Seizing Dreams

“Just wait to get beaten into pulp ba, idiot.”

Zhou Sheng’s voice resounded through the sky; once the golden light retracted, billions of flaming jingubangs spun rapidly, whistling through the air as they swept through the ground and smashing all of the dark monsters into pieces!

Yu Hao flew out of the cave and leapt up to the Feathered Serpent God. Everyone let out a loud cry and looked up at the sky.

The boundless golden light withdrew, and the jingubangs were recalled again before turning into dinghaishenzhen. Zhou Sheng shone with a brilliant golden light; golden flames burned fiercely on his body that turned into a splendid suit of battle armour. He stepped onto a flaming layer of clouds, shook his jingubang again, roared angrily, then swept it out horizontally! The innumerable aerial roots of the world tree were instantly destroyed and broken apart. Even more flying monsters shot down from the tree, but Zhou Sheng didn’t even spare them a glance; he merely let go, and the flames swept back, dying the dark night a red colour and burning his enemies up!

Yu Hao, “……”

No one could speak for a moment and just looked up at Zhou Sheng, who was suspended high up in the air clad in a suit of golden armour, as if the God of War had just descended upon earth!

Ren Chong roared madly, “The subconscious should be your final destination!”

“It’s very obvious that it isn’t.” Zhou Sheng replied coldly.

Satan led a magnificent army to charge into the middle of the battlefield. Zhou Sheng turned his head sideways, looking at the earth; Satan flew over and disintegrated into light particles in the sky that drifted into Zhou Sheng’s body.

The world tree actually started moving — it stretched out its aerial roots, rotated, twisted around one another, and assembled themselves into two giant arms that lifted high up before whipping down on Zhou Sheng and gang from overhead.

“Hide behind him!” Yu Hao shouted.

Zhou Sheng’s selves merged into one; wings that could blot out the sky instantly spread out across his back. Black feathers faded into a bright golden colour, and a vague fierceness could be seen in his gaze. He shook the jingubang with both hands and faced the arm of the world tree that was whipping down from above. Within an instant, the jingubang swung out, and the arm of the world tree shattered with a blast, turning into countless golden lights that fell to the ground. Zhou Sheng swung his jingubang one more time, and half of the giant platform on the world tree was immediately smashed into smithereens — its bricks flew out and fell, as if it was the heavenly palace destroyed with one hit by the Great Sage’s rod!

In that dark night, while facing the Golden Crow Wheel that seemed like a solar eclipse, Zhou Sheng was like the God of War — so dazzling one couldn’t stare straight at him.

Ren Chong said in a low voice, “Come, let me see what other moves you have.”

Zhou Sheng gazed at the platform of the world tree. He flew to the Golden Crow Wheel. The tiny Ren Chong figure raised his hand and pointed the Golden Crow Wheel at the sky; within an instant, countless lightning streaks burst out in the sky that poured down like a rainstorm; fierce gales stirred, and the fog suddenly scattered. Dreamscapes that were like lone islands began reassembling once again, appearing as glass bubbles that guarded the border.

Aerial roots shot out of the world tree once again, intending to reestablish its connections with the dreamscapes.

“Do you think that there’s only the sun behind you?” Zhou Sheng asked coldly.

Then the intensity of the golden light surrounding Zhou Sheng’s body rose again. Everyone raised their arms one after another to shield their eyes from the glare. Zhou Sheng unfolded his wings open and actually emitted his light by force; under the illumination of that intense glare, a ray of golden light swept across level ground, and the connections between dreamscapes disappeared one after another. Under the light, the world tree began to burn, and after burning, verdant leaves with edges that flickered with a golden colour appeared.

Amidst the mountain ranges, it was as if the first light was bursting from the rising sun, and that bright light was coming from the God of War, Zhou Sheng!

Ren Chong let out a mad roar and abandoned his control over the world tree. Behind him, the Golden Crow Wheel gathered a black force field that was aggregating energy as it faced Zhou Sheng, ready to launch a bombardment!

Yet Zhou Sheng crouched down, stepped onto his flaming cloud, and flew towards the wrecked platform at the top of the world tree.

“Seize the totem!” Chen Yekai shouted, “Help him!”

Everyone flew to the platform. The Golden Crow Wheel released a bombardment of black light; Zhou Sheng was suspended in mid air as he shook his jingubang, turning it into a shield. With a loud blare, sound waves rippled through the air as he resisted this startling hit with a ‘clang‘.

In the next moment, Zhou Sheng spun as he flew to the platform and swung down with his rod from above, smashing Ren Chong head-on back onto the platform. Yu Hao, Chen Yekai, Fu Liqun, Ou Qihang, and Huang Ting rushed over afterward and landed on the platform at the top of the world tree.

Ren Chong staggered to his feet, saying, “You’re just a kid who’s still wet behind the ears, what right do you have to take this treasure for yourself…?”

Zhou Sheng said in a low voice, “Just based on the fact that Laozi and the rest are better than you! If you can’t accept it, then just hold it in!”

