Chapter 86: A New Supernatural Technique, Entrusted to Mortals in a Dream

In a daze of fatigue, Ye Qin felt weightless, as if his soul were drawn by some unseen force, unconsciously leaving his body.

When he suddenly woke up, he found himself already back in the cave.

"Strange, I was just training outside, how did I end up back here so quickly?"

"Could it be that I was so tired I unconsciously returned here, like human sleepwalking?"

But Ye Qin recalled he had no habit of sleepwalking, especially after embarking on cultivation, his self-control was exquisite; such a situation shouldn't happen, it's truly strange.

He surveyed his surroundings, noticing the cave seemed somewhat different, yet he couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.

On the other hand, the white bones inside the cave showed no change.

Before Ye Qin could figure out where this strange feeling came from, a faint rustling sound came from outside, as if someone were passing by.

His snake pupils instantly turned into vertical slits; Ye Qin warily looked toward the cave entrance.

"Who!"

Ye Qin swiftly crawled out, his speed so great he left barely an afterimage.

The cave is so concealed that ordinary people wouldn't notice it; not to mention humans, even passing animals rarely come near, and those that sense his aura and pressure would be even less likely to approach.

When Ye Qin emerged from the cave, he saw a human figure not far away!

He immediately gave chase.

In these deep mountains and old forests, it's strange that someone could get close to his cave.

Ye Qin's speed is very fast, and with his cultivation boosting it, it's truly wind‑like and lightning‑swift, no exaggeration.

Strangely, no matter how fast he went, he kept a constant distance from the figure ahead, meaning that figure's speed was greater than his.

Ye Qin couldn't help but feel surprised; given his current cultivation level, few beings or humans could outrun him, unless this wasn't an ordinary person or they carried some high‑tech gear.

He gazed at the surrounding scenery; the sense of unease grew stronger, the plants seemed veiled in a thin mist, looking hazy and unreal.

As he pursued longer, the plants appeared increasingly illusory.

The ahead shadow also grew more familiar, as if he'd seen it somewhere before.

Where had he seen it?

Various doubts welled up in Ye Qin's mind, just as he racked his brain in vain.

The figure suddenly stopped, and Ye Qin finally could see clearly.

Her build was slender, her frame small, suggesting she was a woman.

Moreover, she wore a plain long robe reminiscent of ancient scholars' attire, and at that moment Ye Qin finally understood why she looked familiar!

Because when he first began cultivation, Ye Qin observed the white bones in the cave, then watched flesh grow upon them, and saw the bones restore to their former appearance — it was almost exactly like this woman!

But back then, to start his cultivation path, he hadn't had time to examine her features closely; now, as she slowly turned her body, she seemed about to reveal her true face.

For some reason, Ye Qin felt a stir of excitement — could he finally glimpse the true face of Mount Lu, to know what the white bones looked like in life?

Her black hair traced a delicate jawline, faintly revealing a small, rosy lips, and her nose stood tall like a mountain ridge.

Although he couldn't see the full picture yet, from the outline her appearance was certainly not bad.

But at some point a layer of mist arose, obscuring Ye Qin's sight; the fog grew thicker, and the figure gradually seemed to merge with it.

The outline became increasingly indistinct.

"How come the chain dropped at the crucial moment."

Ye Qin instinctively wanted to step forward to see more clearly, but suddenly felt as if falling into an abyss.

Hum!

He jerked his eyes open; under the night, the silvery light flowed like a river across the mountains and rivers, everything appearing tranquil and beautiful.

Around him, many small animals had gathered, their bean‑sized eyes fixed on his movements, revealing a hint of curiosity.

Ye Qin remained lying where he had been cultivating, having not moved at all, yet he finally understood where that earlier unease came from.

"It turns out it was all just a dream."

If it's a dream, then everything makes sense.

But this feeling, Ye Qin hasn't experienced in a long time; due to his relentless cultivation, he hardly sleeps, let alone dreams.

Ye Qin doesn't know whether snakes dream, but after becoming a snake, this is his first dream, and such a strange one at that.

"Why would he suddenly dream, and dream of her?"

Ye Qin never believed in mere coincidence; he only believed in fateful connections, especially after taking up cultivation, gaining deeper insight into the causality of heaven and earth.

It's impossible for such a dream to appear for no reason; it must be trying to tell him something else through this.

