Dream Trader

"Now that you have successfully formed your spiritual meridian root, you can be considered to have entered the Primary Foundation Building realm," Wu Meng explained.

"Hehe, I've formed my spiritual meridian root!"

"The next step will be to form your spiritual meridians from the spiritual meridian root. These spiritual meridians will be the main channels through which energy will flow."

"Hehe... spiritual meridian root..."

"After forming the full network of spiritual meridians, it will finally be time for you to activate the dantian, establishing it as the core of your inner self. That would mark your breakthrough into the next cultivation level – the Essence Gathering realm."

"Hehe..."

"Are you even listening?" Wu Meng felt the corner of his lips twitch.

"Yes, yes, I am," Zhang Wanqing nodded sheepishly.

"I guess these are all things for the future, so it doesn't really matter if you don't listen to it now," Wu Meng let out a helpless sigh. "In any case, you are not allowed to eat any mortal food until you activate your dantian."

"Wait, why?"

Zhang Wanqing had not realised it until Wu Meng brought up the topic of food, but she was starving!

"Do you want to have to cleanse your body of impurities again?" Wu Meng asked in response.

"...What am I supposed to eat then?" Zhang Wanqing felt the corner of her lips twitch.

She would do anything to avoid having to go through the pain of body cleansing for a second time!

"This," Wu Meng reached into his sleeves and pulled out a small pill that was the size of a grape. "Here, take one."

"What is this?" Zhang Wanqing received the pill and closely examined it, though it was not like she had any chance of discerning its identity to begin with.

"Fasting pill," Wu Meng explained. "It is a convenient way of meal replacement – taking one will keep you full for an entire day."

"Do I just swallow it then?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

"Swallow it, chew it, whatever you want. It doesn't change the effect."

"All right, then!" Zhang Wanqing popped the pill in her mouth and bit down on it.

Crunch-!

A nutty flavour filled Zhang Wanqing's mouth in an instant, almost as though she was chewing on a handful of peanuts.

She had to admit that it did not taste too bad!

The only problem was that it lacked the sense of satisfaction that one would get from the juiciness of meat or the fragrance of rice, but she could live with that.

"By the way, what was that shining ball in the lake?" Zhang Wanqing recalled after seeing the similarly-shaped fasting pill.

"It is the true ace of the Five Elements Valley," Wu Meng explained. "Though even the valley head probably has no idea of its existence."

"The true ace?" Zhang Wanqing raised an eyebrow in scepticism. "But if even the valley head doesn't know about it, how did you find out?"

"Because I am the one who lent it to their ancestors in the first place," Wu Meng said with a smile.

"Really..." Zhang Wanqing narrowed her eyes.

No matter how she looked at Wu Meng, he did not seem like an old cultivator who had lived through the ages.

So, what was this talk about lending things to the ancestors of Five Elements Valley?

But at the same time, Zhang Wanqing had to admit that Wu Meng was filled with so many mysteries that it was difficult to truly rule him out.

After all, Wu Meng did manage to fix the Five Elements Reversal Array the moment he arrived – something that even Valley Head Nie had to thank him for!

Wu Meng merely chuckled when he saw the doubtful look on Zhang Wanqing's face, but chose not to explain further.

"Let's go, they are already waiting outside for us," Wu Meng said.

"They are?" Zhang Wanqing tried to look in the direction of the entrance, only to realise that she had no idea where they came from.

It was almost completely dark when they first arrived, not to mention the fact that Zhang Wanqing had been thrown straight into the Myriad Wonders Lake right upon arrival.

So, how was she supposed to remember where the entrance was?

"Follow me," Wu Meng turned to leave, and Zhang Wanqing quickly went to fetch the horse wagon before chasing after him.

It had already been a day since Zhang Wanqing formed her spiritual meridian root, and she had largely recovered from the exertion by now.

As the duo passed the familiar wooden gate that marked the entrance to the Myriad Wonders Lake, Zhang Wanqing saw that Nie Changyun was indeed waiting there, just as Wu Meng had said, though now with another young man standing by his side.

"Greetings, Esteemed Sir and Young Miss," Nie Changyun walked up and clasped his fists towards them upon noticing their arrival. "Please meet my disciple, Huo Deshan."

"Deshan greets Esteemed Sir and Young Miss," the young man immediately repeated his master's greeting.

Huo Deshan looked to be in his early-twenties and sported short black hair. He did not have any particularly striking features when it came to his appearance. If one really had to describe his looks, it would be that he looked rather ordinary.

"Dispense with the formality," Wu Meng waved them off nonchalantly. "I have left within a week, just as I have promised. You can rest easy now."

Zhang Wanqing: "..."

She still could not get used to Wu Meng acting as though he was above everyone else.

But because he kept getting away with it, Zhang Wanqing was starting to wonder if Wu Meng actually had a much more influential background than he looked!

"Haha, Esteemed Sir must be joking," Nie Changyun laughed awkwardly. "There won't be a problem even if you wish to stay a little longer..."

"Don't say things that you don't mean," Wu Meng rolled his eyes. "So, what is it this time? What's the reason for our busy Valley Head Nie to come here personally?"

"I mainly wish to show my sincerity and introduce you to my disciple," Nie Changyun answered with a smile.

"As well as to see how things turned out for mine, isn't that so?" Wu Meng chuckled.