Huang Ting said angrily, “Ren Chong! You never said that you would use it like this after getting the Golden Crow Wheel!”

The black flames on Ren Chong burst out, and he was drawing dark energy from the solar eclipse. He smiled insidiously, “How I would use it? Do you think it’s a very abominable thing for me to control their wills? Huang Ting, do you really think that without the Golden Crow Wheel, your wills belong only to yourselves?”

Huang Ting, “……”

“In this world, even if it doesn’t exist, people will interfere with your self-consciousness through means you can’t see, can’t figure out, and means you can never think of, until they have firm control over you in their hands. You may think that you’re ‘you’, but you’re just a yes-man who believes you’re not.” Ren Chong said, “How many fanatical periods have we had in history? Have they not shown you enough? Have those experiences not taught all of you that for tens of millions, hundreds of millions, and even billions of people, in reality, since when have these so-called ‘people’ ever had the right to think independently?! They are all just animals that have been brainwashed!”

Ren Chong revealed a sinister expression, “In that case, how much difference is there between being controlled by others and being controlled by me? Do you think that you can wake up after defeating me? Precisely the opposite will happen — reality is an even bigger dream. You are all sinking into the dream, as if you’re all entranced drunks leading a befuddled existence. Even if you seize the world’s totem back from my hands, what can you do in reality?”

Yu Hao said seriously, “No. Your dream, the world’s dream, and even our dreams, are all fundamentally different!”

Ren Chong opened his eyes wide. Zhou Sheng held his shield up and protected his comrades who were behind him.

“Have you ever seen the sun rise in a dream?” Yu Hao said with a smile, “You’ve never seen it before, so you won’t understand.”

“We can give you a live demonstration.” Zhou Sheng pointed at Ren Chong and said overbearingly, “I’ll mouth off with you after we’re done!”

The black flames released by Ren Chong swept across the entire platform. Yu Hao shouted, “Cover Zhou Sheng!”

Zhou Sheng rushed forward, while everyone else followed closely behind to cover him. The black flames spread out; Yu Hao spun and brandished his daggers. With one swing of his daggers, he struck Ren Chong down. The black flames swept everything away, and Ren Chong’s figure appeared in mid air. Chen Yekai flew up, his Feathered Serpent God abruptly bit him, and Ren Chong disintegrated once again!

Zhou Sheng opened up both arms and flew towards the Golden Crow Wheel. He flew around the Golden Crow Wheel as he began circling it and stretched one hand out towards the Golden Crow Wheel.

Light particles erupted from the Golden Crow Wheel with a bang, flowing endlessly toward Zhou Sheng. As they returned to his body, they formed a starry path!

Right at the moment Zhou Sheng began seizing back the totem, it was like the final battle of every world — a hurricane stirred up in the core area, and leaves swirled across the sky. The platform spun around non-stop, rose into the air, and left the tree of the world.

Ren Chong roared madly as he dodged in mid air, but he was being pestered constantly by the other five people. Just as he was about to fly towards Zhou Sheng, a Gundam attacked him from behind and scattered Ren Chong with one cannon shot, turning him into black flames.

“This guy can’t be killed!” Fu Liqun steered his celestial horse to rush forward and stabbed Ren Chong’s body with his halberd, scattering him again. But no matter how many times he scattered, Ren Chong could always gather himself into another form.

Huang Ting shouted, “Wait for Zhou Sheng!”

A gravitational field opened up; all of the leaves in the center of the platform were sucked in crazily, Zhou Sheng kept orbiting about, and most of the prominence around the periphery of the Golden Crow Wheel disappeared. Only the dark fireball in the middle was still burning.

Yu Hao cried out, “Hold on!”

Ren Chong lunged at Yu Hao. Yu Hao flipped in mid air, held up his scepter, and pointed it at Ren Chong; silver white moonlight burst out of his scepter that made Ren Chong howl in fear, and he kept trying to dodge it.

Meanwhile, Zhou Sheng had taken all of the Golden Crow Wheel away.

“Permissions replacement has succeeded.” The Golden Crow Wheel’s voice rang out.

“All—right!” Zhou Sheng shouted readily. He flew over from the sky, his whole body gleaming with a golden light. With the strength of his waist and legs, Zhou Sheng swept his jingubang out, and the figure that Ren Chong had just gathered suffered this strike from Zhou Sheng that hit him squarely in the middle, then his figure exploded into black flames once again.

Ren Chong laughed strangely, “In my dream, you’ll never be able to kill me…”

“Thanks for the reminder, let’s change to another battlefield?” Zhou Sheng revealed a mischievous smile, then swung his rod down on the platform. The entire platform was completely destroyed, its bricks plummeting down to the earth. Following which, what replaced it was a giant Golden Crow Wheel beneath their feet that began to revolve. Ren Chong suddenly flew up, and just as he was about to break free, Zhou Sheng turned his body sideways in a carefree manner and hooked the air with two of his fingers.

Before anyone could register it, the Golden Crow Wheel flipped over along its axis and pocketed all of the people in it!

