Chapter 1 The Dream Ingressor

“A Dream Ingressor? You spent over a year in a dream and brought back ‘internal energy’?”

In a manor in the Demon City, a group of people surrounded Lu Shiping, their hearts filled with disbelief.

“Indeed.”

Lu Shiping glanced at his disciples and grandchildren, as well as some high-level figures from secret organizations. He flicked his finger, and a burst of energy shot through the air like an arrow. A fine porcelain vase five meters away shattered in response.

“This is a finger technique I learned. The principle is simple; it's similar to *gang jin* (劲, powerful force) in internal martial arts, a high-level application of airflow. It can penetrate iron armor within ten meters.”

“......Old Lu!”

A middle-aged man jumped up, his face twitching. “That's a top-quality Ru ware porcelain, an antique with over a thousand years of history! My newly acquired treasure!”

“I'll compensate you at the market price.”

Lu Shiping was also a little embarrassed, and he glanced at his son.

Lu Renyi, already in his sixties, smiled wryly and apologized. He then looked at his father, who seemed more than ten years younger and looked like his brother.

“Dad, why are you acting like a child now, always showing off...”

“When one possesses a sharp weapon, the desire to kill arises. To suddenly gain such power, Old Lu's restraint is already admirable.”

Qinglong strode into the room, and everyone unconsciously made way.

He glanced at Lu Shiping and snapped to attention, giving a military salute. “Old Lu, I apologize for this intrusion, but this matter may be of great importance, and only I can record your 'experiences in the dream'.”

“Captain Qinglong's inquiry is welcome.”

Lu Shiping smiled slightly. He had proactively reported this matter because it was impossible to hide.

“In that case, please find a quiet room.”

Qinglong's expression relaxed. Lu Shiping held a special position, a well-known figure in the scientific community. Although he personally only dealt with biology, his close friends, disciples, and grandchildren were distributed in various fields and agencies.

If he didn't allow it, it would be a real headache.

“Captain Qinglong.”

At this moment, an old man with gray hair stood up.

Seeing the square-faced old man, Qinglong gave another military salute. “Please give your instructions.”

This old man was his former leader.

“Record what Old Lu answers. If Old Lu doesn't answer, you cannot use other means to force him to speak.”

The old man warned.

Qinglong didn't reply.

“Hmm?”

The old man snorted softly.

“Alright, Old Yan, what's the big deal about asking a few questions?”

Lu Shiping stood up, waved his hand, and beckoned Qinglong to the backyard.

In the secluded backyard, the two sat down.

“Old Lu has devoted his life to the country. Even in my old age, I won't hide anything from the country. Captain Qinglong can rest assured of that.”

As soon as he sat down, Lu Shiping first gave Qinglong a reassuring pill.

Qinglong lowered his head slightly, showing respect. The patriotism of the older generation of scientists was beyond question.

Lu Shiping had studied abroad as a young man and had gained considerable fame in various countries. Many countries had offered high salaries and top-notch treatment, but he had still returned to serve his country.

To suspect him would be petty.

“In the dream, it was a world called 'Jiu Fu' or 'Wang Quan'. The reason I say world instead of dream is because there were too many incredible things.”

Lu Shiping fell into recollection, a look of amazement unconsciously appearing on his face. “Martial arts, internal skills, and combat techniques are one thing. Martial arts, however strong, wouldn't be much if that were all.

“But in more than a year in the dream, I traveled through countless mountains and forests, searching for herbs, minerals, and beasts. The world's environment is similar to that of Xuan Star. There are medicinal materials and ores that can only be produced in specific environments, but even more that are unheard of on Xuan Star...”

Lu Shiping was lost in memory.

Qinglong's face was filled with shock. In Lu Shiping's narration, he seemed to see a corner of a magnificent world.

Minerals, medicinal materials, beasts, writing, language, society, culture, laws... it covered almost every aspect. Qinglong could hardly believe this was just a dream.

Who could dream of something so outrageous?

