"Alright, quiet down." Huang Wuji's voice calmed everyone, "There is plenty of time for an exciting Golden Feather Hunt starting tomorrow. Now, it is time for us to begin the dream array for the top ten. Immortal masters of those in the top ten, come up. Bring your disciples and follow us!"
"Yes!"
"Let's go!"
As one, several immortals joined the stage. Chen Wentian was among them as well as some familiar faces such as Peng Yuefeng and Qiu Chuyi. For this occasion, Eagle Lord Qu Shen did not come personally but sent Immortal Sky Monkey Gu Lan as his representative.
Chen Wentian ignored them and they ignored him as well. His actions that made Beast God Sanctum suffer over and over again were not attributed to his real identity at all. Everything was on the head of Immortal Sword Bandit Lin Huzhong. It was exactly how he wanted it.
"Qianyu, Yifei, are you ready?" He asked.
His two disciples both nodded with confidence.
"Good."
He then pulled both of them into his embrace and launched into the air. The rushing wind combined with his blazing aura blocked out the cries of jealousy and heartbreak from the audience below.
They joined the other immortals who were following the four Spirit Kings and headed towards one of the massive pagoda towers. It belonged to Gong Liyun and was naturally the site of the dream array that only she could create.
During the flight, Chen Wentian noticed that they were missing one immortal. Thousand Petals Qian Lei did not have her own immortal master escorting her. Instead, she was carried by Gong Liyun and flew together at the very front.
The implication of this was clear. The Sapphire Mystic Empire was here at the invitation of the Immortal Association or at least Gong Liyun personally. Although she caused such a huge stir during the ceremony, nobody would dare mess with her.
They arrived at the tower and entered an inconspicuous doorway around halfway up the hundred-story-tall tower. They went through several narrow corridors and finally came to a stop at their destination.
The room was circular but it wasn't big. There was only one door to enter and exit. The interior was dimly lit but Chen Wentian could make out tiny runic inscriptions that covered every surface, from the floor to the ceiling. In addition to the runes, there were countless chunks of orange spiritual crystal placed in the middle of masses of runes. They pulsed with spiritual energy every so often which were sent towards the middle where there was a huge chunk of yellow spiritual crystal that served as the nexus.
Everyone's eyes widened. It was actually a yellow spiritual crystal and it had to weigh at least forty or fifty kilograms. It was a true treasure at the Spirit King Realm!
The only other things in the room were a set of ten beds, neatly arranged in a circle. This was where all of them would stay while they were dreaming. Regarding this detail, everyone noticed the problem immediately. This was a single room yet and ten men and women were going to sleep here, men and women who had no relations to each other. What would happen if there were some incidents or scandals?
"I know what you all are thinking about." Gong Liyun spoke, "Please forgive me for the inconvenience. I am incapable and this dream array really cannot be made any smaller. Do not worry about your disciples, they will be completely safe and will not suffer any physical harm. The Immortal Association cannot afford such a loss and neither can I. I will personally operate the dream array for the next two months. With my observations, nothing out of the ordinary will happen, I promise!
"Good! With such words from the nobble Gentle Lotus, this old sword is satisfied." The loud voice of Peng Yuefeng echoed around the room.
Chen Wentian scoffed inwardly. Of course, it wasn't an issue for those with male disciples and they all agreed readily. There was no chance of these toads suffering a loss in front of so many swans but the opposite wasn't so true. A promise from a Spirit King was worth its weight in spiritual crystals but there was still a phantom of uncertainty.
Everyone looked to Chen Wentian but he remained silent and did not immediately reply.
"Be at ease. With my soul weapons, my promise is better than hers." Chen Wentian sent his spiritual voice into his disciple's ears, "Do your best in the dream array and don't worry about anything else."
They both answered affirmatively with their eyes.
He then turned to Gong Liyun, "I am fine with the setup. I will hold you to your promise."
"Be assured, little dragon." She said coyly, "Your precious women will suffer no harm. Now, come up, one by one. Starting with Wu Qianyu."
"Yes, Lady Immortal!"
Wu Qianyu followed the directions given and laid down in the first bed with the Purple Jade Sword hugged across her chest.
The bed and the pillows were soft and comfortable and she was instantly surrounded by a thick layer of warm spiritual energy. It was as if she was wrapped up in a cocoon.
She instantly became drowsy. It was simply too comfortable; it was almost bliss. She instinctively tried to fight it but she remembered Chen Wentian's words and quickly relaxed. A few moments later, or perhaps it was an eternity later, she drifted off into the land of dreams with the smiling face of her master and lover at the forefront of her thoughts.
"Talented! Really good!" Gong Liyun praised once she sensed Wu Qianyu enter the dream world, "You prepared them well."
"Naturally, I always need to be prepared around you." Chen Wentian retorted.
"Hehehe, Wentian, you're so mean. Don't be like that…"
Instead of sounding cute and adorable, her words made all the men in the room shudder, not just Chen Wentian.
"Anyways, Peng Xiling, you're next."
"Yes, Lady Immortal!"
"… Okay, good. Long Yifei, your turn."
Long Yifei bowed gracefully and laid down in the third bed. Her every action was flawless. At this proximity, her allure was on full blast. All the men still awake, even the immortals, were forced to stare at her every movement with hungry eyes.
Chen Wentian wanted to rip their eyeballs out but he couldn't afford to do so. At least she was still wearing her veil. Otherwise, he would have started charging these people money for how much they were looking.
Long Yifei didn't notice Chen Wentian's discontent or the rude gazes. She was solely focused on the task ahead of her. She had prepared for this for many weeks, getting her mind into the best possible state to take full advantage of the dream.
What she wanted to do, what she hoped for, was something even Chen Wentian didn't know about. She kept it hidden from everyone, even him. It was not anything hurtful or malicious, it was simply because she wanted to know… know about her past. It was not her past in Glacier Palace that she wished to explore in the dreamscape but before that. She wanted to revisit the memories of her childhood which was locked behind the perpetual fog of time.
Her previous master, Murong Aiyin, found her alone in the snowy mountains when she was four years old. Before that point in time, she had no clear memories. There were only fleeting shadows, unfamiliar scenes, and most importantly, several unrecognizable faces. Her memories were a jumbled mess but she hoped that the dream array would be able to unlock them.
Unlike Wu Qianyu who buried her past and looked forward towards the future, Long Yifei was the complete opposite. She felt trapped by her fuzzy memories and by her mysterious physique. If she did not resolve her past, she was sure that she would never be able to break through and reach the immortal realms…
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