You Su's Forgotten Matter

The High Antiquity Kunpeng arrived with its wings spread wide, its wings like clouds hanging from the sky, its scales spewing out Outer Realm Devil, and wherever it passed, the starry river shattered like glazed tiles.

Suddenly, the Kunpeng opened its giant beak, from which emerged a group of strangely dressed, short-haired demons.

They used human bones as their banners, and every howl they uttered became a world-destroying curse, causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear on the land of Kyushu as it trembled.

Suddenly, the sound of bronze chimes echoed from the heavens, and six imposing figures shattered the void as they arrived.

The six powerful beings formed the Big Dipper Formation Diagram, and the Dao patterns cascaded down like the Milky Way. The wings of the Kunpeng were peeled off piece by piece within the Formation Technique, and it finally fell into the sea before dawn.

You Su had never seen such a shocking scene, but he knew very well that this was the event of the invasion of Outer Realm Heavenly Demons five thousand years ago. Subsequently, the five immortal ancestors appeared out of nowhere and saved the people of the five continents from fire and water. From then on, they opened the divine mountains and spread the immortal way, allowing the five continents to end the ancient era of ignorance.

This is a history familiar to everyone on the world's continents, but the scene before us is somewhat contrary to history.

People only know of the five great immortal ancestors, so who is this sixth powerful being?

But just as You Su Suning looked up to take a closer look, it began to plummet wildly.

The eighth layer of the dream thus came to an end.

A cold wind rustled You Su's clothes as he stood on a snowfield of amber, the ice crystals beneath his feet refracting countless tiny rainbows.

Everything here is excessively vibrant; even the falling snowflakes are coated in colorful powder, like a dust cloud that has been crushed.

He knew he was dreaming, and it was a perfectly lucid dream.

When the iridescent phosphorescent powder of that magical creature fell upon the sacred mountain, You Su didn't know if everyone had been forced into a dream, but he certainly was.

Despite his and their precautions against inhaling the phosphorus powder, as advised by Ganlong Venerable, they were still inevitably drawn into the dream, simply because—He is the Lord of Dreams.

What He used to bewitch people might not have been the phosphorus powder at all, or perhaps He exploited people's fear of that colorful phosphorus powder.

He didn't remember how long he had been traveling through this dream world, only that this was his ninth dream.

In the first layer of the dream, he received a blank letter, the paper soaked with the fishy smell of seawater, but when unfolded, a line of small words appeared:

"If you wish to leave, enter the Nine Layered Dream Abyss and kill me."

He deciphered the flaws in each layer of the dream and finally reached the ninth layer.

The sky hung low like an inverted mirror lake, with viscous rainbow light seeping from every crack, as if Evil God were licking the tongue of humankind.

At this moment, he gripped the Ink Pine Sword tightly, its dark and smooth blade reflecting his pale face.

He wondered, where was the person he should kill?

He looked around, but couldn't find a single person besides himself.

He began to shift his gaze downwards, and on the mirror-like ice surface, another version of himself appeared in the reflection—a figure in black robes and a sword in black, gentle and clear-eyed.

"You've come." The reflection chuckled, its voice echoing through the air. "Kill me, and you'll wake up."

Without the slightest hesitation, the moment You Su's Ink Pine Sword pierced the ice, countless mirror images shattered simultaneously.

You Su saw countless versions of himself: one practicing swordsmanship on Lotus Peak, one slaying evil in the sea, one obediently waiting in front of his Mistress's door... Each phantom whispered, "Who exactly are you?"

"Zhuang Zhou dreamt he was a butterfly, and the butterfly dreamt it was Zhuang Zhou..."

The broken mirror was mended, and the reflection smiled gently at him again, "Guess, are you seeing You Su outside of the dream, or You Su in the dream?"

You Su was stunned and lost in thought. The nine consecutive layers of dreams had made him feel tired. He was not afraid of the Lord of Dreams, but that did not mean he was invincible in front of Empty Nightmare.