Some say dreams are a kind of imagistic language.

The Zhuangzi's 'Qi Wu Lun' says: 'Only after great awakening does one know this is a great dream.'

Ancients believed dreams always have a cause; Wang Fu once said, 'Strange dreams mostly have something gained and little done for nothing,' holding that dreams always have a reason to be found.

The known causes of dreaming are psychological and physiological, yet even with today's rapid technological advances, humanity still cannot explain the mechanism behind dream formation.

It's hard to say exactly what the principle of dream formation is, or why we have such bizarre dreams.

Dreams may seem ordinary, yet they are profoundly mysterious.

Some predict the future through dreams, others divine fortune from dream feedback.

At night come myriad dreams; the soul foretells good and ill; Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly; Lü Wang portending a flying bear.

Ding Gu's pine brings prosperity; rivers and seas grant a brilliant pen; the millet dream in Wu Gorge — nothing else can exhaust it.

There are also many dream‑related tales: Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly, the millet dream, the dream brush that brings flowers, the Southern Bough dream, etc., all familiar and linked to dreaming.

The most famous work is likely the 'Zhou Gong's Dream Interpretation'.

It is said that during the Three Kingdoms period there indeed existed a 'Zhou Gong' who could interpret dreams — Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan, courtesy name Konghe, a person of the late Eastern Han, skilled at dream interpretation; his accuracy could be described as awe‑inspiring.

But due to the passage of time, its authenticity can no longer be examined,

Even now, some people still think that what happens in dreams is a kind of omen or warning given by heaven.

Legend says there was once a creature with an elephant's nose, rhino's eyes, cow's tail, and tiger's feet, which fed on dreams and was called the dream-eating beast.

In Journey to the West, there is also the story that the Jinghe Dragon King, to avoid being beheaded by Wei Zheng, sent a dream to Li Shimin.

Moreover, the practice of sending dreams has a long history; even in today's technologically advanced era, some people still believe that deceased relatives will send them dreams.

But whether it is truly a sent dream or a psychological effect caused by excessive grief is unknown, after all, the human brain is a very complex structure.

Currently, science has not figured it out, and as a practitioner, Ye Qin also has not figured it out.

"Perhaps dreams can be controlled?"

Ye Qin lay on the ground, somewhat dazed, as if recalling the dream he just had, yet also gaining some insight.

Just like his Illusion Divine Ability, by altering the surrounding magnetic field with mental power and reflecting it into the observer's mind, different illusions arise.

So does that mean he can, through mental power, also control dreams and even enter someone's dream?

Is this then a Divine Ability?

……

In Ye Qin's dazed state, it seemed as if he had returned to that dream just now, except this time he watched what had happened before as an outsider.

Dream is a wonderful word; some people often dream, some rarely dream, some experience it from a first-person perspective, while others participate from a third-person perspective.

But according to science, everyone dreams every day; the only difference is whether they remember upon waking.

Ye Qin had an illusion that he was like a creator, and everything in the dream could change at the whim of his heart.

This feeling of controlling everything was truly wonderful, as if he were in the clouds, high above, looking down on the rolling mortal world.

And in modern dream theory, there is the concept of a lucid dream, which is exactly this.

"Dreaming while lucid..."

"The Way of Sending Dreams!"

Only after Ye Qin completely detached himself from that profound and mysterious feeling did the sky become bright.

The black night sky, clouds already surging, at the eastern horizon faintly visible were some rosy lights, striving to break free from darkness's bonds, leaping out with that red sun.

"Loss may be a blessing in disguise; I originally intended to accumulate the qi of all things within my body, but I accidentally stumbled upon comprehending the Dream Divine Ability, which was not in vain for all my efforts, nor was it wasted effort."

This should also be thanks to the Imperial Flow Elixir; after consuming it, his body, mind, and soul all underwent a qualitative change.

Now he can manifest the Dream Divine Ability, causing people to fall into sleep while also controlling dreams, just like his original Illusion Divine Ability.

This Divine Ability also has a time limit, and its consumption requires tremendous mental power; for those with strong mental power and strong self-control, the effect will correspondingly diminish.

"Anyway, this is good news."

"If you plant flowers with intention they won't bloom; if you insert willows without intention they will grow into shade."

Although he has not yet found a way to store heaven and earth's qi inside his body without leakage, he has again obtained a Divine Ability.

