Although Li Yao had guessed the answer, he was still greatly surprised when he heard it from the grey mist lady. “How did it happen?”

“That’s a question that should be asked by you.”

The grey mist lady said, “Since you’ve awakened some amazing memories and abilities after reading ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivator’, why can’t other people awaken them? Why do you think we are in such a hurry to find the author of ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivator’? It’s because there are too many examples.”

“What?”

Li Yao keenly grasped the key point in the grey mist lady’s words. “You mean, you mean to say that it’s not just me and this Teacher Zhang Jiashu. It’s very likely that there are other people, other readers, who have been stimulated, moved, and summoned by this work, have awakened the memories and strength from the ‘Four Universities of Cultivation’?”

“Maybe. The intelligence and missions of ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivators’ are all under the direct command of Red Pole. I didn’t know the existence of the author and Zhang Jiashu, the head instructor, until forty-eight hours ago. Maybe more readers have been awakened or even protected and organized by Red Pole. Who knows?”

The grey mist lady said, “I can only say that in a fantasy world created by an observer, whether it is a novel, a comic, a movie, a TV, or a game, more often than not, more than one Awakener is awakened.

“Countless people were moved, resonated, and awakened on a large scale in the same fantasy world. It was not unusual at all. It was like the ‘World of Stars’ that Garriott created. Maybe he could stimulate and wake up millions of ‘heroic spirits’ at the same time. That was why the Heaven’s Origin Sector had to send out gunmen to kill him in the simplest and crudest way.

“Ms. Gray Mist, do you mean that ‘40,000 Years of Cultivators’ boasts such power, too, that its readers might be, uh, the key to the future of Earth and the entire universe in the Red Pole’s prediction?”

Li Yao did not know how he had grasped the telepathic thoughts of Red Pole naturally. It did not make sense. He just could.

“It’s possible, but only if you are a ‘deep reader’. Readers like me who can’t survive the first 300-500 chapters naturally won’t be able to draw any strength from ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivation’.

The grey mist lady laughed.

Li Yao smiled, too. He thought for a moment and asked, “Then, other than the fact that Mr. Zhang Jiashu likes to crawl through ventilation tubes and sewers, and that his temperament is more… sleazy, does he have any other superpowers? I mean those that are particularly good at fighting, such as blowing up a wall with one punch or jumping seven to eight feet high, or something like that. Are they as invincible as me?”

“No. Not everyone is like you, who can fight against a ‘hunter’ as soon as they are awakened. You’ve simply completed an impossible task. There are no suitable hands or equipment here to run the most precise tests on you. But I estimate that you are far more than a ‘Deep Perception’. You are at least a ‘Ultimate Perception’, if not a ‘Ultimate Perception’, which is the highest level!”

The grey mist lady said, “Most of the awakened ones are the same as Master Zhang Jiashu without any guidance. They are plagued by hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, and dreams that are both real and hallucinations. They may have neurotic and eccentric habits, but their combat ability might not be significantly improved.

“Besides, you should be able to tell that Master Zhang Jiashu is very resistant to this kind of… memory and strength derived from the . He simply does not want to awaken, and he does not even believe that all of this is true. Under these circumstances, it is even more difficult for him to display the corresponding strength.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Li Yao asked, “Should we bring him back to the ‘Ark’?”

“Of course not. What do you think our organization is? A garbage recycling center where everybody is welcome? To be a real ‘prison breaker’, we need the most firm belief, the most tenacious will, and the most clear-minded thinking. We don’t need someone who is not determined and resists us to sabotage our mission from the inside.

The grey mist lady said, “Originally, the Red Pole Star came up with a very complicated plan that would consume a lot of resources, with a low success rate, to treat Master Zhang Jiashu. They even considered asking him to talk to the author of ‘Forty Thousand Years of Cultivators’ directly to see if there would be any sparks. But now that you are here, according to the Red Pole Star, you are the best candidate to treat Master Zhang Jiashu, and the treatment will give you a clearer understanding of yourself.”

“I—I don’t know what to do at all!”

Li Yao frowned. “What can I do to wake him up?”

“You will never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep. We have been wandering in the labyrinth of infinite reincarnation for so long that many people have lost the courage to look for the exit. They even deny the existence of the exit and fear the world outside. Therefore, I will not force you to wake up Master Zhang Jiashu.”

The grey mist lady handed a green coat to Li Yao, which was sort of the uniform of a consultant. “Please. Listen to your heart and let nature take its course.”

“But—”

Li Yao forced himself to put on his coat. “At my age and with such a bald head, I don’t look like a consultant at all!”

“It doesn’t matter. Red Pole has faith in you. As I said before, ‘As long as you are you, everything will be fine’.”

