Chapter 152: Finding the Dream Stone

After Ye Xi'an and Ji Jiangci's emotions had steadied a bit, Lin Zhi Jing finally pushed his glasses back, and the gray pupils behind the lenses showed little warmth.

"I don't have that kind of high‑grade elixir."

His voice was calm, stating a fact.

The air seemed to stall for a moment.

Bao Jing immediately elbowed Lin Zhi Jing's rib, pressing his voice: "You fucking did it on purpose!" He always chooses the worst moment to speak, and this time was no exception.

Ji Jiangci's eyes, which had just sparked with a faint glimmer, instantly dimmed; he lowered his head and no longer looked at anyone.

Ye Xi'an's heart sank as well, but she quickly forced herself to rally.

She had only used the elixir as an excuse in the first place; there was still hope, there was still hope, and she couldn't panic.

"Hey, the boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge; don't lose heart. Lin Zhi Jing doesn't have it, so I'll buy it after I get out!"

Ye Xi'an sprang to her feet, forcing herself to make a cheesy gesture to cheer everyone: "So! From this moment on, we must work hard to earn money!"

"But..." Lin Zhi Jing wanted to say that the reagent was expensive, and even with money it couldn't be bought.

Fortunately, Bao Jing's quick eyes and hands covered Lin Zhi Jing's mouth: "Doctor Lin, you should be more careful!"

"Alright, we can't delay any longer; let's go find the Dream Stone and complete the tasks we received."

Ye Xi'an spoke, breaking the silence.

She turned to Ji Jiangci, her voice slowing.

"Jiangci, I recall that when you were still a dream in the dream, you told me you had hidden all the Dream Stones. Do you remember where you hid them?"

Ye Xi'an's single utterance of "Jiangci" numbed Ji Jiangci's heart; he dared not look up at Ye Xi'an, only bowing his head as he recalled.

When he tried to think, it felt as if countless needles were stabbing his mind, but he endured and kept recalling, as this seemed to be his only usefulness now.

"... white... the place where white flowers bloom..."

His voice was hoarse and halting.

"Underground... very deep... seems like... twenty meters..."

Bao Jing frowned, his gray wings behind him fluttered, sweeping up a cloud of dust.

"A memory implanted in the dream? Can we trust that? What if it's a trap?"

His tone carried doubt, but more so concern for Ye Xi'an's safety.

"I think we can give it a try."

Ye Xi'an interrupted Bao Jing, walked to Ji Jiangci's side, and gently grasped his wrinkled hand.

The hand subconsciously recoiled a bit, but did not fully pull away.

"Whether it's a trap or not, this is our only clue at the moment."

Ye Xi'an looked at the others and gave a direct order.

"Let's go."

Lin Zhi Jing did not object; he adjusted his glasses.

"Finding the Dream Stone is indeed a priority. Based on the information Ji Jiangci provided, the area can be narrowed down."

Yi Yang nodded forcefully, tears still streaking his face, yet his eyes shone brightly.

"Alright! We'll go find it! I'll dig!"

Ji Jiangci watched Ye Xi'an tightly grip his hand, feeling the warmth of her palm, and his chaotic thoughts steadied a little.

He strained to recall more details.

"Those white flowers... very small... growing close to the ground... the surrounding trees are tall, the light is dim..."

"Places like that should be plenty in this forest."

Bao Jing looked around; the dense canopy almost blocked all sky light.

"Shall we split up and search?"

"No."

Ye Xi'an immediately vetoed.

"It's too dangerous here; we can't separate."

Her gaze flickered, and her face showed a resolve she had never had before; perhaps she hadn't realized it herself, but she was radiant at this moment.

She was no longer the little girl who only hid behind others.

"Perhaps my spiritual power can be of use."

Before, she could monitor anything within her spiritual range as if on surveillance; could she do the same underground? She smiled lightly, knowing a test would tell.

She closed her eyes; the spiritual threads shot out like needles, no longer timid as before—no longer like a newborn baby probing a new world, but now like a detached sword thrust into the ground.

As the spiritual threads seeped underground, Ye Xi'an could see the subterranean scene—damp and dark—and the deeper they went, the harder it became for her threads to penetrate.

Ye Xi'an's delicate eyebrows knit, she strained to pull the spiritual threads downward, and suddenly the threads curled up like a snail's antennae.

Ye Xi'an's eyes snapped open, flashing: "Found it! It's right beneath our feet! So many!"

Just below the ground was a massive platform constructed from Dream Stones.

Lin Zhi Jing looked at his own feet, the silver lenses flashing: "White flowers blooming, surrounded by dense trees; seems our luck is quite good indeed."

Lin Zhi Jing turned to Yi Yang, patting his shoulder: "Twenty meters underground, it's on you."

Yi Yang pounded his chest hard, flashing a cute white tooth.

"Leave it to me! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

He said that as he walked to the center of the clearing, both hands pressing onto the damp ground.

A faint earth‑colored glow emanated from his palms, seeping into the soil.

The ground began to tremble slightly, the soil surging and receding to both sides like a living thing, and a pit formed at a visible speed.

Yi Yang closed his eyes, concentrating fully as he manipulated the earth element.

The soil is moved and piled by an invisible force at the edge of the pit, forming a neat mound.

The pit deepens.

One meter, two meters…

Sweat beads begin to seep on Yi Yang's forehead, and his complexion turns slightly pale.

Controlling the earth element down twenty meters underground consumes a huge amount of energy for him, a Level‑1 Beastman.

"How's it going? Still okay?"

Ye Xi'an asks concernedly.

Yi Yang opens his eyes, exhales, and grins.

"Just that, no big deal! I can still hold on!"

He closes his eyes again, increases his energy output, and the pit's digging speed quickens a bit.

Gradually, everyone can no longer see Yi Yang's figure.

Bao Jing walks to the pit's edge and looks down.

Inside is pitch black, bottomless, and he cups his hand like a horn and shouts toward below.

"Yi Yang! Is there any anomaly below?"

Yi Yang's voice comes from below, echoing, "No!"

Lin Zhi Jing activates Light Brain and scans toward the bottom of the pit.

"Energy fluctuations are stable; no life signs detected, nor any obvious structures."

The excavation continues.

The forest is eerily silent, with only the sound of soil shifting and everyone's slightly anxious breaths.

Ten meters… fifteen meters…

Yi Yang's body begins to tremble slightly, and the earth‑colored glow flickers irregularly.

Ye Xi'an shouts down, "Yi Yang! Take a break."

"Can't... almost there..."

Yi Yang grits his teeth and persists.

He doesn't want to slip up at this critical moment; after finally being needed, he can't disappoint his wife.

Ye Xi'an watches his determined expression, moves her lips, but ultimately says nothing.

At that moment, Yi Yang below suddenly widens his eyes.

"Dig... I've hit it! Hard!"

He stops controlling the earth element, and the pit's depth remains at about twenty meters.

Everyone's attention focuses on the pit's bottom.