# Chapter 948: Welcome to the Dream
Qi Xia slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in a city bustling with traffic.
Pedestrians passed by on both sides, crowded and noisy, their laughter and chatter filling the air as they walked. Everything stood in stark contrast to the quiet, desperate "Land of the End."
A fragrant breeze swept through the azure sky, rustling Qi Xia's hair.
"Beep beep beep!"
A sharp car horn sounded behind Qi Xia. He turned around slowly and found himself standing in the middle of the road, blocking a taxi.
"Hey there, young man!" The driver poked his head out the window. "Don't space out! Move aside!"
Qi Xia complied, stepping onto the sidewalk. The taxi muttered curses as it rolled up its window and sped away.
Was this the feeling of being "alive"?
Qi Xia walked forward slowly, gradually sinking into confusion.
He couldn't remember why he was here, nor what he was supposed to do.
It felt like he could just stand by the roadside, watching the masses go by, and somehow make it through the day.
How long had it been since he'd seen such a lively scene?
Qi Xia blinked. He remembered passing through this street every single day, yet today felt especially disorienting.
With heavy steps, Qi Xia made his way to a small river that cut through the city, eventually stopping on a bridge.
He took three deep breaths on the bridge, then turned to look at the fish swimming in the river. Why was everything here so beautiful...?
"Uncle!"
A childish voice sounded beside Qi Xia. He turned to see a little girl selling flowers.
"Would you like to buy a flower?" the girl asked, holding up a bouquet of white blossoms. Her smile was incredibly sweet, making Qi Xia falter again.
"Flowers...?" Qi Xia paused for a long moment, his gaze growing sluggish. "I've lived here for many years, and I don't remember anyone ever selling flowers."
"I just started selling them!" the girl laughed. "Uncle, these flowers only bloom now. They'll be gone after autumn. Want to buy one?"
The little girl placed a pristine white flower in Qi Xia's hand. Its stem had hooked thorns, pinnate leaves, and five or six small white blossoms on the same branch.
"Late summer flowers..."
Qi Xia looked down at the flower, as if recalling something. His whole body jolted as if struck by lightning.
He looked down at his clothes and noticed a cartoon lamb embroidered on his chest.
The confusion in Qi Xia's eyes began to freeze over, his pitch-black irises tinged with a grey-white hue.
"Ha..." Qi Xia grinned, revealing a terrifying smile.
The flower in his hand began to wither, then turned into sparks that floated into the sky.
The little girl in front of him twisted grotesquely, her facial features slowly vanishing until her face became utterly flat under Qi Xia's gaze.
She raised her hands slowly. The bouquet she had been holding was now a pile of severed fingers.
"Uncle... want to buy?" The girl's voice reached Qi Xia's ears from the void, and he could even hear her "hee hee hee" laughter.
She was so happy. Qi Xia was happy too.
At a time like this, how many people here could suppress such joy?
Qi Xia laughed along with her, his eyes growing goat-like pupils.
What did it matter if this was a dream...?
In a place riddled with "anchor points," even the smallest flaw was enough to wake him up.
He reached out and patted the little girl's head, saying softly, "Stop messing around. Let's welcome our guests together."
"Okay!" The girl shouted, scattering the severed fingers all over the ground.
As her words fell, the azure sky began to slowly drip like wet paint, revealing a blood-red firmament behind it.
The bricks and tiles on the city's tall buildings flipped over, turning from stone into flesh in an instant.
Then came the earth beneath their feet, and the clear water of the river. The colorful world collapsed completely, donning a stinking red robe.
The pedestrians on the streets gradually stopped. Their facial features vanished, and they lingered for a few seconds, turning their flat faces toward Qi Xia.
The moving cars slowly descended to the ground, transforming into flesh boxes.
The world began to rebuild itself around Qi Xia. Rivers of blood and piles of flesh spread out, wildly dyeing the entire city.
The fragrant breeze turned rancid with the blood-red earth, and the vibrant city fell silent.
The little girl before Qi Xia became a statue. Her entire body froze, only her flat face turning to follow Qi Xia's movements.
Not just her—all the pedestrians on the street had stopped as well, as if shedding their long-worn disguises. They stood silently, only their necks twisting to follow Qi Xia.
They were like a field of blood-red sunflowers.
"Someone is visiting us today," Qi Xia announced, raising his hands. "Let's show our hospitality. Welcome him to the most beautiful dream in the world."
The moment he finished speaking, thousands of people on the street looked up at the sky.
The cloudless sky visibly twisted. A second later, a figure in a red robe appeared in midair. The figure stood on nothingness, then slowly lowered its head after a few seconds.
It had no face either, but a deep red mark on its forehead.
Qi Xia smiled, walking forward as if he hadn't seen anything.
The figure in the sky pondered for a moment, then slowly descended toward Qi Xia.
Qi Xia crossed the bridge and arrived at a residential building. He turned around and gently waved his hand.
Bones began to rise instantly from the square across from the building, quickly draped in flesh. With a slight stir of his mind—like a creator—a massive structure erupted from the ground.
Two enormous pillars of flesh took shape, followed by a flesh beam. The three pillars formed a gigantic archway.
The pulse on the archway throbbed visibly; it was clearly a living thing.
Then a huge, yellowish-white object materialized. On closer inspection, it was a giant bell made of bone.
Flesh continued to spread, and a scarlet display screen grew steadily.
Once formed, the flesh screen opened two enormous eyes, then grew two massive ears.
Anyone who witnessed this scene would shudder in fear, but the people of this city showed no reaction. They merely stared at the Heavenly Dragon in the sky.
After constructing the giant bell and display screen, Qi Xia turned and entered the residential building, stepping up the soft, sticky stairs toward "home."
Since a guest had come from afar, naturally he should invite him in for a visit.