The grey mist lady pushed Li Yao into the room without further ado. “Right. Special barriers have been installed to the top and bottom of the ‘ decompression chamber’. They can create a very marvelous magnetic field that can help those who enter it achieve ‘resonance’ on the brainwaves level. According to Red Pole, such ‘resonance’ can help you treat your wounds and help you find yourself faster. I hope you don’t mind.”

Li Yao had no time to care. The door closed behind him. He and the tortured Teacher Zhang Jiashu stared at each other.

Zhang Jiashu was deeply immersed in the painful and terrifying memories, unable to free himself. He was like a drowning man who had sunk deep into a swamp. His two bloodshot eyes were about to explode. He swept a glance at Li Yao. He didn’t care about Li Yao’s overly young face and bald head. He was once again immersed in his own world.

With just a glance, Li Yao had a very strange feeling, as if he was looking in a mirror.

He and Zhang Jiashu were not related at all, nor did they have any similarities. But the moment their eyes met, he felt that he was looking at himself in a mirror, a more real version of himself. How weird!

“Hello, Teacher Zhang.”

Li Yao sat down in front of Zhang Jiashu and recalled the description of the psychological consultant in the movies. He tried to put on a professional smile and said seriously, “My surname is Li. I’ve been studying in the San Diego Psychiatric Research Center for a while. I just returned to the country this morning. Well, I have a very special study on sewers and ventilation tubes. How are you feeling? Do you still dream of sewers and ventilation tubes?”

Zhang Jiashu’s reaction was a bit slow. When he heard Li Yao mention the word ‘dream’, the muscles all over his body visibly trembled for a moment, as if he was extremely afraid of recalling the dream. Only after a long time did he weakly say, “… No, I don’t feel good at all. On the contrary, I feel even worse. Other than the sewers and ventilation ducts, I also dream of something very strange, very shameful, and terrifying to the point that it can’t be described with words. I’m about to go mad. I have a premonition that if this goes on, I will definitely go mad. Save me, doctor, save me!”

“I’m not a doctor. I’m just a consultant.

Li Yao smiled. “However, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been dreaming about first, Professor Zhang? Maybe I can help you with the special hypnotizing techniques and meditation techniques in San Diego. This, this ‘guidance’.”

Zhang Jiashu wanted to say something but hesitated. It could be seen that intellectual integrity and the reserve of a teacher were still trying to support his normal thinking.

But his fear of the weird dream and the craziness made him let go of his reservations quickly. His lips trembled as he said, “I—I’ve been having a new weird dream for the past two days. It was very, very weird, terrifying, disgusting, and disgusting. I—I—I dreamed that I was watching a movie.

“Well…”

Li Yao was slightly stunned. He controlled his smile precisely. “There’s nothing disgusting about this, much less disgusting, right? We’re all adults here. Let’s watch some adult movies that adults are supposed to watch. Relax your muscles, ease your spleen, eliminate the poison, strengthen your heart and lungs, and maintain the dynamic balance between endocrine and hormones. Not only will it help maintain the harmony and love between husband and wife, it will also help you devote yourself to work and study without any distractions… There’s no problem. It’s very normal. You must not be under so much pressure. This is really very normal, very reasonable, and very reasonable.”

“You don’t understand. You don’t know what I dreamed at all!

Zhang Jiashu covered his face with his hands and almost lost control. He shrugged and said, “I—I dreamed that the movies I watched were all about men!”

“Well…”

Li Yao chose his words carefully. “This is the 21st century. Science is flourishing, and humanity is liberated. Many things have already been cleared of criminalization and non-criticism. They are just personal hobbies and choices. As long as you don’t hurt others, there’s no need to be too conflicted. Modern society is under so much pressure. Everyone has a lot of wild thoughts. There’s no need to be nervous.”

“You still don’t understand. I have no doubts about my sexual orientation. My wife and I have been married for more than twenty years. We are very in love. I only like women!”

Zhang Jiashu raised his voice like a little animal that had just been humiliated. His voice was shaking as he said, “But I just can’t control myself. I feel that an evil brand has been carved into my soul. Every time I enter a dream, some disgusting, disgusting adult movies will be played over and over. Even if they are measured by the standard of non-mainstream sexual orientation, the content is too hardcore. They are all… scenes of a man who is surrounded by purple flames and can’t be more dominating, as if he is the king of the universe who has stomped on the stars and controlled the entire universe, humiliated and tortured by dozens of muscular men. No. I can’t think about it. I feel like vomiting. Help me. Doctor, help me!”

“What?”

Li Yao blurted out, “You dreamed of Wu Yingqi’s porn?”

“What?”

Zhang Jiashu was dazed, too. “How do you know my dream? How do you know what it is… Black Star Emperor Wu Yingqi? Have you seen it before?”

“Well…” Li Yao stammered.