The Nightmare Swamp, located in the far north of the cultivation world, drew the attention of many cultivators after someone accidentally stumbled upon it and discovered a new race—the Dream Demons.
Uncertain whether these beings harbored ill intentions toward mortals or cultivators, several sects dispatched representatives to investigate.
Bai Roushuang was sent on orders, while Xu Shulou, who had only recently returned to the mortal realm, tagged along out of curiosity.
The Dream Demons gave them no chance to investigate—launching an immediate attack, as if no further probing was needed. Their hostility was evident.
A colossal monster within the swamp churned up towering waves of mud, sweeping everyone on the shore into its depths.
Given their name, one could easily guess the abilities of the Dream Demons.
Xu Shulou, dragged into the swamp and separated from her junior sister and the others, searched around until she spotted two cultivators locked in combat nearby. Covered in sludge, they resembled mud figures, their eyes filled with terror as if each mistook the other for some horrifying monster.
She quickly intervened, separating the two and knocking them back to their senses with a punch each.
Dazed, the two clutched their faces in unison. "That hurts! Who hit us?"
"...So you two were beating each other senseless, but my single punch hurt more?" Xu Shulou felt a twinge of guilt. "You were likely ensnared by nightmares. Now that you're awake, leave quickly and don’t come back."
The two, already recalling what had happened, shuddered at the thought—they had unknowingly fallen under an illusion, seeing each other as monsters. Without intervention, they might have fought to the death in the swamp’s depths.
Such mental attacks weren’t something mere cultivation strength could resist. The two didn’t hesitate to express their gratitude before hastily swimming upward.
Xu Shulou continued diving deeper. After descending about ten feet, she suddenly felt weightless—only to realize she had passed from the swamp into a clear lake. A lake beneath the swamp? What kind of structure was this? Before she could ponder further, a massive tentacle whipped her back into the murky depths.
Movement was sluggish in the swamp, making combat difficult, and visibility was poor. Wrapped tightly in tentacles, Xu Shulou summoned her sword to slash at them, though her mind briefly wandered—If only these were giant octopus legs, grilled and sprinkled with chili flakes...
After dealing with the obstacles along the way, she plunged back into the water, only to be swallowed whole by a massive fish.
The fish’s stomach was surprisingly elastic. Holding a luminous pearl to illuminate the surroundings, Xu Shoushou ignored the remnants of half-digested food and amused herself by bouncing on the stomach like a trampoline. Before she could tire of the game, the fish, likely nauseated by her antics, spat her out.
After overcoming numerous minor hurdles, she finally reached a crystal corridor at the lake’s deepest point. Outside the corridor lay a pale moon-colored earring, resembling one Bai Roushuang had worn that day.
As Xu Shulou touched the crystal wall, a fleeting illusion flashed before her eyes. She shook her head, quickly regaining clarity.
"Go, walk forward," a demonic whisper echoed in her ears. "Reach the end and face your inner demons."
Xu Shulou was indeed curious about what her current inner demons might be. But when she traversed the corridor, she found Bai Roushuang waiting at its heart.
"My junior sister is my inner demon?" Xu Shulou was baffled.
A robed Dream Demon nearby nearly stumbled over their own words in surprise. "No... we just kidnapped her to threaten you."
Xu Shulou paused. "...That does sound far more logical."
The Dream Demons encircled her, their leader—a woman—studying her with fascination. "You no longer have any inner demons."
Xu Shulou blinked. "...That’s good to hear."
"Senior Sister!" Bai Roushuang looked guilty. "I’m sorry. They ensnared the others in our group, and I was caught off guard. Also, I saw people from the Lingxiao Sect—Senior Brother Lu seemed disoriented, likely affected too."
"Don’t worry. I’ll deal with him later," Xu Shulou waved dismissively before turning to the hooded Dream Demon. "What do you want?"
The Dream Demon, whose figure was youthful and graceful like a maiden’s, stepped closer and lifted delicate hands to remove her hood—revealing a face aged beyond measure.
"...At this distance, Xu Shulou could count every wrinkle and crease.
One by one, the others lowered their hoods, revealing the same grotesque contrast—aged faces atop youthful bodies.
The sight made Bai Roushuang gasp.
The woman lit the oil lamps along the walls, illuminating the crystal cavern. "Every Dream Demon, upon reaching adulthood, must choose before our deity—a youthful face or a youthful body. Choose beauty, and your body withers, confining you to bed. Choose the latter, and you end up like us."
Bai Roushuang’s heart ached. "That sounds terribly unfair."
"For centuries, this was our way. We never knew the outside world, so we never questioned it. Our lives were peaceful," the Dream Demon’s voice trembled with sorrow. "But a month ago, a cultivator stumbled in... and showed us what normal people look like."
"..."
"At first, we thought he was unique. We crowded around, asking questions. But then we realized... we were the freaks." The woman shuddered. "Can you imagine? Confusion, envy, rage—all erupted among us in an instant. It was the cultivators who shattered our peace!"
"...I’m sorry," Xu Shulou sighed. "I grieve for your suffering."
The Dream Demon sneered. "Save your pity. Our Nightmare God promised that if we lure beautiful men and women like you as sacrifices, he will bless us with normal lives. The more beautiful the offering, the greater the boon."
This doesn’t sound like a righteous deity at all. Are you being deceived? Bai Roushuang opened her mouth, tempted to recommend the cultivation world’s illusionary artifacts, but a silencing spell cut her off.
"Resistance is futile. You cannot defy a god."
The woman took a deep breath and began chanting—a long, rhythmic incantation in an alien tongue. Bai Roushuang caught only the final line:
"Great Nightmare God, we summon you!"
...Nothing happened. Silence lingered.
The silence stretched on so long it became almost awkward, until Xu Shulou couldn’t help but speak up: "Um—"
"Silence!" the leading woman snapped. "Again!"
So, with solemn expressions, everyone chanted the mysterious-sounding incantation once more.
"Great Nightmare God, we summon thee!"
Silence again.
Xu Shulou asked curiously, "Is he perhaps not home today?"
The nightmare clansmen, thoroughly annoyed, hurled a stack of silencing spells at her, which she deftly blocked.
"Great Nightmare God, we summon thee!"
A third attempt, still no response. Bai Roushuang was even starting to doze off, lulled by the repetitive chanting.
As the nightmare clansmen grew visibly panicked, Xu Shulou suddenly felt a twinge of unease and cautiously ventured, "So… what does your Nightmare God look like, exactly?"
No one paid her any attention.
Undeterred, she pressed on: "It’s not… crab-like upper body with a bunch of tentacles below, is it?"
"How did you know?" The nightmare clansmen finally paused their frantic discussions to glare at her.
"Accidentally killed it. It attacked me first… I thought it was just some local delicacy from your Nightmare Swamp. Was planning to ask if it was edible later," Xu Shulou explained, taking a step back as the clansmen erupted into furious howls. "Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing… that’s a no?"
"……"
With a sigh of melancholy and self-awareness, Xu Shulou muttered, "I’ve just landed myself on another banned list, haven’t I?"
