Leaving the special dreamscape behind, Xia Zhi returned to the world filled with countless dream bubbles.
After a moment's consideration, he entered the Dragon King's dream.
Since the Dragon King had already agreed to let him use his dream to plant things, it was time to get started.
Xia Zhi opened the [Shop], purchasing a book titled [Dream Cultivation Guide].
The moment he took the book out and held it in his hand, the system's voice sounded within his mind.
"[Erudition] trait activated. You can directly comprehend this unknown knowledge. Would you like to comprehend it now?"
"Yes."
Confirming this, a flood of information regarding "Dream Cultivation" instantly appeared in Xia Zhi's mind.
This made things much more convenient.
Following the newly gained knowledge, Xia Zhi divided a section of the dream into planting areas. Then, he bought some dream-crop seeds from the [Shop] and scattered them across the designated areas.
Afterward, he purchased some fertilizer from the [Shop], applying it generously.
Now all he had to do was wait patiently for the crops to grow until harvest.
Of course, if someone tended these crops during their growth period, they'd naturally flourish even more.
But since he planned to sell these crops back to the system, the system would pay the same price regardless of quality. Thus, there was no immediate need for careful tending.
Later, when the Aranara moved in, he could ask them to help care for the plants. Then, he could keep the finest fruits for his own use.
After busying himself for a while, Xia Zhi noticed the Dragon King had entered the dream as well.
This meant the Dragon King had fallen asleep in the real world.
Seeing Xia Zhi, the Dragon King quickly ran over. "Mr. Xia, are we playing games again tonight?"
Xia Zhi nodded. "Of course."
The Dragon King continued eagerly, "Can we add some more people tonight?"
Xia Zhi looked at him curiously. "Add more people? Who?"
The Dragon King explained enthusiastically, "You see—Cloud Retainer, Madame Ping, Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper—these four are perfect. Yesterday, we had six players, right? Adding these four makes ten, enough for a proper 5v5 match. Playing against people is way more fun than bots!"
Xia Zhi suspected the Dragon King was simply tired of losing to Nightmare-level bots, prompting him to recruit more players.
Still, the Dragon King wasn't wrong—player-versus-player matches were indeed more entertaining.
Especially when both teams consisted entirely of friends—the fun would double.
Xia Zhi agreed with a nod. "Alright, I'll bring them in shortly."
Soon afterward, four adepti appeared in Xia Zhi's meditation-space cybercafé.
But these four adepti were complete beginners, just as the Dragon King had been yesterday, utterly unfamiliar with keyboard and mouse operations.
At this moment, the Dragon King stepped forward confidently, adopting an experienced air as he earnestly taught the four juniors how to play.
Under his guidance, the adepti quickly grasped the basics.
"How should we split the teams?"
Xia Ci suggested cheerfully, "How about the adepti form one team, and our shop's group forms the other? We're already familiar with each other's playstyles, after all."
The Dragon King hesitated slightly, "But they're all beginners."
Xia Zhen quickly chimed in, teasingly, "No way, Dragon King! You're so strong, surely you can carry four newbies by yourself, can't you?"
The Dragon King coughed awkwardly, "Ahem, well, of course I can. Alright, alright, the first couple rounds can just be practice. Let's split the teams like that."
The game finally became interesting.
Xia Zhi picked Lee Sin (jungler), Xia Ci chose Maokai (top lane), Xia Zhen selected Yasuo (mid lane), Ganyu chose Ashe (ADC), and Shenhe picked Blitzcrank (support).
The Dragon King naturally stuck with his favorite, Rammus (top lane). Cloud Retainer picked Heimerdinger (mid lane), Madame Ping went for Xin Zhao (jungler), Mountain Shaper chose Quinn (ADC), and Moon Carver selected Sona (support).
For the first few rounds, Xia Zhi's team dominated completely, as if fighting beginner-level bots.
However, after several matches, the adepti gradually became familiar with controls and gameplay rhythms, and matches started becoming more balanced and competitive.
Everyone ended up gaming happily throughout the entire night.
---
The next morning, Yaoyao still woke up very early.
She was once again diligently practicing her spear techniques alone on the grassy lakeside.
This had been Shenhe's former training spot, so in a way, Yaoyao was continuing the tradition.
After a while, Azhdaha, the Dragon King, woke up as well.
He emerged from the adeptal abode, mumbling some strange phrases like "red buff," "blue buff," and other gaming jargon that Yaoyao didn't understand at all.
Yaoyao stopped practicing and greeted him sweetly as he passed by.
"Good morning, Grandpa Dragon King!"
"Ah, good morning, Yaoyao. Keep working hard on your cultivation."
"I will! Yaoyao promises!"
The Dragon King leisurely wandered off on his own, still muttering under his breath.
Yaoyao resumed her spear practice.
A bit later, Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver also emerged from the abode, walking together.
