Chapter 420: Rain and Crown

"Dream-Loss Syndrome?"

Under the scorching sun of autumn, the old mansion in Yacheng was cool.

Tong Ting lowered his eyes, gazing at the eerie spiritual quality flying insect in his hand that couldn't fly out no matter how much it fluttered, and couldn't help but sigh in distress:

"Why has Yacheng had more drama in the last two years than in half my life combined?

It feels like everyone and everything is coming here to stir up trouble..."

He paused and looked at the old man cooling off by the pond: "Dad, did you have a bad eye when you picked this place? Is there a problem with our family's feng shui?"

"Yeah, you finally realized?"

Tong Yuan glanced at his unruly heir, smiling but not smiling: "How about I help you find a piece of feng shui treasure land and bury you there to offset it?

My yellow pear wood coffin can just be sold to you cheaply; first come, first served."

"I was wrong————"

Tong Ting surrendered instantly; he didn't want to trip and roll from the mountainside to the foot of the mountain when he went out, and if he were stubborn, his dad could make him roll all the way into the Nandu River.

"You old man, at least take a look. What exactly is this thing?"

He opened his five fingers and threw the insect that Tong Hua had brought back; immediately, the spiritual quality flying insect spread its wings and flew around aimlessly, but no matter how it flew, it always circled around the old man's recliner.

Until finally, Tong Yuan reached out his hand, and immediately, it hovered above it.

Folding its cicada wings.

As if it were a real flying insect, grooming its head, horns, and antennae.

Occasionally emitting faint chirps, calling for companions.

Even though it was a phenomenon alienated from residual spiritual quality fragments, it was just as if...

It were a living thing?

Tong Yuan lowered his eyes.

At this moment, under the overlooking of those old and turbid eyes, the 【Observation】 of Heaven and Man, far surpassing Tong Ting's, began.

It was not through his own insight to break through the disguise and cover-up, but through his own observation, to reverse the world so that everything in the present world would actively show its essence before his eyes.

The unfolding of events, the pointing of essence, and then, the true 【Name】 appeared!

For a moment, the spiritual quality flying insect at the old man's fingertips disintegrated again, turning into a shifting halo of light; after the spiritual quality unfolded, the information it carried completed its transcription.

In the shifting rainbow light, countless impulses emerged like a tide————wanting to eat, wanting to sleep, wanting pleasure, wanting women, wanting men, wanting to kill everyone who was an eyesore...

After consciousness dissipated and the soul collapsed, the residue precipitated in the spiritual quality was the distortion and activation of human desires.

This was the "desire" that the patient left behind in the dust of the world.

"But what about consciousness?" Tong Ting frowned, "Where do consciousness and self go?"

"Isn't it right there in its name?"

Tong Yuan asked back, "Dream-Loss Syndrome... those dreams have already taken away consciousness and self; no, it should be said that consciousness and self have also merged into those ethereal dreams, right?"

After having no more attachment or lingering feelings for the world, people will turn and walk toward the endless beautiful dream, longing for a night of pleasure and peace...

Breaking free from the shackles of the flesh and life, hatching such moths from the soul.

The beautiful dream of turning into a butterfly is still continuing to this day.

"A dream of yellow millet."

Tong Yuan sighed softly: "The gift and poison left by Lord Huaxu in the past, the invitation of the Dream-Caster calling on the suffering to abandon the world and go to the land of nowhere."

This is the true form of Dream-Loss Syndrome————a fragment left over from the chaotic era to the present, a negligible part of the achievements and evil deeds created by the kings of the past.

In that era when supreme goodness had not yet fully manifested, a world of chaos after the fall of the gods, its madness and terror were far beyond what people of the current generation could imagine.

Even the cruel tyrants of the Eternal Empire that followed could hardly reach it.

After all, those who can leave their names in history, who doesn't have some special skills?

And as representatives, the kings of the chaotic era each had world-shaking wisdom and dog-donkey hearts, worthy of being called a gathering of heroes, like hempen immortals.

The Fire-Stealer intended to monopolize the fire of the whole world, the Weaver wanted to include all living beings in the destiny she wove, and the Candle-Illuminator wanted to gather the souls of all things to ignite and become a second sun.

And that Dream-Caster, the king known as the Lord of Yellow Millet and the Lord of Huaxu, was not inferior to them compared to them, and even exceeded them.

The former Lord of Dreams and Desires was not satisfied with the dullness and boredom of waking hours, and actually insanely overlapped his dreams with the present world, merging them together, creating the so-called Myriad Phenomena Paradise... claiming to satisfy all desires and possess all the beauty in the world.

Like a kingdom of heaven.

