Yefutidaolu

Chapter 406 An Unexpected Encounter

In the dream, the sounds also became extremely strange.

Sometimes it is absolute silence, so quiet that you can hear the sound of your own thoughts collapsing; other times it is a mixture of billions of noises—the wails of the dead, the roars of gods and demons, the friction of metal, the burning of flames… All these sounds are twisted together, forming a mad symphony that can drive any sane will insane.

He tried to think, to figure out where he was and what had happened.

But the moment the thought arose, it was immediately distorted and scattered, like snowflakes thrown into boiling water. Demonic energy formed a bizarre circuit between his mind and brain, plunging his thinking into a state of extreme excitement and chaotic disorder.

Reason is collapsing, and instinct and subconsciousness are being amplified to an infinite degree.

In the hazy dream, the bizarre and chaotic scenes that tore at my mind gradually began to calm down and settle. The distorted colors settled into clear outlines, and the piercing noise faded into a background silence.

A moment later, Gao Jian suddenly opened his eyes.

He looked around and saw that he was not in some indescribable, eerie space. He realized that he was actually sitting in an elegant study.

Before me was a sturdy ebony wooden table, on which sat a bronze incense burner. A wisp of pale blue smoke rose gently, releasing a calming sandalwood fragrance. Taking a light inhale, I felt my previously splitting headache ease considerably.

The room is surrounded by wooden bookshelves, on which scrolls are displayed, giving it a rustic and dignified feel.

The style of the Divine Dynasty... This thought flashed through his mind subconsciously.

squeak-

A soft click of a door hinge turning echoed. The carved wooden door to the study was pushed open from the outside, and a figure walked in.

The newcomer was dressed in an ordinary gray cloth robe, and his figure seemed no different from that of a human. But what was most striking was his face—there were no eyes, nose, or mouth, no trace of any facial features, only a smooth, unsettling flesh-colored skin.

However, despite his bizarre appearance, this person did not exude the slightest malice or ferocity; instead, he possessed a strange peace and... humility.
Gao Jian's pupils contracted slightly as he stared intently at the faceless man.

He knows him.

Long ago, when he first used the power of the rusty knife to accidentally infiltrate the mysterious "Desire Realm" with his divine sense, he had seen this faceless man. (See Chapter 154 for details) At that time, the faceless man respectfully addressed him as "senior" upon meeting him, incoherently pleading for his help, repeatedly shouting, "The dream is real! The dream is real!"

In that bizarre situation, Gao Jian ultimately chose to go along with it and admitted that "the dream was real." Then the dream ended, the faceless man disappeared, leaving behind only a heaven-defying technique that could directly open the "divine gate" without needing to open one's mind.

It was through this method that he was able to achieve the Grandmaster level of the "Spirit Gate" and "Divine Gate" while only being at the sixth level, far exceeding the level that ordinary cultivators needed to reach at the eighth or even tenth level.

At this moment, the mysterious faceless man reappeared, causing Gao Jian to be deeply shaken in his dream, and a feeling arose that was extremely absurd yet vaguely felt to be not a coincidence.

After the faceless man entered the study, he bowed respectfully to Gao Jian, his posture as humble as before, and spoke in a clear and gentle voice from his mouthless face: "Sir, it is a pleasure to see you again."

Gao Jian suppressed the turmoil in his heart and tried to make his voice sound calm: "It really has been a long time. I didn't expect to see you again. You left in a hurry last time, so may I ask how I should address you this time?"

The faceless man seemed to move slightly, as if to express his joy, and replied, "As you gentlemen are used to, you can just call me Little Ba. Thank you so much for saving our world last time, so I rushed over as soon as I had the chance."

“According to our habits…” Gao Jian keenly caught the word. He looked around the antique-style study. “In other words, this scene is also according to my habits?”

He couldn't help but give a wry smile.

Am I now accustomed to a style reminiscent of the Divine Dynasty? I thought it would be something more...modern.

Fragments of memories from before the time travel surfaced in my mind.

The faceless man who called himself Little Ba was clearly taken aback. His smooth face seemed to turn around and "look" at the surroundings, and then, as if he understood something, he raised his hand and patted it lightly.

Snapped.

With a soft sound, the surrounding environment rippled and changed instantly, like water!
The antique-style study vanished in an instant.