They were similarly engaged in a heated discussion, mentioning strange things like "Malphite initiates, Yasuo follows up with his ultimate, that's a perfect combo," which left Yaoyao utterly confused.
Yaoyao paused her training again and greeted them politely.
"Good morning, Uncle Mountain Shaper, Uncle Moon Carver!"
"Ah, good morning, Yaoyao."
"Be careful when practicing, Yaoyao."
"Of course! Yaoyao will be careful!"
The two adepti continued their spirited debate as they walked away.
Yaoyao tilted her head cutely, puzzled by their words, then resumed her practice once more.
Soon afterward, Madame Ping emerged alone from the adeptal abode.
Unlike the previous three, she wasn't muttering strange gaming terms.
Instead, her brows were furrowed deeply, as if she were pondering some difficult problem.
This time, Yaoyao didn't stop her spear practice, continuing her drills with determination.
Madame Ping stood before Yaoyao, quietly watching as she completed an entire set of spear techniques.
Yaoyao wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked up expectantly, "Master, I finished practicing. How was it?"
Madame Ping nodded slightly, "Acceptable."
Yaoyao puffed her cheeks determinedly, "Oh! Yaoyao will keep trying harder."
Madame Ping reached out her hand, gently taking the spear from Yaoyao's grasp.
Yaoyao blinked in surprise, "Master?"
Madame Ping stepped into the clearing where Yaoyao had just practiced, holding the spear in position, and spoke seriously, "Yaoyao, Master spent the entire night deep in thought and has comprehended a new spear technique. Now, I'll teach it to you."
Yaoyao nodded earnestly, eyes sparkling, "Yes, Master!"
Madame Ping continued, "Watch closely and remember carefully."
Yaoyao nodded again, "Yes!"
Madame Ping demonstrated clearly:
"First move: Three Talon Strike—three consecutive thrusts."
"Second move: Wind Becomes Lightning—a slash forward, then immediately followed by a forward thrust."
"Third move: Audacious Charge—a fearless, direct thrust forward."
"Fourth move: Crescent Guard—a sweeping defense."
Yaoyao watched intently, memorizing each move carefully.
Not far away, Cloud Retainer emerged just in time to witness Madame Ping demonstrating her spear technique.
She paused, staring blankly for a moment.
Why did this spear technique of Madame Ping look so familiar?
She watched more carefully.
Wait a second…
Weren't those just the four abilities of Xin Zhao from the game they played last night?
Madame Ping, you really are something else…
Then again, Cloud Retainer thought, could the mechanical turrets she'd invented also be upgraded?
Cloud Retainer lowered her head thoughtfully, sinking deep into contemplation.
---
The Chasm.
Inside a hidden domain.
Yelan and Yanfei were boiling water.
Xiao stood nearby, alert and vigilant for potential danger.
After a short wait, the water in the pot began to boil, releasing plumes of white steam.
Yanfei raised her head and called toward Xiao, "Great Yaksha, breakfast is ready!"
"Alright."
Xiao responded calmly, gripping his spear as he walked toward the campfire.
As Xiao approached, it became clear that his current height had actually surpassed Yanfei's by quite a bit.
Yanfei smiled, handing him a cup of instant noodles.
Xiao took it, expertly tearing open the packaging.
He added the seasoning, poured in the hot water, covered it, and waited quietly for two minutes.
When he opened the lid again, an enticing aroma wafted out.
The three of them each held a cup of instant noodles, savoring the warmth spreading through their bodies, feeling relaxed and comfortable.
Yanfei squinted her eyes blissfully, sighing contentedly, "Every time I eat instant noodles, I feel so happy."
Yelan nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly, "In the past, when I went out on missions, I had to eat dried rations with plain water. I never had such luxury."
Yanfei opened her eyes, turning to Xiao curiously, "What about you, Great Yaksha?"
Xiao tilted his head slightly, "Me?"
Yanfei nodded, "Yeah, when you were slaying evil entities in Guili Plains, what did you usually eat?"
Xiao replied quietly, "Usually, I'd just go back to Wangshu Inn to eat."
Yanfei asked again, "What if you couldn't make it back in time?"
Xiao frowned slightly, confused, "Why wouldn't I make it back in time? As long as it's within Guili Plains, no matter how far from Wangshu Inn, I can always return within a few minutes."
Yanfei paused, then stuck out her tongue playfully, "Ah, right, I forgot that the Great Yaksha is the Golden-Winged King."
Yelan spoke up, "I've started to grasp some patterns of this domain. It shouldn't be long before we can finally unravel its secrets."
Yanfei nodded enthusiastically, "That's great!"
Yelan gazed into the distance.
The Fantastic Compass… was it really hidden here?
Xiao also stared far into the depths of the domain.
Bosacius… could this truly be the place where you fell?
----
Join my Patreon for early access to chapters: Patreon.com/rivyura