“...I don't have much interest in the martial world. I only learned some martial arts by chance when I met a seriously injured old man. He also gave me *guan ding* (灌顶, esoteric empowerment or initiation) to me, giving me this internal energy. I didn't have much deep contact with the imperial court, the main force in that world, or with the martial world.”

Lu Shiping spoke, a hard-to-describe expression on his face. “But there was one thing that left a deep impression on me.”

“What is it?”

Seeing his subtle expression, Qinglong's heart stirred.

“The place where I was in the dream was called Feng Province. I heard that a remarkable master had emerged in the martial world of Feng Province, ranking second on the Weapon Rankings...”

Lu Shiping's eyes flickered. “Speaking of which, it may be a coincidence, but that person's name is exactly the same as that of the world's number one in our martial arts world!”

“An Qisheng?!”

Qinglong stood up abruptly, his face changing dramatically.

......

The sun was high in the sky, shining brightly.

The sunlight in the dead of winter was not strong, but the snow on the sunny side of the mountains had already begun to melt, dripping and flowing, making it muddy and messy.

Chirp~

A gray off-road vehicle parked by the roadside. Stepping through the mud in her snow boots, Gong Qingzhu got out of the car and looked at a Taoist temple on the distant mountaintop, bathed in soft sunlight.

Bang~

Wang Zhixuan casually closed the car door, and Jiang Shili and the two got out of the car one after another. The three women had different expressions, all looking at the nameless Taoist temple on the mountain.

These days, the internet was buzzing with discussions, and An Qisheng's popularity had surpassed everyone else's, becoming a hot topic. Countless people wanted to find his whereabouts but couldn't, but for Wang Zhixuan and others, it was naturally not a problem.

Looking at Gong Qingzhu's rare dazed state, Jiang Shili said meaningfully, “Qingzhu, you seem to be very interested in him?”

“I am interested.”

Faced with her best friend's teasing, Gong Qingzhu didn't retort. Her eyes were clear and her tone calm. “No martial artist wouldn't be interested in the world's number one.”

“Is that all?”

Jiang Shili still didn't let her go, her expression somewhat playful.

The three had a very good friendship, of course, but there was also some rivalry among them. Gong Qingzhu, who was in charge of the Gong family's overseas power, was the first of the three to break free from the shadow of the previous generation.

Always aloof and cold like a plum blossom, difficult to approach, it was rare to see her so interested in a man.

“Otherwise?”

Gong Qingzhu retracted her gaze and looked at Jiang Shili lightly. “What else could it be?”

Her gaze was calm, but Jiang Shili seemed to be shocked and turned her face away, still humming softly, “Knowing that you, Miss Gong, are good at *mei gongfu* (媚功夫, flirting skills), your eyebrows and eyes are electrified, but we are not those stinky men, who are you winking at?”

“Jiang Shili!”

Gong Qingzhu's eyebrows twitched slightly, and her originally gentle face suddenly looked heroic.

“Why are you calling *jiejie* (姐姐, older sister)?”

Jiang Shili refused to be outdone.

Wang Zhixuan stood aside, not caring about the bickering between the two sisters, her eyes reflecting the nameless Taoist temple on the mountain, and she couldn't help but recall that dream.

In that dream, there also seemed to be an An Qisheng, with a considerable reputation...

Although there were many people with the same name and profession, and the language in that dream was different from that of Xuan Star, it was likely that the pronunciation was similar. She knew that An Qisheng, who shook the world in the 'Wang Quan Dream', ranking second on the *Di Bang* (地榜, Earthly Rankings).

Was the An Qisheng she knew!

Because, this mountain, this temple, enshrined the 'Wang Quan Taoist'!

She didn't know what it meant before, but now she thought about it, and it suddenly became clear.

Hiding her thoughts, Wang Zhixuan glanced at her two best friends, “Alright, let's go.”

The two women then turned their faces away, ignoring each other, and followed Wang Zhixuan towards the mountain.