If Illusion Divine Ability and Dream Divine Ability are used together, dreams and surroundings intertwine, making it hard to tell reality from illusion, possibly producing unexpected effects.

However, this is merely Ye Qin's speculation; concrete details will only be known after further research.

The discovery of this new Divine Ability made Ye Qin much more relaxed, sweeping away the gloom of recent days, but over the following days, regarding how to conceal qi within his body, Ye Qin still had no clue.

Moreover, he tried several methods, all of which failed.

"Since the path of shutting the door to build a cart is blocked, let's go outside and see."

Ye Qin's gaze turned toward the outside of the great mountain.

He wanted to go to the library to see if there were any ancient texts, perhaps gaining some inspiration from them.

Being extremely familiar with the way to the library and having considerable experience in creating 'coincidences,' the journey went smoothly without any mishaps, as he looked at the buildings not far away.

Ye Qin felt as if he had stepped out of another world; aside from his first visit to the library, when he stayed a long time, he had not come back for a long while.

It seemed that each time he came, his state of mind was different.

With experience, Ye Qin can now read books without leaving a trace, coming and going unseen, naturally attracting no human attention.

Unfortunately, this time Ye Qin gained nothing.

In the library, records about this are extremely scarce; even if present, they are often vague or nonsensical heavenly flowers falling in disarray, which is not what Ye Qin wanted.

He could only return empty-handed.

Actually, the library's book variety is fairly rich, but specialties have their focus; similar ancient texts, especially those related to cultivation, are indeed very few.

After all, this library is small, with a limited collection.

"Since the library has none, perhaps some famous temples and ancient Taoist observatories might have them, after all, Internal Alchemy mostly comes from Taoism, and every Taoist temple will have a few Taoist scriptures."

Ye Qin's current stage of cultivation certainly requires seeking ancient texts related to Daoism, so his goal should be set on those Taoist temples, where he might find something useful for himself.

Of course, he should give it a try, though uncertain, after all, Taoist scriptures are numerous and encyclopedic; it's unclear which Taoist temple will have which kind of book.

But the problem is Ye Qin does not know where there are Taoist temples nearby; if he were to search, it would waste too much time and affect his cultivation.

Most importantly, this would easily expose him to human detection, which is really inconvenient.

"Why not have someone else help me look?"

A thought popped into Ye Qin's mind, and he immediately felt the plan was feasible.

……

It was late summer.

At the mountain's foot, villagers rose with the sun and rested at its set; since the Heavenly Dog devoured the moon, accompanied by the subsequent fire rain, the village again buzzed with talk, all saying the Mountain God had shown his power again.

Under the big tree at the village center gathered many people, the leader being the villager Li Zhigang, who had previously led the astronomical observatory up the mountain to seek heavenly fire.

"Let me tell you, earlier I brought that group up the mountain; there were a few youngsters, full of vigor, constantly muttering, and in their conversation they showed some disrespect toward the Mountain God—guess what happened afterward?"

Li Zhigang's words aroused the villagers' curiosity; he could not help but urge, "You brought them into the mountains—it's not us, so how would we know?"

"Don't keep us in suspense—just say it already."

Li Zhigang cleared his throat and no longer kept everyone in suspense.

What a bunch of good fellows—then a herd of animals burst out from the thickets, and there were other people present; those animals charged straight at those few people, their stares fixed, even in broad daylight it was creepy.

Those few lads, because of that, also unintentionally rolled down the slope and fell miserably.

Li Zhi Gang's vivid storytelling made everyone's breathing quicken at the climax; they regretted not going up the mountain, for they might have seen the Mountain God display his power.

If I had known, I would have gone up the mountain that day too.

No wonder I said those few looked so disheveled that day, with strange complexions—there was actually this reason behind it.

They also recalled the scene of animals worshipping the moon they had seen before.

Those animals were clearly related to the Mountain God; they might even be his servants.

You say this might be the Mountain God's punishment—who told them to lack reverence for the Mountain God?

That remark instantly won others' agreement: 'Indeed, these people still don't believe the Mountain God exists; give them a taste of their own medicine so they know his power.'

Mountain God, he is everywhere; whatever we say or do, he knows.

Suddenly I realized I haven't paid respects to the Mountain God today!

Me too!

Soon the area under the big tree grew quiet, and a crowd of people bustled toward the place where the Mountain God Temple stood.

