Chapter 815 - 803: Anomaly

Afternoon.

After meddling with the demon poison inside the Seven-Star Jade Purifying Bottle for more than one Hour, only increasing the proficiency of the Plague Immortal Technique by ten points, Chen Mu stopped his cultivation.

"How about going outside Miling Island to gather some demon Qi?"

"There's demon poison within demon Qi too."

After thinking it over, he shook his head to dispel the thought.

Daoist Monarch Jiang locked down the entire Miling Island to refine the Spiritual Eye. Sneaking out could get mistaken as an insider, and that might cost a life.

Let the Plague Immortal Technique progress slowly; it doesn't delay nourishing the Dao Foundation anyway.

Miling Island is stable, and the previously accumulated demon Qi is sufficient.

Compared to the past, such a stable environment for improving Dao is rare.

With a couple expressions of admiration, Chen Mu left the Green Jade Immortal Residence and headed toward the small market outside the camp.

...

"Camp Master, same as before, a five-colored pheasant?"

In the corner of the market, a tall and thin man was smiling at Chen Mu.

Nearby the stall were piles of wooden cages, each containing a five-colored pheasant.

Seeing Chen Mu nod, he promptly caught a plump five-colored pheasant and placed it into a small bamboo basket with a round belly and a small opening.

"Was there anything fresh on the street today?" Chen Mu handed over five White Jade Coins, took the bamboo cage, and asked casually.

As the days pass stationed on Miling Island, the unique spirit grass and exotic beasts are slowly being discovered for their value.

Every so often, new items would appear in the small market.

From basic food that merely fills the belly to rare treasures beneficial for nourishing essence and strengthening foundation, everything is available.

"You can ask Old Wu at the street corner."

"I heard he found a type of fiery red mountain fruit, quite flavorful," the tall and thin man replied with a grin, having dealt with Chen Mu several times and knowing his interest in various ingredients.

Chen Mu's eyes lit up at the words.

Miling Island is ultimately a Daoist Soldier camp with few entertainment options.

Chen Mu isn't interested in the fighting games and gambling like cockfights and card playing within the camp, nor is there a place for performances; seeking local delicious ingredients has become one of the few joys.

Listening to the shopkeeper's recommendation, he strolled leisurely towards the street corner with the chicken basket.

Chen Mu didn't hurry on his way, stopping to watch wherever there was excitement.

He enjoys the tranquility of solitude but doesn't mind the lively atmosphere of the human world.

"Tsk, people are indeed social creatures, even with high cultivation, enduring long-term loneliness is difficult," Chen Mu mused.

He walked, stopped, and looked here and there.

Just as he was observing, he suddenly sensed something was off.

"Feels like something is missing."

Chen Mu stared at two people not far away.

The two were arguing over a piece of emerald green ore.

The buyer angrily accused the seller of fraud, selling him a useless stone at a high price, demanding a refund and compensation at tenfold.

The seller looked indifferent, saying once sold, no take-backs, never claimed it was treasure, it was the buyer's choice to buy it as such.

Others nearby chuckled and jeered, saying the seller sold it with skill, why should there be a refund.

Another offered to help beat the seller if no refund was given.

The crowd was loud, and their expressions genuine.

But...

"But why do I feel no emotions from these people?"

Chen Mu frowned.

Since the Seven Emotions Curse recently advanced, his perception of others' emotions grew sharper, according to feedback from the Stone Gate; he could vaguely sense others' seven emotions even without actively casting it.

Yet, these people in front laughing and arguing had no emotional fluctuations.

It was like watching a movie, with sound and visuals real enough to resonate with others, but the characters themselves were just phantom images, without genuine emotions.

This isn't right!

Chen Mu stood in the middle of the street, looking at the bustling small market.

There was laughing and arguing, but in the perception of the Seven Emotions Curse, they seemed as lifeless as corpses, with no emotions or desires.

This real human atmosphere somehow made his hairs stand on end!

...

Evening, at the Geng Character Camp, in front of the wooden building on the hillside.

"You want to come to the Geng Character Camp to help handle the Maling Demon carcasses?" Wu Jie looked at Chen Mu with suspicion.

"Indeed, I used to be a butcher at the Outer Heaven Star, skilled in flaying and dismembering," Chen Mu confidently nodded.

"You're not planning to secretly take Maling Demon carcasses, are you?" Wu Jie eyed Chen Mu suspiciously.

"I'm always law-abiding, how could I do something so sneaky," Chen Mu retorted unhappily.

"I'm just looking to serve the Divine Monarch," he declared righteously.

You guess whether I believe you.

Wu Jie rolled his eyes: "Tell the truth!"

"Honestly, no plan to secretly take," Chen Mu chuckled.

"I just want to remove the demon poison." He didn't hide his intentions.

"You know, I have a Secret Technique that can remove demon poison."

"Handling Maling Demon carcasses, removing demon poison, will allow me to better practice secret techniques."

This...

"Is also possible." Wu Jie thought for a moment and nodded.

