Book 3: Chapter 278: Entering the Sevenfold Dream

"Entering dreams" — this phrase is rarely used nowadays. Ever since the Silver Moon Dragon fell in the Seventh Epoch and the dream world shattered, gradually withering and fading away, the various secret arts of cultivation, combat, and exploration that once took place within dreams lost their purpose. Few people learned them, and most of these secret arts were not recorded in writing but passed down through the peculiar methods within dreams themselves, so precious few managed to survive to this day.

Now, the courses and books that Sordas taught to Sylutia were already the last remaining essence.

"The Legend of the Dream Master Standing Proud on the Silver Wax Tree Hill"

"Legend has it that the Silver Moon Dragon dwelled upon a hill surrounded by silver wax trees. It is said that the leaves of the silver wax tree hung like cascading feathers, gleaming pure as silver, and served as the universal currency of the dream world. The Silver Moon Dragon, commanding the Silver Wax Tree Hill, thus possessed the greatest wealth within all of dreams.

The power of true dragons is tied to their wealth, and within the dream world, the Silver Moon Dragon's supreme wealth equally signified his supreme power, ruling over the dreams of all living beings.

Learning this book grants the following knowledge: Dream Entry Technique (Silver Wax Tree Hill), silver wax leaf identification skills, dream traversal techniques, Dream Awakening Technique (escape), silver leaf talisman crafting, Dragon Prayer Secret Art (deceased)"

"Simoke's Sevenfold Realms"

"In the ancient age, Simoke journeyed through the dream world for sixty years. The youth who entered dreams returned awake as an old man with white hair and little time left. In his final five years, he ceaselessly recalled everything he had experienced in dreams, recording it all, and eventually wrote this book.

Simoke roughly divided the dream world into seven layers, representing the depth of dream penetration. It is said that upon reaching the seventh layer, a being's consciousness would wander forever within dreams, never to awaken.

Learning this book grants the following knowledge: Dream Entry Technique (fragrance of figs), consciousness maintenance techniques, 78 dangers of dream discrimination, deep dream penetration secret arts, Simoke's Sevenfold Mysterious Arts..."

It took Sylutia about ten days to finish studying the contents of these two books, after which she began experimenting little by little with the techniques taught within, attempting to maintain consciousness within dreams. This was the foundation for learning to apply various dream secret arts later.

Afterward, Sylutia bought figs, dried them, and ground them into powder. Following the book's instructions, she crafted a special incense that could guide one into dreams. In the era of the Seventh Epoch, even an ordinary mortal could rely on this specially crafted incense to enter the first layer of dreams.

According to Simoke's classification, the first layer was the shallowest — like swimming on the ocean's surface, one could slip out and wake up at any moment. But this state was also the safest; even ordinary people wouldn't suffer much harm. Yet precisely because it was so shallow, within the first layer of dreams, one could only perceive vague and hazy things — fragmentary words, fleeting images, indistinct silhouettes of people, and the like.

The second layer of dreams went somewhat deeper. At this point, one could faintly perceive certain things, but the sensation was not clear, and it was an entirely different state from how one perceived things in reality.

The third layer of dreams — this could be considered the true threshold of the "Dream Entry Technique." One could reach the edge of the dream world but could not freely roam or act, only moving briefly within a small area.

The fourth layer of dreams was the mainstream level for regular visitors to the dream world. Generally, only beings of the Third Tier or above could reach this stage. They could travel and communicate within the dream world, but their abilities to protect themselves and interfere were quite limited, requiring careful avoidance of numerous dangers.

The fifth layer of dreams — at this stage, dream entrants possessed the power to fight even within dreams. They could eliminate monsters that had infiltrated dreams, rescue friends who had sunk into dream slumber, or interfere with others' dreams, using dreams to transmit knowledge and information, as well as influence others' mental consciousness.

The sixth layer of dreams — those who could reach this level of dream entry were already renowned figures in the dream world. They often served as hosts of dream banquets, periodically inviting familiar friends or guests to attend grand feasts hosted by them. The delicacies enjoyed at these banquets were "stories" — narratives compiled from several people's personal experiences and dream memories, then arranged and refined by the host into an experience of a strange and marvelous life.

The seventh layer of dreams was the level occupied by the most powerful and fearsome dream sovereigns, but it was also an extremely dangerous stage. Delving this deep into dreams would cause a complete severance of connection with reality, ultimately transforming one into a being that existed entirely within the dream world. Out of reverence for this state, many chose to remain at the sixth layer of dreams rather than press deeper.

Two days ago, Sylutia had gradually become unfamiliar with the shallower layers and could retreat to the seventh layer of dreams through the incense. However, when facing the deeper layers of the dream world, she encountered some difficulties.

"Because the dream world has shattered, there is currently no transitional border zone. You can only elevate yourself to a deeper dream-entry state to slip into the Land of the Moon and explore," Sordas explained the reason to her.

"Is the difficulty gap really that enormous?"

If the difficulty of the first layer was 1, then the difficulty of the third layer was about 5. The difficulty of the fourth layer was roughly 20-25. By the seventh layer, the difficulty was around 500. In other words, she needed to jump directly from difficulty 5 to difficulty 500-plus — a chasm like the gap between heaven and earth. Even those naturally gifted at dream entry would find it extremely hard to accomplish.

Learning knowledge and applying skills were always meant to progress step by step. There had never been a case of someone attending elementary school one day and taking graduate entrance exams the next. That kind of leap was precisely why almost no one studied these dream secret arts anymore.

Upon learning this, Sylutia had no choice but to adjust her mindset and explore slowly. It was like walking with one's eyes blindfolded — because unlike in the First Epoch, where one received feedback after every practice session, she had no idea where she was going wrong. This made the difficulty exceptionally high, like learning to swim on shore, then being tested in a raging torrent filled with whirlpools and undercurrents.

Over the course of two months, Sylutia studied the secret arts and knowledge of the "Origin Hourglass" faction while also practicing the Dream Entry Technique. Finally, on a certain day, she vaguely sensed something different — she could perceive a place like a hazy veil of mist. Unfortunately, there was only this "veil" and nothing else.

Sordas told her that this was the withered dream world. If she could perceive it, it meant she had already reached the third layer.

"She truly is a child blessed by the 'Luminous Moon.' Her talent in learning the Dream Entry Technique is beyond imagination — faster than anyone I've ever seen. Even I took two full years to reach her current level," Sordas remarked when conversing with several other Named Ones.

"Given the current state of the dream world, she might be the only one who can venture deep into the 'Land of the Moon.'"

"But can her safety be guaranteed on the journey there? Don't take excessive risks just to advance," Abellid rarely spoke such words.

"No need to worry about that. I've already prepared a Moon Marrow Talisman for her — a talisman made from a scale of the 'Silver Moon Dragon.' There is no more precious dream treasure than this," Sordas replied slowly.

"You really are willing to part with such a thing," Vailenhart remarked with emotion on the other side.

A dragon scale talisman from a former Hour of the previous generation — such a treasure's value defied all measure. Even one as revered as a Named One, Sordas possessed only this single piece.

"Since we're going to do this, we might as well do it perfectly. That way, we'll have a few more percentage points of victory in the future," Sordas said with a sigh.

"Aren't you two the same? You've both laid out countless preparations to ensure final success."

Hearing these words, the other two Named Ones fell silent.

Indeed, they had prepared a great deal as well. In fact, to ensure final success, they had been forced to make certain sacrifices. Compared to that, a single treasure was nothing much at all.