At this moment, he himself felt disoriented. He had even forgotten how he got here, only remembering the initial command that had driven him into the deep dream—kill me.

Who am I? But there's no one else here, only himself.

If I am killed, will this "me" be able to leave?

Hesitating for a moment, Ink Pine Sword was already slowly placed against his own neck.

In the ice mirror, You Su's lips curled slightly, as if victory was assured.

"But I can't die..." You Su suddenly stopped, muttering, "Although I always work very hard, I don't really want to die... because there are still many people waiting for me... How can I die?"

So many lingering obsessions in his heart held back his suicidal arm, You Su's lips curled into a deeper smile in the ice mirror.

"You Su!"

"Elder brother!"

Two familiar clear voices rang out, You Su suddenly withdrew his ink sword and turned around to see two beautiful figures, one tall and one short, flying towards him.

The two stunningly beautiful faces are seven parts alike; one exudes a dignified and noble air, while the other is youthful and adorable.

Ganlong Venerable forcefully grabbed his wrist, which was holding the sword, and demanded, "What were you trying to do just now!"

"Brother isn't going to kill himself, is he?!" Bai Ze retorted, grabbing You Su's arm, which was already restrained by the woman.

You Su, however, smiled and asked in the ice mirror:

"Is this your friend?"

The two women's beautiful eyes narrowed simultaneously, only then realizing that You Su in the ice mirror could not only move independently, but also speak!

"It's an illusion!" Ganlong Venerable condensed stardust-like points of light at his fingertips and suddenly smashed them onto the ice surface, shattering it with a crash. "If you had stabbed it just now, you would have fulfilled the wish of the Lord of Dreams!"

To her surprise, the broken ice surface was restored in an instant, and You Su, who was smiling lightly, looked at them amicably through the ice.

You Su's apple bobbed, and he gasped for breath as if only realizing it belatedly. He didn't understand why this illusion, which others could see through at a glance, had thrown him, someone who almost never got lost in illusions, into a state of confusion.

What is so special about him? Or is his special quality specific to him only?

"So you two are actually one body with two souls. No wonder you were able to enter the Heart Reflection Lake on the ninth level. I just didn't expect such a wondrous thing to actually happen—one soul split into two. However, thanks to this, you can see yourselves by looking at each other, which easily broke through the shackles of this ninth level. It seems that even the most ingenious rules have loopholes."

'You Su' was still smiling gently, but it was different from You Su's own relaxed smile that had a hint of smugness. The Ganlong Venerable, who had seen countless people, could see that the smile on his face in the mirror had an inexplicable weariness, as well as a maturity that seemed to have seen it all.

She was certain that he was not You Su, at least not the You Su she knew.

She had never met anyone in the world who could see at a glance that she and Bai Ze were one body with two souls.

"You can't scare us. As the Lord of Dreams, it's easy for you to pry into our memories. But no matter how much you know, we won't be bewitched by you."

Ganlong Venerable proudly raised his head, but tightened his grip on the boy's wrist, as if afraid that he would take the sword and commit suicide again.

You Su smiled noncommittally and offered no explanation.

"They came to rescue you?"

You Su looked at the two women. From their expressions, he could tell that they had also been pulled into the abyss of the dream by Empty Nightmare, and then by fortuitous opportunity, they met him in this last layer of the dream.

"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?" You Su retorted.

"Can you trust them?" he asked again in the mirror.

At this moment, the two women frowned even more deeply, and Bai Ze immediately interjected, "You're not allowed to sow discord between me and my brother!"

Ganlong Venerable sneered coldly, "Your attempt to sow discord is rather clumsy."

You Su also felt that this scheme to sow discord was too clumsy, so clumsy that it didn't seem like it had any ulterior motives, but was just a simple, ordinary question.

"I believe them," You Su replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, both women were startled and stared at him blankly. However, a warm feeling welled up in their hearts at the same time, and neither of them was willing to let go of the hand that was holding You Su's arm.

"That's good." He nodded, seemingly satisfied. "It seems you're not alone, that's good."

You Su frowned, genuinely puzzled by the other party's tone, which sounded like that of an old friend. "You know me?"

