Dream overlap

In a secluded cave on a randomly chosen deserted island, Lin Shi sat cross-legged, eyes closed, hands palms up on her lap. As spiritual energy surged into her, her vision shifted, and she was pulled back into the dream she had been experiencing every day for the past month.

In the stillness of the night, the bright moon hung high, its cool light like flowing mountain stream. The gentle moonlight, carrying a refreshing coolness, bathed the mountains, forests, and houses, enveloping the earth in a dreamlike, silvery-white hue, imbued with endless tranquility and gentle tenderness. A light breeze, carrying the coolness of the moonlight, carried the sound of a zither from the rooftop to the semi-open pavilion in the center of Lin Shi's courtyard, softly touching her.

On the rooftop, bathed in moonlight, a male cultivator sat cross-legged. His jade crown and shadow were projected long behind him. A guqin lay before him, his fingers nimbly plucking the strings. With each dance of his fingers, the melody of "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate" flowed forth. After "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate," the tune of "Longing for Each Other" began. Again and again, he alternated between playing the two pieces until dawn broke. That night, the guqin played, but sometimes the flute was played.

When the moon quietly climbs down the branches, all is quiet, and the night completely envelops the earth, and dew begins to condense on the grass and plants, the illusion will suddenly crack and shatter into pieces until it disappears.

The female cultivator meditating in the pavilion in the center of the courtyard treated the music as white noise, letting it go in one ear and out the other, ignoring it completely. At the same time, she formed hand seals to quickly introduce spiritual energy into her body, turning it into the spiritual power flowing joyfully through her meridians.

Adhering to the principle of not moving when the other party does not move, Lin Shi sat in meditation in the pavilion in the center of the courtyard for a whole month, oblivious to everyone else.

That night, the male cultivator who had been playing the guqin or flute on the rooftop did not disappear from Lin Shi's sight as he had in the past month, as he had in the previous month. After finishing playing "Phoenix Seeking its Mate," he stood up from the rooftop, the guqin vanished, and he floated down from the rooftop, landing in front of Lin Shi. He knelt down before her, quietly gazing at the beautiful female cultivator's face.

Having no other choice, Lin Shi awoke from her meditative state, gently opening her large, watery eyes to meet the gaze of the handsome male cultivator before her. Lin Shi asked coldly, "Is there something you need?"

When Lian Zheng saw that Lin Shi had opened her eyes, he sat cross-legged directly opposite her. Their knees were only a fist's width apart, a distance that was somewhat uncomfortable.

Lian Zheng looked into Lin Shi's eyes and said confidently, "Lin Shi, do you know what it means for dreams to overlap?"

Lin Shi's attitude was very cold. She looked directly into Lian Zheng's eyes and said, "I don't know, and I don't really want to know."

Upon hearing this, Lian Zheng froze on the spot. After a while, seeing Lin Shi preparing to close her eyes and meditate, he hurriedly said, "Lin Shi, wait a minute, don't meditate yet. Let's talk!"

Lin Shi couldn't help but say impatiently, "We've only met a few times, what's there to talk about?"

Lian Zheng carefully examined Lin Shi's face. Seeing that her impatience seemed genuine, he couldn't help but sigh helplessly. He said, "Lin Shi, I went to the exit of the ascension passage from Yuan Shu Realm to Hong Chuan Realm because I foresaw your affinity with our sect and wanted to recruit you. However, before I could explain my intentions, you flew away. Our overlapping dreams over the past month are both a coincidence and an omen. We both know that only highly compatible cultivators will repeatedly experience overlapping dream scenarios. I observed your aura; you haven't had any Daoist partners, and neither have I. As a high-level cultivator, you inevitably pursue longevity and dream of ascending to the Zhongtian Realm. So do I. But if you don't experience a tribulation of love, you won't be able to advance to the Mahayana stage, successfully transcend the tribulation, and ultimately ascend to the Zhongtian Realm."

Lin Shi stared at Lian Zheng with her beautiful eyes for a long time before saying helplessly, "Fine. I thought I could finally get rid of useless romantic feelings forever. I didn't expect that even as a high-level cultivator, I would still have to experience love in the end. How annoying! How about we have a fight first?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Zheng burst into laughter. After laughing for a while, he nodded and said, "Alright, let's have a match that's just enough to stop us from fighting!"

Lin Shi and Lian Zheng stood up and walked to the open space in the center of the courtyard. After each of them set up a protective array for the courtyard in their dream, they stood suspended in the air, exchanged a glance, and then immediately launched their attacks.

Lin Shi and Lian Zheng first competed in swordsmanship. After fighting for almost an hour, they discovered that their cultivation levels and swordsmanship were equally matched. Although high-level cultivators could still gain inspiration and insights from each other's battles, if they were evenly matched, they might not be able to determine a winner even if they fought for another month.

Lin Shi stopped first. Upon seeing Lin Shi's movement, Lian Zheng also stopped, hovering in mid-air. The two faced each other, suspended in mid-air, looking directly into each other's eyes.

Lin Shi took the initiative to speak up, saying, "We can't determine a winner in swordsmanship in a short time, so why don't we change to another competition?"

Lian Zheng nodded: "Okay, so what do you want to compete in?"

Lin Shi then said, "I am skilled in formations, so you should also use your own spells to compete."

Lian Zheng wasn't too surprised. He said, "I'm decent at alchemy, sound cultivation, and formations. So, aside from swordsmanship, let's not be limited to any particular area and try a competition?"

Lin Shi nodded directly and replied, "Okay." As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly began to set up the array stones, and at the same time, the attack spells in her hands were already frantically attacking Lian Zheng.

Lian Zheng, with his rich combat experience and quick reflexes, immediately took out his guqin (a seven-stringed zither), plucking the strings and unleashing a continuous stream of sound as sonic blades, mercilessly retaliating against Lin Shi. At the same time, he also set up killing and trapping formations to counter Lin Shi's array. The two exchanged blows, exchanging many moves in an instant. Only when the sky began to lighten and cracks appeared in the dreamscape did they both stop simultaneously, in perfect unison.

Lian Zheng looked at Lin Shi and asked, "Lin Shi, will you come to my sect to find me, or should I come to find you?"

Lin Shi thought for a moment and then said, "I'll go to your sect!"

Lian Zheng nodded, and then the two stared at each other silently, letting the dream collapse and shatter into pieces before them.

Both were intelligent and quick to understand. A few brief words exchanged before and after the duel determined the course of their lives for the next few hundred years.