In the introductory chapter of the Great Dream Chronicle, titled 'Dream Interpretation,' there is mention of a spell called the Sleep Bug.
"Just like the seven souls of the physical body, there exists a parasitic entity, subtle and hard to detect."
"Within the life soul, there are also similar existences."
"The Sleep Bug is one of them."
Zhao Xing read carefully.
In this era of combat strength, discovering parasitic entities is not a rare occurrence, but he had never heard of the existence of parasitic entities within the yin souls.
"The Great Dream Chronicle further categorizes life soul parasitic entities into two types: benign and malevolent."
"Some parasitic entities within the life soul are benign symbionts, even indispensable, akin to probiotics in the physical body?" The more Zhao Xing read, the more interesting it became, and he couldn't help but become engrossed.
"The Sleep Bug is classified as a benign type."
"Without it, the life soul cannot fall asleep."
"If the life soul does not get rest, the energy of the seven souls weakens, leading to a state of lethargy."
"If it continues to lack rest, the seven souls will further weaken until death."
"The Sleep Bug only completely disappears upon reaching the first-grade realm."
"Because the three souls merge into one, the soul begins to transform into the divine soul, striving for perfection, and will reject any foreign entities."
"This spell mentioned in the Dream Interpretation chapter teaches how to capture the Sleep Bug?" Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised; he was not familiar with this profound skill.
It was the first time he had heard of such a spell.
"Capturing a person's Sleep Bug prevents them from sleeping, keeping their spirit in a state of continuous excitement."
"When used appropriately, it can exert sustained combat capabilities, but if taken too far, the seven souls will weaken, allowing one to kill a person without them knowing."
"Hmm? It can be used like this?"
Zhao Xing's eyes lit up.
At first, he thought the Dream Interpretation chapter contained some trivial matters.
He did not expect that the Dream Interpretation chapter described the essence of the three souls, deconstructing the soul and dreams, while the interpretation of dream content was secondary.
"The Dream Interpretation chapter also mentions a spell beneficial to oneself."
"That is, the Dream Storage Technique."
"The Dream Storage Technique can store memory content, preventing the neglect or forgetting of certain distant or crucial information."
"Ancient powerful cultivators lived for thousands of years, accumulating too many memories, sometimes unable to distinguish between the past and present, easily falling into madness."
"The Dream Storage Technique solves this problem by sealing part of the memory within dreams."
"Additionally, the Dream Storage Technique is also applicable to certain cultivation insights?"
Zhao Xing looked at the description of this technique.
The Dream Interpretation chapter mentioned that certain heavenly phenomena possess the mysteries of the Dao.
However, the mysteries of the Dao are too profound; sometimes the impact is too great for the comprehender to bear, leading to issues.
The Dream Storage Technique can enhance a cultivator's capacity to bear, to put it simply, it has the ability to create a memory palace and expand brain capacity.
"The Dream Entry chapter also has many miraculous aspects." Zhao Xing browsed through the second stage, "To understand the essence of dream interpretation, the second step is to enter dreams."
"Entering one's own dream, entering others' dreams, pulling others into one's own dream."
"However, the Dream Entry chapter does not mention any offensive secret techniques; it mostly serves as a means of confidential information transmission," Zhao Xing thought.
For instance, being a spy in a foreign land, whether meeting or leaving secret signals or tokens, is not secure.
But transmitting messages through dreams is much more discreet.
This is the Dream Transmission Technique.
"No wonder it is often said that the yin spirit transmits dreams; the essence of dreams is the occasional convergence of the three souls."
Zhao Xing recalled his Yin Wind Technique.
"At that time, I used the Yin Wind Technique to blow at Old Chen, and as a result, Old Chen had a nightmare."
"It was a case of accidentally manipulating the other person's dream."
"However, this was a very superficial manipulation; the Yin Wind Technique primarily focuses on attack and harm."
Zhao Xing felt that this profound skill was very much to his liking.
He immediately began to cultivate the spells within the Dream Interpretation.
[You observe the Soul Armor, comprehending the Dream Interpretation chapter of the Great Dream Chronicle, but gain nothing.]
[You observe the Soul Armor, comprehending the Dream Interpretation chapter of the Great Dream Chronicle, and have a preliminary understanding of the soul.]
[You observe the Soul Armor, comprehending the Dream Interpretation chapter of the Great Dream Chronicle, and after a night of effort, you finally enter the door and comprehend the spell 'Sleep Bug.']
[Sleep Bug: Intermediate Spell]
[Progress: 0/9999]
[Effect: Capture the Sleep Bug within the life soul from a distance.]
