Chapter 126: Don’t Just Focus on One or Two Anymore

Liu He’s clothes were shredded, his body exploding with sudden, violent force.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft..."

The flashlight beams that had been illuminating Liu He now truly seemed to be shining through a sieve. Countless tiny, transparent beams of light pierced outward from his body, creating brilliant streaks in the pitch-black, thick fog.

He was riddled with holes.

Liu He, realizing his clothes had been blasted away, looked down at his body, and his expression darkened further.

"Very well... I had hoped that because of the Nine Nether Formation, I could save some energy. But now... I shall let you enter a dream. Nightmare Demon, nightmare..."

At the word "nightmare," icy winds began to howl all around. The dense, chilling gusts stirred the ominous energy in the air, causing the black fog to take on tangible forms.

They were shadowy corpses.

Each of these shadowy figures clawed and scrambled in the air, looking as if they had been imprisoned for ages. Now, abruptly released, they began to act with wild abandon.

As the black fog gathered, the corpses grew larger and larger. In the blink of an eye, there were dozens, then hundreds of them, each standing over ten meters tall. They bared their fangs and brandished their claws, radiating a terrifying, murderous aura, as if they were about to tear Lin Yi and the others to shreds.

The Nightmare Demon, Liu He, coughed violently, and a small black flag emerged from his mouth.

The moment the flag appeared, the shadowy corpses became frantic with excitement. The flag was stained with layer upon layer of blood, emanating a monstrous, overwhelming presence. It was a demonic aura. Lin Yi had felt the demonic aura of the Demon King Blood Fiend before, so he was quite familiar with it.

Beside him, Elder An Yingxiong’s eyes widened in rage.

"A formation flag... the command flag for the Nine Nether Formation!"

After retrieving the flag, Liu He tore into his own right arm with his teeth, ripping away a large chunk of flesh. He then smeared the blood and flesh onto the flag, closing his eyes as if savoring the act, seemingly indifferent to the pain of his mangled arm.

He began to chant, waving the flag rhythmically. Waves of black fog surged from the banner.

The ten-meter-tall shadowy corpses, like wild beasts unleashed, charged at Lin Yi and his companions. Each attack was a composite of countless bursts of ominous energy, and the aura within each one was nearly at the level of a Grandmaster.

"I, Liu He, self-devour... Nightmare, activate! Enter your dreams!"

Liu He cackled, blood dripping continuously from his mouth.

The countless shadowy corpses struck the protective energy barriers surrounding Lin Yi, An Yingxiong, and the others. Since each shadow carried the aura of a Grandmaster—with an absolute energy value of around ten thousand—the injured Master Mu and the slightly weaker Lin Yi found the assault difficult to endure.

An Yingxiong became the primary line of defense. Wielding his White Blood Sword, he engaged several shadows at once. Every sweep of his blade sent out a sizzling sound, dissipating the shadowy figures.

Yet, without realizing it, Lin Yi felt his "Great Cavern True Scripture" flickering. Amidst the brilliant golden light, wisps of black smoke began to seep in, tainting his aura.

Liu He began to retreat rapidly, which puzzled Lin Yi and An Yingxiong. Meanwhile, Liu He continued to manipulate the Nine Nether Formation, flooding the area with so much ominous energy that Lin Yi could no longer see Liu He or the female corpse from the desolate village through the thick, black mist.

Lin Yi had two more dream-entry talismans ready in his hand, but they seemed useless for the moment. With a quick thought, he retrieved the final dream-entry talisman from the mysterious space of the "Slaying Nerve Scripture."

While fighting a ten-meter-tall shadowy corpse, Lin Yi moved closer to An Yingxiong and Master Mu. They thought he was struggling to hold on.

"I have three dream-entry talismans," Lin Yi’s voice reached them. "These can allow us to enter someone else's dream. The Nightmare Demon is using its ultimate technique to force us into a nightmare. Let’s turn the tables and invade its dream instead. This is a powerful artifact my master gave me."

"Elder An, Master Mu, hurry! Take one each. There’s no time. Stick these to your foreheads. Once we enter the dream, we will seize control from within..."

Lin Yi had originally intended to use the talismans against the Nightmare Demon and the female corpse, but since the demon had already activated the Nine Nether Formation and claimed it would force them into a nightmare, he decided to launch a counter-operation. He would show the Nightmare Demon what it meant to be consumed by one's own nightmare.

"Wait, didn't you say you only had two talismans?" Master Mu asked instinctively, recalling their encounter with Wang Tiandi.

Lin Yi sighed. "Master Mu, is this really the time to worry about one talisman more or less? Just stick it on!"

Master Mu smiled sheepishly and complied. An Yingxiong didn't hesitate either.

The talisman Lin Yi had used on Wang Tiandi was still active; the man was rolling on the ground, screaming as if he were trapped in a horrifying dream that had begun to manifest physically. He scratched at his own arms, tearing through his clothes and skin until he was drenched in blood.

The power of the talisman was undeniable.

The moment the talismans touched their foreheads, Lin Yi, An Yingxiong, and Master Mu felt everything around them shift. The massive shadowy corpses were still there, clawing and screeching, but they suddenly realized they were illusions.

They were still radiating the aura of Grandmasters, but Lin Yi knew with absolute clarity that these shadows could not cause them any real harm. They were merely wasting their own internal energy by forming defensive barriers and launching futile attacks.

It was an illusion—a dream. They had already been caught in the Nightmare Demon’s trap.

Unlike a standard illusion, a nightmare acted directly upon the spirit and consciousness.

Once they saw through the facade, they realized that Liu He, whom they thought had retreated, was standing right in front of them, motionless. The female corpse from the desolate village stood behind him. They hadn't moved at all; everything before had been a hallucination.

The Nightmare Demon, Liu He, laughed heartily, waving his small flag more vigorously. He began to walk toward them, speaking to the female corpse.

"My dear, they have entered the dream; they cannot distinguish reality from fantasy. I will manipulate the dream so that I become infinitely large. I will chase them until they reach the home of Er Luzi, where the core of the Nine Nether Formation lies... I will kill them there. Their blood will further stimulate the formation. Don't worry, once I kill the remaining Grandmasters, their blood will nourish you, and you will become as strong as I am!"

Liu He believed they were still trapped in his nightmare and boasted openly.

Lin Yi, Master Mu, and An Yingxiong felt their eyelids grow heavy, an overwhelming urge to sleep washing over them. They heard every word. They wanted to strike, to take Liu He by surprise, but their exhaustion made them sluggish.

Lin Yi realized he had underestimated the Nightmare Demon’s ability to induce sleep. If the demon or the female corpse struck now, they would be in trouble.

However, Liu He’s next actions provided them with a reprieve. He took the female corpse’s hand, his mysterious power causing her stiff limbs to relax, and they sat down together.

"Now, join me in the dream," Liu He whispered to her. "We shall control them completely and lead them to the heart of the Nine Nether Formation."