Chapter 502: 2.2 Main – Pinokangni (173)

Yui Itto's blade flash followed closely, Su Na's limbs scattered in a few cold rays, the once arrogant King of Curses now crawls on the ground like a spinal‑broken dog.

"Hey hey, this is the 'King of Curses'?" Cheng Jinci squatted nearby, a stalk of grass in his mouth, "Seems weaker than a Grade‑A Cursed Spirit."

Hu Zang stared intently at Su Na, his chest heaving violently. He had imagined countless duels with Su Na, imagined his own death, imagined being covered in wounds… but never imagined a situation so utterly crushing.

Su Na… absurdly weak.

"Looks like we're trapped in the Taiyi Dream too. Ah, didn't expect that the Qi Xiang Choir's ability would affect us; indeed more troublesome than I thought—" Wu Tiao Wu stretched lazily, "This Su Na is just an illusion, Hu Zang, don't keep hitting him; no wonder… not even a Mo Xu Luo was summoned."

"Such a powerful illusion, with no trace at all…" Yui muttered, looking up at Wu Tiao Wu, "Teacher Wu Tiao, will Su Na also fall into the Taiyi Dream? If so, is now a good chance to take him down?"

"Not sure, but since we can spot a flaw, Su Na will likely realize he's in the Taiyi Dream too. The dream projects what we most wish to happen… we want to defeat Su Na, so the dream materializes an ultra‑weak Su Na for us to beat."

Speaking of that, Wu Tiao Wu's tone turned a bit disgruntled: "Hey—bringing out such a weak Su Na, who do you think you're looking down on? Next time remember to summon a stronger Su Na!"

——

"'But for all the people of Pinokangni… to make a crowd of that scale share the same will is probably as hard as climbing to heaven.'"

Huang Quan endorsed Hei Tian'e's statement: "Exactly. The difficulty of realizing this plan is probably no less than resurrecting a star god…"

"'But regardless, we cannot just stand by.'"

As the others debated, Dan Heng and Bo Tiou also joined; they had all awakened from the Taiyi Dream.

With the help of Pinokangni's Rememberers, the other passengers on the train also woke from the dream; this is the first step of the plan. Those with sufficiently strong will will gradually awaken, and the revived free will will become a discordant note that shakes the Taiyi Dream.

Dan Heng shook his head: "But a few dozen people are like a drop in the ocean before such a massive dream. We must find other ways to awaken free will in the hundreds of thousands, even millions, within a short time."

Huang Quan: "If it's hard to break from within, we'll seek external help; we've known a method for a long time."

"'A Si De Na is a star system rich in memory substance, featuring a wondrous phenomenon called the Collective Dream: when newcomers arrive, many appear in each other's thoughts, sharing a single dream… and right now, the entire A Si De Na system contains only one dream.'"

Dan Heng began to understand her point: "If we can get a massive number of interstellar travelers to jump into the A Si De Na system, their free will will seep into this dream, shaking its foundation…"

Hei Tian'e worried: "But those summoned might become lost in the beautiful dream, becoming the foundation of order instead. The real difficulty lies in gathering, within a short time, a large group as steadfast as you all."

Dan Heng mused briefly then said: "It seems only the alliance with Yu Zhao can achieve this."

——

Assassin Wu Liuqi.

"Although I knew the assassination wouldn't go so smoothly, I didn't expect the whole scene to be a dream…"

The moment Qing Feng's blade pierced the leader's throat, blood splashed onto his face, warm and real.

There was no extra struggle, no resistance, not even a muffled groan. Their leader—the unfathomable man—was slain in front of his eyes, slowly collapsing at his feet.

Too smooth.

Qing Feng frowned slightly, his long sword still dripping blood. He had imagined countless possibilities: the leader's dying counterattack, hidden assassins, even the entire hall being a trap… but never that it would be this simple.

Fortunately, that doubt didn't last long; Miss Hei Tian'e in the sky canopy provided the answer.

"The Taiyi Dream… that kid named Xingqiri actually has this ability? Impressive…"

The Taiyi Dream spread through the sky canopy into his world; even he, the second‑ranked assassin on the list, fell victim without even noticing.

His surroundings gradually shifted, the leader's corpse dissipated like smoke, the walls warped, candles went out, the floor collapsed. Qing Feng subconsciously stepped forward, only to find himself on familiar wooden flooring—

—the place where he usually practiced.

Outside, dawn light was faint, birds chirped crisply. The tea on the table still steamed, as if nothing had happened.

"A fleeting dream…" Qing Feng sighed softly, "Unfortunately this assassination in the dream was too smooth to serve as a reference. Given the leader's death‑defying nature… he'll probably have many survival measures prepared."

——

"'No need to rouse the Celestial Vessel Alliance; keep that one‑time‑use treasure for yourself. Tens of thousands of free wills? Easy—let the Patrol Sea Rangers handle it!'"

Dan Heng looked at Bo Tiou, surprised: "You can gather the Patrol Sea Rangers?"

"'Ha! Outsiders think the Patrol Sea Rangers appear and disappear like ghosts, with no contact among them. If I may say—true! But precisely because of that, there's an unwritten rule…'"

Bo Tiou fished a strangely shaped bullet from his clothes, pinching it: "Huang Quan, do you know what this is?"

"It's the relic I returned to you."

"Right. Its owner must have told you that this is worthless to anyone outside the Patrol Sea Rangers; only when it returns to its original master does it work. It's a burial gift, only a hero who earned great deeds for the Rangers can possess it. When its light appears in the cosmos, it signifies a giant star's collapse, and the direction it falls…"

"Countless meteors will streak across the sky! Those are the Rangers' flames. They rush from all corners of the galaxy, regardless of cause or cost, because we abide by a shared bottom line—"

"The hunting comet only falls on the longest night, and after it—dawn arrives. We have been silent too long. It's time for the universe's cowards, parasites, and oppressors to remember the Patrol Sea Rangers' name, and I'll fire the first shot!"