Chapter 52's prophecy has clues.
“So…” Feng Mian also heard Ji Wuchou’s words. He frowned and glanced at the six family heads on the stage. “Is there a problem with Shence?”
Feng Mian's words, like a ball of smoke, were forced into Xia Zhu's throat. She felt a tickle in her throat and tried to soothe it by swallowing, but her stomach also began to feel uncomfortable, and she had a feeling of wanting to vomit.
To be honest, she has rarely experienced such tension in her life, except for the fear of a major exam.
What problems might arise with Shence?
She stared intently at the six people on the stage. Sure enough, only one projection of Feng Ye was present. He remained unmoved, sitting in his chair with a smile, not participating in the restless discussion.
The young people below the stage calmed down after a brief moment of panic, whispering among themselves while waiting for the next instructions from the patriarchs.
Time seemed to pass very slowly in the heavy atmosphere, so slowly that Xia Zhu's dazed mind judged that she might have fallen asleep. She suddenly woke up from the silence and found that only Ji Chaoshan was still standing on the stage.
"I have to announce some disturbing news." Her tone was colder than the melting snow in January.
Even though you are still a group of young people.
“But those of you who are sitting here are not people who cry out in fear. You are the so-called geniuses, the elites, the hope of your families. So it’s time to take on your responsibilities.”
"The scholars of the tribe deciphered a prophecy about the end of the world from the divine strategy."
As soon as she spoke, everyone present could no longer maintain their composure. Xia Zhu even heard someone raise an incredulous question, wondering how such an ethereal concept as "doomsday" could so easily come from the mouth of a clan leader.
"What's going on? Is this a new project added to this year's Nine Heavens Conference? Is it just to test our on-the-spot reactions? Don't be ridiculous, that's so childish!"
"If it's the end of the world, does that mean we have to go back to the village to stock up on supplies?"
Obviously, most people did not consider this a very serious matter. After all, even the so-called scholars were crippled bodies without any magical power. Although their existence as descendants of gods was already bizarre, a large number of them only occasionally participated in dream exorcisms. Most of the time, they still lived in normal human society and lived in this world as real people.
The apocalypse? A cliché plot; these privileged individuals couldn't even imagine what could cause an apocalypse. Their lives were two extremes: in their dreams, they held the power of life and death; in the real world, everything proceeded according to plan. This stark contrast meant these young, uneducated officials had absolutely no sense of crisis.
“It’s not that simple.” But Fengmian didn’t think so. “A clan leader wouldn’t easily announce a doomsday prophecy based on a scholar’s one-sided statement. There’s no need to cause panic because of a baseless and unfounded statement.”
"They must have discovered something a long time ago."
"So now we have no choice but to make it public."
Xia Zhu agreed with Feng Mian's statement; it was unlikely that such a thing would be announced as a joke at the Nine Heavens Conference.
"Quiet down," Ji Chaoshan interrupted the murmurs of the crowd.
"The so-called prophecy is because the Shence translation only contains a few words."
"When demons and monsters emerge, they cause chaos and the world changes color."
"The emergence of demons?" Discussion resumed. "Does it mean that demons escape from dreams into the human world?"
Someone was chattering in my ear, trying to decipher the meaning of this sentence.
Xia Zhu felt dizzy and had a dull pain in her upper arm. Suddenly, a charred human face flashed before her eyes, with pink wax and flesh fused together.
It said, "It's so hot here, take me outside."
The black handprint left on my arm after I came out of the dream.
"A-Zhu, A-Zhu, what's wrong?" Feng Feng gently patted Xia Zhu's back; her complexion didn't look good at all.
Her temples were throbbing and her stomach was cramping with acid reflux, but she still shook her head and said, "I'm fine."
"Ah Zhu, demons and monsters have appeared, and chaos reigns among the gods and demons. Do you still remember the mountain demon?"
A mandrill? Blue-faced with one lone heel, it stole the imperial horse.
Xia Zhu clenched her teeth to keep herself from vomiting right there.
Handprint, mandrill.
Has the prophecy been gradually coming true since that time?
She felt there were hidden clues in the shadows, like a key piece of code that made the whole program malfunction. Everything seemed to have gone off track from the moment she suddenly started dreaming. Did some demons take the opportunity to escape when she entered the first dream alone?
"Ying Huo." When Xia Zhu heard someone mention this name, her dizziness suddenly subsided a lot.
“'Ying Huo, that’s him. He has so many demon gods under his command who do not belong to any tribe. Those demon gods all belong to him personally.'
"I knew that if we left it unattended, it would eventually cause a huge mess."
Zouwu and Huan reminded Xia Zhu of what Ying Ya had said: that person liked to adopt demon gods.
But was it him? Did he contribute to such a huge disaster?
For some reason, Xia Zhu always felt that someone as timid and afraid of death as Ying Huo wouldn't risk doing something so serious.
As if to confirm the truth of the prophecy, the ground beneath their feet suddenly shook, and everyone heard that chilling sound.
It was as if something that was originally solid was collapsing and splitting apart, and a piercing noise penetrated the eardrum.
"It's over there!" someone stood up and pointed in a distant direction.
As sturdy as a Jianmu tree, even if only a withered shell remains, it can safely withstand wind and rain for millions of years.
