Chapter 401: Borrowing Dreams to Speak of Matters

Ji Qiuhuo, Wei Yuning, Shui Yong, and Monk Cheng Xin all rose to greet.

As the final moment approached, the group grew increasingly worried about mishaps; once they passed through the Borderlands teleportation array, the next location would be the outskirts of Wan Gu Immortal City.

Wan Gu Immortal City differs from the Immortal Realm—immortals can come and go freely—so even in the outer towns, immortals are frequent visitors; consequently, the outer towns' defensive strength rivals that of large cultivation sects, making them extremely safe.

The cultivation sects referred to here are not ordinary large sects, but those Immortal Sects that have genuine immortals stationed within.

"It'll be another twenty days before it's our turn; this is already the result of me pulling strings!" Qin Wu shook his head helplessly and said, "According to the Daoist in charge of the teleportation, for some reason the recent teleportation arrays have a slight issue, moving much slower than before, though it doesn't affect the teleportation itself!"

"Daoist Qin, I wonder if my envoy's status is of any use?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Not very useful; too many people are seeking aid in the Immortal City, the city can barely tend to itself, let alone matters of the Immortal Realm. Moreover, the Cultivator Alliance's pleas for help aren't just yours!" Qin Wu shook his head.

"Twenty days isn't long; a bit of cultivation and it'll pass!" Ji Qiuhuo comforted herself and the others.

Wei Yuning appeared unruffled on the surface, but inside he felt a tsunami; the scene of the puppet man racing through the teleportation channel kept replaying in his mind, and it seemed only they could affect the channel.

"They've already chosen me as the messenger; could these clever yet brainless fellows be looking for another messenger? Or are they simply causing trouble?" Wei Yuning's mind was full of question marks.

A thought sparked in him, and he couldn't help asking, "Fellow Daoists, may I pose a question to you all?"

Heh, Ji Qiuhuo laughed, "Lord Wei, your cultivation is profound—are there questions you still don't understand?"

Qin Wu and the others also smiled, but remained silent, their expressions turning curious. Anything that could puzzle Lord Wei must certainly not be a simple matter.

After weighing his words, Wei Yuning spoke, "Within the teleportation channel, is it possible to remain conscious and perceive the channel's interior?"

Qin Wu was the first to shake his head, stating firmly, "Impossible!"

Monk Cheng Xin also gave a slight shake, saying, "The teleportation channel differs from any ordinary space; it is both an instant and a long duration, so in principle a normal person's spirit sense cannot stay normal within it. However, if a cultivator masters both temporal and spatial laws, perhaps they could retain consciousness—heh, that's merely my speculation; the specifics are still hard to determine!"

Ji Qiuhuo frowned, and after a moment said, "As far as I know, the teleportation channel is linked to star‑power convergence points, which in turn relate to star‑power itself; a great being who controls star‑power might perhaps retain consciousness!"

After hearing Ji Qiuhuo and Cheng Xin, Qin Wu gave an awkward smile and said, "My saying 'impossible' isn't the answer. When I was in the Immortal City, I was fortunate to meet a great being who once, unintentionally, mentioned this issue. Inside the teleportation channel there are strange tiny things; they're not living, yet they're everywhere. They constantly collide, the body cannot block them, and they even infiltrate the spirit sense, causing it to become chaotic. Therefore, under normal circumstances one cannot stay conscious within the channel. However, Master Cheng Xin and Daoist Ji's points also have merit!"

Wei Yuning said, "Thank you, fellow Daoists, for clearing my doubts!"

Monk Cheng Xin cleared his throat lightly and asked, "Lord Wei, why did this question suddenly occur to you?"

Even if none of them asked, Wei Yuning intended to explain; each of them is sharp, and if he were evasive it would inevitably cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Since Cheng Xin asked, he went on, "In the teleportation channel leading to the Borderlands, I had a dream: a chubby strange creature blocked the progress of the flying shuttle. Because I was dazed and couldn't tell reality from dream, I dismissed it. Now, hearing Daoist Qin say the recent channels are abnormal and slower, I wondered whether the dream wasn't a dream at all, but real!"

Qin Wu laughed, "That's a bit too absurd; it must be false!"

Ji Qiuhuo also shook his head, "It's probably just a dream; I wonder what that monster looked like?"

"It looks exactly like the puppet man!" Wei Yuning said calmly.

"Puppet man?" Ji Qiuhuo looked at Wei Yuning in surprise.

"Lord Wei, did that puppet man… in the dream block the flying shuttle and say anything?" Shui Yong, who had been listening, suddenly asked.

Monk Cheng Xin gave a faint smile and said nothing.

Wei Yuning glanced imperceptibly at Cheng Xin and said, "Precisely because he spoke, I'm a bit hesitant, suspecting that what I experienced wasn't a dream!"

Ji Qiuhuo looked around; in the courtyard of the siheyuan, Luo Yi, Zhi Hua, Ao Zhi, Ao Xing, and Kong Guan were drinking tea and chatting about movies, while the others were inside the rooms, faint sounds drifting out.

"What did the puppet man say? Could you tell us?" Ji Qiuhuo asked.

Qin Wu and Shui Yong also wore solemn expressions.

"He asked me to deliver a message to the person in charge of the Immortal Realm or the Immortal City!" Wei Yuning said.

Qin Wu opened his mouth, but managed to stop himself in time, not asking the next question.

Monk Cheng Xin had known Wei Yuning had something to say, but didn't expect it to be this; the old friend truly kept surprising him more and more.

"Well… Lord Wei, you're currently a deputy commander among the Cultivator Alliance's Heavenly Soldiers, and you have good relations with several great immortals of the Immortal Realm. Whatever the message, just tell them directly; at most you could buy a cross‑dimensional teleportation talisman bird—I'm sure the market here sells them," Ji Qiuhuo thought for a moment and said.

Qin Wu quickly interjected, "No, the Immortal City is just ahead; let's discuss it when we get there. Then I'll help you contact the city's ruler to see if they're willing to meet you."

"Alright, let's do that first!" Wei Yuning said.

Ji Qiuhuo didn't press further.

The group returned to the rooms, collectively dropping the topic.

In the Borderlands, the most popular spot among cultivators is a massive palace.

There lies the largest trading market, which also offers a variety of delicacies. Bored cultivators waiting for their turn flock there to pass the time, and because of the sheer number of cultivators, it's also a prime place for gathering information.

Among Wei Yuning's party, none enjoys wandering more than Lata Daoren.

Since hanging out with Wei Yuning, Lata Daoren has upgraded his gear, now dressed in splendid attire; with better daily meals, he no longer endures the harsh fasting, and his spirit, qi, and vitality are completely different from before.