Chapter 192: Smooth Entry into the Dream

In the end, Bai Xue politely declined Yu Sheng's suggestion to find her a straw or a paper cup to catch the flow, choosing instead to drink directly in one gulp.

"To be honest, this scene looks a bit off," Irene commented from the side, scrutinizing the scene, "Thirty percent grotesque, seventy percent perverted, and the remaining ninety percent looks like some unspeakable evil ritual—if Bai Xue adds a one-knee-down posture of loyalty, and we light a few candles around, I could take a photo and report you directly to the Secret Service..."

"Say less and no one will think you're mute," Yu Sheng glanced at this chatterbox, then hesitated for two or three seconds before finally unable to hold back, reminding Bai Xue who was still sucking hard, "Um... just suck a little bit, no need to drink until full; my arm is already getting a bit cold..."

Bai Xue finally realized what was happening, quickly put down Yu Sheng's arm, wiped the "dragon fruit juice" from the corner of her mouth, and awkwardly said, "Sorry, you didn't tell me how much was needed; I was worried the ritual wouldn't take effect."

Yu Sheng raised his hand and blew on the wound, thinking to himself that this girl looked small but actually had great strength—then Hu Li beside him reached out her hand and began to treat this small wound for him.

The fox demon girl looked quite happy; she had finally seized an opportunity to cast a healing spell on her benefactor.

"And then?" Bai Xue smacked her lips, slowly adapting to the lingering bloody taste in her mouth, and asked with a curious expression, "Do I need to do anything else?"

"It's over; just wait for the rest—go do whatever you need to do," Yu Sheng waved his hand, "This 'ritual' is that simple."

Bai Xue listened with a mix of belief and doubt, her brows slightly furrowed: "So, if I fall into an unfavorable situation in a nightmare tonight, I will enter that 'Wasteland' you just mentioned?"

"Theoretically, yes."

"Oh."

The small girl asked some more detailed questions about the "Wasteland," confirmed the process with Little Red Riding Hood many times, and only then seemed to finally feel relieved, turning to leave the room.

After the other party left, Little Red Riding Hood finally turned her gaze back to Yu Sheng and the others: "What next? Do you have any plans?"

"What time is lights-out at your orphanage?" Yu Sheng asked casually.

"Another hour and a half," Little Red Riding Hood replied, "Tonight neither Little Red Riding Hood nor Bai Xue needs to stand night watch, so we will sleep with the other children after lights-out."

"An hour and a half..." Yu Sheng thought for a moment and quickly made a decision, "Alright, then I'll just go home and sleep, and see what happens tonight."

As he spoke, he took out his phone to file a report with the Secret Service, then casually opened the door leading to 66 Wutong Road: "Goodnight in advance, have a sweet dream."

The illusory, swaying curtain before his eyes quickly faded, and the feeling of solid ground followed; Yu Sheng opened his eyes in the dream, seeing that boundless gray wasteland stretching out before him, the misty, gloomy sky covering this place as always, the whole world peaceful and calm.

After steadying himself slightly, he turned his head to look beside him.

Hu Li's figure also materialized, followed immediately by Irene floating in mid-air in the form of an oil painting.

"To be honest, your 'Dream Guidance' ability is actually quite useful," Yu Sheng looked at the doll Miss floating in mid-air and sincerely praised, "It can also pull Hu Li into this place along the way."

Irene floated in mid-air, proudly puffing out her chest, but still pretended to be modest on her lips: "Nothing amazing, anyway it's all entering dreams, very simple."

Hu Li curiously reached out her hand and poked the doll in oil painting form.

"Sealing a person inside a painting is an interesting method—can you really not get out in this situation, Irene?"

"Don't poke, don't poke! Why is your hand so annoying," Irene spun in mid-air as Hu Li poked her, complaining dissatisfiedly, "I already told you that I am a painting when in the dream state, and you still insist on bringing this up!"

"There is only us here," Yu Sheng paid no attention to the friendly interaction between Hu Li and the doll, but instead looked up and gazed into the distance, "It seems Little Red Riding Hood and Bai Xue have not fallen into nightmares yet."

Irene rested one hand against her chin: "It's also possible that tonight they are lucky and can sleep well, which is rare."

Yu Sheng nodded lightly: "Let's hope so."

His gaze remained fixed on the distance, gazing at the scenery on this wasteland.

"Benefactor, what are you looking at?" Hu Li asked curiously from the side.

"I have always been concerned about this place," Yu Sheng said casually, "I am curious exactly where this is, curious about the nature of its existence, and what connection it has with me—honestly, my understanding of this place is quite limited, to the point that I feel it is a bit rash to just treat this place as a 'fairy tale' shelter for children; it's just that we have no choice, otherwise I really should spend more time investigating this place thoroughly."

Speaking of this, his gaze could not help but fall again on the small hill in the distance.

On this boundless, open wasteland, that small hill which is always within sight is the only thing here that can be called "scenery."

