Chapter 8: The Bracelet

Yun Chuan’s guess was correct; the Zhaiyue Pavilion was currently in complete chaos. Since the start of the competition, a massive quantity of white paper had suddenly emerged from nowhere. Like an avalanche, it crashed through the windows and poured in, swirling like a whirlwind that tightly encircled the high platform at the center of the pavilion.

The paper even climbed onto the carved wooden panels of the ceiling. The nameplates that determined the groupings, originally paired off, were disrupted by the paper, causing them to collide in groups of four or six before falling in sheets. As the nameplates descended, the dream-weavers on the platform awoke one by one. They looked around in panic, trapped and unable to escape.

Disciples from various sects tried to intervene, but they were blocked by the white paper. These were no ordinary sheets; they were incredibly tough, impervious to blades and waterproof. They swarmed like locusts, endless and relentless, leaving everyone in a state of utter exasperation.

"It’s nightmare magic! There’s another dream-weaver in the Zhaiyue Pavilion! They are manipulating the groupings!"

"Who is it! Who is causing this trouble! Show yourself!"

Exclamations and heated discussions erupted.

In the shadows behind the high platform, Wen Ci stood with arms crossed, watching the chaotic scene with a faint expression.

In the darkness, colorful sleeves danced in the wind, and bells chimed discordantly. The white paper spun nimbly between Wen Ci’s slender fingers, brushing against the vibrant bells that vibrated on the back of their hand.

"Whose idea was this? One-on-one duels—what a waste of time. It would be better if everyone just fought each other..."

Wen Ci raised a hand, and the white paper rode the wind, merging into the wall of paper on the platform.

"...That would be much more entertaining."

In the dream, Xie Yuzhu and Yun Chuan were naturally unaware of the chaos in the pavilion. Having accepted their reality, they felt no one would be coming to save them.

Xie Yuzhu slumped on the grass, looking around. "At least we are safe for now. The weather here is so nice; it doesn't look like a nightmare at all..."

Xie Yuzhu’s words trailed off. Ten yards away, a dark, dense mass approached from the horizon, like a range of black mountains passing by. They swept past them rapidly, casting huge, grotesque shadows that flowed over them before moving off into the distance.

Xie Yuzhu turned her head slowly back to Yun Chuan, pointing a finger at them. "Why... why are there spiders, centipedes, and scorpions taller than a person?"

Yun Chuan replied matter-of-factly, "Because this is a nightmare. Several waves have already passed behind you; you just didn't see them."

"Why aren't they chasing us?"

"I don't know. Perhaps they didn't see us."

Having answered concisely, Yun Chuan lowered her gaze to return to her task. She had produced a strange little knife from somewhere and was busy carving and tapping away at her bracelet.

Xie Yuzhu stared at Yun Chuan’s movements in silence for a moment, then asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Fixing my bracelet."

"...Is this really the time to be fixing a bracelet!"

Yun Chuan did not understand why Xie Yuzhu was angry and replied earnestly, "Now is exactly the time to fix it."

Xie Yuzhu’s eyes widened. She thought to herself, *How can this person be so calm? We are trapped in a nightmare conjured by a dream-weaver! This is a fight for our lives! Who would take the time to repair a broken gold bracelet in the middle of a life-or-death struggle?*

As if hearing Xie Yuzhu’s inner thoughts, Yun Chuan tapped the bracelet two more times, then suddenly packed away her tools and stood up. She draped her half-dried cloak back over her shoulders, tied the straps, and reached out a hand to Xie Yuzhu.

"Get up. The dream is changing; we need to leave this place."

No sooner had she spoken than the sound of earth cracking and crumbling echoed from across the plains. Gray-yellow dust rose into the air, obscuring half the sun as a sandstorm loomed over them.

Xie Yuzhu’s first thought was that Yun Chuan was a miracle worker. Her second thought was: *Are we going to have to run for our lives again?*

Xie Yuzhu guessed right, but not entirely. They began to run again, but the direction was peculiar—they were not fleeing the sandstorm but charging headlong into it. It was unclear whether this was an escape or a death wish.

Covering her nose and mouth, Xie Yuzhu gasped for air amidst the dust. "Are you sure... we aren't running the wrong way? Why are we... *cough*... running into the sandstorm!"

"Shh, don't speak... *cough*..." Yun Chuan also covered her face, choking as soon as she spoke.

Coming toward them were not just sand and grit, but also the insects fleeing from the collapsing earth. Huge black shadows swept over their heads as they wove between the legs and bodies of the beasts. The world was filled with the stench of slime and fur. Outside the dream, they might accidentally crush a bug, but now the situation was reversed; they had to worry about being trampled by them.

And spiders, centipedes, and scorpions were one thing, but why were there cockroaches? Whose nightmare was this? It was disgusting!

Xie Yuzhu dodged countless long legs, relying entirely on her will to survive to suppress the urge to vomit.

They ran blindly through the yellow haze, unaware of where they were headed. The world was a blur of dim yellow, and the insects had vanished. Yun Chuan’s voice reached Xie Yuzhu through the dust: "Get ready to jump."

"What... jump where?"

"Jump!"

"Hey! Explain— *cough, cough*... Ahhhhh!"

Xie Yuzhu first choked on the sand, then screamed in pain.

In the blink of an eye, the dust vanished without a trace. In the new dream, the sky was dark, devoid of stars or moon, and red light flickered all around, the air becoming searingly hot. Xie Yuzhu realized she was lying face-up on a bed of countless knife points. Looking sideways, she saw the ground densely packed with blades, a forest of steel stretching to infinity.