"This is the Heart Reflection Lake, and I am you. If I don't know you, am I not knowing myself?"

You Su felt something was amiss and didn't want to linger any longer. "I didn't kill myself as you wished. The illusion has broken. You can let us go now."

"There's no such thing as an illusion." He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "I sent you here to talk to you, but we haven't finished speaking yet. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

"But you just tried to kill me." You Su looked at him coldly.

"If I don't kill you, you'll kill me. Who in this world doesn't want to live?"

The three of them fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. He had failed to kill You Su, so he was the one who was going to die, yet he maintained a smile as if he were unaware that he was about to die.

"What do you want to say?" You Su suddenly asked, feeling as if he were the more ferocious one, while the other person was the innocent version of himself.

"Do you think the world needs immortals?" His first question was sure to be a shocking remark.

Ganlong Venerable and Bai Ze exchanged glances while listening, seemingly reaching some kind of tacit understanding: they would immediately interrupt You Su if they sensed anything amiss.

"Of course it's needed. Mystic Qi is just a resource, a resource that should have made the world a better place. So, those who can draw upon this resource certainly have a reason to exist."

You Su's answer was shocking enough to startle both women. Ganlong Venerable's eyes flickered, filled with the boy's reflection.

This was because You Su's viewpoint coincided with her own philosophy: the existence of Mystic Qi was not for any one person to attain immortality. It existed between heaven and earth before the emergence of cultivators, so those who amassed it should give back to heaven and earth in a corresponding way.

"So, in your opinion, what kind of being is the Immortal Ancestor?" he asked again, the question still as astonishing as ever.

Unlike the previous question, You Su did not answer quickly. He hesitated for a moment before replying:

"I don't know. They may be powerful, mysterious, and noble, like gods. But I've never actually seen them, I don't know if they really exist, or if they're still alive. I just feel that instead of worshipping them, it's better to trust in my own hands."

The two women nodded slightly upon hearing this. Judging from the calamity of Kong Yuan Divine Mountain, the Immortal Ancestor Temple was unreliable. Perhaps the Immortal Ancestor Kong Yuan could indeed create a new and prosperous Bei'ao, but it would be a Bei'ao devoid of humanity.

Therefore, Ganlong Venerable felt no joy at being spared; instead, she was furious at the fear of becoming the next pawn to be discarded. All privileges come with a price, a fact she remembered and hoped everyone would keep in mind.

He still didn't comment on You Su's answer, but just listened attentively with that meaningful smile.

After listening to his explanation, he asked again, "Why do you think that person would make you blind?"

This question was beyond Bai Ze's comprehension, who had been away from the world for thirty years. However, Ganlong Venerable had read a report about the divine child You Su. The report stated that You Su was blind but could see all evil spirits, which likely meant that he had seen the three great Evil God when he was very young. The purpose of blinding him afterward was to make him live in a world where he could only see evil spirits.

Looking back now, Ganlong Venerable couldn't help but feel a pang of pity, sensing the bloody cruelty of You Su's fate.

You Su herself felt that this answer was a very reasonable guess, although she didn't know who was so heartless as to make a child destined to face that dark and ferocious world from birth.

But when asked this question by "herself," You Su felt that this wasn't the answer the other person wanted.

Because it's him, so if that's the answer, why would 'he' even bother asking?

As if struck by lightning, veins bulged on You Su's temples.

"He doesn't want me to see Him; He manipulates my destiny, yet he fears me seeing Him!"

The You Su in the mirror finally revealed an approving smile. "When you spy on others through a hole, what you fear most is another eye appearing on the other side. Mysteries are all like this; they are even more afraid of being seen than we are."

Yes! You Su wholeheartedly agreed with this analogy!

The person who made himself blind didn't actually have any fancy ideas; he simply didn't want to see himself!

Either His identity is sensitive, or His appearance is obvious; in any case, He must be wary of something!

"Do you know who He is!" You Su suddenly shouted at his reflection in the ice mirror.