In the dreamlike beautiful time, the cruel pleasure lasted for ninety-one years; I don't know how many people gathered from all directions, willingly abandoning everything in the present world, just hoping to have a spring and autumn dream... until the end, when the moment of waking arrived, the dream overlapping with the present world tore apart a part of the present world, ushering in destruction and nothingness.

The Lord of Huaxu and his Myriad Phenomena Paradise disintegrated and dissipated without a trace.

And the disaster and shock caused still deeply affect the whole world to this day; even since then, cracks that seem to be born that way have appeared in the consciousness and souls of sentient beings, and some people have consciousness that is not complete after birth... congenitally incomplete.

"Strictly speaking, Dream-Loss Syndrome is not a disease, but rather more like a ritual of higher-level invocation, except that the ritual has long been out of control, with no one presiding over it."

Tong Yuan said slowly: "In the chaotic era of the past, the Dream-Loss Syndrome you and I speak of was Lord Huaxu's announcement and invitation to the whole world.

After experiencing the happiness in a beautiful dream, those who are trapped in reality and pain will turn into butterflies and throw themselves into that eternal illusory dream.

Just like moths instinctively chasing the light.

For the current generation, it is an unmitigated disaster, but in the chaotic era of the past, it was a gospel that I don't know how many people dreamed of."

"But thousands of years have passed, right? No, the time in the chaotic era is chaotic, maybe even more than ten thousand years..."

Tong Ting frowned: "The Lord of Huaxu has long since vanished along with the Myriad Phenomena Paradise; what place does this invitation point to now?"

"Isn't that exactly the problem?"

Tong Yuan sighed softly, as 【Observation】, as 【Solution】, discerning the remaining clues from this tiny flying insect, tracing the roots.

In the long dead silence, the halo at his fingertips changed constantly, showing bizarre landscapes.

Eerie scenes that were definitely not of the present world.

For a moment, a blurred side face appeared, as if sensing something, looking back, and then disappearing... two hands intertwined, each with six fingers, but one of the six fingers flickered slightly, and the scene dissipated again... countless stars intertwined, turning into an old woman, who glared coldly after noticing Tong Yuan's tracing...

"Whoa!"

Tong Yuan was amused, "There are really quite a few people tracing it... the Faceless of Qiandao, the Six-Fingered of the Empire, the old hag of the Chou family, hmm, let me see, there are also several filth-tainted ones stirring up trouble, heh, and the Long Jihui is involved too. How come after the water gets muddy, everyone has reached out their hands?"

Seeing the shifting rainbow light, and even the eerie sound of constant crackling, Tong Ting instinctively took a step back, fearing that his meager cultivation would be involved.

But seeing his own father's unconcerned appearance, he was puzzled... how come he was so high-profile this time?

Not even pretending anymore?

"Oh, don't worry, I'm using the 'Life Observation' of that old hag from the Ma family, and I have to say, it's quite useful————"

Tong Yuan was holding a thin ancient book of life divination in his right hand, and now, the ancient book was withering and breaking at a fast speed, turning into dust, and the life numbers recorded in it were burning hotly like firewood.

Doing whatever one wants while wearing someone else's mask, the joy in it is truly indescribable.

Could Ma Gu climb out of the grave to condemn him?

Only Tong Ting's eyelids jumped wildly, hesitating to speak.

It wasn't that he wanted to condemn his father's behavior, but he wanted to say, you old man, use it sparingly, leave me some... let me try next time!

Unfortunately, Tong Yuan didn't seem to have any intention of being frugal, and he was still standing up and pedaling!

The life observation book in his hand was being consumed at a speed visible to the naked eye; without any mercy, he squandered the ancestral savings of others, and after ignoring all interference, he traced the chaos before his eyes with the instinct of the Heaven-Listening lineage to use chaos against chaos.

Countless scenes jumped between each other.

In the end, for a moment, mist seemed to appear.

Distant singing sounded, mixed with the dull sound of seawater surging.

In the fleeting scene, a pale face rose and fell in the seawater, with an eerie smiling face, drifting with the waves toward the distance.

Then one, another, and another...

Countless remains floated on the sea surface, with happy smiles, heading toward the depths of the ocean, in the deepest part of the layers of mist, the outline of an island appeared.

Illusion or reality?

It was truly hard to distinguish, but the divination of the Taiyi Dao was like this; even if the result was placed before one's eyes, there were still many strange images that needed to be interpreted.

But at that moment, what attracted Tong Ting was the tower on the island that seemed to lead to the firmament... and even, the eerie shadow wrapped around the tower.

The shadow looked back, suddenly looking over.

Immediately, the scene dissipated suddenly, hiding in chaos again, even deeper...

As if triggering some backlash, the spiritual quality insect vanished into thin air.