Nowadays, the liveliest spot in Longyuan Village is undoubtedly the Mountain God Temple.

The temple at the mountain foot had wafting incense smoke, uninterrupted; not far off lay lush green mountains, the temple nestled among them like stars surrounding the moon.

Moreover, the temple's red bricks and green tiles, surrounded by curling mist, appeared all the more divine.

Upon entering, a towering statue of the Mountain God greeted us, accompanied by a faint sandalwood scent, making the place feel exceptionally serene and clean.

Hu Xiaocao and her mother kept the temple in excellent condition— not a speck of ash could be found on the ground, and the statue had to be wiped several times a day.

As the sun set behind the mountains, the number of people inside the temple gradually dwindled.

The mother and daughter tidied up once more; when the last villager left, the woman called out, 'Xiaocao, time to go home.'

Accompanied by the sunset, the mother and daughter returned to the village, where every household already had cooking smoke rising, and a faint aroma of food could be smelled.

Along the way they also ran into a few villagers.

'How come the Hu family's young lady is only coming back now?'

The woman smiled, 'A villager from next door came over, so we were delayed a bit.'

Originally the mother and daughter were ready to leave then, but they ended up turning back; needless to say, they were still very responsible.

Though the temple work isn't arduous, it demands care; under the mother and daughter's watch, nothing has ever gone wrong.

Back home, the two lit the fire and cooked a simple supper; as their lives improved, meat occasionally appeared on the table.

After eating, the mother and daughter tidied up, then prepared to wash up; with no other entertainment, they went to bed early.

As usual, they soon fell into a sweet sleep.

Xiaocao—

In a haze, Hu Xiaocao heard someone calling her name, her eyes half‑closed with sleep.

Who's calling my name?

The sound seemed close, yet upon careful listening it also appeared to come from far away.

The surroundings were somewhat blurry, whether from dim light or something else, looking hazy.

Hu Xiaocao walked toward the source of the sound.

For some reason, she felt an intuition that the sound would not harm her.

As the sound grew nearer, the scene before her became clear, like thick glass finally wiped clean, revealing what lay inside.

The building before her eyes was— the Mountain God Temple!

Yikes! How did I get here?

Most importantly, the sound was coming from inside the Mountain God Temple.

Creak—

Hu Xiaocao pushed the door open and, looking at the Mountain God statue not far away, an impossible thought entered her mind.

Mountain God Grandfather, are you the one calling me?

The statue remained motionless, unchanged, exuding immense dignity; just as Hu Xiaocao felt utter disappointment, a figure drifted before her, accompanied by a faint fragrance.

How come there's a sister here? Is she also coming to pay respects to the Mountain God?

Hu Xiaocao jerked her head up, only to see a figure in ancient attire standing before the statue.

That figure was clearly a woman, her long hair flowing like a waterfall and spread around, though it obscured most of her face, making her seem mysterious; yet her intuition told her that this sister before her was surely beautiful.

Who are you, and why have you appeared here?

Hu Xiaocao tilted her head, having previously been certain that no one was in the Mountain God Temple.

Xiaocao, do you know if there's a Daoist temple nearby?

The woman's voice was ethereal, hard to grasp, as if drifting from far away, matching her aura and making it seem especially distant, evoking a deep sense of reverence.

Hu Xiaocao couldn't help but widen her eyes, looking at the woman and then at the statue not far away, instantly understanding everything.

Are you the envoy sent by Mountain God Grandfather?

The woman gave no definite answer, still standing at the base of the statue.

But Hu Xiaocao firmly believed this, clenched her fists, and exclaimed eagerly, 'I don't know where a Daoist temple is, but I can go ask—may I?'

All right, then go inquire.

Don't worry, Messenger Sister—I will surely complete the task Mountain God Grandfather entrusted to me.

Hu Xiaocao sized up the woman, her eyes full of curiosity; because of Mountain God Grandfather's sake, she also felt a sense of closeness toward this messenger before her.

Messenger Sister, why doesn't the Mountain God come himself? Could he be cultivating immortality?

Messenger Sister, although I can't see your face clearly, my intuition tells me you must be very beautiful.

Hu Xiaocao chattered non-stop, not at all shy.

The Mountain God's messenger seemed rather aloof; aside from initially assigning tasks, they didn't say a word afterwards.

Hu Xiaocao wasn't discouraged, after all they are the Mountain God's messenger, certainly different from us mortals.

