Chapter 64: Dreamscape (Cultivation)

Yang Yichen listened quietly, the flowing light outside the window flickered vividly in his deep eyes.

The fingers resting on his knee subconsciously tightened into a fist, the knuckles paling slightly.

Yet his face showed no panic or resistance; those usually steady eyes grew even deeper in hue, like ink that cannot be diluted.

He was no longer the boy once sheltered beneath wings.

Since the moment his father died, he understood that some responsibilities must be shouldered by someone, and that someone happened to be him.

He exhaled heavily, about to speak, when Liu Shu's phone suddenly rang, breaking the car's heavy atmosphere.

Liu Shu glanced at the caller ID, his expression hardened, and he immediately answered and activated the car's hands‑free.

"Old Liu!"

A rapid, authoritative voice rang out in the cabin, tinged with urgency.

"The situation you reported earlier has attracted high‑level attention! We now have an urgent question, and you must answer truthfully."

"Since returning from that world, have you noticed any bodily abnormalities? For example... have you awakened any 'Special Ability'?"

Liu Shu froze for a moment, then answered instinctively.

"No, chief, I'm fine, just feel my energy's a bit better than before..."

But halfway through his sentence, he suddenly recalled something; through the rearview mirror he met Yang Yichen's eyes, saw him nod slowly, extend a hand, and a dagger materialized in his palm.

Liu Shu gritted his teeth and immediately added.

"But the Yang Yichen beside me has awakened a power!"

The other end of the communicator fell into brief silence, only faint electrical hiss audible, as if the counterpart was rapidly processing the information.

A few seconds later, the voice sounded again, faster, the command clearer.

"Change destination; abort the original rendezvous! Turn immediately toward West Suburb Longquan Road; I'll send the exact coordinates to your navigation."

Liu Shu hesitated not a moment, yanked the steering wheel; the high‑performance sedan growled low, deftly fishtailed, and surged onto another expressway leading to the city's western outskirts.

"Old Liu, hands‑free on."

"... I've had it on the whole time." As he said it, Liu Shu's gaze flickered briefly.

There was a brief silence, then the steady yet urgent voice sounded again:

"Comrade Liu Ming, Comrade Yang Yichen, the situation is urgent; cut to the chase."

"We just received a public alarm; combined with road‑camera feedback, a relatively secluded street near West Suburb Longquan Road has a group of youths riding modified motorcycles causing a ruckus."

"Someone among them seemed to suddenly feel ill, stopped roadside to rest, but minutes ago one person's body underwent a Mutation! Preliminary assessment shows extreme similarity to the 'Aberrant Species' you mentioned from that game world!"

His voice paused, then his tone deepened.

"Comrade Yang Yichen, the situation is urgent; ordinary police cannot handle this unconventional threat. We urgently need to know the characteristics and weaknesses of this Aberrant Species, and... assess the actual effectiveness of Special Ability Practitioners against them."

"If you are willing and able, we hope you can assist the on‑site team in controlling the situation, minimizing casualties."

"Of course, this is not a compulsory order; if you have reservations, Old Liu will follow the original plan and send you to a relatively safe rendezvous. Decide for yourself; whatever the outcome, we will not hold you accountable."

The car was dead silent, save for the faint electrical hum from the phone and the wind howling past the windows.

Yang Yichen hesitated hardly at all.

If that kind of monster appeared in reality, if it harmed innocent people...

And he clearly has the ability to act, yet chooses to shrink back...

He inhaled deeply, suppressed the slightly accelerated heartbeat from nerves, his gaze became resolute, and he answered clearly and calmly toward the car's microphone.

"I am willing to assist; please tell me the exact location and any precautions."

His voice was soft, yet unusually clear and strong within the enclosed cabin.

The other end seemed to sigh in relief, speaking faster to brief the on‑site situation and preliminary action suggestions.

Liu Shu gave Yang Yichen a deep look, his expression extremely complex—concern, worry, but mostly acknowledgment and resolve.

He slammed the accelerator; the black sedan tore through the pre‑dawn silence, racing toward the street shrouded by otherworldly shadows.

The boundary between reality and illusion was completely shattered at that moment.

——————————————

Sleep, like a deep tide, slowly drowned Yang Yixie's consciousness.

Yet in this realm that should be void, a speck of light stubbornly glowed, gradually outlining clear contours around it.

He found himself standing in a dimly lit, damp alley, the air filled with a strange mix of cheap alcohol and spices.

At the alley's end, an unremarkable wooden door stood ajar, above its lintel hung a weathered neon sign with faded letters, faintly spelling "Dream Illusion Bar".

An inexplicable curiosity drove him forward, and he pushed the door open.

The scene inside contrasted sharply with the dilapidated alley outside.

The lighting remained dim, but the atmosphere was psychedelic yet... real.

Behind, the wine rack displayed an array of bottles; the glassware was polished to crystal clarity, reflecting the hidden teal light strips beneath the bar like cheap gems.

Several hefty wooden round tables were scattered around, chairs placed haphazardly.

"Wow, the graphics are really good."

An ill‑timed thought popped into his mind; Yang Yixie looked around blankly, his steps unconsciously drifting toward the bar, his gaze landing on a row of gleaming glasses lining its inner side.

The whiskey glass nearest him reflected his current face as clearly as a mirror.

In the reflection was indeed his handsome face, only without the Black-framed Glasses, the outer corners of his eyes lifted, lacking his usual docility—a clear sign of a restless soul.

But...

What's that thing perched on his head?!

It was a tuft of short hair in the dim setting, stubbornly emitting a faint green glow.

The color, fluorescent and glaring, bore a visual impact that cared little for others' lives! It shone brighter than the glow‑in‑the‑dark toys he played with as a child!

Yang Yixie: "!!!"

He suddenly widened his eyes, instinctively raised his hand to touch his hair, but his fingers passed through the illusory image, and an indescribable feeling of disgust surged in his heart.

I remember around the college entrance exams, there really were classmates excitedly discussing dyeing their hair after the exam, and a lively desk mate jumped out to act goofy, pounding his chest and saying he'd dye it the most flamboyant green, dazzling everyone's eyes.

At the time he just took it as a joke and even mocked the other's taste.

But Yang Yixie, even if he really dyed his hair, would absolutely choose a subtle, luxurious, refined style; how could he possibly be linked to this Ying Guang Lu?

Has this sense of taste been chewed on by Aberrant Species?!

At that moment, Yang Yixie's thoughts astonishingly aligned with Bai Mu Yun's.

While his mind ranted wildly, he couldn't help glancing at himself in the glasses again.

Putting aside that disastrous hair color, the face in the mirror… was indeed his own, with clear features and distinct contours.

What left him even more speechless was that his relatively handsome face somehow, barely… could hold this green hair?

Moreover, because that overly eye‑catching color actually made his skin appear whiter, his features taking on an almost otherworldly clarity.

What the hell, his looks could even master this deadly Ying Guang Lu?