"True Dream Realm? A Mental Tribulation?"

Zhou Yuanjue and the others frowned, confused by what Daoist Bailong had said.

It wasn’t just them. Even the younger generation of Spirit Guardians present had never heard of this, their faces filled with confusion. Only the older generation seemed to have some inkling.

"Great Clan Elder," Yu Guanhai said with a frown, "opening the Heart Attainment Realm requires a significant amount of Moonlight Power. The baptism is currently underway, and to do this for four people at once... I’m afraid..."

"It is of no concern. It is only four people. Our clan has a sufficient reserve of Moonlight Power. It will not affect the baptism,"

the Great Clan Elder said calmly. He then turned his gaze back to the Donghua martial artists.

"The Glowing Moon Attainment Realm, while extremely dangerous, is also a rare opportunity. Even among my Moon Race, it is only opened for those who have performed great deeds and are seeking a breakthrough when constrained by their bloodline."

"So? Are you willing to give it a try?" the Great Clan Elder asked.

"What is the mystery behind this Glowing Moon Attainment Realm?"

Zhou Yuanjue and the others asked curiously.

"The Moonlight Power of the Moon Race is related to human dreams. Within the Glowing Moon Attainment Realm, a vast amount of Moonlight Power will do its utmost to ensnare a person’s will. It will fabricate a bizarre and fantastical alternate life for them, filled with desire, instinct, suffering, wasted years, and constraints... If you cannot transcend the dream with a formidable will and find your true self, you may become immersed in this life-like Dream Realm. You will sink deeper and deeper, and even if you eventually wake up, there is a great danger of ’succumbing to your inner demons’."

"However, if you can awaken from the dream, you can use that Moonlight Power within the True Dream Realm to gain considerable benefits,"

Daoist Bailong said in a low voice.

"Succumbing to our inner demons?"

Zhang Zhizhen frowned.

"Elder Bailong, we are martial artists. At the time of our Saint Awakening, we cast aside even life and death. Without an indomitable will, how could we have reached our current realm? A trial like this should be a simple matter for us,"

Ji Yunzhou said with a smile.

"It’s not that simple."

Daoist Bailong opened his mouth, then shook his head.

"Elder, since the Spirit Guardians are not at ease, we are willing to try,"

Jiang Jiushan spoke up.

"You should have faith in us,"

Zhou Yuanjue added.

"Very well. Great Clan Elder, please lead the way,"

Daoist Bailong said, taking a deep breath.

"Follow me."

"Guanhai, Yu Ze, you two stay and entertain our other distinguished guests."

The Great Clan Elder turned and walked toward the mountain behind them that housed the Moon Pool. The other two clan elders followed close behind.

Zhou Yuanjue and the others rose to their feet and followed.

As they watched the group depart, the scene erupted into a flurry of heated discussion.

"What exactly is the Glowing Moon Attainment Realm? Why have I never heard of it before?"

"They say it’s some kind of Secret Technique of the Moon Race. It has powerful effects but also carries immense risk. Even within the Moon Race, very few people ever use it."

"As for the specifics, no one can say for sure without experiencing it firsthand. I’m afraid only the Moon Race’s clan elders truly know."

...

Yu Guanhai and Yu Ze watched them leave. After a long moment, Yu Guanhai spoke to Yu Ze, "Do you think they can pass through the Heart Attainment Realm safely?"

"I don’t know. Will, the mind... who can say for sure without experiencing it themselves? Back in my day, I..."

Yu Ze opened his mouth, but ultimately just shook his head.

"What is it really like inside the Heart Attainment Realm?"

Yu Guanhai asked in a low voice.

He too had never experienced the Glowing Moon Attainment Realm. Among the Moon Race, only those who faced a bottleneck they couldn’t overcome, were willing to risk their lives, and had rendered meritorious service to the clan could apply to have it opened.

However, while he had never been through it, Yu Ze, who stood beside him, had personally experienced the Glowing Moon Attainment Realm.

Back then, Yu Ze had been stuck at the Peak of the Mortal Level for many years, unable to break through. He risked applying to open the Heart Attainment Realm and successfully emerged from it, achieving the Spirit Level.

However, he had also been significantly affected within the Heart Attainment Realm. His once handsome and tall appearance was destroyed, leaving him with his current dwarf-like features.

"Bizarre illusions, disorienting and surreal."

"If the heart is not still, the body will follow. It’s not just a Dream Realm. If you fall in too deep, it becomes reality."

A pained look flickered across Yu Ze’s face, as if he were recalling some unpleasant memories.

***

***

「Meanwhile」

Zhou Yuanjue and the others followed the three Moon Race clan elders, beginning their slow ascent of the mountain before them.

"Before you enter the Heart Attainment Realm, I need you to have a basic understanding of it."

"Do you know what a ’dream’ is?"

The Great Clan Elder’s voice slowly reached their ears.

What is a dream?

Hearing this, they all looked slightly perplexed.

"It’s very simple. A dream is, in essence, a person’s own fantasy."

"The only difference is that when you are awake, your fantasies are controlled by your consciousness. In a dream, however, your consciousness cannot control these fantasies."

"That is why they are bizarre and inscrutable. Yet while we are in a dream, we never question these phenomena that defy our cognition and common sense."

"This is because at that time, a person’s consciousness is in a dormant state. It’s like a string puppet that can be manipulated at will."

"And the one manipulating your consciousness is not someone else, but you yourself. Your desires, your instincts, and your subconscious, which is as fragmented and elusive as shards of glass."

"Those shadows hidden in the depths of your consciousness—the parts you cannot normally touch, understand, or integrate—will take complete control of you."

"Sometimes, a dream is the fulfillment of a certain desire. Sometimes, it is dominated by a certain instinct. And sometimes, it is driven by a certain obsession. There are good ones and bad ones, kind ones and evil ones. This is what an ordinary Dream Realm is,"

the Great Clan Elder explained slowly.

Hearing this, they all fell into contemplative silence.

"But the Glowing Moon Attainment Realm is different. Inside it, the desires and instincts hidden deep within your shadows will be fully unleashed. At the same time, the Moonlight Power will stimulate the most important fragments of your memory, constructing a near-perfectly real dream world, and will offer you guidance and temptation."

"There, you will be just like someone in a dream. All your memories and your very identity will be fabricated by the Dream Realm. Only a sufficiently powerful conviction and will can allow you to break the shackles of the dream—a dream constructed by your own desires and instincts—and awaken."

"If you cannot awaken in time, or if you become trapped in the dream, unable to escape, then your chaotic desires and instincts will gradually encroach upon your sleeping consciousness. The guest will become the host. You may even begin to believe the dream is reality. If it reaches that point, even if you awaken from the Heart Attainment Realm, your consciousness will have been compromised, leading to severe hidden dangers."

"In a mild case, your temperament will change drastically. In a severe case, you could suffer a complete mental breakdown and be driven to madness."

"This is what Elder Bailong meant when he spoke of ’succumbing to your inner demons’."