I had wanted to say something, but my eyelids felt like they'd been in a fight; a heavy drowsiness came over me, completely lacking the earlier spirit.

Hu Xiaocao involuntarily closed their eyes; the surrounding scenery began to blur and become hazy, as if an invisible pair of big hands were wiping away all the scenes.

"Messenger sister, are you leaving?"

The woman didn't answer Hu Xiaocao; her figure was dreamlike and illusory, becoming even more ethereal, like the moon in water, appearing utterly unreal.

In the mountains all sounds ceased; only occasional insect chirps drifted along with the moonlight into the distance.

Under the silver radiance, Ye Qin also slowly opened his eyes.

Judging from the effect of just having used the Illusion Divine Ability, it seems not bad.

Because Hu Xiaocao's devout faith, plus the child's mental power isn't high, entering her dream was also very easy; indeed there was no difficulty.

And the woman just now is naturally a product of the Dream-sending Divine Ability, coming from White Bone in life; her appearance is unclear because Ye Qin also doesn't know, thus it cannot be manifested.

But actually, the figure conjured by the Dream-sending Divine Ability is a reflection of the primal White Bone.

"It" transforms according to conditions, can be male or female, no need to distinguish gender.

"The Lotus Sutra says: "Whatever form one should take to be saved, that form shall appear to expound the Dharma.""

Just like Guanyin Bodhisattva saving sentient beings with thirty-two manifestations, also known as the thirty-two responsive forms appearing according to conditions.

Guanyin Bodhisattva has no so-called gender; the female form is merely a manifestation, a "sign" displayed for the convenience of saving beings.

Ye Qin's Dream-sending Divine Ability is likewise; the primal White Bone inherently has no gender distinction, only a distinction of 'manifestation.'

Afterwards, Ye Qin sensed the consumption of mental power.

"If it were an adult, the consumption would likely be greater than now, especially for those who are guarded and have firm will."

If there's an opportunity, Ye Qin will try again later.

His gaze fell toward the distance, full of earnest expectation: 'Now we just wait to see if Hu Xiaocao can bring me useful information.'

Next morning.

The woman had just gotten up to cook when she heard a commotion from inside the room.

"Mountain God Grandfather!"

"Mountain God Grandfather!"

Early in the morning we heard Hu Xiaocao shouting there; Hu Xiaocao shouted until they woke themselves up, opened their eyes, and the sky was already bright.

Hearing her shout, the woman walked in from outside and said reproachfully.

"Xiaocao, what are you shouting about so early? What Mountain God Grandfather, Mountain God's messenger."

Hu Xiaocao's eyes shone bright; they sprang up from the bed, almost excitedly waving arms and legs: 'Mom, I dreamed of Mountain God Grandfather and the Mountain God's messenger!'

The woman wasn't convinced; Hu Xiaocao constantly mentions the Mountain God, thinks about it by day, dreams of it by night, so dreaming isn't strange.

Seeing the woman not surprised, Hu Xiaocao continued: 'This is Mountain God Grandfather favoring me, so he gave me a dream-sending and arranged a task.'

Seeing Hu Xiaocao proudly puff out their little chest, the woman agreed: 'Yes, our Xiaocao is the most obedient, so the Mountain God Grandfather especially favors them.'

The woman didn't pay attention to the content of Hu Xiaocao's dream, after all dreams are illusory, not to be taken seriously.

"Alright, hurry up and wash up and eat breakfast; we have to go work at the temple."

Usually Hu Xiaocao is the most eager, wanting to be the first to go to the temple and offer the freshest wildflowers to the Mountain God, but now her eyes darted around.

"Mom, I have an important matter today; I must go fulfill the task Mountain God Grandfather taught me, so I won't go to the temple today."

The woman also didn't mind, after all the temple affairs she can handle alone: 'Alright, then today counts as giving you a day off.'

Hu Xiaocao immediately corrected: 'It's not a day off, it's an outbound mission!'

The woman smiled, not expecting Hu Xiaocao to get all serious: 'Alright, then you be careful.'

Hu Xiaocao is a very diligent person, out of pity for the woman, busy inside and out each day, wanting to help the woman share more chores.

Unlike other village kids who run wild over the hills, being sensible makes one feel pity; it's rare that today they proactively wanted to rest, so the woman naturally agreed.

(End of chapter)