But now, the most solid thing in the world has a huge crack right in front of everyone.
The crack runs from top to bottom, its source seemingly originating from the heavens.
Ji Chaoshan on the stage stared blankly at the crack above his head, a hint of confusion appearing in his originally indifferent eyes, as if he had briefly fallen into memories.
"This place may no longer be safe," Ji Chaoshan announced in a low voice, concluding the Nine Heavens Conference.
It ended abruptly.
"The prophecy has no specific timeframe, and at present, we cannot provide absolute evidence. Each family should handle and respond on its own."
“Be extremely careful when unidentified officials appear in your dreams recently. If you discover that demons have escaped, or that there are evil spirits causing trouble in the mortal world, kill them on the spot.” She paused here and looked around at the group of young faces again.
"I hope everyone can ensure their own safety while doing their best to protect ordinary human beings,"
With Ji Chaoshan's departure, the Nine Heavens Assembly came to a close. The atmosphere was vastly different from before it began, so heavy that the air itself seemed to press down on everyone. People left one after another, and the entrance to the Wind Chasing Path on the Three Nine Peaks was packed with people, many saying goodbye to friends. They had come from all corners of the country, gathering here for the grand event of the Divine Blood Clan. Now, the Nine Heavens Assembly had ended abruptly, and it was time to part ways once again.
As Xia Zhu emerged from the tree hollow, she saw Jiang Yuran holding Jiang Xiaqing's hand, grinning and saying something. Jiang Xiaqing, unusually, smiled. Then, she released her friend's hand, stepped into the raging wind, and waved her arms in a wide arc in Jiang Xiaqing's direction, her bright eyes as dazzling as the sun-shaped headband on her forehead.
As Shence turned to ashes, her figure also disappeared into the wind.
The crowd gradually thinned out, and there were no more familiar faces.
Feng Feng and Xia Zhu planned to set off immediately to return to the Feng family to deliver the message. Feng Ye's absence meant that the Feng family members were likely unaware of the doomsday prophecy, and this period of uncertainty was extremely dangerous for the Feng family, who were not skilled in combat.
They bid farewell to Ji Wuchou on the Three Peaks, exchanged contact information, and agreed to enter the dream together again next time, assuming everything went smoothly and without any unexpected events.
The four of them hurriedly went down the mountain to get some sleep and pack their luggage. After a quick tidying up, they opened the door and saw Ji Wuchou carrying a small bag again.
She bowed her head almost to the dust and asked them cautiously in a barely audible voice.
"Can I come with you?"
"I don't know where to go."
"If possible, I promise not to cause any trouble."
Feng Feng paused for a second, then pounced on Ji Wuchou and pulled her head into his arms.
"What are you saying, Xiao Chou! Unnamed Team 1, get going!"
So the five of them regrouped. When checking out, Feng Feng bickered with Ji Tao at the front desk for a while, took a bunch of her snacks, waved to each other awkwardly, and then quickly climbed the shortest Qingku Peak. They returned to Tiansun Mountain in an instant via the Chasing Wind Path, just like when they came.
The Qingku Peak was deserted and desolate, with wildflowers blooming listlessly in the grass, and no stalls or markets in sight.
They traveled in a hurry, making every second count, until they finally set foot on the land of Dongshan, where Feng Feng and Feng Mian were able to catch their breath.
Back at the familiar guesthouse at the foot of the mountain, the group decided to rest there for the night. After the ordeal, the initial panic upon learning of the impending crisis had largely subsided, and Feng Feng even had the leisure to take Xia Zhu and Ji Wuchou to the night market in the scenic area for a stroll and some food.
They finally chose a noodle shop with red lanterns hanging around the entrance. A small table was set up under a tree, and Ying Ya and Feng Mian were invited to have dinner together. Spring had arrived, and the snow had stopped falling, but the night air was still chilly. Slurping up a bowl of fragrant noodles at a warm, steaming stall, sitting with the few ordinary tourists around them, they put all their worries, both those they should and shouldn't have, to the back of their minds.
The most comfortable moments are those stolen from the midst of a busy schedule before a major event.
The warm red light shone on everyone's faces, giving them a lazy air as they chatted idly. Xia Zhu occasionally stared blankly at the steam rising slowly and then dissipating above the boiler, his hand reaching into his pocket to stroke the two special divine strategies.
Everything on Riyue Mountain happened so fast, like a dream.
Only the small sword in the storage puck, the strangely textured Divine Strategy sword in her pocket, and the silent Ji Wuchou beside her reminded her that those things had actually happened.
Rapid changes in environment can often cause a sense of disorientation, so the invention of transportation can be seen as a secret technique of spatial displacement mastered by humankind.
It can instantly take away everyone and everything, leaving only a dreamlike feeling for itself, like an insatiable cat still smacking its lips after a full meal.
The lights were bright, and mist rose in the mountains. The blue bricks underfoot became damp, reflecting shimmering light. People came and went, and each step would shatter the reflection.
Xia Zhu stared blankly at the various shoes passing by, then suddenly blinked and looked up, only to find nothing there.
"By the way," Feng Mian said lazily, half-closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall, "Does anyone want to go and see what's in the dream world?"
Following the prophecy.
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Author's note: The fourth dream begins in the next chapter.
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