Instead, there is a spacious living room with a very modern feel: bright floor-to-ceiling windows, a simple off-white sofa, a glass coffee table, and built-in bookshelves filled with hardcover books and some incomprehensible technological products.

The bronze incense burner on the table has been transformed into an elegantly designed white humidifier, with incense sticks inserted on it, silently spraying out a fine mist of water carrying the same calming fragrance, which slowly diffuses.

Gao Jian stared in astonishment at the sudden scene change, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a moment.

Xiao Ba's smooth face turned to Gao Jian. Although his expression was unreadable, his tone seemed to carry a hint of apology and an attempt to please: "Is this... more in line with your habits, sir?"

"How...how did you know what I was thinking? And how did you know about this scene?" Gao Jian looked around. The details of this modern living room were incredibly realistic; even the slightly worn doll in the corner was exactly the same as the one in his childhood home deep in his memory. He was certain that he hadn't uttered the self-deprecating thought about the style aloud.

This is his home! It used to be his home!
"You can read minds?" Gao Jian's voice was tinged with wariness.

Little Barna's smooth face turned to him, his tone still gentle: "It's not exactly mind reading, it's just that I can see some strong, superficial thoughts. To me, your thoughts are like... ripples on the surface of water, relatively easy to perceive." He paused, then added, "I can't reach deeper thoughts."

"It's a truly terrifying ability," Takami admitted frankly. "How can I not watch?"

“Sure,” Xiao Ba readily agreed.

But after waiting a few seconds, Gao Jing didn't feel any change and couldn't help but wonder, "I don't seem to feel any difference."

Xiao Ba explained, "Sir, with your current cultivation level and spiritual state, you shouldn't be able to sense these subtle sensations. But please rest assured, sir, I have followed your wishes and will no longer actively try to perceive your surface thoughts." His tone was very sincere.

“Cultivation level…” Gao Jian caught this key word, and a question that had been previously overlooked suddenly surfaced. “Oh, right, what is your cultivation level now?” He stared intently at the other person’s face, which had no features, trying to discern something from it.

"Me?" Xiao Ba seemed to sigh, his tone tinged with regret. "Alas, I've reached the top. I'm a fourth-rank." "Fourth-rank?!"

Gao Jian couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror!
The Ghost King Gāzāli, such a terrifying being, was only a sixth-rank being!
The day and night wandering spirit brought him almost desperate pressure, and he guessed that it was probably only a seventh-rank! But the faceless man in front of him, who had a humble and even somewhat lowly attitude, was actually a fourth-rank?!

What is the concept of a fourth-rank? Gao Jian cannot even imagine it. But the fact that he almost suffered physical and spiritual damage from the backlash of a wisp of energy left by a sixth-rank ghost king gives us a glimpse into its significance.

That was a terrifying being who far surpassed ordinary immortals, stood above billions of living beings, and wielded immense power and authority!
Why would such a being treat me with such respect, even to the point of fawning? What is his true intention? The vast difference in strength brings not a sense of security, but rather deeper suspicion and apprehension.

Seemingly sensing the turmoil of astonishment and wariness in Gao Jian's heart, Xiao Ba took the initiative to explain, his tone still respectful: "Sir, there is no need for surprise. What is a mere fourth rank in the vast universe? If the Desire Realm were to completely collapse and perish, we too would not escape annihilation. It is you, sir, who single-handedly maintained the existence of the Desire Realm. This is like saving us from fire and water, a kindness akin to being reborn. We dare not speculate on the origins of your lineage, much less ask. We have received such great kindness from you, sir, and we should naturally be filled with respect and do our utmost to repay it."

He paused, his smooth face lowering slightly, his tone filled with genuine confusion and helplessness: "But... I don't know what kind of mysterious and unfathomable place you are in now, sir. We have tried our best to travel through time and space to contact you or even go there in person, but we have been repeatedly thwarted, as if there is an insurmountable cliff between us. Now we can only take advantage of the brief interval when your mind is in turmoil and demonic energy permeates your mind to meet you in this dreamlike way, but we cannot truly bring our power to help you. I am truly... ashamed."

The other party's words were packed with information, causing Gao Jian to fall into deep thought.

The Desire Realm is collapsing? I've maintained the Desire Realm? They can't reach here?