"Rather than risk unknown incidents from sneaking out to hunt Maling Demons, it's better to handle carcasses at my Geng Character Camp."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist!" Chen Mu was overjoyed and repeatedly clasped his hands in courtesy.

"So, should I come tomorrow?" he asked expectantly.

"Sure." Wu Jie nodded indifferently.

Chen Mu clasped his hands in thanks again.

After exchanging pleasantries for a moment and inquiring about some detailed procedures, Chen Mu left the Geng Character Camp with a joyful expression.

Returning to the Ren Character Camp at Green Jade Immortal Residence, he closed the door, and the joy on Chen Mu's face suddenly vanished.

"There's definitely a problem!" Chen Mu's expression turned grave.

Earlier at the Geng Character Camp, he secretly cast the Seven Emotions Curse. Wu Jie's expression was real, his eyes lively, yet there wasn't a trace of seven emotions and six desires.

It was as if... it was as if the living person before him was just an artificial puppet!

...

As night fell, lights started to illuminate the Ren Character Camp.

Inside the Green Jade Immortal Residence, Chen Mu sat on the soft couch, the Giant Spirit Divine beside him activating the Truth Listening Divine Power, clearly reflecting the entire scene of the Ren Character Camp in his mind.

Some were discussing profound doctrines, others drinking and shouting, some huddled in tents focusing on cultivation.

Everyone appeared to be lively, yet lacked seven emotions and six desires.

It was like a group of artificial puppets performing a seemingly real yet illusionary drama together.

"Could it be... the Mistaken Dream Realm?!"

Chen Mu's heart was stirred.

He had once been dragged into the Mistaken Dream Realm by Wu Neng'er, but even then, he could discern some hints of falsehood in the dream realm.

But here...

Chen Mu tried to connect with Thousand Lanterns City, and opened the gateway effortlessly.

Looking at the pitch-black portal beside him, Chen Mu was silent.

Back in the Mistaken Dream Realm, nothing was this smooth.

Is he truly in that dream realm?

Or... is the Thousand Lanterns City before him also a mere illusionary dreamscape?!

Chen Mu felt his scalp tighten and couldn't help but glance at the Giant Spirit Divine beside him.

"And you... are you real or false?"

Chen Ming took a deep breath and immersed his spirit into the Dao Foundation Jade Seed.

Within the Jade Cicada Dao Foundation was the imprinted mark of the Mili Sky Great Demon, and it was the Jade Cicada Dao Foundation that helped him escape the Mistaken Dream Realm.

But now...

Over the past few days, he had been nourishing the Dao Foundation with Pure Yang Qi, which should have revealed something long ago.

"Could it be that even the previous magic practice was nothing but an illusionary dream?"

Chen Mu felt bitter inside.

"Whether it works or not, I have to try."

"I don't want to die without understanding!"

He forced himself to calm down and began carefully observing the Jade Cicada Dao Foundation.

The Jade Cicada Dao Foundation was sculpted inch by inch by him, with every trace of true talisman patterns remembered in his mind. He did not believe the dream illusion could clearly replicate all the lines and movements!

Chen Mu immediately started sensing from the first thread of pattern.

The golden Jade Cicada Qi slowly emerged, gradually enveloping his entire body.

At some moment, water rippled before his eyes, and his vision became clear.

Threads of white silk appeared before his eyes, resembling a white ribbon tightly covering his eyes.

And in that instant Chen Mu saw the ribbon, it transformed into threads like silkworm fibers, breaking down and dissipating in the air.

"It truly is the Mistaken Dream Realm!" Chen Mu couldn't help but clench his fist tightly.

He looked beside him and found the Giant Spirit Divine indeed standing beside him.

"The mix of truth and falsehood, no wonder it's so hard to distinguish!"

Chen Mu again activated Truth Listening to sweep across the Ren Character Camp, and then his face turned extremely somber.

...

A moment later, Chen Mu quietly arrived at a tent inside.

In his previous perception, the tent's owner was sitting in meditation practicing Qi Refinement.

But now...

Chen Mu looked towards the center of the tent, where a person-high, broken giant silkworm cocoon lay horizontally.

The white cocoon had split open in the middle, revealing a monster's corpse lying inside.

The creature's skin was blue-gray, hair sparse, eyes mismatched in size, nose gone, mouth full of sharp teeth protruding from its lips.

"Maling Demon!"

"This face..."

Chen Mu frowned in observation, the more he looked, the more familiar he found this terrifying, inhuman face.

"Wasn't this the Qi Cultivator meditating in the dream realm before?!"

"The Maling Demon turned out to be transformed from a Qi Cultivator?!"

Chen Mu felt his movement technique tense.

The Truth Listening Divine Power immediately swept across the entire Ren Character Camp.

He found the camp eerily silent, with no discussions on doctrines or drinking games. Everyone had been enveloped in white ribbons, forming white giant cocoons, silently lying in their tents!

Chen Mu couldn't help but think of the white silkworm ribbons that had wrapped around his eyes previously.

"If I hadn't awakened in time..."

Chen Mu's hair stood on end, and he was instantly covered in goosebumps!

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