[You observe the Soul Armor, comprehending the Dream Interpretation chapter of the Great Dream Chronicle, and after a night of effort, you finally enter the door and comprehend the spell 'Dream Storage.']
[Dream Storage: Intermediate Spell]
[Progress: 0/9999]
[Effect: Construct dream memories, enhancing the life soul's capacity to bear.]
Just the introductory chapter took Zhao Xing an entire night to comprehend.
The Great Dream Chronicle truly deserves to be a top-tier profound skill; even the so-called minor spells, Sleep Bug and Dream Storage, are of intermediate level.
"Both are very practical spells."
"However, the Dream Storage Technique is a bit too difficult; I tried it once, and after a long time, I still couldn't succeed, leaving my head spinning," Zhao Xing shook his head.
"Let's try the Sleep Bug spell."
The Sleep Bug is indeed easy to practice.
Just target oneself.
Zhao Xing focused inward, observing the life soul with 'Heavenly Soul.'
Moreover, with his Ming Miao spell as a foundation, he easily found the Sleep Bug within himself.
"Buzz~"
The Sleep Bug was gathered into his palm.
[You cast the spell 'Sleep Bug' once, progress +20.]
"The Sleep Bug spell can be collected and released, making it easy to practice." Zhao Xing gently clapped, and the Sleep Bug re-entered his body.
[You cast the spell 'Sleep Bug' once, progress +20.]
Two hours later.
Zhao Xing stopped.
During the practice, he also carefully experienced the feeling of this spell's effect on the life soul.
"Just once, the difference is not significant, even imperceptible."
"But if it exceeds ten times, the feeling becomes very obvious."
Zhao Xing looked at the silvery-white light mass in his hand; under the observation of Ming Miao, many Sleep Bugs fused into one, transforming into a more powerful 'Bug King.'
This is a technique mastered after the Sleep Bug spell reaches the first transformation, truly entering the door.
That is to fuse the Sleep Bugs together to make the effect stronger and take effect faster.
"If I collect enough Sleep Bugs, can I make Old Chen fall asleep instantly?"
"If it can be used in the midst of a fight, that would be a unique skill."
The more Zhao Xing thought about it, the more he felt this spell suited his taste.
In the midst of a fight, if the enemy falls asleep, wouldn't that be an opportunity for him to slaughter?
"However, when the life soul encounters danger, the energy it bursts forth is even greater. To achieve an immediate effect, I still need to practice this spell more."
Buzz~ The Sleep Bug was dispersed by the spell, and Zhao Xing energetically stepped out.
He had already grasped this spell's control well; using it on himself had a good refreshing effect.
"Isn't today a rest day? Why are you up so early?" As soon as he stepped out, he saw Zhao Ruide standing under the locust tree, practicing.
"I'm used to waking up early." Zhao Xing splashed some water on his face, "Where's Zheng'er?"
"Still hasn't gotten up." Zhao Ruide's voice was somewhat helpless.
He truly had no way with his youngest son; he couldn't beat him, and scolding him was useless.
At his age, he had no resistance to his youngest son's coquetry.
Moreover, Zhao Zheng was quite likable, and his coquetry was quite effective.
Zhao Ruide truly couldn't bring himself to force him to practice martial arts.
"Why are you like this again?" Zhao Xing was somewhat dissatisfied.
"The family doesn't worry about food or clothing; as long as his temperament is not bad, there is no need for him to practice martial arts to stand out," Zhao Ruide said.
"But you already said to let him practice martial arts, and now you're being so half-hearted; isn't that teaching him to give up halfway?" Zhao Xing said, "If he doesn't take anything seriously in the future, no matter how big the problem is, he can just rely on you to coquet."
After being lectured by his adopted son, Zhao Ruide's face showed some embarrassment.
"You are right; I should be stricter." He immediately snapped off a branch and strode toward the bedroom.
At the door, he turned back to look at Zhao Xing: "Aren't you going to stop me?"
Zhao Xing was surprised: "Why would I stop you? It's only right for a father to discipline his son."
Zhao Ruide hesitated: "Isn't this branch too big?"
Zhao Xing helplessly said: "If you can't bear it, then don't pretend; throw away the stick, and I'll call him."
"Who said I wouldn't throw it? I just want to change it for a smaller one..." Zhao Ruide awkwardly stepped aside, but in the end, he didn't throw away the branch; he just secretly changed it for a smaller one and stood outside with a stern face, waiting for Zhao Zheng to wake up.
Zhao Xing didn't go in; he stood outside and began to capture Zhao Zheng's Sleep Bugs.
He controlled it very well.
After three attempts, Zhao Zheng woke up on his own.