He could only manage a wry smile, "If only I knew..." Then, with unwavering certainty, he added, "But I believe you will find Him."

Because You Su has realized that such an existence must be hiding in the darkest, most concealed corners! Once there is a target in the game of hide-and-seek, finding it is no longer so difficult!

"Alright, it's time for me to die too. How about we make one last deal?" he asked with a smile.

"What kind of deal?" You Su, somewhat wary.

"I'll tell you what you've forgotten, and you'll fulfill one of my wishes."

Both women looked at You Su with concern, thinking to themselves that You Su's claim that he hadn't forgotten anything was indeed a lie.

You Su pursed his lips, perhaps because the other person was about to die, he couldn't bear to refuse:

"What is your wish?"

"Go to Japan and see her for me." His smile turned bitter.

"Eastern Japan? Who is she?"

"Her name is Xingzhao." His smile turned proud.

This smile stunned the three people opposite the ice mirror, because these two words were far more terrifying than anything he had said before—there was only one person named Xing Zhao in the Eastern Ying Continent, and that was the Star Zhao Divine Mountain Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor Divine Mountain!

"I... I will go," You Su agreed.

He smiled with relief, then turned halfway around, as if he were going somewhere, but most likely to die.

At this moment, You Su also realized that the 'he' in the ice mirror might have some connection with him, but it was not him.

He and Star Zhao Immortal Ancestor were from the same era, but they met by fortuitous opportunity due to Empty Nightmare.

"Are you the sixth person?" You Su couldn't help but ask.

"It's not uncommon for the Four Great Classical Novels to actually consist of five books, and for the Five Great Immortal Ancestors to actually consist of six."

He seemed to be mocking himself, but You Su could easily tell from his previous questions that he was reminding himself to deconstruct this so-called authority.

He seemed to be getting farther and farther away; all that could be seen through the ice was a deep blue expanse, nothing else.

Bai Ze called out to him, "You still haven't said what he forgot!"

'You Su' turned around, waved his hand, and smiled apologetically:

"He forgot he's about to explode and die! His cultivation has long since reached the Water Condensation Perfection, yet instead of properly regulating his breathing and preparing for a breakthrough, he's been fighting everywhere and relentlessly cultivating Qi, like forcing someone who's already stuffed to continue gorging themselves. Plus, his Cultivation Method is special, which has already backfired. If he doesn't release it soon, he'll explode!"

As he finished speaking, You Su, who had regained his memories, suddenly felt an overwhelming pain awaken within his body.

The pain was always there, but You Su had forgotten it!

At that moment, he was like a soldier controlled by hormones, only caring about killing the enemy, but after the hormones subsided, he remembered the excruciating pain all over his body.

He then realized the source of the unease he had felt since approaching the sacred mountain. It wasn't that he had some kind of precognitive conspiracy, but rather that the mismatch between his consciousness and his body was causing his body to send him frequent dangerous signals.

But he didn't take it seriously and forcibly suppressed it, so that no one else noticed his unusual behavior.

Ganlong Venerable and Bai Ze simultaneously probed into You Su's body with their Mystic Qi and indeed found that he was on the verge of collapse. You Su was even unable to stand on his own, his muscles spasming in waves, as he was held in the woman's arms.

"Heart Reflection Lake is a place for self-reflection and spiritual cultivation. Let's go to the sixth level."

With a wave of his hand, the person in the ice caused the environment around You Su and the other two to recede as if by a stream of light.

Ganlong Venerable and Bai Ze met eyes as if by telepathy, but then looked away immediately.

They all came here after traversing nine layers of dreams, and they remember each layer of dreams clearly.

The sixth level is the Desire Realm.

On the other side of the ice, the man was slowly disappearing, as ephemeral as quicksand.

He gazed gratefully into the depths, his voice soft and wistful, as if lamenting his own failure:

"You've preserved a wisp of my remnant spirit for so long, so that one day I might take your place? Alas, I've failed your good intentions; I'm already dead..."

Empty Nightmare Yan knew that he had lured them here without intending to kill him.