This is a unique space that doesn't feel like a physical space; it's dark and deep...
The word "corridor" immediately popped into Qingmu's mind. Then he felt it didn't quite fit, so he wanted to change the name, but this space was really hard to describe. Cave? Tunnel? Bridge?... He searched through all the things in reality that could be compared to it, but there wasn't a similar one. In the end, he found that "corridor" was more appropriate.
When Qingmu turned around, the operating room and Zhao Pengcheng's dream were gone. Behind him was another corridor, just like the one directly in front, dark and long, leading nowhere.
He turned left and right, even looking up and down, but no matter which direction he looked, all he saw was a dark and long corridor.
A person in a corridor is unaware of up, down, left, right, east, west, south, and north.
Qingmu tried to walk forward, but the corridor remained the same, no matter how far he went, it didn't change at all, as if he were standing still.
There was nothing outside the corridor.
Within the corridor, one can still sense the existence of a space with their Mental Power. But once outside that space, the Mental Power vanishes as if it had disappeared into thin air.
It's like standing in a cave. The cave walls are both solid and hollow. You can touch the stone walls and feel their coolness, but if you exert a little force, your hand will pass right through them. The hand stuck inside the wall will suddenly lose all feeling, as if it has disappeared. But as soon as you pull your hand back, it's back to normal, not a single hair is missing.
At first, Qingmu thought the straight corridor was a one-dimensional space, much like a straight line. But he quickly realized something was wrong. If it were a one-dimensional space, there would inevitably be forces and rules supporting it, and it would have a unique appearance and internal structure within those rules. But apart from looking like a corridor, there was nothing there. Qingmu couldn't even sense the presence of any force.
He recalled Professor Mei explaining to him when analyzing the two triangular patterns that the connected vertices could be understood as zero-dimensional space, with the two spaces connected by zero-dimensional space. Zero-dimensional space has no spatial structure, no matter or energy, and only consciousness can enter it.
Since a zero-dimensional point can connect reality and dreams, it must also be able to connect dreams to dreams.
Qingmu realized that he was now in a zero-dimensional point. This was a Dream Corridor made up of zero dimensions, connecting to the dreams of other people.
But why have I never seen this zero-dimensional form when entering or exiting other people's dreams? And how does a zero-dimensional point create a sense of being in a corridor?
He pondered these questions for a long time but couldn't figure them out. Later, he discussed them with Professor Mei, but they didn't come to any convincing conclusions. However, Mei Ziqing's statement, "Perhaps it's something that exists naturally, like a wormhole," was more in line with the actual conjecture.
Qingmu "walked" back and forth in the corridor, without any fluctuation of Mental Power around him. In other words, he could not find any dream space connected to this corridor.
He knew Zhao Pengcheng hadn't lied to him. Regardless of whether the corridor was natural or artificially created, and regardless of whether it connected an individual's dream or a group's dream, the connection was now severed.
This means that Qingmu is trapped here and can't get out.
Qingmu sighed and muttered to himself, "Looks like I'll still have to rely on you."
In a dimensionless space, the words of a pure consciousness are not spoken language, but rather a thought.
As soon as the thought arose, the Zero-Dimensional Corridor, which contained nothing, suddenly began to fluctuate inexplicably. After a visual sensation of expansion and distortion, a clattering sound rang out, and a Crow flew in from nowhere and landed on Qingmu's head.
The Crow Guagua twice, looked around, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, what is this place? A prison of consciousness?"
"You're really something." Qingmu thought the Boss Coal's words had come true; he was indeed in prison, sitting across the table from Zhao Pengcheng, who was in shackles.
The Boss Coal shook his feathers and happily chirped, "It's rare to receive such praise, Guagua!" Then he looked around and said, "This place... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before?"
Qingmu asked in surprise, "Really? Where is it?"
The Crow scratched its feathers. "Let me think... um... yes, yes, oh!" it exclaimed excitedly, "I'm quite sure—I can't remember."
Qingmu sighed, "Your memory is getting worse and worse."
The Crow tapped Qingmu's head with its claws and said, "This is called 'one who stays near ink gets stained black'."
Qingmu said, "Okay, if you can't remember, that's fine. Take me out."
The Crow said, "Get out? How can we get out? This is a dead end; there's no way out."
Qingmu said, "If you can come, you can leave."
The Crow said, "It's because we're connected at heart that I can find you wherever your consciousness is. Now that you're here, where else can I go? Oh dear, are we going to be trapped here and die?"
Qingmu asked, "Where were you before you came?"
The Crow said, "I'm sleeping at home, Ruhua is cooking. Oh my god, Guagua, my Ruhua, my braised pork knuckle! Will I never see you again?"
Qingmu chuckled, "She'll wake you up when Ruhua's braised pork knuckle is ready."
"But can my consciousness, trapped in this godforsaken place, be woken up? Or will I never wake up?"
"It's possible. If the landlady sees you're not awake, she'll think you're sick and take you to the vet. The vet will give you a shot, and shots hurt so much, you'll definitely wake up."
"What? A shot!" the Crow jumped up. "No, no, no, I'd rather be stuck here than get a shot!"
Qingmu said, "There's another way."
"What method? Tell me quickly!"
"Go back to where I came from."
Where did you come from?
"I came from a guy's dream, and after I entered, he sealed the passage."
"Wow, how awful! *&^$@%￥*" the Crow cursed in its bird language. "Is it too late to go back now? If he's already awake, won't we be unable to get back?"
Qingmu shook his head and said, "No. This place has no dimensions, no matter or energy, and no time. In other words, even if we stay here for centuries, the only time that passes there is the instant I enter and leave."
The Crow still didn't understand, scratching its head and saying, "So, is he frozen in time, completely still? Wow, if only he were a beautiful woman, hehe, Guagua..."
Qingmu laughed and scolded, "I told you to watch less porn, or you'll die of exhaustion sooner or later!"