Yu Hao only saw his vision blur, then he appeared in the Hanging Gardens.

The sun illuminated the earth, and everything was thriving. A huge flaming sword materialised in Huang Ting’s hand, his Archmage robe fluttering in the wind.

“Ren Laoshi,” Huang Ting said, “You’re a really bad example of what a leader should be like.”

Then he swung his sword down on Ren Chong’s head. Ren Chong reflexively raised both hands to block it, and he was hit into the garden with a loud ‘dang‘. Chen Yekai, Ou Qihang, Fu Liqun, and Yu Hao then caught up; each of them hit him once, and Ren Chong flew towards the earth like an artillery shell.

“He has a physical body now!” Chen Yekai said.

Zhou Sheng placed his left hand on a pergola while he wielded his jingubang with his right. He waited on the terrace of Hanging Gardens and said indifferently, “Un, continue.”

Ren Chong flew to the front, and just as he was about to kick someone, Zhou Sheng carried the jingubang on his back, spun rapidly in situ, and made a homerun, saying, “Bye bye!”

Golden flames burst out, and a portal appeared in front of him, then Zhou Sheng hit Ren Chong and sent him in!

Huang Ting stretched two fingers out in front of his brows and slashed through the air, watching as they disappeared within the door.

Ying City; Ren Chong burst out of the sun and shouted. He smashed into the exterior glass wall of a high-rise building until glass shards flew everywhere. A Gundam flew up to him and raised its hand.

“In this world, there will always be people who aren’t willing to be under your control,” Ou Qihang said, “No matter how small our voices are…”

Then the Gundam punched violently through the floor, hitting Ren Chong down to the ground. Zhou Sheng whistled, and with his jingubang in hand, another Golden Crow Wheel portal appeared; the Gundam had punched Ren Chong straight into the door.

Loulan, Fu Liqun carried his long halberd on his shoulder as he flew over.

Ren Chong’s head was all bloody now. After suffering this series of attacks, he barely had any strength left to retaliate and was now suspended in mid air.

“Admittedly, it’s very important to be sober while one is alive; but no one can…deprive me of…” Fu Liqun’s halberd stabbed into Ren Chong’s abdomen, and he said in a low voice, “My right to have my own dreams!”

Ren Chong grabbed the halberd and released the last strength he had. Just as he was about to turn around for a flying kick and seize the initiative back, Zhou Sheng appeared behind Ren Chong, and lifted his jingubang as if he was picking up something, and picked up the Golden Crow Wheel like he just performed a conjuring trick. It spun several rounds in the air, then landed on Ren Chong’s head like it was covering him.

“Bye.” Fu Liqun smiled, “Sometimes, dreams are not only dreams, but also dreams.”

Golden light burst out; Ren Chong’s right arm was fractured, and his body was all bloody as he landed harshly on the apex of Chichén Itzá. Chen Yekai walked towards him with a gun in hand and pointed it at Ren Chong, who staggered to his feet.

“While we’re in this age, we often give in to the values that the majority comply with.” Chen Yekai said calmly, “Not everyone is in a dream. Take note, some of them are just pretending to be asleep.”

Ren Chong roared madly and lunged at Chen Yekai. Chen Yekai fired a shot; a gorgeous beam hit his left shoulder, causing Ren Chong to fall back. Zhou Sheng appeared behind Ren Chong’s body and lifted up a portal with his jingubang, and hooked Ren Chong in.

“You can’t wake up someone who’s pretending to be asleep.” Zhou Sheng said to Chen Yekai, “A bad habit of intellectuals.”

“When necessary, they’ll naturally wake up.” Chen Yekai answered.

Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng leapt into the Golden Crow Wheel at the same time; with a flash, they appeared in the world of the Great Wall.

Ren Chong struggled to get up with much difficulty. Yu Hao and Zhou Sheng, with one in front and the other at the back, blocked Ren Chong’s way.

Yu Hao gazed at Ren Chong, who had lost almost all of his fighting power. He let out an aggrieved sneer, “I really didn’t expect that you could actually…take him out of the subconscious.”

Yu Hao said, “So your investigation was lacking. As a boss, that’s a fatal mistake.”

Ren Chong said slowly, “Shouldn’t have had that momentary slip up, if I had known that this would happen, then at the very beginning, I would’ve…all of you……all of you…”

Yu Hao said, “The cost of catching me would’ve been too high. The newspaper wouldn’t pretend as if nothing happened. Ren Laoshi, as a reporter, I quite agree with some of your views. There are some people who always hope that everyone would keep sleeping and never wake up for the rest of their lives. But unfortunately, there will always be people who will wake other people up assiduously, even if it interferes with their…dream of freedom.”

Ren Chong said, “Since you think you’re right, then try it ba. I’d like to see how long you can hold on for…”

Yu Hao brandished his scepter and struck down; Zhou Sheng made the Golden Crow Wheel materialise behind Ren Chong, kept him, and the three of them disappeared at the same time before reappearing on the sky platform of the Colosseum world.