Chapter 453: This Is What Martial Artists Are Like

The blood moon would transform those it shone upon into beings like the Nightmare Beasts. This was so similar to how Xue Ziyang's companions had died!

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

But others in Kaoshan City who saw the blood moon were unharmed, indicating that the blood moon only had this power in the illusory world and did not possess mystical abilities in reality.

The only people affected were those who had visited the Deep Pool of Dreams.

Their bodies might have escaped, but part of their souls had been left behind in the illusory world! When the blood moon reappeared, they would still go mad in the illusory world.

That blood moon appearing over Kaoshan City suggested that the beings in the virtual realm now had the ability to affect parts of reality, at least extending from the Deep Pool of Dreams to the outer cities of the Southern Bastion Mountain.

As Chu Liang thought of this, he couldn't help but feel concerned.

He had initially thought it was just an ordinary hidden realm. As the two Guiders from the diabolical sect had previously led teams there, he thought it would be a piece of cake for the two cultivators at the seventh realm.

But the creator of the Deep Pool of Dreams had clearly mastered the Dao of Reality and Illusion, which meant that they were at least at the seventh realm and likely possessed some eerie power.

As of now, he was unsure of whether Yan Qihu and Wei Lang could even handle this Nightmare Beast.

As for the origin of this hidden realm... was it the ancient Noble Dream Immortal, the Nightmare Demon King of the demon race, the last emperor of the previous dynasty, or perhaps Gu Qingyuan? With so many possibilities for who might have created the Deep Pool of Dreams, it was difficult to piece everything together and form a conclusion.

Fortunately, the Kingdom of the Dream Immortal remained a sanctuary, a place of respite for now. The uproar in the Deep Pool of Dreams was so great that, even if the two Eminent Ones couldn't handle it, surely more powerful and righteous individuals would step in.

For now, he just needed to ensure his own safety.

"

Huu...

" Tang Shi continued to gently sip her tea, seemingly enjoying herself.

Seeing this, the elderly physician smiled and asked, "Does Miss Tang like tea?"

"Not really..." Tang Shi smiled awkwardly, "We can't sleep tonight, right? So I'm drinking more to stay awake."

There was a subtle difference between martial artists and cultivators: martial artists needed sleep to restore their qi and blood after tempering their bodies, whereas many cultivators could forgo sleep entirely, relying on meditation instead.

Still, if it was just for one night, it should be fine.

The elderly physician said, "As long as you don't drink too much tea and ruin your appetite for dinner, it's fine."

"Don't worry, that won't happen," Tang Shi replied confidently, shaking her head. "I can eat two whole cows in one meal."

Hearing this, the elderly physician's eyelids twitched slightly.

Luckily, Tang Shi didn't need to eat two cows at every meal. Martial artists were like that: when they could eat, they ate in abundance to replenish their qi and blood. When they couldn't, going hungry for ten days or even half a month was no big deal.

Compared to the outside world, the cuisine in the Kingdom of the Dream Immortal was much simpler. While there was no shortage of vegetables or meat, there was a lack of seasoning and refined cooking techniques. If this kingdom had truly been isolated since the era of the Noble Dream Immortal thousands of years ago, then it made sense that it was in a rather primitive state.

After dinner, the three of them spent the rest of the afternoon talking, allowing Chu Liang and Tang Shi to learn all about the Kingdom of the Dream Immortal.

As dusk settled in, the streets grew restless. People hurried through the narrow lanes, banging gongs and shouting, "Tonight is the blood moon! Every household, shut your doors and windows tight! Stay cautious! Don't sleep! Don't go outside!"

The sight of these people rushing around suddenly turned the once peaceful and serene atmosphere in the city into one of tension.

Since sleep wasn't an option, the elderly physician didn't arrange separate rooms for them. Instead, he led them to a quiet room and sealed the doors and windows, making sure they could remind each other to stay awake throughout the night.

"On the night of the blood moon," the elderly physician explained, "it's best to have someone nearby. If you fall asleep without realizing it, you wouldn't even know."

Chu Liang simply smiled in response.

As a cultivator with a strong divine soul, I can go a month without sleep without a problem. Tang Shi, being a martial artist, had vitality, qi, and spirit that burned like a blazing sun, so she shouldn't have an issue either...

Wait a minute?

Just as he was thinking this, Chu Liang noticed the Tang Shi's head was already drooping, her body swaying... She was already starting to doze off!

The sun hadn't even fully set yet!

"Wake up..." He quickly patted Tang Shi on the shoulder, "Miss Tang?"

"Ah." Tang Shi jolted awake, a sheepish smile spreading across her face. "Sorry, I tend to get sleepy as soon as night falls..."

"Napping now is fine, just don't fall asleep later," Chu Liang reminded her.

"It won't happen!" Tang Shi shook her head firmly, then grabbed the teapot and took several big gulps before slamming it back down. "I definitely won't give those Nightmare Beasts a chance!"

...

Night fell.