"What I am most curious about is that 'mountain'."

"That mountain?" Hu Li shaded her eyes with her hand and looked into the distance, "What is on that mountain?"

"I don't know," Yu Sheng shook his head, "It is precisely because I cannot reach that mountain no matter what that I have always been curious about it—in other places on this wasteland, I can move there quickly with just a thought, as convenient as truly traveling in a dream, but that mountain is an exception; it is always in that position, walking there doesn't work, teleporting there doesn't work either."

Hu Li listened thoughtfully, then suddenly blurted out: "Then I'll run over and try."

"You?"

Hu Li looked serious: "Benefactor, you are very special here; perhaps the restrictions of this place are taking effect on you, preventing that mountain from letting you approach, but I am an 'outsider,' so perhaps I am unaffected?" Yu Sheng looked at the other party with some surprise, suddenly feeling that what this girl said seemed to make some sense.

"Then go over and take a look, be careful—if the situation is wrong, run back immediately."

"Okay!"

Hu Li happily agreed, then took off running towards the direction of that small hill; after running out a few dozen meters, she bent down and transformed into a huge nine-tailed fox demon, starting to accelerate continuously—in the blink of an eye, her figure became a silver-white phantom propelled by nine fox fires, charging towards the distance amidst deafening sonic booms.

Yu Sheng watched this scene closely, and as time passed, he slowly furrowed his brows.

Hu Li's figure shrank smaller and smaller, soon becoming so distant that only a tiny flash remained, but that hill... it was still there, still very far away from her.

The distance between the nine-tailed fox demon and the mountain seemed locked, to the point that it even began to violate the physical law of "near is big, far is small."

Even Hu Li, who was running, seemed to notice something was wrong; she suddenly began to decelerate, several tails turned around to push back, a dazzling flash came from the distance—and then she ran back very quickly.

Not until Hu Li slowed down slightly panting in front of Yu Sheng and transformed back into human form did the latter hear a sonic boom and continuous roaring sounds coming from the distance into his ears.

"No good, Benefactor, I simply cannot run over there," Hu Li ran over quickly, "It stays that far away; I looked back, and the distance to you guys is almost invisible!"

Yu Sheng frowned tightly, remaining silent for a long time.

After looking at each one...

"Then don't try anymore." After a while, he said with a serious expression.

Hu Li nodded repeatedly: "Mm-hmm."

And just at this moment, Yu Sheng's peripheral vision suddenly noticed a distorted ripple appearing in the air above the nearby grass.

The next second, before he could see clearly what the ripple was, a figure in red clothes and several wolves made of shadows fell clumsily from mid-air—those wolves, even as they landed, roared and made lunging and biting motions, as if they had just been engaged in a fierce battle with some powerful enemy the previous second.

Yu Sheng and the others quickly walked over and pulled Little Red Riding Hood, who seemed a bit stunned from the fall, up from the ground.

Irene floated over to the other party: "Didn't expect you to be the first to arrive... didn't win, did you?"

"Almost won!" Little Red Riding Hood had by then realized she had entered the "Wasteland," and immediately complained angrily, followed by a string of grievances, something like "the opponent didn't follow martial ethics," something like "ambush," and so on, looking very annoyed.

Until Yu Sheng casually said, "Then I'll open a door for you to go back and continue fighting?"

Little Red Riding Hood immediately fell silent, sitting down on the grass in place: "Tired, resting."

Then she noticed Irene floating in midair and couldn't help but show surprise: "How did you..."

Irene instantly cut her off: "Don't ask!"

"... Fine, I won't ask. Why shout so loud?"

Seeing this, Yu Sheng merely smiled, said nothing, and sat on the grass with Little Red Riding Hood.

"Will Bai Xue come?" he asked.

"Highly likely," Little Red Riding Hood said softly. "Her condition has always been dire. Her power has surged dramatically over the past two years, causing the 'Bloodstained Court Subset' she faces to mutate terribly. She has long struggled to find stable dreams..."

Yu Sheng nodded, saying nothing.

After a moment of silence, Little Red Riding Hood suddenly added: "By the way, when she appears, she might be just like me—mid-battle. Don't be surprised then."

"Surprised?" Yu Sheng was somewhat baffled. "Why be surprised—she..."

A shriek of spatial distortion suddenly cut off his unfinished words.

Yu Sheng froze, then hurriedly rose from the grass and looked toward the source of the sound.

He saw huge figures, one after another, materializing in the air.

They wore armor forged from seven materials: gold, silver, copper, iron, rock, ice, and lightning. Each one that landed brought a heavy boom.

A small girl sat on the shoulder of one of the figures, like a commander, yet she looked listless at that moment.

The three of them stood with mouths agape.

They heard Little Red Riding Hood's voice come from beside them—

"There she is: Bai Xue—and her seven Lei Ting Titans."

(End of chapter)