"Esteemed Sir is truly wise, I can't hide anything from you," Nie Changyun admitted it immediately. "And from the looks of it, things went well for the young miss?"

"The result is passable," Wu Meng nodded.

"I am not too old, after all," Zhang Wanqing added begrudgingly.

"That's good to hear," Nie Changyun chose to ignore Zhang Wanqing's remark. "If I may ask, just how did you make use of the Myriad Wonders Lake to help the young miss?"

"It's nothing special. I just borrowed something at the lake floor," Wu Meng answered frankly. "But dont worry, I've left it back at the lake floor, so your valley is not losing anything this time."

"The lake floor...?" Huo Deshan widened his eyes in surprise.

"Haha, please don't joke with me, Esteemed Sir. We all know that it is impossible to dive that deep," Nie Changyun laughed. "We use the Myriad Wonders Lake as a gauge of our strength all the time, so we understand it quite well. In fact, being able to dive even ten metres deep can be considered quite an accomplishment, and twenty metres has been the maximum depth that any of the elders ever went. Till date, it is still a source of pride for that elder."

Zhang Wanqing blinked blankly in confusion.

She glanced at Huo Deshan who was nodding in agreement, and could not help but look at Wu Meng.

"If you choose to speak as frankly as this, then it makes things rather awkward for me," Wu Meng shrugged, but did not explain any further.

Nie Changyun and Huo Deshan smiled meaningfully, seemingly pleased that they had directly exposed Wu Meng's tall tales about their own territory.

However, Zhang Wanqing knew for a fact that Wu Meng was not lying about what he had done here.

If what they said is true, then isn't Wu Meng much more impressive than the elders of this Five Elements Valley?

Then again, is it really Wu Meng who is impressive? Or could it be this that Five Elements Valley is actually slightly lacking?

"All that aside, I am curious about where Esteemed Sir would be heading next," Nie Changyun changed the topic after seeing that Wu Meng did not intend to elaborate further.

"Do you have any good recommendations?" Wu Meng asked in response.

"Do you have anything good to give in exchange for our information?" Nie Changyun grinned.

"Tsk, look at a valley head like you asking for scraps from a mere merchant. Forget it, your reclusive valley probably doesn't have any information worthy of consideration anyway!" Wu Meng waved him off irritably.

"That might be underestimating us a little, Esteemed Sir," Nie Changyun maintained that triumphant grin on his face. "Despite our reclusive nature, that doesn't stop us from being updated of the events of the Hongye Kingdom, or even the Thousand Race World as a whole. If you haven't decided where to go next, there should be a group setting off from Sunset City for the Serpent Race Festival soon. There will be quite the crowd there, so it might be worth taking a look."

"The Serpent Race Festival, eh?" Wu Meng shook his head in disapproval. "How suicidal. It is nothing but a tragedy waiting to happen."

"Hmm? What does Esteemed Sir mean?" Nie Changyun frowned. "As far as I know, the Serpent Race Festival has been held every two years, and the past iterations have always been rather successful events."

"While the location of the race has always been the same, the timing is different this time," Wu Meng answered.

"But the timing of the Serpent Race Festival coincides with the migration route of the sunbead serpents, which means it never changes," Nie Changyun's frown only deepened upon hearing that.

"Believe me or not, it's up to you," Wu Meng shrugged.

"...Esteemed Sir's warning reminds me of an old tale that has been passed down in the annals of the Five Elements Valley – and it is a story that has to do with our progenitor," Nie Changyun said after a short moment of contemplation. "All right, I shall heed Esteemed Sir's advice and pass the orders for our disciples to avoid the festival as well."

"Wise decision," Wu Meng praised. "I guess this is why people always say it is important to read widely and learn from the experience of our forefathers!"

"Actually, that same tale speaks of more than just that..." Nie Changyun continued hesitantly. "It also mentions a particular character – someone only termed the Dream Trader. Would Esteemed Sir happen to know anything about that?"

"While it is good to know some history, being overly hung up on the past is not a good thing, either," Wu Meng shook his head in disapproval. "Learn what you can from the past, but don't obsess over seeking knowledge beyond your understanding."

"I understand," Nie Changyun nodded. "Thank you for the wise words, Esteemed Sir."

"You are a smart man," Wu Meng said in approval before looking at Huo Deshan. "Though your disciple here seems to have a greater talent when it comes to cultivation."

"Indeed, I feel humbled when I see his rate of progress," Nie Changyun said with pride. "Unfortunately, having me as his master only serves to hinder his growth. If Esteemed Sir is feeling generous enough, may I beseech you to grant him a few words of advice?"

"Please don't say that, Master. I would never be here today if not for you," Huo Deshan interjected.

It was clear that he had a very high level of respect for his master.

"Be quiet if you don't know anything," Nie Changyun chided. "I am merely trying to get some benefits for you!"

"Should you really be saying this so blatantly in front of me?" Wu Meng chuckled before looking up to the sky. "Cultivation advice, eh? I guess that is not impossible."

As he said that, past memories started surfacing in his mind.

Back then, that disciple of his had also asked the very same thing of him – to give a few words of advice to the members of the Five Elements Valley.

Years had passed since then.

Now, the valley remained, the lake remained, and he remained.

Unfortunately, the people standing beside him were no longer the same...