The houses in the Kingdom of the Dream Immortal were specially designed, with tightly sealed doors and windows, layered with thick curtains to block out any moonlight and muffle sounds from outside. Inside, the rooms were cloaked in a deep, calming quiet.

Chu Liang sat cross-legged on the ground, sinking his divine sense into the White Pagoda, beginning to unbox the rewards.

This time, he had slain far more Sickle Ghosts than before—about thirty in total. If he could refine them all into One-Inch Golden Ghost Bone Pills, crafting a golden right hand seemed well within reach.

With some free time, he began refining the imprints of the Sickle Ghosts, one by one.

After he had completed the refinement, he withdrew his divine sense and took a glance at Tang Shi, intending to take the pills while she wasn't paying attention.

But when he looked over, he saw the young girl sitting there, her eyelids drooping, about to fall asleep!

"MISS TANG!"

Good grief, is staying awake for just a short while really that hard? You're only in your teens, and you can't even stay up for one night?

Chu Liang hurried over, pressing on Tang Shi's shoulder and giving her a firm shake to wake her up.

"Ah!" She gasped, her eyes snapping open in surprise. "I almost fell asleep again!"

"Yes," Chu Liang replied with a wry chuckle. "Is it really that hard?"

"I'll stand up. Maybe that'll help," Tang Shi muttered as she stood up straight. "Since I was young, I would always doze off. Sometimes I would even fall asleep during training, and every time I dozed off, my esteemed teacher would make me stand as punishment..."

"Martial artists are like that. It's tough for you, I know," Chu Liang said, trying to comfort her. "But during times like this, we have to endure."

Seeing Tang Shi standing there with a determined look, promising not to sit down, Chu Liang finally felt reassured.

He sat down by the table and began taking the One-Inch Golden Ghost Bone Pills one by one. Following the familiar process, he refined the spiritual qi after each pill, channeling it into his right hand.

Moments later, he felt his entire palm becoming extremely hard.

The golden right hand was complete!

Chu Liang clenched his fist, noticing that the toughness of his right hand now matched the hardness he had achieved when fortified with Geng Metal foundational qi. If he fortified it again with Geng Metal foundational qi, it would likely reach an even higher level.

Unfortunately, it wasn't convenient to test its power now.

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly heard the sound of steady breathing.

He turned his head and saw that Tang Shi, at some point, had started swaying and was now leaning against the wall.

Her eyes were already closed!

She can sleep while standing?

Chu Liang truly hadn't expected this challenge. They hadn't even reached the part where they needed to fight the Nightmare Beasts, and she had already nearly surrendered several times.

"Miss Tang..." He hurried over and shook Tang Shi awake once more.

"Ahhh!" Tang Shi exclaimed as she woke up, her face flushing with embarrassment. She lowered her head and mumbled, "Sorry, I... I... I guess I'm just too nervous. And when I get nervous, I get sleepy."

"It's fine. Martial artists like you sometimes behave this way," Chu Liang replied, indicating that he understood. Then, he suggested, "How about propping your eyelids up?"

Tang Shi was quite obedient and immediately agreed to the suggestion.

Without hesitation, she carved two small wooden sticks on the table and propped them between her eyelids. With a martial artist's physique, not blinking for a while wouldn't be a problem. But if she fell asleep again, there was a real risk of the Nightmare Specters invading her dreams, which could be disastrous.

According to the elderly physician, exposure to the blood moon would cause one to transform into a Nightmare Beast. If the Nightmare Specter entered their dreams, they would start hallucinating and it would be extremely difficult to get rid of this Nightmare Specter.

Many people would be tricked by their hallucination into leaving their rooms and bathing in the moonlight. They would be attacked both in their sleep and in their wake and there would be no chance for survival.

Chu Liang watched Tang Shi intently for a while.

It wasn't until she smiled at him, showing no signs of sleepiness, that he finally sat back down, feeling reassured.

He wanted to say something, to keep her engaged and prevent her from relaxing too much and drifting back into sleep. However, they had already talked for most of the day, and now, he found himself at a loss for words.

If only Lin Bei or Pushan were here

, he lamented.

As Chu Liang pondered, a distant, beastly roar suddenly echoed through the air, accompanied by faint shouts. It sounded like some kind of ferocious beast had descended the mountain.

Are there still people out there? Could it be the envoys from the Holy Mountain, practicing the Dream Techniques?

Chu Liang wondered.

Out of curiosity, Chu Liang extended his divine sense to investigate, but the sound was too distant. Before his divine sense could reach that far, he suddenly heard a soft snoring sound beside him.

"

Zzz... Zzz...

"

Hmm?

Chu Liang was startled.

Turning back, he saw Tang Shi standing there, her eyes wide open, softly snoring!

What kind of girl can sleep with her eyes open?

Oh my heavens.

"Miss Tang..."

He was about to rush over and wake her when she suddenly turned her head toward him.

Her eyes were filled with a crimson hue!