However, even though this guy couldn't sleep anymore, he still rolled around in bed, refusing to get up, which made Zhao Xing laugh in anger.
"You still have to take this beating."
Zhao Xing kicked the door open and barged in.
"Big brother, good morning!" Zhao Zheng saw his big brother kick the door open and immediately realized something was wrong; he must have woken up late today.
So he raised his little face, revealing an innocent smile, trying to awaken his brother's love.
Unfortunately, his brother had no love, only cruelty.
"What did you promise father before? Do you remember what time you agreed to practice martial arts?"
"At the hour of the rabbit, exactly."
"It is now the hour of the dragon and a quarter; you are nine quarters late. Go out and find father to receive your punishment, one quarter, two hits."
"Ah?" Zhao Zheng's face immediately turned bitter.
"Or should I hit you?" Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow.
"No, no, no need for big brother to worry; I'll go receive my punishment right away!" Zhao Zheng immediately got out of bed.
"Be quicker; it's almost the hour of the dragon and two quarters. The longer you delay, the more hits you'll receive."
"I know!"
Zhao Zheng got up and washed up as if flying.
"Buns, delicious buns~"
"Sesame pancakes, fragrant sesame pancakes!"
"Almond tea, drink a pot to warm the whole day! Good for the stomach and liver~"
Zhao Xing stepped out, and Pingkang Fang was already bustling with activity.
He casually bought some breakfast to take to Chen Shijie’s residence, only to find a delicate woman peeking around outside Chen's door, carrying a basket, as if she were a thief.
"Hmm?" Zhao Xing observed his surroundings and immediately sensed something was off.
He quietly circled around to the woman's back.
"Whoosh~"
A gust of yin wind surrounded the woman, and Zhao Xing questioned, "Who are you, and who sent you here?"
"Ah!" The woman was startled, turning around unexpectedly and almost falling to the ground.
Zhao Xing noticed that this person had weak vital Qi, so he didn't immediately attack; he just stared at her.
"Speak, why are you lurking outside Chen's residence?"
"I, I..." The woman stammered, unwilling to speak.
"If you don't speak, then come with me to see the authorities," Zhao Xing threatened.
"Hey, don't! I, I can leave, okay?" The woman wiped her tears, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Zhao Xing was taken aback; his Ming Miao was already at max level, and having cultivated the Yin Wind and Great Dream Chronicle, he was now very sensitive to the life soul.
Using a small technique from the Great Dream Chronicle, he could tell that this woman was not lying.
Could she not be a follower of the Mysterious Heaven Sect?
That makes sense; what kind of crude surveillance methods are these?
"Swish!"
At that moment, Chen Shijie flew out from the residence, landing between the two.
With a wave of his hand, the yin wind surrounding the woman was dispelled.
Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow.
Old Chen was indeed not simple.
This was not the entry-level Yin Wind but the Nine Turns!
Although he hadn't controlled it, the fact that he could casually dispel the Nine Turns Yin Wind was impressive.
"What’s going on? Why are you using the Yin Wind on an ordinary person?" Chen Shijie supported the woman, frowning at Zhao Xing.
"I saw her lurking outside your door and thought she was someone bewitched by the Mysterious Heaven Sect," Zhao Xing explained.
"She is not," Chen Shijie patted the woman's back, "Let's go inside and talk."
Chen Shijie waved his hand, and a storm suddenly arose around them.
In the alley and at the door, a corridor of wind was formed.
Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised; he didn't know if Old Chen was showing off or what.
He felt that something seemed off about Chen Shijie today.
It felt like he was hiding something.
Could this be his romantic interest?
Even if so, what's the problem?
Having a romantic interest is quite normal; the atmosphere in the Great Zhou is open, and even if unmarried, many people have relationships, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
Could it be a married woman?
Thinking this way, it seemed reasonable.
Zhao Xing's gaze towards Chen Shijie suddenly changed.
He didn't expect Old Chen, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, to be playing such tricks.
Now he was in trouble!
"What are you thinking? It's not what you think." After bringing the woman into the residence, Chen Shijie arranged for her to rest in the living room, then ran to the side hall to chat with Zhao Xing. "Gui Niang is unmarried, and I am unmarried; it's not what you think."
"I didn't say anything." Zhao Xing waved his hand, "In my heart, you are certainly not that kind of person."
"I'll be transferred next year; I have to go to the army." Zhao Xing didn't plan to continue asking, but Chen Shijie took the initiative to speak.
"Transferred?" Zhao Xing was taken aback; he didn't expect Old Chen to leave so soon, but thinking about it, it made sense. Chen Shijie being in the Agricultural Affairs Bureau was indeed a waste of talent.