For over 20,000 years, Hell and the Upper Realm have been separated. The gods have vanished, the world is deathly silent, and the connection between Heaven and Earth has been severed. Many celestial beings and the heavens have lost contact with each other...

Had he inadvertently become embroiled in a massive upheaval? And he, the "person involved," was completely unaware of it, even imprisoned and living in constant fear.

"Sir?" Seeing Gao Jian's silence, Xiao Ba urged him, "This meeting is a rare opportunity, the barriers are extremely strong and difficult to maintain, and time is limited. Sir, you seem to be in a bad situation right now. What can we do for you? Even just a little help would be appreciated."

Gao Jian snapped out of his chaotic thoughts and grasped another key point: "Is it so hard for you to see me?"

“It was very difficult, extremely difficult.” Xiao Ba’s tone was incredibly certain, even tinged with a hint of lingering fear. “If you hadn’t actively drawn that wisp of pure demonic energy from the Desire Realm, and had happened to be in a special state of open mind and the demonic energy permeating your heart and brain, I’m afraid I still wouldn’t have been able to capture that fleeting glimpse of your divine inspiration. Normally, the area where you are seems to have been completely ‘erased’ from the myriad realms; any attempt to spy or make contact would be severed or even backfire.”

His words inadvertently confirmed the eeriness and horror of Hell's current "disconnected" state. Even a fourth-rank being could not easily break through this isolation.

Time is of the essence, and opportunities are fleeting. Even if a fourth-rank expert can only provide indirect assistance, their value is immeasurable.

Gao Jian took a deep breath and suppressed all distracting thoughts.

"Since time is limited, then... I need a cultivation technique that can help me break through to the Earth Immortal realm... no, a seventh-grade technique." Gao Jian suppressed the shock and chaotic thoughts in his heart and made his request.

He wanted to surpass the Earth Immortals in the future.

Even if it's not possible now, his future cultivation techniques must surpass those of Earth Immortals.

"Seventh rank?" Xiao Ba was taken aback upon hearing this.

His smooth face turned slightly toward Gao Jian, and although he had no eyes, he conveyed a clear sense of surprise, as if Gao Jian's request was somewhat...unexpected, or even too "basic".

Gao Jian didn't know, but Xiao Ba knew far more than him.

The Desire Realm is not the world or secret realm in the ordinary sense.

It is a strange world that coexists with the real universe and has existed since time immemorial, a final destination that encapsulates the thoughts of all beings, all loves and hates, dreams and fears.

It is boundless and mysterious; its very existence is a great miracle.

Little Ba was born in the Desire Realm, and his world is a part of the Desire Realm.

However, not so long ago, the Desire Realm encountered an unprecedented and devastating upheaval.

The cause is unknown and the source is unpredictable, but as a fourth-rank official who can glimpse parts of spacetime, Xiao Ba was horrified to "see" that countless spacetime structures shattered like glass, and infinite possibilities were torn apart and disrupted by brute force.

It was the aftershock of a collision with a power from a higher level of existence far beyond his comprehension.

He and the world he lived in were like a small boat in a storm, on the verge of being completely torn apart and reduced to nothingness.

The entire Desire Realm seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

Just when despair was at its peak—

It was that knife!

It did not launch any earth-shattering attacks, but simply quietly held up the desolate sky of the Desire Realm, which was about to collapse completely!

Using itself as a fulcrum, it forcefully stabilized that chaotic spacetime of thoughts, stopping the collapse. Although it could not fully restore the old state, it at least prevented the Desire Realm from completely dissipating.

In the minds of Xiao Ba and countless other surviving beings in the Desire Realm, the owner of this knife—Gao Jian, who could be guided by the knife's intent—was the benefactor who saved their entire world.

Although the other party's cultivation level is not high, the fact that they can possess such a treasure means that their master or elder must be terrifying!
But now, this person...

Ask him for a seventh-grade cultivation technique?

what?
Could it be that there's some taboo he shouldn't ask about?
He dared not ask any more questions, for fear of touching on some taboo or secret of cultivation.

In many worlds, the most valuable, and also the most dangerous, thing is secret.

After a brief moment of surprise, Xiao Ba immediately responded respectfully, his tone even carrying a hint of fear, as if worried that his hesitation had caused a misunderstanding: "Please forgive me, sir! I was out of line. A seventh-grade cultivation technique... I do have one!"

(End of this chapter)