Chapter 784: Side Story 4: 21

These memory anchor points unique to Xiao Jiu and Liu Junyan formed a force that repeatedly pulled Xiao Jiu into familiar situations, and were broken when Xiao Jiu refused to face these memory anchor points.

So, Xiao Jiu could basically be certain that this trial was not only aimed at herself, but mainly originated from Liu Junyan.

In short, the Liu Junyan Xiao Jiu sees in these familiar situations is not actually the past Liu Junyan, but……the present him!

A tear slid from the corner of Xiao Jiu's eye.

Before realizing this, Xiao Jiu was very calm.

She considered herself to have done enough; when facing these memory anchor points, facing the man she deeply loved and constantly thought of, her emotions did not collapse.

Even, she calmly analyzed countermeasures.

But all her emotions, when she thought that this person was Liu Junyan reappearing after being apart for over five years, Xiao Jiu still could not hold back.

All longing, all endurance, all feigned composure, at this moment became fragile.

Xiao Jiu thought she would ultimately not be able to pass this trial; she could not control her own heart.

She could not achieve severing love and affection.

She loves Liu Junyan.

That is a part etched into her bones and blood, which she cannot and does not wish to sever.

The love trial is hard to pass; who else besides her cannot pass it?

Yu Nian to Wang Fuchen, Fu Wan to Zhao Zixun, Zhong Susu to Xiaoye……

Even if she failed, Xiao Jiu did not think there was anything wrong with that.

But in this trial, it was not only her.

Xiao Jiu could disregard herself, but she could not not consider Liu Junyan's current situation.

After over five years, such a thing suddenly appearing—what does it indicate?

It is very likely that Liu Junyan is about to pass the examination period in the upper realm; this is his most critical moment.

But the problem is, if Liu Junyan truly achieved absolute severing of love and affection, completely forgetting me, as he appears to, even if I stood before him, he would feel nothing……then such a trial would not exist at all!

If he truly forgot everything, there would simply be no memory anchor points in his memory!

So, over five years ago, he did not truly achieve severing love and affection; he merely temporarily sealed his own memories. Whether he can still bluff through now, Xiao Jiu is also unsure.

For a moment, Xiao Jiu could not think of a better way to help Liu Junyan.

She had already been thinking, if Liu Junyan were exposed in this final examination period, what would the consequences be?

Backlash? Heavenly punishment?

Whatever it is, there will be no good outcome.

Xiao Jiu became anxious.

She struggled to wake from the high fever coma, wanting to open her mouth to call for help, but she could not.

The next moment, she was once again pulled into the dream.

This time, that person appeared again in the dream.

What surprised Xiao Jiu was that this time she actually saw that person's face clearly!

That was a woman with a very stern appearance, wearing a dark blue official uniform, wearing an official cap, holding in her right hand a ruler engraved with runes, staring at me with an icy cold gaze.

She raised her left hand; Xiao Jiu looked and was instantly startled.

What the woman held in her left hand was, astonishingly, a willow branch bracelet stained with blood.

She coldly asked Xiao Jiu: "Do you know it?"

Xiao Jiu tightly bit her lip, lowered her head, eyes on nose, nose on heart.

If she does not look, does not answer, she will not make a mistake.

But the woman would not relent, almost thrusting that willow branch bracelet toward Xiao Jiu's eyes, repeatedly demanding: "Speak, do you or do you not know it?"

Xiao Jiu stubbornly clenched her teeth, simply refusing to respond.

Smack!

The ruler fiercely struck Xiao Jiu's arm; a sharp pain surged, and a ruler mark instantly appeared on her left arm, quickly turning from red to purple.

Xiao Jiu knew that such a dream was not truly dreaming, but a phantom mirror created by the other party.

But what happens in this phantom mirror, such as being beaten, is real.

Xiao Jiu had seen such injuries on herself before, so she was quite certain.

If she manages to fluke passing this trial this time and return to the real world, she will definitely be able to see this deep ruler mark on her left arm.

"Xiao Jiu, I ask you again, what is this?"

"Don't think that by not answering you can successfully escape this dream trial; failing the dream trial is a small matter, but refusing to answer, having a bad attitude, will result in being deprived of dream trial qualifications for a hundred years. Xiao Jiu, is it worth it?"

"The opportunity for a dream trial comes once in a thousand years; many people exhaust all their efforts, rack their brains, yet still cannot obtain such an opportunity—don't be ungrateful!"

……

The woman spoke earnestly, but Xiao Jiu's thoughts were racing.

Dream trial?

Xiao Jiu seemed to have seen this term somewhere before.

There are many ways to attain the Dao and ascend.

Those who open their wisdom early and directly enter Buddhism or Daoism are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns—for example, Xingchen.

Those who enter the Dao through suffering, after experiencing all the world's hardships and suddenly awakening to the great Dao, can achieve fruition—for example, ascetics.

Or like Liu Junyan, who possesses merit and also obtained such a great opportunity as the old turtle inner elixir, thereby ascending through tribulation.

And the dream trial is yet another form.

Those selected will undergo countless examinations in the dream.

These examinations, without exception, are closely related to reality.

Those who can ultimately pass the examination smoothly can also attain the Dao and be conferred a title.

Such a dream examination format also varies from person to person.

Some people must undergo a hundred examinations in their lifetime and still may not pass.

Others, with a pure and steadfast mind, undisturbed by anything, pass easily.

Xiao Jiu's dream examination is not the longest in duration, but its difficulty is extremely high.

It is obvious that the female official who gave her the dream examination is extremely strict and also cherishes this opportunity greatly.

Therefore, in the dream they scold and beat her; when she loses some of her merit and fails to meet the dream examination conditions, they feel frustrated, wishing she would improve.

Xiao Jiu suddenly raised her head, stared at the female official and asked, "May I ask, are you from the Nether Realm or from above?"

The female official was startled; evidently she did not expect that after chattering on for a while, this person wouldn't hear a word, but instead threw such a question back at her.

The female official did not answer.

Xiao Jiu then analyzed on her own: "My merit is sufficient, and over these years I have helped many people; logically, if I were to ascend to the upper realm, I would meet the conditions, but ultimately I do not take the tribulation ascent path, instead taking the dream examination—this shows… if I pass the examination, I am not ascending to the upper world, right?"

The female official frowned; although she did not respond to Xiao Jiu, she also did not deny it.

Because Xiao Jiu's speculation was correct.

Xiao Jiu stroked her chin, thoughtfully saying: "If I do not ascend to the upper world, then I must remain in the mortal realm or enter the Nether Realm; but I am already a Yin Envoy of the mortal realm, how could I pass the dream examination and have my status actually be lower?"

"So… regardless of whether I pass or fail this dream examination, and regardless of whether I will be punished, I at least remain a steward of Yin Dang Hang; that will not change. But if I pass the examination, my status should rise to a higher level, right?"

"Furthermore, the dream examination should also have a time limit; as long as I endure past that limit without crossing the line, then I would pass, right?"