And immediately after, the life book shook, burning without fire.

Only a long silence remained.

"Usurper?"

Tong Ting whispered.

"Not just the Tower of the Usurper, but also the cover-up and modification of the Filth-Tainted Demon, no, besides that, the essence also has the Unfinished and the Abyss... you ignored the singing and the Black Sky." Tong Yuan shook his head, expressionless, "The one stirring up trouble behind the scenes, it might be a big fish."

Tong Ting was silent.

After a long while, he sighed self-deprecatingly: "Ether..."

Ether is made of observation and seeing, and likewise, it is defeated by observation and seeing.

Who knows what kind of ghost thing one can see when one looks at it? If one can't see it, so be it, but what if one really sees it?

Tong Yuan took action while wearing a mask, and almost invited backlash.

He originally thought it was some evil path clown stirring up trouble, but after one shovel down, he found that the thunder was not ordinary big!

Involved with the Lord of Huaxu and the Myriad Phenomena Paradise, behind it there was the Filth-Tainted stirring up trouble under the vortex, and behind it there were the Abyss and the Unfinished...

Who knows what else it involved.

For a time, he actually started to have a headache.

"Why are you pulling a long face? Look at your look of being frightened by the wind and cranes." Tong Yuan looked back at him, sneering: "In this world, there are plenty of large groups that kill people, White Deer that murder for money, Entropy that burns mountains, and Tian Tian Yuan that eats people; when is it the turn of Ether to wrestle with people?"

"At least it involves Yacheng."

Tong Ting smiled self-deprecatingly: "Can't just leave it alone, right?"

"That's why I want you and Shengnian to separate; Shengnian manages the family's industry, does investment, does charity, does things; he has this ability, this capability, and this qualification.

But you can't; the more Ether is involved with people, the more it sinks into the mud, making it hard to have a long-term view.

This is not to let you stand by and watch, but you need to understand where to start, so that it is most convenient..."

Tong Yuan reached out his hand again, and the palm covered with wrinkles and age spots gently pinched, as if pinching a tiny, drifting spider silk.

From the thousand threads of chaos, he found the crucial line.

And immediately after...

He pulled it suddenly!

At that moment, a sharp sound like a baby crying sounded.

Auditory hallucination!

But immediately after, it was a series of ear-piercing screams, like high-pitched cicada chirps, one after another, from the mountains and forests in the distance!

The buzzing sound was endless.

Insects!

Massive spiritual quality flying insects screamed, flapped their wings, and rose into the sky!

Under the malicious guidance and push of Ether, relying on the glimpse seen in the fleeting light, they disguised themselves as the source and issued instructions.

In an instant, countless spiritual quality moths lurking along the entire federation coast fell into madness, interrupted all processes of infection and spread, and rose into the air.

Amidst the sharp screams, they gathered together, thousands upon thousands, like a raging flood, flying around aimlessly!

It was as if someone had suddenly kicked and overturned a hornet's nest hidden in the dark.

The insect swarm went berserk!

Massive moths roared past, almost dimming the daylight.

Covering the sky and blocking the sun.

Tong Ting's expression was solemn; had it already developed to such a terrifying scale!

"Alright."

The old man on the recliner waved his hand lazily, yawning: "After poking the hornet's nest, it's none of our business; leave the remaining opportunities to show off to the young people."

"Young people?" Tong Ting was puzzled.

But when he looked up, he saw the iron curtain of dark clouds drifting from the horizon, and after a hurried glance, he seemed to have sensed something.

Stunned for a moment, he sighed self-deprecatingly.

"It really is Ember..."

In the sultry afternoon, no cool breeze was seen.

Roaring sounds came from the distance.

It's raining!

At this moment, Outside Xinquan.

Thunder and lightning, heaven and earth were dark!

In the roaring wind, clouds of iron curtain formed by countless mercury vapors shrouded everything.

The gorgeous silver light and the broken rainbow refracted from the scorching sun overlapped in one place, and the edge of the huge shadow cast on the earth even seemed like a skirt, connected to a layer of colorful and gorgeous rainbow colors.

The iron curtain was like a cover, covering the firmament, shrouding the world.

The disturbed silver light danced on the firmament, enchanting and solemn, so ferocious.

"So beautiful."

In the workshop with the dome opened, Ji Jue felt the raging wind blowing in his face, looked up and gazed, and couldn't help but smile: "How does it feel, Isis?"

Isis was silent, not saying a word.

Above the firmament, in the silver clouds, a blurred face appeared and disappeared, as if casting a glance at the world, looking at her creator, controller, and restrainer, as if some spirit had changed.

Or as if not.