Is this... a mountain of knives?

She felt the blades piercing through her clothes, inch by inch, toward her body. She dared not move, fearing that even the slightest exertion would accelerate the piercing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a raging fire sweeping from afar, closing in through the gaps between the blades.

Is this... a sea of fire?

Whose nightmare involved a mountain of knives and a sea of fire? How was this even more terrifying than the last one!?

"Yun Chuan!" Xie Yuzhu shouted, her voice echoing over the fire and blades, but there was no response. Panicked, she struggled to turn her head and finally spotted a figure nearby.

Yun Chuan was focused on fixing her bracelet. She had spread her cloak beneath her, sitting on the knife points. A vision stone emitted a faint blue glow, with strange symbols racing across its surface.

Xie Yuzhu was dumbfounded, forced to admire Yun Chuan’s composure. At a time like this, instead of leaving last words or trying to save herself, she only cared about her bracelet? And she was so absorbed, so detached from reality, that she remained indifferent to anyone’s shouting.

After four or five failed attempts to get her attention, Xie Yuzhu gave up. The fire grew more intense, creeping closer. The sky was dyed a deep red, and she was drenched in sweat from the sweltering heat.

Xie Yuzhu gazed at the pitch-black sky, the pain from the blades beneath her growing more agonizing by the second, her heart sinking deeper with every moment.

There was no escaping now, not even the ability to stand up. This was her first time witnessing nightmare magic, and she had ended up in such a plight.

Xie Yuzhu’s short seventeen years of life flashed through her mind. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady, and began to compose her final words: "I... I really didn't expect to die here. I’m so unwilling... I haven't even successfully left home yet. I should have been allowed to play, to see the world, to learn many skills, and only then die."

"My parents will be so heartbroken... they loved me so much. These past few years, I only ever went against them; I never really talked to them properly."

A faint click came from Yun Chuan’s side; a fallen ring on the gold bracelet had been snapped back into place.

Xie Yuzhu turned to look at Yun Chuan and said softly, "And Sister Yun Chuan, we stumbled into this nightmare because I wanted to see the dream-weaver competition. I’ve dragged you into this."

"I don't know how you performed that spell, but even if it went wrong, it was very impressive. Your mind is so sharp; if you could live longer, you might become someone like Ye Minwei. Sigh, saying it like that, it’s even more of a pity for you to die than for me. I don't know how to do anything. If only I could have lived a few more years..."

As she spoke, a tear rolled down Xie Yuzhu’s cheek, instantly vaporizing in the heat.

Yun Chuan remained motionless. She sat on the knife points; the blades were piercing her much faster than Xie Yuzhu’s, and the cloak beneath her was gradually soaked in blood, yet she seemed completely unable to feel the pain.

"Sister Yun Chuan, tell me... which is more painful, burning to death or being pierced to death? Do we even have a choice? Please, talk to me... respond to me... I’m scared..."

*Click.* The second fallen ring on the gold bracelet was snapped back into place, and the symbols frantically dancing on Yun Chuan’s vision stone suddenly stopped. Yun Chuan let out a sigh of relief, put her strange tools back into her pocket, and finally lay flat in the other direction, pulling the cloak out from beneath her.

With this movement, several new knife wounds appeared on Yun Chuan’s body, blood spreading in large patches.

Seeing Yun Chuan’s actions, Xie Yuzhu gasped. "Indeed, I hear burns are exceptionally painful. Perhaps being pierced is quicker and more merciful..."

Before she could finish her rambling, Yun Chuan suddenly threw the cloak into the sea of fire in the distance. Sparks leaped high instantly. Yun Chuan raised her wrist high; the gold bracelet on it shattered into three sets of seven rings. The inner and middle rings spun at extreme speeds, and the blue stone in the bracelet shone with dazzling brilliance.

At that moment, the ashes of the burned cloak rose abruptly from the sea of fire, swirling above the embers. The ashes seemed to possess consciousness, spinning and converging as they rushed toward Yun Chuan.

Yun Chuan held out her palm, letting the ashes wrap around her arm, and then blew a gentle breath toward them.

That mere, gentle breath acted like a hurricane to the ashes. Riding Yun Chuan’s breath, the ashes instantly surged upward, their gray outlines scattering and transforming into a giant Peng bird. It spread its wings and scooped up Yun Chuan and Xie Yuzhu from the knife points, avoiding the flames and flying toward the dark sky.

Xie Yuzhu was wrapped in ashes as they flew, the wind whistling in her ears. The sudden rescue left her mind blank. She looked at Yun Chuan, who was also enveloped in ashes, bewildered for a moment before sudden clarity struck. She gasped, "It’s the Breath-to-Ash Technique..."

*Wild horses, dust, and living things blown about by the breath of others. Ever-changing, broken but not shattered, scattered but not lost.*

It was one of the supreme arts of the Xiaoyao Sect: the Breath-to-Ash Technique.

How was it possible? How could Yun Chuan know the Breath-to-Ash Technique? Yun Chuan was clearly just an ordinary girl with no spiritual cultivation, and because her mind had been affected, she behaved strangely...

Xie Yuzhu’s mind was in turmoil. Amidst the endless stream of calamities, the questions she had previously ignored now came flooding back.

How could Yun Chuan carve spells onto a mirror with her bare hands?

Why could her vision stone see the skeletal structure of a dream?

How could she return unscathed from the hands of those who had kidnapped her?