhong Yi stepped in front of Qin Li'en, letting out a quiet sigh.
He had already “frozen” Chen Lili's state.
To further prove his point, Zhong Yi snapped his fingers, and Chen Lili's figure vanished into thin air.
"?!?!"
Gu Yun staggered back in shock, his eyes wide.
"As you can see, this is your memory—or rather, your dream."
Zhong Yi quickly waved his hands to reassure him.
"...Junior Brother Zhong, I asked you to practice the technique—not to show off like that. What if you frightened the old man to death?"
Qin Li'en rubbed her forehead, genuinely exasperated.
In such situations, a normal show of skill would suffice—shifting the sky's colors, or freezing or accelerating time. But Zhong Yi had to go straight for a vanishing act, probably making Gu Yun mistake him for a demon cultivator.
"Relax—if worse comes to worst, we can restart this memory. I can still do that much."
Zhong Yi replied with a completely serious expression.
"I have to say, you sound like you just finished some training in demonic arts..."
Qin Li'en twitched the corner of her mouth and muttered.
"Honored immortal masters."
Listening to their bickering, Gu Yun seemed to have accepted Zhong Yi's explanation, his expression gradually returning to normal.
"You've come to help me fulfill my wish, haven't you?"
Qin Li'en nodded. "That's right, Old Master Gu."
Hearing that, Gu Yun took a deep breath, turned around, and looked up at the brilliant moon in the night sky.
"Thank the heavens..."
His voice trembled slightly. It took him a moment to turn back, his eyes glowing with hope.
"Can you truly send me to the moon realm?"
"We alone aren't enough—we'll need your help too."
Qin Li'en shook her head, neither confirming nor denying.
Zhong Yi naturally understood what she meant.
What they could do wasn't to create a new world, but to sow causes and harvest effects—planting a "cause" in Gu Yun's childhood that would eventually lead to the result he desired.
Only by knowing why Gu Yun wanted to go to the moon realm could they tailor their plan accordingly.
If they planted a "cause" that young Gu Yun wouldn't accept, it would all be pointless.
"Old Master, why do you want to go to the moon realm?"
Zhong Yi asked.
Gu Yun shook his head. "I don't know."
"Old Master Gu, the Dream-Weaving Sect's arts aren't as all-powerful as you think... We need to understand why you want to go to the moon realm before we can help you achieve that wish."
Qin Li'en said earnestly.
"There has to be some motivation, right? Do you want fame, fortune, or to become a cultivator?"
"I'm sorry, but I truly don't know."
Pressed by Qin Li'en, Gu Yun frowned in deep thought. After a long pause, he let out a bitter laugh and a sigh.
He looked up again at the moon hanging in the sky, his dull eyes suddenly gaining a hint of resolve.
"I just..."
"I must go. No matter what."
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