At this moment, above the billowing clouds, endless mercury danced, unfolding in layers, blooming like a lotus flower. Even compared to the simulation of the Tower of Myriad Phenomena, her final appearance was too cramped and small, not even one ten-thousandth...

It was just a container like a vehicle.

But at the same time, there were no more shackles.

Returning to freedom.

When the torrential silver rain fell from the firmament, the fine rain curtain of thousands of threads covered everything; in the endless silver light, Ji Jue seemed to see the figure in front of him.

Flitting and distant.

Looking at himself.

The raging wind blowing in his face seemed to become gentle, like an embrace.

Then, the figure turned and walked toward the deeper part of the rainstorm, disappearing.

Endless silver light rain fell from the sky, watering Outside Xinquan, shrouding the stunned faces on the street, and countless silver threads spread from the rain.

Hand of Isis, unfold!

Pedestrians on the street, employees working busily in rooms, workers sweating on the assembly line, passengers who were sleepy or expectant in buses.

Thousands of threads stretched and swept past, touching and separating.

Some were ignorant, some felt a slight chill on the back of their necks, some coughed violently, waking up from their dreams, sweating profusely, looking around, not knowing where they were. Others were already drowned in dreams, with no reaction.

If observed with spiritual quality vision, one could see countless flashes rising and falling within the range covered by the heavy rain.

That is the inverse application of fluid alchemy, using matter to control spirit, a technique created and developed to this day targeting all spiritual quality changes.

———Solid Alchemy!

At this moment, endless mercury descended from the firmament and rose into the sky again, returning to that enchanting and gorgeous cloud layer, carrying countless tiny "sand grains."

Just like washing away all buildings and cities from the earth after a mountain flood, when the silver rain swept past, all alienated spiritual quality left by the spiritual plague was sealed in mercury sand grains smaller than dust and brought back to the firmament.

At the same time, it insighted all living things, locked onto all targets, and finally sealed all anomalies.

The alienated spiritual quality on those ignorant carriers was plucked out in the thousands of threads of the Hand of Isis, and the spiritual plague that had just parasitized the soul was also forcibly cut off; a little loss of spiritual quality would be replenished after a sleep.

As for the empty shells that were already terminally ill and had no consciousness, the internal precipitation had not yet had time to form moths, and they had already been completely extinguished, killed, and extracted!

As the clouds above the firmament moved slowly, the raging wind and rain spread out, like an invisible plow, sweeping across the wilderness of Haizhou inch by inch.

It did not hide its existence at all, nor did it whitewash this unbelievable power.

It didn't even ask for anyone's consent or permission.

————The ruthless purification, begin!

"Pity, the name Hand of Isis has already been used."

Ji Jue pinched his chin, sighing sincerely: "However, since it can serve as a carrier and container for you to act freely, then as a counterpart, why not call it Isis's..."

Before he finished speaking, he felt the cold gaze cast from the clouds, and even the coldness and annoyance that descended amidst the thunder and lightning.

Soon, a sweet voice like a smile sounded: "Sir, if you don't want your mouth, I can help you tear it off."

Why is it that every time I want to start respecting you, you have to speak!

"Fine, fine..."

Ji Jue sighed helplessly, giving up his sudden inspiration: "Since it hangs high above the firmament, then let's call it Isis's Crown, how about that?"

In the remaining historical records of the present world, in the descriptions of that goddess, her crown evolved from the totem of the scorching sun to the style of the throne of royal power.

If the relevant hieroglyphs were translated into the Federation language, it could be called 'Throne'.

Its meaning is that the gods descend into the human world, dominating and ruling everything.

This is the royal power bestowed by heaven!

"Such a name is quite fitting for you."

Isis was silent.

In the silent wind, a distant echo seemed to come, like a sigh, and like a shallow smile, hard to distinguish.

Only the clouds of silver light changed silently, and that pair of blurred eyes lowered faintly, tamely wearing the firmament crown on her head.

And then, endless iron light rose again, the clouds unfolded again, carrying the metal rain that swept everything, walking step by step toward the distant wilderness.

Mountains covered with weeds, overflowing rivers, parched earth, foul-smelling swamps...

Even though he had seen countless times the same scenery in surveillance and countless cameras, when he truly witnessed such desolate and declining scenery, the Spirit of the Workshop still couldn't restrain the resistance, and even disgust.

Unable to understand why anyone would care about such scenery.

Nor could she understand why such things were regarded as treasures.

What hatched from the mud were only the endless moths rising before her eyes at this moment. The shameless insects were disturbing the sky and earth, chirping triumphantly before her eyes, making her even more unhappy!

Thus, Isis raised her hand again.

———In his courtyard, there is no need for pests! ===== CHAPTER 421 =====