’Great Dream of Thousand Years is the Divine Treasure I awakened, after all. Every time Luo Zhiwei constructs a world, my Power of the Divine Soul is consumed along with it.’

’Fortunately, I only need to contribute a small amount of my Power of Origin. Most of the consumption is still covered by Master Zhiwei’s own power.’

’But even so, there’s a limit to the number of secondary permissions I can grant.’

Testing her abilities took Luo Zhiwei some time. Afterward, she wanted to see if her own arrays could enhance Zhong Ming’s Great Dream of Thousand Years or perhaps reduce its consumption.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she discovered that it was indeed possible. She even began deducing the necessary arrays.

Her rapid progress was also related to Great Dream of Thousand Years.

In the real world, deducing arrays was fraught with limitations. There was the scarcity of materials and the high cost of trial and error, forcing one to be meticulously careful with every step.

But in the Dream World, whatever Luo Zhiwei wanted, she could conjure out of thin air with a single thought.

With endless materials and limitless opportunities for trial and error, Master Zhiwei managed to set up nine different arrays within the span of an incense stick.

This convenience was so great that the smile never left Luo Zhiwei’s face, her eyes filled with delight.

’This is just too convenient. In reality, forget nine arrays—the cost of even one would make my heart ache for half a day.’

’In the past, when deducing an array, I always had to deliberate and refine it to perfection before daring to use actual materials. Now... all those obstacles are gone.’

Thinking of this, her gaze toward Zhong Ming grew more and more precious, even tinged with a hint of obsession.

’This is a complete cheat code for my cultivation path... With him, the Golden Core Realm is certainly not the end of my path—and maybe not even the Nascent Soul Realm will be!’

...

While Zhong Ming and Luo Zhiwei were engrossed in polishing the Dream World from within their illusion at the Immortal Martial Daoist School, Xiyue, on the other hand, had arrived at a private courtyard of the Celestial Sea King’s Mansion to meet Shen Wanshang, the woman she once served.

SWOOSH!

The moment she stepped into the courtyard, a barrage of Magic Techniques descended upon her.

Seeing this, Xiyue didn’t panic. She could sense that most of the Magic Techniques hitting her were for detection or dispelling curses, along with others meant to Calm the Heart and stabilize the spirit.

It was obvious Shen Wanshang didn’t believe the absurd rumors circulating outside. Rather than thinking Xiyue had fallen for Zhong Ming at first sight, she was more inclined to believe her subordinate had been controlled or bewitched.

But soon, something happened that made her heart sink.

’No anomalies?!’

Her guards, and even the Golden Core Realm Guardian, repeatedly scanned Xiyue but found no trace of any Magic Technique that could bewitch the Heart Spirit or control the Divine Soul.

This unexpected result plunged Shen Wanshang into silence.

After a long moment, she finally came to her senses and spoke to Xiyue in a calm tone, "Do you have anything to say?"

In contrast, Xiyue’s expression was even colder. Her reply was brutally simple: "No."

...

With that single word, the atmosphere in the courtyard instantly dropped to a freezing point, plunging into a dead silence.

But just as Xiyue had expected, Shen Wanshang was proud. Even though Xiyue had caused her to lose face completely, she didn’t take the opportunity to seize her.

And when the others, outraged, began to berate Xiyue, she simply waved her hand to stop them. With a calm expression, she said to Xiyue, "Since you’ve chosen Zhong Ming, you may leave now."

Here, her tone turned abruptly cold, with a chill that seemed to pierce to the bone. "But remember, once you step out of this courtyard, the next time we meet, we will be mortal enemies!"

"I am never merciful to my enemies."

That icy tone, that chilling gaze, combined with the formidable reputation of the Celestial Sea King’s Mansion, sent a shiver down the spines of the surrounding Cultivators.

But Xiyue was completely unfazed.

However, out of respect for their past cooperation, she left Shen Wanshang with a piece of advice. "Princess, if I were you, I would not be so quick to treat Zhong Ming as an opponent."

With that said, Xiyue gracefully departed.

But even after she left, the oppressive atmosphere in the courtyard of the Celestial Sea King’s Mansion did not dissipate for a long time.

Traitors have always been more hated than overt enemies.

At this moment, many Cultivators from the Celestial Sea King’s Mansion had temporarily pushed even the Silver Moon Royal Mansion to the back of their minds. Compared to the latter, they were more eager to crush Xiyue and Zhong Ming, to show everyone the power of the Celestial Sea King’s Mansion.

"Princess, should we make a move against Zhong Ming and his people?"

"Princess, I am willing to be the vanguard and lead an attack on Zhong Ming..."

"Why not ask Young Master Lu Yuan to act? With his absolute power, he could settle everything in one fell swoop."

Many had pledged their allegiance to the Celestial Sea King, and now, they all spoke up, requesting to go into battle.

In the end, however, Shen Wanshang suppressed the rage churning within her. Her gaze as calm as an abyss, she said, "There’s no hurry. As I’ve said, facing the rise of Prince Qinghe, the Silver Moon Royal Mansion will be more anxious than we are. They will make a move."

"Also, do not underestimate Zhong Ming. No matter what, he managed to win Xiyue’s heart. That man is definitely extraordinary!"

...

The calm and collected Shen Wanshang prepared to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, intending to let the Silver Moon Royal Mansion clash with Prince Qinghe’s Mansion first.

And, just as she expected, Ji Hao of the Silver Moon Royal Mansion couldn’t hold back and decided to confront Zhong Ming and Prince Qinghe’s Mansion.

Before even a cup of tea’s time had passed after Xiyue’s departure, a scout came in to report that Ji Hao of the Silver Moon Royal Mansion had sent an invitation. He was inviting everyone to challenge the Qi Family’s Path of Purgatory in three days.

"Reporting to the Princess, my young master deeply feels the hardships of cultivation. He specifically sought out the Qi Family to negotiate, persuading them to open their Trial Array, one they spent several centuries building—the Path of Purgatory."