Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Upon realizing he was in a dream, Cheng Yu felt relieved; after all, it was his dream, and he was in control. He calmly looked at Ao Lian, only to find her suppressing a laugh. "What are you laughing at?"

Aolian suppressed a laugh and said, "It's nothing, I just think you're being far too naive. This isn't an ordinary dream, but a 'nightmare' constructed by a god. How can you control it as you please?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a huge tentacle descended from the sky, violently slapping Cheng Yu away, sending him crashing heavily to the ground.

"Holy crap!" Cheng Yu scrambled to his feet, covered in dust, and turned to look at Ao Lian, only to find her completely unharmed. "What happened? Why are you alright?"

Aolian rolled her eyes. "This was your 'nightmare' all along, of course I'm fine. The only one affected is the owner of the nightmare."

Cheng Yu finally realized what was happening, but he was still puzzled. "But this is clearly my dream, why can't I control it?"

“Because this dream has been altered, its master is no longer you, but the Dream God,” Aolian explained.

"Isn't the Dream God already dead? How can he still control other people's dreams?" Cheng Yu was even more puzzled.

“Although the Dream God is dead, his power has not completely disappeared,” Aolian patiently explained. “His power remains in the blood pool, absorbing your blood. Therefore, his power has merged with your dream, which is why you cannot control it. Moreover, this is the Dream God's home ground. How could an outsider like you possibly control it?”

Cheng Yu finally understood. He slapped his forehead in frustration, "So, I'm completely at their mercy now?"

“Not necessarily.” Aolian smiled. “Although you can’t completely control dreams, you can still influence them. As long as you are strong enough, you can break free from the control of the Dream God.”

"How can I become stronger?" Cheng Yu asked hurriedly.

“Absorb divine blood.” Aolian pointed to the blood pool. “Divine blood contains immense power. As long as you absorb enough divine blood, you can become powerful enough.”

Cheng Yu looked at the blood pool and hesitated for a moment, "But when I absorbed the divine blood before, it hurt terribly."

"That's because your body hasn't adapted to the power of the divine blood yet," Aolian said. "Now that you've absorbed some divine blood, your body is starting to adapt. As long as you persevere, you'll be able to fully absorb the power of the divine blood."

"The key is there's no blood here, you can suck it!"

"Isn't there one right here..." Bai Long pointed speechlessly to the blood pool not far in front of them. Moreover, this blood pool was so large that it should not be called a pond, but a lake!

"What the hell? Why is there this kind of weird thing in my dream?"

Cheng Yu gritted his teeth and jumped into the blood pool again. This time, the pain was much less, and he could feel the power of the divine blood constantly flowing into his body, strengthening him.

Ao Lian stood aside, quietly watching Cheng Yu. He knew that Cheng Yu was undergoing a transformation, a transformation that could change his destiny.

As time went on, Cheng Yu absorbed more and more divine blood, and his body grew stronger and stronger. He felt as if he possessed infinite power and could control everything.

Suddenly, the divine blood in the blood pool began to churn violently, and a huge vortex appeared in the center of the blood pool.

"What happened?" Cheng Yu asked in alarm.

“The power of the Dream God is awakening.” Aolian’s expression turned serious. “It seems he doesn’t intend to let you leave so easily.”

A colossal figure slowly rose from the vortex. It was a giant radiating golden light, holding a massive battle axe that exuded an aura of world-destroying power.

"What the hell is that? The Dream God is wielding an axe?" Cheng Yu exclaimed in surprise.

"Prepare for battle." Aolian drew her longsword and pointed it at the Dream God. "This is your dream, and I cannot interfere with it."

Cheng Yu looked at Ao Lian, speechless. "What's the point of all that? Didn't you say you couldn't interfere?"

Aolian shrugged. "I just wanted you to understand the situation so you wouldn't die unjustly."

Cheng Yu took a deep breath and clenched his fist. "Come on, let me see just how powerful the Dream God really is!" A powerful force surged from his body—the power of divine blood. He felt incredibly strong, as if he could destroy everything.

Before the golden giant wielding the giant axe could charge forward, a sudden change occurred. Countless enormous tentacles shot out from the depths of the blood pool, coiling around the giant like predatory pythons and binding him tightly. The giant let out a deafening roar, but soon, the roar transformed into something strange, something like… a groan of pleasure?

Cheng Yu stared in disbelief at the scene, his mind filled with questions. What on earth was going on? That giant seemed... to be enjoying it?

He couldn't help but look at Aolian, only to find that she also looked completely bewildered. "What's going on?"

Aolian shook her head. "I don't know either. This power... seems even stronger than the Dream God."

However, Cheng Yu noticed the hint of panic in Aolian's eyes, so he judged that she was definitely lying and that Bailong must know the owner of the tentacles.

A sense of foreboding rose in Cheng Yu's heart. What exactly was this power that could so easily suppress the Dream God? He dared not imagine. He only knew that he had to leave this place as soon as possible.

"Let's go!" Cheng Yu grabbed Ao Lian's hand and ran towards the edge of the blood pool.

Just then, the vortex in the center of the blood pool suddenly disappeared, replaced by a huge black hole. The black hole emitted a terrifying suction force, sucking everything around it in.