As long as there were no major mistakes, he would still need to return to the army.
He just didn't know if there were any hidden circumstances.
"I had some issues with my faction that I hadn't resolved," Chen Shijie said lightly, "So my relationship with Gui Niang has always been kept private. Although this time it was resolved, I encountered some unexpected issues, so I agreed with her not to meet for a while, and I didn't expect you to catch me."
"You telling me this isn't just for me to hear, right?" Zhao Xing vaguely guessed something.
"That's right." Chen Shijie nodded, "I want you to come with me to the army. From the beginning, I planned it this way; it would be a waste of time if you don't become an army officer. I see you have great ambitions; I originally planned to wait a year or two, but now it seems you are progressing rapidly, and your Yin Wind has already reached the Nine Turns."
"Come with me to the army, Zhao Xing; a good man should fight on the battlefield. Don't tell me you like staying in the rear as a civilian. If you stay in this comfortable place for a few years, all your talents will go to waste!"
At this moment, Chen Shijie no longer treated Zhao Xing as a subordinate; since Zhao Xing had entered the ranks, he truly regarded him as a fellow practitioner.
Now he was speaking from the heart.
Zhao Xing pondered, "We can discuss this later; can you first tell me why, with still half a year before your transfer, you have already cut ties with Gui Niang? What unexpected issues have you encountered?"
Chen Shijie smiled: "You see, this kind of alertness and innate sensitivity, I told you, you are suitable to be an army officer; you should come with me to meet the Marquis!"
Zhao Xing remained silent; although he felt that Chen Shijie was quite appealing, he couldn't just agree without understanding the full situation. Chen Shijie had to explain everything to him.
"It’s the Mysterious Heaven Sect."
The Mysterious Heaven Sect? Zhao Xing was taken aback.
Chen Shijie slowly said while sitting in the chair: "Since half a year ago, the Calamity Avoidance Almanac I possess has repeatedly issued warnings. Over the past six months, there have been ten major calamity warnings and thirty-five minor calamity warnings."
"At first, I didn't know the reason because, as a ninth-grade official, others' Calamity Avoidance Almanacs didn't have such alerts; only mine did. I couldn't analyze the reason until recently when officials and clerks in Nanyang County were abducted, and I learned more of the inside story, then I understood why."
Zhao Xing asked, "Did you not inform the officials before?"
Chen Shijie chuckled: "Did you forget? We are officials ourselves. Just a few calamity signs; do we need to let seventh-grade officials protect us? I couldn't estimate the reason, and only after several times did I decide to investigate."
"After the third major calamity, I asked someone in the army to check for any abnormalities in Pinghai Prefecture in recent years, and I roughly identified the Mysterious Heaven Sect as the root cause."
"After that, I reported my suspicions to the county, but as I just said, can we send someone to protect us for twelve hours?"
Zhao Xing asked, "Can't there be a major search to find these demons?"
Chen Shijie shook his head: "You don't understand; the Mysterious Heaven Sect is not some small sect. The seventy-two Dao Institutes of the Great Zhou today were established after the founding emperor expelled sects. The Mysterious Heaven Sect is among the top in these Dao Institutes."
"Its operations are extremely covert; even the founding emperor couldn't completely eradicate it, only expelling it. Do you think this can be simple? What the founding monarch couldn't achieve, the later generations would find it hard to accomplish."
"The Mysterious Heaven Sect has lasted for over two thousand years; a sect that has not been destroyed for over two thousand years and occasionally causes chaos in the world, how can it be easily investigated in a short time in Nanyang County?"
Zhao Xing thought for a moment: "That's true; there are a thousand days of thievery but not a thousand days of guarding against thieves."
Chen Shijie slowly said: "Since that time, I knew the Mysterious Heaven Sect might be targeting me. Moreover, I should be quite an important figure on their list."
"So I stopped meeting Gui Niang, intending to deal with this matter."
Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised: "You don't mean to..."
Chen Shijie nodded: "Yes, I plan to take risks, collaborating with the military to set a trap, luring the Mysterious Heaven Sect to act against me. If I don't eliminate the demon nests around Nanyang County, I won't be able to leave with peace of mind. These guys are ruthless; if they find out about my relationship with Gui Niang, it could implicate the innocent."
Zhao Xing was taken aback: "Isn't that too risky?"
Chen Shijie smiled: "If successful, I won't have to worry about Gui Niang after I leave; Nanyang County can continue to be safe and happy, and I can also earn some merit to take up my post in the army. It's a threefold gain; this risk is worth taking!"
求一下月票，双倍期间投累积起来还是很快的，三千票就加更哇！
(本章完)