Tianlian Mountain was not big, and although it was far from populated areas, it was not a famous scenic spot, but as soon as they approached the mountain, the three women felt a change in their hearts and felt something unusual.

“This place's *feng shui* (风水, geomancy)...”

Jiang Shili was a little surprised. “No high mountains, no flowing water, and the terrain is only average, but the *feng shui* here seems to be much better than the famous mountains I've seen.”

“People are the *dao chang* (道场, place for spiritual practice), a blessed land. This is the interaction between human aura and heaven and earth. It's just that the area covered by *jian shen* (见神, literally "seeing the spirit", a cultivation realm) is only a family's worth, but this aura benefits an entire mountain and vaguely has a tendency to spread around...”

Wang Zhixuan's eyes were full of brilliance. Among the three, she was closest to *jian shen* and felt it most deeply.

This mountain seemed to be in harmony with heaven and earth, and the Taoist temple on the mountaintop was perfectly integrated with the environment. This could not be achieved by a simple *feng shui* array. It also required someone to suppress the 'array eye'.

“Xuanxuan, I want to buy this land.”

Gong Qingzhu's eyes were also very bright, and she thought differently from the two, proposing to buy the land and expressing her willingness to pay a high price.

Buy land?

Jiang Shili looked at Gong Qingzhu with disdain. “The smell of copper is all over you, it's disgusting.”

“The Gong family has a large business and many people to support. There's nothing wrong with the smell of copper. It's better than leeching off your parents for life.”

Gong Qingzhu smiled faintly. She was a businesswoman.

“Qingzhu has a good eye, but unfortunately, this piece of land has an owner.”

Wang Zhixuan slightly raised her chin to signal.

Without saying much, she stepped up the mountain.

Gong Qingzhu felt a little regretful. The aura here was very beneficial to people, and living here for a long time would inevitably prolong life and prevent all diseases. If she bought this land, she would definitely be able to build it into the world's top residential area.

Selling a foot for millions wouldn't be impossible.

What a pity...

The three women were not slow, and although they were not in a hurry, they had already walked along the mountain path and arrived at the Taoist temple.

When they got here, they found that the Taoist temple was not without a name.

“Heart?”

Wang Zhixuan's eyes moved. This Taoist temple, unlike most Taoist temples, didn't have any approvals or couplets.

The empty front of the door was only engraved with the word 'Heart'.

“Buddhism has the saying of focusing the mind, focusing on principle, and focusing on the three treasures. Mr. Yangming also said that the mind is principle and the unity of knowledge and action. But I don't know, which heart is your 'Heart'?”

Gong Qingzhu suddenly spoke.

Her cold voice seemed to condense into a line and enter the Taoist temple.

Whoosh~

The door of the Taoist temple opened slowly without any wind.

The Taoist temple was not large, and there was nothing remarkable about it, but in the center of the Taoist temple, a Taiji diagram was engraved on the ground.

In the center of the black and white Taiji diagram, An Qisheng sat cross-legged. His figure was not tall, and his body was not considered strong, but he had a majestic aura that was as unshakeable as a mountain.

The three women had all seen An Qisheng before. Jiang Shili had even looked for him half a year ago, but when they saw him at this time, their hearts couldn't help but be shaken.

They only felt that his aura was as vast as the starry sky, and without specifically targeting them, it already made people feel a sense of vastness.

Whoosh~

As the three women watched, An Qisheng slowly opened his eyes, his eyes warm.

As he opened his eyes, the majestic and vast aura on his body seemed to disappear, but the three women naturally didn't think it was an illusion.

“Naturally, it is my heart.”

An Qisheng's eyes were like a mirror, reflecting the appearances of the three women. He already understood the intentions of the three women and their current state.

Among the three women, Wang Zhixuan's aura was like a cold tiger, subtly cold, with a fierce tiger hidden at its core.

Jiang Shili's aura was like a fox, with a charming face and a changeable mind.

