Immortals of the End Times

Chapter 89 089 Forbidden Sword Cultivation, Empress's Revenge

Zhao Wuji lightly stroked the sword's edge with his fingertips, and the hum of the Cold Soul Flying Sword was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

He knew that dreams did not arise out of nowhere. As the "Duke of Zhou's Interpretation of Dreams" said, they were the manifestation of the intertwining of the energy of heaven and earth with one's own cause and effect.

The appearance of two dream-like warnings in my mind now clearly indicates that something is about to happen.

Even the Frost Soul Flying Sword at his waist seemed to sense his thoughts, and it rang out, its blade shimmering with spiritual light, as if calling out to the distant frost.

"Little white fox from the fox den, my body is stained with blood."

Zhao Wuji immediately thought of one person.

His palm unconsciously caressed the sword hilt: "Empress of Xuan Kingdom."

Although he had completely erased the traces of the fox den, the den still existed in the world, which was the biggest clue.

Now, this clue has been triggered by the dream-marriage technique, presenting a dream warning, which clearly indicates that something is about to be exposed.

However, his dream interpretation skills are still incomplete. Based on this single fragment, he can only detect the signs of danger. The specific details remain elusive, making it difficult to interpret the dream and obtain more information.

Similarly, the warning about Peak Master Hua appeared in my mind, which was obviously based on the reminder given by Peak Master Yan Lan of Crimson Flame Peak, as well as the hidden worries about his going to Cloud Phoenix Cave for a battle. The combination of the two made up the omen in the dream.

It's like piecing together cracks in a tortoise shell; the secrets are hidden in the smallest clues.

"When a storm is brewing, first calm yourself!"

Zhao Wuji quickly calmed down, returned to the room, and wrote a line of words with ink.

"One must not disturb the spirit!"

"Do not act rashly!"

"Cultivate the three fundamentals!"

At this point, panicking is useless. Instead of overthinking, it's better to focus on practicing magic and improving your strength.

"Put aside other techniques for now and focus on mastering the Dream Marriage Technique, Qi Restriction Technique, and swordsmanship. Improve your ability to break through current predicaments as soon as possible."

Zhao Wuji suppressed the fear and panic that should have been his natural instincts.

After entering the cave, he called out to Xiaoyue and then began his secluded cultivation.

His mind was completely absorbed in the Yin Pearl.

Several techniques were displayed that were ready for improvement.

Swordsmanship: Beginner (91/100)

"The Art of Marrying Dreams: A First Glimpse (9/100)"

"Qi-Sealing Technique: Beginner Level (78/100)"

Of these three techniques, swordsmanship is the easiest to master and also the one that best enhances his combat and sword control abilities.

Secondly, there is the Qi-Sealing Technique, which, once upgraded, can enhance his own defense and also strengthen his ability to seal the enemy's spirit and meridians.

Finally, the most difficult skill to improve is the Dream Marriage Technique, which I only recently mastered.

Zhao Wuji stared at the Yin-Yang Pearl, his brows furrowing slightly.

The "Dream Marriage Technique" needs to be performed ninety-one times consecutively.

The Qi-sealing technique requires twenty-two cycles of circulation.

The Cold Soul Sword Technique is still missing nine essential sword techniques.

"With this kind of spellcasting, it will not only take at least four days for everyone to break through, but the spiritual energy around the cave will probably be completely drained."

"Now that the peak master is not here, if the spiritual energy is depleted too much, the stewards of the Spirit Monitoring Hall may come to check the water meter."

Zhao Wuji could almost see the mountain patrol compass in the Spirit Monitoring Hall spinning wildly.

He was glad that he had kept five source crystals unused, three of which were rewards he received for killing the evil cultivators of the White Bone Cult.

He immediately found the Source Crystal and then began to cultivate the Dream Marriage Technique.

Fortunately, he had met quite a few people today, all of whom could be used as targets for the Dream Marriage Technique.

It is night now, and some people have already rested and begun their cultivation, and they are quite adept at using the Dream Marriage Technique.

Zhao Wuji first went into Li Nianwei's dream world, where they had entered the cave together, and lifted the spell that had been casting on her mind.

The woman's dream was normal; in her dream, she was still diligently cultivating, wanting to quickly advance to become a disciple in blue robes. There was even his name engraved on the headboard of her bed, and she actually listed him as her target to catch up with.

Zhao Wuji smiled faintly, removed the spell from his mind, and then left.

He then went to the dreams of some other disciples, but did not lift the curse for them.

Firstly, they weren't very familiar with the technique, and secondly, if someone reacted abnormally after breaking the spell too many times, it would inevitably arouse the suspicion of the elders of the cave.

Through these bizarre and fantastical dreams, Zhao Wuji discovered quite a few interesting things.

"I didn't expect that Junior Brother Liu is a disciple of Steward Hu of the Scripture Pavilion. He once stole a sip of Steward Hu's Drunken Immortal Wine, and passed out after just one sip, yet it increased his spiritual power. It must be a fine wine."

"Junior Brother Qu was guarding the medicinal herb field but he stole from it. How could he do such a thing? Wasn't he afraid of being discovered? He hid the herbs in his crotch. Good, good. You're small, but you hid them well."

"Hiss, this Senior Brother Tan is something else. No wonder he looked at me differently today."

Zhao Wuji saw that Senior Brother Tan was facing his portrait.
I quickly backed out, my whole body covered in goosebumps.

He came to realize the other side of these fellow disciples behind the scenes.

Some people are gentle and kind during the day, but in their dreams they are cruel and belligerent, their souls forged in blood.

Some people were extremely respectful and enthusiastic towards him during the day, but in their dreams they fantasized about controlling him, making elixirs specifically for him, and frequently whipping him.

