"Where am I?"
"I... who am I?"
Fairy Ziwei awakened within a dream, yet she had forgotten herself.
With a look of bewilderment, she looked around and found herself standing upon a vast expanse of yellow earth — desolate, without a single trace of life.
She looked down at herself. She had a body made of clay, with small hands and feet, her entire form dry and shriveled.
"It seems I've forgotten something important."
Fairy Ziwei furrowed her brow, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember.
She had even forgotten whether that important thing was an event or a person.
Try as she might, it wouldn't come to her.
Yet this vast, desolate yellow earth brought her an inexplicable feeling of kinship.
"Home?" The word surfaced in Fairy Ziwei's heart.
But the desolation of this home filled her with a sudden wave of sorrow.
Just then, a gust of wind blew in.
The wind grew stronger, sending sand and dust swirling through the air.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*
There were no clouds in the sky, yet a torrential downpour descended.
Raindrops the size of beans — tens of millions of them — hammered into the yellow soil.
Before long, a vast muddy expanse had formed.
Fairy Ziwei stood in the mire, soaked to the bone, a wretched sight.
But no matter how fierce the wind and rain, she kept her head raised, and her vision remained miraculously unobstructed.
She found that she knew this yellow earth land like the back of her hand.
She also discovered that she could control this wind and rain — as easily as wiggling her own fingers.
And so, she thought to herself: "This wind and rain is too fierce. Perhaps it should calm down a little."
And in the next moment, the wind and rain truly did subside.
Streaks of green emerged from the mud, spreading everywhere.
These were the tender sprouts of wild grass.
Looking at them, Fairy Ziwei felt an endless welling of joy rise within her heart.
This was life.
She finally felt that she was no longer so alone.
"What a pity they're growing so slowly. If only they could grow a little faster..."
And so, time itself began to accelerate.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, the greenery grew and flourished. Soon the grass rose above her ankles, spreading further and further, until the once desolate yellow earth had transformed into a lush meadow.
In low-lying areas where rainwater had pooled, crystal-clear ponds had formed.
Fairy Ziwei walked through the thick grass and stood at the edge of a pond. Gazing at her reflection in the water, she finally saw her complete appearance.
She was a clay figurine, crafted from purple clay, with golden lines tracing the shapes of eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Fairy Ziwei suddenly understood who she was.
"Of course. I am this blessed land's... Earth Spirit."
***
Central Continent.
Beneath the Myriad Stars Calculation Formation.
Outside the Embroidered Tower.
"Feng Jinhuang, daughter of Bai Qing, pays respect to Star Constellation Immortal Venerable." A mother and daughter bowed respectfully.
Star Constellation Immortal Venerable's true body remained within the Embroidered Tower.
She did not open the tower to let the mother and daughter in. Instead, she activated an Information Path mortal Gu, projecting an image into the air outside the tower.
The image displayed those Heavenly Dao dreamscapes. After cycling through them, Star Constellation Immortal Venerable suddenly spoke: "Feng Jinhuang, have you ever seen dreams such as these?"
Feng Jinhuang had already been studying the images with rapt attention. Hearing the question, she replied: "Reporting to Star Constellation Immortal Venerable, I have never seen such dreamscapes. However, I have long theorized that dreams, as they exist today, may be classified by their origin into three types — Human Dao, Beast-Plant, and Heavenly Dao."
"The so-called Human Dao dreamscapes originate from humans or variant humans — they are the dreams of such beings. Beast-Plant dreamscapes come from the great beasts and plants that once existed or still exist today. As for Heavenly Dao dreamscapes, they originate from the very fabric of heaven and earth."
Within the tower, Star Constellation Immortal Venerable nodded slightly. "Very well. Prepare yourself. There may come a day when you must personally venture to the Two Heavens to explore these Heavenly Dao dreamscapes."
But Feng Jinhuang shook her head and refused outright: "Forgive me, but I cannot do this. I am still only a mortal. I have not the slightest confidence in exploring dreamscapes of this level, and I absolutely cannot guarantee my own safety."
"Hmm?" Star Constellation Immortal Venerable raised an eyebrow, not expecting Feng Jinhuang to refuse her so directly and decisively.
For a moment, the scene fell into silence.
Beside her, Fairy Bai Qing was under tremendous pressure, wanting to speak but holding back. Ultimately, she said nothing.
The suffocating atmosphere grew heavier by the second.
As for Feng Jinhuang, her expression remained one of calm indifference, seemingly oblivious to any of it.
"Very well. You are both dismissed." After a long pause, Star Constellation Immortal Venerable spoke.
"I take my leave." Feng Jinhuang rose immediately, bowed toward the tower, and turned to depart.
Watching the mother and daughter fly away into the distance, Star Constellation Immortal Venerable let out a soft, lingering sigh, her gaze quite conflicted.
Ying Wuxie had been swallowed by a Heavenly Dao dreamscape. That was truly a great loss.
He had been a valuable piece against Ghostly Reverend, yet he had been eliminated by the Heavenly Dao's will.
And since the dreamscapes could not be explored, it meant Ying Wuxie's loss was a foregone conclusion.
Feng Jinhuang's theory about the Heavenly Dao and Human Dao dreamscapes had confirmed what Star Constellation Immortal Venerable had long suspected. But Feng Jinhuang was indeed only a mortal Gu Master, not yet a Gu Immortal. It was understandable that she had no means of dealing with such dreamscapes.
"However, these Heavenly Dao dreamscapes cannot be concealed by me. It is only a matter of time before the other two Venerables learn of them. The battle of the Three Venerables, I fear, is about to begin once more."
Worry filled Star Constellation Immortal Venerable's heart.
Because this time, things were far more complicated than before.
The Black and White Heavens had already passed. Only the Ghostly Heaven remained.
The Ghostly Heaven was Ghostly Reverend's domain.
If a Venerable were to rashly invade, how would Ghostly Reverend react?
Ghostly Reverend's mind was incoherent, permeated with the Heavenly Dao's will. The Heavenly Dao dreamscapes were the same. What was the relationship between the two? Would they aid each other?