Cheng Yu and Ao Lian desperately resisted the suction, but their strength was insignificant in the face of the black hole.

"No, we can't resist!" Cheng Yu cried out in despair.

Ao Lian gritted her teeth and suddenly pushed Cheng Yu away. "You go! I'll stay here and hold it off!"

Cheng Yu staggered a few steps after being pushed, and when he looked back, he saw that Ao Lian had already been swallowed by the black hole.

"Aolian!" Cheng Yu cried out in anguish, but he knew it was all too late.

The black hole's suction grew stronger and stronger, and Cheng Yu gradually lost his ability to resist. He closed his eyes, awaiting death.

Suddenly, a warm force enveloped him, pulling him back from the edge of the black hole.

Cheng Yu opened his eyes and found himself lying on a soft patch of grass. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, making it warm and comfortable.

“This is…” Cheng Yu looked around and found himself in a dense forest.

A familiar voice came from behind him. "You're awake?"

Cheng Yu turned around and saw Luo standing behind him, holding a bowl of steaming soup. "Mr. Cheng Yu! You're finally awake! It's amazing! How did you manage to make the river flow backward? And you really didn't lie to me. Mr. Snow did indeed call his son to help me. Thank you so much!"

Cheng Yu took the soup and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Luo."

He took a sip of the soup and felt warm all over. He looked up at the sky, filled with doubt. What was happening? Was it a dream, or reality?

Cheng Yu felt the familiar power within him, no different from before he entered the "Forgotten Land." He frowned in confusion: He hadn't found the sacred artifact, so how did he get out? And Aolian... how was he? A series of questions swirled in his mind, finally turning into a helpless sigh.

Luo noticed Cheng Yu's low spirits and stood quietly to the side, not disturbing him. Cheng Yu finished his soup, forcing a smile, but his exhaustion was undeniable. "Luo, where is Evand now?"

“Mr. Evand came here last night,” Luo replied. “Just as you said, he accepted my request and agreed to help find Young Master He.” He expressed his gratitude to Cheng Yu again.

Cheng Yu nodded, accepting his thanks. Luo glanced at the sky outside and suggested, "It's getting late, Mr. Cheng Yu, would you like to stay another night?"

Cheng Yu shook his head. "No, I have things to take care of and must leave as soon as possible."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Luo's face. He had wanted to repay Cheng Yu's kindness, but there was nothing he could do.

Cheng Yu felt he had rested enough, so he bid farewell to Luo and left the riverside hut. Once outside, he immediately saw the small wooden boat moored on the riverbank—the very boat he had used to enter the "Forgotten Lands." He wasn't sure if it would work this time, but he wanted to try anyway. He climbed back into the boat, lay down inside, untied the ropes securing it, and let it drift downstream.

As expected, the small wooden boat did not take him back to the "Forgotten Land." Cheng Yu was somewhat frustrated; he didn't know how to re-enter that mysterious place, feeling as if he had missed some crucial information. He sighed and looked around. He was still shrouded in mist. At the end of the river was a vast lake, its surface shrouded in thick fog. Combined with the late hour, visibility was extremely low, almost pitch black.

Cheng Yu arrived at the lakeside, squatted down, and gazed at the clear water. His reflection in the lake made him appear exceptionally lonely. He reached out and gently touched the surface, creating ripples.

Just then, an old voice came from behind him: "Young man, what are you looking for?"

Cheng Yu turned around abruptly and saw an old man in a black cloak appear behind him. The old man leaned on a cane, his face was covered with wrinkles, but his cloudy eyes shone with wisdom.

Cheng Yu was startled; he hadn't even noticed the old man approaching. Who was this old man? Why was he here?

"Old man, who are you?" Cheng Yu asked warily.

The old man smiled. "Me? I'm just an old fisherman who lives by the lake." He paused, then continued, "However, I see you seem to be looking for something. Perhaps I can help."

Cheng Yu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to trust the old man. "Old man, do you know about the 'Forgotten Land'?"

The old man nodded. "Of course I know. It's a dangerous place, and very few people come out alive."

"Do you know how to get in there?" Cheng Yu asked eagerly.

The old man smiled mysteriously. "I know. But are you sure you want to go in? It's not a fun place."

Cheng Yu nodded firmly. "I have to go in."

The old man gave Cheng Yu a deep look. "Alright. Since you insist on going in, I'll tell you how. But remember, once you enter the 'Forgotten Land,' you can never come back."

Cheng Yu felt a chill run down his spine, but he did not back down. "I understand."

The old man nodded. "Alright. Then come with me."

The old man turned and walked towards the lake, with Cheng Yu following closely behind. They came to a huge willow tree, whose branches drooped down to the lake, forming a natural barrier.

The old man pointed to the willow tree and said, "See this willow tree? You can enter the 'Forgotten Land' by passing through its branches."

Cheng Yu looked at the willow tree, his heart filled with doubt. This willow tree looked ordinary; could it really lead to the "Forgotten Land"?

The old man seemed to see Cheng Yu's doubts and smiled, "Don't worry, this willow tree is no ordinary willow tree. It possesses magical power and can connect different spaces."

Cheng Yu took a deep breath and stepped towards the willow tree. As he walked through the branches, everything before him suddenly changed.