Having witnessed much, Zhao Wuji lamented how unpredictable and treacherous people's hearts can be.

In comparison, Consort Li's straightforward infatuation, though somewhat absurd, seemed pure and endearing. At least she wouldn't stab you in the back; a beautiful woman's kindness is always better than a fellow disciple who smiles while harboring malice. A delicate and beautiful woman who wants to bear your child—how could she be too wicked?

This night, Zhao Wuji experienced a series of dreams, witnessing the full spectrum of human nature. It also allowed him to recognize some of his fellow disciples, whom he could gradually distance himself from and avoid becoming close to.

"There are many halls and pavilions in the cave, with more than fifty stewards, more than ten elders, and so many disciples. All sorts of people are playing different roles."

Zhao Wuji arrived full of enthusiasm but left disappointed. After performing the Dream Marriage Technique more than twenty times, it was already dawn the next day.

At this point, the Dream Marriage Technique had also been upgraded to a level of (38/100).

He helped Li Nianwei break the spell of confusion, contributing 5 points of proficiency, which is equivalent to one person being worth five.

He felt slightly tired and mentally exhausted, so he slumped on the prayer mat.

Although the spiritual power of a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator is like a surging river, even a person made of iron cannot withstand three consecutive days of sleepless cultivation.

Just as an ordinary person can lift a hundred pounds and run dozens of miles, but cannot withstand lifting and running day and night without stopping.

After regaining some spiritual power by grasping the Source Crystal, Zhao Wuji felt his mind and spirit had recovered somewhat. He then went out for a stroll during the day to find some new fellow disciples to use as targets for his spells.

After returning, he practiced swordsmanship and qi-sealing techniques during the day, and continued to cast spells and practice the Dream Marriage Technique at night.

Four days passed in this way. During the day, the Cold Soul Sword cut through the morning mist, the Qi-Binding Technique circulated throughout his body, and at night, the Dream-Marrying Technique traversed the dream world twenty times.

Zhao Wuji looked rather haggard.

His swordsmanship has reached the initial stage, and he can now control his sword to create a three-zhang-long blue rainbow.

With a slight improvement in Qi-binding techniques and doubled proficiency, the Qi-binding protection can now evade damage from ordinary spells or special conditions.

She has successfully cultivated the art of dream interpretation to a certain extent and has begun to explore the ability to interpret dreams according to the Duke of Zhou's dream interpretation.

At this stage, this technique can be used to enter dreams based on clues in the mind, and integrate these clues to achieve the effect of precognition.

"I'm too tired. Never mind. I'll consolidate my cultivation level first."

Zhao Wuji was almost vomiting from practicing, his head felt like it was filled with lead, and he had used up all five source crystals. He decided to take a break before using his magic to look for clues.

He focused his mind, and the Yin-Yang Pearl revealed his current cultivation level.

"Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Stage 4 (96/300)"

Over the past twenty days, he has condensed 46 streams of spiritual energy, especially recently thanks to the medicinal power of the Dragon Tiger Pill, which has increased his spiritual energy by 12 streams in just three days.

The cultivation speed achieved through this combination of spiritual wine, spiritual medicine, and guiding techniques is even faster than that of a typical top-tier cultivator of the Purple Light realm.

Zhao Wuji broke the seal on a jar of imperial wine, tilted his head back, and drank it down:

"Must enter the fifth level before the end of the year"

The wine in the throat transforms into a long, flowing stream, working in conjunction with the sobering stone to circulate continuously through the eight extraordinary meridians.

The next day.

He recovered, closed his eyes, and made hand seals, using the Dream Marriage Technique to probe into the depths of his memory like silk threads.

In the dream, the mist surged and gradually condensed into the outline of a fox den, and I began to interpret the dream.

Inside the fox den, another tall and imposing figure appeared—it was the Empress. There seemed to be another blurry figure kneeling on the ground.

The gold thread on the Empress's phoenix robe stung my eyes.

The person kneeling is wearing a tall crown.

And in the dreams of die-hard fans, a cold light gleams, like scattered stardust.

"A die-hard fan. It really is a die-hard fan. Even the wisest person can make a mistake. I never thought that a die-hard fan would expose me."

Have you found the refined iron I used to forge the blade armor pellets?

Zhao Wuji calmly observed, acting as a bystander in the dream, and suddenly he used his magic to investigate along the clues of the refined iron.

The final image is a still from a piece of paper.

The paper was covered with rows and rows of names.

His name was also prominently listed, and placed near the top, circled in vermilion ink, as striking as blood.

The seven characters “Zhao Wuji, Head of the Imperial Medical Academy” are twisted like a snake.

"Has the Empress already set her sights on me?"

Zhao Wuji looked at the paper and saw that more than a dozen names were circled in vermilion. It seemed that for the time being, he was only listed as a major suspect.

He thought to himself that this was troublesome, and continued to interpret the dream by combining various clues, hoping to find a breakthrough to resolve the issue.

Ultimately, all the clues broke down, and only two clues emerged.

The first clue manifests as a black-feathered myna bird.

The second image revealed Yan Lan's cold and stern profile.

There were blood-red threads intertwined between the two.

This is more complicated than expected. How did it involve the Crimson Flame Peak Master?
Zhao Wuji was taken aback when he saw the woman who exuded a dangerous aura in his dream.

He hadn't even interpreted or predicted the dream for Peak Master Hua yet, so how could Yan Lan be involved?
The Empress's investigation and Yan Lan's intervention in the crucial missing link in the dream interpretation were like a broken string on a musical instrument.

Zhao Wuji was completely baffled, so he focused his attention on the black-feathered myna.

"It seems the only option is to try having this myna bird, which I once trained, appear in my dream."

The next chapter will be posted around midnight; I'm still writing. Please vote with your monthly tickets, everyone!

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(End of this chapter)