Gong Qingzhu's aura was like a solitary orchid in an empty valley, with hidden waves inside, calm as the deep sea, and angry as a tsunami.

But what was interesting was that all three were among the first 'Dream Ingressors', and they all suspected each other, but none of them said it explicitly, and none of them were willing to be the first to speak out.

Women, ha...

“You...”

With just one glance, the three women trembled, feeling that An Qisheng's eyes could penetrate all secrets.

To the extent that they had an illusion of being undressed, they couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and annoyed.

Wang Zhixuan even crushed her sunglasses, her willow eyebrows raised. “Have you looked enough?”

Fortunately, it was just a glance, and An Qisheng retracted his gaze, not answering Wang Zhixuan, but turning to look at the mountain path. “Since Captain Qinglong is here, come in together.”

Qinglong?

Wang Zhixuan frowned. Qinglong had already arrived in front of the Taoist temple, without seeing how he moved, and without any wind, appearing like a divine dragon, showing its head but not its tail.

Qinglong stood straight, looking directly at An Qisheng, and slowly asked, “I wonder when Mr. An discovered me?”

“When you wanted to see me.” An Qisheng stated calmly.

Covering the world with *qi zhong* (炁种, Qi Seed) could not be done in just ten or twenty days, but his divine intent was so powerful that he could sense anyone's intentions on Xuan Star.

“Hmm?”

Not only Qinglong, but Jiang Shili, Wang Zhixuan, and Gong Qingzhu also felt a shock in their hearts.

They wanted to disbelieve it, but they found that he had no need to deceive them.

“Please come in and sit down.”

While the few people were distracted, An Qisheng had already stood up, inviting the few people to come in. “If you have any questions, I will answer them without reservation.”

The few people were still a little distracted, but they didn't refuse, because this was one of their purposes in coming here, and they walked into the Taoist temple at his invitation.

An Qisheng naturally had a clear understanding of the arrival of the few people. To a certain extent, this situation was created by him.

Among the few people, one was from a large overseas force, one was a high-level official from the Special Affairs Bureau, one was the heir to the Great World of the Demon City, and one had a deep relationship with the Central Martial Arts Hall.

Through the mouths of the few people, everyone would know that he had become the world's number one master by relying on the 'Wang Quan Dream', saving many people from guessing wildly.

People's hearts were complicated. The more they didn't know something, the more they wanted to know.

Actively exposing his 'adventure', and with more than one person having this 'adventure', it would naturally allow many people to accept it.

And, be willing to believe.

“I know your intentions. You guessed correctly. I am An Qisheng from the 'Wang Quan Dream'.”

In the Taoist temple, the few people had many questions, and An Qisheng also spoke frankly, revealing some secrets that many people would know sooner or later, and sent the few people away.

The few people who walked out of the Taoist temple looked at each other, all a little embarrassed. It turned out that besides Qinglong, the three of them were all 'Dream Ingressors'.

Qinglong, who looked at his nose and then his heart, was even more embarrassed.

So, among the five people present, only he was an 'outsider'?

Clang~

As soon as the door of the Taoist temple closed, An Qisheng heard a familiar vibration.

With a wave of his hand, the mobile phone not far away flew into his hand. Before he could do anything, the mobile phone had automatically opened, displaying a video.

What was displayed was a blue creature that looked quite strange.

This strange blue creature was as small as a three or four-year-old child, with two arms and two legs, humanoid in shape, but with a pair of smaller wings.

At this time, it was fluttering in a dense, constantly jumping and flashing ocean of data.

“Hello, Mr. Monster.”

The blue creature politely put its arms across its chest. “You can call me Sanxin Blue Spirit Child. I am here to ask you to hand over that Changsheng Seed to me!”

“Mr. Monster?”

A strange ripple appeared in the depths of An Qisheng's eyes. “What if I don't hand it over?”

In the ocean of data, Sanxin Blue Spirit Child slowly straightened up. “In your words, it's 'courtesy first, then force'.”