Chapter 1334: The Summit of Dreams
Neither of them seemed to pay any mind to the "precious grandson" the Pegasus had mentioned. The Heavenly Dragon simply asked in a calm voice, "How is the 'Interview Room'?"
"Oh... the 'Interview Room'... everyone's back..." Pegasus said. "I had people check each room one by one. Every room is starting to restore itself, just like before. The 'Participants' have returned, and since we need to select interviewees, the 'Interview Zodiacs' have come back as well."
"Good." The Heavenly Dragon nodded. "Stand by over there."
Pegasus acknowledged the order and, step by step, walked behind the Azure Dragon, carefully taking his position.
The Azure Dragon furrowed his brow upon hearing this. "You're going to 'Enter Dreams' here?"
"Yeah." The Heavenly Dragon nodded. "I'm feeling quite fatigued this time. It's like there's a constant pressure in my chest. I'll enter the 'Dream Realm' early. Leave the rest to you. Remember, don't make a sound."
Upon hearing the Heavenly Dragon's words, Pegasus paused slightly. "What... does that mean? Us?"
"The Heavenly Dragon is tired." The Azure Dragon turned to explain to Pegasus. "After 'Entering Dreams' is done, you and I will escort him to the throne."
Pegasus acted as if he hadn't heard the Azure Dragon at all, just staring fixedly at the Heavenly Dragon.
The Heavenly Dragon took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. On the "Train," all the "Participants" entered his field of vision like specks of light in a starry sky.
He steadied his mind, his "Faith" stirring slightly, and a massive surge of "Entering Dreams" erupted forth.
In this vast, ethereal space, he was like a true deity, looking down from on high upon the memories of all living beings.
"Everyone, the 'Reality' is approaching..."
The Heavenly Dragon began constructing a vast dreamscape for everyone within this space. This time, the sensation was indeed exceptionally tiring. In just an instant, a large portion of his "Faith" was drained away.
Sweat began to appear on his face, but his "Faith" seemed to be stuck to something, completely unable to detach. He could only grimly replicate all the dreams.
He didn't know how much time had passed when his consciousness began to blur. Then, a strange voice rang out in his ear:
"He's about to stop breathing."
This voice abruptly broke his somewhat stuck "Faith." The Heavenly Dragon erupted in rage, snapping his eyes open and glaring at the source of the voice.
The speaker was the obese, timid Heavenly Dog standing behind the Azure Dragon.
"Heavenly... Dog...?" The Heavenly Dragon glared at him with a grim expression. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. "Heavenly Dog... you... didn't I just tell you not to speak?"
"I'm... sorry... I..." The Heavenly Dog whispered from behind the Azure Dragon.
Hearing this, the Azure Dragon's face flushed with anger. "How dare you! Don't you know the rules when the Heavenly Dragon initiates 'Entering Dreams'?"
The Heavenly Dog trembled all over like a sieve. "Heavenly... Heavenly Dragon... please don't be angry... This is the first time I've seen you initiate 'Entering Dreams' in this room, so..."
"Then didn't you hear about it before?" The Azure Dragon interjected. "Is your 'Spiritual Hearing' just for show?"
"I'm truly sorry... but I still haven't found my grandson..." Fear began to flash across the Heavenly Dog's obese face, causing a flicker of confusion in the Heavenly Dragon.
"Shut up!" The Azure Dragon roared. "Heavenly Dog, even if you're scared to death, you'll die quietly right here."
The Heavenly Dog indeed fell silent, but retreated to the wall with a terrified expression.
The Heavenly Dragon snorted coldly and closed his eyes again. He felt an indescribable chaos in his mind, as if something unusual had happened.
Precious grandson...?
But the immediate priority was not worrying about the Heavenly Dog at all—it was the "Dreams" of the countless beings.
This time seemed to require even more "Faith" than before. Just the simple act of thinking drained him dry. Moreover, that strange, sticky sensation was also quite concerning; he seemed unable to freely disengage from the "Entering Dreams" state.
He kept his eyes closed, instead re-examining the vast dream world he had just constructed. His "Faith" had been interrupted midway earlier, and he didn't know if there would be unforeseen consequences.
He turned himself into an inconspicuous passerby and randomly entered the dreams of a few ordinary "Participants." He quickly found the problem.
The bustling world of traffic and crowds was already built, but the entire world had not a single living person.
Besides himself and the dream's owner, there was not a trace of life.
Whether it was the streets, the schools, the prisons, or those scattered small squares and buildings, every place was utterly empty and desolate.
Perplexed, he shuttled between various dreams, only to startlingly discover that all the dreams were empty cities.
The dreams were constructed, but where were the people in the dreams?
It seemed as though his "Entering Dreams" had been severely compromised, his power drastically reduced.
When had he become so weak?
He clearly felt an unprecedented exhaustion, yet he had still managed to create such flawed, shattered dreams.
Just then, the commotion outside the door started up again. Many "Zodiacs" began cleaning up the mess in the hallway. Their faint, murmuring conversations started to echo in his ears.
Although people were talking, the Heavenly Dragon couldn't make it out clearly. The voices were distant, and it was annoying.
The feeling of breathlessness washed over him again, and the Heavenly Dragon's patience was wearing thin.
"Give me 'Silence'." The Heavenly Dragon spoke with his eyes still closed.
"Huh?" The Heavenly Dog paused upon hearing this. "'Silence'...? I..."
"Shut up." The Heavenly Dragon said. "Heavenly Dog, if you say another word from now on, I will have you killed."
The Heavenly Dog didn't know what he meant, but could only remain silent, pressing himself tightly against the wall.
"Why do you need 'Silence'?" The Azure Dragon asked from the side.
"The noise is too distracting..." The Heavenly Dragon frowned slightly. "Lend me your 'Silence'. If possible... lend me what little 'Faith' you have left as well."
The Azure Dragon sighed, slowly rising to his feet. "Heavenly Dragon, for these mere insects, you're pushing yourself to the brink."
"Enough with the nonsense... If I fall into the abyss, you won't fare well either." The Heavenly Dragon murmured with his eyes tightly shut. "If we fail to initiate 'Entering Dreams' this time, everyone will realize their 'Rebellion' is having an effect. Those who retain their memories will tirelessly repeat this action, and our situation will be even more dangerous."
The Azure Dragon stepped behind the Heavenly Dragon and whispered, "Let me state upfront, I'm not sure if my 'Faith' is stable, but I will do my best to help you."
"Your 'Silence' is quite stable when you're hiding something from me." The Heavenly Dragon said. "Don't waste time. I need to concentrate."
The Azure Dragon nodded, reached out, and placed his hand on the Heavenly Dragon's shoulder.
The Heavenly Dragon felt that the Azure Dragon did indeed seem far too weak. His hand on his shoulder felt like a piece of paper, so light it was almost imperceptible.
But his own condition wasn't much better than the Azure Dragon's. He could only focus all his attention on examining everyone's dreams.
The next second, a surge of immense "Faith" poured into the Heavenly Dragon's body from the Azure Dragon's palm. The Heavenly Dragon felt his state beginning to recover.
Although he could still hear some commotion in the hallway, it was as if he had received a tremendous surge of power. With the Azure Dragon's aid, the two of them together supplemented all the "Dreams."
"Entering Dreams" finally returned to its proper state. Within the dreams, there were not only towering skyscrapers but also ordinary people of all kinds beginning to appear.