Chapter 153
Chapter 153
Su Xiaoyue didn’t delay and immediately tried calling Qin Lan.
The communicator rang for a long time without an answer.
“He’s not answering.”
Su Xiaoyue’s expression also grew grave.
She knew Qin Lan had returned to Clear Spring Academy early and had even spoken with her last night.
His sudden failure to answer could only mean he was trapped in serious trouble.
“If I’m right, those so-called fluctuations are a domain formed by his mental power.”
“Or rather, his consciousness.”
“What the hell is that brat doing? Did his cultivation go berserk? How did his mental domain spread this far?”
Xu Minghu cursed. “Everyone near the Zone B dormitories is now trapped inside his mental world.”
“Unless Qin Lan wakes himself and escapes that state… the situation will only worsen!”
Su Xiaoyue jolted and grew anxious.
“Wait for him to wake himself? Is there no other way?”
Xu Minghu’s face darkened.
“There is… Find someone with stronger mental power and pull him out of his mental world.”
“You can count people at that level in the entire Central Region on one hand. Every one is a major figure whose name regularly appears on the news. Who can you summon?”
Xu Minghu sighed and adopted an expression of heroic sacrifice.
“Forget it. This old man has some understanding of mental domains. I may not match his strength, but perhaps I can help.”
“The wind howls, the Yi River runs cold; once the warrior departs, he shall never return… Everyone stand aside!”
“Hah!”
Xu Minghu roared. A powerful current erupted from his body and burst his clothes apart.
His shriveled, skinny body emerged, looking pathetic from every angle.
“Wow! His clothes exploded!” Duan Tianpeng exclaimed, then looked confused. “But why did Professor Xu tear his clothes? It’s a mental domain. Being dressed or naked shouldn’t matter…”
Song Lingyan’s mouth twitched. She knew her unserious teacher too well and exposed the truth immediately.
“It accomplishes nothing. Professor just thinks it looks cool…”
“He’s showing off. Be grateful he only burst his shirt, not his pants.”
Duan Tianpeng obediently closed his mouth, gaining an entirely new understanding of Professor Xu.
Under everyone’s admiring gazes, Xu Minghu strode toward the Zone B dormitories.
Then he collapsed halfway there.
“Uh…”
Xu Minghu went limp and fell, his gaze turning vacant.
Everyone stared for two seconds before understanding.
“Damn! Professor Xu failed at showing off!”
“He’s down too! What do we do?”
“The range is still expanding. Back up! Everyone back up!”
Unnoticed by all, the mental domain had gradually approached the academy gates.
Su Xiaoyue’s eyes shifted. She swiftly condensed several black tentacles and dragged Xu Minghu outside the domain.
“Ah Mei… Ah Mei, don’t leave…”
“I miss you so much… Ah Mei…”
After being pulled free, Xu Minghu drooled and muttered dazedly, clearly not yet awake.
“No…” His gaze rapidly focused as consciousness returned.
The moment he recovered, Xu Minghu recoiled in terror and scrambled backward.
“Go! Everyone leave! No one come closer!”
“His mental power is too strong. You’ll all fall into the dream!”
Xu Minghu wiped the drool from his mouth and immediately issued orders.
“Xiaoyue! Evacuate the crowd and make sure Qin Lan’s mental power doesn’t cover them!”
“Little Song, take another route and contact the principal. Spread the news to the other zones!”
“The rest of you, guard this place!”
Xu Minghu stared in shock.
Those few seconds had felt like hours, impossibly long.
Despite remaining fully alert, he had fallen victim without noticing the instant that mental power descended.
Had Su Xiaoyue not acted in time, he might have continued sinking into the dream.
“Terrifying… What the hell is that brat doing?!”
…
“The good news is that I finally sensed my own mental frequency.”
“The bad news,” Qin Lan said with an ugly expression, “is why does my mind contain another frequency?”
“Who is this thing that’s been hiding in my head for so long…?”
Not long ago, with Yin Manqing’s help, Qin Lan’s understanding of mental power had advanced by leaps and bounds.
He quickly sensed the unique “frequency” of his own consciousness.
Sensing that frequency was like seeing one’s Origin. It greatly helped him understand and control his mental world.
That was when Qin Lan discovered something wrong.
Another, different frequency existed in his mind.
It wasn’t Yin Manqing. Her mental entity was beside him.
It belonged to another person.
Or rather… another consciousness.
Once Qin Lan noticed it, fear and alarm overwhelmed him.
He couldn’t imagine that another consciousness had hidden deep inside his mind all this time.
When Qin Lan tried using his consciousness to communicate and establish contact with the unknown entity, it suddenly pulled him into an entirely new world.
A world of dreams.
—————-
[Endless Nightmare]
Difficulty: Six Stars
Cursed artifact present: Yes
Rule 1: Reality and illusion are indistinguishable within the dream. Carefully identify anything disguised as something familiar.
Rule 2: This dream is out of control. Even its owner cannot control its operation. Find the dream’s owner and rescue them.
Rule 3: When you realize this is a dream, the dream itself will become hostile toward you.
Rule 4: The only way to leave the dream is to find the “inconsistency.”
Rule 5: If you lose yourself within the dream, you will never leave.
Description: I’m sorry. I didn’t want to drag you inside… but I’m running out of time. You must survive and find me. This is our only chance.
—————-
“A six-star instance?”
“An unsolvable instance?”
Cold spread through Qin Lan’s entire body. “You’re telling me an unsolvable instance has been hiding inside my mind all along?”
“Don’t joke with me!”
This wasn’t funny at all.
A six-star instance was even more difficult than Final Destination, meaning even greater danger.
“An unsolvable instance… How nostalgic.”
A tall, elegant woman walked out beside Qin Lan.
Her breathtaking features softened with emotion and helplessness. “My memories of clearing instances with old friends are enchanting… but I didn’t want to be dragged into one now.”
Qin Lan turned, his expression changing.
“Wait, beautiful lady, who are you?”
“Do we know each other?”
“Oh, hold on…” Qin Lan’s gaze swept over her like radar. “I recognize that figure. Where have I seen it before…?”
“One hundred seventy-four centimeters tall, slender calves, those curves…” Qin Lan’s gaze paused upon two notably proud arcs, and realization struck.
“Sister Yin?”